As the summer swelters on, skyscrapers and apartments around the city will crank up air conditioners and push the city's power grid to the limit — but some have found a cool alternative.


Fallujah toll: 600 insurgents, 18 Americans

â¢ Gunmen in Mosul on Thursday attacked and overwhelmed several police stations and battled US and Iraqi troops around bridges across the Tigris River, the military said.


Gov. wants New Orleans projects reopened

Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Monday she wants to temporarily reopen the New Orleans public housing projects that have been closed since Hurricane Katrina, despite federal plans to demolish them.


Hurricane Helene was downgraded to a Category 1 storm early Thursday as it churned in the open Atlantic well east of Bermuda, forecasters said.


'Future of aviation'. Erm, hold on a minute... World-straddling arms'n'airliners behemoth Boeing yesterday announced successful testing of a hydrogen-fuelled aircraft engine which will power the company's future High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) robo-plane.â¦


First Look: OQO Handheld PC Fails to Excite

Design and performance issues hold back this very cool idea.


Armadillo Aerospace, the space company founded by "Doom" creator John Carmack, was the lone competitor in NASA's contest, but flamed out in the end.


State Police Adds Function to Make Identifying Predators Easier: ; Web Site Feature Allows for Specific Search of 18 Sexually Violent Offenders

By KELLY HOLLERAN  The West Virginia State Police has updated its Web site to make it easier to identify sexually violent predators, information that previously was difficult to find.


Half-Life 2 will be available worldwide on November 16, according to Vivendi, the game's publisher. Serious PC gamers will want to reserve a copy from their favorite game supplier or download an encrypted copy from the game maker.


Verona, 17:40 - CALCIO, CHIEVO: DOPPIETTA DI OBINNA CONTRO LA PRIMAVERA

Test contro la Primavera per il Chievo. 4-0 il finale per la prima squadra, a segno con Tiribocchi e...


Genova, 21:23 - CALCIO, SAMPDORIA: ACQUISTATO CAMPAGNARO

La Sampdoria ha acquistato a titolo definitivo il difensore argentino Hugo Armando Campagnaro, 27 an...


Amburgo, 20:32 - CICLISMO, TOUR DE FRANCE: E' GRIWKO IL SOSTITUTO DI PETACCHI

La Milram ha deciso di schierare l'ucraino Andrei Griwko al posto di Petacchi per il Tour de France,...


Fritz Haeg is selling his geodesic dome, but he's holding onto his teapot.


Search Continues for 5 Missing Fishermen

The families of five missing fishermen agonized Tuesday as searchers scoured hundreds of square miles of frigid water off Nantucket. Heartened by the rescue of one survivor, officials refused to give up hope.


Michael Eisner and Frank Wells transformed Disney by revitalizing its dormant animation efforts, expanding the theme parks and, most dramatically, by purchasing Capital Cities/ABC in 1995, thus


Atlanta, 21:25 - BOXE, LAILA ALI' BATTE LA GEIGGAR. 'ORA VOGLIO UN FIGLIO'

La figlia di Muhamed AlÃ¬, Laila, ha conservato il titolo mondiale dei supermedi donne battendo la sf...


In its most concerted effort to date to recapture what some have perceived as waning brand interest, Nokia kicked off a four-city worldwide tour today with a gala event in New York City, where the N95 took center stage. With it go Nokia's hopes, and the prospects for HSDPA in North America.


Prince Harry denies reports of high jinks

Aides say that Argentinian press reports that Prince Harry of Britain spent his time in the country nightclubbing and getting drunk are pure fiction.


Kirk Hinrich scores a career-high 38 points, as the undermanned Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers, 108-95, on Wednesday night.


Europeans cool to Bush plan on climate change

ESSEN, Germany  - President George W. Bush's plan to combat climate change got a cool reception on Friday in Europe, where the European Union's environment chief dismissed it as unambitious and the "classic" U.S. line.


Il sito del New York Times dedica un ampio servizio alla qualitÃ  dell'aria nel capoluogo lombardoUn'associazione di volontari registra con rilevatori portatili la concentrazione delle polveri sottili                                            "L'inquinamento soffoca Milano" Il NYT scopre i genitori antismog


Calo nettamente superiore a quello atteso dagli analisti


Nine fossilised teeth found in Ethiopia are from a previously unknown species of great ape, Nature journal reports.


Santander pays $651 mln for U.S. auto finance firm

Spanish bank Banco Santander Central   Hispano SAN.MC will pay $651 million to buy a 90 percent   stake in U.S. auto financing company Drive Financial Services,   it said on Monday.


Women may buy the morning-after pill without a prescription — but only with proof they're 18 or older, federal health officials ruled Thursday, capping a contentious 3-year effort to ease access to the emergency contraceptive.


Tennis Replay System Not Coming Anytime Soon

While all the buzz at the rainy US Open is about the need for instant replay, don't hold your breath. Replay won't be coming to an umpire chair near you anytime soon.


A Bertinoro di Forli', 14enne era legato a asse trasmissione


UK energy exploration firm BG Group posts a 22% rise in annual profits on the back of strong gas and oil prices.


Hurricane science in the new century is a mix of growing skill and persistent uncertainty, of intuition and algorithms, satellites and erasers.


Panel Sees Shuttle Flights Resuming Soon

NASA should be able to meet all requirements for resuming space shuttle flights next spring, but some solutions, like repairing damage to heat shields, will be open


Arezzo, 19:08 - CALCIO, DILETTANTI: MALORE IN CAMPO, MUORE UN GIOCATORE

Un giocatore di seconda categoria è morto oggi in campo per un malore. Si chiamava Teddy Bart...


Bondi, Prodi prenda distanze da farneticazioni


Pakistan accused of hundreds of terror abductions

Pakistan has abducted hundreds of people   as part of the U.S-led war on terror, often secretly holding   them for months while they are interrogated, the human rights   group Amnesty International said on Friday.


From the Editor: November 2004 -- Got a Linux Server? Thank a Beowulf.

Ten years ago, Donald Becker and Thomas Sterling built a 16-node cluster, the original Beowulf, and started Linux and commodity hardware on a program of relentless improvement.


Christine Beatty, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's chief of staff, said Monday she is resigning amid allegations that she and the mayor lied under oath about an affair.


A group of female protesters locked in a land dispute with the Greek Orthodox Church defied a 1,000-year-old ban and entered the all-male Mount Athos monastic sanctuary in northern Greece, a police official said Wednesday.


Analyst: iPhone European roll out 'may be delayed'

An analyst for investment banking firm Piper Jaffray warned Wednesday that Apple's European iPhone launch "may be delayed." Analyst Gene Munster claimed the planned European wide roll-out later this year may face problems. "European wireless carriers are citing strict terms of the partnership with Apple," Munster said.


Blog: GSN game features an animated Hilton in stiletto heels, designer sunglasses and an orange jumpsuit.


but it's something to which they need to begin paying attention before a catastrophe of terrible proportions occurs. You may remember


Highlights of action Saturday at the Athens Games

* With star swimmer Michael Phelps watching from the stands after giving his spot to teammate Ian Crocker, the United States won gold in the men's 400-meter medley relay in a world-record time of 3:30.


Google's Desktop Search Could Change SEM Forever

Google was first to market a desktop search utility. Well, actually, others were first, but Google's the one everyone noticed.


Princes William and Harry announced plans on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death with a pop concert at the new Wembley Stadium.


Eastern regions of Ukraine voted yesterday to hold a December referendum on autonomy, a move toward separatism that opposition politicians denounced as "a crime against Ukraine.


A judge Thursday rejected a defense request to throw out the indictment against Michael Jackson, saying prosecutors had presented enough evidence of child molestation and an attempt to silence the alleged victim's family for the case to go forward.


Quick Take: Ceradyne Delivers on a Promise

Management's predictions turn out to be right on target.


Update 8: Oil Prices Drop Below $50 a Barrel

Oil futures prices sank to their lowest level in nearly a month Monday on a continuation of the selloff sparked last week by rising US supplies of crude and easing fears about the refining industry's ability to satisfy heating oil demand.


EU leaders struggle with Poland over new treaty

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought on Friday to persuade Poland to compromise over a new treaty to reform the European Union after Warsaw dug in its heels to demand a change in the voting system.


Berlusconi preoccupato dalle mosse dellâex ministro

ROMA - Nessuna Finanziaria Ã¨ mai giunta a destinazione senza un assalto alla diligenza. E quindi conterrÃ  anche brandelli di veritÃ  la versione che si accreditava ieri nel Palazzo, e cioÃ¨ la storia di


The game business has come to rely on sequels, even more so than Hollywood. While thatÂs good news for their revenues, itÂs bad for the independent developers who built the industry.


The top civil servant at the centre the David Blunkett visa affair is knighted in the New Year Honours list.


HONG KONG, Sept. 8, 2004âSouthwest China braces for more floods after deadly storms killed scores of people and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate.


Kerry Says Bush Snubbing Science, May Cost Lives

Democratic challenger John Kerry on Monday broadened his attack on President Bush to include stem cell research when he accused his rival of ignoring science that could


Bankitalia: cambia strategia, una su cinque va all'estero


A public review will take place every year to monitor the state of Scotland's health, the first minister says.


Con "Stasera mi butto" la Balivo approda alla conduzione del prime timeNapoletana, 27 anni, si sente "uno dei pochi, veri giovani prodotti Rai"                                            Tv d'estate, la prima serata di Caterina "Sul Garda, sognando Oprah Winfrey"                                                                                L'inizio con i fotoromanzi, poi terza a Miss Italia, poi tanta televisione popolare"Ma il trash Ã¨ altro: le parolacce, le bestemmie, le donne nude in tv"di ALESSANDRA VITALI


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Seattle Mariners continued efforts to bulk up their anemic offence Thursday, signing free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre to lucrative contract.


Prime Minister Tony Blair says he will not prejudge the result of police inquiries into a Â£22m bank raid in Belfast.


Tribunale Sorveglianza: persistono rischi per la sua salute


Two Bolivian states formally object to the  president's plans to redistribute land and rewrite the constitution.


Cruciferous veggies may ward off bladder cancer

Substances found in cruciferous  vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, may help protect  people from bladder cancer, a new study shows.


Police exhume body in Somerset care home inquiry

Police on Wednesday completed the exhumation of an elderly woman's body as part of a major investigation into suspicious deaths at a care home in Somerset.


The dispute over whether gymnast Paul Hamm deserves to keep his gold medal from the Athens Games got its final hearing Monday.


Don't hold your breath waiting for  the next Spice Girls reunion. Geri Halliwell, a.k.a. Ginger  Spice, said a second outing "probably won't happen ever again."  The quintet's Return of the Spice Girls World Tour wraps  February 26 in Toronto.


Time Warner to make decision on AOL at year-end

Time Warner Inc.  said on  Thursday it will make a decision on AOL's future by the end of  the year, addressing rampant speculation the online unit could  be spun off or merged with another company.


Retail sales rise; results weaker than a year ago

US retail chains reported May sales gains as warmer weather helped them rebound from a dismal April, but results were weaker than a year ago, signaling to some that rising gas prices and a slowing housing market are taking their toll.


FREE Ladybird Books & CDs ; Get Your Voucher Today!

THE enchanting tale of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs will make your Grumpy children, Happy and Sleepy.


WHO regional committee session convenes in Shanghai

The 55th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western Pacific opened in the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai yesterday.


Domani confronto su Dpef e destinazione 'tesoretto'


Radio One, the Lanham company that not long ago was leaping over lumbering media conglomerates with its hot urban sound, has stumbled in recent years as tastes have changed and competition grows from satellite and Spanish-language radio and iPods.


John Lennon's widow is calling for the anniversary of his death to become a day of worldwide healing.


No a societa' di lusso perche' gestiscono troppi marchi


The Sopranos' creator said he felt sick when he learned he was being sued by an ex-judge over the series.


'Dr. Phil' Bumps 3 Fall Premieres by a Week

LOS ANGELES  - CBS has postponed the  fall premieres of "60 Minutes," "The King of Queens" and new  comedy series "Center of the Universe" by a week to make room  for "A Dr. Phil Primetime Special: Family First."


OJ Simpson granted bail on robbery charges

Former football star released on Â£63,000 bond over claims of armed hold-up at Las Vegas hotel.


Campagna ministero, girovita 102 cm per uomini, 88 per donne


The man accused of killing British tourist Peter Falconio is to stand trial for his murder, an Australian court has ruled.


Photos: Concepts at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

CNET Car Tech posts photos of concept cars at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.


Nesterenko of Belarus wins women's 100m Olympic gold

Belarus' Yuliya Nesterenko became the fastest woman in the world, winning the 100m gold medal at the Olympic Games here Saturday evening.


Birmingham, England (Sports Network) - Aston Villa coach David O'Leary has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Villa Park until the summer of 2008.


Frustrated Cardinals Can't Hit in Series Loss to Sox

While the Boston Red Sox celebrated the end of 86 years of frustration by winning the World Series on Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals had to deal with some new frustrations of their own.


Computer Sciences Corp. CSC.N, one  of the world's largest technology services companies, on  Tuesday posted higher quarterly profit, driven by strong  European revenue that got a lift from the weak dollar.


Kashmiri Militants Stage Attack Before Singh's Visit, NDTV Says

Alleged separatist militants in India's Jammu and Kashmir state attacked a shopping complex close to a venue that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to speak at today, the NDTV


US men's soccer team carries itself with a swagger

They play with a confident air these days, even a swagger, more befitting the Brazilians and Germans.


SINGAPORE Ever since WMC Resources rejected Xstrata's $5.8 billion takeover offer last month, saying it was insufficient, WMC's chief executive, Andrew Michelmore, has been saying that there was more to his company than meets the eye.


Shell to boost investment to replace missing barrels

Royal Dutch/Shell announced plans to boost investment in exploration and production, making the replacement of its reserves a top priority as it seeks to restore battered investor confidence.


A chef accused of giving a former partner HIV is challenged over claims that he always had protected sex.


Iggy Pop's pioneering punk rock group the Stooges will release their first album since 1973 on March 20, and will promote it with a world tour.


Taliban say talks for South Korean hostages 'not going well'

Taliban rebels in Afghanistan warned that talks to secure the release of 23 South Korean hostages were "not going well" and reiterated their threat to kill them by sunset.


Accoona.com Launches New Artificial Intelligence Search Engine

The Accoona Corporation, an industry pioneer in Artificial Intelligence Search Technology, announced today the launch of Accoona.com.


Old exploit keeps on tickin' for hackers

An 18-month-old flaw in Microsoft Windows -- patched by Microsoft in 2006 -- continues to allow hackers to infect PCs with advanced rootkits and launch infections from thousands of compromised Web sites.


SEVEN truck drivers from Egypt, Kenya and India held hostage in Iraq since July 21 and working for a Kuwaiti firm have been released, Al-Arabiya television has reported.


La vittima aveva 32 anni ed era nota alle forze dell'ordine


ABIDJAN, Nov 12  - The top French soldier in Ivory Coast has confirmed that women were raped in anti-French violence that has erupted in the volatile west African nation over the last week.


The âBlack Listâ has become the kind of underground document that writers with projects in development pray will mention their script.


A veiled Muslim woman is to deliver Channel 4's alternative Christmas message, the broadcaster announces.


HEAVY rain has delayed the start of the ATP Masters Cup final in Houston, Texas, and forced organisers to trim the title match from a best-of-five sets to a best-of-three format.


Stockholm, Sweden (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Andre Agassi earned a grueling victory against fourth-seeded Tommy Haas in Saturday's semifinals at the Stockholm Open.


Illness spreads to third Litvinenko contact: report

A second Russian businessman who met  murdered ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko on the day he fell ill is  now sick from radiation poisoning, local media quoted medical  sources as saying on Friday.


Unocal Corp.  has agreed to settle two closely watched lawsuits accusing the U.S. oil giant of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses that occurred during the construction of a pipeline in Myanmar, the company said on Monday.


A Chinese court has awarded a Nanjing Massacre survivor $200,000 in compensation after ruling in her favor against two Japanese historians who claimed she fabricated her account of the atrocity, state media said Wednesday.


Chris Taft and Chevon Troutman led a 16-0 run during the final six minutes of the first half that rallied No. 16 Pittsburgh from a sluggish start to an 83-59 victory over city rival Robert Morris on Wednesday night.


UPDATE 3-PeopleSoft relents, agrees to $10.3 bln Oracle bid

PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday agreed to a sweetened $10.3 billion buyout by rival software maker Oracle Corp.


In a study on rats, exercise prevented degeneration of nerve cells that are normally destroyed by the disease. The University of Pittsburgh researchers are now recruiting patients to see if regular exercise has the same effect in humans.


NASCAR implemented a new system for crowning its Nextel Cup series champion after abandoning the traditional points system used since 1975.


During nearly every stop of her six-city "listening tour" this summer, Katie Couric said viewers told her they wanted the network evening news to be an hour instead of just 30 minutes.


Spring Integration boosts service-based apps

SpringSource, the keepers of the popular Spring Framework for Java application development, this week introduced Spring Integration, a framework to ease enterprise integration.Spring Integration is intended to assist Spring users in building service-oriented, message-driven applications. It offers a model for building message-driven systems by encapsulating internal complexities of these systems so business components can be declaratively configured without knowledge of the integration infrastructure, according to SpringSource, which formerly was known as Interface21.The open-source framework handles message-listening and service-invoking aspects and applies Inversion of Control principles to the runtime arena, SpringSource said. Inversion of Control principles in Spring Integration pertain to the framework taking over the linking of activities.With Spring Integration, SpringSource seeks to provide support for integrating different types of systems, such as Web applications, Web services, and messaging, while insulating the developer from having to deal with these plumbing issues. Developers can focus on the application while the framework manages the tying of things together, said Mark Fisher, SpringSource project lead for Spring Integration."All of that's managed in a layer that's then separate from the business requirements of the application," Fisher said. "We're just isolating the responsibilities of integration from the business responsibilities."Spring Integration, for example, could be used in a stock ordering system that handles data arriving via both HTTP and messaging. "What this does is it provides a layer of insulation that manages those different endpoints and routes them to the same service implementation that actually places the stock order," Fisher said.Also part of Spring Integration are adapters to integrate with common input and output sources. Spring Integration builds on functionality in the core Spring Framework, including support for Java Message Service, aspect-oriented programming, event publication, and subscription and transaction management.Written in Java, Spring Integration features extension points, including input and output adapters; content-based routers; and message filters and translators. Version 1.0 of the framework is due in the second quarter of 2008. SpringSource will sell support services for Spring Integration.SpringSource announced Spring Integration and several other offerings at the The Spring Experience conference in Hollywood, Fla. this week. Also announced was SpringSource Application Management Suite, which publishes information about internal components of a Spring application to a management console. Users can leverage either the Hyperic HQ interface or the JConsole system featured in every Java developer kit, said Adrian Colyer, SpringSource CTO.Information is tracked, including how many transactions are coming out of a system and how many messages are being parsed.The SpringSource Advanced Pack for Oracle Database, which works in conjunction with Oracle RAC (Real Application Clusters), was also announced. Advanced Pack for Oracle will resubmit Spring application requests in the event a database node goes down.Also unveiled was SpringSource Tools Suite, which provides assistance in using Spring products. It ties into an online knowledge base.SpringSource's Application Management Suite, Advanced Pack for Oracle Database and Tools Suite will all be offered in a shared source fashion to those with a paid subscription to SpringSource products. These three offerings will be available in an early access format in January with general release planned for the end of the first quarter.?SpringSource also unveiled SpringSource Certification Program, providing an exam to certify proficiency in Spring technology. "We finally bowed to that popular demand and we are putting place a certification program," Colyer said.The certification program will be available in North America on January 21, 2008.


Armed residents of India's north-eastern Nagaland state burn villages in neighbouring Assam, police say.


A bus carrying Hindus on a religious pilgrimage skidded off a hill in western India and plunged into a gorge, killing at least 38 people and injuring 40 others


Ramirez looking forward to playing (and eating) in Japan

Less than a week after celebrating a World Series title, Manny Ramirez is in Japan for more baseball -- and a little sushi. Ramirez, Boston Red Sox teammate David Ortiz and 26 other major league players arrived


Relief from tiny, stinging ants burrowing beneath the Coachella Valley might eventually come from a Florida laboratory. Scientists in Gainesville, Fla.


NFL lets networks co-broadcast Patriots-Giants game

The National Football League will let  broadcast networks CBS and NBC air the New England Patriots' bid to finish a perfect regular season this weekend, reversing a plan to air the game nationally only on the sports league's own cable channel.


Thousands of workers are not being paid the national minimum wage, a survey by the TUC has found.


Police deny pepper spraying Australian Open crowd an over-reaction

Police on Wednesday defended using pepper spray to subdue rowdy elements of the Australian Open crowd, even though the unprecedented move left innocent bystanders choking and distressed.


Bell Helicopter Standardizes on Mentor Graphics CHS to Cut Costs and Reduce Schedules for Helicopter Electrical System Design

Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) announced today Bell  Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, has chosen to standardize on Mentor  Graphics CHS™ flow for the design of  helicopter electrical wiring systems.


New Zealand has deported two Israelis who admitted trying to fraudulently obtain passports, the BBC reported Wednesday. In July, Uriel Kelman and Eli Cara got six-month sentences for the crime.


Judge Strikes Down Campaign Finance Rules

WASHINGTON Sept. 20, 2004 - A judge has struck down several government rules on campaign fund raising, ordering tougher restrictions on big political money in the long term while creating uncertainty about


The nation's retailers had a slow start to the spring season as unseasonably cold weather in February chilled demand for lightweight apparel and left merchants with disappointing sales. The slowing economy, particularly the weakening housing market, could challenge shoppers in the months ahead.


SAN FRANCISCO - The artist who misspelled the names of famous people in world history on a large ceramic mosaic outside Livermore's new library can spell one word with ease: N-O. That's Maria Alquilar's new position on fixing the typos...


The spokeswoman for Republican gubernatorial candidate John Dendahl's campaign was seriously injured Thursday after being severely beaten in a bank parking lot, officials said.


Marshall had a down year compared to past seasons, but this blowout loss still represented a symbolic moment for Conference USA as the Herd leaves the MAC to join the new league next year while Cincinnati is off to the Big East.


U.S. Government Starts Test of SARS Vaccine

The first U.S. vaccine against SARS, which swept parts of Asia and around the world in 2003, is ready to be tested in human volunteers, government researchers said on Monday.


Sharon gets big win he wanted in vote on unilateral withdrawal

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won a historic victory yesterday when parliament voted to approve his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank - the first time that legislators have authorized the removal of Jewish settlements from


Less Preening, More Fun and a Touch of Dignity at Awards Show

The Screen Actors Guild Awards moved fast, looked effortless and fun, and turned out to be a worthy substitute for the more glamorous Golden Globes.


Library of Congress Names Children's Literature Ambassador

Jon Scieszka, author of "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" and the "Time Warp Trio" series, will get the imprimatur of the Library of Congress Thursday as the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.


Four Remaining British Guantanamo Detainees to Be Released, Government Sources Say

The United States has decided to hand over an Australian man and four British men held at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, British and Australian officials said Tuesday.


PENSACOLA, Fla. - As Hurricane Ivan's remnants soaked the South on Friday and left a trail of destruction from the Gulf Coast to the Carolinas, Floridians once again are coping, cleaning up and coming together after being pummeled by a third devastating storm in five weeks...


London Mayor Ken Livingstone denies the finances of the 2012 London Olympics are in a state of chaos.


Previsto un +12% per il fatturato 2006 rispetto al 2005


Google Said to Be Testing Sun's Open-source Solaris

Google is experimenting with Sun's open-source Solaris operating systems, which could be used to run at least part of the online search firm's massive grid computing system.


Settlement in sight in one of Sudanâs conflicts

Suffering continues in war-ravaged western Sudan. But to the south, after 21 years of conflict, things are looking up. The Islamic government in Khartoum may be ready to initial a peace agreement with southern Sudanese rebels on or before a Dec.


The Harvard women's hockey team faced the question every top team in the nation will try to answer this season: How to stop Minnesota's quick-shooting, sharp-skating top line.


The US government is expected to require automakers to install safer power-window switches within four years, USA Today reported Monday.


Tecnico Palermo paga cara la protesta contro la Fiorentina


Palestinian Premier Ahmed Qurei denounced the Israeli continuous violent raids on Palestinian towns, saying Saturday that they were hampering the peace process in the region.


Former ISP Owner Convicted in E-Rate Fraud

A U.S. federal jury convicted the former owner and president of ATE Tel Solutions Inc., a telecommunications and Internet service provider, on seven of nine counts of wire fraud in a scheme to defraud the E-Rate program, the U.S. Department of Justice said Friday.


Gov't struggles to cope with wounded GIs

More than 800 of them have lost an arm, a leg, fingers or toes. More than 100 are blind. Dozens need tubes and machines to keep them alive. Hundreds are disfigured by burns, and thousands have brain injuries and mangled minds.


The UN waters down a draft resolution promising independence for Kosovo if talks with Serbia fail.


HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL MUST BE AT TOP OF PRESIDENT'S LIST

These days, I need more paperwork to see a doctor than I do to buy a house. In my recent quest to see an orthopedist, I encountered a receptionist who wanted my Social Security (news - web


RDF Media says it expects more work from the BBC, despite a misleading trailer it made featuring the Queen.


TORONTO (CP) -- Canadian music lovers who've been itching to get into the ITunes online music store will have the chance next month.


Sales of 4x4 vehicles have fallen sharply across the UK, a survey is expected to reveal.


Shooting Dogs, a film about the Rwandan genocide, will get its premiere at the country's main stadium.


New business platform coming soon to a Mac near you Intel's brand new vPro desktop platform started shipping in business PCs yesterday and could already be on its way for Macs.â¦


Iran says it won't respect nuclear deal if Europe fails to meet obligations

TEHRAN, Iran  - President Mohammad Khatami called a nuclear deal reached with European country a "great victory" but said Wednesday that Tehran won't respect its commitment if Europeans fail to support his country at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency next week.


Gunmen shoot, wound aid workers in Darfur

Gunmen shot and seriously wounded  three aid workers in an attack on a humanitarian convoy in the  Darfur region of western Sudan, the U.N. said in a statement.


Holidays bring scammers looking to steal cheer

December is a prime time for scam artists to prey on consumers looking for a year-end investment or making charitable donations, experts told a U.S. Senate hearing on Thursday.


Two alleged would-be Palestinian suicide bombers surrender to Israeli forces at a checkpoint near Nablus.


Il caso dell'ateneo privato ma legalmente riconosciuto: tra i promotori finanziaric'Ã¨ Edizioni Winner, uno dei piÃ¹ reclamizzati istituti privati per la preparazione agli esami                                                  Benvenuti all'UniversitÃ  Telematica qui piÃ¹ si spende, migliore Ã¨ il tutor                                                                                La replica dell'Unisu: "Nessun conflitto d'interesse: la sfera economica non interferisce con la didattica"Il rettore minaccia le dimissioni e l'imbarazzo dei docenti: molti sono scomparsi dagli organigrammi


Stem Cells Offer Hope for Urinary Incontinence

Women's own bodies may hold the key to their recovery from incontinence, researchers say. In a small study being presented Nov. 29 at the Radiological Society of North America


Writer-producer Samantha Corbin-Miller has been recruited as the new showrunner on the UPN freshman drama "Kevin Hill," which has struggled in the ratings despite critical buzz.


Two U.S. software firms lobby EU on Microsoft: WSJ

Two U.S. software firms are asking the   European Commission to take action against Microsoft's MSFT.O   new Vista operating system, the Wall Street Journal reported on   Thursday.


MySQL To Use Open-Source Microsoft Toolset

TechWeb - The next release of the MyQSL database server will include a Windows installer based on an open-source toolset released by Microsoft.


President Viktor Yushchenko stripped two key figures in his poisoning of honorary rank Monday, taking way away their benefits and prestigious titles.


Baidu expands to take on Google in Japan

The dominance of Google in the search space is almost written in stone in North America, but there may yet be some populous spots in the world where the market is wide open. Now its main Chinese competitor has launched a new assault.


A photo owned by Sir Elton John and seized from a gallery in a child porn probe is not indecent, say prosecutors.


Security flaws found in Yahoo Music Jukebox

Security researchers warn Yahoo Music Jukebox users of a public exploit that can take advantage of "extremely critical" security flaws in the music player.


ETA blamed for series of blasts across Spain

Just days after a series of small explosions tore through gas stations around Madrid, it appears a Basque separatist group has carried through on its threat to set off bombs across Spain.


With a wave of his hand over a homemade receiver, Georgia Tech professor Joy Laskar shows how easily — and quickly — large data files could someday be transferred from a portable media player to a TV.


Elizabeth Hurley marries in secret ceremony: reports

Model and actress Elizabeth Hurley  married Indian businessman Arun Nayar in a secret ceremony on  Friday, a day before the couple were due to host a lavish  wedding party, British media reported on Saturday.


US Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry shifts his campaign battleground towards the war Iraq.


Saudi Arabia Accused of Violating Freedom

In an unusual censure of a key ally in the war on terrorism, the Bush administration on Wednesday accused Saudi Arabia of "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom.


PageSix - HOU Hsiao-hsien is    one of the world's    foremost filmmak   ers, praised by crit   ics and winner of    top prizes at Ven ice, Cannes, Berlin and other important festivals.


Romena colpi' in un occhio Vanessa Russo con un ombrello


Powell Will Tour Ravaged Areas With Jeb Bush To Organize Aid

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, seeking to raise the American profile in the international relief effort in Asia, will tour devastated parts of the region next week to


Ukrainian War of Words Widens Russia Rift

The Russian president, incensed by the West's confrontation over the Ukrainian election, has dramatically raised the volume of Kremlin rhetoric, suggesting the United States is acting like a dictator and the West is forcing a flawed vision of democracy on the world.


The race to collect the Ansari X Prize has all the makings of a good television reality show. But the competition to win the $10 million prize is also drumming up renewed interest in space flight at a time


Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell opened talks with EU leaders this week as he continued a European tour to press the case for transatlantic harmony amid the lingering dispute over the war in Iraq.


Roma, 20:26 - CALCIO, PARMA; PIOLI: TROPPE DISATTENZIONI

Un punteggio ritenuto troppo pesante, la consapevolezza di aver dimostrato, all'Olimpico, di avere l...


Citigroup could write down up to $24 billion: report

Citigroup Inc.  could make as much as $24 billion in writedowns and lay off 20,000 workers as part of a plan to cut costs and boost capital, CNBC said on its Website in a report dated on Sunday.


Lawyers for Newcastle United are looking into Joey Barton's bail conditions to see if he can play for the club.


The director of cyber security for the Homeland Security Department, Amit Yoran, has resigned his post. The issue of whether cybersecurity was receiving sufficient attention at DHS created


Treviso, 19:48 - BASKET, BENETTON TREVISO: SI DIMETTE GM FADINI

Il caso Lorbek-Cuccarolo fa un'altra vittima. Il general manager della Benetton, Andrea Fadini, si &...


Circa 35 milioni gli spagnoli chiamati alle urne


Breast Implants Don't Trigger Disease, Study Shows

Women who received breast implants before 1989 aren't more likely to develop connective tissue diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or scleroderma than other women, according to a US government study.


As much as the individual talents of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have frustrated the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference finals, the San Antonio Spurs have benefited from something else: their collective experience.


Andre Stolz wondered what his caddie, Tony Lingard, was doing when he took the flag out of the 18th hole and began carrying it off the green.


Glasgow attacked in airport terror strike

Â· Two held after car rams terminal buildingÂ· Passengers jump on burning man


New releases from Gwen Stefani, Z-Ro, Brian McKnight and Project Pat.


In Yankees' Victory, Loaiza May Come Out Loser

In very likely his last start before being demoted to the bullpen, Esteban Loaiza continued to pitch poorly, though the Yankees beat the Blue Jays.


Sometimes, Doctors Find Answers Far Off the Charts

Sometimes, it is only when the patient is halfway out the door that important information spills out.


Chelsea meet Arsenal in Sunday's Carling Cup final.


Pacers expect excited fans, but not much more

The Pacers and the Pistons expect an electric atmosphere on Saturday in their first game since Indiana players fought with Detroit fans on Nov. 19.


Iraq. Attacco presso Tikrit, uccisi 12 poliziotti iracheni

A poche ore dall'appello di Osama bin Laden perchÃ¨ gli iracheni boicottino il voto del 30 gennaio, la guerriglia ha sferrato una serie di attacchi coordinati nell'area del cosiddetto 'triangolo sunnita'.


Five have convictions quashed after judges conclude that reading Islamist material was not illegal


Washington Technology Celebrates 20th Anniversary

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6  /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Technology magazine this week celebrates 20 years of publishing.


The pain continued for New Zealand in the first session of day two of their cricket test against Australia today. Australia did not lost a wicket on the second morning to be 433-3 at lunch at the Adelaide Oval.


Indonesia's Aceh votes to decide life after war

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  - Acehnese poured into polling stations on Monday to vote in a landmark election in the once-rebellious Indonesian province aimed at bolstering a peace deal between the government and separatists.


Skydiver completes 640 jumps in 24 hours

Jay Stokes celebrated his 50th birthday by jumping out of an airplane — 640 times.


States and U.S. at Odds on Aid for Uninsured

State efforts to transform the nationâs health care system appear to be on a collision course with the Bush administrationâs latest budget proposal.


Canadian telecommunications giant Telus Corp. on Friday increased its 2004 guidance and issued an optimistic 2005 outlook on strong sales in its wireless segment and central Canadian wireline operations for non-incumbent local exchange carriers.


Schoolgirls in England will be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer, ministers are set to announce.


ATI Technology to roll out 90-nm graphic chips done at TSMC

Graphics-chip suppler ATI Technologies Inc. recently announced it would introduce 90-nm graphics chips in mid-2005 and contract foundry giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.


Torino, 16 ottobre 2004 - Il sogno del Messina non e' finito a Torino: la Juventus ha vinto, si, ma non ha lasciato una grande impressione. La squadra di Mutti ha cominciato timidamente, ha subito un gol, poi


Gellar along for thrill ride in "Addicted"

LOS ANGELES  - Hoping to continue her   winning streak in the genre business, Sarah Michelle Gellar has   signed to star in the Hitchcockian thriller "Addicted."


Ultime correzioni di governo e maggioranza alla Finanziaria Cade il contributo di 25 euro per i "codici verdi" ma resta per i casi meno gravi                                          Cancellati i ticket  per il pronto soccorso                                                                                PiÃ¹ soldi alle pensioni minime con il recupero dell'evasione fiscale di ROBERTO PETRINI


After multiple delays, Nasa is making a final bid to launch the shuttle Atlantis before the launch window closes.


Liverpool reject ground sharing with Everton

LIVERPOOL have denied reports yesterday that they would consider sharing their new stadium with rivals Everton. It had been reported that the two clubs would meet with government officials to discuss the controversial subject of sharing a ground.


Dream season says Ferrari's technical director

Ferrari's record-breaking season may go down in the Formula One history books as the peak of Michael Schumacher's career. Technical director Ross Brawn certainly


Legge sul risparmio: Siniscalco ammette ritardo nei lavori

ROMA - ''Ammetto che siamo un po' in ritardo, ma occorre trovare una soluzione buona in tempi rapidi''. Lo ha dichiarato il ministro dell'Economia Domenico Siniscalco alle commissioni Finanze e Attivita' produttive


Cases: Saving a Child, Scaring a Parent: A Fainting Reflex

Parenting classes donât cover what to do when your child goes limp.


Efficacy of Blood Pressure Drug Questioned

A leading drug used by millions of people to lower blood pressure does not prevent deaths from heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems as well as other treatments, researchers said on Friday.


Botnet hits CastleCops under the belt Castlecops, the volunteer security community that runs a well-known phishing website investigation service, has been hit by a denial of service attack.â¦


Spike Lee plans to return to New Orleans for HBO to follow up the stories told in last year's four-hour documentary about the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.


Londra, 15:03 - TENNIS, WIMBLEDON: FINALE FEDERER-NADAL

Per la quinta volta consecutiva lo svizzero Roger Federer giocherà la finale di Wimbledon (er...


A Briton was among four foreign oil workers kidnapped in southern Nigeria, the Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday.


New billboard beauty in London -- 96 years young

It's never too late to start a new career, even if you're 96 years old -- and the new job is modelling cosmetics.


Hmmm. Bosnia, 2001. It's May and I'm on my way to Croatia. What a beautiful country this is, even after the war that tore neighbours and families apart.


Bob and Mike Bryan beat Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Saturday in doubles, giving the United States a 2-1 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup.


Lonelygirl15 Creators Rely On Open Source

TechWeb - Creators behind the Internet video phenomenon Lonelygirl15 say they rely on open source technology and they are using it to explore bold possibilities in storytelling.


Netflix will not match Blockbuster price cut

Netflix Inc will not cut its price for online DVD rentals to match lower fees set Wednesday by rival Blockbuster in an escalating battle for online subscribers, Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings said.


Apple Rolls Out iPod Photo, Rocks with U2

SAN JOSE, Calif.  - Apple Computer Inc. rolled out  on Tuesday a new iPod that allows users to view and share  photos, a dramatic expansion that takes the most popular  digital music player squarely into the multimedia realm, while  spurring its rivalry with Microsoft Corp. and others.


Psychiatric patients released into the community have killed over 400 people in eight years, a study will say.


E' successo in Thailandia: "Rinuncio ad ogni impulso del mio corpo"I medici: "Non abbiamo potuto operarlo, si Ã¨ rifiutato"                                            Bangkok, monaco buddista si evira  dopo una erezione involontaria


ADV: Health Insurance for the Self-Employed!

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


Semiconductor stocks were mixed Tuesday after Advanced Micro Devices Inc. warned quarterly revenue would be lower than expected due to sluggish sales of flash memory chips used in mobile phones and other devices.


For a Price, a Faster Way Through Local Airports

With two new services aimed at speeding the trip to the gate, more travelers will soon be able to zip through airport security without waiting in line.


Overstock director picks Wall Street over crusade

Fisher tossed back Overstock.com appears to have a lost a board member due to its $3.4bn lawsuit against Wall Street.â¦


San Franciscoâs Mayor Proposes Fee on Sales of Sugary Soft Drinks

In a move he says is necessary to trim the cityâs waistline, Gavin Newsom has proposed charging big stores a fee when they sell sugar-sweet soda.


It's hard to see the silver lining to the clouds over Florida at the moment. Soaking debris and destroyed homes, bereaved families and a rearranged landscape are the testament to Hurricane Charley's power.


The European Union offered Monday to sign a political cooperation agreement with Serbia on February 7, as Dutch objections held up the signature of a formal pact on closer ties.


Prima di intesa nuovi colpi mortaio contro uffici Abu Mazen


Child mortality toll dips below 10 million: UNICEF

Nearly 9.7 million children die each  year before their fifth birthday from diseases from pneumonia  to malaria, but simple affordable measures could save more  lives, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.


Falling production and refinery problems dents BP's second-quarter earnings, which dipped 1% to $6.09bn.


Yudhoyono eyes presidency as counting begins

Ballot boxes have been emptied and votes are being counted at 600,000 polling stations across the country. Many are being counted in the open air, attracting large crowds of onlookers.


Numero piu' alto in Calabria (18),Campania (13) e Puglia


Local health agencies, nursing homes, long-term care centers, hospitals and some pediatricians would receive half their unfilled orders of flu vaccine under an agreement between the federal


Ukraine parliament votes in new central election commission

Ukraine's parliament voted in a new central election commission as part of a compromise between outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and the opposition aimed at diffusing a tense political crisis.


Roma, 11:19 - CALCIO, CANDELA SI RITIRA: HO FATTO IL MIO TEMPO

Vincent Candela si ritira. Il 34enne difensore francese ha annunciato la sua decisione in un'intervi...


The latest data from NPD reveals that Blu-ray has grabbed 92.53% of hardware sales in the high-def disc player market from January 5th to January 12th.


The United States and other nations   evacuated their citizens from Lebanon by helicopter, ship and   bus on Wednesday as thousands of foreigners fled Israeli   strikes pummeling the country for the past eight days.


Sports Share a Passion, but Theyâre Oceans Apart

The favorite sports of the U.S. and the U.K. share a name. But how football fans on either side of the Atlantic put their fervent allegiances to action and enjoy the game are vastly different.


Negli ultimi scambi l'oro nero raggiunge quota 93,24 dollari


When three roommates at Brown University decided to start a music download Web site, the first thing they resolved was what it would not be like.


In recent years, the fitness marketplace has been flooded with supplements claiming benefits that are nothing short of miraculous.


A Long-Running Mystery, the Common Cramp

Yet common as they are and terrible as they can be, no one really understands cramps. They are a medical mystery.


Comment is free: Mark Lawson: A provocative attempt to rebrand the arts sees investment where once we saw state handouts.


Capital One Financial Corp.  said on Thursday it expects to report fourth-quarter earnings of around 60 cents per share, and warned that its full-year results would fall below its previous outlook.


The suspended chief executive of the Belfast education board is to return to his job next week.


SarÃ  l'unico contenitore consentito nei locali di lavoro. L'azienda: "Spariscono 50.000 occhiali l'anno"Gli operai: "Per colpa di pochi ci trattano come ladri. Non ci piegheremo"                                          Gli operai Luxottica ai Raggi X In fabbrica col marsupio trasparente                                                                                di GIUSEPPE CAPORALE


London shares made strong gains in early trade on Tuesday, boosted by a rally on Wall Street overnight and led by mining stocks as metal prices continued to rise.


Pruning Reduces Disease, but Do It Right

By Booker T Leigh  Some things to consider when pruning fruit trees and small fruits:  Grapevines produce fruit on the current season's growth emerging from 1-year-old vines. If you prune off all of last season's growth, you'll have a lot of growth, but no fruit.


Medical tests show that the level of dioxin in President Viktor Yushchenko's blood has decreased by 80 percent, more than two years after the Ukrainian leader was disfigured and nearly died from the poisoning, his spokeswoman said Tuesday.


New York, November 22 - The agent for one suspended Indiana Pacer is faulting the NBA for not considering the players' fear for their own safety.


Urgent measures should be taken to prevent further tragedy: WHO

EMMA ALBERICI: United Nations officials fear the death toll could double as outbreaks of disease unleash a second wave of tragedy.


Rental Price Determines Land's Future: Per Acre Increase Sought at Auction

By Scott Waltman, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.  Jan. 31--If Brown County doesn't get a minimum rental price for land it owns near Elm Lake, the property will be sold.   That was the decision of county commissioners Tuesday after roughly an hour of discussion.


Ukraine's president-elect Viktor Yushchenko urges supporters to prevent an "illegal" cabinet meeting.


Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday the nation's foreign policy challenges call for a new leader who will worry more about doing the right thing than how it will look.


Judge upholds detainee rights terror law

A federal judge upheld the Bush administration's new terrorism law Wednesday, agreeing that Guantanamo Bay detainees do not have the right to challenge their imprisonment in U.S. courts.


Silicon Image unveils low-cost storage appliance

Semiconductor company Silicon Image Wednesday announced its SteelVine Storage Architecture and Appliance for the personal video recorder market and small to midsized businesses.


A RECOVERY tug equipped with divers and airbags was last night on its way to a rendezvous with the upside-down 98-foot yacht Skandia, which was abandoned by her crew on Tuesday and left drifting unmanned in the Tasman Sea.


GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE: US military authorities yesterday defended the special trials for war on terror detainees that start this week as they stepped up security at the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba for the hearings.


'08 candidates field questions in Nevada

Eight Democratic hopefuls gathered in Nevada on Wednesday to field questions at a union-sponsored forum 11 months before the first votes are cast for the 2008 presidential nomination.


and raising his profile - in one of the highest-rated golf events on US television, the Skins game, but his heart was at The Australian golf club.


Blair readies crucial party speech under Iraq cloud

Britain's Tony Blair faces one of the trickiest speeches of his career today, seeking to win back his Labour party after rifts over Iraq and spell out new policies to set up next year's re-election bid.


The trio will make an interesting combination on screen.


Tesco is told to pay more than Â£50,000  after admitting 25 charges of selling food passed its expiry date.


Gold Fields shareholders 'must reject' bid

South African gold analyst for Tlotlisa Securities Nick Goodwin on Friday recommended to his clients, that are Gold Fields (GFI) shareholders, that based on various metrics that compare Harmony's


Johnny Grant, the avuncular honorary mayor of Hollywood who traveled the world as Tinseltown's No. 1 cheerleader for more than a half-century, has died. He was 84.


Sulla morte di 25 civili durante bombardamento


Iran Ready to Negotiate Enrichment Halt Length

TEHRAN, Iran  - Iran said on Monday it was willing  to negotiate with European nations the length of its uranium  enrichment suspension but will never renounce its right to  carry out the process, which can be used to make atom bombs.


Shares in Northern Rock dropped 40 percent to a 7-year low in London after customers reportedly withdrew at least Â£2 billion, or $4 billion.


BEDFORD, N.Y. - Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died Sunday of heart failure, his publicist said...


Destiny's Child 'Fulfilled' by New Album

After a three-year hiatus, Destiny's Child is picking up where it left off: at the top.


TIKRIT, Iraq  - U.S. forces hunting al Qaeda   insurgents raided the home of a senior Sunni Arab religious   leader in Iraq on Saturday, seizing him and four suspected   terrorists, the U.S. military said.


US Networks Project Barack Obama Elected to Senate in Illinois

US television networks have projected that Barack Obama, the son of a Kenyan father and an American mother, has won a seat in the US Senate seat from the state of Illinois.


Has Saif Ali Khan shown director Sriram Raghavan the door, after the failure of Johnny Gafddar at the box-office? Reportedly, Imtiaz Ali has been roped in to direct the desi James Bond film Agent Vinod, which Saif is producing. ThatÂs what a section of the media would like us to believe.


Albert Pujols hits a tiebreaking, two-run single in the seventh inning and Scott Rolen has four RBIs to lead the Cardinals over the Diamondbacks, 11-3.


EU Trade Chief Slams US Election 'Euro Bashing'

The EU's outgoing trade chief lashed out at "euro bashing" in the US presidential campaign, linking it to the all-out battle that has erupted over state aid for aircraft manufacturing rivals Airbus and Boeing.


Virgin Group Enters US Online-Music Market

The online digital-music business became a little more crowded as Richard Branson's Virgin Group launched a music Web site in the US The Virgin Digital service sells songs for 99 cents each


Afghan Troops Storm Jail, Ending Standoff

Afghan troops stormed a notorious prison in a hail of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades Friday, ending a 10-hour standoff that began when five inmates once suspected of belonging to al-Qaida tried to escape. Four inmates and four guards were killed in the day's violence.


Continental adds fees to some ticket purchases

Continental Airlines said Wednesday that it was joining other US carriers in imposing new fees on tickets bought at US airport counters and reservation centers.


The chief executive of State Street Global Advisors, Timothy B. Harbert, died of a heart attack on Tuesday night, the company said yesterday. He was 53.


Nigerian soldiers head to Sudan's troubled Darfur region

A US Air Force transport plane landed at El-Fashir airport in northern Darfur bringing the first Nigerian contingent of a reinforced African Union truce-monitoring force to the troubled region, officials said.


Strong earnings figures helped European equity markets make a positive start to trading on Tuesday but gains were pared by early afternoon amid weakness in the real estate, tobacco and pharmaceutical sectors.


Online auctioneer eBay Inc. spent almost $2 million lobbying various departments of the federal government in the past year, including an entity rarely named on federal disclosure forms: the Central Intelligence Agency.


The premiere of the fourth season of âLostâ delivered 16.1 million viewers on Thursday, Nielsen estimated, lifting ABC to a No. 1 finish on the night, though the audience was down from the 18.8 million who watched last seasonâs debut. The premiere followed an 8 p.m. show summarizing the seriesâs complicated back story (13.1 million).Fox and NBC ranked second and third on the night among adults 18 to 49. CBS was fourth in that demographic but managed to finish second in total viewers. And CNNâs broadcast of the debate between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton drew an average of 8.3 million viewers, the most ever for a primary debate on cable news.


Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone wants to be friends again with Tom Cruise. The actor's behavior over his romance with Katie Holmes and his aggressive defense of Scientology were reasons cited by Redstone when he broke ties with Cruise last year after a long and lucrative relationship at Viacom-owned Paramount Pictures.


OPEC served notice yesterday it intends to make money this winter - no matter how mild the weather might be. Meeting in Cairo, the 11-member cartel, which pumps about a third of the world's oil, said it will


Will âSuper Duper Tuesday,â the phrase coined by CNNâs  Bill Schneider to describe the unprecedented crowd of primaries on Feb. 5, have a longer shelf life than Y2K?


Independent gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn sued the Texas secretary of state Wednesday in her attempt to have the nickname "Grandma" listed with her name on the Nov. 7 ballot.


"Jeopardy!" whiz Ken Jennings is not answering rumors that his streak is up, but he's not denying them either. After a report posted on TV Week's Web site that the brainy software engineer


On Wall Street: Dominic Rushe: The slammer is no deterrent for the ...

JEREMY JAYNES is about to make history. As the first spammer to be sent to the slammer, Jaynes was described by prosecutors last week as a modern-day âsnake oil salesmanâ.


Palermo, 17:51 - CALCIO, PALERMO; GUIDOLIN: HO VISTO SQUADRA IN PROGRESSO

Giudica positivo lo 0-0 di Udine il tecnico del Palermo Francesco Guidolin, che ai microfoni di La7 ...


Equatorial Guinea convicts 22 for coup plot

An Equatorial Guinean court handed down prison terms to 22 foreign mercenaries and opposition leaders on Friday for their involvement in an alleged coup plot, but refused to impose death penalty on the leaders.


BOSNIA'S foreign minister resigned today, becoming the second Bosnian Serb official to quit in as many days after the international community imposed sanctions to punish Bosnian Serb authorities for failing to arrest war-crimes suspects wanted by a UN


The chief investigator on the 10-judge panel that sentenced Saddam Hussein to death said Saturday that he has relinquished that role, allowing another judge to take over the post for the Iraqi High Tribunal.


Linz, 17:14 - TENNIS, COPPA DAVIS: AUSTRIA ACCORCIA DISTANZE CON ARGENTINA

Argentina in vantaggio sull'Austria 2-1 dopo il doppio valido per la seconda giornata della sfida de...


European reluctance on genocide accusations in Darfur

European states showed reluctance to agree with the US description of what is taking place in the Sudanese Darfur as a genocide. A spokesman for the German foreign ministry Walter Lendner said that Berlin


An explosion shook the seaside Beirut neighborhood of Manara on Wednesday and CNN's Brent Sadler witnessed bodies being carried out of a nearby building.


Bush Says Kerry Wants 'Acceptable' Level of Terror

President Bush stepped up his attack on Democratic rival John Kerry on Monday by saying the Massachusetts senator would prefer to reduce terror to an "acceptable level" rather than eradicate it.


Eruption Warning at Mount St. Helens -- Scientists

VANCOUVER, Wash.  - Scientists tracking renewed  earthquake activity at Mount St. Helens raised their warning  level on Saturday to a Level 3-Volcano Alert, signaling a  second eruption may be brewing.


Problems during pregnancy could be an indicator a baby will be at a higher risk of cot death, scientists suggest.


Brazil's leader promises to improve air safety, after Sao Paulo's air crash that killed nearly 200 people.


The U.S. Justice Department said on  Thursday it was investigating possible anticompetitive  practices in airline passenger fares and cargo shipments, hours  after UK authorities raided British Airways Plc in what was  described as a transatlantic probe.


US marines faced a tough fight Thursday as insurgents began a counterattack timed with an Islamic holy night.


Darfur peacekeeping set back by 6 months

U.N. peacekeeping forces lack the troops and equipment necessary to improve the situation in violence-wracked Darfur and will continue to be ineffective until mid-2008, the U.N. peacekeeping chief cautioned Wednesday.


Adobe boss won't rule out suing over Vista

Microsoft launch not home and dry yet Adobe chief executive Bruce Chizen will not rule out suing Microsoft over the "save as pdf" feature of Vista, the operating system slated for arrival next year.â¦


E' l'aumento piu' basso degli ultimi quattro anni


Ruler of a Media Empire Reaches Out for More

Rupert Murdochâs vast media holdings give him a gamut of tools to enhance his financial interests and establish his legitimacy in the United States.


China Camp Makes Big Gains in HK Elections

Pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong, stung by sex and money scandals, made only limited gains while the China camp made big gains in directly elected seats in legislative elections, results showed on Monday.


IT contractors cry foul over HMRC income splitting law

'Stop crippling us, we're not tax dodgers' IT contractors are up in arms about government legalisation that will overhaul income splitting arrangements among individuals following a landmark case that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) lost.â¦


Memorial held at London mosque for Russian ex-spy

Friends of Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko were holding a memorial for him at a London mosque following his death from radiation poisoning, and before his funeral, his former spokesman said.


Last round of EU talks on Turkey set to begin

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende was to start a last round of consultations with European Union leaders next week on Turkey's membership bid to try to get agreement


The NHL's Players' Association accepted senior director Ken Kim's resignation Friday. Kim and former executive director Ted Saskin were put on paid leaves in March following allegations they read players' e-mails.


Experts Confront Hurdles in Containing Bird Flu

Scientists say they cannot predict how quickly, if at all, the strain may develop the ability to spread easily among people.


The two contenders for the Lib Dem leadership say the race is about who can best present the party's policies.


Thousands of demonstrators marched through Athens and Thessaloniki on Wednesday to protest government social security reforms as a Greek general strike shut down schools, hospitals and all public services.


A platform lengthening project will disrupt train services for two weeks but help operators meet passenger demands, say officials.


The captain of a British Airways jet that crash-landed at Heathrow reveals his co-pilot was at the controls.


High court wrestles with software patent questions

Justices quiz attorneys of foes Microsoft and AT&T on whether U.S. software makers are liable for code used abroad.


Amica di famiglia, e' accusata di falsa testimonianza


Tiffany & Company reported a 23 percent increase in earnings yesterday on higher sales and it increased its profit forecast for the year because of expected holiday demand.


Man Utd and Newcastle have until 1200 BST on Tuesday to sign Wayne Rooney.


Malaysian PM outlines road map for East Asia Community

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Monday outlined a seven-point road map with important milestones for charting the course and measuring the progress of the East Asia community.


The No. 2 United Nations official met with top Iraqi leaders in Baghdad on Thursday to promote a new partnership meant to help muster political and economic support for Iraq's government, the U.N. said.


The CIA says it has provided short summaries of Vice President Dick Cheney's daily security briefings to defense attorneys for his indicted former chief of staff.


Dobbs: Dem hacks embrace lunacy of amnesty

This new Congress was supposed to be different. Instead, it is being led by a gaggle of partisan hacks pandering to the same special interests and corporate masters as the previous Republican-led Congress.


Hollywood balks at Apple online movie rentals

Apple Inc.'s plans to enter the  nascent online movie rental business drew skepticism on Monday  from Hollywood executives who questioned pricing, copy  protection and the timing of a possible launch.


A massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of northern Sumatra this morning, 26 December 2004, at 7:59 local time.


Iran warns more UN sanctions threaten inspections

TEHRAN -- Iranian officials said yesterday that any further UN Security Council sanctions on the country could jeopardize its recent decisions to grant international inspectors greater access to nuclear sites and disclose information about past activities.


Giuliacci, piu' calda degli ultimi 50 anni dopo quella 2003


U.N. Council backs EU-U.N. force in Chad and CAR

The U.N. Security Council gave  preliminary support on Monday to a proposed peace force  spearheaded by European Union troops to tackle spillover  violence from Sudan's Darfur region in Chad and the Central  African Republic.


Pinocchio gift as a child changed my life: Cage

Oscar winning actor Nicolas Cage thanks his father for having gifted him a Pinocchio toy because it sparked his imagination as a child.


The European Union says it will set up a single hotline for parents to report missing children across its 27 member states.


UAW calls 4am news conference in Detroit

The United Auto Workers union called a news conference for 4 a.m. ET (0800 GMT) on Wednesday at its headquarters in Detroit.


We all saw it coming. For months now, the fight for golf's No. 1 ranking had been staged in PGA Tour battles far and wide. While one man slowly chipped away at what once seemed to be an insurmountable lead


Serena moves into China Open quarterfinals

Top-seeded Serena Williams of the United States rallied in the final set Wednesday to beat Dinara Safina and reach the quarterfinals of the China Open.


Weak economic data and concerns about fallout from the assassination of the Pakistani opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, pushed shares lower on Thursday.


Iran says has deal on nuclear plant but Russia denies

Iran said on Thursday it had agreed a timetable with Russia for the start-up of the Islamic state's first nuclear power plant, local media reported, but an official in Moscow said talks with Tehran were still under way.


Striking Screenwriters Dismiss New Proposals

The screenwriters called the proposals from producers a âa massive rollback,â and called on their members to continue their walkout.


Identity Theft Is Epidemic. Can It Be Stopped?

Identity theft, thanks mainly to the growth of the Internet, is epidemic. Can it be stopped?


New market-based system aims to predict bird flu

Is a bird flu pandemic coming? Health experts say there is no way to know, and especially no way to know when.


Federal judge denies motion to block closing of troubled South LA ...

LOS ANGELES - A federal judge has allowed the county to continue with its plans to close the trauma center at Martin Luther King Jr.


After a $7.9 billion write-down, what's next for Stanley O'Neal's financial powerhouse?


NATO troops in Bosnia raided early Tuesday morning the homes of the daughter and the son of Radovan Karadzic, the U.N. tribunal's most wanted war crimes suspect at large.


Human-To-Human Bird Flu Case May Be One-Off -WHO

The first probable case of one person  infecting another with bird flu, announced by Thailand on  Tuesday, may be a one-off event implying no new big threat to  human health, a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman said.


A closely watched gauge of future US economic activity fell in September for the fourth straight month after a stronger pace earlier in the year, a private research firm said on Thursday.


A Milano domani sera 'Soiree de gala' del regista francese


Germany's economy is back on a "stable path of growth" after three years in stagnation and is not immediately threatened by the surge in oil prices, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Wednesday.


Gates: Working with locals a key mission

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that standing up and mentoring local armies and police has become a key mission for the U.S. military and not the province of its special forces.


Dell Inc said it would delay filing latest quarterly earnings report with the US Securities and Exchange Commission because of an ongoing accounting probe by the federal regulator.


NL Wrap: Rallying Reds Make Braves Wait for East Title

Javier Valentin smacked a three-run homer in a five-run ninth inning off John Smoltz to carry the rallying Cincinnati Reds to an 11-8 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wednesday.


Three Egyptian soldiers are killed on the border after Israeli forces mistake them for Palestinian militants.


British govt wants answers on soaring energy bills: report

Britain's finance minister Alistair Darling has called for a meeting with the country's energy regulator amid concern at steep rises in domestic fuel prices, British newspapers said Monday.


Dual-Mode Cellular/Wi-Fi Handsets Are Expected to Account for 20% of Shipments By 2009

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c58791)  has announced the addition of The Wi-Fi Chipset Market: Portable  Connectivity Applications Drive Volumes to their offering.


Lleyton Hewitt Wins Sydney International

Top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt of Australia won the Sydney International for the fourth time in six years Saturday, beating Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-0 in the Australian Open tuneup event.


Military Official Weighs in on New Photos

A senior U.S. military officer said Saturday that new pictures showing apparent abuse of Iraqi prisoners do not accurately reflect the good work done by the thousands of American soldiers in Iraq. But Gen. Mark Kimmitt acknowledged in an interview with al-Jazeera television that some people will use the photos to tarnish the image of America's military.


Oklahoma City Conspirator Nichols Will Not Appeal

Oklahoma City bombing conspirator  Terry Nichols will not appeal the 161 murder convictions and  life sentences he received in a state trial for the 1995 blast,  his lawyer said on Thursday.


Police check the home computers of two girls who apparently formed a suicide pact which left one dead.


Australia's Westfield to invest in New York's Ground Zero

Australian major shopping centre owner Westfield will invest 625 million US dollars in a retail project at the site of the World Trade Center in New York, it said Monday.


Iraq ; Briton Questioned in Kabul Over Role in UN Hostage Release

Iraq News, KABUL, A British freelance cameraman said yesterday he was detained by Afghan authorities for his role in the release of three UN hostages and came under pressure to sign a statement saying he was part of the kidnap gang.


The numbers suggest a mismatch: Virginia is 4-0 and ranked No. 10. Clemson has lost three straight. But records only tell part of the story, at least where the Tigers are concerned.


Cable tries to shed bad-service reputation

Even though U.S. cable companies have  had success in winning customers with all-in-one packages of  video, Internet and phone services, they still struggle with a  reputation for poor customer service.


Implanted medical record chips 'will save lives globally'

A revolutionary electronic device the size of a rice grain, which is implanted under a person's skin and holds the key to their medical records, will soon be saving lives around the world.


Sondaggio esclusivo: gli italiani bocciano le nuove norme sulla fecondazione. E in caso di referendum voteranno in maggioranza per l'abrogazione. Cattolici compresi. Anche il clima politico si fa piÃ¹ rovente.


US Airways Group Inc. probably will need more cost cuts or a boost in revenue to attract the $250 million in equity it says it needs to leave bankruptcy next year, the company said on Thursday.


Seven people are arrested after the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy at an ice rink in south London.


Oasis's Noel Gallagher, who famously chatted with Tony Blair in 1997, launches a scathing attack on the PM.


Il Milan attende a San Siro gli ucraini dello Shakhtar Donetsk per centrare l'obiettivo degli ottavi di finale di Champions League. Alla squadra di Ancelotti basta anche un pareggio per ottenere la qualificazione con un turno di anticipo.


Hayden crashes out, Barros mounts another spirited charge

lex Barros finished the last race of the season in sixth place while team mate Nicky Hayden crashed out unhurt while contesting a podium finish in front of capacity crowd at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia today.


Miami's rising star Wade is carving his place in NBA finals' history

With Dwyane Wade leading the youth movement, the National Basketball Association's future appears to be that much brighter.


There's a big difference, taxwise, between inheritances and gifts.


Cuban dissident freed, recounts grueling ordeal

Cuban authorities on Tuesday released RaÃºl Rivero, a dissident poet and journalist who spent 20 months and 6 days behind bars for conspiring with the US government to overthrow President Fidel Castro.


Optimizing Web Application Delivery from an End-User Perspective - How can I see what my Users see?

(Source: Symphoniq) Learn why traditional performance tools can't deliver the visibility and control required to manage today's complex architectures as well as requirements an optimal solution should provide.  Listen to this podcast now!


In Past Tsunamis, Tantalizing Clues to Future Ones

Undersea quakes are inevitable. The questions are where and when Â and the recent catastrophe may provide clues.


New thermal images reveal that parts of the lava dome in Mount St. Helens' crater are piping hot, a sign that magma continues to rise, scientists said Monday.


Italy's justice minister probes whether government officials knew of an alleged spy ring at Telecom Italia.             has started an investigation into whether government officials were involved in an alleged wire-tapping scandal at Telecom Italia.


Three reported missing after floods hit southwest England

Three people were reported missing after flash floods tore through a coastal tourist village in southwest England's Cornwall region, police said.


Months of tumultuous negotiations with the White House and GOP allies have brought the Senate's liberal lion, Edward M. Kennedy, to the brink of passing a bill to legalize up to 12 million unlawful immigrants.


Applebee's Execs See Doubling of Locations

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - There's enough room at the table for 3,000 Applebee's restaurants, or about double the current number, company officials said Thursday as they outlined ambitious future growth plans.


Microsoft Seizes PDA Market Lead From PalmSource

Microsoft led the market in the third quarter for operating systems used in personal digital assistants, surpassing for the first time the Palm OS that dominated the handheld-computer segment for years.


Ministro Alemanno annuncia tra 24 ore le linee di Siniscalco


com October 6, 2004, 3:40 PM PT. There's no doubt the Internet will continue to make its mark in the world of business and technology.


Shiites' Iraq election alliance excludes Sadr

Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims have announced a broadly-based alliance ahead of next month's key elections, which is backed by their highest religious leader but excludes radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.


TELECOM: TRONCHETTI, MANTENIAMO NOSTRA POLITICA DIVIDENDI

Milano, 7 dic. (Adnkronos) - ''Avevamo parlato di un mantenimento della politica dei dividendi. Confermiano la nostra impostazione. Cosi' il presidente di Telecom Italia Marco Tronchetti Provera ha risposto


W.R. Grace Charged Over Montana Asbestos

W.R. Grace & Co. and seven current  or former executives were charged on Monday with conspiring to  endanger residents in Libby, Montana, and concealing the health  risks from asbestos-contaminated vermiculite, the U.S. Justice  Department said.


Australia Risks Asian Ire with Long-Range Missiles

Australia plans to create what it believes will be the most lethal force of fighter jets in Southeast Asia by equipping its aircraft with long-range missiles in a move critics said could antagonize neighbors.


US Tax officers are investigating Latin American airlines claiming that they may owe taxes on salaries for crew members.


Shoppers flocked to the stores to take advantage of those after-Christmas sales and redeem gift cards. Parking lots at many Albuquerque malls and stores were packed Sunday.


Kerry vince il duello tv con Bush: la guerra unica protagonista

Per John Kerry, Bush Ã¨ Â«Mr. PresidentÂ», il signor Presidente. Per Gorge Bush, Kerry Ã¨ soltanto Â«my opponentÂ», il mio rivale. Ma il giochetto dialettico di Bush per smontare agli occhi dei milioni di


Yankees 12, Orioles 0: Boston Series Behind Them, Yankees Have Sox in Sight

Mike Mussina took charge Tuesday night by allowing three singles and a walk over seven sparkling innings as the Yankees crept to two and a half behind games the Red Sox in the A.L. East.


A court on Thursday threw out the case against a U.S. soldier charged in the 2005 shooting of an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq, a killing that infuriated Italians and soured relations with Washington.


The French Defense Ministry on Friday debunked the credentials of a former ABC News consultant who claimed to have worked as an adviser to the ministry, saying the man was just an intern for five months.


The foreman of the jury in Phil Spector's murder trial said Tuesday that the panel is at an impasse, and the judge told lawyers he was considering allowing the panel to consider a lesser charge.


With drums pounding and a brass band playing, Andy Roddick and his U.S. teammates were reduced to silence Friday in the Davis Cup final.


DVD Jon aims to smash digital Tower of Babel

doubleTwist rolls out media sharing utility doubleTwist, the firm founded by scourge of DRM manufacturers Jon Lech Johansen (AKA DVD Jon) last March, has released software designed to allow users to share digital media files - including copy protected content - across devices.â¦


Shiites Hold Najaf Shrine; Clashes Flare

NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday, raising fears that a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders.    An unofficial mediator pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...


Department store group Sears and discount retailer Kmart say they are to merge in a $11bn deal, becoming the US's third largest retailer.


Two tourists die and seven others are seriously injured in a coach crash in Gran Canaria.


Stopping Off in the Gothic South, on the Road to Ruin

In the first feature directed by Shainee Gabel, John Travolta delivers a hammed-up scenery-chewing variation of the brainy good ole boy he played in "Primary Colors."


Familiar faces threaten Arsenal and United FA Cup quests

Arsenal and Manchester United will find a pair of familiar faces standing in their path towards the last eight of the FA Cup this weekend.


Update 1: Red Hat Hires New CFO From Burlington

Red Hat Inc. hired a new chief financial officer as it tries to bolster its sagging stock price and expand into new foreign markets.


United States team captain Claudio Reyna will probably miss the next two World Cup qualifiers because of an injured left quadriceps.


Jones Soda Co. takes the idea of a liquid diet to a new low. How does Green Bean Casserole Soda strike you? And how about an aggressively buttery-smelling Mashed Potato Soda?


EU-Russia summit to begin in Helsinki but a Polish veto means talks on a strategic partnership will not happen.


Ahmadinejad seeks college teachers purge

Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Tuesday for a purge of liberal and secular teachers from the country's universities, urging students to return to 1980s-style radicalism.


Officials: Hamas and Fatah agree to ceasefire

The leading Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah agreed to a cease-fire after street battles left at least two people dead, leaders of other parties involved in the talks announced early Monday.


Security researchers say JPEG virus imminent

Trojan horse that exploits flaw in how Windows handles JPEG images may be low risk, but it's a bad omen.


Rumsfeld Makes Surprise Christmas Visit to Iraq

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid US troops in Iraq a surprise Christmas Eve visit after weeks of controversy over his handling of the war and perceived lack of sensitivity to US forces and their families.


Tellier: Bombardier Tells CEO To Take Flight

Planes, trains and no CEO: Bombardier fired its chief executive officer on Monday and its Toronto-traded stock dropped to a record low.


The NYSE faces down brokers who didn't provide basic information to thousands of IPO investors. But refunds?


Indagine Demos-Fondazione Nord Est sul comportamento civico:E nel resto d'Italia la tolleranza di illeciti in certi casi Ã¨ maggiore                                          Giusto evadere per quattro su dieci A Nordest si lavora sempre piÃ¹ in nero                                                                                Solo il 30% ha fiducia nello Stato. Partiti politici e Borsa tra le istituzioni meno gradite. Cresce la stima per la sanitÃ , scuola e trasporti urbani. Ferrovie a picco.


Thieves steal Scotland's most important collection of antique coins, which has been valued at Â£500,000.


Ulsan, 14:53 - CALCIO, MONDIALE U17: SPAGNA IN FINALE

La Spagna si è qualificata per la finale del mondiale under 17 battendo in semifinale il Ghan...


Hollywood studios eager for more Bollywood action

Hollywood movie studios are eyeing a  bigger presence in India, going beyond just distributing and  dubbing English films in the world's most prolific film  industry.


Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said the government was immediately buying 1.2 million doses of the vaccine manufactured in Germany to help alleviate the shortage.


Hamas Islamist fighters picked through the bloody battle debris of the Palestinian presidential compound in Gaza on Friday, rejoicing at the rout of their well-armed, secular rivals from the president's Fatah faction.


Iraq, Usa: restano in carcere le 2 scienziate

15:38 - Un consigliere per la sicurezza nazionale iracheno ha detto che una detenuta in custodia americana sarÃ  rilasciata presto. 15:00 - Un'autobomba Ã¨ stata fatta scoppiare nel primo pomeriggio locale


Akhmed Zakayev, a London-based Chechen separatist and fierce critic of Moscow, says he will not be intimidated.


Myanmar can achieve national reconciliation: China

Beijing, Oct. 21. (PTI): China today hoped that Myanmar can achieve national reconciliation and that the efforts towards democracy in the country would move forward in spite of the recent political developments there.


Bloggers have helped to force a fresh trial in a case which saw a teacher accused of letting pupils see porn.


Bush Says Social Security Faces 'Looming Danger'

President Bush said on Saturday  Social Security must be overhauled to avoid a "looming danger"  of insolvency, as he launched a public push for his proposal to  add private accounts to the program.


U.S. Says Strikes Pro-Zarqawi Hideout in Iraq

FALLUJA, Iraq  - U.S. warplanes struck a suspected  hideout for followers of Jordanian militant Abu Musab  al-Zarqawi in Falluja on Tuesday, destroying the building and  killing an unknown number of militants, the U.S. military said.


Royals remember Princess Diana 10 years after death

Royals and celebrities joined Princes William and Harry to honor their mother Princess Diana on Friday, the 10th anniversary of her death in a high-speed limousine crash in Paris.


The Emmy telecast got tackled by the National Football League, with the ceremony drawing its second-smallest audience on record.


Intervista di Prima Comunicazione a Maurizio Costa


RIVALS' THIRD EPIC BATTLE: Barrera by a nose

One of the greatest fights in recent boxing history was eclipsed on Saturday when Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales put on yet another memorable brawl.


Archbishop Christodoulos yesterday voiced strong support for Italyâs candidate for EU justice commissioner, Rocco Buttiglione, who was forced to step down on Saturday after causing a furor by labeling homosexuality a sin.


Gibraltar's chief minister is upset about a UK nuclear submarine landing on the Rock for repairs.


Opera chairman a longtime Microsoft critic

Although Opera's antitrust complaint against Redmond is new, Chairman William Raduchel in the late 1990s said Bill Gates was a lot like John Rockefeller.


Candidates battle for tiny pool of key voters

President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry will find themselves in a virtual dead heat as the 2004 presidential campaign roars past Labor Day, the holiday


Government 'awaiting Russian response' over Litvinenko suspect

The government on Thursday said it had not received a formal response from Russia to its extradition request for the chief suspect in the Alexander Litvinenko poisoning case, despite reports it had been refused.


New CEO brings passion and an eclectic background as he charts a new course for the Linux developer.


U.S. confident troop cuts won't hurt Iraq security

Cuts in U.S. troop levels in Iraq will not derail recent security gains, but the Iraqi government must move quicker to take advantage of the falls in violence, a senior U.S. general said on Sunday.


This is where computers go to die a green death.


New Food Formula: Tastes Fine, Kills Worms

Kraft Foods is working on a new and unusual product line â food that is not only tasty, but kills intestinal worms.


SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 9  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc.  today announced a comprehensive Web site of parental controls designed to educate and empower parents.


Football Central Florida's Kevin Smith , the nation's leading rusher this season, changed his mind and will turn pro, the school confirmed last night. Smith seriously challenged Barry Sanders's NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards in a season, but finished 61 yards short. Smith was hailed three weeks ago for deciding to stay in school, to earn a degree and ...


THE European Central Bank surprised financial markets yesterday by revealing it had considered raising interest rates even as the euro zone economy slows, saying it was worried about inflationary risks.


FDA says unmoved by aspartame/cancer report

A U.S. consumer group called for an urgent Food and Drug Administration review of the safety of aspartame on Monday, but the FDA said there was no immediate need to do so despite a new study showing the sweetener may cause cancer.


Hundreds of stranded passengers awaited flights out of Reno-Tahoe International Airport on Sunday, a day after a snowstorm and an equipment malfunction forced dozens of flights to be canceled or delayed.


Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard (HP) are to crank up the volume in the digital music business, bringing a new degree of competition to a market that has been dominated by Apple Computer.


A handful of people who bid in the disastrous C-Block PCS auction in 1996 plan to participate in the upcoming 700MHz contest despite warning signs indicating the potential for similar troubles.Like the earlier auction, the 700MHz auction is set to occur in a faltering economy, presenting challenges to license hopefuls needing cash. Yet, just like that ill-fated auction more than 10 years ago, an oddball collection of participants plan to bid, this time including the Missouri Farmers' Union, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, and Disney.The C-Block PCS auction was infamous because it was designed not just for companies with access to billions of dollars but for entrepreneurs interested in getting into the wireless industry. Postal carriers, lawyers, and doctors quit their day jobs and invested their savings, confident that U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) incentives would help them make it big.But the auction turned into a debacle. Of the original 255 bidders, 89 emerged with licenses, and only a handful of them actually started businesses. The rest went bankrupt, sold their licenses for pennies on the dollar, or returned them to the FCC in an amnesty program.Take Vince McBride, an approved bidder for the upcoming 700MHz auction who lives in San Diego and has won and lost in several auctions. "There are ups and downs, but I keep trying," he said.McBride was a postal carrier who sunk his life savings into the PCS auction in 1996. A series of lawsuits delayed the auction and then the award of licenses. During that time, Wall Street soured on the wireless market and license winners, who bid prices sky high based on attractive payment terms set by the FCC, struggled to finance their wins. McBride got lucky and returned his licenses to the FCC for little loss.Then the FCC reauctioned licenses and McBride won a new one, which he managed to sell for a nice profit. But in a subsequent reauction, he won another license that was later repossessed by the FCC, which was forced to give it back to the original winner after a series of lawsuits.McBride's sometime partner Scott Reiter, an emergency room physician who splits his time between Santa Monica and the Philippines, has had a similar series of wins and losses in FCC auctions. He too plans to bid in the upcoming auction. Reiter won a few licenses back in 1996 and shortly after got a few good offers from operators interested in buying them."I got greedy, basically," he said. He held out for better offers, which didn't come, and eventually had to sell his licenses at a loss.Reiter was undeterred, though. He entered the 2002 auctions for 700MHz licenses -- back before there was a solid deadline for when TV broadcasters had to vacate the spectrum. He bought licenses in three markets, later selling the spectrum for a nice profit to AT&T."When I bought that spectrum, it went up in value like crazy," Reiter said. McBride also won 700MHz licenses then, later selling them to AT&T. They both agreed with AT&T not to disclose the purchase price.Bidders are currently in a quiet period during which the FCC forbids them to discuss their plans for the upcoming auction. But some of them say that because this time around there is a fixed date for when the spectrum will be available to buyers -- 2009, after the TV broadcasters must vacate it -- the value is easier to gauge than in the previous 700MHz auction. However, it may be difficult for some bidders to get credit these days, which could help keep prices down, they say.While many of the individual bidders insist they intend to build networks if they win the spectrum, many likely have other plans. "I think many of them want to buy and resell it," said Nadine Manjaro, a senior analyst with ABI Research. A look at the result of the earlier 700MHz auctions, which distributed what's thought to be less valuable portions of the band, could be spurring big dreams for bidders.Aloha Partners, one of the biggest winners in those auctions, sold its licenses to AT&T for $2.5 billion late last year. Aloha spent over $40 million at the auctions but also later bought licenses from other companies for undisclosed amounts. It is thought to have made a handsome profit.While much attention has been focused on the billions that big companies like Google had to put up to enter the 700MHz auction, some of the licenses could go for quite cheap, which could be attracting some of the individuals hoping to turn around and sell the licenses for a profit. Some licenses in small markets require as little as $10,000 in an up-front payment, Manjaro said.Still, for bidders with bigger aspirations, the sinking economy will likely harm their efforts, unless they already have secured funding. The recent collapse of Frontline Wireless, a company created by luminaries in the wireless industry to win 700MHz licenses, has raised concern among other bidders. "They had a really strong team of players, and for them to not be able to secure the money shows the impact of the economy," Manjaro said.One difference in the rules for this 700MHz auction compared to previous contests that could affect individuals who participate is that bidders will be anonymous. That could cut back on potential collusion, a problem that many have said plagued previous auctions.Another auction change, however, likely works against the smaller players. This time, license winners have just four years to build out a portion of their networks. That's a relatively short amount of time for smaller winners to raise money and build a network.A number of other license winners from the C-Block PCS auction are also approved to bid in the upcoming auction. Bill McKell, CEO for Horizon Chillicothe Telecom, an Ohio telecommunications provider, is on the list. His company was one of the first winners from the C-Block PCS auction to launch a network, but it later returned the licenses to the FCC.These previous bidders seem prepared to go ahead with this auction despite warning signs that the market might not work in their favor, just like in the PCS auction from 1996. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin recently acknowledged that poor economic conditions could impact the auction because bidders might struggle to raise capital.But these smaller bidders must be gamblers. "Sometimes you get lucky," McBride said.


Momentum Builds for U.S. Role in Paying Highest Health Costs

Politicians are pushing an idea to fight high health costs by shielding employers from the most expensive medical cases.


Perhaps Michael Dell's Plan to Fix His Company Could Use an Upgrade

By Kevin Maney  Michael Dell believes his company's problem is bureaucracy?    Yikes. That's like Iraq thinking its problem is a lack of tourists.    Last week, Michael reclaimed the CEO title at the personal computer company he founded, Dell.


Japan's Government to Discuss BSE Cattle Tests Monday

The Japanese government's Food Safety Commission will meet Monday to discuss cattle-testing procedures for mad cow disease, possibly bringing forward the end of Japan's ban on imports of US beef.


Departing Attorney General John Ashcroft on Friday lashed out at federal judges who have dealt setbacks to President George W. Bush's anti-terrorism and wartime policies, accusing them of "invasive oversight and micromanagement.


A British military helicopter crashes in the Czech Republic killing six soldiers, the Ministry of Defence says.


Microsoft Delivers Strong Earnings and Outlook

Microsoft reported quarterly sales and profit gains that surpassed Wall Streetâs expectations, and delivered an optimistic outlook.


Two French journalists, held captive in Iraq since August, were freed in Baghdad today, ending months of frustration and soul-searching by a country that has vehemently opposed the American-led war in Iraq.


Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has said he will exit the South-East Asian summit if participants raise concerns about his handling of Muslim insurgents.


Australia's Tasmania State Rating Raised to AA+, S&P Says

The Australian state of Tasmania's long- term local and foreign currency credit ratings have been raised one level to AA+ because the state government is reducing debt, Standard & Poor's Corp.


At least eight people die as a truck carrying refugees from the Somali capital overturns, reports say.


Former Catholic priest jailed for Rwanda genocide

A U.N. court trying the top leaders of Rwanda's 1994 genocide jailed a former Catholic priest for 15 years on Wednesday for ordering bulldozers to level a church, killing 2,000 people who were hiding inside.


Front Row: Grandma, Cousin Billy, Christian Dior

The granddaughter of Stanley Marcus, the merchandising wizard who turned Neiman Marcus into the countryâs leading luxury retailer, compiles a book of Mr. Marcusâs life photos.


Online bookseller Amazon.com reports that it sold 2.2 million advance copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." It also tracked what towns and cities were most fanatical about the book, with a ranking of the top 100 towns by advance book sales per capita for municipalities with 5,000 people...


Dassault accused of using banned middlemen for fighter sales in India

Allegations that French aeronautic group Dassault used middlemen to push aircraft sales in India have raised a media storm here as French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier arrived in town.


[Health India]: London, Nov 14: In a new study, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill rendered monkeys infertile by a vaccine aimed at their sperm.


Congress Approves Sweeping Intelligence Bill

The U.S. Congress approved the  biggest overhaul of U.S. intelligence agencies in over 50 years  on Wednesday, sending the bill that creates a new director of  national intelligence demanded after Sept. 11 to President  Bush.


Bush Signs $136 Billion Corporate Tax Cut Bill

With no fanfare, President Bush today signed the most sweeping rewrite of corporate tax law in nearly two decades, showering $136 billion in new tax breaks on businesses and other groups.


A New York greggio a 60,72, metallo prezioso a 648,63 dlr


Travel company Thomas Cook, which recently merged with rival MyTravel, will close 150 stores and six offices.


Barring corporations and unions from buying political advertisements during peak election season amounts to government censorship, a Wisconsin anti-abortion group argued Monday.