Belbin and Agosto's Numbers Add Up to the Top Spot

Four-time U.S. champions Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto's performance put them in first place as expected, but is neither perfect nor dominant.


Cisco this week will release products it says will help small companies deal with the complexities of LAN switch security, convergence and network management.


Two important new books help understand why Venezuela's leftist president is considered both a national hero  and a flawed demagogue


Poland's president gave his approval Friday to a government plan that would end the country's military mission in Iraq by October 2008, his Web site said, a final hurdle in settling on a date for withdrawal.


Altering a single gene can turn ordinary mice into marathon racers that can run for hours and eat huge amounts of food without getting fat, researchers say.


Best Buy to 'recommend' Blu-ray to customers

In the second hit to HD DVD in less than a day, retailer Best Buy announced Monday afternoon that it will begin showcasing Blu-ray to customers and recommend it as the "preferred format" over HD DVD.


At UN, tribute to 22 workers killed a year ago in Iraq

UNITED NATIONS - A year after the suicide bombing of the United Nations' Baghdad headquarters killed 22 people in Iraq, UN staffers around the world paid tribute yesterday to their fallen colleagues. They also complained that the United ...


Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton is arrested by police investigating an alleged assault.


HAVANA -- Cuban President Fidel Castro says he's "all in one piece" following a spill after an outdoor speech. Fidel Castro falls after a speech in Santa Clara, Cuba.


Soldiers fight Pentagon on service extensions

Eight soldiers filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the army's policy requiring them to serve longer than the terms of their enlistment contracts.


Gloves-off election-year rhetoric hit the radio Saturday, as President Bush argued that critics are wrongheaded to argue for a different policy in Iraq.


Reseller Selling Standalone Windows Media Center Software

At least one vendor is selling OEM copies of Microsoft's new Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system online, possibly exploiting a loophole in Microsoft's contracts.


Her husband needs a different sort of sexual healing

DEAR ELLIE: I've been married 10 years. I suspect my husband has a sexual addiction. He's been leading a double life -- hiding his use of porn, call girls and massage parlors from me until I figured it out.


Attempt on Afghan President's Life Fails

KABUL, Afghanistan Sept. 16, 2004 - An apparent attempt to assassinate Afghan President Hamid Karzai failed Thurdsday when a rocket that was fired at his helicopter missed by 300 yards, the US military said.


Udine, 19:08 - CALCIO, MARINO: A PALERMO SARA' UN'UDINESE DETERMINATA

Allenamento di ripresa dell'Udinese in vista della gara di coppa Italia con il Palermo: lavoro defat...


NEW YORK - It was the revenge of the nerds in October. The technology sector outperformed all other industries as investors flocked to high-beta issues amid favorable earnings reports.


'Batman,' accomplice freed after Buckingham Palace caper

Britain ruled out bunker-like security for Buckingham Palace as a pair of activists who penetrated the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II dressed as Batman and Robin are freed on police bail.


Republicans Salute Bush in Convention Opener

Republicans opened their four-day national convention on Monday with salutes to President Bush's wartime leadership and repeated reminders of his response to the Sept.


A special Thai commission starts looking at claims of corruption under ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra.


Radical cleric Abu Hamza sues for more British benefits

Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, who is in a British jail on incitement to murder charges, is to sue welfare officials for thousands of pounds (dollars) in extra state benefits, a newspaper said.


Pensions secretary John Hutton is to take over a revamped Department of Business and Enterprise.


Genova, 20:01 - CALCIO, SIENA; BERETTA: PORTATO VIA PUNTO CON DETERMINAZIONE

"Il punto va assolutamente bene, siamo contenti perchè giocare a Marassi contro la Sampdoria ...


Top US general visits soldiers in Iraq, sees the strain

BAGHDAD -- On his first visit to Iraq since the United States accelerated combat operations, Marine General Peter Pace is seeing the strain on American troops.


Perugia, 22:18 - VOLLEY DONNE, FINALE SCUDETTO: PERUGIA SUL 2-0 CON JESI

La Despar Perugia ha battuto la Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-22) in gara 2 ...


Control Asthma While Pregnant - New U.S. Guidelines

Pregnant women need to keep their asthma under control, because if they cannot breathe properly, neither can the unborn baby, according to new U.S. guidelines issued on Tuesday.


Barton fined six weeks' wages over cigar attack

Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has been fined six weeks' wages for poking a lit cigar in the eye of a trainee during a row at the club's Christmas Party.


Questions, concerns, wonderments, and observations in the aftermath of a Ryder Cup that produced headaches for PGA of America officials, none more glaring than this: Not only did the Europeans pound you silly, they won over a lot of American fans, too.


Some quotes Friday from the presidential candidates regarding President Bush's call for an economic package worth about $145 billion:


Gli 11 milioni di volumi della Bodleian Library finiranno sul webIl progetto si chiama "Ricerca libri" e Google ne Ã¨ promotore                                          Oxford, tutta la biblioteca  approda in internet                                                                                PerchÃ© a pensarlo Ã¨ un'azienda? Per il gran danaro della pubblicitÃ di ENRICO FRANCESCHINI


Relazione del ministro al Copaco, nessuna minaccia immediata


Rebels Attack Police Stations in Iraq's Baquba

Insurgents attacked three police stations in and near the town of Baquba on Tuesday, officials said, but there were conflicting casualty reports.


Yushchenko predicts victory in Ukraine vote

As they cast their ballots on Sunday, supporters of Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko could taste victory.


Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has called for a speedy resumption of peace efforts with Israel, a day after Yasser Arafat's burial in Ramallah.


Gianni Amelio's quietly unassuming tear-jerker works its way into your heart despite the occasional cries of protest emanating from your head.


AUSTRALIA's fast bowlers are bitterly disappointed at the senseless standoff that may rob them of the chance to work with their exalted mentor Dennis Lillee.


South Africa finalizes lion hunting laws

South Africa's government announced restrictions Tuesday on the hunting of lions born and raised in captivity, overriding protests by breeders who warn they could face financial ruin and be forced to euthanize their animals.


Three top Hollywood studios are throwing their considerable weight behind one of two competing formats for the next generation of DVDs, citing in part the need to stem piracy.


Ukraine's pro-Western foreign minister resigned Tuesday, saying a monthlong struggle between him and the government dominated by a Russia-leaning party risked damaging the country's international reputation.


Shares in Alitalia are soaring as the board of the Italian carrier prepares to approve a rescue plan that will cut jobs and slash wages in an effort to avoid collapse.


McKesson Corp. MCK.N  will pay $960  million to settle a class-action shareholder lawsuit that arose  from an alleged accounting fraud at HBO & Co., which McKesson  acquired in 1999, the drug wholesaler said on Wednesday.


Turkey expects to start EU entry talks within the first six months of next year, says Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as hints of a compromise over Cyprus emerged.


TROY, Mich. -- Auto-parts maker Intermet Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming soaring prices for scrap steel and other raw materials.


Londra, 10:58 - CALCIO, VIEIRA: HENRY LASCIA L'ARSENAL SENZA RINFORZI

Patrick Vieira, centrocampista dell'Inter ed ex Arsenal, è convinto che Thierry Henry &egrave...


Lobos don't make cut in today's poll but get enough points for ...

The University of New Mexico men's basketball team hasn't cracked the major polls since its final week of the 1998-99 season, which ended in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Connecticut.


Bonds calls for more security after fan enters field

San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds has called for increased security at his home ballpark after a fan entered the field and approached him during Friday's game with Arizona.


Gold medal heroes Kelly Holmes and Matthew Pinsent led Great Britain's Olympic and Paralympic athletes on a celebratory party through the streets of London yesterday.


Bush Meets With Canadian Prime Minister in Official Visit

President Bush's trip was aimed at improving cooperation on trade, border security and terrorism.


US war planes have killed about 20 insurgents in the Iraqi town of Baquba, north-east of Baghdad. Two 500lb (225kg) bombs were dropped on the insurgents, who stormed police stations and other areas of the town, the US military said in a statement.


The Commerce Department said Friday that the economy grew at a 3.7 percent annual rate in the third quarter  --  less than economists expected.


Finding Little Relief In the Drug Market

And so we said goodbye this year to an illusion -- that the drugs we need will be waiting for us when we need them, safe and sound.


A study of a closely knit family with several members suffering from a rare illness is providing what researchers say may be important clues to the cause


HOW HIGH WILL IT GO? Ivan's damage to Gulf rigs is helping fuel ...

Crude oil prices climbed above $50 per barrel Tuesday, their highest level since futures began trading in 1983. The increase raises new questions about just how far prices will climb, with


Government Ignored Flu Warnings, Democrats Say

A flu vaccination shortage that  caused lines of anxious elderly people outside drug stores and  clinics across America prompted a fierce pre-election exchange  of accusations between Democrats and Republicans on Monday.


Burger King to limit ads aimed at children under 12

Fast-food chain Burger King Holdings Inc said on Tuesday that, beginning late next year, it will limit advertising aimed at children younger than 12 to food and drinks that meet strict nutritional guidelines.


Ornithologists in the dark about mysterious decline of British owls

Mysterious, mournful, malevolent; but also wise, warm and wonderful. A raft of adjectives is needed to capture the complex emotions aroused in us by owls, perhaps the most enigmatic of all wild birds.


Police charge three teenagers with the murder of a gay barman who survived the Soho nail bomb.


Here's some exclusive info on the sequel to DHOOM. Although Yashraj Films haven't found a suitable title yet, in all probability....


Putting aside talk this might be his final game, Clemens focused on something more important - pitching to save the Astros' season.


It seems everyone has advice for breakdown diva Britney Spears these days, including those glittering examples of stable living themselves Â other celebrities.


No. 11 Tennessee Mows Down La. Tech 42-17

Erik Ainge threw three touchdown passes and Cedric Houston ran for 160 yards and two more scores, leading No. 11 Tennessee to a 42-17 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday night.


La coalizione guidata da Frederik Reinfeldt si impone nelle elezioniIl premier Personn ammette la sconfitta dei socialdemocratici                                                  Dopo 60 anni la Svezia cambia rotta Storica vittoria del Centrodestra


Si voti a maggioranza, chi vota 'no' si adegui


Investment firm Olivant quit the race on Monday to rescue ailing British bank Northern Rock <NRK.L>, leaving just two suitors in the running -- Richard Branson's Virgin Group and an "in-house" management team.


Mexico's Lopez Obrador loves a good fight

The role of a man cheated out of an election comes naturally to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.


Bersani: non mi risulta ci siano iniziative ostili


Sometimes the march of technology can lull us to sleep.


(InfoWorld) - Soaring subscriber growth in India led a 38 percentÂ global rise in DSLÂ (digital subscriber line) use in the 12 months ended June 30, according to an industry group. While India had the fastest growth, China remained the world's largest DSL market, according to the DSL Forum. On Tuesday, the group released results from a study conducted by research company Point Topic. During the period, almost 46 million more subscribers signed up for DSL, the group said. India's DSL market grew from fewer than 250,00 subscribers in June 2005 to more than 1.5 million a year later, according to the group. DSL use also boomed in Vietnam (up 147 percent), the Czech Republic (143 percent), Morocco (141 percent), and Russia (130 percent). China gained almost 12 million users to reach 33 million in June 2006. It became the world's largest DSL market in 2004, said DSL Forum spokeswoman Carol Friend. Still, fewer than 3 percent of China's phone lines are being used for DSL. In the U.S., the second-largest market, DSL subscribers went up 6.36 million to more than 23 million. The growth surpassed that of cable Internet access, which gained 5.45 million users, according to the group. In the U.S. and Canada, DSL gained market share and is now the choice of more than 46 percent of the broadband subscribers, DSL Forum said. However, the U.S. comes in number 33 for the penetration of DSL among all phone lines, Friend said. Only 8 percent of the country's lines have DSL. Finland leads the world in DSL penetration, with nearly 40 percent, followed by France with almost 33 percent. DSL penetration made big strides in France and the U.K. as speeds increased while prices remained about the same, she said. Penetration in the U.K. is now almost 25 percent. DSL subscriptions grew 45 percent in Europe, which now has 56 million DSL subscribers, more than any other region. Europe is home to 35 percent of the world's total, followed by Asia-Pacific with 18 percent and North America with 16 percent.


The death toll from a series of powerful earthquakes in central Japan has reached 18, with more than 800 injured. The biggest quake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale.


For Republicans, Contest's Hallmark Is Immigration

The imagery of the mailings is designed to pack a wallop: a Mexican flag fluttering above the Stars and Stripes, the Statue of Liberty presiding over a "Welcome Illegal Aliens" doormat, a Social Security card emblazoned with the name "Juan Doe," a U.S. passport proclaiming, "Only one candidate has a...


Strong demand lifts Shanghai Petrochemical net

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co. Ltd., ChinaÂ¡Â¯s top ethylene producer, said Sunday its nine-month net profit almost tripled due to rising demand for petrochemcial products from the countryÂ¡Â¯s booming economy.


Hochfilzen, 12:25 - BIAHTLON: CDM DONNE, HENKEL VINCE 10 KM HOCHFILZEN

La tedescha Andrea Henkel, vincitrice ieri nello sprint, ha vinbto a Hochfilzen la 10 km di fondo di...


Intel Corp. is on track to introduce the world's most advanced chip production technology in its products next year, the largest semiconductor maker said.


Profit at Embarq, Sprint Spinoff, Rises 25%

The communications company said that fourth-quarter profit rose 25 percent as it added more high-speed Internet subscribers.


A huge U.S. House of Representatives   office building was closed for five hours on Friday in a   security alert, but after a floor-by-floor search police said   possible gunshot sounds had apparently turned out to be noise   from construction work.


La classifica annuale dei piÃ¹ ricchi degli Usa, in testa c'Ã¨ sempre Bill Gatesma fra i primissimi posti almeno quattro personaggi sono legati a internet e ai pc                                            Forbes, per i Paperoni d'America i miliardi viaggiano in rete


ROME, Feb 22 (IPS) - The Italian government is in crisis after it failed   to win a vote Wednesday on its foreign policy programme.  Although the  ruling centre-left coalition held only a very  slight majority in the  Senate, the defeat of the motion came as  a major surprise to Prime  Minister Romano Prodi.


Virginia's General Assembly expresses "profound regret" for the US state's role in slavery.


Internet-linked suicides fear in Welsh town: police

Police are investigating a string of suicides in a Welsh town possibly linked by an Internet death cult spread on an online social network, reports and officials said Wednesday.


A Downtown Star Who Aspired to Be Out of This World

"The Nomi Song" chronicles the short and haunting life of Klaus Sperber, a trained classical singer from Germany who came to New York as a young man in the late 1970's.


Wellpoint CFO resigns, violated code of conduct

Wellpoint Inc.  on Thursday said its chief financial officer, David Colby, resigned after an investigation revealed that he violated the health insurer's code of conduct.


Knives being sharpened for iTunes American music download second fiddle eMusic finally gets a pan-Europe launch today.â¦


Early yesterday evening, Biogen IDEC (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Elan (NYSE: ELN) announced that Tysabri had been approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).


A DR Congo rebel commander   breaks a fragile truce by attacking troops, the United Nations report.


Warner Music Group Corp. will be the first record company to let users of YouTube Inc.'s website download and manipulate copyrighted music and videos in exchange for a portion of advertising revenue.


Description: A look at the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, past and present. The Red Sox and this evening and same date on the last day in the season players on a nice day between a Polish champagne.


Iran's president says Holocaust now up for debate

The Holocaust is now a subject of serious debate, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday.


A SUPERB stoppage time winner by striker Neil Mellor in front of the Kop gave Liverpool a dramatic 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Anfield yesterday.


iPhone's Safari dialing feature can be hacked

Blog: Feature designed to dial Web page phone numbers is subject to cross-site scripting attack.


John Salmons scored 21 points and Brad Miller had 20 Tuesday night to help the Sacramento Kings hold off the Orlando Magic, 104-100.


A sheriff's deputy who overheard Andrea Yates' interview with a jail psychiatrist the day after she drowned her five children in the bathtub testified Wednesday that she said she decided to do it the night before and knew it was wrong.


Fiat Talks Tough Ahead of Key GM Meeting

Fiat kept up the pressure on General  Motors Corp. before a key meeting between the two carmakers on  Tuesday, saying the U.S. group would not be able to shut down  the Italian carmaker if it ends up having to buy it.


Falconbridge open to other bids, still favors Inco

Takeover target Falconbridge (FALlv.TO)  is an undervalued jewel in Canadian mining, its chief executive  said on Friday, and he said he was open to new offers beyond  the two proposals already in the works.


Svetlana Kuznetsova walked on the court with an "FDNY" cap, Elena Dementieva followed with an "NYPD" hat.


Squabbles and celebration as Age marks 150 years

THEY were always a bolshie lot at The Age, which may account for the newspaper's old nickname of "the Spencer Street Soviet". And little has changed as the paper approaches the dual milestones of Sunday's 150th ...


In what experts say is a rare occurrence, a man accused of murdering two children and attacking their mother has asked a judge to let him plead guilty and to sentence him to death.


Andy Pettitte won his 200th career game to give the New York Yankees a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, closing the gap on American League East leaders Boston to a game and a half.


China promised on Monday to respond positively to the United States in high-level economic talks this week but drew a line in the sand by telling Washington that its exchange rate is a matter of national sovereignty.


"No guidance" policy jolts Google investors again

A surprise jump in hiring and operating expenses shook investor confidence in Google Inc.  for the second time in its three years as a public company, sending its shares down 6 percent on Friday.


Unpopular Japan PM taps veterans for cabinet: media

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has picked veteran lawmakers for key posts in a new cabinet line-up to be unveiled on Monday, media said, to try to revive faltering support after a massive election defeat.


U.S. Military Prefers Indonesian Aid to Iraq War

U.S. military  crews are launching more than 100 helicopter flights a day from  the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln ferrying food, water  and medicine to tsunami victims, a task they say is far more  satisfactory than the Iraq war that seems only to destroy.


U.S. buyout fund Lone Star is close to  terminating its $7.3 billion deal to sell Korea Exchange Bank  (KEB) to Kookmin Bank (060000.KS) because of a prosecutors'  investigation, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.


HP discontinues Itanium workstation sales

The long and sordid story of Intel's flagship 64-bit CPU, Itanium, took another twist today, and from an unexpected source. Citing poor sales demand, Hewlett-Packard will discontinue sales and development of its own Itanium 2-based workstation line.


Poles signed waiting lists Sunday for a chance to buy shares in their largest bank, using a signup system from communist times to impose order on the crush of interested investors.


Torna l'incubo della malavita organizzata sulla strutturaOggi sospesa una delle nove corse di trotto previste                                          Driver minacciati, corse sospese senza pace l'ippodromo di Aversa                                                                                di CORRADO ZUNINO


BAGHDAD, SEPTEMBER 30: Insurgents detonated three car bombs near a US Military convoy in Baghdad on Thursday, killing 41 people, 34 of them children who were rushing to collect sweets from American troops.


Up to 60 killed in Vietnam's worst bridge accident

A section of a Japanese-funded bridge under construction in southern Vietnam collapsed on Wednesday, killing up to 60 workers and injuring about 100 in the country's worst such disaster.


A test of key parts of an emerging   U.S. anti-missile shield was scrubbed on Thursday because of   bad weather in Kodiak, Alaska, where a target missile was to   have been launched, the Defense Department said.


Schalke trying to hold off Feyenoord in UEFA Cup

Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Sports Network) - A top of the table clash between Schalke of the German Bundesliga and Dutch power Feyenoord highlights Matchday 4 of the UEFA Cup group stage.


Overhead line damage causes rail chaos for passengers between London and the eastern counties.


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


Reclusive Amish could be thrown into election battleground

Martha Lapp hopes to vote for the first time in the US presidential election, in which the reclusive Amish sect that her family belongs to could play a key role.


Munich, Germany (Sports Network) - Bayern Munich will be without striker Roque Santa Cruz for up to six weeks due to knee surgery.


Patients taking Plavix, a popular and expensive antistroke drug, experience more than 12 times as many ulcers as patients who take aspirin plus a heartburn pill.


Back to 'the economy, stupid': How a slowdown will influence America's presidential contest

The issue of economics is not something I have understood as well as I should - John McCain, Republican presidential hopeful


If you got a Nintendo DS, you may have been one of the unlucky few to have gotten systems with a "dead pixel." This dead pixel is a tiny dot on the screen that is stuck on one color and never changes.


Digital music awards honours MySpace influence

Record industry: 'Will you be our friend?' Reg goes ligging Trendy Camden venue...check. Silly haircuts and spectacles...check, check. Suspiciously long queue for the disabled toilets...check. Lots of bellowing about how great everything is...MASSIVE CHECK.â¦


New York, 10:04 - BASKET, NBA: TORONTO BATTE BOSTON

Toronto espugna Boston e Andrea Bargnani torna protagonista. L'azzurro, partito titolare contro i Ce...


Compaq two-one-three-three to challenge Eee HP's going after the Eee PC with a compact laptop that sports an 8.9in display and more connectivity options than the elfin Asus machine currently offers.â¦


Autobomba  in prossimitÃ  dell'edificio a Baidoa: cinque mortiSubito dopo sei terroristi sono stati uccisi in una sparatoria                                                   Somalia, attentato al Parlamento: 11 morti L'obiettivo era il presidente provvisorio


Secret CIA jails hosted by Poland, Romania: watchdog

A European investigator says he has proof Poland and Romania hosted secret CIA prisons under a post-9/11 pact to hunt down and interrogate "high value" terrorist suspects wanted by the United States.


Ukraine Candidates in Last-Ditch Election Appeals

The two rivals in Ukraine's re-run of a rigged presidential election made last-minute pitches to voters on Friday, closing a campaign that has thrown the country into turmoil and could put a West-leaning reformer in office.


Market liquidity returning: Treasury's Ryan

U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary Anthony Ryan said on Monday there were signs that market liquidity was starting to return but it won't happen overnight and requires greater investor caution in future.


A 24-year-old man is charged with the murder of Tyrone Gilbert, who was shot while attending a wake for his friend.


MIAMI - Michael Jordan won't be joining the Miami Heat or any other NBA team this season, according to Estee Portnoy, his Washington, DC-based spokeswoman.


Mobile phone company MMO2 says it will accelerate its 3G programme as it reports strong sales and rising profits.


LogicaCMG boss Martin Read says he will resign following disappointing trading at the technology group.


UPDATE 5-Marsh & McLennan CEO Jeffrey Greenberg resigns

Marsh & McLennan Cos. (MMC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Chairman and Chief Executive Jeffrey Greenberg resigned on Monday, 11 days after New York Attorney General


Sudan must arrest a minister and a militia leader charged with war crimes, the ICC warns.


Georgetown footballÃÂ seems to have a promising season ahead, butÃÂ the team makes more than a few mistakes thatÃÂ lead to aÃÂ loss, 26-13,ÃÂ to Holy Cross inÃÂ the opener on Saturday.


5-4 Supreme Court Weakens Curbs on Pre-Election TV Ads

The Supreme Court yesterday substantially weakened restrictions on the kinds of television ads that corporations and unions can finance in the days before an election, providing special interest groups with the opportunity for a far more expansive role in the 2008 elections.


Bush speech will seek to calm fears over economy

President George W. Bush will use his final State of the Union address on Monday to try to reassure nervous Americans about his plan to stave off a recession and chart a course to stay relevant in his last year in power.


CNET News.com recently ran a report on companies with technologies that involve implanting RFID chips under people's skin or inside a bracelet.


Iraqi Delegates Say Sadr Agrees to End Najaf Crisis

Iraqi delegates to a conference choosing a national assembly said Wednesday that radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had agreed to government demands to end an uprising in the holy city of Najaf.


David Beckham will retire in two years, says Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon.


Typhoon Songda hammers Japan, death toll rises to 32

TOKYO : Typhoon Songda left 32 people dead and 14 more missing as it continues to hammer Japan on Wednesday. Japan's coast guard found five more bodies from an Indonesian cargo ship that ran aground during a powerful typhoon.


Hopes falter for quick solution of Kenya's crisis

Kenya's opposition said on Tuesday it would only hold talks with President Mwai Kibaki as part of international mediation efforts to end post-election unrest that has killed hundreds of people.


The World Series is headed there after two Red Sox victories at Fenway Park in Boston. And, while many Sox fans are convinced that the series won't be returning for games six and seven next weekend, here are a couple of facts to remember:


ATHENS, Greece -- She had bruises on her legs, scars on her arms and the weary look of a future soccer mom. Mia Hamm ached more Thursday night than even her husband, the shortstop with the perpetual nagging pains.


Economists' group expects GDP to grow by 4.3% this year

A survey of business economists says the economy appears to be on better footing after a "soft patch" in the spring. The National Association for Business Economics looks for the economy to expand by 4.3 percent this year.


"It's human nature to look." Sure, but does that make it right?


A US Army reservist pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison and testified that some of the humiliating practices were dictated


US rock star Melissa Etheridge has been diagnosed with breast cancer, her spokesman has announced. The 43-year-old has cancelled a tour to undergo surgery.


Bush Nominates Kellogg Executive for Commerce Secretary

President Bush on Monday nominated Carlos M. Gutierrez, among the most prominent Hispanic business executives in the United States, to be his commerce secretary


BAGHDAD, Iraq - Kidnappers beheaded British hostage Kenneth Bigley after twice releasing videos in which he wept and pleaded with Prime Minister Tony Blair for his life. A U.S...


Two Miami Players Unhurt After Car Crash

Miami linebacker Willie Williams and defensive back Rashaun Jones escaped injury Sunday when Williams lost control of his vehicle while driving to join the Hurricanes for bowl preparations in Atlanta.


Estee Lauder Cos Inc  reported a higher quarterly profit and stood by its 2008 outlook on Friday, counting on international sales and other measures to offset tighter consumer spending at home.


Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams says he "regrets" the Birmingham pub bombings on the 30th anniversary of the attacks.


U.S. Health Insurers Expect Quick Action From Dem Congress      (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - The Nov. 7 election that gave Democrats majorities in both the House and Senate put health insurance alongside the Iraq War as lead agenda items for the new Congress, which takes over in January.


While Isaiah Washington may have been fired from the hit show Grey's Anatomy, he seems to be doing just fine. NBC announced on Monday that Washington will join the network in a remake on Bionic Woman this fall. His role will involv...


Two years ago, the Chicago White Sox were World Series champions. Three days ago, general manager Kenny Williams flew to Cleveland unexpectedly to apologize for the team's poor play.


Senator John McCain officially announces he will seek the Republican nomination for US presidency in 2008.


Man charged with having axe before queen walkabout

Police said Friday they have charged a man after allegedly finding him with a pick-axe near where Queen Elizabeth II was about to start a walkabout.


Asia Tsunami Kills 14,425, Rush to Find Bodies

Soldiers searched for bodies in  treetops, families wept over the dead laid on beaches and  rescuers scoured coral isles for missing tourists as Asia  counted the cost on Monday of a tsunami that killed at least  14,425.


Unilever suffers tough Q4 sending shares tumbling

Consumer goods giant Unilever Plc/NV   on Thursday reported underlying sales below expectations in a tough fourth quarter and gave a lackluster outlook for 2007, sending its shares tumbling.


The popularity of cosmetic surgery is continues to soar with the UK market expected to top Â£1bn next year.


Capello determined to make England winners again

Fabio Capello said on Monday he hoped to take England "right back to the top" and would be delighted to meet his native Italy in the World Cup final in South Africa in 2010.


PlugIt, da mesi ribattezzata Eutelia, ha infatti da un lato sottolineato di non aver ancora ricevuto alcuna notifica di alcunchÃ© ma ha anche dichiarato che si riserva di difendersi in tutte le sedi piÃ¹ opportune, ritenendo ingiusta la deliberazione dell


Aveva 94 anni. Lo scrittore, una voce del mondo arabo,nel 1994 sfuggÃ¬ a un attentato degli integralisti islamici                                                  E' morto Nagib Mahfuz premio Nobel letteratura                                                                                I funerali domani nella moschea Al-Rashdan del Cairo


Blackhawksâ Potential Gives the Fans a Reason to Cheer

The Chicago Blackhawksâ turnaround happened quickly, a series of events that seemed to roll of an assembly line that resulted in a suddenly mesmerizing group of young players on the ice.


Rule May Let Workers Keep Health Coverage

For U.S. workers who change or lose their jobs, a new rule issued by the Bush administration just before the end of 2004 could provide better access to group health plan coverage — in keeping with changes Congress agreed to eight years ago.


Dow Jones in progresso dello 0,29%, Nasdaq dello 0,62%


Most Over-40s Engage in Sex, But Problems Common

NEW YORK  - A global survey of sex behavior  after age 40 reveals that most people continue to have sex.  However, aging romantics tend to encounter problems in their  lovemaking.


Heinz Kerry Separates Self From Mrs. Bush

Teresa Heinz Kerry says she doesn't know if first lady Laura Bush has ever had "a real job" and suggests their different experiences help make them different people.


Effort to Train New Iraqi Army Is Facing Delays

The military command in charge of training Iraqi forces has fewer than half of its permanent headquarters personnel in place.


UPDATE 1-American Air to defer 54 Boeing jet deliveries

AMR Corp.'s (AMR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) American Airlines on Monday said it will defer 54 of 56 Boeing aircraft deliveries scheduled for 2006 to 2010, helping the world's largest carrier postpone $2.7 billion in capital


Wall Street rallies for second straight day

Stocks rallied for a second day on Wednesday as investors bet the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate cut would help prevent an economic slowdown.


Sonoma, 10:06 - AUTO, NASCAR: PRIMO SUCCESSO PER MONTOYA IN CALIFORNIA

Primo successo nella Nascar per Juan Pablo Montoya. Il pilota colombiano ex McLaren in formula uno, ...


Alan Hollinghurst's explicitly gay novel 'The Line of Beauty', a satire on Britain under Margaret Thatcher, has won the 50,000-pound Booker Prize, the prestigious international literary award.


Farhan's sister talks about her first movie.


Q&A: HP's Livermore sees no need for HP-UX on x86

AUGUST 17, 2004  - This can't be an easy time for Ann Livermore. When Hewlett-Packard Co. missed Wall Street's earnings expectations late last week, the blame was placed squarely on the shoulders of the Enterprise Servers and Storage Group, ...


Iran said to enrich 100 kg uranium before new talks

Iran has stored 100 kg of enriched uranium material, its interior minister was quoted on Friday as saying, in comments that may worry Western powers who suspect the Islamic Republic of seeking to build nuclear bombs.


Gordon McQueen has urged the Scottish Football Association to install Walter Smith as the next Scotland manager. The search now begins for Berti Vogts' successor, following the German's surprise decision to resign.


IBM unveils notebook with fingerprint reader:

[Business India] Los Angeles, Oct 5 : IBM has introduced a biometric notebook computer with an integrated fingerprint reader that can recognise the user of the computer, reports Xinhua.


Curry Becomes Top Scoring Option, Just as Planned

Knicks Coach Isiah Thomas is making center Eddie CurryÂs development his top priority, and it is starting to pay dividends.


India Celebrates First Women's Tennis Win

Sania Mirza became the first Indian to win a WTA Tour title Saturday with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory over Alyona Bondarenko of Ukraine in the final of the Hyderabad Open.


UAE to host major oil conference in November

More than 1,000 major oil and gas companies from some 50 countries will take part in an international energy exhibition in Abu Dhabi in November, the official WAM news agency has said.


According to Governor Rell's surgeon, the mastectomy/reconstructive surgery was successful and "everything looks very good".


Affianchera' ministero e consulenti per documentazione


Solucorp and Ambiente prepared for startup of Ravenna mercury remediation project

Ft. Lauderdale, FL- Rich Runco, president of Solucorp Industries announced that Solucorp and Ambiente are prepared for the startup of the Ravenna, Italy mercury remediation project.


Keeping Score: Raines Could Slide Safely Into the Hall on First Try

Even if Tim Raines had not been among the greatest base runners in baseball history, he would still be comfortably qualified for the Hall of Fame, which will announce its new members on Tuesday.


MEET THE FOCKERS star BEN STILLER is still stunned he managed to convince BARBRA STREISAND to play his mother in the comedy sequel.


Slumping Bayern face the hottest Bundesliga team

Felix Magath wanted a victory against Juventus to ensure smooth sailing in the Champions League so that Bayern Munich could concentrate on catching up in the Bundesliga.


Al-Manar, the television station of Lebanon's Hezbollah militants that has glorified suicide bombers, lost its satellite feed to the United States on Saturday after Washington put it on a list of terror organizations.


Dubai Ports studies building Cuba container terminal

State-owned Dubai Ports World, which relinquished control over six U.S. ports in a political firestorm last year, is studying plans to build a container terminal in the Cuban port of Mariel, business sources said.


A nationwide polio vaccination campaign begins in India as part of the global UN drive to eradicate the virus.


Michigan provided a new plot twist for the Bowl Championship Series — and another great debate for college football fans.


AUTO: PROMOTEC, ITALIA PRIMA IN EUROPA IN RAPPORTO ABITANTI

(AGI) - Bologna, 16 dic. - Nel 2003 la densitÃ  automobilistica ha raggiunto in Italia un rapporto di 1,69 abitanti per autovettura. EÃâ il valore piÃ¹ elevato in Europa. Nella graduatoria europea dei paesi


Oakmont's prodigious eighth hole gets players talking

OAKMONT, Pennsylvania  - The 288-yard eighth hole at Oakmont Country Club, which will become the longest par three in major championship history at this week's U.S. Open, has sparked animated debate among the top players.


Even one cup of coffee a day can be addictive

It's something coffee drinkers have known for years and now, research confirms it. As little as one cup of coffee a day can produce a caffeine addiction.


MADRID, Spain - Jose Antonio Camacho quit as star-studded Real Madridâs coach after just six games and was replaced Monday by assistant Mariano Garcia Remon.


BRUSSELS The European Commission froze disciplinary action against France and Germany on Tuesday, granting the two biggest euro-zone economies an extra year to bring their budget deficits down.


Interim Finance Chief Leaving Marvell Technology

Michael Tate, who also served as Marvellâs corporate controller and treasurer, was named interim chief financial officer in May.


New cooking concept lures Britons to "prep kitchens"

Patti Coulthard is a single Londoner  with a hectic working schedule and a social life to match.


Delphi plan calls for keeping four UAW plants

Bankrupt auto parts maker Delphi Corp.  will retain and operate four plants under a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers, according to a document posted on a Web site run by union members.


Officers in the battered Iraqi city of Fallujah say civilian cooperation is essential to keeping the peace.


MIGRATION:  Six Million Begin to Get Rights in Russia

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (IPS) - Authorities have started granting work permits to  some six million illegal immigrants from the ex-Soviet republics  that have visa-free travel agreements with Russia. But the  workers would be banned from working in certain areas.


Boston coach Doc Rivers was golfing with Bob Cousy and KC Jones when the two Celtics Hall of Famers started talking about Bill Russell.


The Who may be returning, again. In a posting on his Web site, Pete Townshend says that he and singer Roger Daltrey are planning to get together for the first Who studio album in over two decades.


Four U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq's Anbar

Seven U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq, including four in the western province of Anbar, where gains in security were hailed this week by U.S. President George W. Bush during an unannounced visit to the region.


Young Buck draws focus to Nashville, friends say

Police in California yesterday continued looking for Nashville rapper Young Buck, as his fellow performers in Nashville rapped about the artist and his place in music.


Roeder still hopeful of Owen return this season

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder is still hopeful that Michael Owen will play for the club this season, despite growing indications that the England forward will not come back from his knee injury until the start of the 2007/08 campaign.


BANGKOK The bird flu virus that rampaged across much of Asia this year is likely to be the cause of the next human flu pandemic, which could hit up to 30 percent of the world's people, a top international expert said on Thursday.


A new endangered species: Modern architecture

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is at the center of a debate on whether such buildings are worth saving.


Syria Begins Pulling Troops From Lebanon

Syria, under growing international pressure to end its longtime military presence in Lebanon, began pulling back more than 1,000 of its 20,000 troops on Tuesday, a senior Lebanese military official said.


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- The investors and founders of online video Web site YouTube received hundreds of millions of dollars in Google shares as a result of the deal between the two companies late last year, according to new documents.


Space shuttle Discovery blasts off from Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla..  - The U.S. space shuttle Discovery blasted off on a pillar of fire on Tuesday, soaring above Florida marshlands toward a rendezvous in two days with the International Space Station.


Kobe Bryant Rape Case Could Be Headed to California

Attorneys for the Colorado woman who  accused Kobe Bryant of rape are considering suing the  basketball star in his home state of California because of a  strict cap on damages in Colorado, they said on Wednesday.


BAGHDADâMilitants beheaded three Iraqi Kurd militiamen, showing the killings in a video posted on a website yesterday and denouncing Kurdish political parties for co-operating with Americans in Iraq.


Study rejects Internet sex predator stereotype

The typical online sexual predator is not someone posing as a teen to lure unsuspecting victims into face-to-face meetings that result in violent rapes, U.S. researchers said on Monday.


HOUSTON -- The former chief of Enron Corp.'s high-speed Internet unit, who turned government witness and testified in the trial of former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling and company founder Kenneth Lay, was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison.


At least 20 endangered sea turtles have washed up dead along the southern Bangladesh coast over the last week.


Knicks hold off slumping Lakers as Bryant serves suspension

The New York Knicks survived a late rally to record a 99-94 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, handing the visitors a season-high third straight loss as a suspended Kobe Bryant sat out the game.


Starsky Garcia was shot dead in North Miami Beach five months ago. Relatives have left flowers and rosaries on his grave. His friends painted a graffiti mural on a Miami Beach handball court for him.


Chad rebels attack border town, gov't blames Sudan

N'DJAMENA  - Rebels fighting to overthrow Chad's President Idriss Deby attacked the eastern town of Adre on the border with Darfur on Thursday, in a raid the Chadian government said had been launched from neighboring Sudan.


In January 1996, Walt Disney Co. executives took a field trip to the company's theme park in Orlando. In keeping with tradition, the Disney brass, including chief


Blog: The Chestnut Hill George gets a $50 price cut, and--for a limited time--a $50 remote charger bundled in the package at no extra charge.


NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- Stocks kicked off the fourth quarter with a solid rally on Friday as investors bet the market would shake off continued uncertainty about the election, the war in Iraq and high energy prices to stage its traditional fourth-quarter surge.


A 1m euro reward is offered to help catch those suspected of starting Greek forest fires, which have killed 60 people.


The dollar edged up against most major currencies on Monday as investors took profits following a dollar decline that has shaved some 3 percent off its value in less than two weeks.


Just buy a license, and do what you will The EU has released a policy document calling for frequencies to be allocated with no restriction put on what they can be used for.â¦


IT'S a long way from stacking shelves in M&S to working with Kylie Minogue.  But Scots DJ Calvin Harris has made the incredible journey in less than a year.  The 23-year-old from Dumfries found himself in demand after posting songs he recorded in his bedroom on the MySpace website.


Make sure your wheels are sending the opposite sex the right message this Valentine's Day.


A Troubled Church Hires 'Healing' Pastor

By Sue Nowicki, The Modesto Bee, Calif.  Sep. 9--The First Congregational Church of Ripon has hired a new pastor to replace the one who sold the church building and parsonage without the congregation's knowledge.   The Rev.


It may be risky to race to the certainty that a second Bush administration will lead the United States into a series of confrontations with the world.


Photographer's lip split in nightclub scuffle involving Prince Harry

Britain's Prince Harry has been involved in a scuffle outside a London nightclub in which he was hit in the face with a camera, a royal spokesman said.


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan expanded operations against extremist fighters yesterday and the military began shelling targets in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan following an insurgent assault that killed 17 troops.


Democracy Rules, and Pop Culture Is Depending on It

Inspired by âAmerican Idol,â voter-based competitions are proliferating in every corner of the entertainment world.


Liam Plunkett's treble-strike was the cornerstone of England's positive start to the second Test against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.


Redskins Blog: Flag Was Cheap, Late, But Legit

Rich Tandler is the author of Gut Check, The Complete History of Coach Joe Gibbsâ Washington Redskins. Get details and order at http://GutCheckBook.


Property Fund Says to Hold YUKOS Auction

Russia's Federal Property Fund said on  Friday it intended to go ahead with an auction of oil major  YUKOS' main unit Yuganskneftegaz despite a U.S. court decision  to freeze the state-imposed sale.


Swedish fashion retailer H and M profits rise in third quarter

Swedish fashion retailer Hennes and Mauritz posted a rise in profits for the third quarter, saying its price-cut strategy had paid off.


A special envoy for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is visiting Western Sahara this week seeking a solution to a decades-long dispute between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front.


Computer Associates International Inc. is expected today to name John Swainson, a 26-year veteran of IBM, its chief executive following a winter transition period, sources said.


Silencing St. Louis was as easy as 1-2-3

ST. LOUIS -- There is no mystery, longtime scout Keith Champion said, about how Red Sox pitching was able to shut down the high-powered offense of the St. Louis Cardinals, a team Champion saw almost two dozen times this season.


CBS Fires Four Staffers After Memo Probe

Four CBS News staffers were fired Monday following the release of an independent investigation that said a "myopic zeal" led to the airing of a discredited story about President Bush's military service.


NEW YORK - Colgate-Palmolive Co., which announced Tuesday that it is eliminating 4,400 jobs, disclosed in a regulatory filing that many of its top executives and officers are given allowance of up to $11,500 a year to spend on anything from pet-sitters to


With Campaign Underway, Obama Now Must Show More Than Potential

DURHAM, N.H., Feb. 12 -- The opening days of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign have displayed all the promise of his candidacy, with large crowds, pulsating energy and a charismatic leading man. But the Illinois Democrat faces several serious challenges if he hopes to convert potential into...


Russian Rocket Takes New Russian-US Crew to ISS

A Russian-US space crew set off for the International Space Station (ISS) on a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Thursday morning.


Lucentis effective for common cause of blindness

NEW YORK  - Monthly eye injections with Lucentis (ranibizumab), an antibody designed to bind to and inhibit a protein that plays a role in the formation of new blood vessels.


Tyson Says May Face Civil Action from SEC

Top U.S. meatpacker Tyson Foods Inc.  TSN.N on Monday said it has been notified that U.S.  securities authorities plan to bring civil action against the  company for failing to properly disclose $1.7 million in  payments to its former senior chairman Don Tyson.


The sweat and donations from religious groups are bringing hope and new homes to many residents in this tiny community, still struggling two years after Hurricane Katrina left much of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in ruins.


Wall Street is expected to take its  direction from a swathe of economic data on Friday as it begins  the fourth quarter, but TiVo Inc. TIVO.O may rise on news of  a development deal.


In oltre 3 mln questo week end per 'Natale a New York'


This time the blitz was on Tully Banta-Cain . The fourth-year linebacker, who is expected to slide into the starting lineup at right outside linebacker because of Junior Seau's season-ending arm injury, was the focus of the media yesterday in the Patriots' locker room. Everyone was curious how Banta-Cain was preparing to transition from reserve to starter.


L'ingiunzione a seguito della revoca di contributi


Udine: omicidio imprenditore, sospetti su una delle figlie

CODROIPO (Udine) - Sono concentrati su una delle due figlie della coppia, Viviana, di 36 anni, i sospetti degli inquirenti sull'omicidio di un'imprenditore edile di Codroipo, in provincia di Udine, ucciso ieri sera a colpi d'arma da fuoco nella sua


Britain's wheelchair basketball team beat the USA 62-59 to reach the last four at the Paralympics.


Medicine prices will be cut by 7 percent under a new five-year deal between the government and drug makers that will save more than 1.8 billion pounds on the nation's drugs bill.


Students in 12 northern New Jersey towns got an unexpected day off Thursday after a threatening letter warned that several schools would be "blown out" at 11:30 a.m.


"What changed me was seeing in peopleÂs eyes what it meant to finally be able to hear."


Euronext joins battle for London Stock Exchange

The London Stock Exchange faces a likely takeover war after Euronext joined the battle for the 200-year-old British institution with a takeover approach pitting it against Germany's Deutsche Boerse.


December job openings and hires slower than 2006

Employers posted fewer job openings and hired fewer people in December than a year ago, government data showed on Tuesday, in a report that further underlined the weakness of the labor market.


“I’ve been testing the new iPod Shuffle for a couple of days,” writes Walt Mossberg for the Wall Street Journal, “and, in my tests, it fulfilled — and even exceeded — Apple’s claims for convenience, battery life and song capacity. Sound quality is so good you can barely believe the music is coming from something so small.” [Jan 12, 2005]


Greek Opposition Cries Foul Over Florida Consulate

Greece's socialist opposition accused the conservative government on Thursday of rushing through a decision to open a new consulate in the swing state of Florida to help President Bush win re-election.


General Motors Corp  would give  new union members 401(k)-style retirement plans instead of  traditional pensions for the first time under a proposed United  Auto Workers contract, Bloomberg News said on its Web site,  citing people with knowledge of the talks.


Children of different faiths all find importance in Bethlehem

The children who live in and near Bethlehem regard it as special, but for different reasons. What they don't know too well are each other.


Google localizes Youtube for European audiences

Google Inc. launched versions of its video sharing service Youtube in French and other languages on Tuesday. Localized versions now exist for Brazil, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S.


British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse was arrested in Norway for marijuana possession and held overnight, a police official said Friday.


Post-war film star Glenn Ford dead at 90

Actor Glenn Ford, a handsome and   quiet character actor who made his mark in big films like   "Gilda" and "The Big Heat," died on Wednesday in his Beverly   Hills home, police said. He was 90.


US, UK regulators confirm Shell reserves settlement ...

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 25 -- US and UK regulators Tuesday confirmed a $150 million settlement with Royal Dutch/Shell Group that the company first disclosed last month.


UPDATE 1-Indian board says Sony to beam Australia tests

India's home test series against Australia next month will be telecast on Sony television, with live pictures to be produced by the Dubai-based TEN Sports, the Indian cricket board said on Thursday.


Tomb Raider star Angelina Jolie reportedly spent three days living with snakes, to get accustomed to them during the shooting for her film Alexander.


Man U fans say Glazer's bid is crumbling

U.S. tycoon Malcolm Glazer's bid to buy English soccer giants Manchester United has been dealt a serious blow by his bankers' decision to drop him as a client, a key United supporters' group says.


Beijingâs Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue

For the worldâs Olympians, Beijingâs air is a performance issue. For the cityâs estimated 12 million residents, pollution is an inescapable health and quality-of-life issue.


The Pope is planning to spend his final days in a provincial Polish mountain resort that boasts clean air and some of the best skiing facilities in eastern Europe, at least according to a sell-out play at ...


Alleged mastermind of genocide in Rwanda still insists he was 'victim of ignominious propaganda'.


Company will break its promise to deliver a speedier chip, shifts focus to dual-core designs.


Eidur Gudjohnsen's equaliser gave Chelsea a 2-2 draw with champions Arsenal at Highbury and took the Blues four points clear at the top of the Premiership table.


PeopleSoft Chief Duffield Resists Pressure to Talk With Oracle

PeopleSoft Inc. Chief Executive David Duffield resisted pressure to open talks with Oracle Corp. after shareholders voted to support Oracle's $8.8 billion takeover bid.


No bib number one on Tour de France this year

The bib number one usually worn by the defending champion has not been awarded for this year's Tour de France, race organizers ASO said on Tuesday.


An operation to pump fuel oil from a stricken container ship grounded off Devon is due to finish this weekend.


Gordon Brown is urged by a think tank to create a new bank holiday to celebrate community heroes.


Marion Jones case a turning point on drugs: Dick Pound

CBC SPORTS ONLINE - World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound believes the doping controversy involving American track star Marion Jones could be a watershed moment in the fight against drugs in sports.


Google's calls for a global privacy standard are not enough to allay concerns about its purchase of DoubleClick.


Pages of what appear to be the The Deathly Hallows are turning up online, but the publisher won't confirm if they're real


ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 25, 2004) -- Nick Saban finally turned pro, accepting an offer to coach the Miami Dolphins. The LSU coach, courted repeatedly by the NFL in recent years, mulled over the deal for three


NBA Wrap: Hamilton Leads Way, Pistons Shoot Down Nets

Richard Hamilton scored 37 points as the Detroit Pistons out-scored the New Jersey Nets 13-3 in overtime, leading the Pistons to a 100-90 win in Auburn Hills Monday.


Tenet blasts proposal to strip CIA of powers

WASHINGTON - Former CIA Director George Tenet on Monday attacked a Republican senator's proposal to reorganize the CIA, calling it "a dangerous misunderstanding of the business of intelligence.


The majority of male patients undergoing sex-change surgery say they are happy with the results.


A Belfast missionary priest seriously injured in a shooting in South Africa says he is recovering well.


Abbas Gets Hero's Welcome in Gaza Tinderbox Rafah

Thousands of Palestinians including armed militants gave presidential election frontrunner Mahmoud Abbas a hero's welcome on Saturday in a Gaza refugee camp shattered by fighting with Israel.


Marshaling hip hop's influence on young listeners, a city official and youth activist joined celebrities of the rap and mainstream entertainment worlds Wednesday in announcing a nationwide initiative to foster community service and curb gang violence.


Dam to Block Pollutants at PPG: Pressure to Keep Underground Chemicals Out of Water By Barberton Plant

By Bob Downing, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio  Sep. 25--BARBERTON -- Work will probably get under way next week to keep pollutants under PPG Industries from getting into Lower Hudson Run.   The project, being done voluntarily under the supervision of the U.S.


Big Powers Urge Iran to Heed UN Nuke Freeze Demand

The United States, the European Union and Russia urged Iran Monday to comply with the UN nuclear watchdog's demand that it halt all activities linked to uranium enrichment, after Tehran rejected the call.


Tokyo's Nikkei average rose near a  six-month high by midsession on Tuesday, with retailer  Ito-Yokado Co. gaining on solid earnings and optimism about the  economy lifting stocks oriented toward domestic business.


A bomb in the Sadr City neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital kills at least 11 people and injures at least 19.


The cancellation of ABC's "Day Break," the Taye Diggs drama in which his cop character relived variations on the same horrible day, doesn't bother me.


Sono state sospese tutte le operazioni, disagi su autostrade


Marine 'hostage' to be charged with desertion

A US Marine who disappeared in Iraq and then showed up in a purported hostage video before later appearing as a free man in Lebanon, is being charged with desertion, Pentagon officials said Thursday.


Just as the cognoscenti in the 1950s once debated "Who lost China?", the question of "Who blew all our money" has become one of the politically and culturally loaded questions to emerge in the wake of the 2000 fiasco on Wall Street.


American Airlines Defers Aircraft Delivery

American Airlines reported Monday that it will defer the delivery of 54 aircraft in order to postpone capital spending and allow the airline more flexibility in its restructuring.


INVESTE E UCCIDE 19ENNE DOPO LITE PER VIABILITA', FERMATO

NAPOLI - La Mercedes che ha investito e ucciso il 19enne Antonio Guerriero, dopo una lite per motivi di viabilita', andava in retromarcia. Secondo le numerose testimonianze raccolte dalla polizia, il 51enne


The Reading and Leeds weekend music festivals are getting under way amid hopeful weather forecasts.


Big deal down to extensions for Unit, Green

Barring any unexpected developments, the trade of pitcher Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees will commence as expected and the mega-deal involving 10 players and at least three teams should be finalized within the next few days.


A British Airways worker vows to continue her fight to openly wear a cross necklace at Heathrow Airport.


APPLE Computer's new iMac G5 Macintosh may be the first desktop computer that doesn't need a desktop: you can hang the thing on a wall and operate it using wireless keyboard and mouse.


Award-winning American rock duo The  White Stripes has canceled a U.S. tour due to start this week,  citing drummer Meg White's "health issues."


The British and Irish governments summoned rival Northern Ireland parties to a moat-surrounded castle Thursday in hopes of crafting a new peace deal for the British territory.


Pakistan poll delay seen, Bhutto family appointed

Benazir Bhutto's party appointed her son and her husband to succeed the slain Pakistani opposition leader on Sunday and a senior official of the former ruling party said an election was likely to be delayed.


In Search of the Breakthrough Mobile Network

It's been a tough year for municipal Wi-Fi projects and emerging wireless technologies, but with the bruises comes new muscle.


The new baby panda at Zoo Atlanta is a girl. Zoo staff members removed the tiny bear from its birthing den Monday for the first time, 19 days after Zoo Atlanta's panda Lun Lun gave birth to the new cub, and determined its sex during a 10-minute medical checkup.


Rhodes quits Super Bowl champion Colts for lowly Raiders

Free-agent running back Dominic  Rhodes went from the NFL's best team to the worst on Friday,  leaving the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts to join the  Oakland Raiders.


The family of a pregnant schoolgirl found strangled in a churchyard appeal for help to catch her killer.


John Mertic's Blog: Updated Windows PHP Installer, now with better Web Server config

John Mertic's made even more updates to the Windows installer he's been working on - this time, he's enhanced the install with a web server selection tool.   I've updated the Installer with the following changes:  Added a dedicated dialog for selecting your Web Server Moved the dialog to pick the Apache conf folder into the installer itself    There's also a screenshot of this new feature to give you an idea of what the support will look like. This latest update can be downloaded here.


The EU will resume crunch talks with   Iran over its disputed nuclear work on Thursday, officials   said, as world powers at an atomic watchdog meeting remained   divided over whether to crack down on Tehran.


Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Man Approaching Jewish Settlement ...

Israeli troops Monday shot and killed a Palestinian man near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army said soldiers shot the man, as he approached the settlement of Gush Katif.


AOL's move to New York City is based largely on the hope that by getting closer to advertisers, it will secure a bigger share of an online advertising market that's dominated by its rivals.


Sport: Cricket: England all-rounder to miss one-day internationals with India, plus World Twenty20 tournament.


Actor Jim Carrey attends the UK premiere of A Series of Unfortunate Events after fleeing a hotel fire.


Per i veicoli che si sono imbarcati per la Sicilia


Families of British soldiers killed in Iraq win key court victory

The families of four British soldiers killed in Iraq have won a key legal battle in their bid to force a full public inquiry into the legality of Britain's decision to go to war.


Tehran, Iran, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Iranian President Mohammed Khatami called Friday for holding an emergency meeting of Muslim countries to discuss the situation in Iraq, especially Najaf.


Custodia cautelare per una ventina di persone a Barletta


Solar storm satellites launched from Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - Five satellites were launched into space from Florida on Saturday aboard an unmanned Delta rocket to investigate electromagnetic storms, the dark side of the phenomenon that causes Earth's dazzling aurorae.


Gunman may have planned sex assault at Amish school

NICKEL MINES, Pennsylvania  - The man who stormed an Amish school and killed five girls had confessed to his wife he molested two girls 20 years ago, and police said he may have planned to sexually abuse his 10 hostages.


Brazil to subsidize contraception for poor

Brazil will subsidize birth control pills for the poor, Health Minister Jose Temporao said on Monday, a decision that may stoke a simmering conflict between the state and Catholic Church over contraception and abortion.


Ephraim Schwartz, InfoWorldâs fearless editor at large, has waded into roiling waters once again. Iâm talking about his ongoing coverage of the SKIL (Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership) Bill, which would raise the yearly cap on H-1B visas, allowing qualified foreign workers â many in IT â to work in the States.ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.


Lawmakers stood side by side on the steps of the Capitol and belted out an impromptu rendition of "God Bless America" after the terrorist attacks five years ago.


2008 Olympics to be high-standard games: President Hu

Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on the afternoon of November 1. Hu Jintao said, as an


Amazon launches beta version of DRM-free music store

The online retail giant finally unveils its long-awaited music store. In a double punch to Apple, it's DRM-free--and cheaper.


Taiwan police arrest five over president's shooting

TAIPEI : Taiwan police said Monday they have arrested five people for allegedly manufacturing the bullets used in the shooting of President Chen Shui-bian in March.


PeopleSoft board won't negotiate takeover with Oracle

NOVEMBER 22, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - PeopleSoft Inc. won't discuss a sale to Oracle Corp. for a price of $24 per share, the company's board of directors told Oracle CEO Larry Ellison in a letter on Saturday.


The parents of three children caught in a current off the coast of southern Portugal drowned while trying to save them. The children survived, but a fourth adult involved in the rescue also died as horrified families on the beach watched.


Oracle and Hyperion: is it really a strategic fit?

Fusion, migration and competition This is a blastingly good deal for Hyperion shareholders. Hyperion's share price went up from $43 to $52 overnight, so shareholders gained 20 per cent. Since Godfrey Sullivan became CEO in 2004 he has done an excellent job of putting in place a first class management team and this is the opportunity to cash in. But what about Oracle shareholders?â¦


Zend Developer Zone: Zend Studio 5.5 Walkthrough

As posted over on the Zend Developer Zone, there's a walk-through that's been posted for the just-released version of Zend's editor - Zend Studio 5.5.   Earlier this month, I posted the release announcement for Zend Studio 5.5. Today, I got an email from my friend Avigail pointing me to a new web cast recorded by Yossi Leon the Product Manager, Zender, and all around nice guy has released a web cast walk through of some of the new features in this latest release.   The webcast shows off features like the Java code completion, Zend Framework code completion and integration functionality, and Zend Platform integration. If you've been looking around for a new IDE to work up code in, give the demo a look and see what you think.


The Tumas Group Developing 40million Euro Hilton Evian Resort & Spa in the Spa Town of Evian, France

Hilton Evian Resort & Spa, owned by Maltese firm, Tumas Group, will be developed and managed by Hilton International.


Not a Flash in the pan The CEO of hard disk drive (HDD) maker Seagate Technology has declared the firm's intention to enter the Flash memory market. Bill Watkins said in an interview with CNET that Seagate will begin shifting solid-state drives (SSD) based on Flash memory chip technology from next year.â¦


ISN SECURITY WATCH (19/11/04) - The Military government of Myanmar (also known as Burma) is reportedly releasing some 3â937 prisoners âinappropriately jailedâ by the dissolved National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) led by the ousted prime minister


Palestinian militants killed a Jewish  settler and wounded three soldiers in a Gaza ambush on  Wednesday, challenging new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's  quest for a cease-fire to help him talk peace with Israel.


"Right from the beginning there was a problem with responsibilities within the club, especially regarding recruitment," the Frenchman said during half-time, with the scores still level at 1-1.


BAGHDAD Ali Hassan al-Majid, one of Saddam Hussein's closest aides and known as "Chemical Ali" for the gassing of the Kurds in Iraq, will be the first of Saddam's top deputies to be tried, Defense Minister Hazim al-Shalaan said Wednesday.


The government is looking into calls to lift a ban on creating embryos from dying children to aid key research.


For the final time in 2006, the Jordan Todman show toured his hometown of Dartmouth. As always, it didn't disappoint.


Gp del Qatar, Biaggi debuttante vincente

Nel mondiale Superbike, in sella a Suzuki, ha vinto la gara 1 all'esordio nella categoria


Ohno takes gold: Seattle's Apolo Anton Ohno and China's Yang (A) Yang won 1,500-meter short-track races last night in Madison, Wis.


Lienz, 14:13 - SCI, CDM DONNE: COSTAZZA VINCE SLALOM LIENZ

Prima vittoria in carriera per Chiara Costazza. La 23enne di Cavalese si è imposta nello slal...


As dusk shrouded the summit of Whiteface Mountain, Juan Klavins aimed his headlamp at the bird in his left hand, its head between his fingers and its wing extended to expose a crimson vein.


By Erin Stewart Deseret Morning News  Utah Board of Education leaders took their first crack Wednesday at hammering out rules for implementing Utah's new $9.2 million private school voucher law -- the most wide-ranging and expensive of its kind in the country.


US chess genius Bobby Fischer asks Japan to let him travel to Iceland, which granted him residency last week.


Five US soldiers are killed in an attack on their patrol in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the US military has said.


Scorpions set to sting Shillong with heavy metal

Renowned rock band Scorpions is all set to warm up Shillong Wednesday when it begins the India leg   of the Humanity World Tour with "love and not war" as the underlying theme.


Republican Warner to retire from U.S. Senate

Republican U.S. Sen. John Warner of Virginia, an influential voice in Congress on military policy, said on Friday he would not seek re-election next year -- a decision that complicates party hopes of recapturing Senate control.


IBM, LG Electronics Put Brakes On Joint Venture

IBM Corp. and LG Electronics Inc. will end their eight-year joint venture company, LG IBM PC Co., by the year's end, according to an Associated Press report.


UPDATE 2-GM leads stronger US vehicle sales

General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said its US sales soared 20.5 percent in September as month-end incentives from the world's largest


Air pollution levels in the UK are too high to meet key objectives and may harm human health, an expert tells the BA science festival.


ADV: $150,000 Mortgage for Under $690/Month

Mortgage rates are at record lows. Save $1000s on your mortgage payment. Free quotes.


Shekhar Kapur and Shekhar Suman pay their respects.


US oil giant Exxon Mobil says courts have frozen $36bn of Venezuela's assets in its dispute with the government.


INCHIESTE & MISTERI - CHI Ã IL PROCURATORE CAPO DI MARSALA

Erede di Borsellino, Ã¨ rimasto nell'ombra fino alla scomparsa di Denise, lo scorso primo settembre, a mezzogiorno. Poi Silvio Sciuto ha stupito tutti con il suo ottimismo. Inspiegabile > La vicenda. Trent'anni


Prosecutors on Wednesday ordered two men to face retrial over a failed plot to bomb London's transit system in 2005, two weeks after suicide bombers killed 52 commuters in the city.


Advances in Biology Pulling Math in a New Direction

MILWAUKEE _ Mathematics has solved problems in nature for centuries.  The ancient Egyptians used geometry to survey their landscape. Isaac Newton developed calculus while describing planetary motion.  Many of the recent challenges in applied mathematics are coming from biology.


Third seed Elena Dementieva, who collapsed while serving for the match, recovered to defeat Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik 4-6 7-5 7-5 in the second round of the Stuttgart Grand Prix on Wednesday.


Driver Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., was proud of himself for an unlikely reason after winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.


Iraqis vow to fight al Qaeda after sheikh's death

RAMADI, Iraq  - Sunni Arab Iraqis and U.S. forces in Anbar province vowed on Friday to keep fighting al Qaeda after the assassination of a tribal leader who worked with Americans to create one of Iraq's few security success stories.


Democrats Make Bush School Act an Election Issue

Criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act by Democratic presidential contenders is endangering its renewal.


Sovereign Bancorp posts $1.6 billion loss

Sovereign Bancorp Inc , the second-largest U.S. savings and loan, on Wednesday posted a $1.6 billion quarterly loss and canceled its dividend after a larger-than-expected write-down for consumer credit losses and the 2006 acquisition of a bank in Brooklyn, New York.


Nigeria rebel group declares Christmas ceasefire

The main rebel group in Nigeria's  oil-producing southern delta, announcing a brief Christmas  ceasefire, pledged on Saturday not to attack oil facilities or  kidnap foreigners on Christmas Day.


Commtouch: Bagle worm still thriving after three years

The Bagle worm, which first appeared in January 2004, continues to thrive, according to security research firm Commtouch. But rival vendor Symantec says other threats are more immediate.


London shares close lower on record oil prices

Blue chips closed in the negative territory, weighed by heavy losses on Wall Street, where fresh record highs in oil prices continued to dampen sentiment, dealers said.


World stocks hit life high, oil eyes record

World stocks hit a lifetime peak on Monday as a fresh bout of corporate takeover activity helped ease concerns about oil prices which approached record highs.


U.S. Congress poised to delay border check program

Travelers entering the United States   from Canada will win a reprieve from a post-September 11 border   security program requiring passports or other high-tech IDs,   under a bill set to pass Congress this week.


Western governments must take seriously the possibility of terrorists exploding a nuclear bomb as the necessary materials and know-how become easier to acquire, security analysts argue in two new reports.


Ransom question hangs over Italy workers

The safe release of two Italian aid workers held hostage in Iraq led to questions Wednesday over whether a ransom was paid, highlighting the dilemma of many governments if the price


Dems eye '2nd choice' supporters in Iowa

It's not just in horseshoes that close counts. The same goes for Iowa's presidential caucuses.


KOSICE, Slovakia -- When Ivan Hriczko strode casually into the Twelve Apostles, a fashionable restaurant in this steel city, diners idled their forks and turned their heads.


New Company Starts Up a Challenge to Google

Google executives have long conceded that one of their great fears is to be overtaken by a more advanced Internet search technology.


In Italia spesa pubblica da record, ha raggiunto il 50,1%


Allawi Urges Iraqis to Vote to Decide Their Future

Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi appealed to Iraqis of all religions and ethnic groups to defy militant violence and vote in Sunday's elections.


George Clooney named U.N. messenger of peace

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named actor George Clooney, who has campaigned for refugees in Darfur, as a U.N. "messenger of peace" on Friday to promote the world body's peacekeeping efforts.


PASADENA, Calif.  - A space capsule returning  solar particles to Earth after a three-year mission that probed  the origins of the solar system crashed in the Utah desert  before it could be captured in a mid-air recovery, officials at  the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said on Wednesday.


Ukrainians fear unrest in Sunday's election

Ukrainians are bracing themselves as they prepare to go to the polls Sunday in the final round of what has been called the dirtiest election in their history.


Kerry Steps Up Attack on Bush's Economic Record

John Kerry, stepping up his attack on President Bush after bad news about the economy, said Saturday the country cannot afford another four years of lost jobs, slow growth and creeping poverty.


Red Hat sees another delay in PC Linux software

Software maker Red Hat Inc. ,  which had planned to introduce a new version of its Linux  software for personal computers in August, said on Tuesday that  the product won't be out until next month at the earliest.


BAGHDAD Two rockets hit a central Baghdad hotel housing foreigners and journalists on Thursday and gunfire erupted in the neighborhood, which is across the Tigris River from the US Embassy compound.


Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers announced Friday that they have re-signed right-handed pitcher Doug Brocail to a one-year contract.


SCC Nets Another $443m; Cable May Be Souped Up to Carry 1 Terabit

By PULLAR-STRECKER Tom  RISING demand for broadband in Australia and New Zealand has helped the consortium that owns the Southern Cross Cable sell a further US$310 million (NZ$443 million) of capacity on the communications artery during the past six months.


Health Tip: Childbearing Women Need Folic Acid

(HealthDayNews) -- Folic acid, also known as folate, is a B vitamin that's found in some enriched foods and vitamin pills. If women get enough of it before and during pregnancy, it can decrease the risk for neural tube birth defects.


Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke listed three wishes on his 90th birthday: for the world to embrace cleaner energy resources, for a lasting peace in his adopted home, Sri Lanka, and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings.


Nel secondo trimestre -21% a 823 mln di dollari


The founding fathers of the "National Treasure" franchise wisely know not to tinker with a formula that inexplicably works.


House Republican leaders, giving in to political reality, plan a vote to raise the $5.15 minimum wage before leaving Washington this weekend for a five-week recess.


LONDON - Armed police stood guard outside the British House of Commons on Wednesday evening, while inside MPs voted to end centuries of tradition and ban fox hunting.


Iraq's government has fulfilled only nine out of 18 benchmarks on governance and security, the US says.


Israel central to Intel's future research

A WEB SITE quotes Intel's chief technology officer, Pat Gelsinger, emphasising the importance of Israel to the firm's future research and development.


Mantova, 19:29 - CALCIO, MANTOVA: BELLODI E BERNACCI RIENTRANO IN GRUPPO

Allenamento pomeridiano per il Mantova in vista della gara di sabato con l'Albinoleffe. Il tecnico D...


Security vendors lagging on support for Vista

Many security software vendors have yet to make some or all of their products available on Windows Vista, which includes new features that are complicating the task of porting the tools to the operating system.


AT&T  posted stronger-than-expected mobile growth on Thursday and affirmed its 2008 outlook, but its shares fell as much as 3.4 percent amid persistent worries about the U.S. economy.


Car Bomb North of Baghdad Kills 4 Iraqis, Wounds 19

A car bomb exploded near a US military patrol in the town of Baiji, north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, killing four Iraqi civilians and wounding 19 people, including two US soldiers, witnesses and the military said.


Mobile phone operator O2 is reported to have won the battle to sell Apple's iPhone in the UK.


L'INTERVISTA. Il leader della Quercia: non sottovalutiamo i segnali che arrivano dalla parte dinamica del Paese, il risultato non ci soddisfa                                          Fassino: "Il paese chiede  una politica che decida"                                                                                di GOFFREDO DE MARCHIS


Italian president accepts Prodi's resignation

Italy's president accepted Prime Minister  Romano Prodi's resignation on Wednesday following the  government's defeat in a Senate vote on foreign policy.


A bomb blast Saturday in southern Thailand killed an elderly man and raised to more than 30 the number of injuries in the nation's growing religious conflict.


New York, NY (Sports Network) - Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis was suspended for two games without pay and fined an additional two weeks' salary by the league on Friday for violating the NFL substance abuse policy.


Airbus attacks Washington's WTO challenge

PARIS Aircraft maker Airbus is attacking a US decision to file a World Trade Organization complaint over subsidies Airbus. Airbus today says the US complaint shows that Washington is unwilling to negotiate


Airbus snatches key order from under Boeing's nose

AIRBUS is poised to snatch the most important aircraft order of the year from deadly rival Boeing by landing a deal for 80 planes from fast-growing low-cost carrier Air Asia.


THREE YEARS after 9/11/01, presidential politics is driven by fear of terrorism and war in Iraq. 9/11 represents horrifying failure of America's defense that happened on George Bush's watch.


African Union announces seven-fold increase to peace mission in ...

NAIROBI, Oct 21  -- The African Union is to increase from 465 to 3,320 the number of personnel monitoring a shaky ceasefire in Sudan's war-ravaged western Darfur region, the pan-African body said in a statement on Thursday.


'Poisoned' ex-Russian spy's contact in hospital as more theories emerge

A close contact of Alexander Litvinenko, the ex-Russian spy who died after apparently being poisoned with radioactivity, is in a London hospital after testing positive for the same substance.


WASHINGTON If past presidential election debates are a guide, public re- action to the debate Thursday near Miami will not be fixed in people's minds in the hours immediately after the 90-minute encounter, but instead will evolve for days, in possibly


O.J. Simpson boarded a flight to return home to Miami Thursday, a day after he received a blistering rebuke from a judge who doubled his bail but allowed him out of jail to await trial in his armed robbery case, a friend said.


Investors buy protective puts on Lehman bond fund

As U.S. Treasury bonds rallied on Tuesday, many investors sought options known as puts pegged to a fund often used as a bond market surrogate and, in this case, as a safety net, should bond prices reverse course and fall.


Scorching heat, floods wreak havoc across Europe

Dozens of people across southern Europe have perished in a blistering heatwave while storms whipped the north of the continent and floods claimed four lives in Britain, officials said Wednesday.


AOL to End Support of Netscape Navigator

Netscape Navigator, the worldâs first commercial Web browser and the starting point of the Internet boom, will be pulled off life support Feb. 1 after a 13-year run.


The DUP will oppose any plan to allow unmarried and gay couples to adopt children, Jeffrey Donaldson says.


Il capitano giallorosso festeggia la storica doppietta e insegue il primato di Boniperti"Certe mie scelte sono state premiate, sono invecchiato, i figli sono l'unico pensiero"                                          Totti e il record dei duecento gol Il piÃ¹ grande con una maglia sola                                                                                di CORRADO SANNUCCI


The U.S. Commerce Department has admitted that more than 1,100 laptop computers have gone missing in the last five years, including almost 250 from the Census Bureau.


JEOPARD spotted for leveraging multi-core chips

Looking to get the most out of multi-core processors, a European-driven effort to build a framework for Java-based, real-time applications on modern multi-core chips and parallel processor systems is being announced Tuesday.Called the Java Environment for Parallel Real-time Development, or JEOPARD, the project is being underwritten by the European Commission (EC) to the tune of more than $4.9 million (3.3 million Euros), said The Open Group, which is participating in the project.The objective is to provide tools for platform-independent development of predictable systems that make use of symmetric multiprocessing multi-core platforms and field programmable gate array components, Open Group said. Tools plan would enhance software productivity and reusability by extending processor technology established on desktop systems for the needs of multi-core embedded systems."If you go out and buy a laptop or server, you get four-core processors or whatever. The way people program both applications and OSes hasn't really taken full advantage of the capabilities of these multi-core processors," said Dave Lounsbury, vice president for government services at The Open Group. "This is a hot topic. I think everybody recognizes there are some limitations right now," in making use of multi-core systems, he said.JEOPARD will research how to build APIs, OS extensions and language support for multi-core processors, with a special emphasis on embedded systems, Lounsbury said.The project will delve into extensions to handle different memory configurations. Situations will be considered in which there is not full symmetry, such as when a processor cannot access all parts of memory or chips are not using the same clock, said Lounsbury. These considerations are important because of constraints in memory bandwidth. Languages and operating systems can perform optimizations to address this."The idea here is that we'll see the creation of new sets of tools, whether it's extensions to OSes or new sets of compilers or languages like Java that will bring some of these new capabilities," Lounsbury said.While the project is based around Java, concepts from it could be made to work in other environments, he said. Asked when there might be results from JEOPARD, Lounsbury said the effort is a three-year EC program.Chip vendors could be expected to look closely at the project and incorporate results into their next generations of chips.Contributions from JEOPARD will be to be made to the RTSJ (Real-Time Specification for Java), which focuses on development of portable software in the multi-core embedded space, The Open Group said. Also, JEOPARD will feature development of a platform-independent software development interface for real-time multi-core systems based on RTSJ and Safety-Critical Java. RTSJ is the subject of Java Specification Requests 1 and 282 in the Java Community Process, while Safety-Critical Java is covered in JSR 302.Also participating in JEOPARD are the University of York, FZI, Vienna University of Technology, and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. Other participants include industrial manufacturers EADS, RadioLabs, and SkySoft and two embedded systems technology suppliers, aicas and Sysgo.In another effort pertaining to development for multi-core chips, RapidMind in November announced RapidMind Multi-core Development Platform v.30, which seeks to help developers build for these processors.


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A thief used a hook and line not to snag fish, but to remove bags of cash from a bank's night deposit box, police said.  Police would not say how much money they believe was taken, but think the thief made off with 11 deposit bags, Bloomington police Sgt.


BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein underwent an operation to repair a hernia about 10 days ago but has made a full recovery, Iraqi sources said Tuesday.    The ousted dictator was taken to the Ibn Sina hospital near the U.S.-controlled Green Zone for the procedure, which was performed by Iraqi doctors, according to sources close to the Human Rights Ministry...


Astros Defeat Cardinals 5-2 in NLCS Game 3

HOUSTON - Roger Clemens hopped off the mound, pumped his right fist and muttered to himself all the way to the dugout. His work was done and the Houston Astros were exactly where they wanted to be - right back in the NL championship series...


Iran has 100 kg "enriched uranium materials": report

Iran has 100 kg of enriched uranium material in storage, the interior minister was on Friday quoted as saying, in comments that may worry Western powers who fear the Islamic Republic is seeking to build nuclear bombs.


N.Korea allows IAEA team to visit nuclear reactor

North Korea will allow a team of U.N. nuclear watchdog officials to visit the Yongbyon reactor it has agreed to shut down under a disarmament-for-aid deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday.


Google adds some street-level views to U.S. maps

Google Inc.  said on  Tuesday it was introducing street-level map views of various  U.S. cities, giving Web users a panoramic, 360-degree images as  well as the overhead views Google Maps has offered.


Pentagon probes missing weapons and contract fraud

The Pentagon's independent watchdog has launched a probe into the military's inability to account for weapons in Iraq after reports that Kurdish militants were using U.S. arms to attack Turkey, the Defense Department said on Wednesday.


Colombo: The death toll in the tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka reached 12,000, including at least 70 foreigners while many were reported still missing as rescuers on Monday frantically searched for survivors and engaged in reaching aid and medical care for


Vick Practices, Coach Expects Him to Start

Falcons coach Jim Mora said he expects Michael Vick to start this week at Seattle.


Series of Fla. Hurricanes Delay Funerals

The four-in-a-row hurricanes that have disrupted lives across Florida have also delayed life's final journey for many. Funerals have been put off for weeks in some places because the ground is too soggy for burials or because scattered family members cannot be assembled.


While police have praised rocker Ozzy Osbourne's courage in tackling a burglar in his home on Monday, the star has admitted he "acted on impulse" and was thankful no-one had been hurt.


Microsoft expands program on source code

Microsoft Corp. is expanding a program to give government organizations access to some of its tightly guarded software blueprints amid growing competition from rivals who make such source code freely available.


Smaller is better. Ask anyone in the stock market. By the end of 2004, smaller stocks will have outperformed larger stocks for a remarkable sixth straight year. Can they continue to hold that advantage in 2005? I would bet against it.


A prominent Indonesian Muslim cleric has been charged under a tough anti-terror law for a deadly attack on a Jakarta hotel and could face the death penalty if convicted.


Very useful framework library, contains many frequent used code snippets, algorithms, data structures, WinForms & APS.NET controls for all-day work.   Approwed first public version of Axe framework as a result of individual two year developer practice.


In some Arab circles, terrorism stirs debate

BEIRUT -- The kidnappings, beheadings, and explosions in Iraq, the killing of innocent children in Russia, and the car bombings in Turkey and Indonesia have sparked debate among Arab intellectuals on why the majority of terror acts have been committed by Muslims acting in the name of Islam.


The first baby created from an egg matured in the lab, frozen, thawed and then fertilised, has been born.


Prison guards searched the death row cell of Polly Klaas' killer after learning he may have corresponded with the suspect in the decade-old slaying of JonBenet Ramsey, authorities said Friday.


Lo sostiene il presidente della Farmindustria Sergio Dompe'


A U.S. Marine was convicted Monday of raping a Filipino woman and sentenced to 40 years in prison, ending an emotional trial that has strained U.S.-Philippine ties and tested a joint military pact.


The tiny UK Pacific colony of Pitcairn puts seven men on trial for sex abuse in a case splitting local opinion.


Fabio Capello, who will be presented as the new England manager on Monday, says he needs to restore the team's "winning mentality".


An overwhelming majority of cases where a family suffers multiple cot deaths is down to natural causes, a study says.


Guard Reports Serious Decline in New Recruits

The Army National Guard has failed for two months to meet its recruiting quotas, falling about 30 percent below its overall target.


Air Force One roared into the air at noon on Dec. 19, 1967, carrying Lyndon Baines Johnson on a secret mission. The Vietnam War raged. Johnson was desperate for peace. He would risk a 4 1/2 -day, 27,000-mile globe-circling journey to find it, plowing the skies while awaiting word on his long-shot...


Scientists have created a mouse that can catch a  cold - raising hopes of developing new ways to treat asthma.


Hundreds evacuated in California wildfire

A fast moving brush fire sent flames leaping into backyards and forced more than 1,200 southern California residents out of their hillside homes on a sweltering Sunday of gusty winds after months of drought.


E' una delle novita' della riforma all'esame del Senato


Money from Iran Fuels Iraq Insurgency -Rumsfeld

Money and people channeled from Iran  fuel the insurgency in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld  said in an interview published on Wednesday.


A fire at a home for the elderly and disabled in Latvia has killed at 26 people, officials say.


Omnifone, a British mobile music company, is unveiling a new music service Monday aimed at cell phone users who crave music while on the go, in the first of what is expected to be many challenges against Apple ...Comment


England blanks Wales as European qualifying continues

Manchester, England (Sports Network) - England beat Wales 2-0 Saturday in an intense World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford. The victory was bittersweet for England as captain David Beckham fractured a rib late in the win.


Love Him or Hate Him, All Vie for a Good Perch

At least for a day in Washington, politics gave way to an old-fashioned civics lesson on the merits of democracy, warts and all.


Flag flies low as Americans mourn lost soldiers

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas  - David Lane was only 20 when he died and little-known outside a close circle of family, friends, and fellow soldiers in the U.S. Army.


Australia Releases Convicted Terror Supporter Hicks

ADELAIDE, Australia -- Convicted terror supporter David Hicks is freed from an Australian prison after completing a U.S. imposed sentence.


Send in the Peacekeepers. Lazard Will Need Them.

Michel David-Weill and Bruce Wasserstein said they had called an end to their spat over the future of Lazard, but the so-called cease-fire is anything but.


Seven Wizzards have improved their free throw percentage this season, including former bricklayer Brendan Haywood, thanks to the tutelage of assistant coach Dave Hopla.


President Bush is tacking on visits with two Latin American allies to his trip to Chile for a gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders later this month.


How the tax man can get us out of this corporate options mess and make backdating a thing of the past. By Andy Kessler from Wired magazine.


The world's growing young population needs encouragement and education to prosper, the World Bank says.


The lawsuit shareholders have brought against Disney has come to resemble a Hollywood potboiler of betrayed friendships, secret meetings and wounded egos. During five days of testimony, Disney chief executive Michael Eisner delivered a forceful and often bittersweet account of the 14-month tenure of agent-to-the-stars Michael Ovitz as Disney's president.


MIAMI Every NBA team now has at least one loss after Dallas hammered the Heat in Miami 113-to-93. Dirk Nowitzki hit four three-pointers and finished with 41 points, two below his career high.


Ucciso un soldato Nato a sud e un cooperante tedesco a nordNell'attacco kamikaze feriti anche cinque abitanti locali                                            Spari contro pattuglia italiana a Kabul L'agguato nel pomeriggio. Non ci sono vittime                                                                                Il colonnello Sandro Leoni, comandante a Herat: "Contro di noi non c'Ã¨ sentore di attacchi terroristici"


Iraq: US claims to kill al-Zarqawi aide in Fallujah

The US military said Tuesday that an aide to Jordanian activists Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in an airstrike in Fallujah. "The 3 am strike hit a known safehouse being used by al-Zarqawi's terrorist network


Online journals or weblogs are helping people share information about the tsunami disaster.


U.S. Might Reconsider Sanctions on Indian Scientists

The Bush administration might  reconsider sanctions imposed on two Indian scientists for  alleged nuclear cooperation with Iran if New Delhi offers  "significant and convincing" proof they were not involved, a  senior U.S. official said on Thursday.


A bar brawl that spilled out onto the streets of a working-class neighborhood early Saturday led to a shooting that left at least two people dead and three injured, police said.


Dance Review | New York City Ballet: 33 Years, and Good to the Last Pirouette

Tears fell at the New York State Theater for Kyra Nicholsâs farewell after 33 years with New York City Ballet, but there were fewer tears than flowers.


Trade loss message to SocGen: read the fine print

Scandal-hit Societe Generale shares the plight of people who take out an insurance policy to cover the remotest eventuality only to find it pays out a pittance, the French bank disclosed on Monday.


News Corp to buy out Sky Italia minority shareholder

Australian-based media giant News Corp. is to buy out the last remaining minority shareholder of Sky Italia and assume full control of the satellite broadcaster.


HSBC U.S. subprime unit employees fear layoffs

HSBC Holdings Plc's  U.S.  subprime unit scheduled a management conference call with its  staff on Friday amid concern about layoffs and even a winding  down of operations, two employees at the unit said.