Let There Be Light: Promoting OpenOffice.org with Sun

The OpenDocument Format (ODF) just keeps on getting stronger.  It is now an official ISO standard; there are numerous applications that support it, with varying degrees of fidelity, including Google's online word processor and spreadsheet;  there's an official Microsoft-funded plug-in for Microsoft Office that allows it to open and save ODF files, and a program that converts between ODF and the Chinese UOF XML office format; and the ODF community has largely sorted out issues of accessibility that threatened to de-rail its adoption by Massachusetts.


Il giovane, Michele Barbascu, aveva 24 anni ed era romeno come il collega deceduto ieri in seguito all'incidente. Ci sono anche due feriti                                          Esplosione nelle Fonderie Anselmi di Padova E' morto anche il secondo operaio


Nokia to close German factory, 2,300 jobs affected

Finland's Nokia, the top global mobile phone manufacturer, said Tuesday that it planned to close a factory in Germany by mid-year which employs 2,300 workers.


Serve una moratoria contro questa economia di carta straccia


Palestinian militant groups again call for the setting up of a unified leadership following Yasser Arafat's death.


Time stands still in Pakistani salt mine

KHEWRA, Pakistan -- At Asia's oldest salt mine, the march of technology stopped generations ago. Bare-chested laborers use hand drills and gunpowder to blast away the pink and orange rock crystal, lucky if they earn a couple of dollars a day.


Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N shares  fell 3 percent early Monday after the world's biggest retailer  cut its November sales forecast, casting a shadow over hopes  for a bumper holiday shopping season.


Ora viene accudito dai carabinieri nel Foggiano


Nell'intraday superati i 49 dollari al barile


ADV: Trade Shares and Currencies Commission-Free

GCI offers commission-free online trading in shares, indices and major currencies. Register today for a free demo account - including charts, quotes and internet trading software.


Linux Users Spoofed By Bogus Security Alert

Joining the ranks of Windows' users who have been victimized by spoofed security alerts, Linux users this weekend received bogus messages directing them to download updates that are in fact Trojan horses, Red Hat announced Saturday.


Jimmy Carter celebrates 80th birthday Friday

Former president Jimmy Carter celebrates his 80th birthday Friday, basking in newfound respect both abroad and from his own Democratic party, which shunned him for many years.


Rattle sounds alarm for culture in Berlin

Sir Simon Rattle, the chief conductor of the internationally renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, accused the German capital of inflicting catastrophic "cultural dismantling" yesterday because of the city ...


Romney Attracts More of Bush's Top Donors Than Giuliani, McCain

Bloomberg - July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Mitt Romney has attracted more donations from President George W. Bush's top fund-raisers than his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, Federal Election Commission records show.


House Puts Energy Technology Onus on EPA

By JIM ABRAMS  WASHINGTON - Determining how best to speed ethanol and other alternative fuels from refinery to gas pump would rest with the government under legislation the House passed Thursday.


Haditha prompts reflection among Marines

A young Marine wonders if his superiors will support him if he shoots at perceived threats. An officer worries that civilians look at his Marines with more suspicion. The proud colonel acknowledges that his Corps has lost stature in the public's eyes.


WASHINGTON -- A widely anticipated White House report on Iraq, set for release today, contends that Iraq has made "satisfactory" progress toward nearly half of the political and military goals sought by Congress, while acknowledging that an equal number remain "unsatisfactory," an administration official said yesterday.


Australia's Woolworths second-half profit up

Australian supermarket giant, Woolworths, beat forecasts on Monday with a 12 per cent rise in second-half profit on vigorous cost savings and its ability to drive margins despite a competitive onslaught.


A corporate dealmaker and former Tory Party treasurer is reportedly planning a Â£5bn takeover bid for struggling supermarket chain Sainsbury's.


Old Clinton Ties and Votersâ Sway Tug at Delegates

The dwindling group of undecided Democratic superdelegates is being caught in strong political crosscurrents.


Products That Miss Safety Standards Sent Overseas by U.S. Companies

U.S. manufacturers are increasingly exporting goods, including toys and pacifiers, that do not meet domestic safety standards, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.


Amsterdam has the world's busiest  Internet exchange, thanks to nuclear physicists and  mathematicians who in the 1980s connected their network needs  with the academic belief that knowledge needs to be free.


Jordanian Chechen chief dies in gunfight

A Jordanian who commanded foreign mercenaries in Chechnya and was reportedly al-Qaida's top emissary in the troubled North Caucasus died Sunday in a shootout with police, security officials said.


Were there little people on Flores? A fresh analysis of the fossilised skeleton that sparked the Hobbit controversy, has provided more evidence to support the claim that Homo floresiensis is a new species of hominid, the Guardian reports, and not a diseased human with a shrunken and malformed brain.â¦


Savvy marketing has helped Apple's iPod and iTunes dominate the online-music market. Last month, for example, Apple and rock band U2 announced a deal to sell customized iPods.


Back in power, the Democrats are discovering that role reversal in the House isn't all it's cracked up to be


Nessun problema nonostante segnalazione di avaria al motore


BAGHDAD -- US Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld told US troops in Iraq yesterday that they face a ''determined and vicious enemy" that is likely to strike again and again in the run-up to next month's elections.


Ex-McAfee lawyer indicted in backdating probe

Faces fraud charges related to alleged backdating of stock options at the security specialist while it was known as Network Associates.


Castelli difende Calderoli dopo il comizio anti-giudici a VeronaLettera di solidarietÃ  al pm Papalia dal vice-presidente del Csm                                                  Rognoni: "Attacchi inqualificabili Gesti umilianti da cariche dello Stato"


Tesco is to start selling budget own-brand PC software, pitching the supermarket giant against the likes of Microsoft.


Central bankers warn housing crisis could hit whole US economy

The crisis in the US housing market risks spreading to the whole of the nation's economy, European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet said Monday on behalf of world central bankers.


The judging panel for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction includes authors, a poet and an actress.


Four killed in latest suicide attack in Pakistan

A suicide car bomber rammed a paramilitary checkpost killing four people in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region on Friday, the latest attack in a wave of violence sweeping the country in recent weeks.


History Vs. Growth: Estate Acts to Maintain Its View: Bonnet House is Taking Fort Lauderdale and the Developer of a Luxury Beach Hotel to Court, Saying That the New Hotel Will Block Its View

By Natalie P. Mcneal, The Miami Herald  Jun. 24--Picture a South Florida rarely seen except on postcards.   Blue herons daintily picking their way through lush foliage. A water lily pond with its own pavilion. An unspoiled dirt path leading to an enchanted forest.


Skin Deep: More Fun Than Root Canals? Itâs the Dental Vacation

Medical tourism has been an increasingly popular alternative for the uninsured desperate for care, and for middle-class Americans willing to travel to secure affordable health care.


Heavy troop presence in Nigerian oil city

Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed on the streets of Nigeria's oil city of Port Harcourt, residents said, following reports up to 500 people killed in clashes in the past month.


Under Fire, Election Workers in Iraq Are Scared but Resolute

Iraq's election workers are surviving the frontlines of an insurgency determined to stop the electoral process.


Qualcomm aims at Intel with SnapDragon chips

(InfoWorld) - Global mobile phone makers including Taiwan'sÂ High Tech ComputerÂ are already testing new processors from Qualcomm with which the chip manufacturer hopes toÂ challenge IntelÂ in the market for ultramobile PCs and mobile devices. Qualcomm has already started sending out SnapDragon chip packages to developers so they can see what kinds of devices might be made around them. The ultra-low power consumption of theÂ Scorpion processorÂ they contain could enable a whole new breed of mobile device, said Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm, on the sidelines of a news conference in Taipei. The microprocessor currently being sampled is a 1GHz chip that uses between 250 milliwatts and 500 milliwatts of power, he said. Intel's best processor for ultramobile PCs is A110, which runs at 800MHz and uses 3 watts of power. The SnapDragon chip set also contains a 600MHz digital signal processor, and offers connectivity to mobile broadband technologies including CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access 2000), 1xEVDO (Evolution-Data Only), HSDPA/HSUPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access/High Speed Uplink Packet Access), as well as mobile TV, Bluetooth, GPS (Global Positioning System), and WLAN (wireless-LAN). The company is gunning for Intel's business with the new chips, but it's tough to compare processors made by the two companies. Scorpion is an Arm-based processor and has its own instruction set, which offers substantial energy savings but does not share the main advantage of x86 chips made by Intel: software. A lot more software has been developed around the x86 instruction set than any other processor, in fact, the entire library of software for PCs. Alongside Intel's 800MHz A110, the company offers the 600MHz A100, which also consumes 3 watts. Rival Via Technologies recently announced an x86-based processor that runs at 500MHz and consumes up to a maximum of 1 watt, or 0.1 watts in idle mode. The 1GHz version of that chip,Â the Eden ULV, consumes a maximum of 3.5 watts. Still, device makers have a chance to try out SnapDragon now, and its low power consumption and wireless functions could aid in the development of new categories of mobile devices. Â


Nearly a third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who received care from Veterans Affairs between 2001 and 2005 were diagnosed with mental health or psychosocial ills, a new study concludes. Of nearly 104,000 veterans studied, more than half (56 percent) were diagnosed with two or more disorders.


Tens of thousands of Lebanese jammed bomb-cratered roads Monday as they returned to still-smoldering scenes of destruction after a tenuous cease-fire ended 34 days of vicious combat between Israel and Hezbollah.


Sanctions may be required against the Sudanese government, PM says.


Pressure Grows for CONCACAF World Cup Hopefuls

Guatemala coach Ramon Maradiaga  believes his players were too individualistic in Saturday's 5-0  drubbing by Costa Rica and urged them not to repeat their  mistakes in Wednesday's qualifier against Honduras.


Canada's prime minister has announced a financial package to help improve the health of the country's indigenous people, the Inuit.


Ora e' necessario riavviare al piu' presto il confronto


September Job Growth Weaker Than Forecast

WASHINGTON - Employers' payrolls grew by just 96,000 in September in a weaker-than-expected government report Friday that provided a final snapshot before Election Day of a lackluster jobs market.    The Labor Department report means President Bush will face the electorate with 821,000 fewer jobs in the country than when he took office, though 1.78 million jobs have been added in the past year...


Medical Data on Empire Blue Cross Members May Be Lost

A compact disc holding vital medical and other personal information of about 75,000 members of Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield has disappeared.


George Bush received the best possible boost to the start of his second term yesterday when US payrolls rose at the fastest rate for seven months, well above the market's expectations.


Aiming to Stem Attendance Losses, More Cinemas Try a Full-Frills Model

Cinema operators are increasingly taking steps to entice adults out of their living rooms and back to the theaters. Some even have waiters to deliver food to seats.


U.S. says would not extradite officials to Italy

The United States will not meet any  request by Italy to extradite 26 Americans, most thought to be  CIA agents, to stand trial over the kidnapping of a Muslim  cleric, the State Department's legal adviser said on Wednesday.


The site allows users to do simple searches for specific phrases, offering a replay of the crescendo of statements that led to the war in Iraq.


By Gareth McGrath, Star-News, Wilmington, N.C.  May 30--As if moratoriums and a slowing economy weren't enough,  developers in New Hanover County could soon face higher fees if they want  municipal water and sewer service for their projects.


Students' parents are now picking up the bill for custom-written essays for university courses.


Avs' Smyth out 8 weeks with broken ankle

Colorado Avalanche forward Ryan Smyth has a broken right ankle and will miss up to eight weeks, the latest blow to a team that already lost captain Joe Sakic to injury.


As Military Contracts Grow, So Do Protests

After losing a competition last year to build helicopters for the Air Force, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft chose to do what hundreds of companies do when lucrative contracts don't go their way.


R&B Artist Baker Returns with 'Everything'

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - It started with an itch. It ended  with Anita Baker's first studio album in 10 years.


US scientists have discovered "silent" genes for brittle bone disease that can be passed on unwittingly by parents to their children.


Silicon carbide: coming soon to a chip near you

New Japanese research into silicon carbide growth could revolutionise the electronics industry. A team of scientists has developed a method of making near-perfect silicon carbide crystals.


By BARRY WILNER  ESPN acquired national TV rights to the Arena Football League on Tuesday and also will have a minority stake in the 19-team indoor league.  The network will have a regular Monday-night slot in which it will televise 14 games from March through June.


Captain Stephen Fleming closed in on a double-century as New Zealand passed the 400 mark on day two of the second Test against Bangladesh.


HARRISON, New York  - K.J. Choi holed out from the fairway on the 350-yard par-four seventh for eagle on his way to a two-shot lead early in the second round of the Barclays Classic on Friday.


US Diet Plan Stops Short of Urging Less Sugar

A US panel of nutrition experts on Friday proposed new federal dietary guidelines that acknowledged a link between soft drinks and weight gain, but stopped short of recommending


Patches cause headaches for Fed managers

Patching is the top concern of security managers in federal government, who feel that commercial software makers aren't putting out a good enough product, according to a survey published Monday.


Space station crew does construction work

Crew members on the  International Space Station donned yellow construction helmets  on Thursday and used a robotic crane to move a passageway for  visiting spaceships and connecting modules.


Online and traditional retailers are taking aim at the bane of their holiday sales — procrastinators. You know the type. Last minute lollygaggers who have put off their holiday shopping either to wait for desperation sales by retailers or because they can't stand the crowds.


An artist reinterprets George Lucas' classic characters with a steampunk twist. Darth Vader has never been this cool. In Table of Malcontents.


Digital Assistants Continue to Lose Ground

Shipments of personal digital assistants declined for the third consecutive quarter as large vendors continued ceding the depressed market to smaller electronics makers, the research firm IDC said Wednesday.


Jets' Kicker Misses Two Shots to Win Game

Doug Brien lined up for his second chance at winning the game for the New York Jets. He took his usual steps, and went through his usual routine for the 43-yard kick. The ball looked great when it came off his foot, then it started curving, curving, curving — and sailed wide left. Herman Edwards and his team looked on in stunned disbelief.


A new Trojan horse aimed at smart phones using Symbian operating system galloped in earlier this week, just in time to spoil the holiday season for uninformed wireless gamers.


US warplanes have launched sustained and fierce attacks on the rebel-held Iraqi town of Fallujah, witnesses said. They said explosions could be heard in the attacks, a day after interim Prime Minister Iyad


Blair offers a qualified apology over Iraq

BRIGHTON, England Prime Minister Tony Blair conceded Tuesday that there had been a decline of public trust in his government over the military campaign in Iraq, and he offered the assembled delegates of his governing Labour Party a qualified apology for


Randolph Will Have Surgery Instead of Coaching in the All-Star Game

Mets Manager Willie Randolph said that his right shoulder had been bothersome for a while and that his doctors did not want him to wait any longer to have surgery.


Former British cabinet member says he is HIV-positive

Britain's former culture minister Chris Smith, a Labour Party lawmaker, has publicly admitted to being HIV ( news - web sites )-positive. Smith told the weekly Sunday Times he has had the disease, which causes ...


Washington failed to reject torture in 'war on terror'

The United States has manifestly failed to uphold obligations to reject torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading behavior in the "war on terror" launched after Sept.


Tennis: Roger Federer Reaches Thailand Open Quarterfinals

World number one men's tennis player Roger Federer has reached the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open tournament in Bangkok, but defending champion Taylor Dent is out of the event.


Israeli Court Upholds Decision on Sharon

Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the attorney general's decision to clear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a corruption case, Israel Radio reported.


Wall Street pulled back sharply after an unexpected contraction in the service sector rekindled investorsâ worry that the economy is headed for recession.


Execs play Jesus on bonding course Embattled BBC execs have cheered themselves up with a bizarre quasi-religious bonding course. Reports say top brass and presenters were required to wash jelly off each others' feet as part of a day of strategy boutique imagineering.â¦


Secondo Banca d'Italia a 22 mld a ottobre 2004


Walls blown as cleric dreams of Pakistani revolution

Pakistani commandos blew holes in the walls of a mosque compound on Sunday in hope hundreds of women and children could escape, while security forces besieged a revolutionary cleric leading Islamist gunmen inside.


UPDATE 1-Beck to face Youzhny in St Petersburg final

Unseeded Slovak Karol Beck reached the first final of his career at the St Petersburg Open, upsetting seventh-seeded Michael Llodra of France 6-4 2-6 6-1 on Saturday.


Big Statement: Six games into their AL West obstacle course, the Red Sox are gaining momentum, rather than slowing. They swept the Angels and took two of three from Texas at Fenway Park, and


VOTERS HAVE to abide by a basic principle of democracy: Citizens must respect a fair election, even when their candidate or cause loses.


OCEANIA/PAPUA NUOVA GUINEA - Nomina dellÂAusiliare di Kundiawa CittÃ  del Vaticano (Agenzia Fides) - Il Santo Padre Benedetto XVI in data 5 giugno 2007 ha nominato Ausiliare della diocesi di Kundiawa (Papua Nuova Guinea) il Rev.do Anton Bal, Vicario Generale della medesima diocesi, assegnandogli la sede titolare ...


As widely expected, the Federal Communications Commission has slapped CBS with a record $550,000 in fines for airing the now infamous "wardrobe malfunction" during February's Super Bowl halftime show.


Sono rimasti uccisi in attentato nel Sud contro la Nato


A large and powerful typhoon that brought heavy rains and strong winds to Okinawa's main island and Amami Islands Sunday is likely to hit Kyushu Tuesday, the Meteorological Agency said.


Agile as a way of life Book review Alistair Cockburn is one of the most prominent and influential of the Agile development gurus. As well as being one of the original authors of the Agile Manifesto, he is also the developer of the Crystal family of agile methodologies and a pivotal figure in the evolution of the Use Case. He is also an articulate and passionate advocate for Agile as a philosophy over and above a set of prescriptive development practices.â¦


Coach Bob Woolmer is looking to Pakistan's top batsmen to play the tour-opening match against a Western Australia 2nd XI in Perth starting Wednesday in a bid to acclimatize quickly to Australian conditions.


Shuttle Atlantis leaves station, heads home

Space shuttle Atlantis began its long  trek home on Tuesday after a nine-day stay at the International  Space Station in which crew members installed new solar energy  panels and battled balky computers.


Cutty Sark, Britain's famed clipper, rescued from slow rot

The Cutty Sark, the historic 19th-century clipper that braved rough seas to bring tea to Britain, has been saved from a slow death of rotting and rusting thanks to a public grant, according to newspaper reports.


Updating Maps on the Spot and Sharing the Fixes

TomTomâs new Map Share software combines cartography with community to allow users to update maps on the go â and later share the results with others.


Populist Labor Party Leads Lithuania Vote

Lithuanians casting ballots in parliamentary elections Sunday rejected the current ruling coalition for the opposition Labor Party, a sign that many voters liked its promises of lower taxes and higher pay.


China song-writers decry "unhealthy" pop tunes

A group of conservative Chinese  songwriters has denounced the emergence of "vulgar" pop music  on the Internet which they say is poisoning youth with weird  lyrics and lustful themes.


Palestinians Kill 3 Israeli Soldiers at Settlement

Three Palestinian gunmen breached defenses  around an Israeli settlement in Gaza and killed three soldiers  before being shot dead Thursday, exacting the worst toll on  Israel's forces in occupied territory in four months.


SocGen reels from record $7 billion rogue trader fraud

The biggest rogue trader scandal in history hit Societe Generale on Thursday as the French bank accused a junior employee of a fraud costing $7 billion.


Sul mercato pesa incertezza sull'evoluzione economia Usa


Pope laments 'grim sound of arms' in Iraq, other conflict zones

Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday lamented the "grim sound of arms" in the world's conflict zones from Sudan to Sri Lanka and especially the volatile Middle East, in his Christmas message.


Negotiations for a new labor contract between General Motors Corp  and the United Auto Workers union resumed on Friday morning as the No. 1 U.S. automaker heads toward a midnight deadline to either clinch a deal or face a possible strike.


Holiday Scramble Is on for Oscar Campaigning

LOS ANGELES  - With the holidays just  one week away, everyone in Hollywood is about to shut down for  a fortnight -- everyone in Hollywood, that is, except for those  awards season campaigners whose job it is to fret about Oscar  nominations, since nominations ballots will be mailed Dec. 27.


Federer Seals Year-End No. 1 Spot Three Months Early

It is mid-September and Roger Federer  has already guaranteed he will end the year as world number  one.


Weakened Tropical Storm Noel drenches Cuba

Tropical Storm Noel weakened as it moved across northeastern Cuba on Tuesday and the storm that killed more than a dozen people in the Dominican Republic was not expected to become a hurricane as it neared the Bahamas.


Aimed at expanding its presence in the mobile sector, MTV Networks has created a new division specifically charged with expanding its presence on mobile devices.


Security researchers warn of LinkedIn exploit

Blog: Security researchers discover critical vulnerabilities in LinkedIn IE toolbar, further raising concerns malicious attackers may use a published working exploit to take advantage of the flaws.


Tiger Woods' father stricken with cancer

Tiger Woods, who could lose his world No1 ranking this week has a far more important worry on his mind. His father, Earl, has suffered a relapse in treatment for prostate cancer and says that the disease has spread through his body.


Glasgow, 12:46 - CALCIO, BORUC AVVERTE IL MILAN: NON SI VINCE CON I NOMI

Artur Boruc avvisa il Milan in vista del ritorno degli ottavi di Champions League della prossima set...


com. As I write this column, I'm trying to send an important e-mail. I've got Microsoft Outlook open in another window. Every once in a while, I Alt-Tab over to that window to see if the little hourglass has gone away.


Key Republican senators, signaling increasing GOP skepticism about President Bush's strategy in Iraq, have called for a reduction in U.S. forces and launched preemptive efforts to counter a much-awaited administration progress report due in September.


HOUSTON â Seven astronauts on board space shuttle Atlantis arrived at International Space Station (ISS) Saturday, delivering a massive European science lab and a fresh crew member to the growing orbital outpost.


British charities launch a huge aid effort for victims of the Asian tsunami which has killed more than 50,000 people.


AT&T Cuts 7,400 Jobs, Asset Value by $11B

NEW YORK - AT&T Corp. is cutting at least 7,500 more jobs and slashing the book value of its assets by $11.4 billion, drastic moves prompted by the company's plan to retreat from the traditional consumer telephone business following a lost court battle...


A truck bomber attacked a revered Shiite shrine in the heart of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 78 people and wounding more than 200 in a resumption of Iraq's relentless sectarian slaughter. The mosque's turquoise dome survived, but the blast buried some worshippers and badly burned others.


Evidence on Cold Fusion Remains Inconclusive, New Review Finds

In a new review of cold fusion - the claim that energy can be generated by running electrical current through water - the Department of Energy released a report on Wednesday that says the evidence remains inconclusive.


PREVIEW-Els says heat will be a factor at Leopard Creek

Heat could be a major factor when the field tees up for the 2005 Dunhill Championship at the Leopard Creek Country Club on Thursday, according to world number three Ernie Els.


FCC blocks states from regulating Net phone services

Federal regulators decided yesterday to prevent states from heavily regulating companies that provide Internet-based phone service.


Liverpool takeover plan no Hollywood stunt says bidder

American-based film producer Mike Jefferies says his bid to take over English Premier League club Liverpool is a serious proposal and not a stunt aimed at promoting a soccer movie.


Colts Set to Make Freeney Wealthiest Defensive Player

Dwight Freeney crashed through a financial barrier as formidable as any offensive line on Friday, when he agreed to a six-year contract with the Super Bowl champion Colts.


News inserita mercoledÃ¬ 8 dicembre 2004 alle ore 19.10 da ...

ROMA - (08 dicembre, h.19.03) - Giovanni Paolo II non si commuove facilmente, abituato com'Ã¨ ad affrontare anche le storie piÃ¹ dure dell'esistenza, ma stasera in Piazza di Spagna, al suo arrivo, ha provato quell'emozione e quella gioia dell'incontro con


Michael Moore plans to enter Fahrenheit 9/11 as best picture, rather than best documentary, at the Oscars.


Greggio a 75,80 dollari. Oro: -0,3%, a 675,50 dollari oncia


Severe cracks surfaced inside the Israeli government this week as its senior law officers publicly fell out with the defence establishment and the Foreign Ministry over the country's future strategy in the face of the July verdict of the International


Tires stuffed with cash spotlight Latin drug trail

PENAS BLANCAS, Nicaragua  - Counting more than $1.6 million in cash, much of it in $20 bills, is tedious and time-consuming work.


Juniper Networks 4Q profit up 73 percent

Juniper Networks Inc. on Thursday reported a 73 percent jump in fourth-quarter profit on strong networking-gear sales.


Appello a Stati, nucleare non cada in mano terroristi


Oil tumbles below $60, OPEC head calls for cuts

Oil tumbled $2 on Tuesday to below $60 a barrel, sinking to the lowest level since February and prompting OPEC's president to call on the exporter group to deepen supply cuts.


Ford hires KPMG to eye Jaguar books: report

Ford Motor Co.  has hired accountancy group KPMG to examine the books at its British units Jaguar and Land Rover ahead of their expected sale later this year, the Sunday Times reported.


Bush unveils measures to help US reservists' families

President George W. Bush announced measures to help the families of US reservists who are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Shawn Crawford denied fellow American  Justin Gatlin a sprint double as he set up a United States  clean sweep in the Olympic men's 200 meters Thursday.


World Cup stunner: Ghana beats Czechs 2-0

Ghana pulled off the biggest upset of this World Cup and might have helped the United States along the way.


The foreign community's fragile sense of security took another blow Friday as news spread of the latest kidnapping of foreigners in the Iraqi capital


NATO ministers get to grips with cyber defence

'Hmm, I wonder what's for lunch...?' NATO defence ministers last week spent at least minutes on the question of cyber defence ahead of the Bucharest summit meetings planned for next year.â¦


Hartmut Holzgraefe's Blog: PHP Graphviz Extension

In this new blog post, Hartmut Holzgraefe talks about his experiences with the Graphviz library and its integration with PEAR.    We've had PHP Graphviz support in PEAR for quite a while but only by passing graph description files to graphviz binaries running in seperate processes and by collection their output files later.   Now it is possible to create graphs by adding nodes, edges and node and edge attributes to a graph within PHP itself.    He's even created a trac site for deonstration and downloading of this new bit of functionality. There's also some documentation in a simple manual on the trac pages as well.


Japan 2005 Expo to Display Frozen Mammoth

Shuttle buses without drivers, trains floating on magnetic fields and other visions of the future will be on display at Japan's world fair next year. But Expo 2005's centerpiece will be rooted deep in the past — the frozen remains of a woolly mammoth.


A drama teacher stages a revolution inside a school â and galvanizes a town

In Mississippi, M.J. Etua helps students look outside their own world as they participate in a competition against better-funded programs.


The undead came alive once more over the weekend as "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" debuted at No. 1 at the box office, bringing in $23.7 million.


Camels, sword-dancing as Saudis mark heritage

Saudis crowded to camel races and sword-dancing this week at a desert cultural festival that has come to reflect growing anxiety over national unity and the loss of tribal Arab identity to Western culture.


BEIJING - South Korea and the US yesterday sought to play down fears that North Korea might have conducted a nuclear test after reports of a large explosion in the northern part of the communist country.


Premiership clubs have until midnight on Monday to complete transfers before the window shuts for the season.


British PM Blair recovering after procedure to correct irregular heartbeat

British Prime Minister Tony Blair underwent a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat Friday and was recovering, Britain's Sky News TV reported.


As Nuclear Waste Languishes, Expense to U.S. Rises

The federal government, contractually obligated to bury the waste, is at least 20 years behind schedule.


June Retail Sales Unexpectedly Drop 0.9 Percent

Sales at U.S. retailers surprisingly dropped 0.9 percent in June, the biggest decline in almost two years, as car and gasoline sales fell, a government report showed on Friday.


Analysts agree that the sleek iPhone will change what consumers expect from the mobile phones offered by wireless companies.


U.S. approves duties on pigment from China, India

A U.S. trade panel gave final approval on Friday to steep duties on imports of an industrial color additive from China and India that is used in paints, plastics and printing ink.


Barak poised to gain Israel defense post

The Israeli Cabinet on Friday approved the appointment of Ehud Barak as defense minister, an Israeli official said, capping the political comeback of the former prime minister six years after a humiliating election defeat.


Iraqi judges question `Chemical Ali,' former defense minister

The ex-general known as "Chemical Ali" because of his alleged use of chemical weapons appeared before an investigating judge Saturday to answer questions about his involvement


Mastella: sono da riformare, spero Parlamento se ne occupi


Chak De India based on real life story of Mir Negi

After Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Yash RajÂs next film lined up for release would be Chak De India. The film has already


US Says Iran Increasingly Isolated, Pressured, on Nuclear Issue

The Bush administration says the new International Atomic Energy Agency resolution on Iran shows that Tehran is increasingly isolated over its nuclear program.


Suitcase of Cash Entangles U.S. and 2 Latin Nations

A spy mystery and diplomatic imbroglio began with the discovery of nearly $800,000 at a Buenos Aires airport.


This may be as close as it comes to a harmonic convergence on Yawkey Way, on a day that hardly could have been sweeter for the Red Sox even if Julian Tavarez -- a man who just lost his starting job -- hadn't happily sprayed his expensive Parisian cologne around the clubhouse as if it were drugstore air freshener.


5 killed as British minister tours Sri Lanka

Three rebels, a policeman and a security guard were killed in Sri Lanka's restive eastern province as Britain's junior foreign minister Kim Howells toured projects in the area funded by the former colonial power.


NEW YORK/HOUSTON  - El Paso Corp. EP.N on Monday  disclosed the full damage from its drastic cut in reserves  earlier this year, saying a long-awaited restatement will slash  the value of its oil and gas assets by $2.7 billion.


SingTel poised to launch first 3G service in Southeast Asia

Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) said it will commercially launch its high-speed third generation (3G) mobile service within months, putting it at the forefront of Southeast Asian telecoms firms looking to roll out the technology.


Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac (FRE.N) on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of securities laws.


European leaders to discuss climate change

European leaders are set to commit their countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions at a European Union summit focused on energy and the climate.Comment


Reunion Planned for Gulf Hurricane Rescue Workers

By Annette Cary, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.  Dec. 11--Mike Erhart was living out of a hotel room in New Orleans a year ago, working at least 80 hour weeks.   He was one of the lucky rescue workers in the Gulf region who got to come home briefly at Christmas.


11th man arrested in California in Laos coup plot

SACRAMENTO, California  - U.S. federal agents arrested an 11th man on Thursday in connection with a suspected plot to overthrow the government of Laos, officials said.


Postroom workers at the DVLA begin to reopen mail after a letter bomb which injured a woman colleague.


Prince Norodom Sihamoni was named Cambodia's new king Thursday, succeeding his father, Norodom Sihanouk, who stunned the country last week by announcing his abdication because of ill health.


Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI) and Nvidia have announced that the companies have been collaborating on bringing advanced graphics and computer entertainment technology to SCEI's next-generation computer entertainment system.


Plan on Airline Emissions Hints at U.S.-Europe Rift

E.U. countries scaled back a proposal to regulate airline emissions, but agreed on measures likely to intensify a battle with the United States over  environmental regulation.


A rock dubbed "Uchben" in the "Columbia Hills" inside Gusev Crater is seen in this photo released Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004 taken by the Mars Rover Spirit.


U.S. Servicemen React to Bush Guard Memos

Some current and retired members of the National Guard and other military services say they aren't bothered by newly revealed memos that indicate President Bush got preferential treatment in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War, while others say they are troubling.


Microsoft seeks suspension of landmark EU antitrust ruling pending appeal

LUXEMBOURG  - Microsoft Corp. told a European Union court Thursday that it would suffer irreparable harm if forced to reveal more of its software code to rivals, while the EU said such information was "indispensable" to keep competitors alive.


Music Industry Sues 744 More for File Sharing

The trade group representing the US music industry has filed a new round of lawsuits against 744 people it alleges used online file-sharing networks to illegally trade in copyrighted materials, it said on Wednesday.


A bureaucratic blunder has left Wales off a map of Europe on the cover of a prestigious EU reference book.


Canada Finds No Causal Link Between Deaths and Celebrex Use

While it says that it has received reports of 20 people dying while taking Pfizer Inc.s painkiller Celebrex, Canada's health regulatory body says it can't conclude that there's a cause-and-effect link.


When most kids are asked to do something, they say yes, no matter how much embarrassment they will face when they are called to task and fail. Matt Harris is no different.


Chirac briefed as new hurdles hold up French hostage release

Hopes that Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot would be set free by the weekend were confounded, with unverifiable rumours proliferating over new conditions being set by the hostage-takers or of ...


Londra, 19:35 - CALCIO, WEST HAM; TEVEZ: NON INDOSSERO' MAI LA MAGLIA DEL BRASILE

A tutto c'è un limite. Carlos Tevez studierà un altro modo per farsi perdonare dai suo...


Parlamentare ricoverato per una colica renale, ma ci sara'


U.S. Soldier Seeks to Suppress Iraq Abuse Photos

MANNHEIM, Germany  - A U.S. soldier at the center  of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal sought on Monday to strike  from his court martial potentially incriminating photographs at  a hearing before a military judge in Germany.


(InfoWorld) - Verizon Wireless on Thursday unveiled its first deployments of a faster mobile broadband service that multiplies speeds upstream to the Internet. The carrier announced five areas where Revision A of its EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) technology is commercially available. Verizon already has EV-DO in places across the country, but in a version that offers upload speed of less than 100Kbps. Revision A delivers between 300Kbps and 400Kbps upstream, according to Verizon. Downstream speed goes up with the new version, too, but less dramatically: Verizon says 450Kbps-800Kbps, versus about 400Kbps-700Kbps. EV-DO is one of two main families of 3G technology, going up against WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), which is being adopted in increasingly fast iterations by carriers that have used the popular GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) cell-phone system. Both are among a proliferation of emerging wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi and WiMax, that are expected to come in handy for users in different situations. But mobile operators in the U.S. and most other countries are still working on getting users to adopt the new services in large numbers. Verizon's network has the new technology in parts of Massachusetts, including Boston and its suburbs; Chicago, Gary, Indiana, and suburbs; Salt Lake City and other cities in Utah; the Richmond and Hampton Roads, Virginia, areas; and throughout the broadband coverage area in Florida. To take advantage of the new speed, which is offered as part of the carrier's existing BroadbandAccess service, subscribers will need compatible devices, two of which will go on sale Friday at Verizon's Web site. The company will be selling the USB720 modem, which plugs into a PC via a USB interface, and the AirCard 595, which slides into the PC Card slot on a notebook. Both are available immediately through Verizon's business sales channels. Verizon is the biggest U.S. carrier with EV-DO, but rival Sprint NextelÂ is farther along in upgrading to the new, faster version. Sprint said Tuesday it can reach 95 million people in 24 major markets with Revision A. Sprint first rolled out the new technology in October and most recently added South Florida, Portland, Oregon and Puerto Rico to its coverage area. There are several Revision A client devices available for Sprint's network, including three PC Cards and a USB modem, as well as stand-alone modems and a Sony notebook.


Prince Harry will ÃÂnever stop wonderingÃÂ about DianaÃÂs death

Britain's Prince Harry will "never stop wondering" about Princess DianaÃÂÃÂs death, he told a US television interviewer, adding that he still feels the presence of his mother nearly 10 years after she died in a Paris car accident.


Before the Bell-Henry Schein slides after resumption

Shares of drug distributor Henry Schein Inc. (HSIC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) fell nearly 3 percent before the bell on Wednesday after trading resumed a day after news that a


Japan recorded a 4.4bn yen trade surplus in January, figures show, helped by lower oil prices.


Health Tip: Are You at Greater Risk For Cervical Cancer?

(HealthDay News) -- The most common cause of cervical cancer is infection with the human papillomavirus. Before cancer  develops in the cervix, cervical cells begin to develop abnormally -- a process known as dysplasia. These abnormal cells can be detected by a test called a Pap smear.


Shares of closely held casino operators rose on Wednesday after the investment firm owned by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian said it plans to raise its stake in MGM Mirage Inc.  to as much as 61.7 percent.


Pressure mounts for Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport to close in the wake of a crash which killed some 200 people.


N.F.L. Roundup: Seahawks Name Mora as Holmgrenâs Successor

Jim Mora will succeed Mike Holmgren as the Seattle Seahawksâ coach, beginning with the 2009 season.


The Bush administration said on   Tuesday it may declassify an intelligence report in order to   respond to Democrats who say the document shows the Iraq war   has been a distraction from the war on terrorism.


Powell Wins Israeli Pledge on Palestinian Election

Reviving a long-dormant U.S.  peacemaking role, Secretary of State Colin Powell won an  Israeli pledge on Monday to allow Palestinians enough freedom  of movement to hold an election for Yasser Arafat's successor.


Boston Scientific Corp. chief executive James R. Tobin is putting his money where his mouth is.


US tanks and armored vehicles were seen moving Monday night toward northern Fallujah supported by artillery and aircraft, residents of the city said by telephone.


BBC hits back at claim that Peel died of overwork

THE BBC has rejected claims from one of its DJs that John Peel was âworn outâ and felt marginalised by the corporation before his death from a heart attack.


Charlie Cross counted how many friends and relatives took their own lives over the years and came up with 19, all Alaska Natives.


Immigrants to the U.S. Arrive Thin, Get Fat

Many immigrants to the United States  soon get fat, joining an increasingly obese population in their  adopted country, researchers said on Tuesday.


US Central Bank Hikes Interest Rates Again

The US central bank raised a key interest rate one-quarter of a percent (to 2.25) Tuesday in a bid to fend off future inflation. It is the fifth time since June that Federal Reserve officials have


Disney Charged by SEC Over Director Hires

US market regulators charged Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday with failing to disclose a web of relationships between the entertainment


Uninsured kids have stable families, report says

Most of the 9 million U.S. children   who lack health insurance live with both parents, at least one   of whom works, a consumer group said on Thursday, in a finding   they said shows many people cannot afford health insurance   under the existing system.


Sony makes the body a living capacitator by sending audio signals through it. From Crave, CNET's gadget blog.


Zarqawi group calls for release of British aid worker: website

A statement attributed to the Al-Qaeda group of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on an Islamist website called for the release of kidnapped British aid worker Margaret Hassan in Iraq "unless she is proven to be a collaborator."


Israeli soldier killed near Gaza: Jazeera TV

Palestinian gunmen fought gun battles with   Israeli troops inside the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and Al Jazeera   television reported one soldier had been killed.


TV May Soon Beam From Cell Phone Screens

The screens may be tiny and the batteries overworked, but the wireless industry is bringing TV to a cell phone near you.


Afghans search for kidnapped U.S. aid worker

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan  - Afghan forces searched on Sunday for a U.S. aid worker kidnapped by gunmen from the southern city of Kandahar.


As the seasons change, these tips will help you deal with wind

After a season of near misses in golf's major championships, Ernie Els fired back Sunday to tame the difficult Ireland conditions at the American Express World Golf Championship and quiet the critics.


ATHENS - The Olympic oracles had long prophesized doom for the Summer Games' Greek homecoming. Unfinished venues. Lax security.


Sri Lanka minister hospitalized by roadside blast

A Sri Lankan minister was admitted to a hospital emergency unit on Tuesday after his car was targeted by a roadside bomb north of the capital, a hospital official said.


Roma, 23:00 - CALCIO, LAZIO: FRATTURA DELLA TIBIA PER DIAKITE'

Frattura della tibia destra per Mobido Diakitè, il giovane difensore della Lazio infortunatos...


Death of Welsh woman hurt in Thai plane crash

A 22-year-old British woman has died of injuries she suffered in a plane crash in Thailand nearly two weeks ago, the Foreign Office in London said Thursday.


US Airways, JetBlue profit up, but fuel costs nag

US Airways Group  and JetBlue Airways Corp.  posted quarterly profits on Tuesday, against year-ago losses, as they took advantage of strong travel demand and higher ticket prices.


The Lede Blog: Tapes Counter Iran on Confrontation

Did Iran say, "I'm coming at you and you will blow up in a couple of minutes"?.


IPod owners can download the Band Aid single after Apple reaches agreement with the charity.


Pitcairn Island sex fiend's jokes turn to tears

THE rapists and child molesters of Pitcairn Island were laughing and joking as they walked to the island's courthouse yesterday.


Russian Ministry Refuses to Accept Dresdner Kleinwortâs Audit of ...

Russiaâs court bailiffs donât really want to know the final result of Yuganskneftegaz evaluation that was carried by Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein investment bank, Russian business daily Vedomosti reported on Tuesday, October 12.


"Croc hunter" was powerful voice for conservation

With his trademark cry of "Crikey!"  and his ebullient persona, television naturalist Steve Irwin  was an atypical but powerful voice for animal conservation,  wildlife experts said on Tuesday.


CALCUTTA: Off spinner Harbhajan Singh took seven wickets as India crushed South Africa by eight wickets to clinch the two-Test series 1-0 yesterday.


Dewey Destin Still Looking at Snapper Study

By Patrick Donohue, Destin Log, Fla.  Jun. 2--Destin's charter fi shermen are concerned that new data on red snapper bycatch mortality could come back to bite them.


UK's Blair Recovering at Home After Heart Flutter Treatment

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is recovering at home after treatment for a heart flutter, a condition he said won't keep him from seeking a third term in office.


Super Bowl Incident Brings CBS $550,000 Indecency Fine

US regulators have fined the CBS broadcasting network a record $550,000 for indecency in connection with a Janet Jackson dance routine.


Outcry as Musharraf re-election vote set for Oct. 6

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will seek re-election on Oct 6, despite legal challenges in the Supreme Court and slumping popularity, officials announced on Thursday.


Why You Should Attend Annual Farm Safety Day Albert C. Price, M.D. Manheim Township

Editor, New Era:           The Farm Safety Committee of the Lancaster County Safe Kids works so hard throughout the year to put together an exciting Farm Safety Day Camp for the children.


Former schoolchildren who sang on Pink Floyd's 1979 single Another Brick in The Wall have begun action for unpaid royalties. Royalties expert Peter Rowan said he was appealing on behalf of one former pupil and was working with others.


Former deputy prime minister John Prescott is to become a British representative to the Council of Europe.


Study: Single Meteorite Impact Killed Dinosaurs

Analysis of ancient sediment taken from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean support the view that the dinosaurs' extinction was caused by a single rogue meteor striking Earth, and not by multiple space rock impacts, a new study finds.


A man suspected in the deaths of three people at a New Hampshire outdoors equipment store told reporters as he was led into a courtroom Thursday that he did it because he "needed the money."


Vols lose top linebacker for season with injury

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer compared losing linebacker Kevin Simon to a knee injury this week to the loss of tailback Jamal Lewis in 1998.


LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal made sure their teams wouldn't be pushed around again by rivals. There was nothing Kobe Bryant could do to help the Lakers, however.


An earthquake measuring six on the Richter scale rocked Indonesia early Friday, killing six people, injuring 40 and damaging hundreds of buildings.


Though in an unfamiliar city, top seed Serena Williams turned the inaugural China Open WTA tennis tournament into a home court in Beijing on Saturday as she stormed into the singles finals over Vera Zvonareva of Russia for a 2-0 victory.


Suicide bomber kills Afghan governor: police chief

A suicide bomber killed the governor of   Afghanistan's southeastern Paktia province on Sunday, the   provincial police chief said.


2 Fund Managers to Pay $80 Million Settlements

The $80 million penalties against the founders of Pilgrim Baxter are the largest imposed on individuals since investigations began last fall into improper trading at some mutual fund companies.


Powell 'regrets' Saddam weapons claims but defends Bush policy on Iraq and Afghanistan

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said he regretted presenting incorrect intelligence on Saddam Hussein's weapons to the United Nations last year but defended President George W. Bush's foreign policy against attacks from his Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry.


Shunned Yahoo shares poised for rebound: report

Internet search firm Yahoo   could see its shares rise sharply in the coming year as  investors pay greater heed to its array of money-making  services, Barron's said in its May 22 edition.


Lovitz, Laugh Factory make lifelong deal

Jon Lovitz has made a lifelong commitment — to the Laugh Factory.


Gates dismisses Putin remarks as blunt spy talk

Defense Secretary Robert Gates  on Sunday dismissed as the blunt talk of an old spy accusations  by Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States  sought to force its will on the world.


Franco Baldini ha voluto rispondere alle dichiarazioni di Totti, con le quali il capitano della Roma ha chiesto un progetto da grande squadra. "Bastano uno o due giocatori importanti da inserire in un organico giÃ  buono.


Boeing wins 787 Gulf Air order for up to $6 bln

Boeing Co  won an order for 16 of its 787 "Dreamliner" aircraft and options for eight more from Bahrain-based Gulf Air, in a contract worth as much as $6 billion, Gulf Air said on Sunday.


Clear unwanted apps from Windows' Startup list

Windows can load quicker when you disable programs you don't need at start-up. Plus, stop Msconfig from opening automatically when Windows starts.


The President learned something on his surprise Iraq trip: troop morale in Anbar Province may be high, but they are tired


Porn star in creche ruffles the religious

A nativity scene in an Italian city that includes a porn star fleeing death and the new prime minister on a bicycle has outraged Catholic parties.Comment


'Kiwi' disputeranno l'America's Cup con il defender Alinghi


Dashing Through a Sex Comedy by Machiavelli (Yes, That Machiavelli)

This broad, straining production holds an undeniable curiosity value but doesnât capitalize on it.


Hugh Massingberd, Laureate for the Departed, Dies

Mr. Massingberd, a celebrated former obituaries editor of The Telegraph of London who made a once-dreary page required reading, died on Christmas Day.


All the Worldâs a Soundstage for the Writer-Director-Star

âSlipstreamâ is Anthony Hopkinsâs third film as a director and his first as a quasi-avant-garde filmmaker working well outside the mainstream.


Study: 'Phishing' scams net $500 million

Scams that use spoofed Web sites of banks and other trusted bodies pulled in a majority of U.S. surfers, a survey has found.


CEO quits to collaborate Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has declared a change in priorities, deciding to focus less on employment and more on legal issues.â¦


A hidden bomb ripped through a tanker carrying chlorine gas Tuesday, killing nine people and filling hospital beds with more than 150 wheezing and frightened villagers after noxious plumes covered homes and schools north of Baghdad.


Sindacati contestati per l'appoggio alla Finanziaria


President Bush is relying on longtime family adviser and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III to use a bit of diplomacy in negotiating the candidates' debates.


Meeting UN goals can lower childhood mortality

NEW YORK  - A combination of environmental and nutritional programs that target the poor can substantially reduce childhood mortality globally, new research suggests.


King Norodorn Sihanouk, known as much for his colorful personality as his controversial statesmanship, has been synonymous with Cambodia's modern history for six decades.


Iranian Official Singles Out âPersepolisâ

Do we have another culture clash to further aggravate relations between the U.S. and Iran?


Scotland's only Conservative MP allegedly writes a memo giving a withering assessment of his Holyrood colleagues.


The World Cup isn't the only field that America can't dominate


Mexican police arrested the symbolic leader of a six-month-long protest movement that took over southern Oaxaca city, hours after he gave a news conference saying he had come to the capital to start talks with the government.


Scotland's Green MSPs campaign against what they claim is "an explosion" of supermarket developments.


And David Gest shouldn't have left the jungle Another day, another flurry of stories about dodgy phone-ins.â¦


Turkey's ruling AK Party won a resounding election victory on Sunday, giving the pro-business, Islamist-rooted party a mandate for reform but risking fresh tensions with the secular elite.


Google lets users customize their own maps

(InfoWorld) - GoogleÂ introduced a feature to its mapping service on Wednesday that allows people to create their own customized maps, by adding information such as the location of cheap gas stations or property for sale. The information comes from what Google calls maplets, which are small applications created by Google or a third-party developer that combine Google Maps with some other service, such as a real estate listing or traffic report. Users who set up a Google My Maps account can then create their own customized maps, adding as many maplets as they want. They can also draw directions on their maps, and attach photographs or videos of specific locations using services such as Google's YouTube and PicasaWeb. The resulting maps can be kept private or made public and indexed in Google's search engine, according to Google's My Maps page. People can also upload maps to Google Earth in the form of a KML (Keyhole Markup Language) file, a technology for describing geographic coordinates. A Google official said last month that the company may eventually allow paid advertisements on its mapping service, where businesses would be able to create maps with some sponsored links. The ads would take the form of the pins seen on the maps today, with pop-up photos and text. It would be a way for both Google and businesses to earn more advertising revenue, which underpins much of Google's strength. Google has said it will give users some say in how many ads appear on its maps, so as to not be too intrusive. Â


Airstrikes kill scores of Afghan civilians: officials

NATO and U.S. airstrikes have killed scores of Afghan civilians this week, residents and officials said on Saturday, deaths likely to deepen discontent with foreign forces and the Western-backed Afghan government.


Twentieth Century Fox Film has joined the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), but the Hollywood film studio has stopped short of committing to releasing its movies on the Blu-ray Disc format, the company says.


NEW YORK -- Oil prices pulled back after briefly surpassing $62 a barrel yesterday, as traders regarded forecasts of warm US weather as an opportunity to take some profits.


A model presents a creation designed by Italian fashion designer Stephano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent's spring-summer 2005 ready-to-wear fashion collection presented Sunday, Oct. 10, 2004 in Paris.


UK police charge man with terror offense

An Indian doctor arrested the same day his brother allegedly drove a Jeep into Glasgow's main airport was charged Saturday with a terrorism offense in Britain. A distant cousin in Australia was also charged in the failed attacks in London and Glasgow.


By Bob Jordan, Asbury Park Press, N.J.  Feb. 3--HOWELL -- A Lakewood developer has agreed to create a $5 million  fund for the environmental cleanup of the 213-acre Frequency Engineering  Laboratories site it recently acquired.


Smiths Group buys a medical device company

Smiths Group announced the acquisition of Medex, a privately held maker of medical devices. The cost of the deal was reported to be $925 million.


Shocked but not surprised seems to sum up Indian reaction to a transplant ring harvesting kidneys from laborers


Norway's peace envoy to Sri Lanka agrees to a government request to put off talks with the Tamil Tigers.


Barracuda buys Web security vendor NetContinuum

InfoWorld - Barracuda Networks is getting into the Web application security business. The security vendor has acquired Santa Clara, California's NetContinuum, a vendor of Web firewall appliances. Barracuda already sells Web filtering devices that prevent Web surfers from visiting malicious sites, but the NetContinuum products can be used to protect Web sites themselves.


When the Food and Drug Administration raised concerns last week about the pain reliever Celebrex, Walgreen's pharmacist Gary Vachon recommended that people turn to naproxen, sold over the counter as Aleve.


She stood at the altar in a white gown and veil, but she was there for no earthly man. Lori Rose Cannizzaro was dedicating her virginity to Jesus.


France's foreign minister offers to apologise to Iraq for seeming to meddle in its internal affairs.


BUUR HAKABA, Somalia  - Somali Islamist forces and pro-government troops dug in on Wednesday on either side of a frontline in the divided Horn of Africa nation which has this week slid closer to all-out war.


After months of campaigning, millions of dollars and mountains of media hype, just who'll come out on top in Iowa is still anybody's guess. And tomorrow morning, anybody's second guess


An exhibition of macabre artworks by film director David Lynch goes on show at a Paris gallery.


Iraqi Cleric Agrees Deal to End Siege at Shrine

NAJAF, Iraq  - The leader of a Shi'ite uprising in Iraq agreed Wednesday to leave a holy shrine encircled by US marines, hours after the interim government threatened to storm it and drive out his fighters.


Jermaine O'Neal's victory in court didn't feel as good as it should have, but he was happy to accept it. The Indiana Pacers forward was so drained from the flu that he didn't stay


Office workers took their cigarette breaks on the street Monday after a strict law banning smoking in bars, restaurants, offices and other public spaces came into force in Italy.


57 are rescued after series of landslips

Fifty-seven people were airlifted to safety last night after a series of landslides caused by torrential rainstorms trapped them in their vehicles in the Lochearnhead area, north of Stirling in central Scotland.


: An Indian archipelago was jolted Tuesday by aftershocks from the massive weekend quake, as emergency aid reached survivors of the tsunami waves that killed 4,413 people and left 8,000 missing, many of them probably dead.


"Big Love" star Ginnifer  Goodwin has joined Matthew Perry and Hilary Swank in the cast  of the indie comedy "Laws of Motion."


Caity Matter scores 28 points as No. 5 Ohio State hands Michigan its eighth-straight loss, 84-56, on Tuesday night.


Zend Developer Zone: PHP in Action - Chapter 7, Design Patterns. Part - II

On the Zend Developer Zone, there's a new post pointing to the second part of their look at the Manning Publishing book "PHP in Action".   If you've been anxiously awaiting part two of this series then your wait is over. Here's a short introduction to the section part of this series written by the author of the book, Dagfinn Reiersol. I had the privilege of meeting Dagfinn at phpuk last week. Below the introduction is the link I know youâve been waiting for.   The new PDF they link to focus on two different patterns - the Decorator (a wrapper class) pattern and the Null Object (an object that works like the others but does nothing behind the scenes) pattern.


Giuliani tries to ease fears about his health

DES MOINES, Iowa  - U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani, a survivor of prostate cancer, tried to allay concerns about his health on Sunday after a hospital stay he attributed to a painful headache.


Traffico in aumento su rete Autostrade, tempo incerto


OTTAWA -- Canadian students have slipped in the rankings of an international test in reading, math and science, dropping out of the top five in math and science.


Mr. Darcy and Lalita, Singing and Dancing

Gurinder Chadha's film, which transports Jane Austen's 1813 novel to 21st-century India, is as high concept and rife with cliche as anything ever churned out by Hollywood.


The Macedonian government confirmed Friday the killing in Iraq of three citizens from the tiny Balkans country.


Tre arresti, vittima scelta la figlia di un imprenditore


Madhur Bhandarkar catches up with rediff readers.


Oh, Popeye! The sailor man is looking buff for a guy of 75.


Special vote in Ga., Wyo. picks nominees

The race to replace the late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood on Capitol Hill appears headed to a runoff. Former state Sen. Jim Whitehead, a Republican, led the crowded field of 10 candidates in Tuesday's special election. But he was unable to crack the 50 percent mark needed to claim the seat.


Time Warner Profit Falls on Legal Reserve

Time Warner Inc. (TWX) on Wednesday posted an 8 percent drop in quarterly net profit as it set up a $500 million legal reserve related to accounting probes at its America


Minneapolis, 14:17 - FOOTBALL, ATTI OSCENI SU BARCA: MULTATI SMOOT E MCKINNIE

Fred Smoot e Bryant McKinnie, due giocatori dei Minnesota Vikings, footbal Usa, NFL, dovranno pagare...


This could be due to Dell's persistance of continually trying to make their products cheaper. Dell has recalled almost 1 million AC adapters that could start a fire.


The director of Oscar-nominated film The Sea Inside explains how his movie has reignited old arguments over euthanasia.


UN observers report encountering suspected

GOMA, Congo -- UN observers encountered what they believed to be about 100 Rwandan troops in eastern Congo, a UN official said yesterday, marking the first reported UN sightings since Rwanda threatened to send in its forces against Rwanda Hutu rebels sheltering here.


John Paddock was promoted to the job of head coach after two seasons as the Senatorsâ assistant coach, taking over a team that made it to the Stanley Cup finals this spring.


Car Plows Into Crowd in Maryland, Killing 7

A crowd had apparently gathered to watch a drag race on a suburban road when the car went out of control, hitting people on the roadside.


GrahamÃ¢ÂÂs Nod Boosts StuartÃ¢ÂÂs Lead in Florida 8 Endorsement Race

Candidate endorsements usually do not decide political contests, but they certainly donÃ¢ÂÂt hurt. And marketing consultant Charlie Stuart Ã¢ÂÂ a Democrat running in the Sept. 5 primary to challenge Republican Rep. Ric Keller in FloridaÃ¢ÂÂs 8th Congressional District Ã¢ÂÂ has gotten the best of his partyÃ¢ÂÂs endorsement chase.


The Vatican has begun drafting a document to elaborate on Pope Benedict XVI's recent liberalization of the old Latin Mass because some bishops are either ignoring his move or misinterpreting it, Vatican officials said.


John Prescott is to wrap up Labour's conference as the contest to replace him as the deputy leader heats up.


Israeli Troops Raid Nablus, Jenin, Kill 11 Palestinians

Palestinian medical sources and witnesses say Israeli forces killed at least 11 Palestinians during raids in two West Bank cities Wednesday.


Arsenal ensure a 10th consecutive season in the Champions League group stages as they complete a routine win over Sparta Prague.


Eli Lilly and Co LLY.N said Friday  it added a warning to the label of its attention  deficit/hyperactivity disorder medicine, advising patients with  jaundice or a liver injury to stop taking the treatment.


U.N. envoy will give Serbs more time on Kosovo plan

The U.N. mediator on Kosovo's  future status said on Thursday he was willing to grant Serbia  more time to consider his complex plan that most see as paving  the way for the province's independence from Belgrade.


Greek star sprinters quit Games over drug test probe

The two Greek sprinters who plunged the Olympics into crisis after missing drugs tests today sensationally announced they were pulling out of the Games.


Baghdad kidnapping sows terror as Blair backs Iraq PM

The latest in a series of mass kidnappings spread terror in Baghdad as Prime Minister Tony Blair made a suprise visit to support his embattled Iraqi counterpart Nuri al-Maliki.


Eating Habits Improve with Age, Says Study

Adults eat twice as many fruits and vegetables as they did when they were children and take in less fat and sugar, according to a new study.


A US Army soldier watches from atop his armoured vehicle as smoke rises in background after his unit destroyed a seized Katyusha rocket in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday Oct. 17, 2004.


China backs off on new online video rules

China appears to have eased new rules allowing only state-owned entities to operate video-sharing services, saying existing private operators could remain in the fast-growing field after all.


LAS VEGAS - Andre Stolz played like a veteran instead of a struggling rookie when it counted most Sunday, shooting a 5-under 67 to win the Michelin Championship at Las Vegas by a shot over Tom Lehman and two others.


India's Congress seeks to block film on Sonia Gandhi

India's ruling Congress party has served a legal notice on film director Jagmohan Mundhra to stop him making a film on the party's Italian-born chief Sonia Gandhi, an official said.


Israeli air strike kills 2 militants in Gaza

Israel killed two Hamas militants in an air strike in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and announced it was not considering a ceasefire with the Islamist group despite appeals by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.


Torna Shawn Fanning, il giovane padre del celebre programma P2P Napster, ed ora deciso a trasferire le opportunitÃ  offerte dal peer to peer a Major ed artisti. Il 24enne creatore del piÃ¹ importante software


Bhutto's Husband Re-Arrested In Pakistan

Police in Pakistan have re-arrested the husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto for failing to appear at a court hearing in a murder case.


Judd Apatow's slacker romantic comedy is not only hard to believe, but hard to swallow


BBC education correspondent Mike Baker looks at the extent of school failure in England.


New variant offers holiday greetings before infecting your PC with a virus.


The UK's trade deficit remains flat at Â£3.77bn in July after a sharp monthly fall in both exports and imports.


There are many reasons to jump around in Madison. For one, that scary good Badgers football team. By Adam Duerson. The Wisconsin Badgers football team raise their helmets during the start of the game.


An earnings warning, a brokerage downgrade, and the confusion over the Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) merger with PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT) is taking its toll on application software vendor Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN).


Roma, 17:48 - CALCIO, JUVE: DEL PIERO SMENTISCE FIGLIO IN ARRIVO

Alessandro Del Piero ha smentito ai microfoni Sky la gravidanza della moglie Sonia. La notizia era r...


Lidle Agrees to $6.3M Deal With Phillies

Right-hander Cory Lidle returned to the Philadelphia Phillies, agreeing Tuesday to a $6.3 million, two-year contract.


The notable 18th century pamphleteerâs remarks addressed the obstacles faced by American colonists seeking to wrest control of their destinies from George III, but in 2004 his words could easily be applied to anyone seeking to wrest control of the


Indicted Sarajevo Siege General Arrives in Hague

AMSTERDAM/SARAJEVO  - A Serb general accused of  sniping and shelling against the civilian population of  Sarajevo during the 1992-95 Bosnian war arrived in The Hague on  Friday to face charges of crimes against humanity.


Time magazine recognises the public role in transforming the web by awarding its annual accolade to online readers.


Singer Michael Jackson lawyers request that his accuser is not referred to as a 'victim' during his forthcoming trial.


Beleaguered Russian oil company Yukos said yesterday that it had reduced its crude output forecast for the year as bailiffs continued to collect cash against


Description: Theo van Gogh, is shot and stabbed to death Tuesday in Amsterdam. He had received death threats after the release of his film Submission, which is critical of the treatment of women under Islam.


Reggie White Tribute on Monday Night Football

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


'Ghost servers' can haunt your bottom line

(InfoWorld) - The problem may not rival the movies Poltergeist or The Amityville Horror for sheer terror, but CIOs and datacenter managers are still well advised to deal decisively with so-called ghost servers. Like celluloid zombies, these forgotten pieces of equipment are dead when it comes to improving the bottom line, but they are very much alive when it comes to eating up IT budgets. The unproductive -- and usually undocumented -- servers take up valuable real estate, consume increasingly expensive electricity and, in some cases, absorb ongoing maintenance and lease payments. "You can find ghost servers in a lot of enterprises," says John Phelps, an analyst at Gartner. "And the larger and more diverse the company, the harder it can be to have a single group or technology platform that provides control over all corporate assets." Sun Microsystems, through case studies of two large corporate datacenter operations and anecdotal analysis of efforts with many customers, believes that 8 percent to 10 percent of all servers in large corporations have no identifiable function. In the two datacenter studies, 150 ghost servers were found in an installation of 1,800 servers, and 354 ghost servers were found in an installation of 3,500 servers. One of the companies studied was Sun itself. Sun used system performance tools to monitor CPU utilization and I/O and network traffic, collecting the data over the course of a month, and sorted out machines with zero utilization. Sun removed the questionable servers from operation for 90 days to determine any impact. At the end of the period, it found that 60 percent of the servers could be permanently decommissioned, says Mark Monroe, director of sustainable computing at Sun. The company now conducts quarterly reviews of utilization rates. "It's hard to get people to admit they have unused infrastructure," Monroe says. "It's expensive, wasteful, and having a CIO admit he's got millions of dollars of idle assets lying around could get a guy fired. I think we can remove some of the stigma by talking about the facts, and having people realize it's worse just to leave them lying around." Corporations need to admit "they are like everyone else" and try to reduce the number of idle machines to 3 percent or less, "which is three times better than the industry average," he says. The cost of running a server for three years exceeds its original acquisition cost, so keeping the ghost servers around has an easily measured effect in energy savings. Identifying and eliminating wasted resources are key components of green or "eco-computing," Monroe says. The good news: Advances in asset management and configuration software can help businesses find and shut down these useless machines. And more companies are being proactive when it comes to adopting policies in this area. A survey of more than 300 businesses in the U.S. and Europe conducted by Gartner in 2006 found that 74 percent of respondents said they have a formal software and hardware asset management program. More advanced autodiscovery capabilities and more efficient, effective and accurate search engines mean "there has recently been more focus on discovering the lost and unidentified equipment, especially in industries where security concerns are growing," says Richard Ptak, analyst at Ptak, Noel & Associates. "Every major company I've ever dealt with has had the problem to some level." When BlueCross BlueShield of Florida (BCBSF), which provides insurance services for nearly 9 million people, decided to build a new datacenter in 2005, the company also felt it was time to get a comprehensive look at its asset inventory, says Paul Stallings, senior manager for provisioning services. In addition to the new and existing datacenters, BCBSF also has about 10 smaller server rooms in various locations around the state. The server room equipment was being managed by different departments within the insurance provider, and each had a different way of tracking and documenting assets, Stallings says. Using Aperture Technologies' VISTA tool beginning in late 2005, BCBSF began documenting its IT resources under a single umbrella. "There were definitely undocumented assets," Stallings says. "When you have seven or eight teams managing the hardware, each using a different process, there was really no way to get a systemwide understanding of what we had in our various datacenters." By getting a complete view of its asset inventory, BCBSF has been able to create a formal decommissioning process. When a system needs to be retired, a workflow ticket is automatically generated. The IT department can then start to reclaim floor space, remove cabling and place old servers in pool of equipment that can be either redeployed or completely removed from the environment. As one of largest IT services providers in the world, Fujitsu Services operates seven Fujitsu-owned datacenters in the U.K. with more than 200,000 sq. ft. of floor space, and manages 11 customer-owned facilities. As a result of its outsourcing business, the company has acquired datacenter facilities and IT equipment from a variety of sources, and much of the equipment came with no asset or configuration management process in place, says Mark Scott, global datacenter delivery manager at Fujitsu Services. The company had previously used a configuration cataloging system that recorded only the location of equipment on the floor, but it did not provide any insight into specific use of the equipment. In attempt to get a comprehensive inventory and create an asset management strategy that would allow it to maximize existing datacenter space and continue to grow, Fujitsu Services began working with Aperture to deploy its VISTA datacenter resource management system in 2005, and the company began to see a variety of issues that were wasting resources. "We found we had IT equipment on the floor that people within the company had thought we had gotten rid of years ago," he says. "We looked deeper and found out we were also still paying lease and maintenance on the equipment. We even found that we were paying lease and maintenance on equipment that been removed from our datacenters." By extending the asset management systems across its entire U.K.-based datacenter operation, Fujitsu Services has reduced its operational costs and then passed the savings on to customers, Scott says. Since customers are generally charged for the floor space they use within the datacenters, the removal of unproductive equipment has allowed Fujitsu Services to reduce specific hosting charges for those customers. So, for example, if Fujitsu can reduce the footprint by 10 percent, Scott says that 10 percent savings can be passed along to the customer. The company is also developing the ability to invoice for the actual power required by individual customer installations, versus the current practice of invoicing for power based on the floor space used by the servers. "We also found lots of badly installed equipment," Scott says. The poor installation processes had led to what he characterized as vulnerabilities that meant his company had difficulties meeting customer uptime requirements. "The result was really that we had actually built vulnerabilities into the operation. It was a real wake-up call. We now have a complete vulnerability check and can control installations from the beginning to end." Alticor, the parent company for such businesses as Amway, Quixtar, and Access Business Group, handles IT demands for affiliates all over the world, says Randy Gast, supervisor of server technology at Alticor. The company uses a combination of management tools to keep track of its software and hardware assets, including BMC Software's Remedy service management and Hewlett-Packard's Systems Insight Manager. Using the software, Alticor early last year found that more than 200 servers, or about a third of its 650 x86 processor-based servers, were running at utilization rates of 10 percent or less, Gast says. Even scarier, these underused servers had accumulated without IT knowledge, over the previous three years as new equipment was bought to handle individual applications or affiliate requirements. Working with virtualization specialist VMware, Alticor has embarked on an effort to consolidate the unproductive system and increase overall utilization rates to between 60 percent and 70 percent, Gast says. To date, Alticor has consolidated 150 of the unproductive servers onto seven servers using virtualization software. Alticor has donated the majority of the servers it has taken out of operation during the consolidation effort to charitable organizations. Servers that were too old to be used by groups such as local schools and churches have been sold for scrap. "Using Remedy, we can track the lease agreements for our hardware, when they start and expire, and use it to have automatic triggers that let us know we need to consider replacing certain equipment," Gast says. That said, there is generally a great deal of inefficiency regarding how customers get rid of old gear. "A lot of businesses don't have a disposition strategy, primarily because it's easier to buy" new servers than dispose of the old ones, says Daniel Ransdell, general manager of IBM's Global Asset Recovery Solutions business unit. "Even if you've unplugged the equipment and stuck it in some closet or corner, the business is losing the opportunity to recoup value. Servers aren't like fine wine. They don't get better with age." Energy cost is the major issue that is changing attitudes inside corporations. In August, the Environmental Protection Agency published a report that documented datacenter power usage. According to the report, datacenters in the U.S. consumed about 60 billion kilowatt-hours in 2006, or about 1.5 percent of total electricity consumption in the country. The EPA points out that datacenter energy use has doubled in the past five years, and is expected to double again in the next five years to an annual cost of about $7.4 billion. The EPA says existing technologies and strategies could reduce typical sever energy use by 25 percent, and even greater savings are possible using more advanced technologies. Rockwell Bonecutter, head of datacenter technology and operations at Accenture, believes that a large percentage of the ghost server problem was alleviated when most businesses engaged in extensive Y2k efforts within their infrastructure. In the intervening years, however, there has been a significant growth of systems that operate at 5 percent utilization or less, often because of poor communication and asset management within the company. "When it comes to servers that nobody knows about that are sitting for years and nobody has touched, there are probably examples in every IT environment, but it's obviously impossible to measure what you don't know exists," Bonecutter says. "What we have found is that it is not unusual to find that 40 percent of all servers on a floor could be consolidated and virtualized out of the environment." Consolidation through virtualization has also led to the new phenomena of virtual ghost servers. The ease and quickness with which virtual servers can be created can often leave servers cluttered with numerous poorly documented virtual machines created for short-term or abandoned projects. With tools allowing businesses to get a more holistic view of their assets and policies in place to guide a formal decommissioning process, businesses can now reduce the risk and associated costs of ghost servers, without the need to call on the aid of another great Hollywood institution, Ghostbusters. Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate. Darrell Dunn is a freelance reporter in Fort Worth, Texas, with 20 years of experience covering business technology and enterprise IT. Contact him at darrelldunn@sbcglobal.net.


Oggi incontro tra Bertinotti e Marini: "Trovato l'accordo"Domani Prodi vede la Lega. Bondi: "Accordo o governo istituzionale"                                            Legge elettorale, definito  il percorso parlamentare


ATHENS, Greece, There it was, the almost incomprehensible. Manu Ginobili and 11 Argentines you never heard of running out the clock on NBA stars in the Olympics.


Latest Skulls Trojan Foretells Risky Smart-Phone Future

A new Trojan horse disguised as a video game that appeared this week is unlikely to spread or to cause much damage, but that's not its real threat.


U.S. Treasury prices slipped on  Thursday in a setback from Wednesday's rally, helped by a  bounce in the beleaguered U.S. dollar.


Researchers develop cameras that size you up. Instead of being used after the fact for ID, this new breed of security cam detects suspicious behavior to help prevent crime. By the Associated Press.


Suspect in Banker Death Predicts Acquittal

Now that prosecutors have rested their largely circumstantial case against him, the electrician charged with beating his girlfriend's millionaire husband to death is predicting he will be found innocent.


TERRORIST group Jemaah Islamiah would try to get nuclear weapons to use in South-East Asia, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said yesterday.


Bresnahan Takes Over as Bengals' Defensive Coordinator

CINCINNATI (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Bengals named  Chuck Bresnahan as their new defensive coordinator. He will be  formally introduced during a Wednesday afternoon press  conference at Paul Brown Stadium.


Car Bomb in Mosul, Mortar Attack in Baghdad

A car bomb killed three members of the  Iraqi National Guard in the northern city of Mosul and  insurgents fired mortar bombs at a police academy in eastern  Baghdad Monday.


Tens of thousands of Protestant hard-liners marched without trouble through Belfast and other Northern Ireland cities and towns Thursday in an annual event that used to involve conflict with Catholics but now shows the effects of a succeeding peace process.


Apple finds irregularities in stock option grants

Apple Computer Inc. said on Wednesday it found irregularities with its past stock option grants during an internal investigation and the company will likely need to restate its past financial statements.


Chinese film "Tuya's Marriage" wins in Berlin

Chinese movie "Tuya's Marriage", which explores the environmental and human cost of the country's rapid economic growth through the lives of Mongolian herders, won the Berlin film festival's top honor on Saturday.


Oil Firms Above $44 Before on Supply Woes

U.S. oil prices kept a strong tone on  Friday as disruptions to global oil flows dogged the market  ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend in the United States.


Pakistan PM's India Visit Seen Maintaining Momentum

Pakistan's prime minister makes his first official visit to India this week and while hopes are slim for a breakthrough in the rivals' cautious peace process, his trip should at least keep momentum going.


Travis frontman Fran Healy flies to Sudan to see how money raised by Band Aid 20 will be spent.


Bush Mocks Kerry, Says He Could Debate Himself

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio  - President Bush said on Monday  his Democratic rival John Kerry had shifted his positions on  Iraq so many times he could "debate himself" at the prime-time  face-off between the two candidates in three days.


Relatives of three men killed in an accident in Rotterdam are told to pay before the bodies can return to Wales.


Parliamentary election campaign kicks off in Ukraine

Ukrainian politicians officially began campaigning Thursday for the upcoming parliamentary election, called to resolve a bitter political struggle between the former Soviet nation's two feuding leaders. via Pravda


Palermo, 11:44 - CALCIO, PALERMO: TUTTO ESAURITO E RECORD INCASSO PER INTER

Tutto esaurito e record di incasso a Palermo per la sfida di domani sera con l'Inter. Tra paganti e ...


BRUSSELS The incoming president of the European Commission offered an olive branch to the European Parliament on Thursday but failed to quell a rebellion by deputies that is threatening the future of a conservative Catholic commissioner-designate, Rocco


Global Stocks Rally, Oil Up as Bush Wins

US stocks climbed while bonds fell and the dollar lost ground against the euro on Wednesday as Republican President Bush won re-election in a tight race.


They washed cars, put up posters and sold T-shirts to raise the money to be here. When it was finally time for Vicente Escobedo to fight, his family and friends welcomed him into the arena by waving his picture and chanting "Chente, Chente."


We are shocked - shocked! â-hat pop tart Ashlee Simpson was caught lip-syncing on âSaturday Night (ahem) Liveâ over the weekend.


GEORGE Bush yesterday sought to further shore up his place in history with his strongest pledge yet to bring peace to the Middle East.


Rolen finds sweet spot at just the right time

The day after Scott Rolen slugged a two-run home run to help St. Louis beat the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, he was asked


British Prime Minister Tony Blair faced   a growing rebellion over his leadership on Wednesday after   reports he planned to stay in office until mid-2007 prompted   seven former loyalists to quit their posts.


The Ohio State University football team put on a display fitting of the Alamo Bowl on Wednesday night, making Oklahoma State feel like Davey Crockett, William Travis and the other doomed defenders of the famed mission.


Suicide bomber kills at least 125 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD -- At least 125 people were killed and more than 300 injured when a pickup truck driven by a suicide bomber exploded at a central Baghdad market late yesterday afternoon, authorities said.


JUSTIN Langer felt as if Pakistani tornado Shoaib Akhtar was trying to rip the fingers off his hands during the fastest spell he has ever faced yesterday.


Denmark To Announce Plans To Pull Troops

COPENHAGEN, Denmark Denmark was expected to announce plans to begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq at a news conference on Wednesday, Danish media reported.Comment


The Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai has been clubbed in the head by riot police officers. She has been denounced as a subversive.


30,000 More Sudanese Threaten to Cross to Chad - UN

Some 30,000 Sudanese, victims of fresh attacks by Arab militia inside Darfur, have threatened to cross into Chad, already stretched with 200,000 refugees from the conflict, the United Nations said Friday.


A tribute to Ada's Jean Ichbiah Obituary Second acts are rare in the computer industry but Jean Ichbiah, who died this week, managed it. Not only did he revolutionise software development for military computer systems with the Ada programming language, but he also devised a widely-used fast text-entry system for handheld computers.â¦


Lotus Development Corp. changed the business world in the 1980s and '90s. Now its former employees are helping change the search industry.


Istituto, 'mai finanziato il Siv-Lite della banca tedesca'


Secret evidence at stake in hearings on searches in Jackson case

In a high-stakes drama of legal gamesmanship, prosecutors and defense lawyers in the Michael Jackson child molestation case are battling over still secret evidence that might


S.F. medical marijuana club denied permit

The San Francisco Planning Commission has decided a medical marijuana dispensary doesn't belong near the shops, cable cars and postcard views of Alcatraz Island that make up Fisherman's Wharf.


Spitzer May Urge More Insurance Oversight in Senate Testimony

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer may tell a US Senate subcommittee today that federal oversight of the insurance industry is inevitable after his allegations of price manipulation and kickbacks.


A senior State Department official said Monday the United States will seek to forge a solid working relationship with Nicaragua's President-elect Daniel Ortega.


Soldier, Militant Die in Resurgence of Gaza Fighting

An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian militant were killed in Gaza Tuesday in a resurgence of violence that could threaten efforts to instil calm for a Palestinian election for a successor to Yasser Arafat.


After 40 visits, Bush still courts Pennsylvania

If President Bush is to carry Pennsylvania on Nov. 2, it will take the help of the thousands of true believers who filled Hersheypark Stadium on a wet, chilly afternoon yesterday.


Torino, 15:22 - CALCIO, TORINO: ACQUISTATO GIAPPONESE OGURO

Il Torino ha acquistato a titolo definitivo l'attaccante giapponese Masashi Oguro. Il giocatore, cla...


Comic Rodney Dangerfield remains in a coma following heart surgery, according to his wife.


Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Acquitted of Treason Charges

The leader of Zimbabwe's largest opposition party was acquitted of treason charges Friday by a High Court in Harare. The judge said their was not enough credible evidence to convict the politician, Morgan Tsvangirai.


Apple (AAPL ) CEO Steve Jobs has always approached his job with the zeal and showmanship of a populist politician. Jobs has another attribute common to the political classes, namely that even when he says "never," you can never really be sure.


China Appeals to N. Korea for Nuke Talks

China appealed to North Korea on Tuesday to join working meetings before a new round of six-party talks on dismantling its nuclear program, despite the North's declaration that it saw no point in attending.


Bush administration seeks $245B for wars

The Bush administration will ask for another $100 billion for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan this year and seek $145 billion for 2008, a senior administration official said Friday.


HARRY REDKNAPP aims to install Jim Smith as his assistant before Southampton face Tottenham next Saturday. Redknapp was unveiled as Saints boss last week - just a fortnight after leaving south-coast rivals Portsmouth.


'Clerks II': Something to offend everyone

They may be the rudest guys to ever sell you a cup of coffee. Yet Dante Hicks and Randal Graves are the most beloved store clerks the big screen has ever seen.


Ex-Spy's Poisoning Reads Like a Thriller

It's a murder mystery filled with intrigue reminiscent of the Cold War _ there's a retired Russian spy poisoned by a radioactive substance, a secret dossier, a slain investigative journalist and a shadowy ...Comment


Pakistani security agencies have arrested five Al Qaeda-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on key installations in the country.


SoonR Offers File Access, Skype From iPhone

SoonR connects mobile phones with the data on a remote Mac or PC.


In due su 50 con nuove targhe, Codacons chiede proroga


Chad Decries Plan to Uproot 103 Children

N'DJAMENA, Chad, Oct. 27 -- Seven crew members of a plane contracted to fly more than 100 children out of Chad were detained, authorities said Saturday, and Chad's president promised punishment for anyone involved in a plan to spirit the children to Europe.


Federal officials have reached a temporary agreement to ease congestion at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport that calls for a reduction of 37 daily arrivals by United Airlines and American Airlines, officials said Wednesday in a conference call with congressional aides.


Scooters' popularity zooming higher among students

Anyone out on the streets early in the morning during the school year has probably seen the procession of swimmers riding their scooters to practice while it s still dark out.


'Sulla crescita la Confindustria e' fuori linea'


A man whose son was one of four cyclists killed when a car skidded says he now feels anger towards the driver.


ADV: Trade Shares and Currencies Commission-Free

GCI offers commission-free online trading in shares, indices and major currencies. Register today for a free demo account - including charts, quotes and internet trading software.


Orange opens 24-0 lead, rolls in laugher

Hakim Warrick scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out five assists to lead No. 6 Syracuse to a 104-54 rout Thursday of Northern Colorado in the first round of the Coaches vs.


Armed gunmen seize four aid workers in Iraq

Armed men in olive green uniforms stormed the Baghdad office of an Italian aid group yesterday and seized two Italian women and two Iraqis, witnesses said.


Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano is given special dispensation to join Liverpool from West Ham.


: Turkeyâs two main parties signalled today the government may be dropping plans for a controversial adultery ban that has outraged liberals, unnerved markets and irked the EU that Ankara wants to join.


China's Genius says also owed money by US Apex

DVD maker Genius Co. Ltd. (000836.SZ: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday it was owed $4.3 million by US distributor Apex Digital Inc.


Honestly, what you're about to read might surprise you.


Ruth Botsio recalls with misty-eyed wonder the jubilation and triumphant cries of "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!" that greeted the birth of sub-Saharan Africa's first nation to win independence from Europe.


Before the Call: Building Up to Lennar's Earnings

What do CAPS players have to say about this leading homebuilder?


Equity markets tumble following Asia sell-off

Stock markets took another hit on Wednesday as European equities ended lower, after indices plunged overnight in Asia and the US.


Bisys Group Inc. BSG.N, a financial   technology outsourcing provider that has had accounting   problems and is losing its chief executive, on Wednesday posted   a profit for its fiscal third quarter, largely on a big gain   from the sale of its information services segment.


India is pulling out its first batch of troops from its side of Kashmir coinciding with the arrival of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a two-day visit to Srinagar.


One Band One Mentor One Shot! Si TV is - Jammin'

Recognizing the growing Latino indie rock scene, SÃ  TV launched an innovative multi-platform series, Jammin'  on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. (PST and EST).


AT&T CEO sees consumer softness, shares plunge

AT&T Inc  Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said on Tuesday the phone company was experiencing softness in its consumer business, sending its shares sharply lower in late-day trading.


Theron dances way to Hasty Pudding award

Before Charlize Theron could pick up her Woman of the Year award, she had to prove she was worthy.


DEUTSCHE BANK NORTON -- It was a good round, but Justin Rose didn't think it was anything special.


Orioles and Mariners Finally Complete BÃ©dard Trade

Baltimore agreed Friday to trade the left-handed starter Ãrik BÃ©dard to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder Adam Jones, who will probably be the Oriolesâ starting center fielder on opening day.


Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Microsoft Windows XP is expected to start showing up on many more desktops today (Wednesday 8/25), as Microsoft starts to deliver it to XP Professional users who have automatic updates turned on, as well as via Windows Update.


Roma, 12:17 - CALCIO, JUVE; JOHN ELKAN: PUNTIAMO ALL'EUROPA

"La Juve è arrivata a fare un buon campionato. Puntiamo ad arrivare all'Europa il prossimo an...


BAGHDAD, October 27 (Online): The US military said it killed an aide to Iraqâs most wanted man Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi in an air strike on Fallujah on Tuesday, as the Iraqi authorities vowed to punish those behind the weekend massacre of almost 50 unarmed