French Hostage Crisis Adds Tension to Headscarf Ban

The kidnapping of two French journalists in Iraq has injected new tension into France's debate over banning Islamic headscarves in schools just as Paris was hoping for a smooth start to the school year this week.


DILI, East Timor -- East Timor President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach during an attack on his home Monday by renegade soldiers, an army spokesman said.


President George W Bush compares Osama Bin Laden to Lenin and Hitler as he defends his security policy.


A year after battle for Baghdad, boys play ball

Naser Abdul-Ameer watched his four sons kick a soccer ball around the popular al-Zahra park in Baghdad's predominantly Sunni Arab western Karkh area. It's a trip they make weekly. A year ago it was unimaginable.


Companies caught up in New York state Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer's investigation into rigged bids and kickbacks in the insurance industry began firing and suspending


Description: On Tuesday President Bush went before the UN General Assembly to deliver an defense of United States policy in Iraq. NPR's Tavis Smiley talks about the role of the UN with Nancy Soderberg, vice


sweetshot97 writes "According to the UK site, Times Online; future trips to Mars that will have probes return with samples of the martian surface may contain deadly microbes of course, foreign to our world.


Red Hat Unveils JBoss Black Tie for Java Coding

Red Hat revealed a new JBoss project aimed at displacing BEA's Tuxedo transaction-monitoring engine.


Japan will use weekend talks with North Korea to ask about reports the North is preparing a missile test.


Players, including outspoken Dagenais, meet with union leadership

Seventy-five NHL players met with union leaders Tuesday to get an update on a lockout that shows no sign of ending. Among those players was Montreal's Pierre Dagenais, who has said he would be willing to disobey


New York Times reporter held in contempt

A federal judge Thursday declared New York Times reporter Judith Miller in civil contempt for her refusal to testify before a grand jury, but agreed not to jail her pending an appeal.


Wash those Zombies and hamburgers right off your Facebook profile!

An impending update from Facebook will make it possible for you to make your profile look a whole lot neater by hiding excess applications.


Microsoft Taking on Apple's iTunes Music Store

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), hoping to take a bite out of Apple Computer Inc...


About 200 people protesting against the death of a man in custody have burnt down a police station, a house and a courthouse on a remote Australian island, before police reinforcements flew in to restore order.


Deadly storms leave 18 dead as 'Tokage' closes in on Tokyo

AT LEAST 18 people were killed and 13 others missing yesterday as a powerful storm lashed Japan causing deadly mudslides, flash floods and prompting thousands to flee their homes.


Nintendo offers weak-of-grip fresh Wii wrist-straps

Damage limitation Nintendo has begun offering Wii owners free replacement wrist-straps for folk who become way too aggressive in their gameplay and end up snapping the straps or simply - and literally - losing their grip.â¦


U.S. Treasury debt prices rallied on  Thursday, more than undoing losses posted earlier this week as  a survey of Chicago-area manufacturing pointed to a slowdown in  hiring.


The Celtics were not the only young, injury-riddled team that flirted with a record losing streak this season. Dealing with injuries to Luke Walton , Lamar Odom , Kwame Brown , and Chris Mihm , the Lakers entered last night's game at Staples Center against the Celtics mired in a six-game skid. However, they turned it around ...


The UN humanitarian chief condemns Israel's heavy use of cluster bombs in the final days of the Lebanon conflict.


London cancer hospital evacuated after fire

A London cancer hospital was evacuated  on Wednesday after a major blaze broke out, a fire brigade  spokesman said.


Officers investigating the death of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko are pursuing inquiries in London and Moscow.


A Lazard board meeting today could set in motion a $3.2bn (Â£1.8bn) stock market flotation of the 156-year-old investment bank. Bruce Wasserstein, the bank's chief executive, has been working to win support


BRASILIA, Brazil  - Airborne searchers found the wreckage of a Brazilian passenger plane on Saturday that crashed a day earlier in Amazon jungle with 155 people on board and the chances of anyone surviving were slight, officials said.


Milano, 15:19 - CALCIO, INTER; MANCINI: RIVALITA'-MILAN? CE CE L'HO COL GENOA

Alla vigilia del derby milanese, ultima sfida dell'anno solare 2007, Roberto Mancini cerca di smussa...


A new counter-terrorism agency  with its own minister has been suggested by Home Secretary John Reid.


The Claim: Antibiotics Will Beat a Sinus Infection

Antibiotics and steroids may be the standard medications for a sinus infection, but are they effective?


U.S. retailers on Thursday delivered mixed sales results for December, the year's key shopping month, with upscale stores faring well but many others slashing prices, squeezing profits.


A Cornish nurse is meeting the man she gave her kidney to in an altruistic swap.


Apple patches more than a dozen holes in OS X

Five uber updates in as many months Apple has released an update that patches more than a dozen OS X vulnerabilities, several of which can lead to the remote execution of malicious code.â¦


MedImmune to Give U.S. 1 Mln More FluMist Doses -HHS

MedImmune Inc. will provide an  additional 1 million doses of its FluMist nasal spray vaccine  to the U.S. market this year to help the country cope with a  shortage of flu shots, health officials said on Thursday.


With or without the Rodham, she's still Hillary

What's in a name? Not much it seems for a U.S. presidential hopeful whose first name is Hillary.


The storm over the U.S. insurance  industry took a new turn Thursday when American International  Group Inc. AIG.N said a federal grand jury is investigating  products it sold that companies might have used to massage  earnings.


Presentati i nuovi servizi interattivi di comunicazione


Bush says will declassify intelligence document

President George W. Bush on Tuesday   said the U.S. government would declassify an intelligence   document that analyzes the Iraq war's effect on terrorism.


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.


Taser Stun Guns Approved by U.S. for Some Flights

Taser International Inc. will employ  its electric stun guns on Korean Air Lines, which becomes the  first commercial carrier to win U.S. government approval to use  the devices to defend flights against hijackings and other  threats, officials said on Monday.


New York - Paul Hamm says Thursday's decision from sports' highest court confirms what he's always felt in his heart. That he was champion in the men's all around that night at the Athens Games and Olympic gold medalist.


When SpaceShipOne glided to a stop Monday, it marked a turning point in personal space travel. About an hour after it landed, X Prize founder Peter Diamandis declared the


Nominations for the 77th annual Academy Awards are to be announced in Los Angeles on Tuesday.


Quest'anno supereranno soglia 8,8 milioni esemplari


Confusion Surrounds Seizure of Iraqi Mosque

NAJAF, Iraq  - The fate of a radical Shi'ite  rebellion in the holy city of Najaf was uncertain Friday amid  disputed reports that Iraqi police had gained control of the  Imam Ali Mosque.


Gwen Stefani is no longer just a girl. Now she's a doll, too. The singer, actress and fashion designer announced Tuesday that she will bring her trademark rock 'n' roll style to the toy industry with a series of limited-edition dolls.


Inaspettatamente scese di 21.000 unita' a quota 301.000


Roma, 18:42 - CALCIO, FIGC: CANDIDATURA A EURO 2012 PRESENTATA NEL 2005

La candidatura ad ospitare la fase finale degli Europei di calcio del 2012 è stata presentata...


Il 14 febbraio 2005 un'autobomba uccideva l'ex primo ministroLa capitale libanese blindata si prepara a ricordarlo con una manifestazione                                            Beirut, timori di nuovi attacchi per la commemorazione di Hariri                                                                                Ieri tre persone sono morte in esplosioni su due bus vicino alla cittÃ  cristiana di BikfayaMessaggio del numero due di Al Qaeda contro le "forze internazionali e crociate" nel Paese


Genova, 18:36 - CALCIO, GALLIANI: SPRAY PER CONTROLLARE LE BARRIERE

Adriano Galliani lancia un'idea contro le barriere "ballerine".  Lo spunto è offerto dall'amm...


Stoneham OKs Trash Fee Hike in Bid to Save School Sports

By JESSE KAWA  Stoneham selectmen connected with a Hail Mary pass last night by adopting a $200 annual trash fee that may just be enough to save coveted school sports.


Suicide bomber kills four Pakistani policemen

A suicide bomber killed four policemen and wounded two in an attack in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, police said.


West Brom boss Gary Megson has ended his four-year tenure with the club after a major disagreement with the board. Megson's had told chairman Jeremy Peace he would quit at the end of his contract in June but


NL Wrap: Padres Pass Giants Despite Bonds Homer

Jay Payton's three-run homer led  the San Diego Padres to a 5-1 win over the San Francisco Giants  in National League play on Saturday, despite a 701st career  blast from Barry Bonds.


The wife and children of Mark Thatcher, who is charged over an alleged coup plot, have landed in the UK on a flight from South Africa.


Japanese stocks fell by mid morning on  Tuesday following a decline in U.S. stocks, with chip maker  Elpida Memory Inc. pulling down technology issues after it cut  its profit outlook for the year.


Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. , the world's largest chewing gum maker, posted a higher quarterly profit on Tuesday, driven by stronger shipments of its products, and said its board approved a 13 percent dividend increase.


Buscemi, Miller in remake of slain director's film

Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller star in  a new film exploring the relationship between the media and  celebrities in a re-make of a Dutch version by slain director  Theo van Gogh.


Militants bicker over surrender of shrine

Najaf, Iraq - Militants loyal to firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered shrine at the centre of the crisis in Najaf on Saturday as they bickered with top Shia leaders over how to hand the holy site over.


Country's press freedom ranks 60th, report says

Taiwan's level of press freedom ranked 60th among 167 countries and areas in the world, one notch higher than in 2003, in the latest report released by the Reporters without Borders organization on Tuesday.


Links to the week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Report: Local Search Advertising Spend Will Double - Content Is King - Do I Need Adwords? - Organic Search Vs. Paid Advertisement - SEO Rates - Moving to Pay-For-Performance, and more.


In Italia solo Bancassicurazione ha un po' sofferto


La showgirl prestera' il volto per campagna pubblicitaria


Barry Bonds hit his 752nd home run Thursday, ending his worst slump in six years with a single swing — and Hank Aaron's record is only three away.


In US's big presidential fields, who gets how much debate time?

Attention on 'top tier' candidates in this week's debates prompts calls for a more evenhanded format.


Centrica leaks customers after gas price increases

Centrica, owner of British Gas the countryâs largest household gas and electricity supplier, has lost almost a million customers this year following a series of price rises.


Do You Remember Henin-Hardenne? Didn't Think So

S if the lingering effects of a viral infection and a more recent cold weren't bad enough, Justin Henin-Hardenne couldn't quite shake her Olympic hangover, a 31-year-old Israeli journeywoman


The president in his second term is reaching out to other nations, though reservations remain about groups like the UN.


Coca-Cola Urged to Close an Indian Plant to Save Water

An environmental group says a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the drought-stricken state of Rajasthan is depleting scarce water supplies.


Bush Urged to Get Intelligence Bill Passed

Democrats and Republicans are urging President Bush to press holdout GOP lawmakers to get compromise legislation overhauling US intelligence agencies passed this year.


Silt-Washing Operation Begins in Yellow River

Silt-washing operation begins in Yellow River    ZHENGZHOU, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The annual operation of flushing silt from the ailing Yellow River, China's second longest waterway, into the Bohai Sea, began on Tuesday.


Sunscreen and floppy hats are the normal tools to fight UV radiation in Australia. Now you can add laundry detergent. By Stephen Leahy.


Maroni: sÃ¬ al taglio delle tasse per piccole e medie imprese

Montezemolo: subito gli sgravi fiscali per le imprese. Siniscalco: occorre perÃ² rivedere in contemporanea gli incentivi a imprese. ROMA - E' scontro tra la Confindustria e il governo in materia di taglio alle tasse.


Berlusconi, 'e' lui che viene a confessarsi da me'


The US courier company has threatened to cancel its order for ten Airbus A380s if there are any more delays.


A woman is charged with grievous bodily harm with intent in connection with the death of a man in London.


CA, Partners Move On As Kumar Faces Charges

Concern over the fate of former Computer Associates International chairman and CEO Sanjay Kumar accompanied the collective sigh of relief felt by CA partners last week when federal prosecutors settled a two-year-old accounting fraud investigation with the


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudis streamed into a stadium to load bundles of clothes into trucks and stuff glass boxes with cash yesterday as the government launched a public campaign to help Southeast Asian tsunami victims.


The Mars rover Opportunity will have to backtrack to leave the huge crater it has explored for six months because the terrain ahead is too dicey for the six-wheeled robot.


Chrysler exec backs plan, hopes to avoid new cuts

Chrysler LLC has a realistic business plan in place and hopes to avoid future buyouts or other downsizing because of U.S. economic woes, the company's president said on Tuesday.


"Dying is a very dull, dreary affair," the late British author W. Somerset Maugham has oft been quoted as saying. He obviously didn't live in the Anna Nicole Smith era.


Britney again skips custody case hearing

Britney Spears came to a courthouse Wednesday in cocktail party attire, stepped in the door and then bolted before for a hearing began that could have restored her right to visit her children.


Sentenza del tribunale speciale: il cugino di Saddam, responsabile del massacro sarÃ  impiccatoEsecuzione capitale anche per altri due imputati; per i restanti due, un ergastolo e un'assoluzione                                            Iraq, al processo per il genocidio curdo condannato a morte AlÃ¬ il Chimico


Some trade their privacy for car-insurance discounts

For two months, Jacob Sevlie's insurance company tagged along whenever he slid behind the wheel of his Honda Accord. An electronic monitor closely tracked Sevlie's driving time and behavior. If he had a heavy foot or was a sudden braker, the recorder would betray him.


Top U.S. life insurer MetLife Inc.  MET.N said on Friday it had received several subpoenas from  New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, in a sign that a probe  into alleged rigging of bids in exchange for fat fees in the  insurance industry is widening.


PwC Settles Tyco Investors' Suit Over Fraud

PricewaterhouseCoopers agreed to pay $225 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by shareholders of Tyco International over a multibillion-dollar accounting fraud that ended with Tyco's top executives going to prison.


Singh-Musharraf summit could speed up South Asian peace process

NEW DELHI : The first summit between India's new prime minister and Pakistan's president could give an impetus to the nations' slow-moving peace process but a solution on Kashmir remains distant, analysts say.


Japan's Supreme Court refuses compensation to South Korean war slaves

Japan's top court has a damages suit brought by South Koreans forced to work as sex slaves or soldiers by the Japanese Imperial Army, saying their suffering in World War II cannot be compensated under the post-war constitution.


Pub chain JD Wetherspoon says adults with children are only allowed two alcoholic drinks to limit their stay.


Roma, 11:58 - CALCIO, COPPA ITALIA: ARBITRI RITORNO QUARTI

Questi gli arbitri designati per le gare di ritorno dei quarti di finale della Coppa Italia.


Florida's presidential primary is the first test of how Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney might fare in a large and hugely diverse battleground state.


Mike Candrea doesn't dream much these days, but a vision of sorts came to him Sunday night. Members fo the United States softball team celebrate their gold medal win over Australia.


Swift Boat Writer Lied on Cambodia Claim

The chief critic of John Kerry's military record told President Nixon in 1971 that he had been in Cambodia in a swift boat during the Vietnam War — a claim at odds with his recent statements that he was not.


Regulators clear Google-DoubleClick deal

U.S. antitrust regulators approved Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick Inc., clearing the way for a formidable combination in the burgeoning online advertising sector.


Shaq on ruling the Staples Center ''I don't have to make a point,'' O'Neal said. "I'm George Bush.


The prospect of women routinely freezing unfertilised eggs for IVF has moved a step closer after research. Thirteen children were born after 68 couples underwent treatment by Italian doctors who froze unfertilised eggs.


Russians, American return from space station

A Soyuz space capsule containing a US-Russian crew has successfully landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan. Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and American astronaut Mike Fincke had left the international space


LAS VEGAS (Billboard) - Celine Dion's five-year residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas -- which ended December 15, grossed $385 million and drew nearly 3 million people to 717 shows -- isn't an easy act to follow. But when it came to finding her replacement, Bette Midler was the natural choice.


Israeli forces kill 16 Palestinians in Gaza

Israel killed 16 Palestinians, nearly all of them Hamas militants, in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, in a raid the Palestinian Authority said was a "slap in the face" to U.S. President George W. Bush's peace efforts.


The Republican-led Senate approved President Bush's choice to head the CIA, Rep. Porter Goss, over protests from some Democrats who said he has too many Republican ties for a job that requires independence.


Alliance Boots rejects KKR's $18.8 bln approach

Britain's Alliance Boots Plc  on Monday rejected an approach worth 9.7 billion pounds ($18.8 billion) from private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts , saying the offer undervalued its prospects.


Saudi boosts oil output to rein in prices

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, is to raise production from 9.5 million barrels a day to 11 million barrels in an attempt to rein in prices that have topped US$50 a barrel.


No. 3 Miami Stops No. 18 Louisville 41-38

The Louisville Cardinals drew a flag for excessive celebration in the second quarter, and another in the third. Against Miami, the displays of jubilation were premature. Led by Brock Berlin and Devin Hester, the third-ranked Hurricanes erased a 17-point deficit over the final 20 minutes and came from behind twice in the fourth quarter to beat No. 18 Louisville 41-38 Thursday night.


Bush to announce new Iraq strategy next year

President George W. Bush will delay announcing a new strategy for Iraq until the new year, the White House said on Tuesday amid polls showing Americans are more pessimistic about the war and want a change.


Iraq's security forces could take over fully from foreign troops within 18 months, the  interior minister says.


The European Union offers Japan a package of incentives to persuade it to give up its bid to host the world's biggest nuclear fusion reactor.


Yeltsin warns against rolling back democracy in wake of Beslan

Russia's first post-Soviet leader Boris Yeltsin issued a veiled warning that President Vladimir Putin's decision to hand sweeping new powers to the Kremlin in the wake of the Beslan hostage crisis could roll back democratic freedoms.


LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was "absolutely fine" following an operation Friday to correct an irregular heartbeat.


An Indian couple found an unwell 75-year-old woman lying on a garbage dump, apparently thrown out of her home by her daughter and grandsons who did not want to take care of her, the Hindustan Times reported.


Cambia l'economia, il Centro Ã¨ locomotiva d'Italia

Lo rivela l'Istat: il Nord Ovest arranca (-0,3%), il Nord Est tiene (+0,5%). Stupisce il Sud. Sicilia la regione migliore (+1,8%). ROMA - Metamorfosi dell'economia. Il Nord Ovest arranca, stupisce in positivo


Technology and research company  Gartner Inc. IT.N on Monday said it has agreed to buy smaller  rival META Group Inc. METG.O for $162 million.


"Viagra" is out. "Vioxx" is in. That's according to America Online Inc.'s second annual list of top spam terms.


Palestinians ask Israel to withdraw before election

Palestinian officials are urging Israel to curb military operations as they begin to register candidates to run in an election to replace Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority president.


Like any good meal, eatery earnings are balanced.


The New Bossâs Salty Language Raises Eyebrows at His Papers

Samuel Zell, the new head of the Tribune Company, said his colorful, sometimes profane, language is intended to âshockâ the paperâs staff and shake it âout of complacency.â


Ministers accused of failing to act on TB cases

Â·  UK defies European trend with 11% rise in London Â·  Recent outbreaks in Luton and Swansea schools


Shrineâs Siege Ends: Peace in Najaf with 75 Killed in Kufa

NAJAF (Iraq): With a peace plan, reached with the mutual consent of Sistani and Sadr, the apex Clerics of Iraq, the gates of the holy Shrine in Najaf were got open Thursday by a sea of weeping and chanting Muslims, ending the weeks-long siege of the


US ready to offer amnesty to 'non-criminal Talibans

The Bush Administration has said that it is ready to offer amnesty to "non-criminal" remnants of the Taliban holed up in different pockets across Afghanistan.


The BBC rejects calls to close BBC Three in order to solve the corporation's financial problems.


ZURICH, Switzerland - The International Ice Hockey Federation Friday barred Vancouver Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi from transferring to Europe, citing the player's violent conduct on the rink.


Glazer opens talks with Irish as United fans revolt

Malcolm Glazer, the US sports tycoon trying to buy Manchester United, has begun talks with the club's biggest shareholder and plans to tell investors that the club's performance


Readership is up, but most Web surfers still don't know what blogs are.


The second presidential debate between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry was framed by lingering questions on Iraq and the economy.


Travis Tritt defies labels to unleash "Storm"

NEW YORK (Billboard) - It's taken country star Travis Tritt more than a dozen albums to arrive at a point where he's achieved "total, utter freedom" to craft the "album I've always wanted to make."


GE sells India back office unit stake for $500 mn

New Delhi, November 8: General Electric Co said on Monday it had sold a 60 per cent stake in its pioneering Indian business process outsourcing unit for $500 million, making it the largest deal in the country's booming back-office industry.


Let the games begin. Not the Olympics again, but the all-out battle between video game giants Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. Ltd. The two Japanese companies are rolling out new gaming consoles, but Nintendo has beaten Sony to the punch by announcing an earlier launch date for its new hand-held game player.


Senators back in Stanley Cup chase with first win

The Ottawa Senators muscled their way back into Stanley Cup contention with a 5-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game Three of their finals series on Saturday.


Car Bombs Kill More Than 60 in Iraqi Holy Cities

Two car bombs exploded within hours of each other in two Iraqi cities holy to Shiite Muslims, killing at least 62 people and wounding more than 120.


ATLANTA - CARE USA has forwarded a statement from Care International's office in Amman, Jordan, calling for the release of Margaret Hassan, who was seized by gunmen on Tuesday in Baghdad.


Former New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey, who had been publicly silent since announcing two years ago that he was gay and was resigning, made "The Oprah Winfrey Show" the first stop on his national book tour Tuesday. But what he said will remain a mystery until the show airs.


Armed police swoop on MP3-packing mechanic

4GB 'pistol' provokes Stoke-on-Trent kerfuffle An innocent Stoke-on-Trent garage mechanic enjoyed a spell in the cells after armed cops held him at gunpoint having mistaken his MP3 player for a pistol, the Daily Mail reports.â¦


China, Russia to conduct first joint military exercise next year

China and Russia will conduct the first-ever joint military exercise next year, Xinhua learned here Monday. Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan and his Russian counterpart


Federated store sales better than expected

Federated Department Stores Inc.  on Thursday reported a better-than-expected rise in January sales at stores open at least one fiscal year and raised its quarterly earnings forecast, sending its shares up nearly 4 percent.


Microsoft matches Apple with Zune pricing

Tune for tune Microsoft is to retail Zune, its first digital music player, at the same price as feature-equivalent iPods.â¦


Il Consiglio di Sicurezza Onu chiede fine immediata violenze


Sam Stitt of McLean and double sculls partner Matt Hughes won their repechage against Belarus by 1.27 seconds to advance to tomorrow's semifinals at the world championships in Munich.


La pittura su Internet si vede meglio che dal vivo


Ancient carving from cat's grave auctioned for $470,000

LONDON - A 1,000-year-old stone carving, which has spent years marking the grave of a British couple's pet cat, has sold for more than $470,000.


CORRECTED: Sony swings to Q2 profit on electronics

(Corrects paragraph 7 to ...âis aboveâ ..., not âfalls shortâ)


With less than three weeks left in the Class AAA Ottawa Lynx's season, Jack Cust is counting down the days until his two-year stay with the Baltimore Orioles organization ends.


Citigroup raises offer price for Nikko Cordial

Citigroup  sweetened its takeover offer for Japan's Nikko Cordial Corp.  on Tuesday, saying it would pay 1,700 yen a share for the brokerage rather than the 1,350 yen announced initially.


Aereo Atene - New York dirottato a Londra per un allarme bomba ...

L'aereo dell'Olympic Airways con 305 persone a bordo decolla da Atene diretto a New York. Mentre si trova tra la Francia e la Gran Bretagna un allarme bomba costringe il comandante a lanciare il May Day. Tre


Canadian government reintroduces drug bill

The Canadian government has reintroduced a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, it is reported Tuesday.


West Belfast Sinn Fein assembly member and councillor Michael Ferguson dies suddenly.


Singapore Airlines Flight Diverted After Bomb Threat

A Singapore Airlines Ltd. flight to New York from Frankfurt landed safely in Manchester, England after a bomb threat, police and airport officials said.


Palestinians say US destroys hope over settlements

RAMALLAH: Palestinians yesterday accused the United States of destroying hopes of negotiations with Israel for a Palestinian state, after the US signalled it could accept some growth of settlements in the West Bank.


UPDATE 1-Alaska Air sees $45 mln-$55 mln in severance costs

Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it expects $45 million to $55 million in pre-tax costs for severance pay and other benefits for employees laid off during its planned restructuring.


Is the Government Pushing Ethanol Too Aggressively?

The government says we must use 9 billion gallons of ethanol this year. Some lawmakers worry federal ethanol mandates are "taking the biofuels industry backward rather than pushing it ahead."


TWIN FALLS, Idaho - A couple of cows must have been in the mood for some holiday shopping when they jumped out of a moving trailer on busy boulevard.  One of the Holstein heifers headed for ShopKo, and the other headed for Taco Bell.


The next 4 years: a shift to "ownership society"

President Bush is poised to pursue an aggressive "ownership society" agenda of Social Security privatization, new tax breaks for savings and investment and additional incentives


Gunners blast their way into history books

London - Arsenal became the first side in the top flight of English football to go 43 league matches unbeaten when they defeated Blackburn Rovers 3-0 at Highbury on Wednesday night.


Possibili disagi anche per stop 'Comitato lotta Trambus'


Space shuttle blasts off on key station mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - Space shuttle Discovery blasted off on Tuesday for a construction mission at the International Space Station, raising hope that NASA will be able to add laboratories for European and Japanese partners later this year.


NAIROBI, Kenya  -- International pressure mounted on Kenya's leaders Wednesday to end postelection violence that has killed more than 300 people, including dozens burned alive as they sought refuge in a church.


Microsoft offers patch to fix security flaw

Microsoft Corp., a worldwide leader in operating systems and Internet technologies, announced that it has found a major flaw in Windows XP operating system that is related to the JPEG image format.


La decisione presa al termine del consiglio federale della Figc. Galliani: "Siamo soddisfatti, il sistema calcio ha retto". Via libera al sistema dei play off e play out per la serie B. Alla fine il giallo del Napoli si Ã¨ risolto.


Airline adds $500 million to earlier estimate

United Airlines said it will need to cut more than $1 billion from its annual costs, a much higher figure than previous estimates.


GHAZNI, Afghanistan  - Afghan President Hamid  Karzai campaigned on Tuesday for the first time since an  assassination attempt last month, telling thousands of  supporters that a historic vote in four days would be a turning  point for the war-torn nation.


The Lebanese army resumes shelling militants inside a Palestinian refugee camp near the city of Tripoli.


Witness Blames Milosevic at Hitmen Trial

A court trying alleged hitmen accused of targeting Slobodan Milosevic's opponents heard testimony Tuesday from the son of a former Serbian president who disappeared while jogging in 2000.


Dow Jones +0.15% arriva a nuovo record, Nasdaq +0.55%


Rudy Giuliani, to quote a Democratic rival, would be like President Bush on steroids in the way he would go about protecting the U.S. from terrorists.


Sgominata organizzazione criminale italo-romena


Kvitfjell, 11:10 - SCI, CDM; SUPERCOMBINATA KVITFJELL: CUCHE AL COMANDO

Lo svizzero Didier Cuche è al comando della supercombinata di coppa del mondo di Kvitfjell, u...


SINGAPORE -- Crude oil prices climbed back above the key $50 mark in Asian trade today,creeping close to an all-time high. After settling at $49.


Sanyo, Olympus and Pentax have introduced waterproof camera/camcorders that come surf-ready.


Passi in avanti da parte della sperimentazione


Sri Lanka military, rebels say clashes kill dozens

Sri Lanka's military said on Saturday troops captured rebel positions in the island's northwest killing 20 rebels, while rebels said they had killed 20 soldiers in the latest clashes in the civil war.


DaVita Buys U.S. Kidney Clinics for $3 Bln

DaVita Inc. DVA.N agreed to buy the  U.S. kidney-care clinics of Sweden's Gambro AB GAMBb.ST for  $3.05 billion in a deal that would make it the top dialysis  services company in the United States.


Russia Ratifies Kyoto, Starts on Feb. 16

Russia formally ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming on Thursday, clearing the way for the environment pact to come into force in February 2005.


PLAYER OF THE GAME: Seattle's Danny Fortson scored 15 points and had 13 rebounds, one of three players from the Sonics' bench to score in double figures.


Alcoa stock hit 6-year high on takeover report

Alcoa Inc.'s  shares jumped  nearly 3 percent to a six-year-high on Monday on renewed  speculation that mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd.    has revived plans for a $40 billion takeover of the  U.S. aluminum company.


Hamas: 'stop offensive, we stop rockets'

A senior Hamas leader said Thursday launching homemade rockets at southern Israel would stop only if Israel halts its military operations.


Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gates took center stage at the world's largest technology show for the last time on Sunday and predicted that his industry was on the cusp of the next "digital decade."


Cat's gravestone fetches Â£200,000 at Sotheby's

A stone marking a pet cat's grave fetched more than Â£200,000 at Sotheby's yesterday after experts said it was a 1,100-year-old Anglo-Saxon carving.


Euro MPs reject a bid by MEPs from Nordic and Baltic states to tighten the legal definition of vodka.


Ivory Coast Cease-Fire Ends With Airstrikes Against 2 Rebel Towns

Government planes in Ivory Coast conducted bombing raids against two rebel-held towns starting shortly after sunrise on Thursday, ending a tenuous yearlong cease


Two-time All-Star Ray Boone, patriarch of a three-generation baseball family, died early Sunday following a long illness. He was 81.


The funeral takes place of historian David Rattray, renowned for leading tours of 19th Century Zulu battlefields.


Enzo Maccarinelli and David Haye will meet in an all-British title fight on 8 March.


For Division I athletes in sports like fencing, winning championships does not guarantee financial stability.


Mind-Operated Computer for Spinal Cord Injury

Dec. 6, 2004 -- A mind-operated computer may one day help people with spinal cord injuries communicate. It may sound like science fiction, but such a device already exists.


''Shark Tale'' still rules the cinema seas

Washington (dpa) - DreamWorks' animated fun film, ''Shark Tale'', continued to rule the cinema seas for a second weekend with 31.


Northern Canadians told an international commission Thursday that carbon emissions from the United States have contributed so much to global warming that they should be considered a human rights violation.


Peers express dismay that long-term solutions are not forthcoming on disposing of radioactive waste.


Japan Quake Kills 17, Aftershocks Strike Fear

OJIYA, Japan  - Dozens of aftershocks shook  northern Japan on Sunday after a powerful earthquake killed at  least 17 people and injured nearly 1,000 as houses collapsed  and landslides devastated a village, stranding hundreds.


Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of mil lions of dollars in federal grants, according to a study released by a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce teen pregnancies.


Mortgage crisis could hit economy: Fed's Kroszner

Turmoil stemming from subprime mortgage delinquencies could dampen demand for homes and ultimately slow U.S. economic growth, Federal Reserve Governor Randall Kroszner said on Thursday.


'Franzoni accusÃ² la vicina di averle ucciso il figlio'

Annamaria Franzoni "ha mentito varie volte all'autoritÃ  giudiziaria" e, durante un interrogatorio davanti al pm, "ha accusato Daniela Ferrod del delitto". Lo scrive il gup di Aosta Eugenio Gramola nelle motivazioni


Once against eBay, MightyBids.com now on it

NEW YORK -- You might call it the ultimate full-circle moment: Two guys fed up with paying eBay listing fees are now selling their own alternative to the online auction business -- on eBay.


It's been 14 years since first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's health care reform plan sank like a stone, swallowed by fears of a big-government power grab. In the years since, wary presidential candidates at first avoided the issue altogether, then gingerly dipped one toe, then another, back into the pool.


âWalk Hard: The Dewey Cox Storyâ has a good beat and you can dance to it, though mostly youâll probably just tap your foot.


Tory leader will unveil new shadow cabinet to take on Gordon Brown's team of ministers.


US Vetoes UN Measure Demanding Israel Leave Gaza

The United States on Tuesday vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate end to Israeli military operations in the Gaza strip that have cost some 68 Palestinian lives.


CIA deputy forced out in intelligence shake-up

ISN SECURITY WATCH (29/12/04) - The CIA suffered another blow yesterday, when its deputy director for intelligence decided to step down, as a part of the Bush administration's effort to shake up the elite espionage outfit.


GAZA CITY: Israeli troops killed five Palestinians yesterday as tanks pushed into the southern Gaza Strip in search of militants behind mortar and rocket fire on Jewish settlements.


Popular networking portal MySpace in fashion makeover

As Paris wound up a frenetic fortnight of fashion shows, hip social networking site MySpace announced the launch of a new fashion channel offering a showcase for designers and fashion makeovers for users.


A SERIES of powerful earthquakes, including an initial tremor measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, has killed 15 people and injured more than 700 people in central Japan.


Walking on thin ice? The terms of Microsoft's End User License Agreement (EULA) for its upcoming Vista operating system raises the conflict between two fundamental principles of contract law. The first, and more familiar, is that parties to a contract can generally agree to just about anything, as long as what they agree to doesn't violate the law and isn't "unconscionable".â¦


Last day of global warming talks in Paris

Running well behind schedule, top global warming experts huddled Thursday for a last day of talks with bureaucrats from more than 100 countries on a closely watched report that could influence government and business policy worldwide.


UPDATE 1-Ronaldinho strikes to give Barca win over Milan

A brilliant late strike from Ronaldinho gave dominant Barcelona a 2-1 win over AC Milan in an epic Champions League contest at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.


Briefly: Gateway says, hold on to your hard drive

roundup Plus: Kinko's debuts Web-based print options...Majoras takes charge of FTC...Business Objects to bundle IBM tools.


I nerazzurri si giocano con il Basilea l`ingresso in Champions ...

L`Inter si gioca questa sera una buona metÃ  della stagione: a San Siro contro il Basilea (Canale 5, ore 21), nel ritorno dei preliminari di Champions League, lotterÃ  per l`accesso alla fase a gironi del torneo piÃ¹ prestigioso d`Europa.


ASX, Euronext may be eyeing LSE stake: source

NYSE Euronext  and  Australia's ASX Ltd  may be interested in buying part  of Nasdaq Stock Market Inc's  31 percent stake in  London Stock Exchange Plc , a person familiar with the  matter said on Monday.


Fourth-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela advanced to the semifinals of the Mexican Open on Thursday, beating sixth-seeded Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-5.


EU leaves door open for Iran talks, agrees to UN sanctions

The European Union has left open the door to talks with Iran on its nuclear programme, even as the bloc agreed to adopt UN sanctions to punish Tehran for failing to stop sensitive atomic activities.


Raphael Stolot's Blog: Teaching the Zend REST server to talk JSON

Raphael Stolot has posted a guide for those developers using the REST component of the Zend Framework to get it up and running, but transmitting JSON messages instead.   As I was unhappy that the Zend Framework REST server per default only responds in POX(Plain old XML), a bend over from XML to the 'fat-free' JSON format was favoured to reduce the client sided parsing effort. The first part of this article will guide you through the creation of the responsive part of a RESTful public API and continue to travel the path to achieve the articles purpose.   He starts with a brief overview of what a RESTful resource would look like and a sample structure before getting into the code. Then, it's on to the structure of the service, including the config file settings. Next comes to logic behind the service - in this case it's a service to get the list of albums from a "shelf". The response from this is an XML document (from the Zend_Service component) that he pushes through a custom JSON package to output a fully formatted JSON message of the same information.


Baseball steroid report raises fresh questions

The report exposing widespread use of steroids in Major League Baseball raised more questions about the depth of the problem in America's pastime and aroused concerns on Friday about the credibility of its evidence.


Brendan Shanahan struck the first blow against shaky Dominik Hasek and the rest of his former Detroit teammates.


A beachside guest house owned by Tiger Woods was destroyed by fire Friday.


PhiladelphiaâOver the span of his decades-long career, Bruce Springsteen concerts have had a comforting sameness in some very important respects: the thousands of adoring fans, the easy, between-songs conversational charm, the chants of his name, the


ATHENS - The single best women's basketball player in the world might be debatable, but there's no doubt about the team. The United States reinforced its dominance Saturday with a 74-63 win over Australia


Gamers Get a Look at PlayStation Portable

Sony's upcoming gaming device earns mostly positive reviews from the crowd.


IBM to Announce Breakthrough Caching Innovation at ISSCC

This morning, IBM confirmed to BetaNews that later this afternoon, its engineers are scheduled to demonstrate their own concept chip, which will utilize an embedded memory architecture for caching.  The company is saying it could double the performance of existing 65 nm processors and future generations by tripling its cache memory capacity and perhaps increase the throughput of that memory tenfold.


MySpace Struggles To Balance Privacy and Safety

As the online networking site MySpace is discovering to its chagrin, there is ancient wisdom to the Arab saying, "Do not allow a camel to put his nose under the edge of your tent, for soon you will be sleeping with a camel." The problem for MySpace right now is that its tent is surrounded by fifty camels, otherwise known as the attorneys general of the various states.


Udinese, 20:13 - CALCIO, UDINESE: IAQUINTA QUASI RECUPERATO PER MESSINA

Allenamento quotidiano per l'Udinese in vista dell'esordio di domenica prossima a messina. Migliora ...


Confusion Reigns Following the Abdication of Cambodian King

Tired, frustrated and sick, King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia said Thursday that he would give up the throne he has held, off and on, for more than half a century, throwing his nation into confusion and doubt.


Did Music, Movie Labels Attack Pirate Site?

Swedish police are weighing charges for alleged efforts to disrupt Pirate Bay file-sharing site.


After undergoing follow-up surgery on his right wrist this offseason, inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi has returned to full health.


Indonesia rejects offer to send British Gurkhas

London (IANS) British Prime Minister Tony Blair s offer to Indonesia to send a company of Royal Gurkhas to assist in the post-tsunami reconstruction efforts has been rejected.


US financial regulators have requested information from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway group as part of a probe into certain insurance products.


Cisco, Microsoft demo network security cooperation

Cisco and Microsoft will announce plans to roll out an early beta program for certain customers who want to test the new products.


Powell to Resign; Rice Is Seen as Likely Successor

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said today that he would resign as soon as a successor was confirmed, and administration officials said that President Bush was expected


UPDATE 1-Barrichello ready to end Brazilian jinx

Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello aims to shake off a decade-long jinx after seizing pole position at his home Brazilian Grand Prix for the second year in a row on Saturday.


Malnutrition is key to half of deaths among Africa's under-fives

More than half of African children who die before the age of five are malnourished, a top African Health Organisation (AHO) official said at a west African regional meeting on nutrition.


Hackers Spread Malware With 'Hilary Clinton' Spam

Researchers this week reported a spam run that tried to trick users into downloading a Trojan horse posing as a video of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.


Two US scientists win the Nobel Prize for Medicine for uncovering the secrets of the human sense of smell.


Scientists working in Kenya believe that malaria is helping the spread of Aids across Africa - and vice versa.


(InfoWorld) - A U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) wiretapping program can continue while President George Bush's administration appeals a ruling by a Michigan judge who said the program was illegal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in an order released Wednesday, said the Bush administration successfully argued that the program would be irreparably harmed if it were shut down pending the government's appeal of the earlier ruling. On Aug. 17,Â Judge Anna Diggs Taylor of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ruled that the program, used to wiretap telephone and Internet traffic without court-issued warrants, was illegal and should be halted immediately. The NSA program has allegedly listened in on U.S. residents' conversations with people who have suspected terrorism links. Several lawsuits have targeted the NSA program. In addition to the Michigan lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and others, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and other groups have brought lawsuits being heardÂ in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. A judge thereÂ has ruled against the U.S. government and AT&T Inc., which had requested the EFF case be thrown out. In the Michigan appeal, a three-judge panel issued a two-page ruling Wednesday, saying simply the Bush administration's arguments had met the standard for a stay of Taylor's ruling. Among the panel's considerations were the likelihood the Bush administration could win on appeal, whether the program and the U.S. government would be irreparably harmed, and the public interest, the judges wrote.


DAILY  * Exhibit. If you like history and The Lost Colony, you must see the new exhibit, "You Will Be Remembered: A Lost Colony Retrospective," at the Outer Banks History Center at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo.


Blog: The National Hockey League agrees to allow Slingbox users to clip and share live and recorded hockey games.


There is a growing sense that John Kerry's campaign has reached a tipping point. The watershed moment was a sharply worded and highly publicized speech attacking George Bush's policy on Iraq on Sept.


GP Qatar: pole provvisoria di Dovizioso nelle 125 cc

Quattro italiani nelle prime quattro posizioni. E` questo il verdetto della prime prove ufficiali del GP del Qatar, classe 125 cc. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) ha conquistato la prima piazza, davanti a Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia) e Simone Corsi (Honda).


By EUGENE TONG\\ Staff Writer  GLENDALE -- A proposed fee for developers that could raise up to $200 million for new parks, open space and libraries over the next two decades is on hold after the City Council deferred to builders' concerns that it is too much, too soon.


The Logitech Harmony 1000 universal remote gives you one-click control over everything from your DVD player to your door locks. In Gear Factor.


Space station gets power upgrade after spacewalk

Two astronauts slipped outside the   International Space Station on Tuesday for a high-flying   construction job to double the power available aboard the   orbital outpost.


UPDATE 2-Marshall lifts Kiwis to emotional win

Hamish Marshall scored an unbeaten 50 to lead New Zealand to an emotional four-wicket win over Australia with two balls to spare in the first match of the inaugural Chappell-Hadlee one-day series on Sunday.


Mount St. Helens, the volcano that blew its top with cataclysmic force in 1980, erupted for the first time in 18 years Friday, belching a huge column of white steam and ash after days of rumblings.


Music giants launch digital platform in Russia

Two of the world's biggest music giants  and two Russian record labels launched a wholesale digital  distribution platform in Russia on Thursday, a market dominated  by piracy across the entire entertainment industry.


Milano, 23:11 - CALCIO, RONALDO: ROTTO TENDINE ROTULEO, CARRIERA A RISCHIO

Dopo l'infortunio subÃ¬to durante la partita Milan-Livorno, recupero della 16a giornata di seri A fin...


Hubie Brown retires due to health-related issues

Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Hubie Brown addressed the media Friday, one day after announcing his retirement as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.


Once Again, London Britches Falling Down

Britain's homeland security czar, one of the most powerful members of Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, is embroiled in a political sex scandal with his former mistress that threatens to torpedo his career.


Democratic Governors Want Outsider to Lead

Democratic governors, determined to grab control of their party, said Thursday they will jointly support moderate candidates from outside Washington to lead the Democrats.


EU Expects Turkey to Initial Deal on Cyprus Friday

The European Union expects Turkey to  initial an accord on Friday giving Cyprus de facto recognition  and sign it before Ankara opens EU membership talks on Oct. 3,  2005, a draft final summit statement said on Friday.


Sizzling Fresh and Ready to Lead Twins in Playoffs

ON GARDENHIRE sounded as if he were in ecstasy. Asked for his favorite Santana moment, he instantly recalled a recent game against Baltimore.


'Taglio e' in programma Unione, si fara' il prima possibile'


People in the Indonesian province of Aceh are to vote in elections as part of a peace deal with separatist rebels.


Blast kills 66 in Baghdad Shiite district

A huge car bomb exploded Saturday at a bustling outdoor market in a Shiite district of Baghdad, killing at least 66 people and injuring about 100. It was the deadliest attack since the new national unity government took office six weeks ago and one of the biggest this year.


Head injury steroids harmful for patients

Anti-inflammatory drugs that have been used for 30 years to treat serious head injuries are harming rather than helping patients, researchers said on Friday.


Houston Has a Problem with Rain at ATP Masters Cup

The rain-plagued ATP year-end event, the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston, got wet again Wednesday as play has yet to begin as of 3:30 pm EST.


As 64,606 of America's most indomitable sports fans sloshed through the slush on the way to their $30 parking rinks, Marvin Lewis pulled aside his public relations man to add something he'd neglected to say in the press conference.


Until a review has taken place An open letter to government from the doctors' association calls for a halt to the roll out of summary care records until a review has taken place.â¦


Man charged with knife at Clinton office

A man with a knife was arrested inside a campaign headquarters of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton in Decorah in northeast Iowa, police said Wednesday.


If you've ever suffered through a case of the whirlies, then you have a good sense of last night's MTV Video Music Awards.


Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt pleads for leniency when he is sentenced for his part in the 1993 Mumbai bombings.


Saddam gets state lawyers as defense snubs trial

Saddam Hussein was back in court in   Baghdad on Monday, five days after a new chief judge ejected   him from his genocide trial, but the ousted president's lawyers   boycotted the proceedings.


Defendant in plot trial sees threat, quits stand

LONDON -- A British Muslim man accused of plotting to carry out a series of deadly bombings refused to resume testifying at his trial yesterday, a day after saying he feared for his family's safety in Pakistan.


Federer is the first since Sampras to truly be king

NEW YORK - Wouldn't you know it. On Monday, Roger Federer awoke from three hours of fitful sleep feeling sick. His nasal passages were almost as congested as Times Square, where he spent part of the morning


Amazon.com Inc posted a decline in  profit margins on Wednesday as the impact of its discounting  overshadowed quarterly earnings and a sales forecast that  topped Wall Street targets.


ASIA/FILIPPINE - Un Rapporto Onu accusa lÂesercito filippino di complicitÃ  nella lunga scia di esecuzioni sommarie Manila (Agenzia Fides) - LÂesercito filippino Ã¨ sotto pressione dellÂopinione pubblica: il rapporto di un inviato dellÂOnu, il prof. Philip Alston, accusa infatti i militari di essere responsabili di larga parte degli omicidi di giornalisti, attivist...


Daniel Pearl family asks Cheney not to use reporter's name

The family of Daniel Pearl, a US journalist who was beheaded in Pakistan two years ago, urged US politicians not to use the reporter's name for political reasons after Vice President Dick Cheney invoked Pearl's name during a campaign event.


A 14-year-old girl critically injured in a "frenzied" knife attack may have been stabbed "up to 30 times".


Two U.S. soldiers were killed in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Sunday, the U.S. military said on Monday.


After finishing their two-game series against the Jaguars with a split, the Colts realize they have a new rival in the tough AFC South.


Wildfires spark emergency declaration by California governor

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared an emergency in wildfire-ravaged Ventura County near Los Angeles as a set of blazes scorched the tinder-dry state.


Beacon Roofing Supply Inc. saw its shares jump nearly 22 percent in its first day of trading Thursday after the company priced its initial public offering at the midpoint of its expected $12 to $14 price range.


US Planes Pound Najaf After 'Final Call' to Sadr

NAJAF, Iraq  - US warplanes pounded areas near a shrine early Friday where radical Shi'ite militiamen were holed up after their leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, defied a final demand from Iraq's interim prime minister to disarm.


US jets target terrorist leaders in Fallujah, doctors say ...

British hostage Kenneth Bigley, who pleaded tearfully last month for Prime Minister Tony Blair to meet his kidnappers' demands, was beheaded by his captors, a witness who saw the videotaped killing said Friday.


Untitled NAJAF - Rebel fighters streamed out of this city's revered shrine yesterday and carted away their weapons on pushcarts covered with blankets, a day after Iraq's most respected cleric brokered a truce to end their bloody three-week battle with US and Iraqi forces.


Sevendust Lands New Label, Stops at Warehouse on Tour

To celebrate a new beginning on a new label, Sevendust has gone back to the top of an alphabet. "Alpha," the sixth studio album from the Atlanta band, hits stores on March 6, and the group's Tuesday stop at the Warehouse, 2548 S. First St., is one of 57 headlining tour dates to support it.


Two young pastors from California started an online ministry, XXXChurch.com, to battle what they see as a scourge on modern society: Internet pornography.


Fitness vibrations trendy, perhaps risky

What if you could burn fat while shaking a martini?


Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Dec. 31-Jan. 6. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.


Julianne Moore has a loving new way to help struggling kids in America: Send a valentine.


Gas jumps over $3 in parts of two states

Gasoline prices have jumped above $3 a gallon in some parts of California and Hawaii, and may hit that level other parts of the country when the busy summer driving season approaches. "It kills me," said Gloria Nunez, 53, as she filled her Ford Explorer SUV at a San Jose gas station. Nunez, a clerk for a communications company, has started working a couple hours of overtime each week to help soften the blow.


HK government set to petition release of democrat jailed in China

HONG KONG : The Hong Kong government is interceding with the mainland authorities for the release of a legislator who was arrested and jailed in Guangdong.


Air China, the biggest and last of China's three large airlines to list on the stock market, prices its float near the top of its  target range.


Four jailed for botched "al Qaeda" London bomb plot

Four men were jailed for 40 years each on Wednesday for attempting to carry out suicide bombings on London's transport system, a plot said to be part of an al Qaeda planned series of attacks on the British capital.


Mrs. Edwards comfortable with gay unions

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, kicked off San Francisco's annual gay pride parade Sunday by splitting with her husband over support for legalized gay marriage.


Steven Gerrard will captain England in Wednesday's friendly against Switzerland, the first match under new coach Fabio Capello.


Britney Spears, shaved bald, gets a new tattoo

Pop star Britney Spears sported a newly shaved head when she dropped by a Los Angeles tattoo parlor and quickly drew a crowd.


Tonnes of Iraqi explosives missing: UN agency

Enough explosives to fill almost 40 trucks are missing from a former Iraqi military facility, the UN nuclear agency confirmed Monday.


The five-hour afternoon drive time radio show hosted by Marie Osmond has been canceled by its national syndication company.


Cluster Opens a New Window on 'Magnetic Reconnection'

Plasma physicists have made an unprecedented measurement in their study of the Earth's magnetic field.


Rocky Road: Planet hunting gets closer to Earth

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


Russia says new hitch over Iran's Bushehr

Russia said on Friday it was likely to postpone talks in Tehran over the construction of a nuclear power station, a project that has been caught up in an international standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions.


U.S. News & World Report - When President Bush made the surprising decision to re-enlist Treasury Secretary John Snow in his cabinet, investors took that as a sign of the administration's "two dollar policy." In other words, Wall Street thinks the White House will talk about wanting a strong dollar but won't do much to keep the greenback from sliding further.


The flu vaccine shortage that's stirred worries here and abroad could look mild compared to another public health crisis that might be waiting in the wings.


A recovery in resource stocks and some star performances from smaller companies have helped the Australian share market back into the black today.


Mexican cement giant Cemex SA is buying British-based RMC Group PLC, the world's biggest supplier of ready mixed concrete, in a deal worth some 2.3 billion pounds (US$4.


THE NEWS: The Supreme Court considered whether state medical marijuana laws might be abused by people who aren't really sick, as the court heard arguments Monday on whether the federal government can prosecute patients who smoke pot. Justices will rule before next summer.


Roma, 19:23 - CALCIO, AGENTE BRIGHI: E' PRONTO PER LA PIAZZA DI ROMA

Vanni Puzzolo, agente del centrocampista della Roma, Matteo Brighi, ha rivelato le intenzioni del su...


Japan Quake Survivors Face Rain, Aftershocks

Thousands of weary survivors of Japan's deadliest earthquake in a decade prepared for a third tense night in makeshift shelters and outside as rain threatened


Greenspan-Aged Population to Hit Finances

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo.  - An aging U.S. population  will strain public finances and hurt the economy without swift  fixes to the social safety net, such as raising the age for  full retirement benefits, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan  Greenspan said Friday.


NFL Wrap: Manning Near Record as Colts Beat Texans

Peyton Manning continued to close in  on the NFL record for single season touchdown passes on Sunday,  firing two TD strikes as the Indianapolis Colts eased past the  Houston Texans 23-14 to clinch the division title.


British hostage begs Blair to call off Iraq redeployment

DOHA, Qatar -- Kidnapped British aid worker Margaret Hassan begged Prime Minister Tony Blair in a video aired Friday to save her life by scrapping the planned redeployment of British troops and pulling them out of Iraq.


The UN Security Council has voted to impose a 13-month arms embargo on the Ivory Coast. Battles between government and rebel forces in the troubled African nation prompted the intervention


Governor: Len Munsil, former head of an advocacy group for Christian conservatives, won the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, who was unopposed in her primary. Munsil's opponents included Don Goldwater, nephew of the late Barry Goldwater, former senator and presidential candidate.


The U.S. government is rushing relief supplies to Guyana, the U.S. ambassador said Saturday, after heavy rains and flooding that have killed at least six people and displaced thousands of others.


Sorry, e-book fans, whoever you are. You will be able to read the new Harry Potter on paper, listen to it, probably purchase it in Braille. But don't expect to download the text — at least legally.


Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign predicted Friday that his April-June fundraising would fall short of the $20 million he raised in the first quarter of the year, lowering expectations in a tight race for financial prominence.


Help can't arrive quickly enough for millions affected by Asian ...

BANGKOK - With the staggering numbers of dead and injured from the tsunami that struck South and Southeast Asia last weekend continuing to rise, the tragedy is quickly turning into one of the worst natural disasters in modern history.


Yukos's Biggest Production Unit Gets $951 Million Tax Bill

Russia's Tax Ministry yesterday charged OAO Yuganskneftegaz, the biggest production unit of OAO Yukos Oil Co., with 27.8 billion rubles ($951 million) in unpaid taxes for 2002, a Yukos official said.


Winners, Losers in Digital TV Transition

NEW YORK -- TV's big switch from analog to digital broadcasts will be complete in just one year, on Feb. 17, 2009, and many consumers are puzzling over how the shift will affect them: Do they need a new converter box, a new TV, a better antenna?


Smoking in public places and places of work is now banned in all of Britain with England's entrance into an ever-expanding club of nations that bar the habit.


La Bce lancia l'allarme sui conti pubblici di molti paesi di Eurolandia. Nel Bollettino di ottobre diffuso oggi dalla Banca Centrale Europea si sottolinea che ''le piÃ¹ recenti informazioni sugli andamenti


Two Misplaced Souls Decide They Might as Well Live

Love doesn't just hurt in this jagged German romance about two strangers with suicidal tendencies; it cuts and bleeds and even kills.


The United States called the situation in Sudan "troubling" in the wake of Khartoum's vow to ask the African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur to leave while massing its own troops in the region.


Hu: Deng sets a glorious example for people

Chinese President Hu Jintao said Sunday late leader Deng Xiaoping has set a shining example for the people through his unremitting efforts to struggle for the Chinese nation, his indelible contributions to the Party and his noble moral character as a


Ernest Hemingway fans wrap up a five-day celebration Sunday, commemorating both the author's literary prowess and his vigorous lifestyle.


Bidding begins in an auction for a 7.6% government-held stake in Russian oil giant Lukoil.


Manu Ginobili poured in 23 points and Tim Duncan contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs eased to a 103-84 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Monday, reclaiming the league's best record.


You'd have to be a nostalgic boomer, a hopeless romantic or Paul McCartney to fall completely in love with "Across the Universe" and all its indulgences and idiosyncrasies.


Si pensa a eccidi settari degli squadroni della morte


Delta to Cut Up to 7,000 Jobs in 18 Months

ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines will cut up to 7,000 jobs, reduce wages and pull back at its Dallas-Fort Worth airport hub as part of a sweeping restructuring plan that could still leave it vulnerable to bankruptcy.    The job cuts representing about 10 percent of its overall work force will come over the next 18 months, Delta chief executive Gerald Grinstein said Wednesday during a meeting with 300 of the company's middle managers...


Japanese car giant Honda is set to announce a major expansion of its Swindon plant, a report says.


By Donovan Slack and Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff | October 27, 2004. Two officers who fired pepper-pellet guns near where a 21-year-old college student was fatally shot last week were not trained to use the


Deutsche Bank holds five pct of own shares

Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest bank, said it has amassed 5.006 percent of its own shares by way of a big share buy-back programme.


Diffuse dalla Commissione di Bruxelles le previsioni economiche per i prossimi mesiL'Italia mantiene il suo +1,9 per cento, rivista al ribasso dello 0,1 l'espansione europea                                          Crescita, l'Ue conferma stime su Pil italiano leggero calo in vista invece per l'Eurozona


Carlos Delgado was not offered salary arbitration by the Toronto Blue Jays before Tuesday's midnight deadline, leaving one of the biggest stars in franchise history to look for a new team.


Defence chiefs will consider the case of an injured Sheffield soldier as they review compensation payouts.


Snooker: 'Rocket' Ronnie at maximum speed

Former world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan fired a maximum 147 break in the final frame to seal a 9-8 win over Mark Selby in the UK Championship semi-final on Saturday.


Australia's Howard Says His Government Will Win Oct. 9 Election

Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who led the conservative Liberal-National coalition to power in 1996, said his government would win an election on Oct. 9. ``I think we'll make


Cosmetics giant Avon is to cut 2,400 jobs as part of its multi-year restructuring programme.


Juncker renamed Eu finance group head 7:00 Am Et

Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker was reelected Friday as head of the group of euro-zone finance ministers and pledged to step up consultations with the European Central Bank.


Nikkei Ends Up, LCD Stock Gain, Drugs Off

Tokyo's Nikkei average finished slightly higher on Monday as gains in liquid crystal display-related firms (LCD), such as Nitto Denko Corp., and in metal and oil companies offset losses in drug makers.


Cattle Prices Rise as US Finds No Evidence of Mad Cow Disease

Cattle prices in Chicago rose to a nine-week high after the US found no evidence of mad cow disease from an animal suspected of having the ailment, the third false alarm since the first case was reported in December.


More than 300 new jobs are being created by an Antrim-based firm which makes double glazing.


S.Korea Probe Suggests No Infiltration from North

DONGDUCHON, South Korea  - South Korea said  Tuesday an investigation into a hole found cut in a border  fence along the Demilitarised Zone frontier with North Korea  did not suggest infiltration from the communist country.


Market down on recession woes but Fed cut helps

Recession worries pushed U.S. stocks lower on Tuesday, but the decline was shallower than feared at first as an emergency interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve helped to ease investor fears and stabilize global markets.


A goal to end the search for human remains at the World Trade Center site by the fall is not realistic, and the effort will continue "for the foreseeable future," a city official said Tuesday.


Presidential campaign gathers steam in final stretch to November 2

President George W. Bush and challenger John Kerry traded blows over Iraq and taxes as they scrambled for votes in the final week of their presidential race.


Lebanese Vent Wrath on Syria at Hariri's Funeral

At least 150,000 Lebanese turned the  funeral of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri on Wednesday  into an outpouring of public anger against Syria, blamed by  opposition leaders for the bomb that killed him.


Earlier this month, 17 Virginia Military Institute cadets awoke and strapped on rucksacks to begin another day of walking the 84 miles to the town of New Market. The foot-blistering journey wasn't a punishment or a training exercise. Each member of the group, retracing their school's most celebrated march, considered it an honor.


Best Software strategizes for midmarket dominance

For a company that owns two of the most widely used midmarket software packages for sales and contact management, Best Software Inc. has been a fairly low-key competitor in the market over the past few years.


Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Tice said yesterday that there are only two or three college coaching jobs that might lure him away from the NFL.


The official month-long campaign for Afghanistan's first-ever direct presidential election since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban, has opened.


Scopus Wins Prestigious Award at 2007 CSTB Conference

TEL AVIV, Israel, February 21  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Scopus Video Networks Ltd. , a provider of digital video networking products, announced today that it was awarded "For Popularity" CSTB Award.


OPEC agrees to cut surplus output to defend high prices

CAIRO  - OPEC oil producers agreed to reduce crude supplies by one million barrels a day from the beginning of next year in a bid to curb a sharp slide in oil prices from record high levels.


Republicans narrowed the gap in party allegiance among registered voters during the past election year.


The chief executive and chief  financial officer of U.S. mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae  stepped down late on Tuesday after regulators exposed  accounting errors that are expected to force a massive earnings  restatement.


Obama pledges new generation of leadership

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois  - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, citing the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, pledged on Saturday to bridge the partisan gridlock in Washington, end the war in Iraq and transform American politics as the first black U.S. president.


Universal Pictures has come up with an unusual plan to try to fill theaters when its film "Peaceful Warrior" opens later this month: the company is giving away $15 million worth of free tickets.


Oil price dip propels stocks to mixed finish

Wall Street ended an otherwise strong week with a mixed finish yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 22.93, or 0.23 percent, to 10,027.


NYT move to block Web to Britons raises questions

A New York Times decision to block   British online readers from seeing a story about London   terrorism suspects raises new questions on restricting the flow   of information in the Internet age, legal and media experts   say.


Gov bets video game ban can survive courts

With five youngsters in the house, state Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago) already uses a blocking mechanism on his television to protect little eyes and ears from inappropriate material.


Woodward tips Wilkinson to captain England

Former England coach Sir Clive Woodward has tipped Jonny Wilkinson to be England's next captain after Lawrence Dallaglio's resignation.


India welcomes Myanmar military strongman who sacked its premier

The world's largest democracy India welcomed Myanmar's army strongman General Than Shwe, who arrived on an official visit days after sacking his prime minister in what was seen as a bid to promote military hardliners.


Hendry dismisses talk of grudge-carrying umps

Baseball's executive vice president Sandy Alderson insisted last month that the Cubs, disciplined for an assortment of run-ins with umpires, would not be targeted the rest of the season by umpires who might hold a grudge.


Condanna a morte per l'assassino della Cutuli

Reza Khan, 29 anni, accusato di essere l'assassino di Maria Grazia Cutuli e di altri tre giornalisti stranieri Ã¨ stato oggi condannato a morte da un tribunale di Kabul. Maria Grazia Cutuli, inviata del "Corriere


Argentine Protesters Want Mayor to Resign

Argentines irate over perceived security lapses in a nightclub fire that killed 188 people, many of them teenagers, banged pots and pans in protest Monday and vowed to march against city officials.


Toshiba drops price of HD DVD players as format war continues

In a sign the high-definition format war is far from over, Toshiba on Monday dropped the suggested retail price of its entry-level HD DVD player to under $150. That puts the HD-A3 $250 cheaper than Sony's PlayStation 3.


Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Thursday he was unaware that a federal judge had ruled last week that lethal injection procedures in his home state were unconstitutional.


Unable to settle into a rhythm, sophomore quarterback Jordan Palmer resembled a wide-eyed freshman, squeamish about playing under the lights.


A federal judge Wednesday threw out the Bush administration's policy on logging and mining on 49 million acres of national forests, The New York Times said. Judge Elizabeth LaPorte of the U.S.


Viacom Inc. on Thursday named Joel Hollander as chairman and chief executive officer of its Infinity radio unit in a shake-up of top management that comes as it tries to boost business amid an industry-wide slump.


Taranto, 17:42 - CALCIO, TARANTO-GALLIPOLI: SEQUESTRATA SCATOLA CON PETARDI

Una scatola contenente petardi è stata sequestrata dagli agenti della Digos di Taranto sugli ...


Hostage death raises stakes in Nigerian oil crisis

The death of a British hostage in Nigeria's oil-producing south in a shootout between kidnappers and troops raises the stakes for oil workers but is unlikely to change much for the industry, security experts said on Thursday.


Candidates Rush Into Final Stretch in Iowa

Dropping their uplifting holiday ads, the candidates returned to aggressive campaigning for the caucuses.


When WebMethods Inc. looked at tiny California technology firm Infravio Inc. as an acquisition candidate, the Fairfax company knew that Infravio's product would be a perfect fit for its software suite. But the real head-turner about the 65-person start-up was the location of its employees: 50...


Japanâs once vaunted electronics industry has downsized to survive global competition, and is inadvertently setting off a brain drain.


Council approve any "preventive" war, which was not the case when the United States invaded Iraq. organized crime. It criticised UN bodies, from the Security Council to the Human Rights Commission and proposed the world body.


Emerson Electric Co., a maker of electrical energy regulation products, said Friday that chief executive David N. Farr will succeed chairman Charles F. Knight, who is retiring.


Daily Traffic to Video Sharing Sites Nearly Double

The audience for video sharing Web sites has risen sharply in the past year, with almost half of online adults logging onto such sites, according to a study.


Roma, 12:52 - CALCIO, CHAMPIONS-ROMA; SPALLETTI: SORTEGGIO BELLO E STIMOLANTE

Roma contro il Lione negli ottavi di Champions League. Questo il commento di Luciano Spalletti: ''e'...


European human rights watchdog urges Yanukovych to concede

Europe's human rights watchdog on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to accept defeat in Ukraine's presidential elections, while the apparent winner, Western-leaning reformer Viktor Yushchenko, said his first mission


Cesar Gutierrez, a Venezuelan shortstop who set a major league record for consecutive hits in an extra-inning game with seven while playing with the Detroit Tigers in 1970, has died. He was 61.


Russia Delivers First Shipment of Nuclear Fuel to Iran

MOSCOW. Dec. 17 -- Russia announced Monday that it has delivered an initial shipment of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, a step likely to stir alarm in Western capitals concerned about the true nature of Tehran's nuclear ambitions.


Church's Defends Purchasing Stores From Popeyes Franchisee

By Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  Mar. 5--Two days after being sued by its former sister brand,  Atlanta-based Church's Chicken said a lawsuit filed against the company by  competitor Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits is without merit.


Mercury 77, Shock 76: Mercury Forces Deciding Game

Cappie Pondexter scored a game-high 26 points, including a driving bank shot with 21 seconds to play to force a deciding fifth game in the W.N.B.A. finals.


U2 and Apple have teamed up to offer a special-edition black-and-red U2 iPod. In addition, Apple will soon make available the 400-song Complete U2 digital box set on iTunes. "iPod and iTunes look like the future to me and it's good for everybody...


Spirits, sacred stones - and how to dowse your aura

Travel: Gemma Bowes joins the mystical Society of Ley Hunters for a spiritual trip to the beautiful isle of Lundy.


A month from turning 51, Haas finished strong Friday in Atlanta in the Tour Championship by saving par on the 17th from 60 feet away in a bunker, then making a 12-foot birdie putt for a 4-under 66 and a two-shot lead over Stephen Ames.


After being peppered on the subject for several moments, the coach of the Giants just shook his head incredulously. "To be honest with you I've never heard so many questions


Il provvedimento domani all'esame dell'Aula di Montecitorio


In a largely invisible cost of the war in Iraq, nearly 800 civilians working under contract to the Pentagon have been killed and more than 3,300 hurt doing jobs normally handled by the U.S. military, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press.


DreamWorks' IPO was expected to raise more than US$812 million in the first IPO by a major movie studio in seven years. Earlier this month, the company debuted "Shark Tale," and it has become a hit generating


HOUSE prices are falling at their fastest rate for nine years, according to one of the country's most influential property studies.


British man eats dog in royal fox protest

A British artist ate a corgi dog, famous for being Queen Elizabeth II's favourite breed, in protest Tuesday after a group including her husband Prince Philip allegedly killed a fox earlier this year.


Social smoking at 50 as lethal as chain smoking at 30

A new study conducted by researchers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center suggests that a social smoker age 50 or older has a risk for developing lung cancer similar to that of a smoker under age 50 who smoked three packs a day


Hydrogen is good, but biofuels is now, says biofuel exec.


Oracle Corp  said on Wednesday  that quarterly profit rose 35 percent as new software sales  soared, beating expectations at a time when investors are  nervous that IT spending is slowing, and its shares climbed 4  percent.


TiVo ratings show film ads get watched, not skipped

Good news for film  studios: Even television viewers with the ability to skip  commercials are watching ads for movies.


Mortars Hit Central Najaf After U.S. Attacks

NAJAF, Iraq  - Several mortar bombs were heard  landing in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf on Tuesday after  Shi'ite rebels came under fierce U.S. bombardment overnight.


Viacom, FCC Reach $3.5 Million Agreement

Viacom will pay a record $3.5 million to settle dozens of federal investigations into alleged indecency on TV and the radio, and introduce delays in more live programming to help catch troublesome material before it gets on the air.


Stock Fund Inflow Jumps To $12.2 Bil      (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - Mutual fund investors reached deeper into their pockets in October to step up buying of stock and bond funds, as the market rallied and the outlook for inflation improved.


The tournamentâs youngest qualifier ever, Alexis Thompson, 12, joins a field of 24 teens at Pine Needles.


ROUNDUP: Franchitti overcomes pit mishap for IRL win

FOUNTAIN, Colo. -- Dario Franchitti shook off a potentially dangerous pit mishap to win the IRL's Honda 225 Sunday at Pikes Peak International Raceway.


Microsoft unveils the finished version of its home-grown search engine.


E' il fenomeno del momento: nel messaggio gli spiritellihanno il volto del mittente e ballano sulle note di "Jingle Bells"                                          Boom per i piccoli elfi che danzano sono gli auguri web del Natale 2007                                                                                di RITA CELI


Blog: Live updates from Apple CEO Steve Jobs' keynote speech at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.


President Bush sought Thursday to defend his record on fighting terrorism in the wake of a bleak intelligence assessment as he flew South on a campaign outing with the midterm elections drawing near.


Processo Juve: arringa difensiva chiede assoluzione Giraudo

Lâ assoluzione di Antonio Giraudo eâ stata chiesta oggi dallâ avvocato Paolo Trofino al processo per la somministrazione di farmaci ai giocatori bianconeri. Secondo il legale, lâ accusa di frode sportiva


Gov. war gamers hack servers to stay ahead

Mock cyberwar turns devious Participants in US government-run cyberwar games tried to cheat - by hacking into the games. The shenanigans prompted organisers to send an urgent email telling the players to back off.â¦


A complete mortgage guide including daily rates. There was little doubt what former Charlottean Drew Rush would do the rest of his life.


A prehistoric sea monster that lived 400 million years ago had the most powerful bite of any known fish.


Patrick Bucklew is a New York City artist who dabbled in theft in the '80s. This is his story


McConaughey named People's hottest bachelor

Matthew McConaughey, who is regularly photographed without a shirt exercising on the beach, was named "bachelor of the year" by People magazine on Thursday.


Struggling doughnut shop chain Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. Monday reported a quarterly net loss due to weaker-than-expected sales and charges for store closings, sending its stock down 18 percent to an all-time low.


Swiss voters approve stem cell research using human embryos

GENEVA  - Two-thirds of Swiss voters approved a new law that allows medical research on stem cells taken from human embryos but bars cloning, official results from a referendum showed.


Emergency construction needed to spare the historic Bolshoi Theater in Moscow from collapse has delayed its restoration for a year, and it is not scheduled to reopen until November 2009, Reuters reported.


Dominique Canty's jumper with 6 seconds left in overtime gives Chicago an 84-82 win over San Antonio on Sunday.


Francesca Schiavone beat inexperienced Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-3 Saturday to give Italy a 1-0 lead over Belgium in the Fed Cup final.


Republicans captured a previously Democratic-held Senate seat in Georgia on Tuesday as they battled to retain control of a sharply divided US Congress, according to Fox and NBC network projections.


OATES COLUMN: White wore heart on sleeve

In a way, it was a relief when authorities in North Carolina announced that Reggie White's sudden and shocking death Sunday was due to a long- standing respiratory condition.


WORLD champion Sebastien Loeb will not be taking it easy on the Rally Catalunya after taking the lead on the first day of the event.


After a year in development, The Mozilla Foundation has finally released the full 'official' version of its already popular open-source Web browser, Firefox.


London: After setting many a hearts flutter by his theatrics on the football field England soccer captain David Beckham is all set to take a plunge in tinsel town by acting in 'Goal!


Londra, 12:08 - CALCIO: CELTIC CHIEDE PRESTITO MCFADDEN, EVERTON DICE NO

L'Everton non vuole cedere l'attaccante James McFadden al Celtic. Il club scozzese ha chiesto il pre...


A tiger attacked a six-year-old girl, waiting to have her picture taken with the animal at a zoo in southwest China, biting her head and killing her, state media said on Friday.


Second-hand smoke boosts second heart attack risk

NEW YORK  - Heart attack survivors are more likely to suffer further heart problems if they are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke, Greek researchers report.


Prime Minister Tony Blair is on his way back to the UK following a three-day trip to Africa, Downing Street confirmed tonight. Mr Blair has cut short his visit to Ethiopia - he was due to return to the UK tomorrow.


Karl Lagerfield fa sfilare dama in giardino alla Versailles


NOTTE BIANCA: VELTRONI, DA ROMA IMPEGNO PER LIBERAZIONE DELLE DUE ...

ROMA - ''Vogliamo far sentire tutta la volonta' di pace e tutto l'impegno che arriva da Roma per la liberazione delle due Simone e dei due iracheni rapiti con loro''. Lo ha detto il sindaco di Roma, Walter


NEW YORKâAn estimated 200,000 Americans snaked their way through the streets of steamy Manhattan yesterday, banging drums and chanting slogans denouncing US President George W. Bush - delivering a single, strident message.


Tennessee Squeaks Past Connecticut 68-67

Connecticut's Ann Strother missed two of three free throws with 3.9 seconds left and No. 10 Tennessee escaped with a 68-67 victory over the 15th-ranked Huskies on Saturday.


Cognos buys Sweden's Frango for US$52.2M

Ottawa's Cognos Inc. announced a US$52.2-million deal on Tuesday to acquire a Swedish maker of financial reporting software. Cognos said it will acquire Stockholm


U.S. says 30 militants killed in big Iraq offensive

U.S. and Iraqi forces killed at least 30 al Qaeda militants and found numerous weapons during the first full day of a big offensive against the Sunni Islamist group north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Wednesday.


UAW, GM settle strike with new health care deal

The United Auto Workers union on Wednesday agreed a contract with General Motors Corp ending a national strike by 73,000 workers, with a deal that includes a groundbreaking health-care trust fund.


$11.35bn by 2011, report says Worldwide advertising spend will reach $11.35bn by 2011 on mobile channels alone, according to a new report.â¦


Clinton meets sea gypsies on tsunami-hit Thai island

PHUKET, Thailand  - Former  President Bill Clinton met Thai "sea gypsies" on a tour of tsunami-hit Asian countries on Saturday and called for stepped up efforts to provide permanent homes to survivors of the 2004 disaster.


Israel is determined to keep Yasser Arafat out of Jerusalem even in death, with one Cabinet minister saying Friday that the holy city is reserved for the burial of Jewish kings, "not Arab terrorists.


Plasma whirlpools breach Earth's magnetic shield

Cluster reveals how Data returned to Earth from ESA's Cluster quartet of satellites has revealed huge swirling pools of electrified gas that are feeding into Earth's magnetosphere.â¦


South Africa beat England by 19 runs in the Super Eights clash in Cape Town.


Iozzo lascera' consiglio sorveglianza ad arrivo sostituto


As the clock keeps fatally ticking for Darfurian refugees, the Sudanese government and rebels from Darfur finally reached landmark security and humanitarian agreements yesterday.


About 80 Afghan prisoners are repatriated after being freed from US custody in Guantanamo Bay.


Nokia has signed a licensing deal to allow it to use SD memory cards in future devices, and has applied for membership of the SD Card Association.


IBM claims to treble chip speed with 'strained' breakthrough

IBM says that it has developed a technique of using 'strained germanium' which, it claims, will triple the performance of commercial chips.


Roma, 22:42 - CALCIO, COPPA ITALIA: LAZIO-NAPOLI 2-1

In una gara valida per l'andata degli ottavi di finale di coppa Italia giocata allo Stadio Olimpico ...


The SuperSonics' 103-95 victory at Philadelphia on Tuesday was a joy to watch for the true basketball fan. The Sonics tied a team single-game record for successful 3-point shots with 18 conversions in 39 attempts.


Udine, 18:39 - CALCIO, UDINESE; LEONARDI: QUAGLIARELLA RESTA CON NOI

Fabio Quagliarella non si muove da Udine. Lo ha affermato a chiare lettere all'emittente romana Tele...


Hyderabad, Dec 26: Officials of the National Geophysical Research Institute here have said that there is no reason for the people of coastal India to panic over the tremors that were felt along the coastline this morning.


Citing threat, UN bolsters unit in Congo

KINSHASA, Congo -- United Nations peacekeepers deployed an additional brigade in eastern Congo amid reports that Rwanda was threatening to attack Rwandan rebels based in its huge neighbor, UN officials said yesterday.


Library of Congress publishes historical photos on Flickr

The Library of Congress has published over 3,000 photographs from two of its most popular collections on Flickr.


Wired Iraqi man triggers scare at L.A. airport

An Iraqi national wearing wires and concealing a magnet inside his rectum triggered a security scare at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday but officials said he posed no apparent threat.


Offshoring Said to Zap Electrical Engineers' Wages

Electrical engineers have come in  for a shock: for the first time in more than three decades of  technological innovation, their salaries are dropping.


Turkish Novelist Faces Trial Over Characters' Words

ISTANBUL, Sept. 9 -- Elif Shafak, one of Turkey's leading authors, is about to have a baby -- and go on trial.


Chinese banking officials say they will not rush any moves to ease the yuan from its tight peg against the US dollar.


G20 opposes "abrupt changes" in forex, oil; sees slowdown in 2005

The finance chiefs of the Group of 20 countries oppose "abrupt changes" in foreign exchange rates and in oil prices and see a slight slowdown in economic growth next year, German Finance Minister Hans Eichel said.


Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. and DVD rental subscription company LOVEFiLM International said Monday that LOVEFiLM will acquire Amazon Europe's DVD rental business in the U.K. and Germany.


U.S.: Al Qaeda in Iraq seeks patients as bombers

Al Qaeda in Iraq is recruiting female patients at Baghdad's two psychiatric hospitals for suicide missions -- with the help of hospital staff -- according to the U.S. military.


About 400 demonstrators who plan to protest President Bush's inauguration Thursday will take their cues from a higher power -- the cellular airwaves. Turn Your Back on Bush will broadcast messages to its members via cell phone text messages.  -    washingtonpost.com


Troppi passeggeri e troppi aerei stanno mandando in tilt gli scaliIn questo modo aumentano i ritardi: il sistema rischia il collasso                                          Non c'Ã¨ piÃ¹ spazio nei cieli volare diventa piÃ¹ pericoloso                                                                                di ETTORE LIVINI


At festival, Iraqi insurgents well-versed in fervor

BAGHDAD -- Moqtada al-Sadr doesn't want his fighters in the Mahdi Army to let their fervor wane in the group's campaign to destroy US and Iraqi government troops with roadside bombs and nighttime ambushes.


Australian retailer Coles Myer intensified the battle for the ALH pubs and liquor chain yesterday, topping an offer by Woolworths with aA$1.


Davis Scores Lead in ABC's 'Soccer' Pilot

LOS ANGELES  - "Sex and the City"  alumna Kristin Davis will star in the tentatively titled ABC  drama pilot "Soccer Moms," which revolves around two suburban  housewives who team up as private investigators.


E-Voting Machine Crash Deepens Election Concerns

A computer crash that forced a pre-election test of electronic voting machines to be postponed was trumpeted by critics as proof of the balloting technology's unreliability.


U.S. Stages Fight-Back at Ryder Cup But Still Trails

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan  - The U.S. Ryder Cup  team, wounded after a first day mauling, launched a fierce  fightback on Saturday to keep their hopes alive with two wins  and a halved fourball rubber.


Heath Ledger's family arrived back in Australia on Tuesday on the final leg of the Oscar-nominated star's long journey home following his premature death last month in New York.


New EU Justice Chief Says Immigration Is Time Bomb

Immigration is a time bomb for the European Union and members must work far more closely with each other if the bloc is to control the flood of refugees, the EU's incoming Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner said.


Open-government vote marks Sunshine Week

House Democrats hope to breathe new life into open-government legislation, marking Sunshine Week with votes to protect whistle-blowers, smooth freedom of information requests and compel presidential libraries to disclose more about their donors. Efforts to shield reporters from revealing their sources are not faring so well.


Caine and Law face off in "Sleuth" rewrite

Michael Caine and Jude Law face off in Harold Pinter's rewrite of the 1972 thriller "Sleuth", with Caine starring as an older writer who enters a cat-and-mouse game with his wife's young lover.


Want to be sure it's GM-free? Buy food in Moscow

Moscow next week introduces a city-wide label to identify GM-free foods, a move ecologists hail as ground-breaking but which foreign producers say is complex and costly.


Canada sticks to WTO threat over China tourism deal

Canadian Trade Minister David Emerson  held firm on Thursday to threats to consider action against  China at the World Trade Organisation, despite talks with his  Chinese counterpart he said were broad and friendly.


Afghan authorities arrest three people after an attempt to shoot down President Karzai's helicopter on Thursday.


Prince Harry will not apologize to a paparazzi photographer he scuffled with outside a London nightclub, a royal spokesman said Saturday.


Joyce Carol Oates came away with nominations in fiction and nonfiction when the finalists for the annual National Book Critics Circle awards were announced.


Cingular Wireless Corp. promised to provide uninterrupted service to AT&amp;T Wireless customers when it acquired that company in 2004, but instead it nickel-and-dimed them and degraded their reception in an effort to persuade them to sign new contracts, a federal lawsuit said Thursday.


At a meeting of world leaders today, Ban Ki-moon said that the moment to act on climate change was now.


Anti-Syrians bury slain Lebanese MP, blame Damascus

Some 3,000 mourners chanted anti-Syrian slogans on Thursday at the funeral of a Lebanese legislator killed in a car bomb attack that deepened Lebanon's political crisis.


Chinese-made body harnesses recalled by U.S. firm

Some 60,000 Chinese-made full-body harnesses used by hunters were recalled because they could allow users to fall from tree stands and risk serious injury, a U.S. consumer agency said on Tuesday.


Stereotypes of Quiet Men, Chatty Women Not Sound Science

Across time and culture, the female predilection for chattiness and the male penchant for taciturnity have approached the status of unarguable facts. Now, two studies appear to bury these age-old stereotypes.


Swiss referendum tests virtual democracy

Swiss authorities have hailed as a success what they said was the world's first binding internet vote in a national referendum.


Il Cda, si possono migliorare obiettivi piani industriale


U.S. food stamp plan too stingy, two groups say

The Bush administration is unwilling to expand its food stamp program although 35 million Americans have trouble getting enough to eat, two policy research groups said on Thursday.


Nokia ha presentato ufficialmente il Communicator 9300, smartphone con sistema operativo Symbian e interfaccia utente Serie 80. Il 9300 ricalca alcune caratteristiche del modello 9500 annunciato lo scorso Febbraio ed in arrivo nei negozi.


Blair to announce British troop withdrawals from Iraq: reports

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was to announce on Wednesday that his country will begin withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq within weeks, according to media reports.


A car bomb exploded Monday in a middle-class residential area in Damascus, Syria, and Palestinian sources said a member of the militant group Hamas barely escaped.


Wildlife officials in Key Largo are looking into whether the discovery of a detached goat's head might be linked to the sudden death of a newborn dolphin.  Castaway, a deaf dolphin rescued off Vero Beach last year, gave birth to the healthy calf June 11 at the Maritime Mammal Conservancy.


Mike Hargrove was hired Wednesday to manage the Seattle Mariners and turn around the team after its worst season in 12 years.


UK Launches Own Case Against Cleric Sought by U.S.

British police launched their own  terrorism case Thursday against radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza  al-Masri, already jailed in London under a U.S. arrest warrant.


Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said his successors at the U.S. central bank should be cautious about cutting interest rates because of inflation risks, and he forecast home prices will drop further, according to interviews published on Sunday.


(New York-WABC, December 11, 2004) - Bernard Kerik - speaking out today, a day after announcing he's withdrawing his name from consideration to be the next head of homeland security.


Tracey Emin, Damon Albarn and Jack Vettriano have taken mobile phone photos for an exhibition in London.


An 8.2-magnitude quake off Sumatra toppled buildings and set off a tsunami alert. At least seven people were killed and 100 injured.


The enterprise minister says he wants an "urgent meeting" with managers at an aluminium plant to try to save 298 jobs there.


Ryan Drese became an instant trivia subject on Friday night, courtesy of Ichiro Suzuki. What pitcher gave up Ichiro's record-breaking 258th hit?