Samarra sees repeated attacks, British defense minister visits ...

Insurgents launched a string of assaults around the city of Samarra on Wednesday, trading gunfire with US forces, attacking a US convoy


The men are the ones with high-tech mini-bombs who test the limits of human endurance by being beaten to within an inch of their lives, only to have to chase someone through the streets of some exotic foreign ...


NEW YORK/BOSTON  - Asset manager Nuveen Investments Inc. , the industry's biggest manager of closed-end mutual funds, has agreed to a $5.75 billion buyout by an investor group led by private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, the companies said on Wednesday.


Canadians unsympathetic to plight of Conrad Black

Few in Canada have much sympathy for disgraced press baron Conrad Black, a former Canadian whose extravagant lifestyle and outspokenness set him apart from a people largely known for modesty and lack of pretension.


For one night, everything worked for the Miami Hurricanes, who finally got that signature win the program has craved for a couple of years.


The following equity and convertible debt offerings are expected this week:.


Sharon Seeks Parliament Support for Gaza Withdrawal

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seeks parliamentary approval on Monday for his plan to withdraw from the occupied Gaza Strip, the first time Israel would uproot Jewish settlements on land Palestinians want for a state.


The Mozilla Foundation (www.mozilla.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving choice and promoting innovation on the Internet, today announced the worldwide availability of the Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 email client.


Supreme Court Wonât Hear Complaint by Enron Investors

The courtâs refusal, eliminated what might have been the investorsâ only hope of recovering money lost when the energy giant collapsed.


A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday ordered ex-Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling to begin serving immediately a 24-year prison sentence after a one-day reprieve, according to court documents.


Amazon beats Apple to punch with movie downloads

SEATTLE - Internet giant Amazon on Thursday threw down a gauntlet at Apple by launching Amazon Unbox, its long-anticipated movie-download service. Apple has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday at which it is widely expected to answer by expanding its popular iTunes digital store to include a similar service.


Massachusetts' top securities regulator  this week began investigating Procter & Gamble Co.'sPG.N  planned acquisition of Boston-based Gillette Co. G.N, and  asked the razor maker how much its top executives might earn  from the deal.


EDS Delays Q3 EarningsâAgain Nov. 3, 2004

It's the second time in a week the IT services giant postponed the release of quarterly results. EDS doesn't know when it can make the numbers public.


Heath Ledger found dead in NYC at age 28

Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence in a possible drug-related death, police said. He was 28. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let Ledger know the masseuse was there found him dead at 3:26 p.m.


Official: Japan Could Extend Iraq Mission

Japan may extend its deployment of its non-combat troops in southern Iraq if the security situation in the country does not change, a top government official said Tuesday.


A newborn girl with her umbilical cord still attached was found in a basket on a doorstep 45 miles from where a pregnant woman vanished, authorities said Tuesday. A DNA sample was taken from the infant Tuesday and was given to authorities investigating the disappearance.


HOUSTON Michael Finley scored a season-high 26 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat Houston 102-to-78. That's the Rockets' worst loss of the season.


Vintage in passerella, lo stile della Grande Mela

Autunno di ispirazione retrÃ² per la donna disegnata da Marc Jacobs durante le sfilate della New York Fashion Week


Possibile coinvolgimento in caso corruzione in un ospedale


Suicide Blast Targets U.S.-Allied Iraqi Force

BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 -- A suicide bomber blew himself up on the hood of a car driven by a member of Iraq's burgeoning Sunni-dominated security forces, the latest in a series of recent attacks against the U.S.-backed militiamen, according to U.S. military and Iraqi officials.


'Prevention' bill could trigger a flood of faxes

A bill moving through Congress designed to clarify rules for advertising via fax machines could expose consumers to a flood of unwanted solicitations, according to consumer groups and activists battling against junk faxes.


Aggressive Lymphoma Not Always Treated Aggressively

NEW YORK  - About half of the patients in  the US with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, (NHL), cancer of  the lymph glands, are not receiving the full dose of  chemotherapy that is recommended, investigators report in the  Journal of Clinical Oncology.


A hot tempered Paradorn Srichaphan lost his cool and the match, bowing out in the third round of the US Open with a straight sets loss to arch-rival Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia on Saturday.


A massive injection of cash for grassroots sport and a new national stadium for athletics are included in a multi-million pound legacy promised by London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.


A battle erupts in North Ossetia as Russian troops storm a school where hundreds of children had been taken hostage.


Farnesina: da verificare la foto del corpo e del passaporto scattata da un fotografo locale. Fini: 'Vicenda con molti aspetti oscuri'. Bagdad, 16 dic. (Adnkronos) - 'Al momento non c'e' nulla di accertato e


High oil prices are slowing the economy, two members of the Federal Reserve warned yesterday. `There's going to be a little bit of a slowdown effect,'' admitted Fed board member Ben Bernanke.


US Defence Secretary Robert Gates urges Germany to send more troops to southern Afghanistan.


Il velivolo del campione scozzese, Ã¨ caduto vicino a Jerviswood, in ScoziaNon ancora identificate le quattro salme, ma l'Equipe annuncia la tragedia                                            Si schianta l'elicottero di McRae "Morto il grande pilota di rally"


MORE than 100 of Harold Shipman's murders could have been prevented if two hospital doctors had reported glaring concerns about the serial killer GP.


Gas prices rose again at the pump overnight but consumers might see some relief now that a major Midwestern refinery appears ready to restart this weekend following minor repairs.


DARPA seeks 'Deep Green' battle computer

Human GIs to be pawns in deadly man-vs-machine chess game The scientists and engineers of DARPA (The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Pentagon's gateway to the technological left field, have struck again. The bulgy-bonced battle boffins have decided to sink some cash into an effort to develop a super-intelligent battle computer system which will enable US soldiers to be invincible in the field.â¦


Two Russian cosmonauts spent more than five hours outside the international space station Wednesday, laying cable and installing protective panels to guard against space debris.


For back-to-school shoppers, a new alphabet reigns, and it starts with E for electronics. With camera cell phones and the Apple iPod music player topping student wish lists, some of the hottest gadgets have little to do with pen or paper, much less studying.


Nokia yesterday launched three new tri-band phones with fashion inspired designs that have allowed the company to add a twist to the common keypad.


Roddick Has No Trouble with Henman at Masters Cup

Andy Roddick squeezed past Britain's Tim Henman, 7-5, 7-6, at the Masters Cup on Tuesday, giving his fellow Texans the win they came to see.


Pakistan behind Afghan insecurity: paper

Pakistan's government is equipping and sending militants into Afghanistan, a state-run Afghan paper said on Wednesday, the harshest criticism yet against Islamabad in the face of the bloodiest violence since the Taliban's fall.


UN: Chaos in Darfur; Law and Order Collapsing

Despite peace deals, Sudan's  Darfur region is lapsing into chaos, with rebels attacking  police and the government ignoring brutal tribesmen they once  armed, according to a U.N. report on Monday.


Slovakia won the Hopman Cup on Saturday, beating Argentina in the final behind victories by Daniela Hantuchova and Dominik Hrbaty in this Australian Open tuneup.


Russia's most vocal opposition alliance said Thursday it would seek to field hundreds of candidates in December parliamentary elections, setting ambitious goals in the face of government pressure.


L'attrice: 'L'occasione per una ricerca sull'animalita''


India launches its first learning satellite, aimed at revolutionising the country's educational network.


China Tightens Adoption Rules for Foreigners

China plans to bar people who fail to meet certain benchmarks in financial, physical or psychological health from adopting Chinese children.


TEAM SPIRIT GIVES US THE ADVANTAGE - MONTY

Colin Montgomerie believes Europe's team spirit can defeat USA - and their partisan fans - when the Ryder Cup starts this week in Oakland Hills, Michigan.


Annika Sorenstam calmly sank a short birdie putt on the ninth hole, earning a hug from Tiger Woods. More importantly, it kept $250,000 in play in the Skins Game in La Quinta, Calif.


Canine marriage goes to the dogs in Jaipur

A Hindu wedding ceremony of 18 dogs has been called off in Jaipur after hardline religious groups and animal rights activists said it was a mockery of the religion and cruel to the canines, a newspaper reported on Sunday.


Orders From on High? Thatâs So Yesterday

In his latest book, âThe Future of Management,â Gary Hamel offers a way for business leaders to face a new avalanche of competition from China and India.


NFC Device Payment Technology Gets Boost

The idea of paying for things by swiping a cell phone near a payment terminal received another boost Tuesday with the announcement that Philips, Nokia and a German train company will launch trials of the technology early next year.


NASA managers said the craft showed no sign of damage after the appearance of mysterious debris caused concern.


Video links Colombia militia boss, Uribe

In his five years as president, Alvaro Uribe has repeatedly denied accusations that he's been cozy with Colombia's murderous right-wing militias, whose thousands of victims include suspected rebel sympathizers and union activists.


Human spaceflight the key for new NASA boss

NASA's next leader must wholeheartedly back the US president's space plan - which focuses on human space flight - says departing boss Sean O'Keefe.


Fiat-GM dispute may be resolved over weekend: reports

A dispute between Fiat and General Motors over an option to sell Fiat's auto business to the US group may be resolved this weekend, Italian news agencies said.


SAN FRANCISCO Mission District cyclist blew whistle on flawed lock

The triumph last week of the Bic pen over expensive, state-of-the-art steel locks has panicked the bicycling community, and churned Internet rumor mills about how much the lock manufacturer knew and when the company knew it.


Silver Lake gets expansion boost from CalPERS investment

The California Public Employees Retirement System takes a 9.9 percent investment stake in the technology private equity firm.


Impose Africa troops in Darfur says analysis group

The UN Security Council should impose an African Union force of at least 3,000 troops on Sudan with a mandate to protect civilians in the western region of Darfur, the International Crisis Group said on Monday.


Lindsay Lohan says she's been going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for a year, but hasn't talked about it because "it's no one's business."


Police investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in woods charge a man with her murder.


ATLANTA - Who could have imagined Tommy Tuberville in this position? Yet there he was Friday, standing alongside the SEC championship trophy, posing for pictures and undoubtedly chuckling a bit on the inside.


Late Rodriguez homer lifts Yankees past Red Sox

Alex Rodriguez homered with two out in  the ninth inning to lift the New York Yankees to a 6-5  come-from-behind victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday and  a 2-1 edge in the weekend series between the old rivals.


Typhoon Kills 5 in Japan, Cuts Power to 176,000 Homes, AP Says

Typhoon Chaba swept southern Japan today, killing five people and injuring 73, and cutting electricity to 176,500 homes on Kyushu island, the Associated Press said, citing police and Kyushu Electric.


E' il livello piu' alto da dieci mesi a questa parte


US conglomerate Ingersoll-Rand buys temperature control firm Trane for $10.1bn.


Wilson asks to "heal" after suicide reports

Oscar-nominated film star Owen Wilson, best known for comedies like "Wedding Crashers," sought time on Monday to "heal in private" after media reports claimed he was hospitalized for a suicide attempt.


U.S. truck sales steady in Sept, Ford gains

U.S. sales of pickup trucks and SUVs made a comeback in September in response to cheaper gasoline and big showroom discounts, a sign of life in a battered segment essential to the health of the Detroit-based automakers.


Tesco aims to take a bite out of Apple's iTunes

Supermarket group Tesco is launching itself into the world of digital music with an online download service designed to take on the might of Apple's iTunes.


Putin offers Ukraine support for "any leader"

of the ex-Soviet state ahead of a re-run of a poll rigged in favour of the man Moscow backed. to outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, who wanted to hand power to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, the declared winner.


Hunters have shot dead the last female brown bear native to the Pyrenees, condemning the species to extinction and causing an "environmental catastrophe" for France, the government said.


Officials of embattled Marsh & McLennan Cos. yesterday moved to squelch speculation that its Boston money management firm, Putnam Investments, will be divorced from its corporate parent, either in a sale to an outside buyer or through a private buyout engineered by Putnam executives.


Ukraine's two presidential candidates mapped out campaign strategies with less than three weeks remaining before the repeat of last month's fraud-marred election runoff, and opposition protesters lifted their ...


U.S. Hopes New Dollar Coins Attract Spenders

The Mint is encouraging Americans to drop the presidential coins into cash registers, not just collectors' cases.


Roma, 19:53 - CALCIO, SERIE A: DAL 24 FEBBRAIO SI TORNA A GIOCARE DI SERA

Torna il calcio di sera. L'Osservatorio sulle manifestazioni sportive ha infatti deciso che dalla pr...


Iowans passionate about politics ahead of caucus

TOLEDO, Iowa  - One Iowa woman baked cookies emblazoned with John Edwards' likeness and passed them out at parties, while another sculpted Barack Obama's head out of butter to display on caucus night.


Babies who cry excessively for no obvious reason can  have difficulties in childhood, researcher suggests.


Google Profit Up 46%, Exceeding Estimates

The Internet search giant posted profit of $1.07 billion, fueled by strong performance in its search and advertising business.


Low-budget horror film The Grudge has entered the North American box office chart at number one. It pushed animated film Shark Tale off the top spot after selling $40m (Â£21.


The US military imposes a curfew on the Iraqi city of Mosul after an attack on a US base kills at least 22 people.


Movie Review | 'One to Another': Sexy Tableaus

The notion that French cinema consists mainly of pretentious soft-core pornography is an ignorant clichÃ©, but âOne to Anotherâ does little to disprove it.


Governo inglese approva piano per salvare istituto credito


Telefonata ha annunciato ordigno, si valuta attendibilita'


Due anni dopo la data proposta da Eurogoverno


U.S. troops must defeat enemy in Iraq: Rumsfeld

Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid a surprise farewell visit to American troops in Iraq and told them U.S. forces must stay until the enemy is defeated.


Identity of Yukos Buyer Remains a Mystery

Analysts sought Monday to identify the mysterious group that bought a $9.3 billion majority stake in the Yuganskneftegaz oil fields in Siberia, the prime asset of the moribund Russian oil giant Yukos.


Kraft selling yogurt business to CoolBrands

NORTHFIELD, Ill. Kraft is selling its yogurt business to CoolBrands International for 59 (m) million dollars. The deal includes a manufacturing plant in North Lawrence, 150 miles northwest of Albany in Saint Lawrence County.


Small brokers hope to block NYSE-NASD linkup

A group of small brokerages wants to block a merger between private regulators, saying it is a backstairs way for larger firms to strip smaller companies of their power in shaping regulations.


Motorsport: F1 qualifying to take place on race day

Formula One qualifying will take place on the same day as the race next season, after team bosses approved proposals put forward by the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA).


Afghan Opium Cultivation Soars, U.N. Says

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 2 -- Opium cultivation in Afghanistan rose a "staggering"  59 percent this year, the U.N. anti-drug chief announced Saturday in urging the government to crack down on big traffickers and remove corrupt officials and police.


THE group led by Iraq's most wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, says it was behind the convoy bombing in Baghdad yesterday that injured three Australian soldiers.


Starpower parent files reorganization plan

New Jersey-based RCN Corp., which operates cable and Internet access provider Starpower in Washington -- as well as Boston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles -- filed a reorganization plan that would swap $1.


Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell is leaving the rock group over "irresolvable differences."


Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi said Monday that China is willing to strengthen co-operation with other countries and regions of the Western Pacific in fighting various diseases including communicable and chronic ones.


CIA Chief: Hill Should Have Been Told More

Congress was not fully informed about the videotaping of harsh interrogation methods used on two al-Qaeda terrorism suspects in 2002 or the destruction of those tapes three years later, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said yesterday.


West Japan on Guard for Aftershocks After Quakes

Japanese authorities warned of possible aftershocks after two strong earthquakes hit western Japan on Sunday, but said the tremors were not directly linked to the sort of massive quakes that rocked the area six decades ago.


Japan downplays N Korean criticism in ashes dispute

TOKYO - Japan on Wednesday downplayed North Korea's criticism of Tokyo for saying that ashes brought from Pyongyang by a Japanese delegation last month are not those of abductee Megumi Yokota as the North claims.


Wall Street stocks were on Friday set to rebound after a sell-off the previous day prompted by the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, and some downbeat economic data.


The Black Sea resort town will host the 2014 Winter Olympics, thanks partly to the Russian president's personal campaign


The mother of a girl who died on tracks near a railway station five weeks ago is found dead at the same spot.


PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA -- Standing before golden statues of his ancestors in the Royal Palace, former ballet dancer Norodom Sihamoni -- a man little known in Cambodia -- took over the throne Friday from his father.


Spurred by Soaring x86 Server Sales, Western European Server ...

LONDON -- According to data from IDC's Western European Quarterly Server Tracker, server sales rose for the fourth consecutive quarter in the second quarter of 2004 with 10.


Knee-victim Aaron Lennon will not appear in forthcoming England matches against Brazil and Estonia following the results of a scan.


New York Bans Most Trans Fats in Restaurants

Some experts said the measure, which is opposed by the restaurant industry, would be a model for other cities.


THE Russian and US crew of the International Space Station were due to land back on earth in the early hours of this morning. The astronauts were set to hurtle back to Earth inside a Russian space capsule, ending their six-month mission.


Don't teach us democracy: Advani to Cong

New Delhi, August 26: The war of words between the government and the Opposition NDA grew shriller on Thursday with the Leader of Opposition LK Advani asking the Congress and Communists not to teach it democracy.


Sharp Aims to Boost Profit by 10 Percent

Sharp is planning on 10 percent profit growth this fiscal year by increasing LCD production and TV sales in China.


Storm Off Algeria Sinks Ship, 3 Die, 20 Missing

Algerian rescue services were searching on Sunday for about 20 sailors missing after severe storms sank one ship and drove two aground near Algiers port, killing three seamen.


Clinton Library Exhibits Include Scandals

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Bill Clinton's presidential library, opening Thursday, covers Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky in a single display that portrays the White House scandals as a "fight for power" and an exercise in the "politics of persecution.


India said Wednesday it would install an early warning system to predict lethal tsunamis such as the ones that hit Asia and Africa this weekend.


Blog: Oracle just reported its earnings for Q4 2006, and knocked the proverbial ball out of the park.  In the land of the proprietary vendors, Oracle may well be king.


As Mark Martin completed his 400th and final lap of the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 last Saturday, his crew members, watching their man from atop the pit road wall at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, jumped up and down in celebration.


The list is ever expanding as scientific tests on a range of traditional remedies are revealing that they have "real benefits.


A man whose son died in the Omagh bomb welcomes a public apology to victims by NI's former police chief.


Officials with the striking writers guild held informal talks Tuesday with Hollywood studios that could lead to the resumption of negotiations, a person familiar with the bargaining strategy said.


It's trouble, but we love it anyway Reg Guide Email is no longer an option in the business environment. Like many technologies that have grown by individual demand rather than organisational imposition, email crept up on corporations by stealth, becoming an essential tool before anyone cared to notice.â¦


Lawyers defending the man accused of murdering a British student in Australia are to start summing up their case.


Blog: Winner will be announced at this year's Black Hat conference.


The United States on Friday completely forgave $4.1 billion in debt Iraq owed it and urged other nations not part of an international debt relief agreement to follow suit.


Oil closed above $55 a barrel yesterday for the first time as traders worried about low stockpiles of heating oil and strong economic growth in China.


The withdrawal of the National Religious Party (NRP) from the coalition will add to the government's problems in passing the 2005 budget.


Unions for television and film actors and representatives for producers broke off contract negotiations Sunday, according to a joint statement.


Hollywood directors and studios plan contract talks

The union representing Hollywood  directors has agreed to open formal contract talks with major  film and television studios on Saturday in a move seen as a  potential blow to striking screenwriters.


'Action contre la faim' ha sospeso l'attivita' nel Paese


Two isn't always more than one. With mutual funds, whether two managers are better than one depends on the individual fund.


Underage models should be banned from catwalks, says inquiry

Panel stops short of calling for rigorous measures to tackle eating disorders.


Sorpresa nel sonno l'anziana moglie dell'imprenditore Ã¨ stata legata e imbavagliataDue i malviventi: "Sembravano italiani". Forse conoscevano l'esistenza del forziere                                            Genova, rapina nella villa del petroliere Rubati dalla cassaforte 240mila euro


Iraq, Ciampi riceve il presidente Al Yawar

Il capo dello Stato Carlo Azeglio Ciampi ha ricevuto stamane al Quirinale il presidente della Repubblica irachena Ghazi Al Yawar. All'incontro -informa una nota del Quirinale- era presente anche il ministro degli Esteri Franco Frattini.


Nepal's Crown Prince Paras is  rushed to hospital after suffering  a heart attack.


ALMOST half of all Aids sufferers are now women and the number infected is increasing in every region of the world, according to a UN report published yesterday.


ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Nikolay Davydenko, already at the center of a betting investigation, was fined $2,000 for lack of effort a loss at the St. Petersburg Open.


Is that just some game? No, it's a cultural artifact

Also: Microsoft's Mundie: Consumers driving tech trends. Read these stories and more from around the Web on News.com Extra.


Filmmaker Michael Moore says he is confused by critics who label him "controversial" because he doesn't see why people are upset with his documentary making.


Staviski convicted of drunk-driving death

World ice dance champion Maxim Staviski was given a suspended 2-1/2 year jail sentence by a Bulgarian court on Wednesday after a drunk-driving crash that killed a man and left a young woman in a coma.


The president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference has resigned less than four months after taking office, another blow to the troubled civil rights organization.


Kimberly-Clark Corp  on Monday posted a 24 percent increase in quarterly profit as the weaker dollar and strong sales volume in Huggies baby wipes and Kleenex tissue helped offset rising costs for pulp.


Poland considers withdrawal from Iraq by end of next year

Warsaw, Poland - Poland envisions a withdrawal of its troops from Iraq by the end of next year, Polish leaders said Monday. It was the first time the key US ally has indicated a timeframe for pulling its soldiers out of the war-torn nation.


Il capitano del Milan Ã¨ rientrato dalle Maldive nella notte: "Paura? Non abbiamo avuto tempo". Sull'aereo c'era anche Zambrotta: "Non ci siamo resi conto". MALPENSA (Va), 27 dicembre 2004 - "Abbiamo visto


German and French employees of Airbus demonstrate amid fears of cutbacks at the planemaker.


While shopping around, a fashion critic succumbs to a two-piece desire, body image aside.


The New York Yankees failed to clinch the fourth and final American League playoff spot after blowing a 5-0 lead to lose 7-6 to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 10 innings on Tuesday.


Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua scraps state owned oil company, in a bid to restructure the oil sector.


A judge who will decide whether Maryland's top elections official may keep her job on Friday questioned the attempt by the State Board of Elections to fire her, wondering how it might affect the November vote.


NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and the rest of the New York Yankees kept their crosstown rivals in a tailspin and left Tom Glavine stuck on 295 wins.


Nella capitale francese 8 giorni di passerelle


Schilling's Ruptured Ankle Tendon Repaired

Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling had surgery Tuesday to repair his injured right ankle. Schilling pitched Game 6 of the American League Championship Series and Game 2 of the World Series last month with the torn sheath of his ankle tendon sutured into place so it wouldn't flop over the bone when he pitched.


The Bears Are Coming; Berlinale '05 on Day 1

With the opening of the 55th Berlinale, the international film festival here in Berlin, people will start buzzing about those cute little bears.


Aid worker feared killed in Iraq: family

British-Irish aid worker Margaret Hassan, kidnapped by militants in Iraq last month, has most probably been killed by her captors, her family said in a statement.


New-Home Sales Fell to 12-Year Low in November

New-home purchases are down 34.4 percent from a year earlier, the biggest year-over-year drop since January 1991.


Letter carriers honor heroes of the year

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Louisiana coast last year Jim Osborne organized a convoy of 10 airboats in South Florida and headed west to assist in the rescue efforts.


Roma, 14:09 - CALCIO, SERIE C: GLI ARBITRI

Ecco gli arbitri designati a dirigere gli incontri della 24/a giornata di Campionato di Serie C in p...


There is little Jose Mourinho does not know about football, yet he made a rare mistake when he criticised referee Graham Poll for the quickly taken free kick converted by Thierry Henry in the 29th minute as the visitors were setting up their defensive wall


Belarus jails Prophet Mohammad cartoon publisher

Belarus on Friday jailed for three years an editor of an independent newspaper who reproduced cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that first appeared in Denmark in 2005 and caused mass demonstrations across the Muslim world.


Sports of The Times: Giantsâ Bye Week Is Right on Time

Even Giants Coach Tom Coughlin seems almost happy to have four full days off from Thursday through Sunday to recuperate from the teamâs trip to London.


Former Viacom (NYSE: VIA) Chief Operating Officer Mel Karmazin being named CEO at Sirius Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) shouldn't have come as much of a surprise.


Dell has received seven reports of overheating involving power adapters it distributed. No injuries have been reported. The recalled adapters have the words "DELL" and "P/N 9364U," P/N 7832D" or "P/N 4983D" printed on the back of the unit.


Barnes Upset About Helping Bush Avoid War

AUSTIN, Texas - Former Texas House Speaker Ben Barnes' recollections over how he helped President Bush get into the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War have evolved over the years from fuzzy to distinct, with him now expressing remorse for what he did.    Barnes, a Democrat who was one of the most powerful politicians in Texas in the '60s and '70s, said at an Austin campaign rally for Democrat John Kerry that he was "ashamed" for helping Bush and sons of other wealthy Texans avoid service in Vietnam...


A US appeals court reinstates a key charge against al-Qaeda suspect Jose Padilla, which could lead to a life sentence.


French Airbus chief Louis Gallois is drawing up compromise restructuring proposals, people familiar with the discussions said Tuesday, after the main German shareholder blocked a plan designed to help the ...Comment


The head of UAL Corp.'s United Airlines said on Thursday the airline's restructuring plan would lead to a significant number of job losses, but it was not clear how many.


Thousands could be grounded by US-EU air security spat: IATA

Over 100,000 people a week could be stopped from flying unless the United States and the European Union strike a deal over the provision of sensitive information on passengers, the top industry body said.


Karzai aborts trip to Afghan city after rocket hits near landing ...

KABUL, Afghanistan Afghan president Hamid Karzai aborted his trip to a provincial capital today when a rocket hit near his landing site as his helicopter was approaching.


La Roma trova pace: "mea culpa" di Cassano

Incontro chiarificatore tra il giocatore, i vertici societari e Delneri. Il talento barese ha ammesso "di non avere avuto un comportamento consono alle regole". Intanto, rispuntano i russi: "Ci sono speranze...".


EA Plans Free Online Version of Battlefield Heroes

Electronic Arts is releasing an ad-supported online version of its popular Battlefield Heroes.


In base ai dati provvisori dell'Istituto di Statistica i prezzi al consumonon hanno registrato alcuna variazione rispetto al mese precedente                                          Istat, inflazione ferma a settembre nell'anno +2,2% come ad agosto                                                                                Il rialzo tendenziale maggiore nel capitolo 'abitazione, acquaelettricitÃ  e combustibili' (+5,5%). I dati definitivi il 6 ottobre


Oil prices broke over $100 a barrel for the first time on Thursday after a U.S. government report showed a steep slide in crude inventories in the world's biggest energy consumer.


Raytheon protests losing contest for military pact

Raytheon Co. said yesterday it has lodged a protest with the Government Accountability Office over its loss of a potential $6 billion contract to supply the Army and Air Force with a new cargo plane.


John Lackey wins his 11th game for the AL-leading Angels, who claim the rubber match of a series with the Orioles, 4-3, Sunday.


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


Nigeria's VP will not be allowed to run for president in April's polls, election commission officials say.


Cricket: Fleming adds cream to his large test cake

CHITTAGONG - Stephen Fleming dined out on Bangladesh's thin attack to notch his second test double century yesterday. But no sooner had he passed the landmark shortly after lunch on the second day, than Fleming


IAEA Has Questions about Iran's Nuclear Program

The International Atomic Energy Agency says there are many open questions on the nature and aims of Iran's nuclear program, which could soon include uranium conversion suitable for the building of atomic bombs.


Opera star Bryn Terfel adds his voice to calls to keep a clothing factory open as offers of alternative work are revealed.


Roma, 16:57 - CALCIO, ROMA: SMENTITO ACCORDO CON L'INTER SU CHIVU

La Roma ha smentito con un comunicato ufficiale le notizie circa un accordo con l'Inter per la cessi...


Breast Cancer Gene Might Extend Ovarian Cancer Survival

THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer live significantly longer if they carry specific mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes known to raise risks for breast cancer.


Saturday Interview: Launching Satellites and Closing the Digital Divide

Pradman P. Kaul, C.E.O. of Hughes Communications discusses satellite communications and how his company can compete with cable and phone companies.


Microsoft falls victim to shady 'scareware'

(InfoWorld) - Microsoft said it moved quickly to remove a banner advertisement that appeared on its instant-messaging program for a software application that falsely hypes security threats on a user's computer. "We immediately investigated the reports and removed the offending ads, as this is a violation of our ad-serving policy," wrote Microsoft spokeswoman Whitney Burk, in an e-mail Tuesday. Last week, computer security analysts noticed twoÂ advertisements for WinfixerÂ -- a self-described security program that also goes by the name ErrorSafe -- on Windows Live Messenger. Security companies have labeled it as a "potentially unwanted program." They believe the program falsely alerts users to problems with their computer and encourages them to purchase the application. It falls into an informally named category of program called "scareware," whose creators try to bully users into downloading their program or face problems with their computer. Microsoft, which called Winfixer "malware," did not detail how the ads appeared. However, the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a civil liberties and consumer group in Washington, D.C., has investigated how questionable ads promoting spyware and other malicious software have appeared on ad networks. The incident highlights how even a well-resourced company such as Microsoft can be vulnerable to the vagaries of complex associations of Internet advertising networks. "There are often a host of parties involved in the advertising chain, making it difficult to track the journey an advertisement takes from its original source to a user's computer," according to a CDT report released last year. It's extremely hard to police advertisements, as the organizations which supply them could suddenly substitute new ones, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, a security software company. "There remains a risk that advertisements may be vetted and approved when first placed with an advertising network only to be later 'updated' to advertise less savory products," Cluley said. "This isn't just a problem for Microsoft, it's a problem for any company which is delivering advertisements to its userbase." The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has undertaken several actions against companies that have created special programs designed to exploit security vulnerabilities in computers, that -- like Winfixer -- purport to repair the machine. The Winfixer incident sparks concerns over end-user security and could be especially important for Microsoft. The company seeks to use advertising to subsidize the cost for free services such as Windows Live Mail, formerly Hotmail, and other Web-based services it's using to compete with online offerings from Google Inc. "For years I have been holding up MSN Messenger banner advertisements as an example of how advertisements can be safely served up to end users without putting them at risk of malware," wrote Sandi Hardmeier, a Microsoft Most Valued Professional and specialist in Internet Explorer, on her blog. "Now, everything has changed. This simply shouldn't have happened." Winfixer, which sells for around $39.95, has a shady history, experts says. It's a persistent program, constantly popping up on newly-created domains under various aliases, including ErrorSafe, WinAntiVirus and DriveCleaner, said Chris Boyd, security research manager for FaceTime Communications Inc. The changing names and versions are hard to keep up with for security analysts, let alone for ad network managers who may have no idea of the true nature of the program, Boyd said. "The suspicions are that it [Winfixer] is a quite sophisticated operation," Boyd said. At one time, Winfixer was one of several bad programs installed in a bundle by hackers on vulnerable machines, wrote Ben Edelman, a malware researcher and doctoral candidate at Harvard University, on his Web site. The hackers exploited the Windows Metafile (WMF) problem, a particularly dangerous security hole that appeared in December 2005 and prompted Microsoft to hurriedly issue an off-schedule patch. As always, users should be careful. "The responsibility ultimately falls on the users to be wary of advertisements which may be selling inappropriate or potentially damaging -- to data or finances -- goods," Cluley said. Â


Official sues students over MySpace page

A high school assistant principal is suing two students and their parents, alleging the teens set up a Web page on MySpace.com in her name and posted obscene comments and pictures.


Fans as much to blame as players for brawl

You heard it on the broadcast over and over again: âWhereâs the security? Whereâs the security?â. It was a great question.


Expert Alarmed Over Increase in Mental Disorder

Mental illness according to experts is assuming an alarming dimension all over the world. The preponderance of such cases is attracting the attention of individuals, governments and non-governmental organisations


EUROPA/SPAGNA - ÂMadrid con i suoi missionariÂ: domenica prossima 22 missionari riceveranno il crocifisso e il mandato missionario dal Cardinale Rouco Varela Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - La prossima domenica, 3 giugno, solennitÃ  della Santissima Trinidad, si celebrerÃ  a Madrid (Spagna) la giornata "Madrid con i suoi missionariÂ che questo anno ha per tema "Chiesa diocesana... esci dalla tua terra". Si vuole c...


The Spanish Football Federation led the way, sending a letter of apology to the Football Association. General secretary Jorge P Arias condemned the fans' behaviour and reiterated his federation's position against racism in football.


Nepal celebrates "new era" after Maoist peace deal

Nepal's Maoist rebels and central government declared a public holiday and a "new era" for the impoverished nation after signing a landmark peace deal that ends more than a decade of civil war.


Japan to Launch Spy Satellite on 11 September

Text of report in English by Japanese news agency Kyodo  Tokyo, 10 September: The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency said Sunday it will launch a rocket carrying a spy satellite from Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture at 1:35 p.m. Monday.


Reward system may not help catch spammers

The Federal Trade Commission and other law enforcers face three hurdles in having a reward system for anti-spam investigations, according to a new FTC report.


Nintendo's Wii video game console outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 six to one in June in Japan, a Japanese publishing company said Monday.


Pakistan counts costs of bloody end to mosque siege

Pakistani security forces were securing the last parts of a mosque and school complex on Wednesday, a day after an assault that killed a rebel cleric, more than 50 Islamist fighters and eight soldiers.


Southeast Slayings Suspect Caught in La.

A man wanted in Georgia and South Carolina in connection with two killings, a rape and an armed robbery was captured after crashing his stolen car during a police chase, authorities said.


Bernhard Langer beat Vijay Singh on the first extra hole Friday to knock the world's top-ranked player out of the World Match Play Championship in the first round.


Crucial vote looms on Israel's Gaza withdrawal

Ariel Sharon was today preparing for a crucial vote in the Israeli parliament on his plan to close all Jewish settlements in the occupied Gaza Strip.


Billboard single reviews: Aerosmith, Jewel

Aerosmith's single "Devil's got a  new disguise" from an upcoming hits collection stands notably  tall among the enduring band's redwood-high stack of hits.  Steven Tyler growls and teases with signature vim as he revels  in the charms of a woman named Kay: "The girl's so witchin', my  backbone's twitchin'/ Cause down in Hell's kitchen, the devil's  got a new disguise."


John Paul II - Karol Wojtyla - Polish Pope; 25th Anniversary of the Pontificate

I was hesitating to write an article about the Polish pope. John Paul II is still here with us, although his body is weak, his mind is still strong.


Bodies of two dead Lebanese found - source

Beirut - The bodies of two slain Lebanese businessmen were found in Baghdad on Friday, a foreign ministry source said. It said Lebanon's embassy in Baghdad had informed the ministry that the circumstances


Sudan's government  agrees to the deployment of more than 3,000 extra African troops in war-torn Darfur.


European stocks retreat on earnings jitters

European stock markets eased back in early trading as dealers digested some disappointing earnings news on both sides of the Atlantic.


Disappointment, anger accompany Navy's decision

Lawmakers and state officials on Friday reacted angrily after learning that Lockheed Martin beat out Connecticut's Sikorsky Aircraft to build the new presidential helicopter fleet.


Turkey's patience running out after rebel attack

President Abdullah Gul warned the PKK on Thursday that Turkey's patience was running out after Turkish forces said they repelled a Kurdish guerrilla attack near the Iraqi border.


Under a cloud of doping and suspicion that threatens all of cycling, the Tour de France began Saturday with a British accent.


Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, who is fighting extradition to the US on terrorism-related charges is remanded in custody.


'Phoenix' rising: Harry Potter and the abridged tome

A trim film version of 'The Order of the Phoenix' boasts a fine performance by Daniel Radcliffe.


Serena Williams has her sights set on  regaining the world number one ranking after staging a  miraculous comeback to beat Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in  the Australian Open final Saturday.


With RFK Stadium being transformed into a baseball stadium for at least the next three years to house the former Montreal Expos, tonight's World Cup qualifier between Panama and the United States


Limited Bush Web Access Drives Away US Voters Abroad

Less than one week before the US presidential election, incumbent George W. Bush is denying access to potential voters who access his campaign website from foreign locations.


Bush, Kerry Step Up Their Attacks as Election Draws Closer

With about three weeks to go until the US presidential election, the two major party candidates are on the attack. The tone is becoming more acrimonious with each passing day.


Rissa fuori dalla discoteca Accoltellato un giovane albanese

ROMA, 7 NOVEMBRE - Uno sguardo di troppo gli Ã¨ costato la vita. L' epilogo della rissa, scoppiata tra un gruppo di albanesi ed uno di italiani, e' avvenuto intorno alle 2,30 della scorsa notte davanti alla


Rialzo stime di vendite annue a 900 mila unita'


High oil prices not expected to hurt economy

Although oil prices have remained at historically high levels for a while, market watchers and government officials said that complications might not be overwhelming due to an upgrading of the country's industrial structure.


Huckabee counts on pastors for Iowa help

Republican Mike Huckabee, the former Baptist preacher, is depending on more than a leap of faith to win the Iowa caucuses.


John Kerry returned a hero. The smears his political enemies are now flinging mark them -- not him -- as beneath contempt. The next time the nation gets into a war, why would any American with an interest in national service show up to fight?


Riunione Grandi prevista la prossima settimana in Europa


Merrill Lynch & Co. , the biggest U.S. brokerage, said on Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit fell 1.8 percent as increased banking and brokerage revenue was offset by higher compensation and other costs.


Premature births accounted for more than one-third of U.S. infant deaths in 2002, twice what was previously reported, making it the leading cause of infant mortality, government researchers said on Monday.


Forze ordine di Perugia smantellano organizzazione


Thar she blows Spam messages exploiting the publicity surrounding the release of the latest instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise are being used to trick users into installing Trojan horse malware.â¦


Oil Jumps $1; IEA Warns of Supply Strains

Oil prices jumped more than a dollar on  Thursday after the International Energy Agency warned that  faster-than-expected demand and disappointing world production  growth could put world supplies under strain.


South Africa sweat on Kallis fitness ahead of first India Test

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis was being treated for an injury but his participation in the opening Test against India was still in doubt, a team official has said.


After a resounding victory in Wisconsin, Obama hopes to keep his momentum, and Clinton  needs to stop it, in two crucial states on March 4


Wildlife experts believe the pine marten, once declared extinct in England, is on the comeback trail.


STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Brotherly love was put to the test this week after two 18-year-old identical twins swapped their clothing and traded places so that one could escape jail.


Washington - Nasa administrator Sean O'Keefe is expected to resign his job at the helm of the US space agency this week, according to news reports on Sunday.


Apple introduces iPod Photo, digital 'box set'

Apple has introduced the iPod Photo, a version of the popular digital music player that can hold up to 25,000 digital photos alongside the user's music library and displays them on its colour screen.


After surviving the roughest part of their schedule, the Indianapolis Colts look poised to build some momentum. The Colts aim for their fourth straight win on Sunday when they host the Oakland Raiders, who are trying to snap an 11-road-game losing streak.


Large DLP sets gain acceptance; prices for smaller LCD sets plummet.


Ukrainian Presidential Election Ends in Dead-Heat

The race to be Ukrainian president ended in an dead-heat today, forcing a run-off contest later this month. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and his reformist challenger Viktor Yushchenko were less than a


Russians Rally as Putin Rules Out Chechen Talks

Russians massed in their hundreds of  thousands on Tuesday to denounce terrorism, as President  Vladimir Putin rejected talks with Chechen separatists, blamed  for at least 335 deaths in last week's school hostage siege.


NATO chief urges action on Afghan civilian deaths

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer urged alliance countries to take action to lower civilian casualties from fighting in Afghanistan on Friday, saying such incidents could undermine the mission.


Failed UK car bombs suspect claims innocence

An Indian doctor accused over last month's failed car bombings in Britain was remanded in custody Monday but plans to plead not guilty to a withholding information charge, his lawyer said.


AN audience was sickened to hear Billy Connolly joke about the fate of British hostage Ken Bigley during a live show. Referring to the terrorists who threatened to behead Bigley, the Scots


Siemens Says Cellphone Flaw May Hurt Users and Its Profit

Siemens, the world's fourth-largest maker of mobile phones, said that a flaw that can create a piercing ring in its newest phone models might hurt earnings.


Israel-Palestinian summit postponed amid discord

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday called off a planned summit with Israeli Prim e Minister Ehud Olmert, seeking commitments Israel will free frozen Palestinian funds and take other steps.


Israeli soldier killed near Gaza: Jazeera TV

An Israeli soldier was shot dead on   Tuesday near the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera television reported.


Long lines, limited resources plague first day to cast votes in ...

The lines were long. Democrats and Republicans were stuck standing together for hours, some outside in the sun. Tempers grew short.


Floods across Sudan have killed 101 people, spread disease and destroyed livelihoods by wiping out agricultural crops, officials said on Wednesday.


Manchester United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy says he is innocent after being charged with serious foul play by the Football Association.


La storica azienda delle penne acquisisce marchio Nettuno


Israel will tell President Bush during his visit to the region this week that it is committed to acting "expeditiously" to dismantle unauthorized West Bank settlement outposts, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday.


Arsenalâs Thierry Henry today missed out on the European Footballer of the Year award as Andriy Shevchenko took the honour. AC Milan frontman Shevchenko held off competition from Barcelona pair Deco and


Forces diverted to counter rebels in Mosul

INSURGENTS attacked two more police stations in Mosul yesterday after American and Iraqi reinforcements poured into the northern city to put down a four-day-old uprising.


Lack of monitoring hides extent of EU racism: report

Migrants and minorities suffer discrimination throughout the European Union but the extent of the problem is hidden by a lack of mechanisms in many states to monitor racism, an independent EU body said on Tuesday.


Potential Jurors Summoned for Actor Blake's Trial

More than three years after actor  Robert Blake's wife was shot dead, the first potential jurors  in the murder case against the "Baretta" star were summoned on  Monday to a Los Angeles courtroom.


Gaul as a Cabinet of Curiosities and Patois

In this brilliant work of history, France dissolves under close inspection into  an endless series of counterexamples to the myth of a culturally unified nation and people.


Wired's How To Wiki: Make Friends at the Office Who Really Count

Friends. How many of us have them? Ones we can depend on? A wiser question has never been asked, especially regarding friends at work. You might think the most important people to ingratiate at work are your team members and, of course, the boss. But there are a few other key teammates who are often ignored and yet very important in making your day-to-day job easier.


Fujitsu, Cisco team up to provide IP network products in Japan

TOKYO  - Japan's Fujitsu and Cisco Systems of the US said they have agreed to form a strategic alliance focusing on routers and switches that will enable businesses to build advanced Internet Protocol (IP) networks.


Brema, 23:44 - CALCIO, LAZIO; ROSSI: MANCATO ULTIMO GUIZZO

"E' mancato l'ultimo guizzo, l'ultima giocata. E anche un po' di qualità delle giocate". E' ...


NL Wrap: Edmonds Double Strike Lifts Cards Over Padres

Jim Edmonds belted two solo homers to  lead the host St Louis Cardinals to an easy 9-3 win over the  San Diego Padres in National League action at Busch Stadium  Tuesday.


Milano, 15:24 - CALCIO, RONALDO; MANCINI: TORNARE? CI DEVE METTERE DEL SUO

Roberto Mancini augura a Ronaldo di tornare presto in campo. "Ha avuto un grave infortunio - dice il...


Bloomberg Occupies the Middle Ã¢ÂÂ With Tilt to the Left

With billions of dollars to his name and inherent appeal across party lines, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has long been regarded as a potential 2008 presidential candidate who could pack a serious wallop.


HEALTH:  UNICEF Urges Greater Commitment to Reducing Child Mortality

NAIROBI, Oct 8 (IPS) - First, the good news: while nearly one in five  children was dying before the age of five in the early 1960s,  this figure had dropped to less than one in 12 by 2002.


The Giants May Rest, But the Debate Will Not

With his teamâs position in the playoffs locked, Giants Coach Tom Coughlin must decide whether the best strategy is to rest key players or to take a serious stab at upsetting the Patriots.


Brunei's sultan hosts royalty at lavish wedding banquet? (updated ...

Brunei was laying out a lavish table Friday for 5,000 high-powered guests to celebrate the marriage of its crown prince to a half-Swiss teenage commoner, in the biggest wedding that Asia has seen this year.


Per uscire da contenzioso su fallimento Bank of New England


Dance Review: Where Choreography Becomes a Mere Point of Embarkation

This week Dance Theater Workshop presented âSolo Adaptations,â four interpretations over two nights by highly trained performers of Deborah Hayâs dance âRoom.â


Bangladesh at standstill in fourth opposition strike in a week

DHAKA : Bangladesh was brought to a standstill by the fourth general strike in a week called by the opposition, which has stepped up its campaign to oust the government since an assassination attempt on its leader.


LONDON -- The British Government says it does not intend to free nine foreign terror suspects imprisoned without trial, despite a ruling by the nation's highest court that they are held illegally.


Per l'acquisizione di due medi produttori di calcestruzzo


A Greek bus hostage siege ended in the early hours of this morning when all 23 passengers were safely freed and two Albanian gunmen who had demanded a $1 million ransom surrendered, a police spokesman said.


Nepalese Attack a Mosque and Muslims in Katmandu

Thousands of enraged Nepalese attacked a mosque and more than a hundred Muslim-owned businesses and homes here on Wednesday to protest the killing of 12 Nepalese workers by terrorists in Iraq.


Appeals Court Weighs Jackson Case Secrecy

An appeals court considering whether to lift some of the secrecy in the Michael Jackson case questioned lawyers Wednesday about how to balance Jackson's right to a fair trial with the public's right to know.


Stability control systems could save more than 7,000 lives a year if automakers adopt the technology across their entire car and truck lineups, according


The U.S. Olympic Committee banned track coach Trevor Graham from its training centers and training sites Thursday.


Scientists say a strain of the HIV virus which predominates in the US and Europe came from Haiti in about 1969.


S.Africa Seizes Uranium Enrichment Materials

South Africa seized 11 shipping  containers of uranium enrichment materials in a raid on a firm  run by a man it has charged under laws forbidding nuclear  proliferation, a government agency said Tuesday.


Oil tanker grounded off New York City: Coast Guard

A tanker carrying 455,000 barrels of low-sulphur fuel oil grounded off New York City on Thursday but was not leaking, the U.S. Coast Guard said.


Attacks in Baghdad fall 80 percent: Iraq military

Attacks by insurgents and rival sectarian militias have fallen up to 80 percent in Baghdad and concrete blast walls that divide the capital can soon be removed, a senior Iraqi military official said on Saturday.


Seven Uniformed Men Held But No Word of Kidnapped Britain

International aid workers kept a low profile today after the brazen daylight kidnapping of a British woman and two other foreign UN election staff in the Afghan capital, Kabul.


Tens of thousands of rail passengers are stranded in London as First Great Western services grind to a halt.


MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- Barry Bonds tries to go where just two players have gone before when the San Francisco Giants visit the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.


U.S. Rules Out Dam Removal for Salmon Recovery

ASHLAND, Ore.  - A Bush administration decision to  eliminate the possibility of removing dams to save endangered  U.S. Pacific Northwest salmon species is a huge blow to  protection efforts, an environmental group said on Wednesday.


Colo. avalanche threat strands travelers

Wind-whipped snow and avalanche danger closed the main highway through the Colorado mountains for most of Monday, stranding thousands of travelers as they headed to New Year's Eve celebrations.


Phishers Pinch Billions From Consumersâ Pockets

More than 3.5 million U.S. adults lost money to phishing scams and online identity theft in the 12-month period that ended in August, a 57% increase over the previous year.


North Korea, U.S. plan nuclear envoy visits: report

The chief nuclear negotiators of North Korea and the United States are planning to visit each other's capital soon, a diplomatic source in Seoul was quoted as saying in a South Korean news report on Thursday.


Colombian Rebels Planned to Kill President Bush

BOGOTA, Colombia  - President Bush was targetedfor assassination by Colombia's biggest Marxist rebel groupthis week when he visited the Caribbean port city of Cartagena,a top Colombian official said on Saturday.


IAEA chief inspector leaves for North Korea visit

Olli Heinonen, chief inspector of the United Nation's nuclear watchdog, set out for North Korea on Sunday to agree details on the return of IAEA inspectors to monitor Pyongyang's promised atomic shutdown.


Movie Review | 'An Unreasonable Man': The Endlessly Maddening (for Liberals) Case of Ralph Nader

The documentary âAn Unreasonable Manâ is an admiring but hardly uncritical portrait of Ralph Nader and his 2000 presidential campaign.


Why You're Not Getting Your Money's Worth Out of That New CPU

Chip power has increased dramatically in the last few years, thanks to new multicore processors from Intel, AMD and other chip makers. The problem is, software developers who understand how to utilize the new hardware are in short supply.


Nearly 3.2 million influenza vaccine doses were shipped this week to health providers serving high priority groups as part of the plan announced on October 12 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Aventis Pasteur.


'Shrek 2' Leads People's Choice Film Nominees

"Shrek 2," the computer-animated  blockbuster about a green ogre's quest for inner beauty, led  the field of film nominees announced on Friday for the People's  Choice Awards, selected by the public.


Official Calls Petrochemical Sector Pioneer in Privatization Plan

According to "Tehran Times", the deputy minister of petroleum for petrochemical affairs said petrochemical sector when compared to other industries was pioneer in transferring its company stocks to the private sector.


Dillard's Taps McEntire for Clothing Line

Entertainer Reba McEntire will design a line of women's clothing for Little Rock-based Dillard's Inc., the department store chain announced Monday.


Scientists identify gene mutation in autism

French scientists have identified genetic mutations in a small number of children with autism which could provide insight into the biological basis of the disorder.


Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes

An error with an electronic voting system gave President Bush 3,893 extra votes in suburban Columbus, elections officials said.


Lots of debt could mean tough times ahead.


Christopher Reeve appears in California stem call ad

SAN FRANCISCO Even in death, "Superman" star Christopher Reeve is promoting human embryonic stem cell research. The paralyzed actor stars in a new TV commercial supporting Proposition 71 -- the ballot measure


The American Medical Association voted Monday to lobby for laws allowing severely allergic children to bring lifesaving medicine to school.


Un micro-robot chirurgo da 'inghiottire' come una pillola

Pisa, 24 ototbre 2004 - Un micro-robot, progettato addirittura per operare come un chirurgo, che va giÃ¹ con un bicchiere d'acqua, e che teleguidato cammina come un insetto con le sue zampette dentro l'organismo fotografando tutto ciÃ² che vede.


Drug-using prisoners may be given clean needles under a scheme being considered by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS). The service has confirmed it is considering handing out kits to inmates as part of a harm-reduction programme.


President Bush, anticipating that his veto of a $35 billion spending increase for children's insurance will stand, has assigned three top advisers to try to negotiate a new deal with Congress.


Hempstead, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Jets solved their backup quarterback problems by signing Quincy Carter, who was recently released by the Dallas Cowboys.


Crews used controlled fires to gain ground against an 1,800-acre blaze in western Colorado, but forecasters predicted more hot, dry weather and wind gusts on Thursday.


Iran has suggested it may consider a complete suspension of nuclear enrichment, meeting a key demand set by most countries of the UN atomic watchdog agency.


A fire service authority is expected to announce cuts due to the reduction of local authority funding.


Oil prices were little changed on  Wednesday as traders took to the sidelines ahead of weekly U.S.  inventory data that is expected to show the first build in  distillate fuel supplies for 10 weeks.


Headless bodies add to horror of Iraq's daily bloodshed

BAGHDAD : US troops found three bodies and their severed heads north of Baghdad while 13 people died in clashes in Ramadi and two Iraqis perished south of the capital when a car bomb exploded.


European underdogs ready to go for the jugular

Beware - Vicious Dog. US Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton would do well to pin up such a sign in the American team room.


Athens Games close with two-hour spectacle

CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The 2004 Summer Games ended with a vibrant two-hour extravaganza at Athens' Olympic Stadium on Sunday. Greece bid farewell to guests from 201 countries in a ceremony that started with fireworks and a dazzling light show.


Quasi tutti i Cdr sono fermi, rischio blocco della raccolta


Indonesian President Apologizes for Shortcomings

President Megawati Sukarnoputri apologized Thursday for the shortcomings of her three-year tenure, as official vote-counting for Monday's presidential election reflected her imminent defeat.


West Africa: Shortages of Planes And Pesticide Hamper Locust ...

Shortages of crop-dusting planes and pesticide are continuing to hamper locust control operations in West Africa, where new swarms of young insects are forming in southern Mauritania, northern Senegal and parts of Niger, the UN Food and Agriculture


PalmSource today welcomed the third Palm Powered smartphone from GSPDA, the Xplore M28. Alpha Tech Mobile Sdn Bhd is distributing the Palm Powered Xplore M28 smartphone in Malaysia.


Myanmar says thousands of prisoners freed

Myanmar's military government says it has released thousands of people from jail as promised, but there appeared few political prisoners among those emerging from Yangon's notorious Insein prison.


Even Hollywood couldn't have written a more ideal script for the Internal Revenue Service than actor Wesley Snipes' tax-fraud trial.


Croatian authorities take down two monuments honouring officials from the country's Nazi era.


Noteworthy: Odes to soggy cereal and pet eels

We review kids' music from Girl Authority, Barney Saltzberg, and Ben Rudnick.


Thai coup leaders hope graft probes end Thaksin

Thai coup leaders hope probes into   graft allegations against deposed Prime Minister Thaksin   Shinawatra and his cabinet will end with them banished from   politics, their chief lawyer said on Wednesday.


Ghana's general elections begin amid hopes for economic ...

Ghanaians began to cast their votes on Tuesday morning for the fourth successive democratic elections since 1992, hoping the government for the next four years can bring about vigorous economic development to the politically stable west African country.


Intel Reorganizes, Creates Two Divisions

Intel Corp.  on Monday said it was reorganizing, forming three groups to lead its efforts in platforms for mobility, the digital enterprise and digital home as part of its efforts to drive development of complete technology platforms.


Channel 4 is cleared by Ofcom over complaints that it neglected the welfare of contestants on Big Brother.


La richiesta di pasta e pane in deciso ribasso dopo i rincari dei prezziCaccia ai beni sostitutivi: dal latte a lunga durata ai cracker                                          I rincari affossano i consumi pane giÃ¹ del 7%, pasta del 4%                                                                                Nel 2008 la spesa alimentare costerÃ  400 euro in piÃ¹ a famiglia di GIORGIO LONARDI


The European Union is to launch talks on drafting a new treaty to reform the 27-member bloc.


Sudan accepts hybrid AU-UN force in Darfur

Sudan on Tuesday accepted the deployment of a hybrid African Union-United Nations force to its war-ravaged region of Darfur, according to a joint statement by the AU, UN and Sudan released here.


Evangelicals slam torture in war on terrorism

A major U.S. association of evangelical Christians has condemned torture by the U.S. military and reaffirmed its commitment to environmental activism, positions that highlight broader splits in a movement associated with conservative causes.


A court convicts an ex-priest of raping a boy in the 1980s in a scandal which has shaken the Church in Boston.


Canada's talkative bank chief promises to button up

David Dodge, Canada's talkative central bank chief with a colourful turn of phrase, promised he'd keep his mouth shut when he retires at the end of this month -- a contrast to the frequent post-retirement comments from former U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Alan Greenspan.


Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has sharply reduced his workload in recent months, raising new questions about the health of the aged leader and the prospect of a dangerous power vacuum without a clear and dominant successor.


Palm has laid off "a small percentage" of its workforce, largely in its development group.


High-Speed Backups without Stopping Business Applications

This paper introduces some techniques for making backups without needing to stop the business applications. It also describes ways to simplify and reduce the cost of system operations.


The nation's attorneys general announced a $27 million ad campaign Monday to coax SUV owners to drive safely and to convince them they are not invulnerable when they get behind the wheel one of the big vehicles.


A new technology that counts cancer cells in the blood helps predict the success of breast cancer treatments more quickly and more reliably than established methods, researchers reported.


Marketers are about to aim at the third screen: the one on the cellphone in your pocket.


Putin Says He Values Partnership With Bush

President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he valued his partnership with President Bush but voiced suspicion that Washington might be behind what the Kremlin sees as efforts to isolate Russia - and even destabilize it.


A clever species of owl, baits its lair with dung to attract tasty beetles. The burrowing owl has long been known for its preference for dung beetles; the insect accounts for nearly two-thirds of the bird's diet.


Belgium's Dutch and French parties form an emergency government, ending six months of deadlock.


Richieste superiori ai 17 miliardi di euro


Attacks Kill at Least 19 in Samarra, Iraq

Insurgents set off at least two car bombs and attacked a police station Saturday in the central Iraqi town of Samarra, killing at least 19 people and wounding 23, according to police and health officials.


Do Alternative Search Engines Measure Up?

There's more to Web search than Google; here are some useful sites you may not have heard of.


Interim Mystics coach Wayne "Tree" Rollins has expressed taking on the head coaching duties on a permanent basis, but he continues to wait while team officials discuss the situation.


Americans cheer "SiCKO," but not all convinced

Fresh from the hospital and still  hurting from a $757 prescription drug bill, moviegoer Ron  Jackson emerged from a screening of Michael Moore's documentary  on the U.S. health system feeling outraged and exuberant.


Their earnings don't stretch as far for family overseas, so many are working extra hours.


Disease Fighter Turns Plane Aisle Into a Gym

Exercise is an effective antidote to long days of travel and emotionally overwhelming work for an infectious diseases specialist.


Armenia's aluminum foil mill rolls again

The aluminum foil plant on the upper slopes of Armenia's capital accounts for around 40 percent of the ex-Soviet republic's annual trade.


The environment minister is set to back a private scheme for a centre at NI's top tourist attraction.


Thai residents mark king's 79th birthday

Thais celebrated their beloved king's 79th birthday Tuesday with prayers, fireworks and good deeds, marking a tumultuous year for the world's longest-reigning monarch who was reluctantly drawn into political disputes that culminated in a military coup in September.


UPDATE 5-Marsh & McLennan CEO Jeffrey Greenberg resigns

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


Bavaria to build Maglev train line in Germany

Bavarian officials have found funds to build a magnetic levitation train with the backing of industrial groups, but more than half the region's residents oppose the futuristic and already fatal project.


Time profits fall as cash put in reserve

TIME Warner has reported an eight per cent drop in third-quarter net profit as it set up a Â£270 million legal reserve and said it will restate results for AOL Europe prior to 2002.


AstraZeneca's Crestor May Harm Kidneys, Group Says

Twenty-nine patients who took AstraZeneca Plc's  cholesterol drug Crestor have developed kidney damage, a U.S. consumer group said on Friday as it called again for a ban on the medicine.


The Iraq Survey Group report, published in Washington last night, lived up to its billing as definitive on the one crucial point at issue: Saddam Hussein's weapons programme.


AFTER 7 years of operation, Australian online media heavyweight ninemsn has recorded its first annual profit of $14.4 million. The result compares with a net loss of $800,000 in 2003, which excluded the company's


Arrestata una guardia giurata che millantava capacitÃ  esotericheAveva conosciuto la madre dell'adolescente su una chat                                             Bologna, falso rito propiziatorio violentata a tredici anni


Groups Aim to Slow Beetle Spread in Ohio

Pest experts and tree researchers have developed a plan to fight off a tree-killing beetle marching into Ohio and toward the rest of the Midwest.


ADV: Distance Learning Directory - Online Degrees

Bachelor, Master and Post-Grad degrees online from accredited colleges and universities. Business, Education, IT, Healthcare, more. Browse by degree or program. Request info and get started today.


The PC maker expands its retail presence by offering a range of products at the office superstore.


England captain John Terry will take "full responsibility" should Steve McClaren's side fail to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.


To UMass, gridiron success worth the price

Two victories shy of a national championship, the University of Massachusetts football team enters its biggest game in years tonight having already cinched a singular distinction. No public college or university in the country has reported losing more money on a Division 1-AA football program in recent years than UMass, according to financial records the school files with ...


Eastern Europe Lions Reach Out to Ukraine

Eastern Europe's lions in winter have rediscovered their roar. When Ukraine descended into postelection chaos this week, the most stirring pleas for a peaceful resolution came not from Washington but from Warsaw and Prague.


Paterson Tenants Face Rent Hike, Parking Fee

By ALEXANDER MacINNES, SPECIAL TO THE RECORD  PATERSON  For Elaine and Ervin Glover and others like them, Oct. 1 will be the first day of deeper financial hardship.


For most Israelis, Yasser Arafat's death opens up new hope for an end to the violence.


Microsoft buys Israeli start-up Gteko: reports

U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp.   has bought Israeli start-up Gteko, a developer of  technical support products, Israeli newspapers reported on  Wednesday.


Palestinian unity govt within weeks; U.S. wary

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Friday he would form a Palestinian unity government within three weeks, but its future looked bleak after diplomats said Washington planned to boycott it and keep sanctions in place.


Jenson Button is still planning a return to Williams despite being told today he cannot drive for them in 2005. Button had wanted to return to Williams, where he started his Formula One career in 2000, but


A 2,06 miliardi di euro, profitto a +11,9%


Lampard hints at Chelsea exit as deal talks stall

Frank Lampard has urged Chelsea to speed up negotiations over a new contract as rumours of an impending bid from Barcelona intensify.


African Union needs immediate US help to aid Darfur crisis ...

WASHINGTON, Sept 14  -- The African Union needs immediate help from the United States and European nations to help aid refugees in Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur, former US ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke said Tuesday.


Broadband has out-stripped unmetered connections in the UK for the first time, official figures show.


NEW YORK  - New moms who take walks instead of watching TV may lose those post-pregnancy pounds more easily, according to researchers.


EU challenges world with climate change plan

European Union leaders resolved on Friday to slash greenhouse gas emissions and switch to renewable fuels, challenging the world to follow its lead in fighting climate change.


News of an effective vaccine against malaria being developed is certainly a shot in the arm for the fight against this disease which kills over a million children and infects an estimated 300 million annually.


Powers agree modest new Iran sanctions draft

World powers agreed on Tuesday on the outlines of a new sanctions resolution against Iran, but diplomats said the draft did not contain the punitive economic measures that Washington had been pushing for.


On the eve of the scheduled start of the new NHL season, there is still no sign of the owners' lockout of players being resolved.


With the likelihood of bankruptcy growing stronger each day, Delta Air Lines Inc. officials may consider "shopping out" to another bankruptcy court outside of Atlanta to get the most favorable conditions for restructuring their business.


Threat of Disease Fades, But Agencies on Guard

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  - The threat of disease  decimating survivors of Asia's tsunami has receded but aid  agencies are remaining on their guard, the U.N. said on Friday  as doctors reported children dying from pneumonia.


Prosecutors: Threat notes mentioned Bush

An engineer at a nuclear power plant has been charged with sending threatening letters containing a powdery substance to country club where President Bush is scheduled to appear Tuesday for a Republican campaign event.


Buttiglione 'bocciato' per un voto Berlusconi: "Colpa della ...

Bruxelles, 11 ottobre 2004 - La commissione LibertÃ  pubbliche del Parlamento europeo ha bocciato a strettissima maggioranza la candidatura di Rocco Buttiglione a commissario per la Giustizia, LibertÃ  e Sicurezza.


Abbas Orders Forces to Prevent Attacks on Israel

RAMALLAH, West Bank  - New Palestinian President  Mahmoud Abbas ordered security forces Monday to prevent attacks  on Israel by militants defying his calls for calm.


The General Electric Company raised its quarterly dividend yesterday to 28 cents a share from 25 cents, in a move aimed at adding bolstering its lackluster share price.


Tape in Anna Nicole Smith death released

Anna Nicole Smith was unresponsive and not breathing when an Indian tribe's police department requested help from paramedics, according to a tape released Tuesday.


It is one of the oldest conflicts between man and beast: farmers killing marauders such as wolves, lynxes, lions and leopards to defend their livestock from the predators.


Genital wart virus goes away in most young women

NEW YORK  - Young women commonly become infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) soon after they start having sex, but the infection usually clears quickly, a new study shows.


George Walker Bush, Jr., Re-elected President of the United States

Former alcoholic and functional illiterate George W. Bush has won re-election and will retain his office as 43th President of the United States of America, despite a proven inability to pronounce the word "nuclear".    The final tally of electoral votes was updated live throughout election day, 02 November 2004, by Andrew Tanenbaum of Electoral-Vote.com, where he stayed up all night hopefully tabulating the votes, only to sob bitterly at the sheer monstrous ratfuckery of it all.  He then asked to be excused to the bathroom, from which a single gunshot was later heard.


A landmark UN-backed two-day summit aimed at bringing lasting peace and stability to the volatile Great Lakes region of Africa opened on Friday in the Tanzanian commercial capital Dar es Salaam.


Left-wing activist and Israeli citizen Tali Fahima was charged with a multi-count indictment on Sunday in the Tel Aviv District Court.


Via libera unanime dei consigli di amministrazione all' integrazionePassera indicato amministratore unico. Concambio a 3,115                                          Intesa-Sanpaolo Imi, ok a fusione Nasce la banca da 65 mld di euro                                                                                Salza: "Da Torino contributo al Paese" Bazoli: "Punto di forza per economia"Annunciata una riduzione del 10% degli sportelli sul territorio


Some quotes from Thursday's Republican presidential debate in Boca Raton, Fla.


Las Vegas Adapts to Reap Chinese New Year Bounty

The 15-day celebration has become one of the cityâs most profitable events, drawing thousands of Asian and Asian-American visitors.


Dr. Salim YusufÂ´s Landmark Study Redefines Heart Disease

Boston, 30 August -- A massive international cardiovascular research study by Indo-Canadian physicians is being hailed this week by medical scientists worldwide as a major landmark event.


Lion's share for beer giant in China deal

SABMILLER, the worldâs second-largest brewer, and its Chinese partner will pay some Â£86 million in cash and acquired debt for three Chinese breweries.


Sun kills off much delayed UltraSPARC IIIi+ chip

Way past its prime Sun Microsystems has turned to half-truths where its UltraSPARC IIIi+ processor is concerned. The company has cancelled the product, once slated for 2005, in favor of concentrating on the UltraSPARC T1 - aka Niagara - processor line.â¦


WILMINGTON - For at least the next two games, the Bruins must survive without their No. 1 right wing.


Q. What is a tsunami? A. A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that are generated by a large-scale disturbance of seawater. Most tsunamis are generated from earthquakes, but they can also occur after volcanic eruptions, landslides, and meteor impacts. The most destructive tsunamis are created by large earthquakes with an epicenter or fault line near or on the ...


New water quality inspections on airliners were initiated Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency in response to the discovery of coliform bacteria in the drinking water of one in every eight planes it tested.


Pakistan will meet West Indies in the Champions Trophy semi-final after a last-over victory over India at Edgbaston.


It should have been a celebration. Eighty-four years after Spain beat Denmark in their first international England arrived at the Santiago BernabÃ©u to mark the 500th Spanish national team match.


Until at least 10 am today, Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal is a free man, according to arbitrator Roger Kaplan. He reduced the 25-game suspension handed down by NBA commissioner David Stern


Six years after it opened, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame has shut its doors and canceled its 2004 induction amid financial troubles and, most recently, two lawsuits filed by its original benefactor. The hall's operators, however, insist the woes won't sink the hall for good.


LA Times: Oracle's Ellison Mulls NFL Team Purchase

Oracle Corp. Chief Executive  Larry Ellison, one of the world's richest people, is looking at  possibly owning a National Football League franchise, the Los  Angeles Times reported on Thursday.


Oil prices claw back ahead of inventories data

LONDON : Oil prices rebounded after plunging by over 10 percent in under two weeks on fading supply fears, as traders turned their attention to weekly estimates of US oil inventories.


Jones Knocks Down Trinidad Twice on Way to Victory

With an impressive display of lightning-quick combinations, Roy Jones Jr. won an unanimous decision against Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.


Iraq. Italiane rapite. Prosegue a Doha, la missione di Frattini. Raccolte solidarieta' e "importanti informazioni". Dopo Kuwait City, tocca a Doha per il ministro degli esteri Franco Frattini in missione nel


Epson P-3000 photo viewer and media player

The iPod for digital photography buffs? Review Epson is probably not the first name that springs to mind when deciding which PMP to buy, and its P-3000 - a numerically and technically updated version of the company's well-received P-2000 - provides a slightly askew interpretation of what's traditionally expected from a portable media player.â¦


Mondorf, 18:17 - CICLISMO, GIRO LUSSEMBURGO: PRIMA TAPPA A RICHEZE

L'argentino Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Panaria) ha vinto allo sprint la prima tappa del Giro del Lus...


(InfoWorld) - Opponents of legislation that wouldÂ overhaul the U.S. patent system have enlisted new allies who may cause majority Democrats in Congress to rethink their support of the proposals. Since late July, three labor unions -- the AFL-CIO, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and the United Steelworkers -- have sent letters to lawmakers saying they oppose two current patent reform bills. Patent reform opponents say they hope their alliance with organized labor, which has a long history of supporting Democrats, will stall the legislation. But representatives ofÂ large tech vendors that are pushing for patent reform say they're confident there will be support for the legislation when Congress returns from summer recess in early September. The committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved versions of a sweeping patent reform bill in July, and House leaders have targeted the patent reform bill for passage by the end of the year. "I think the momentum exists for this thing to move forward," said Joshua Ackil, vice president of government relations for tech trade group the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). "As folks [in Congress] dive in a little deeper on this issue, they will come around and understand how important patent reform is to the tech sector." In recent sessions of Congress, then-majority Republicans were tugged in two directions when they focused on patent reform bills similar to ones introduced in the current session of Congress. Several high-profile Republicans pushed for patent reform, and won praise from many large tech vendors, but the Republican friendly pharmaceutical industry was staunchly opposed to the bills. By enlisting labor unions, patent reform opponents are trying to put Democrats "in the same situation the Republicans were in," said Ronald Riley, president of the Professional Inventors Alliance, which represents small inventors. Riley's group, along with the American Ingenuity Alliance and other groups, have focused getting unions to back their cause in recent months. Riley portrays patent reform as enabling large tech vendors to steal the ideas of small inventors. "We're tired of these transnationals ripping off our people's work," he said. "We're just warming up." Tech vendors including Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp., and Cisco Systems Inc. have argued that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) too often approves questionable patents, and that it's too easy for patent holders to sue, collect huge damages and shut down product lines that have a small infringing piece. In many cases, patent lawsuits are brought by companies that make all their money by owning patents, critics have said. Cisco spends US$45 million a year defending itself against patent lawsuits, Matt Tanielian, director of government relations for the company, said during a forum in June. "There's a lot of bad patents out there," he said. "When you get sued, you ought to get a fair shake." The letters to Congress from the AFL-CIO and the United Steelworkers focused on two controversial sections of the patent reform legislation in both the House and the Senate. The two groups objected to the way the legislation would change how courts apportion damages when a company is found to infringe a patent. Currently, courts generally consider the value of the entire product when a small piece of the product infringes a patent, but supporters of the bills want Congress to base damages only on the value of the infringing piece. The groups also questioned how the legislation would allow a new way of challenging patents after they're issued, called post-grant review. The bills would allow companies sued for patent infringement a new way to file challenges with USPTO. Representatives of the of the AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers didn't return messages or declined to comment on their recent interest in patent reform. But the AFL-CIO letter alluded to recent efforts of the U.S. government and the U.S. tech industry to prod China to strengthen its intellectual property protections. These two changes "may have a negative impact on innovation and research," the AFL-CIO letter said. "At a time when the Chinese government is constantly being challenged to live up to its intellectual property obligations, we do not want to take actions that may weaken ours." The United Steelworkers letter said nearly 70 percent of patents filed in the U.S. come from manufacturing firms. "These bills would allow an endless loop of legal challenges after patents are awarded that will make it more difficult for U.S. patent holders to prevail against frivolous challenges," the letter said. ITI's Ackil and representatives of two other tech groups said they doubted the unions' opposition would kill patent reform, although Ackil acknowledged that "anyone should be concerned" with opposition from large labor groups. Ackil and a representative of another tech trade group, who spoke on background, questioned the depth of the opposition from the labor unions. "The AFL-CIO has been nowhere on this issue for three years," Ackil said. Democrats knew of the labor concerns before the House Judiciary Committee approved the patent reform bill, added a spokesman for Representative Howard Berman, a California Democrat and primary sponsor of the House patent bill. "Weâre working now to try to understand and deal with any concerns labor may have," said spokesman Gene Smith. "We think that labor will not be opposing the bill when it comes to the floor soon after the House returns from recess." But the labor opposition could lead to changes in the bills, said Bill Mashek, a spokesman for the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, a group that has opposed parts of the current patent bills. "Laborâs voice in the debate is significant and influential," Mashek said. "It shows, in our view, that the bill needs further work to ensure that U.S. manufacturing and innovators have the incentives to invest and develop new products. The concerns of ... organized labor resonate with members across the country and of all political stripes."


GameSpot got to spend some quality time with the newly redesigned PSP at last week's E3 show. From Crave, CNET's gadgets blog.


Many councils make more money from services such as parking and swimming than council tax, a survey says.


Giants' Barber Sees Daylight at a Good Time

Tiki Barber sprinted for a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter, the play that the Giants would ride to their third victory of the season.


US military redeployment: What took so long?

On Monday, President George W. Bush announced the "most comprehensive restructuring of US military forces overseas since the end of the Korean War." Over the next decade, the United States will repatriate 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers and ...


The hair, now closely cropped, was a short Afro. He dressed in a leather coat and high-ankle boots, not the conservative business suits and power ties that fill his wardrobe today.


ICC consider home-only games for Zimbabwe, Bangladesh

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering a proposal which could limit Zimbabwe and Bangladesh to home matches because of their problems competing at the top level.


AIDS programs fail to reach high-risk groups: UN

Surveillance for the HIV virus is weak in most of the world and prevention and treatment programs often fail to reach high-risk drug users, homosexuals and sex workers, the World Health Organization said on Friday.


"Idol" finalist Daughtry back atop charts

NEW YORK (Billboard) - In yet another week where no album sold more than 100,000 copies, former "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry flip-flopped with Norah Jones to reclaim the top spot on the U.S. pop charts Wednesday.


A temporary restraining order against Randy Moss was extended until March 28 while the New England Patriots wide receiver was in Arizona on Monday preparing for the Super Bowl.


Roma, 12:38 - CALCIO: SAMP: LA DISCIPLINARE SQUALIFICA FLACHI PER 16 MESI

Il doriano Francesco Flachi è stato squalificato per 16 mesi dalla Commissione Disciplinare. ...


NBC titan hurt, son missing in jet crash

NBC sports Czar Dick Ebersol was seriously hurt and his 14-year-old son was missing yesterday after their private jet crashed on takeoff from the ski resort town of Telluride, Colo.


Novell: Deal with Microsoft Not an Admission of IP Infringement

Responding to our story yesterday on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's comments, which appeared to many to be another anti-Linux threat, Novell's global public relations director Bruce Lowry told BetaNews this afternoon that his company interprets its cooperation agreement with Microsoft as mutual decision not to press the issue of whose code appears in whose operating system.


Arafat's Health Worsens; Doctors Sent to Compound

Yasir Arafat had been ill over the past two weeks, suffering from what Palestinian officials said was a lengthy bout of the flu.


Mets 5, Braves 1: Dominant Pelfrey Downs Braves

Mike Pelfrey allowed one hit in six innings to win his first game of the season after seven losses, as the Mets won their second game in a row in Atlanta.


There's only one thing better than riding a halfpipe ramp in "Tony Hawk's Underground 2" - doing it in real life. Since I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen, I'll keep on defying gravity in this new game from Activision.


Peabody raises bid for Australia's Excel

U.S. coal firm Peabody Energy  Corp.  raised its bid for Australia's Excel Coal Ltd.   by nearly 12 percent to A$2 billion, but speculation  about a rival offer pushed Excel shares above Peabody's new  offer price.


Telecom Italia to Buy Rest of Mobile Unit, People Say

Telecom Italia SpA, Italy's largest phone company, plans to buy the 44 percent of wireless unit Telecom Italia Mobile SpA it doesn't already own, a stake with a market value of about


Braylon Edwards caught eight passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the third quarter, to lead No. 17 Michigan past San Diego State 24-21 on Saturday.


Lastings Milledge was in the Metsâ lineup Friday night despite being suspended for three games by Major League Baseball for his prolonged argument with an umpire Thursday night.


First flight imminent, weather permitting Restored Vulcan bomber XH558 is set take to the skies for the first of three test flights following years of fundraising and a painstaking Â£6.5m restoration by the Vulcan to the Sky trust.â¦


Planners and investment advisers are supposed to care about their clients' goals. So how come so many of them mouth off when someone asks about socially responsible investments?


Toyota Motor Corp yesterday launched a joint venture with China's Guangzhou Automobile Group to produce the Camry sedan in the capital city of Guangdong Province.


Debito pubblico puo' essere ridotto in tempi brevi


Changes to Sarbanes-Oxley to ease costs for small firms

Proposed revisions to a landmark 2002 anti fraud law will include relaxing some rules for small public companies in a bid to curb what they say have been excessive costs related to audits, the Securities and Exchange Commission's accounting chief said yesterday.


Russia Offers $10 Million for Chechen Rebels -Agencies

Russia offered a $10 million reward on Wednesday for information to help it hunt down Chechen rebel leaders Shamil Basayev and Aslan Maskhadov, whom it accuses of being behind last week's deadly school siege.


Vietnamese students hold cultural show in UK

The Vietnam Students' Association at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) organised a cultural show on Saturday, attracting the participation of many Vietnamese students across the United ...


Halliburton Says Army to Withhold Some Payments

Halliburton Co. on Tuesday said the  U.S. Army will withhold payments of 15 percent of future bills,  apparently backtracking on an earlier deal.


Investigators look at evidence suggesting a car driver committing suicide caused a rail crash that killed seven.


Film piracy lawsuits accuse 22 in Colorado

Hollywood studios went to Denver federal court Tuesday, filing two lawsuits against 22 unnamed Coloradans suspected of swapping pirated copies of movies over the Internet.


BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Police are stepping up the hunt for up to 20 raiders who pulled off one of the world's biggest bank robberies in Northern Ireland.


Webloyalty.Com Expands to Europe With Signing of First UK Client Interflora

NORWALK, Conn., June 13  /PRNewswire/ -- Webloyalty.com, a leading provider of online marketing services, today announced its expansion into Europe with the signing of its first UK client, Interflora.co.uk, part of FTD Group, Inc., a world leader in flower and gift delivery.


NFL Wrap: Bettis Sinks Bengals, Steelers Win 8 in a Row

Jerome Bettis ran for 129 yards and  the Pittsburgh Steelers used a stifling defense to edge the  host Cincinnati Bengals 19-14 for their eighth straight win  Sunday.


Rush Limbaugh's Case Sent to Fla. Supreme Court

A legal dispute over whether prosecutors violated conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's medical privacy during an investigation into possible misuse of prescription painkillers was sent to the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday for review.


A Young Man Learns to 'Embrace' His HIV Status

Carl, a 19-year-old Prince George's County resident, spoke with reporter Susan Levine about finding out that he was HIV-positive -- and about his life after the diagnosis. Excerpts from that conversation:


President George W. Bush insisted on Thursday he did not learn until recently that the CIA destroyed videotapes of harsh interrogations, and said he would not speak any more in public about the issue currently under investigation by the administration and Congress.


Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe signs up to play the boy wizard in the final two films in the hit series.


Israel agreed on Sunday to transfer several hundred million dollars to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's emergency government, a measure designed to undercut Hamas Islamists controlling Gaza.


âMotorcycle Diariesâ a lightweight portrait of a suspect T ...

Itâsa long journey from idealistic medical student to dorm-room fashion statement, but it has to start somewhere. For Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the face that launched a thousand T-shirts, those


Ukraine Presidential Rivals Face Off on TV

Ukraine's rivals for the presidency jabbed fingers at one another and traded accusations in a heated televised debate Monday, as opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko charged his rival with stealing the November runoff election and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych repeatedly urged the formation of a unity government.


Rare shellfish bartered for drugs in the Cape

Triads are fuelling a trade that has seen a surge in violence in the aready crime-riddled Cape, writes Sam Kiley.


Aston Villa Beats Tottenham 1-0, Moves to Fifth in Premiership

Nolberto Solano's third league goal in five matches gave Aston Villa a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, lifting the club into a fifth-place tie in English soccer's Premiership.


Medicine Fueled by Marketing Intensified Trouble for Pain Pills

The story of COX-2 drugs is an example of how difficult it is for the F.D.A. to monitor the safety of drugs after they have been approved for the market.


China's Investment in Pollution Control and the Ecological Environment, Will Reach RMB 1400 Billion

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c50773)  has announced the addition of China Environmental Protection Industry  Report 2006 to their offering.