Tycho:  The news that Mass Effect would feature an uncompromising, high-res simulation of alien lesbian sex was sweet, and hot, like spun sugar.  For Gabriel, at any rate.  Some of the community reaction is dedicated to demanding gay parity for the male persuasion of this sexual equation, lengthy treatises by oiled men who crave starborne sodomy.  The rest of the dialogue is just boring.  Boring, terrestrial, and (quite frankly) myopic.         Where are the bipedal crustaceans in this calculation?  The swirling, aroused gasses?  The lonely, sentient space station whose hermetic bulkheads hold secret clusters of erotic delights, provided your character has both the skills and equipment?  Carpe astrum, you Goddamned backwater clowns.  There must be an entire universe of thrilling, dangerous, sometimes razor sharp genitalia that slavers beyond the Horsehead Nebula.      You might have noticed that we're advertising an Everquest game, an act that I'm aware places us in significant rhetorical peril.  If I had not found the game completely electrifying, I would have turned down the buy.  Of course, what I find electrifying has somewhat strange parameters.    I used to enjoy a deeply indie online CCG called Star Chamber, which was eventually purchased by an online CCG company called Worlds Apart (which did, among other things, the Lord of the Rings online CCG).  As does happen from time to time, World Apart was eventually purchased by Sony Online Entertainment, becoming SOE Denver.  Since then, they also delivered a Stargate CCG that we liked enough to advertise.  Legends of Norrath: Oathbound is a game within a game, similar to Final Fantasy's Triple Triad, that you can play against other players directly in the client.  It's tied into the loot systems for both EQ games, so that cards you get in packs are actually equipment and so forth - I find that interesting, but as a person with no investment in those systems it doesn't motivate me.  What motivates me is a rock solid, deeply tactical card game, which Oathbound absolutely is.  It plays in a stand-alone client which you can download, and comes with a fairly elaborate tutorial that is worth playing all the way through.  I had no interest in it, I felt confident dismissing it out of hand, and it won me over.  You may find yourself similarly surprised.    I have a very high opinion of Eurogamer, but I don't know how a person could possibly have reviewed Team Fortress 2 already.  We put time in both at work and at night, and I don't feel like I'm any smarter about the sometimes extraordinary interplay between the game's nine Goddamned classes, which mesh in real time to create some kind of shuddering Chaos Engine.  I have a lot of fun playing it, though the Medic brings me the most joy, so I've focused on it almost to the exclusion of all others.  A healing "gun" - like the repair module present in Tribes, almost a decade ago - is an immensely satisfying way to model that relationship.  Anytime your medical gun is attached to a player, your "Overcharge" ability is building up.  When unleashed, both you and your target become invulnerable to enemy attacks.  It's an incredible siege breaking technique, and it's earned simply by embodying the virtues of your class.  But where to use it, when to use it, I'm still learning this - and what's more, other players are still learning that I can do it.  I always love the early period in these multiplayer offerings, before the hard limits are known, when players seem to be magicians and anything is possible.


Milano, 14:35 - CALCIO, INTER-MILAN: RONALDO SI SCALDA, CURVA INTER FISCHIA

Calda vigilia di Inter-Milan: i tifosi dell'Inter hanno già 'accolto' Ronaldo sceso in campo ...


Back-to-school, politics spur spam to new heights

BOSTON - Spurred by back-to-school sales and political pitches, spam e-mail accounted for 82 percent of all the inbound e-mail processed during August, and made up 90 percent of all mail sent during one spam-filled day last month, according to an e-mail security firm.


Roma, 13:25 - CALCIO, ROMA: I CONVOCATI PER IL SIENA

Questi i 19 giocatori della Roma convocati per la trasferta di Siena in programma domani alle 15.00:...


Dwindling Atlantic Salmon Still King on Canada River

MIRAMICHI RIVER, New Brunswick  - Atlantic salmon  once teemed up the rivers of eastern Canada in staggering  numbers to spawn in an annual ritual that put the biological  richness of the region on full display.


Fla. Urges New Evacuations As Ivan Nears

MIAMI - Tourists and residents were told Thursday to leave the Florida Keys to avoid mighty Hurricane Ivan, even as Floridians still struggled with the destruction and misery left by Hurricanes Frances and Charley.    Forecasters said Ivan - which strengthened early Thursday to 160 mph - could reach the island chain as early as Sunday, making it the third hurricane to hit Florida in a month...


Osaka school killer of 8, yakuza boss executed

TOKYO - Mamoru Takuma, convicted for murdering eight children at an Osaka elementary school in 2001, has been executed, informed sources said Tuesday.


Owen Wilson's hospitalization has left Hollywood executives in a quandary over how to move forward with movies starring the highly bankable actor.


Oracle: PeopleSoft Layoffs Coming Friday

Oracle Corp. ORCL.O will announce  layoffs at PeopleSoft Inc. on Friday to integrate the recently  acquired company into the world's second-largest business  software maker, Oracle's CFO said on Tuesday.


'Islamism' has no place in terror's lexicon

Comment is free: Jason Burke: It took many years to establish a vocabulary that was broadly accepted to adequately describe the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Finding an equivalent set of terms for the threat posed by bin Laden and others will take longer still.


Roma, 17:40 - CALCIO, LAZIO: OGGI ALLENAMENTO TATTICO E PARTITELLA

La Lazio ha ripreso questa mattina gli allenamenti in vista della gara di mercoledÃ¬ con il Chievo. C...


SME, SENTENZA ATTESA PER DOMANI POMERIGGI

L'avvocato Ghedini: ''Io credo si concluderÃ  con l'assoluzione. E sono sicuro che porterÃ  piÃ¹ serenitÃ  sulla scena politica italiana''. Milano, 9 dic. (Adnkronos) - E' attesa per domani pomeriggio la sentenza


Alzheimer's memory loss faster among well-educated

Having more years of formal education delays the memory loss linked to Alzheimer's disease, but once the condition begins to take hold, better-educated people decline more rapidly, researchers said on Monday.


Continental Airlines CAL.N, the No. 5  U.S. carrier, on Thursday posted a fourth-quarter net loss,  reversing a year-ago profit, as skyrocketing fuel prices and  low-fare competition hammered the industry.


The personal details of up to 600,000  people were lost when a Royal Navy officer's laptop was stolen  in the latest embarrassment to hit British Prime Minister  Gordon Brown.


Vick Won't Let Philadelphia Snow Stop Him

Speedy Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick does not plan to let a major snowstorm that could hit Philadelphia this weekend bog down his team in Sunday's playoff game with the Eagles.


As Milosevic turns 63, UN judges seek to get trial back on track

THE HAGUE -- Slobodan Milosevic spent a fourth birthday in UN custody yesterday, his war crimes trial at a standstill because of his fragile health and his judges facing a dilemma on how to get it ...


Playbill - The studio cast album of the rock-driven bare - the musical with a flavor and tone somewhere between Rent and Spring Awakening - will be released Oct. 30.


Dye helps White Sox clip Yankees in 11th

Paul Konerko homered off Mariano Rivera to tie it in the ninth and Jermaine Dye singled home the winning run in the 11th to lead the Chicago White Sox over the New York Yankees 6-5 Tuesday night.


Will virtualization be Windows Server's silver bullet?

Analysts believe it's Viridian, the virtualization application, that will drive adoption of Windows Server 2008.


21 Iraqi policemen shot dead in police station massacre

RAMADI - Twenty-one policemen were shot dead, execution style, when an armed gang stormed a police station Sunday in a small town in the restive Iraqi province of Al-Anbar, a police officer said.


Commissione europea chiede il varo di nuove norme


FDA chief pessimistic flu serum from Britain can be salvaged

WASHINGTON - It is unlikely that any of the nearly 50 million doses of influenza vaccine being held at a plant in England will be found safe and released to the United States, the head of the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.


BBC in bother over spoof Middle East video

The BBC has voiced regret over a spoof pop video making light of the conflicts in the Middle East, which was made as a joke by London news staff but leaked to a newspaper.


Scambiate 67 mln azioni, giovedi' in odg revoca poteri Ad


China central bank to take "gradual and safe" approach on currency ...

BEIJING : China's central bank said it would take a "gradual and safe" approach to loosening the yuan-dollar peg, following International Monetary Fund (IMF) calls to let the currency float in a wider margin.


The PC maker quietly cashes out as a penny stock.


Hewitt knocks Canas out of Wimbledon third round

Lleyton Hewitt ended Guillermo Canas's Wimbledon comeback with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 defeat in a third round encounter on Tuesday.


Clinton gets off sick-bed to help Kerry campaign

A thinner-looking Bill Clinton will accompany Democratic Sen. John Kerry on the campaign trail Monday, as both camps pull out the star power in what is a tight election.


Lal Jose's Classmates, is a campus caper with a difference, mixing and matching numerous genres to tell the story.


Ang Lee film is surprise winner in Venice

Taiwanese director Ang Lee's sexually explicit "Lust, Caution" was the surprise winner of the Golden Lion for best picture at the Venice film festival on Saturday, just two years after he won with "Brokeback Mountain."


Labour has chosen Margaret Thatcher's old agency Saatchi and Saatchi to handle its election advertising.


The Discovery Channel will drop its sponsorship next year of the professional cycling team that was formerly led by Lance Armstrong, leaving the top United States team scrambling to find a primary sponsor.


Report: Other Drugs May Raise Heart Risks

Momentum was growing for a fresh look at the safety of Celebrex and other pain relievers as key researchers, a congressman and European regulators said they feared such drugs might raise the risk of heart problems like those blamed on the arthritis medicine Vioxx.    Heavily advertised as an arthritis drug, Vioxx was pulled from the market last week after its maker said a study showed it doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke...


Londra, 17:20 - CALCIO, SHEVCHENKO: AFFAMATO DI SUCCESSI CON CHELSEA

Si fa sempre piÃ¹ in salita la trattiva per portare Shevchenko al Milan, e a complicare kle cose ci p...


Two leading British clinics are to offer egg-freezing services to women seeking to delay pregnancy.


At a short press conference in Madrid on Monday after a meeting with French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced that ...


Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Deaf Animals

Hair cells inside the cochlear of the ear respond to sound waves and convert them into electrical nerve signals that the brain interprets as sound. Damaged or absent hair cells are one cause of profound deafness.


The 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit ended here yesterday with leaders voicing strong support for World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations aimed at liberalizing trade and pledging to shore up global


The number of women who are leaving it late to have children is increasing, statistics show.


'Legend' overtakes 'Compass' at foreign box office

A week after it opened  at No. 1 across North America, "I Am Legend" snatched the top  spot at the international box office, ending the two-week reign  of domestic dud "The Golden Compass."


Report: Eastern Europe to challenge Asia in outsourcing

Global offshoring of IT services, manufacturing, and other business functions will continue to grow over the next three years, with countries in Eastern Europe taking on India and China as leading destinations, according to a recent report.


The funeral of one of the victims of the shooting at a heavy metal concert is held in Ohio.


Maglia nera alla Puglia, virtuose Liguria, Trentino e Napoli


Welcome to the third annual Pogie awards presentation. Formal attire is not required, but some measure of product improvement is.


Floods caused by monsoon rains forced the evacuation of thousands in eastern Malaysia on Sunday.


A German film about Hitler's final days portrays the man behind the monster


A court in Calcutta bans touts from the famous Kalighat temple following charges of harassment.


Tiger Woods has shot a 3-under 67 to win the Dunlop Phoenix by eight strokes for his first title since February. Woods hadn't won since taking the Match Play Championship in Carlsbad, California, on February 29.


LâItalia parte subito con il piede giusto e batte la Norvegia per 2-0 nel suo primo impegno di qualificazione ai prossimi campionati europei di categoria. Inizio subito arrembante dellâItalia, che nei primi 35â impegna Larsen in ben due circostanze.


BRANDON, Manitoba - Torrie Wheat scored twice as the Everett Silvertips beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 2-1 yesterday in Western Hockey League action before 4,046 fans at the Keystone Centre.


Petrucci: "Abbiamo fatto il miracolo ma non batteremo cassa

Oltre 7 milioni di premi: questo Ã¨ quanto il Coni dovrÃ  "sborsare" ai 102 azzurri gia` saliti sul podio ai Giochi di Atene. E il Comitato olimpico nazionale e` ben contento di pagare tanto, parola di Gianni Petrucci.


Su base mensile +0,3%, nel 2007 +1,8%.Eurostat: Ue-13 +3,1


Last-ditch talks with Turkey over Cyprus fail

Last-ditch talks in Finland between the European Union and Turkey aimed at averting an EU crisis with Ankara over the Cyprus issue have failed, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said.


Cazenove set to unveil tie-up with JP Morgan

Cazenove is planning to end 181 years of independence by announcing today it is creating a joint venture with the Wall Street investment bank JP Morgan Chase.


Race fans wave American flags in the stands during the singing of the National Anthem prior to the start of the NASCAR Subway 500 stock car race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va.


Airespace partners with IBM on Wi-Fi service

The Silicon Valley start-up has won a partnership with IBM that will help it grab a piece of the growing market for Wi-Fi services at big companies.


Keith Richards will play Johnny Depp's father in the Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel


LA judge orders trial for Rod Stewart's son

Sean Stewart, the son of British singer Rod Stewart, has been ordered to stand trial on charges of throwing a brick at an automobile outside a Hollywood party in April.


On a tourist trail in Bolivia's hills, Che's fame lives on

LA HIGUERA, Bolivia -- The people here pray to a man who once limped through their village in tattered clothes, a legendary guerrilla who fought his last battle on their dusty, unpaved streets, and who was executed in their schoolhouse.


The FTSE 100 on Monday suffered its biggest one-day fall since the attacks on the World Trade Centre more than six years ago as the worst fears about the prospects for the global economy took hold.


SONY, the electronics and gaming giant, said its long-awaited PlayStation Portable (PSP), which can play movies, music and games, had virtually sold out on its home debut today.


Tragica escursione,intrappolati in una galleria sotterranea


Apple Inc. will start selling its iPhone on June 29, a debut that will test whether the company's design success with Mac computers and iPod media players can carry over into mobile handsets.


Coral Thrives on Sunken WWII Ships in Gulf

A University of Alabama scientist and other researchers have found coral growing at extreme depths in the Gulf of Mexico — on several ships sunk during World War II by Nazi submarines.


Amelie Mauresmo's French Open title hopes are ended by Lucie Safarova in the third round.


Shaquille O'Neal returned to pre-season action for Miami in good form after missing two games with a tight hamstring. The former Los Angeles Lakers star scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds the heat beat Atlanta 92-82.


The Nikkei share average rose 1.4 percent by midsession on Thursday as investors took weak domestic output data in their stride and flocked to recently battered stocks, inspired by a steep fall in oil prices.


A film about the life of Playboy magnate Hugh Heffner gains his approval, according to an industry report.


In New Attacks, Bush Pushes Limit on the Facts

Several analysts say that President Bush has pushed the limits of subjective interpretation and offered exaggerated or imprecise accounts of John Kerry's policy positions.


Mitsubishi UFJ to face sanctions in U.S.

U.S. financial authorities will likely take disciplinary action against Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG)  for slack monitoring of suspected money laundering, a source close to the matter said on Wednesday.


SULEIA, Sudan  - Crammed into school buildings in the centre of Suleia, just 200 out of the West Darfur town's original 25,000 population were left after an attack by militia and the Sudanese army.


False report of Swedish king's assassination on faked BBC website

Hoaxers imitated the BBC news website on the Internet, including a fake announcement that King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden had been assassinated in Athens while attending the Olympic Games, according to reports.


Ascoli Piceno, 18:49 - CALCIO, ASCOLI: BOUDIANSKI ALL'UDINESE

L'Ascoli ha raggiunto l'accordo con l'Udinese per la cessione a titolo definitivo del centrocampista...


Aid agencies plead for generous pledges as donors gather in Sweden to discuss Lebanese reconstruction.


EU must seek Chad ceasefire to avert crisis: Oxfam

European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday must increase diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire in Chad to prevent a major humanitarian crisis, British charity Oxfam said.


NASA Insists It Can Fix Flaw in Rocket Design

Vibrations in NASAâs new rocket may cause severe, perhaps fatal, injuries.


Israel Leaves Gaza Camp After Killing 11 Palestinians

Israeli troops pulled out of a south Gaza  refugee camp after killing 11 Palestinians, including  militants, ending a two-day raid launched in response to a  series of mortar attacks on Jewish settlements, the army said.


Five Swiss firefighters were dead and two others were missing Saturday after a fire caused the ceiling of an underground car park to collapse.


Just before U.S. financial markets were roiled by a global credit squeeze this summer, an equally dramatic financial crisis threatened "Second Life," the much-hyped online world.


China, under scrutiny following a series of health scares, has vowed to closely monitor the quality of food served to athletes during next year's Olympics, state media reported on Tuesday.


The remarkable adhesive abilities of geckos and mussels have been combined to create "geckel" glue.


Dopo richiesta di risarcimento a Google e YouTube 1 mld dlr


UPDATE 2-Haan must not take whole blame - China official

China coach Arie Haan should not take the whole blame for the team's elimination from the World Cup, a top official said on Thursday.


Iraq leaders meeting only half of goals: W.House

A day after President George W. Bush cited enough progress in Iraq to begin a limited withdrawal of U.S. troops, a White House report on Friday showed Iraqi leaders had performed satisfactorily on only half of their key goals.


U.S. general says no need now for more Iraq troops

The U.S. military commander in Iraq said on Thursday he currently saw no immediate need to request more U.S. troops other those already announced.


Spain may have been CIA flight stopover: minister

Spain may have been a stopover for  secret CIA flights but there is no evidence that violations of  international law were committed on its soil, Spanish Foreign  Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Thursday.


A new audiotape purportedly from al-Qaida's second-in-command urging Muslim youths to attack the United States is probably authentic, a US intelligence official said.


Crude Oil Closes Above $55; Tight Winter Supply Is Seen

Oil prices climbed again yesterday, closing above $55 a barrel for the first time, on concerns that supplies will be stretched thin this winter while demand from China remains solid.


Cruise, Couch Potatoes Catch Football Fever

There's probably a reason Tom Cruise doesn't show up on camera   at WNBA games: Lots more people watch football games.


Mimi Rogers Joins Selleck in CBS TV Movie

LOS ANGELES  - Mimi Rogers and Viola  Davis have been tapped to star opposite Tom Selleck in the CBS  TV movie "Stone Cold."


Yahoo's new Mobile Internet service lets users obtain localized search results on specific businesses, access maps, and make calls from the results page.


Gli America infiniti Torna il duo folk-pop

Demoliti per 30 anni dai critici, rieccoli in prima pagina con Here & Now . Anche il Wall Street Journal se n'è accorto. Audio e Video


Torino, 16:33 - CALCIO, TORINO; ZACCHERONI: VOGLIO RIPETERE IL MIRACOLO UDINESE

''L'obiettivo è quello di creare un Torino simile alla mia Udinese''. Alberto Zaccheroni si p...


Asuncion, 12:21 - CALCIO, PARAGUAY: SEQUESTRO LAMPO PER FIGLIA DI ACUNA

Paura in Paraguay per il rapimento lampo della figlia di appena 45 giorni del calciatore Roberto 'To...


Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch appears to say he is not interested in launching a rival takeover bid for Yahoo.


NASA readies year's first shuttle launch

Final preparations were under way Friday for the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis for the first mission of the year, with weather conditions looking good for a blastoff to the International Space Station.


DoubleClick, the one-time darling of dot-com advertising, is on the block, The Post has learned. DoubleClick, which has seen its fortunes steadily decline since the Internet


SANTIAGO, Chile  - Hecklers angry at the government shouted over the sound of choirs at the funeral on Tuesday of Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator whose repressive rule from 1973 to 1990 made him infamous around the world for human rights abuses.


Neither George Bush nor John Kerry has ever lost a debate, or so the legend goes. In fact, observers of presidential debates


Pay off your credit cards, take advantage of 401(k)s, open an IRA

By now, as I wrote among my predictions for 2007, I expect that millions of Americans have already broken their New Year's resolutions, including the ever-popular but vague "save more money" and "get my finances in order."


Blackstone IPO could be sixth-largest ever in US

NEW YORK -- The IPO market may not be as large as it once was, but there is still expected to be plenty of room for this week's debut of private equity powerhouse Blackstone Group, likely one of the biggest initial public offerings in US history.


Overseas boxoffice tends to slacken at this time of the year, but two newcomers -- "Shark Tale" and "Wimbledon" -- showed early promise in kickoff dates over the weekend, while M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" topped $100 million in international gross and "Garfield" neared membership in the $100 million club.


A Tradition Lives: A Home Away From Home

Players from Canadaâs major junior leagues often live with a host family while playing far from home and are expected to behave like part of the family.


Organizer of Rally in Caledonia, Ont., Arrested at Native Occupation Site

CALEDONIA, Ont. (CP) - Police have arrested Gary McHale, the Richmond Hill, Ont., man who organized a protest Saturday at the site of the ongoing aboriginal occupation in Caledonia, Ont.


Fearful Choice for Afghan Women: To Vote or Not to Vote

In the face of Taliban threats, many women fear the shame a public death would bring their families.


A fire ripped through a hostel in the southern Siberian town of Kyzyl, killing at least 14 people, Russian news agencies reported citing emergency ministry officials.


Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, who promotes renewable energy as a way to wean the nation off of fossil fuels, has sold his stock holdings in the country's largest independent refining company.


Microsoft debuts a preview of its long-anticipated desktop search as part of a toolbar suite that integrates with Windows, Internet Explorer, and the company's Outlook e-mail client.


A New York, il prezzo in rialzo del +1,0 per cento


KOROLYOV (Moscow region). Feb 4 (Interfax-AVN) - NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Michael Lopez-Alegria have begun a spacewalk, the Mission Control Center told Interfax-AVN. "The spacewalk will last for about six and a half hours.


New bluetongue case raises fears  virus is spreading

Â·  Animals on second Suffolk farm infected Â·  Restrictions on livestock movement eased


Asus Eee PC as 'hard to get your hands on as a Wii'

Meanwhile, Japan's getting a 16GB version Asus' elfin Eee PC is coming to Japan and it's going to get 16GB of solid-state storage, it has been claimed. Meanwhile, in the UK availability has reached Wii-like limits, according to insiders.â¦


Yushchenko Claims Victory In Presidential Election

Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko declared victory Monday in Ukraine's fiercely contested presidential election, telling thousands of supporters they had taken their country to a new political era.


A police officer tells the Omagh trial that bodies littered the street after the 1998 explosion.


Shareholders of Palm Inc. voted Wednesday to approve the partial sale of the struggling company to a private equity firm and change the boardâs makeup.


Gup decidera' il 28/9 se richiedere autorizzazione per uso


Case Offers Caution on Stomach-Stapling Surgery

An obese Massachusetts woman and her 8-month-old fetus died of complications 18 months after the woman had stomach-stapling surgery.


Four women recalled amid concerns over standards at breast cancer clinic are diagnosed with the disease.


Retail presence fastened Dell is hammering yet another nail into the coffin of its original direct-only business model â or to be trite, Stapling it in.â¦


Last Harry Potter book to hit shelves on July 21

Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc said on Thursday the seventh and final installment in the teenage wizard books, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", will hit the shelves on July 21.


The Web is a window on personal lives, and employers can peer in.


Microsoft to Launch Xbox 360 Elite in Japan

On October 11 Microsoft will launch its Xbox 360 Elite in Japan, where Xbox sales are lagging.


Fueled by insatiable consumer and business demand for storage, hard-drive maker Seagate Technology's fiscal second-quarter earnings nearly tripled as shipments rose 20 percent year over year, the company said Thursday.


United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) agreed to buy Menlo Worldwide Forwarding, a unit of CNF Inc. (CNF.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , for $150 million in


PARLIAMENT voted unanimously on Monday, September 14 to hold a referendum on whether ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries should be granted Hungarian citizenship.


The reins of power have once again been handed over in Pakistan. And once again, it's a man hand-picked by the country's military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf.


Afghan suspect transferred to Guantanamo: Pentagon

The Pentagon said on Wednesday an Afghan national it described as a dangerous terrorism suspect had been transferred to the U.S. military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.


U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld visited wounded soldiers and brought holiday greetings on Christmas Eve amid tight security at an air base in northern Iraq where an insurgent's attack killed 14 U.S. troops and eight other people earlier this week.


U.S. Nuclear Submarine Runs Aground Off Guam

A U.S. nuclear submarine ran aground 350 miles off the Pacific Ocean territory of Guam, injuring about 20 crew members, one of them critically, the Navy said on Saturday.


A woman magistrate resigns after she is found to have acted in a pornographic film in a protracted legal dispute.


The UN is holding events across Asia to encourage the region to adopt free and open source software.


Police search wasteland for missing British girl

Police investigating the disappearance of a missing British girl in Portugal said they may use sniffer dogs on Thursday to search the area where an anonymous tip-off said she was buried.


Indian Gap supplier using child labour: report

An Indian supplier to clothing retailer Gap has been found using child labour to produce items for Gap Kids branches in Europe and the United States, the Observer newspaper reported here on Sunday.


U.S. construction spending fell unexpectedly by 0.4 percent in November, as a cooling in residential construction overpowered a small rise in public spending, a government report showed on Monday.


Supreme Court appears divided in death penalty case

Lethal injection procedures pose a danger of cruelly inhumane executions with excruciating pain, an attorney for two death row inmates told the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in a capital punishment case that has drawn worldwide attention.


(SH) - French troops are enforcing an uneasy calm in Ivory Coast, where suddenly much of the population turned against them, treating them as hated occupiers instead of welcome peacekeepers.


For Struggling Black College, Hopes of a Revival

Wiley College is suddenly feeling the glow of celebrity with the release of a film about the schoolâs debating team.


Mazda will soon introduce the hybrid version of the Mazda Tribute, which is a shared platform with the Ford Escape. From the sound of it, this should be coming to market for the 2006 model year.


Town strengthens illegal immigration law

HAZLETON, Pennsylvania  - Officials in the   Pennsylvania town of Hazleton on Friday strengthened a local   law designed to drive illegal immigrants away in a bid to   defend the measure against legal challenges.


Arts & entertainment: Review: If Ash really are giving up on the long-player, this final effort is a grand swan-song.


The first images that hide a virus inside them have been found in a pornographic newsgroup on the net.


Amy Winehouse free again after night in Norwegian cell

BERGEN, Norway (Times, London) - Amy Winehouse resumed her European tour yesterday after spending the night in a Norwegian police station for possession of cannabis. The singer, whose career has been dogged by accounts of drink and drugs abuse, was arrested with her husband at an hotel room in Bergen. Police were called after staff at the Radisson SAS hotel smelt the drug coming from the room occupied by Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil. They joined a growing roll call of foreigners who have fallen victim to strong antidrug laws in Scandinavia. They were released from custody and paid a fine after spending 12 hours in jail. Winehouse and her husband paid a Â500 (Â£350) fine between them. Police said that they had found seven grams (0.25oz) of marijuana in their hotel room.


UKRAINE remains an indepen dent state. For now. But last week's shamelessly rigged presidential-election results were engineered by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin's security services.


FDA Panel Urges Approval of Childhood Leukemia Drug

Clolar, a new drug to treat childhood leukemia, should receive government approval, a US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended Wednesday.


North Korea fires short-range missiles: Kyodo

North Korea fired several short-range missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Friday morning, Kyodo news agency said, quoting Japanese and U.S. officials.


Steamy e-mails from astronaut case released

ORLANDO, Florida  - Astronaut Lisa Nowak carried copies of steamy e-mails that her NASA lover had written to his new girlfriend the night she raced cross-country in a diaper to confront her rival, according to documents released on Tuesday.


Blair ally wanted for questioning over coup

LONDON: Police in South Africa want to question Peter Mandelson, the new European Union trade commissioner and one of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's closest friends, over any knowledge he may have of a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.


How serial killer stumped cops for decades

Timothy Krajcir got away with murder for decades, police say. In fact, his killings were so calculated police wondered if they were hunting for one of their own. "There was some speculation, of course," Cape Girardeau Police Chief Carl Kinnison told CNN.


The federal investigation of Barry Bonds approaches a key juncture Thursday, with the grand jury probing the baseball star for perjury and tax evasion set to expire and a possible indictment of Bonds looming.


Myanmar protests push Iran down U.N. agenda

President George W. Bush announced new U.S. sanctions against Myanmar on Tuesday as world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly focused on rising protests against military rule in the Southeast Asian state.


were the first suicide bombings inside what is supposed to be the safest place in Iraq. personnel and a US civilian. He did not give the nationalities of the other casualties.


Basra Ambush Leaves Two British Soldiers Dead, U.K. Defense Ministry Says

Two British soldiers died near the southern Iraqi city of Basra after their convoy was ambushed, according to the U.K. Ministry of Defence.


A Baghdad hospital official is being questioned over the alleged use of mental patients in bomb attacks, the US says.


E! Entertainment  Television topped the cable networks' coverage of the Golden  Globes news conference Sunday, but none of the three that aired  the live telecast had much to brag about.


Cisco Launches Virtual World for Resellers

Cisco has created a 3D virtual marketplace to help its channel partners work with application providers and manufacturers worldwide.


IDF steps up Gaza drive after Qassams kill 2 in Sderot

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted Thursday as ordering security forces to "do everything in order to put an end to Qassam fire, after two small children were killed when two Hamas rockets fired from the Gaza Strip struck the Negev town of Sderot on


Government to Control Struggling British Bank

The nationalization of Northern Rock, the ailing mortgage lender, was the first such action in more than a decade and a huge blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown.


Safeco to Offer Parents a Device That Tracks Teen Drivers

By Mike Lindblom, Seattle Times  Jun. 5--Safeco Insurance will soon offer its customers a tracking device that lets parents monitor the speed and location of their teen children who are out driving.


Starting Krstic Pays Dividends for the Nets

Nets Coach Lawrence Frank made a change Tuesday night at Charlotte Coliseum, inserting the rookie center Nenad Krstic into the starting lineup in place of power forward Brian Scalabrine.


In his ninth year with the Patriots, Tedy Bruschi has continued to defy description. Is he a defensive lineman in a linebacker's body? Or is he a linebacker with a defensive lineman's demeanor?


Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn in tears after just over two hours of the Olympic women's marathon. The world record holder and big favourite was in fourth place at the time but was losing ground.


Avviata collaborazione con divisione audio-video di Samsung


By Sherrie Peif, Greeley Tribune, Colo.  Feb. 3--The Good Samaritan Society Water Valley Senior Living Resort, scheduled to open spring 2008, has its first employee in a director of marketing.   Windsor resident Dawn Jensen began her duties Feb.1.


Lawyers Assert That Pentagon Overstates Ex-Detainee Threat

A Seton Hall law professor contends that the Defense Department has overestimated the number of former Guantanamo Bay detainees who became involved in terrorist activities after they were released from the military prison.


Shi'ite Fighters Hand Over Arms for Cash in Baghdad

A Shi'ite militia disarmament plan that  could end weeks of fighting in Baghdad got slowly under way on  Monday as Iraq's interim government pursued peace talks with  the rebel-held Sunni Muslim city of Falluja.


Aldrovandi, svolta nell'inchiesta spuntano prove nascoste

Modificato un brogliaccio della polizia, campioni di sangue per mesi 'dimenticati' in un frigo. La famiglia accusa: "Manomissioni"


Rescue efforts are under way after a burst dam in Pakistan kills 70 amid widespread flooding across the country.


UK's Charles and Camilla to Marry on April 8

Britain's heir to the throne Prince  Charles and his long-time lover Camilla Parker Bowles will  marry on April 8 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, his  office said on Thursday.


Coach Cuper Rejoins Mallorca After Year-Long Soccer Sabbatical

Hector Cuper, who coached teams including Inter Milan and Valencia, agreed to rejoin Real Mallorca, ending a yearlong soccer sabbatical.


Beckham wasnât interested in The Pink Panther

Football star David Beckham said Monday that he turned down a âgood partâ in MGMâs The Pink Panther, staring Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyonce Knowles and Jean Reno.


Under a New Watch, Miramax Still Homes in on Awards

Miramax may be a smaller and calmer organization under Daniel Battsek, but the studio has nonetheless remained in the thick of the awards race.


Shares of Aircraft Parts Maker Surge on First Trading Day

Shares in the Spirit AeroSystems Holdings unit of Onex, the Canadian leveraged buyout company, rose 12 percent.


Missing Matter Mystery May Be a Question of WHIM

Two monster cosmic clouds could hold the solution to the mystery of the missing matter -- immense amounts of celestial stuff that somehow has eluded detection.


ManTech International Corp. of Fairfax won a $20.9 million contract from the Air Force to provide network and telecommunications services in Europe and in Turkey.


Bush and Howard talk defense as protesters fight court ban

U.S. President George W. Bush and Australia's Prime Minister John Howard met beside Sydney Harbour on Wednesday to discuss progress in Iraq and a new defense deal ahead of an Asia-Pacific leaders' summit.


Twenty-nine patients who took  AstraZeneca Plc's AZN.L AZN.N anti-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.


First Sentence for Violating Privacy Law

Lying in a hospital bed, gravely ill from leukemia and weakened by chemotherapy, Eric Drew began to get mail thanking him for opening credit accounts he knew nothing about.


When Jeff Fisher noticed his dog had gone overboard, he wasn't sure if the ferry would stop to retrieve Ruben. So the Bremerton man jumped off the ferry into Puget Sound's chilly waters to save his beloved Labrador-blue heeler mix.


UK Chancellor Gordon Brown gave an upbeat assessment of the economy on Wednesday, pledging billions of pounds for schools as he prepared the ground to take over as prime minister in the next few months.


Eli Lilly Posts a Net Loss on Tax Expense

Eli Lilly and Co. LLY.N on Wednesday  reported a fourth-quarter net loss on charges for restructuring  and taxes related to the return of overseas profits as sales of  prescription drugs rose only slightly.


U.S. Retailers Cut Prices After Christmas

The nation's merchants cut prices even deeper on Sunday, the day after Christmas, in hopes of squeezing more sales out of what's winding up to be an unimpressive holiday season.


RightNow aims to take on SAP, Siebel in Europe

CEO Greg Gianforte says his company's CRM offerings will win clients at the expense of two big rivals.


TIM HENMAN is banking on his blistering big match form to sweep Great Britain back into the Davis Cup World Group. Henman was bulging with confidence ahead of the play-off with Austria, due to start today


Microsoft's unsolicited bid for Yahoo underscores the strength of online advertising Â and the confidence the market has that the relatively new industry can withstand an economic downturn.


General: Iraqi Forces Far From Self-Sufficiency

Iraqi forces will not be ready to assume full responsibility for their nation's security for years, and the U.S. military should be cautious in planning to reduce its 157,000-strong force in Iraq given past setbacks, the American general in charge of the teams that advise Iraqi forces warned...


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Anti-whaler nations give Japan a warning

Anti-whaling nations New Zealand and Australia vowed Thursday to continue the fight to end Japan's annual whale hunts, warning that its plans to kill humpback whales off Antarctica in December could spark outrage. The warning comes just a day after Japan ended its latest southern whale program following a deadly fire that crippled the mother ship of its whaling fleet and left it drifting near the Antarctic coast. A crewman died in the fire.


James Brown's body was placed in a crypt Saturday at the Beech Island home of one his daughters, family and friends of the soul singer said.


Napoli, 19:22 - CALCIO, NAPOLI: ZALAYETA TORNA IN GRUPPO

Doppio allenamento per il Napoli in vista della gara con l'Empoli. In mattinata lavoro atletico, nel...


A big explosion hits central Baghdad injuring 10 people, six days before elections are due to take place.


Emessi 44 ordini di arresto contro elementi clan Santapaola


North Korea Resists Talks on Nuclear Arms

North Korea said Monday that it will not resume talks on its nuclear weapons program until the Bush administration ends its "hostile policy" against Pyongyang and


Bush Leads Kerry by Two Points - Reuters Poll

President Bush leads Democratic  rival John Kerry by two points heading into the final five days  of a tight race for the White House, according to a  Reuters/Zogby poll released on Thursday.


AFRICA/SUDAFRICA - ÂRimaniamo uniti per negoziare al fine di creare un sistema commerciale piÃ¹ favorevole ai Paesi poveriÂ dicono India Brasile e Sudafrica Pretoria (Agenzia Fides)- Brasile, India e Sudafrica invitano i Paesi in via di sviluppo a rimanere uniti per creare un fronte comune nelle trattative di Doha sul futuro del commercio mondiale. LÂappello Ã¨ stato lanciato dai Capi di Stato e di govern...


Call it a marriage of social networking and search. Sproose goes live Wednesday, the latest entrant in an increasingly busy field.


Obama, Clinton rally support ahead of Potomac primary, while McCain eyes general election.


KarstadtQuelle sets back target for returning to profit

KarstadtQuelle, the crisis-ridden German retail giant, does not expect to turn in a profit until 2006 instead of 2005 as expected, the group's chairman Christoph Achenbach told shareholders at an extraordinary ...


F1 outfit McLaren face FIA hearing into 'spying' row

Formula One team McLaren were charged Thursday by the sport's world governing body, following claims a member of their staff received confidential technical information from arch-rivals Ferrari.


Kingfisher, the biggest European home-improvements retailer, has posted a huge drop in pre-tax profits during its first quarter, as a continued poor performance in Britain offset success abroad.


Tiger Woods has been saying that heâs âcloseâ to firing on all cylinders. Perhaps this time he really is. Woods looked like his old confident self on Saturday as he carded a five-under-par 65 to tie


Pervez Musharraf to seek backing in Europe

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will seek support from the European Union and NATO on Monday at the start of a four-country trip to Europe where he is also expected to face tough questions over his rule.


A Physician Caught Trying to Heal Himself

Rarely has a more conflicted or unpromising candidate entered the field of medicine, and this mismatch gives âInternâ its offbeat appeal.


Legge iniziativa popolare per incandidabilita' inquisiti


Barack Obama, an Iowa winner seeking New Hampshire spoils, faced stepped-up criticism Friday from Democratic rivals now doubly determined to block his rise in the 2008 presidential race. Republican Mike Huckabee claimed momentum for a hurried five-day primary campaign.


WASHINGTON - There's change in store for Thomas Jefferson - on the nickel that is. He's getting his first makeover since his likeness was put on the coin in 1938...


Two dozen senators Wednesday criticized a Pentagon proposal that would eliminate Lockheed Martin Corp.'s C-130J Hercules aircraft to save nearly $5 billion over the next six years.


A man who sold a female pit bull to Michael Vick's dogfighting operation and attended some of the fights avoided prison time Friday because he cooperated with investigators and did not physically harm any of the dogs.


Calm Returns to Market, but Worries Persist Over Subprime Loans

Stocks rose modestly Wednesday but concerns over Wall Streetâs bet on subprime loans have not gone away.


PHUKET, Thailand  - A budget airliner packed with foreign tourists crashed on the Thai resort island of Phuket on Sunday, killing 88 people as it broke up and burst into flames while trying to land in heavy rain, officials said.


Brazil Ruling Party Seeks Stronger Hand from Poll

By Angus MacSwan SAO PAULO, Brazil  - Brazil's ruling Worker'sParty (PT) was looking to strengthen its hand in its fight totransform this huge Latin American country with a goodperformance in nationwide municipal elections on Sunday.


Videotape purports to show beheading of hostage

BAGHDADâA video posted yesterday on a website showed the beheading of a man identified as American civil engineer Eugene Armstrong.


Ex-Guardsman: I Contacted Kerry Campaign

A retired Texas National Guard official mentioned as a possible source for disputed documents about President Bush's service in the Guard said he passed along information to a former senator working with John Kerry's campaign.


Russian poll draws fake royals, eccentrics

A self-styled tsar, four empresses and scores of other eccentrics have sought to register for Russian presidential elections in March, the country's elections chief said on Monday.


Directorâs Reward: A Second First Chance

âStep Up 2 the Streets,â the new hip-hop dance movie, represents a second chance of sorts for the director Jon M. Chu.


Vaccine "could cut cervical cancer deaths 76 pct"

GlaxoSmithKline's experimental vaccine  against a virus that causes cervical cancer could cut the  number of cases and deaths from the illness by up to 76  percent, the drug company said on Monday.


Iraqis protest arrest of Shi'ite leader's son

Iraqis took to the streets of Shi'ite towns and cities on Saturday to protest over the detention by U.S. troops of the eldest son of Abdul-Aziz al- Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite leaders.


Former Russian prime minister Yegor Gaidar discusses his sudden, mysterious illness the day after the death of former spy Alexander Litvinenko.


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


Howzatt! Test series to be telecast on DD and cable

NEW DELHI: Millions of Indian cricket fans need not chew their nails with anxiety. The first Test series between India and Australia starting on home turf on October 6 will be beamed into all cable-connected and antennaed homes after all.


Frode, rivelazione di segreto e appropriazione indebita


Richmond Times-Dispatch Ray McAllister Column

By Ray McAllister, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.  Dec. 12--Virginia may have taken a step yesterday toward recognizing . .  . the Internet.   Don't laugh. That would put us ahead of most states.


Israeli Troops Round Up 300 Palestinians in W.Bank

The Israeli army rounded up more than 300 Palestinians between ages 16 and 50 and formally arrested at least one in a sweep into a West Bank refugee camp on Tuesday.


Despite Ruling, PeopleSoft Battles to Stand Alone

AN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10 - The federal court ruling issued Thursday that allows Oracle to proceed with its hostile bid to acquire PeopleSoft removes a major roadblock to the merger.


PEORIA, Illinois  - President George W. Bush said on Tuesday he plans to submit a budget proposal for fiscal 2008 that would pave the way for the government to balance its budget BY 2012 while still keeping taxes low.


The three-year-old daughter of a British worker is seized by gunmen in the Niger Delta, Nigerian police say.


As if America hasn't gotten enough of Paris Hilton, she's packed her bags for another installment of "The Simple Life." The blonde heiress and best friend Nicole Richie plan on scoring a big hit the third time around. For the third installment of the r...


Iran and European negotiators were close to compromise on a deal committing Teheran to freezing all parts of a program that can make nuclear-weapons grade uranium but the government in Teheran still must approve it, diplomats said Friday.


Egypt and Spain Hold Mideast Peace Talks

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived in Spain yesterday for a two-day visit during which he was to hold talks with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on the Palestinian and Iraqi conflicts.


The retrial of Peruvian guerrilla leader Abimael Guzman is halted for a second time in a week.


Palestinian Abbas Pledges to Talk Peace with Israel

NABLUS, West Bank  - Just two days after branding  Israel the "Zionist enemy," Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas  pledged on Thursday to pursue peace talks following the Jan. 9  presidential election he is widely expected to win.


Lawrence's Hector Paniagua (31 points) hit an offbalance 3-pointer as time expired to help the No. 7 Lancers get past visiting No. 16 Haverhill, 85-82, in overtime in a Merrimack Valley Conference game last night.


UN Unveils Action Plan to Save Millions of Lives

More than 500 million people can  escape abject poverty, 250 million people will no longer go to  bed hungry and 30 million children can be saved if rich  countries double development aid over the next 10 years to $195  billion, a new U.N.-sponsored report said on Monday.


Kurds in Iraq protest at the Turkish parliament's decision to allow cross-border attacks against Kurdish rebels.


Data from Nasa's Mars rover Opportunity shows its unique landing site is a prime spot for a return mission to look for life, scientists say.


Armed Athens Bus Hijackers Release Five Hostages

Hijackers who took as many as 26 people hostage on a commuter bus on the outskirts of Athens released five of the captives. Police are in negotiations to free the remaining hostages, a spokeswoman said.


AFRICA/CONGO RD - ÂTroppe armi ancora in circolazioneÂ: allarme del Comitato Internazionale che sorveglia il corretto svolgimento delle elezioni congolesi Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Il Presidente della Repubblica democratica del Congo Joseph Kabila e il vicepresidente Jean-Pierre Bemba, in lizza per il ballottaggio alle presidenziali, si sono incontrati ieri, 13 settembre per circa due ore. Si Ã¨ trattat...


Emendamento pensato per le aziende a conduzione familiare


Palermo, 16:36 - CALCIO, PALERMO: COLANTUONO PUNTA SU MIGLIACCIO E CAVANI

Dentro Migliaccio, Diana e Cavani, fuori Guana, Giovanni Tedesco e Jankovic. Stefano Colantuono pres...


Clay Aiken was involved in an airplane disturbance with another passenger Saturday while en route to Tulsa International Airport, a newspaper reported.


Regulators Adopt Tighter Rules on Accounting for Stock Options

Accounting regulators adopted rules on Thursday requiring publicly traded companies to treat the stock options they give to employees as normal business expenses.


Shinobu Asagoe, the last unseeded  player left in the women's singles, reached her first grand  slam quarter-final with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 win over Greece's Eleni  Daniilidou 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 at the U.S. Open Monday.


Toshiba says HD DVD has not lost out to Blu-ray

Toshiba Corp said on Sunday its HD DVD high-definition video format is not dead despite being dealt a big setback by Warner Bros studio's decision to exclusively back Sony Corp's rival Blu-ray technology.


More than 50,000 people in Addis Ababa demonstrate against government plans to renew border talks with Eritrea.


Fashion Wire Daily - Fashion Wire Daily September 16,2004- NEW YORK - Ralph Lauren dressed for a new role Wednesday morning, taking his bow for his spring 2005 collection attired like a Hollywood studio boss in wide-shouldered gray suit, two-tone tasseled loafers and club tie.


Dinner party guest makes gruesome discovery

Host's wife and son in freezer A dinner party guest in Verviers, eastern Belgium, made a hasty exit from her host's house after discovering the bodies of his wife and son in the freezer.â¦


FDA Advisers Vote Against Female Sex Drug

WASHINGTON Dec 3, 2004 - In a move that could chill excitement about experimental drugs to treat female sexual dysfunction, federal advisers refused to endorse a new testosterone patch for women.


U.S. factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region grew slower than expected in July after a surprise surge in June, and initial claims last week for U.S. jobless benefits fell to a two-month low, a survey and a report showed on Thursday.


Whirlpool profit rises but U.S. sales weaker

Whirlpool Corp , the world's largest appliance maker, reported a 50 percent rise in third-quarter profit on Tuesday as international demand and lower taxes helped offset a drop in U.S. sales.


Loyalist paramiltaries, the UDA, deny having any prior knowledge of Michael Stone's attack at Stormont.


Better breast cancer drug beats current gold standard

A new drug is better than tamoxifen at preventing breast cancers from coming back and should immediately become the first-line treatment for women with certain tumours, researchers say.


After a hospital's ethics board ruled that it would be futile to keep an 11-month-old on life support, another facility is now expected to take the boy.


Sony BMG, Starwood Hotels in harmony on music pact

Sony BMG Entertainment has entered  into an exclusive partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts  Worldwide to develop uniquely branded music- and  entertainment-based programming for hotels that fall under the  Starwood banner.


Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos agrees to join Turkish champions Fenerbahce at the end of the season.


IBM, Sony, Toshiba Unveil Nine-Core Cell Processor

"Supercomputer on a chip" expected to power Sony's PlayStation 3.


Earnings are up, but sagging revenues are more annoying than static.


Conan O'Brien to Succeed Leno on NBC's `Tonight Show'

Comedian Conan O'Brien has been picked to succeed Jay Leno as host of NBC's ``Tonight Show'' when Leno's contract expires in 2009, the television network owned by General Electric Co.


Snow in Baghdad for the first time in living memory delights residents who declared it an omen of peace


Carmelo Anthony, who missed Denver's previous game after being cited for marijuana possession, scored 23 points for the Nuggets in a 100-88 preseason victory Thursday night over the Los Angeles Clippers.


Valuations Seen Intact For Oracle, PeopleSoft

S&P Equity Research maintained ratings for PeopleSoft (nasdaq: PSFT - news - people ) and Oracle (nasdaq: ORCL - news - people ). On Saturday, 61% of PeopleSoft shareholders tendered their stock in favor of Oracle's offer of $24 a share for the company.


General Motors' Adam Opel AG unit said Tuesday it had agreed with employee delegates to try to ensure the survival of its main plants in Germany beyond 2010, while finding "socially acceptable" ways of cutting back their work force


Bremer: U.S. Paid Price for Lack of Troops

The United States did not have enough troops in Iraq after ousting Saddam Hussein and "paid a big price" for it, says the former head of the U.S. occupation there.


Guerra di cifre sulle tragedie nei cantieri. L'Inail: casi in caloI sindacati: statistiche solo sul lavoro regolare, strage sommersa                                          Cento operai morti ogni mese "PiÃ¹ vittime qui che a Bagdad"                                                                                Se la vittima Ã¨ un immigrato, non arriva neanche in ospedalee se anche ci arriva non risulta che stesse lavorando di ATTILIO BOLZONI


Books of The Times: Bad Apples and Blue Eyes: Shaking Loose Secrets From the Family Tree

Plot twists in Lauren Groffâs book are certainly intriguing enough to captivate readers. The trouble with âThe Monsters of Templetonâ is that its complications seem nonstop.


Consumers' renewed worries about job prospects led to a bigger-than-expected drop in confidence in August and provided more evidence of the fragility of the economic expansion.


Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius appears likely to fail in his bid to compete at next year's Olympic Games in Beijing.


The European Central Bank set to raise rates despite sluggish ...

The ECB is likely to raise interest rates in a regular monthly policy meeting scheduled on Thursday. The key rate that is now at a historic low of 2% will probably be raised to combat inflationary pressures.


Blog: Six models of Nokia and Pharos brand enterprise-class phones show up on Dell.com.


ConocoPhillips Sees Lower Oil, Gas Output

ConocoPhillips  on Tuesday said third-quarter crude oil and natural gas production will be 7 percent lower than levels in the previous quarter due to scheduled maintenance in the North Sea and Alaska, as well as normal seasonal declines.


New Zealand on verge of victory over Bangladesh

Stephen Fleming, the record-breaking New Zealand captain, completed a brilliant double-century as the Blacks Caps claimed a stranglehold over Bangladesh in the second Test in Chittagong.


Low-flying aircraft banned from key London landmarks

Aircraft will be banned from flying low over a series of key London landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament under new anti-terror rules announced.


A French pilot was forced to eject from his fighter plane over Algeria Wednesday during a flight from Chad to France, the Defense Ministry said. The pilot landed safely, and the aircraft crashed in an uninhabited area south of the city of Constantine.


Lord of the Rings Stats Reunite in Animation

Sir Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis aren't sick of each other yet. The two stars, who first worked together in Lord of the Rings, will lend their voices to the animated movie "Flushed Away.


Chess genius Bobby Fischer dies in Iceland

Bobby Fischer, America's first and only world chess champion who was once dubbed the "Mozart of Chess", has died in Iceland at the age of 64.


A group of activist Sept. 11 widows said Tuesday they will campaign for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, charging the Bush administration stonewalled their efforts to uncover intelligence failures leading up to the attacks and took the nation into a misguided war in Iraq.


Expos become Nationals, but not before a fight

The Montreal Expos would be renamed the Washington Nationals if the proposed move of the franchise is approved by baseball owners.


Crew held on for their lives as the New Zealand super maxi yacht Konica Minolta barrelled off the top of an enormous rogue wave in the final leg of the Sydney-to-Hobart race, fracturing its deck.


Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann sealed off an area of remote scrubland in southern Portugal Friday after receiving an anonymous tip the 4-year-old British girl might be buried in the area, news reports said.


Painful Sweating Reported After Wart Removal

US researchers describe a man who experienced episodes of painful sweating in the face that occurred spontaneously or when eating certain foods.


Cobra language slithering to open source

Cobra, a .Net-based programming language, is being readied for open source release as an all-in-one solution to address multiple needs in software development.Now in a beta stage of development, plans call for offering the language as an open source offering later this month under the MIT license and having a general, 1.0 release ready some time this year, said Chuck Esterbrook, the author of Cobra. Cobra runs on .Net and Novell's Mono, which enables .Net applications to run on Linux, Solaris, Mac OS, and Windows."The idea is to take productivity boosters that are currently scattered among different languages and bring them together in one language so you can get the benefits of all of them at the same time," Esterbrook said. Cobra is intended as a general-purpose language for building any type of application.Users would get static and dynamic binding, which is featured in Objective-C and Boo; the expressiveness and quick coding of Python, Ruby, and Smalltalk; and the runtime performance of C#, Java, and C++, the Cobra Web site says. First-class language support for unit tests, now highlighted in D, also would be part of Cobra.Also featured is a software contracts capability for object-oriented programming. Software contracts serve as an interface to the methods they describe, Esterbrook said. This capability currently is featured in the Eiffel and D platforms.Cobra could save developers work. Citing the example of a program developed in Python and then ported to C++ for performance reasons, Esterbrook said Cobra is different in that it offers both rapid development and performance.Cobra serves as a compiled language that has optional dynamic binding, providing improved error messages and performance, Esterbrook said. Development of Cobra is being done on both Macintosh and Windows; it also is being tested on Linux.Additional refinements in Cobra include defaulting to accurate decimal math and detailed postmortem exception reports. Cobra offers "a practical synthesis of already-proven features that are currently scattered across multiple languages," the Cobra site states.Cobra's naming was derived from its taking its syntax from Python. Until Microsoft's Lang.Net Symposium in Redmond, Wash., last week, the project was in a stealth mode, with fewer than 10 serious users.


Soccer: Ugly scenes overshadow Bremen triumph in Spain

VALENCIA : German champions Werder Bremen booked their place in the last sixteen of the Champions League with a 2-0 triumph over Valencia on Tuesday but the match was overshadowed by a series of ugly scenes in the final minute.


West Indies captain Brian Lara is calling on his battered troops to pull together and end the 2004 summer campaign on a high. "We've got a break after this so what we'd like to do is end on a high.


Israel begins redeploying forces in northern Gaza, in what it says is a gesture to Palestinians.


For all his Cy Young Awards, for all his October theatrics, Pedro Martinez has become almost an afterthought for the Red Sox during their postseason surge.


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Una donna e un incensurato di Brindisi dietro la truffaLe Poste rimborseranno i versamenti illegittimi                                                  Falsi bollettini Rai Scoperta la stamperia


Putin 1st Russian leader to visit Saudis

President Vladimir Putin, making the first visit by a Russian leader to Saudi Arabia, met King Abdullah and other senior officials Sunday for talks that touched on regional tensions including Iraq and the Palestinian territories.


Putin wants smooth transition to PM post

President Vladimir Putin urged the government Thursday to work hard before the March presidential election to ensure a smooth transition if he takes over as prime minister.


Gunmen seize 3-year-old British girl in Nigeria

Armed men kidnapped a three-year-old British girl on Thursday, heightening a foreign hostage crisis in Nigeria's troubled main oil producing zone.


New York Condos Lure Deal-Seeking Europeans

Foreign tourists are keeping brokers busy with their eagerness to buy up Manhattan apartments.


Tell us more The US Government faces a lawsuit demanding information about the controversial programme which forces airlines to disclose information about European travellers to the US.â¦


Israel Charges 'Jesus Box' Relics Ring with Fraud

Israeli prosecutors charged four antiquities dealers on Wednesday with forging a slew of biblical artifacts including a "Jesus box" that had been claimed as proof of Christianity's origins.


One of America's most popular live rock outfits, the Dave Matthews Band, was facing a hefty fine after state prosecutors in Illinois alleged that a band tour bus had deposited 360kg (800lb) of human waste on 100 boat passengers taking an architectural


Holyfield plans to fight suspension by NY Commission

Evander Holyfield said yesterday that he will fight the indefinite suspension handed down by the New York State Athletic Commission as a result of Saturday night's lopsided loss to journeyman Larry Donald at Madison Square Garden.


Some prominent evangelical Christians say they have not been invited to participate in or attend the Republican National Convention less than three weeks before the event is to begin.


NZ parachutist releases video of near-death fall

A New Zealand parachutist who survived a fall of 15,000 feet (4,572 metres) after his chute failed to open has released amazing footage of his near-death plummet filmed by a camera attached to his helmet.


Olmert: Hamas ouster peace 'opportunity'

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday said the formation of a new Palestinian government creates an "opportunity" for renewed peace moves.


U.S. says 23 militants killed in Iraq battle

U.S. forces killed at least 23 insurgents suspected of having links with al Qaeda during a fierce battle in Iraq's western Anbar province over the weekend, the military said on Tuesday.


Dahlan Bows Out of Palestinian Elections

Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan, once seen as a possible successor to Yasser Arafat, said Tuesday he will not run in the Jan. 9 elections and instead endorsed the interim Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas.


Dell is looking to open its second European production plant, its chairman says, and a source familiar with the plan says the company is considering a location in France.


Madrid, 16:06 - CALCIO, CANNAVARO RISCHIA DI SALTARE IL DERBY DI MADRID

Fabio Cannavaro rischia di saltare il derby di Madrid con l'Atletico, che apre la prima giornata del...


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


Scot Stephen Maguire seals his place in the final of the UK Championship with a 9-5 win over Shaun Murphy.


Bank of America reveals plans to lay off 4,500

Bank of America said Thursday it will layoff 4,500 employees as part of the companyâs ongoing integration of FleetBoston Financial.


Canadian officials are opening a criminal investigation into accounting at Nortel Networks Corp. Shares in the telecom equipment maker edged lower yesterday.


EU to give green light for Romania, Bulgaria to join in 2007: sources

The European Union's executive will next week give the green light for Bulgaria and Romania to join the bloc in January 2007, diplomatic sources in Brussels said.


Cisco purchase of Protego for $65 million extends security ...

By buying Protego Networks Monday, Cisco Systems bolstered its growing portfolio of security products, an increasingly important piece of its networking strategy.


Nickelback, Blige lead Billboard award finalists

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The past 12 months have been particularly good for one Canadian rock band, three Nashville upstarts, a once-imprisoned southern rapper and an R&B diva in the throes of a major comeback.


Oscar-Nominated Director Signed to 50 Cent Project

Rapper 50 Cent's movie, titled "Locked and Loaded," is set to be directed by Jim Sheridan who has worked on the Oscar-nominated "In America" and "My Left Foot." 50 Cent's movie is supposed to be based on his real life experiences, much like his mentor ...


Shares of Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. jumped again on Friday as the telephone companies continued negotiations on a merger that would combine the No.


Playersâ chief Gordon Taylor has called for a sense of perspective to be applied to El-Hadji Dioufâs latest spitting offence, insisting the player âhas not committed murderâ.


Qantas: expert says Airline Partners bid is fair

An $8.7 billion takeover bid for Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd.  by a consortium led by Macquarie Bank Ltd.  is fair and reasonable, an independent expert said on Monday.


Selig Rubber-Stamps Yankees' Deal for Johnson

Commissioner Bud Selig returned from a vacation and promptly cleared one item off his desk, approving the Yankees' trade with the Diamondbacks for Randy Johnson.


Doctors, Democrats scrutinize September 11 dust

Pilar Albarado spent five months  after September 11, 2001, cleaning pulverized building material  from apartment buildings and offices near the site of the World  Trade Center. A chronic cough came two years later, and she is  also battling asthma, memory loss and acid reflux.


Photos Plus Music Equals an Expensive iPod

First Apple put some color on the iPod, when it offered the iPod mini in a palette of pastel hues, and now it has put some color inside it, in the form of the new iPod Photo.


A recent flurry of guilty pleas by senior Enron executives has advanced the conspiracy and fraud case against company leaders, foiling predictions that the government's case faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles.


By By Isolde Raftery, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.  Jun. 22--To children of the 1980s, mentions of Zelda, Dark Castle or Pac-Man stir up nostalgic memories of endless afternoons spent indoors, just feet from a computer or television screen.


F1: British, French, San Marino, Turkey Grands Prix on record 19 ...

The official 2005 Formula One calendar has confirmed that the British Grand Prix will take place on July 10 at Silverstone, Northamptonshire, a week later than originally planned to avoid a clash with the Wimbledon menâs tennis final.


The wait is over -- Harry Potter finale goes on sale

LONDON/NEWYORK  - Harry Potter fans poured into book stores around the world on Saturday to get hold of the seventh and final volume in the series and discover the secret of the boy wizard's fate.


NEW YORK -- Though U2 is among the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Irish rock band is still going strong. "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" will be released on Nov. 23, Interscope Records announced Tuesday.


Vice President Dick Cheney is undergoing tests at George Washington University Hospital after experiencing shortness of breath, the White House said Saturday.


StanChart close to buying stake in India broker UTI

Asia-focused Standard Chartered Plc.   is in final talks to buy a 49 percent stake in Indian brokerage UTI Securities, the latest bank to buy into the country's hot brokerage sector.


A man dies in hospital after being shot with a stun gun by police who went to a domestic dispute.


A Chilean court strips former ruler Augusto Pinochet of his immunity over the murder of his predecessor as army chief.


Hulk Hogan's son arrested over car crash

Wrestler Hulk Hogan's son, who stars in the family's reality TV show "Hogan Knows Best," was arrested Wednesday and faces criminal charges over a car crash in which a passenger was critically injured.


Smau 2006, rischi digitali tra memoria e tecnologia

Si apre domani la rassegna hi-tech. Un'occasione per fare il punto sui pericoli che ci aspettano. Lo speciale


US manufacturing sector continues to expand in November

The US manufacturing sector continued to expand in November, registering the 18th consecutive month of expansion, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported Wednesday.


BP, BHP Evacuate Crews From Trinidad Rigs; Ivan Nears

BP Plc, Europe's largest oil company, said it evacuated 500 non-essential workers from offshore rigs near Trinidad and Tobago as Hurricane Ivan approached the Caribbean country.


U.S. consumer sentiment ended weaker in November than October, a private survey showed on Wednesday, as consumers pared their view of current and future financial conditions.


A diet rich in high-glycaemic foods like white bread may raise the risk of liver disease, research suggests.


'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' will probably reap a fresh fortune. And as summer franchise superhero flicks go, it's mostly tolerable.


Talks on the future of Kosovo resumed Monday in Vienna, where international mediators were presenting rival Serbs and ethnic Albanians with a new list of conditions that envoys hope will "open a path to a solution."


One of the world's favorite cult writers, Philip K. Dick, is being canonized.


Militants extend deadline to kill one hostage by four hours

Islamabad, Oct 11. (PTI):The suspected pro-Taliban abductors of two Chinese engineers in Pakistan's tribal south Waziristan agency bordering Afghanistan today extended the deadline by four hours to kill one of the hostages.


A man suffers a serious injury to his face after being attacked with a machete in south Belfast.


Sure, the PeopleSoft board told shareholders to just say no. This battle will go down to the wire, and even afterward Ellison could prevail.


Two Top CIA Officials Quit Amid Revolt at Spy Agency

The top two officials at the CIA's  clandestine unit resigned on Monday amid a revolt over the  management of the agency at a time when it is fighting  terrorism and aiding the U.S. war in Iraq.


Chloroquine could be effective in treating SARS

The anti-malaria drug chloroquine could be used to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) researchers claimed this week. A research team at the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in Belgium say that


Forrester Research alarms journalists with a report concluding that Apple has sold only 22 songs through iTunes per iPod sold. People are eating it up -- but it misses the point. iTunes isn't meant to make money -- it's a security blanket  for users and record labels.


Radical Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr pledges to work with Sunni groups against the US-led occupation.


Sony battery woes deepen on more PC maker recalls

Toshiba Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd. joined a   growing list of computer makers recalling Sony Corp. batteries   in the latest blow to consumer confidence in Sony's reputation   as a manufacturer.


Serbs in Kosovo Set 2 Border Posts Afire

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Kosovo, Feb. 19 -- Serbs protesting Kosovo's declaration of independence torched two border posts manned by the United Nations along the northern border with Serbia on Tuesday as up to 2,000 protesters, some driving bulldozers, destroyed customs posts.


Al posto dell'Harley il famoso aggeggio a due ruote che accelera dondolandosi. Da Seattlea Boston piÃ¹ di 5 mila chilometri in 100 giorni, attraverso l'America rurale. Ecco com'Ã¨ andata                                            Coast to coast su Segway Tre mesi a passo di lumaca                                                                                di DANIELE SPARISCI


Google's Schmidt to NASA: Be more 'open'

In speech for space agency's 50th anniversary, search giant chief lays out vision for a NASA that builds open systems, simple platforms, and spaceships that can talk to one another.


"Sopranos" star returns to HBO with Iraq war film

Three months after his notorious blackout farewell from "The Sopranos," actor James Gandolfini will return to HBO with a documentary about wounded U.S. veterans of the Iraq war, the network said on Monday.


Autistic boys with language impairment have brain structures different from autistic boys with normal language abilities, researchers have found.


North Korea's plutonium-producing nuclear reactor could be disabled by the end of the year, the top U.S. negotiator said Monday.


Carts Are in Demand, but Who Said Anything About Golfing?

Checking the mail. Visiting neighbors. Taking the kids to the bus stop.


The usually charmed Jimmie Johnson looks to bounce back Sunday afterÃÂ plunging from second to ninth in the pointsÃÂ standings last week.


Catholic officials, Muslim scholars to meet in Rome

A landmark meeting between Catholic officials and Muslim scholars that aims to spur dialogue between Christianity and Islam is planned to take place in Rome this spring, a senior Vatican official said.


Pixar Vs. DreamWorks Contest Panned by Wall Street

Computer animation pioneers Pixar and Dreamworks have set the stage for a potentially bruising box office battle after both studios changed their schedules this week


Online Tools Can Help Chart Family Health History

NEW YORK  - With health officials now  urging Americans to dig into their family health history,  experts advise taking advantage of free Internet tools -- and  upcoming holiday gatherings -- to get started on the project.


Report: Terrorist Screening Database Marred by Errors

The government's terrorist screening database, the master watch list used to scrutinize 270 million people each month, continues to be marred by errors and inconsistencies that can result in the detention of innocent people and increase the chances a terrorist could slip through, according to a...


A woman accused of threatening to kill movie star Catherine Zeta Jones and "feed her to the dogs" is back in court after a judge ruled she was fit to stand trial.


Shooed the ghosts of the Bambino and the Iron Horse and the Yankee Clipper and the Mighty Mick, on his 73rd birthday, no less, and turned Yankee Stadium into a morgue.


Philadelphia Orchestra Face Likely Strike

Musicians have walked out of what they called one-sided contract talks with Philadelphia Orchestra officials, increasing the likelihood of a strike that could echo the 1996 walkout that stretched on for nine weeks.


US Surgeon General Urges Families to Track History

Despite advances in genetic testing, the US surgeon general on Monday urged Americans to track down and record cases of cancer, heart disease and other diseases prevalent in their families.


The impromptu show was supposed to be a secret. So why were hundreds of extra people lined up to see Franz Ferdinand outside a small club in Yorkshire, England?


Margaret Truman Daniel, the only child of former president and famously proud father Harry Truman who became an author of popular murder mysteries, died on Tuesday at age 83, the Truman Library said.


Greece fines mobile phone operator Vodafone Â£51m over its failure to guard its network against phone snoopers.


This just in, from a global study on sexual well-being released last month: More than half of Americans are unhappy with their sex lives.


Brazil's president provokes controversy by approving the temporary planting of genetically modified crops.


Il presidente dell'Unione musulmani d'Italia dovrÃ  pagare seimila euroL'attacco avvenne nel 2002 durante una trasmissione televisiva                                          Verona, condannato Adel Smith insultÃ² la religione cattolica e la Chiesa


NEW YORK - A federal judge declared the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional Thursday in the second such ruling in three months - even though he called the procedure "gruesome, brutal, barbaric and uncivilized."   U.S. District Judge Richard C...


Local Italian-Americans offended by Blackwell's remarks

Residents of Italian heritage say they are offended by the remarks made Monday in Ashtabula Municipal Court by former Ashtabula Township clerk Gloria Blackwell, blaming Italians for her legal and personal woes.


Dutch Raid Kurdish Training Camp, Arrest 38

Dutch authorities on Friday raided a camp suspected of training Kurdish guerrillas for "terrorist attacks" in Turkey and arrested 38 people, prosecutors said.


Sudan's southern rebels are unhappy that too many Muslim countries have been asked to send peacekeepers, a UN source says.


Scott Peterson's fate appears to have been sealed when the bodies of his pregnant wife and fetus washed up separately not far from where he says he was on a solo fishing trip in San Francisco Bay.


Boeing shares fall by about 4% on reports that it faces further delays on its new 787 Dreamliner jet.


U.S. to launch trials for nationwide e-health network

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it will support trial projects  that could be the first steps toward a nationwide health information network.


Rebels Attack Governor's Office in Iraqi City

Rebels attacked the provincial governor's office in Iraq's third city of Mosul on Thursday, killing one of his bodyguards and wounding four more, the U.S. military said.


US says will pull Alaska wetlands from oil drilling

In a win for environmentalists, the  U.S. Interior Department says it is willing to withdraw  sensitive wetlands from a large area in Alaska's western Arctic  region that it wanted to open next week to oil and natural gas  drilling.


Investors like Oracle's latest word on profit

SAN FRANCISCO Shares of Oracle, the software maker, were up more than 7 percent in late trading Wednesday, a day after the company said its first-quarter earnings rose 16 percent on strong demand for its flagship database programs.


IT managers who dream of a self-defending network have new reason for hope, Cisco Systems said Monday. Fifteen security vendors will deliver products in the first part of 2005


Gates Richest American 11th Year In A Row

Washington, Sept. 24 (NNN): William 'Bill' Henry Gates, founder of software giant Microsoft, continued to be the richest man in America for the eleventh year in a row, according to Forbes magazine.


Somali parliament backs plan for peacekeepers

Somalia's interim government voted on Wednesday to support a U.S. proposal that would let east African peacekeepers deploy in the violent state, but the rival Islamist movement said that would trigger a war.


ECB must ensure inflation spike is short-lived: Trichet

The European Central Bank must ensure  that current levels of inflation are short-lived and do not  lead to higher wage increases, ECB President Jean-Claude  Trichet said in an interview published on Friday.


(300 sec.) Why Viacom's latest attack on Google's YouTube will likely result in a settlement.


Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United seal 1-0 wins

Champions Arsenal retained their two-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Manchester City as title rivals Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 1-0.


The 850-strong battle group led by the Black Watch arrive at their new base, south of Baghdad.


Bush speaks of 'Soviet dinar' in speech about Iraq

US President George W. Bush spoke of "the Soviet dinar," even though dinars are the Iraqi currency.


Palestinian Leaders to Visit Arafat's Doctors

Yasir Arafat's deputy in the Palestine Liberation Organization, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qurei, will go to France on Monday to speak to


Film Composer Elmer Bernstein A True Innovator

Legendary film composer Elmer Bernstein, who created the sprawling big-sky theme for 'The Magnificent Seven,' and childlike notes for 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' died Wednesday in his Ojai, CA home. He was 82.


Jay Fiedler has a cracked rib and A.J. Feeley has a concussion. So the Miami Dolphins may have to turn to third-string quarterback Sage Rosenfels when they play the Buffalo Bills this weekend in a matchup of the NFL's last two winless teams.


South Africa's  controversial health minister denies being sidelined from the fight against HIV/Aids.


Cerberus says 'confident' on Chrysler financing

Cerberus Capital Management  Chairman John Snow said on Wednesday the private equity firm  was 'confident' in securing Chrysler financing and sees the  deal closing in the current quarter.


Deborah Kerr, a versatile actress who long projected the quintessential image of the proper, tea-sipping Englishwoman but who was also indelible in one of the most sexually provocative scenes of the 1950âs, died today.


KERRY O'BRIEN: Election 2004 got off to a flying but not necessarily edifying start today, with accusations of lies and deceit coming from both sides.


Police in Portugal receive hundreds of calls after issuing a description of a man they want to question.


Britain tops fast-food league, as world obesity grows: study

Britons are the world's biggest fans of fast food, just ahead of Americans, while famously gastronomic French are the least attracted by quick meals, according to a study published Wednesday.


Indonesia Deaths Likely More Than 100,000 -- Minister

The death toll in Indonesia's  devastated Aceh province from a quake and tsunami is likely to  be above 100,000, the health minister said on Friday.


Film fans by the hundreds waited under cold, dreary skies for glimpses of stars about to cross the red carpet for the 79th annual Oscars, carefully watched by a phalanx of policemen.Comment


The Likud loyalist faction, which numbered close to twenty at its prime, has diminished to a mere nine Likud faction members voting against giving Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a mandate to bring the Labor Party into the government.


The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled unanimously that a law requiring a brain-dead woman to be connected to a feeding tube was illegal.


R&B star R Kelly was rushed to hospital on Friday after being sprayed in the face with mace by one of Jay-Z's entourage. The Ignition star caused friction at the urban pair's Madison Square Garden concert


European stock markets were lifted  Monday by a tech-led rebound on Wall Street Friday and gains in  Asia, but euro zone government bonds fell after hawkish  comments from a key European Central Bank official.


Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that extending deployments of U.S. troops now in Iraq beyond the current 15 months was a "worst-case scenario" and that he didn't anticipate it happening.


Iraqis warn of civil war if U.S. troops withdraw

Iraqi leaders warned on Monday that an early U.S. troop withdrawal could tip the country into all-out civil war after The New York Times said debate was growing in the White House over a gradual draw-down of forces.


Study moves chimp-human split to 4 million years ago

Chimpanzees and humans split from a common ancestor just 4 million years ago -- a much shorter time than current estimates of 5 million to 7 million years ago, according to a study published on Friday.


Rajni heroine opposite Desperate Housewives hunk

Shriya and Tara Sharma get ready for their new film, starring Jesse Metcalfe.


Secretary of State Colin Powell stunned many people when he told a Senate committee that the Bush administration has concluded that the slaughter of black Africans by government-backed Arab militias in Sudan's Darfur province is genocide.


Drug Partnership Introduces Cheap Antimalaria Pill

The medicine is the first product of an innovative collaboration between a drug company and a medical charity.


SOFTBANK, Japan's largest internet provider, has complained that its plan to offer a new mobile phone service could be thwarted by the government's refusal to provide the necessary bandwidth.


Ukraine Liberal Vows Demonstrations if Cheated

The liberal challenger in a closely fought presidential election in Ukraine raised the stakes on Friday, threatening to bring his supporters onto the streets if the authorities tried to deny him victory by cheating.


Bombers hit Afghanistan as NATO launches operation

Two suicide bombers, one dressed in an Islamic burqa, killed at least two Afghan soldiers and wounded a foreigner on Friday as hundreds of British-led troops launched a major operation in the Taliban's heartland.


Pistons End Hornets' Winning Streak, 90-76

Ben Wallace had a season-high 19 rebounds and 11 points as the Detroit Pistons ended the New Orleans' Hornets' modest winning streak with a 90-76 victory Wednesday night.


Telecommunications service provider signs deal to take over Infonet for $965 million.


Swedish Hospital Adopts Showa Denko's Anesthetic Gas Disposal System

Showa Denko K K (TSE: 4004; OTC: SHWDF; "SDK") delivered its innovative waste anesthetic gas disposal system (trade name: Anesclean-SW) to Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge, Stockholm County, the ...


Hundreds of lawsuits filed against Merck, blaming its painkiller Vioxx for deaths and injuries, will be consolidated in a federal court in New Orleans.


Muslims fly to Baghdad to plead for Brit hostage's release

A delegation of senior British Muslims left for Baghdad on Friday night to plead for the life of the British hostage Kenneth Bigley, who it is now claimed was sold by his kidnappers to an Al-Qaeda outfit for almost Â£150,000.


Without question, open source is one of the most important forces in enterprise IT. Apache is still the reigning champion of Web server software.


By Anick Jesdanun  The online hangout MySpace got even more popular in November, beating Yahoo in Web traffic for the first time, a research company said Tuesday.  News Corp.'s MySpace recorded 38.7 billion U.S.


NEW YORK -- She looked her age, finally, bouncing on the court and allowing a scream to take hold of her. She had been waiting for this moment for two long years, two years of losing before even making it back to the final of a major. Two years since winning Wimbledon.


Stock Sale Plan Boosts SI International Shares

Shares of SI International Inc. jumped nearly 16 percent Friday on news the Reston, Va., company plans to sell 3.2 million of its shares together with affiliates of equity firm Frontenac.


Patriots trade disgruntled Branch to Seahawks

The New England Patriots traded   disgruntled Super Bowl MVP wide receiver Deion Branch to the   Seattle Seahawks on Monday for a first-round pick in the 2007   draft.


Finding Little Relief In the Drug Market

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


Ex-Bush aide Rove to join Fox News Channel

Karl Rove, the strategist behind  President George W. Bush's ascendancy to the White House, will  join Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel as a contributor  starting with Super Tuesday, the network said.


Thatcher Challenge to Coup Interrogation in Second Day

Sir Mark Thatcher and his lawyers went to court today to wrap up their challenge to the legality of a South African subpoena to question him about a coup attempt in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.


Gutted Indonesian ferry sinks with investigators on board

An Indonesian ferry gutted by a deadly fire last week sank unexpectedly Sunday with investigation teams on board, leaving one person dead and three missing as the death toll from the initial tragedy climbed to 42.


Bonds Will Keep Lawyers, Despite Potential Conflicts

A soft-spoken Barry Bonds told a federal judge Friday that he wanted to keep his legal team intact despite a potential conflict of interest.


If a Zimbabwean were made to listen to a speech slamming lawlessness, lack of democratic governance, human rights abuses and a "belief in a god-given right to rule" without being told who the speaker was, he or ...


"The Club," a game that shoots for style

Last year's bumper crop  of shooter video games, such as "BioShock," "Halo 3" and "Call  of Duty 4," were notable for coupling bone-jarring realism with  finely crafted epic stories. "The Club," coming out next week  from Sega, promises something a little different.


British broadcaster must apologise over Shetty race row

A British broadcaster embroiled in a racist bullying row involving Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on a reality television show was ordered Thursday to make an unprecedented series of on-air apologies.


Roma, 12:25 - CALCIO, AGENTE JIMENEZ: LUIS RESTA ALLA LAZIO

Luis Jimenez non si muoverà dalla Lazio quest'anno. Rocco Dozzini, agente del fantasista cile...


20 Shiite pilgrims shot to death in Iraq

Snipers lurking on buildings and in a cemetery sprayed bullets into Shiite Muslim religious processions in the capital Sunday, killing at least 20 people in another spasm of sectarian bloodletting that many Iraqis fear is pushing them toward civil war.


Bush Calls for Full U.N. Oil-For-Food Probe

The Bush administration made clear  on Thursday it would not take a position on whether U.N.  Secretary General Kofi Annan should resign as it awaited the  results of an investigation into the U.N. oil-for-food scandal.


Turkish airstrikes and artillery have hit more than 200 Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq since Dec. 16, killing hundreds of insurgents, the military said Tuesday.


Photographs of the Martian surface taken by an orbiting spacecraft have revealed powerful evidence that liquid water occasionally flows on the Red Planet's surface, an unexpected finding that suddenly increases the odds that the planet may harbor some kind of life.


Tensions over Moldovan schools in Dniester region ease

The situation in the Dniester Region following the dispute over Moldovan schools that use the Latin alphabet in the instruction process is returning to normal, Moldova's Reintegration Minister Vasile Shova has ...


New Church Ads Too Controversial For Network TV

The United Church of Christ is trying to air what three TV networks see as a controversial ad. The ad says the Church wants to reach out to those people it says


Parents and doctors battle over Baby Charlotteâs chances for ...

Darren and Debbie Wyatt are amazed at their daughter Charlotteâs ability to beat the odds. Born three months premature at 1 pound, she has battled illness all her life.


Oil prices held firm just above $47 a  barrel on Friday, bolstered by a tightening outlook for market  fundamentals and sliding U.S. temperatures.


I feriti sono 17, molte donne e bambine a una festa nuziale

FALLUJA - Ã di almeno undici morti e 17 feriti il bilancio di un bombardamento aereo americano compiuto su Falluja. Molte. vittime erano donne e bambine che partecipavano a una festa nuziale. Lo hanno riferito residenti e medici dell'ospedale.


The toymaker, which has avoided the recalls that plagued many of its competitors, said its fourth-quarter profit rose 24 percent on a 16 percent increase in sales.


By Joe Miller, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.  Dec. 10--CHAPEL HILL -- Stewart Bryan loves riding his mountain bike.


Halo 3, undoubtedly the most anticipated title for the Xbox 360 -- and perhaps of all time -- will be finally available tonight. More than 10,000 stores will be opening their doors at midnight to sell the game, which is expected to break all sales records and become the biggest interactive entertainment launch in history.


U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was critically ill but stable on Thursday after brain surgery for a potentially deadly bleeding that could deprive his fellow Democrats of their razor-thin hold on the new Senate.


When Wall Street's biggest firms settled with regulators in April 2003 over charges of fraudulent stock research, the industry promised a new era of independence.


Skin Trade Threatens World's Few Surviving Tigers

The world's tiger population has plummeted by 95 percent from the start of the 20th century to as few as 5,000 now and is further threatened by the lucrative trade in their skins, officials told a forum Friday.


Notable developments in the IT industry, present and past.


Britain to cut Iraq troop levels by quarter

Britain said on Wednesday it would withdraw almost a quarter of its troops from Iraq in coming months when thousands of additional U.S. soldiers will arrive to try to restore order in Baghdad.


National Semiconductor Corp. said Monday it agreed to sell its imaging business, which makes chips used in small cameras and cell phones, to camera giant Eastman Kodak Co.


Iran must halt atomic work to avoid sanctions: US

The United States said on Tuesday the international community would have to impose sanctions if Iran did not halt sensitive atomic work, and the EU said the latest talks on the matter had been helpful but no breakthrough.


Barack Obama rolled to his 10th consecutive win for the Democrats, while  John McCain picked up two more states in his march to the GOP nomination.


Iraqi Militants Free Truck Drivers At Last

The release of Kenyan truckers held hostage by Iraqi militants yesterday was negotiated by an Egyptian troubleshooter, experienced in hostage negotiations, the East African Standard has learnt.


Ex-Fire Commander Gets 2 Years for Arson

PHOENIX - The former commander of an elite wildland firefighting team who admitted setting two forest fires was sentenced Monday to two years in federal prison.


Airline passengers are used to worrying mostly about arriving or departing on time. Their carrier's financial condition? That's someone else's worry.


Palestinian leaders say unity government near

A Palestinian unity government is "99 percent" agreed, but will not be announced until next week, President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday after talks with his political rival, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.


Senate Backs White House Plan for India Nuclear Deal

The Bush administration won overwhelming Senate support yesterday for its plan to create a broad strategic partnership with India that reverses decades of U.S. nonproliferation policies and requires changes in laws aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons.


KAKA and Ronaldo hit two goals each as Brazil held their lead in the South America World Cup qualifiers after a comfortable win at Venezuela during a match twice interrupted by fans running onto the pitch.


Intertape Polymer Group Moves Inside the Box With New Protective Packaging Line

Intertape Polymer Group (NYSE: ITP)(TSX: ITP), known for its expertise in packaging solutions around and on the box for over 25 years, has moved inside the box with the addition of its newest iCushion(TM) Protective Packaging line.


Report blames Denver election woes on flawed software

Election day problems in Denver were caused by poorly-designed e-poll book software and what consultants looking into the voting woes called a "casual approach" to important technology by local elections officials.


Katie Gearlds scored 24 points and Erin Lawless added 17 and nine rebounds Tuesday night to help No. 20 Purdue escape with a 57-50 win over South Dakota State.


Sears-Kmart Deal Highlights Future Retail Trend

The planned acquisition of Sears, Roebuck and Co. by Kmart Holding Corp. highlights a changing retail environment that could soon eliminate the department store as we know it, analysts and consultants said on Friday.


"Sideways", a low-budget comic tale of two men hunting wine country for true love and the perfect pinot noir, and Martin Scorsese's epic film "The


GOP to appeal poll-challenger ban in Ohio

The Ohio Republican Party vowed to appeal a federal judge's decision Monday to ban thousands of GOP poll watchers across the pivotal state.