An ingredient in marijuana may be useful for treating brain cancers, say researchers.


Twelve Pakistani forces killed in militant attack

At least 12 Pakistani security personnel were killed on Sunday in a series of bomb blasts and an exchange of fire with Islamist militants, the second major attack in the northwest in 24 hours, officials said.


Questions Raised About Bishops' Succession

The Spokane Diocese's plan to file for bankruptcy by the end of the month could have implications for Roman Catholics far beyond Washington state.


Dutch centre-right battles to keep power

The Dutch centre-right coalition battled to hold on to power in an election on Wednesday against leftist rivals who could water down pro-business policies and be more conciliatory on immigration.


Pol Pot's former deputy, Nuon Chea, is detained by officials from a UN-backed genocide tribunal in Cambodia.


Su quartiere sciita, ferite circa trenta persone


Australians to Choose Between Strong Supporter and Critic of Iraq ...

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has called long-anticipated national elections for October 9. As in Spain earlier this year, he faces an opposition that has vowed to withdraw its troops from the American-led coalition in Iraq.


Storms, tornado kill 14 in central Florida

ORLANDO, Florida  - Severe thunderstorms and at least one tornado killed 14 people on Friday when they ripped through Florida in the dead of night, tearing homes to shreds, toppling heavy trucks and leaving a trail of rubble.


Precipitazioni, frane e alluvioni in aumento. Emergenza per Liguria, Campania, Piemonte e CalabriaI dati di un convegno nazionale a Napoli: cresce il pericolo di dissesto idrogeologico nel nostro Paese                                            Allarme clima, piogge piÃ¹ violente quattro le regioni a rischio in Italia                                                                                Sono 23 milioni le persone interessate dal problema, oltre l'80 per cento dei comuni42 miliardi di euro la cifra stimata per mettere in sicurezza il territorio italiano


Bush's address to UN not expected to get big response

Just seven weeks before Election Day, President Bush addresses the United Nations on Tuesday seeking the international community's help in Iraq for the third time in two years.


UN moves to boost farm output as food prices climb

The United Nations' world food body outlined steps on Monday meant to help the world's poorest nations combat soaring food prices, including a new voucher program for farmers and a review of food-guzzling biofuels.


Antarctic Ozone Hole Smaller This Year -Scientists

A gaping hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica appears to have shrunk by about 20 percent from last year's record-breaking size, New Zealand scientists said on Friday.


Heart attacks tumble after Irish smoking ban

Ireland's rate of heart attacks fell by around a tenth in the year following the introduction of the world's first nationwide ban on workplace smoking, boosting the case for more similar bans, doctors said on Tuesday.


CNN will shut down its struggling CNNfn financial news network in mid-December, giving up its attempt after nine years to compete in a market dominated by CNBC.


A girl who filmed herself trying to kill her parents claims in court she heard voices telling her to "do it".


A Houston oil trader with a minor role in the United Nations' oil-for-food scandal will not go to prison after admitting wrongdoing, a judge said Thursday.


Female Suicide Bomber Strikes in Jerusalem

A female suicide bomber killed at least one person and seriously wounded at least three others in an attack in Jerusalem today. The explosion occurred at a busy intersection in French Hill, a Jewish neighbourhood close to the West Bank.


Next spring William Christie will establish a series of residencies, if not quite a home, at the Juilliard School.


New Fox cop drama "K-Ville" gets Web peek

Fox Broadcasting Co. has  premiered its police drama "K-Ville" online ahead of its  September 17 broadcast debut.


Government planes bomb rebel towns in Ivory Coast

Government planes in Ivory Coast bombed two rebel-held towns yesterday, ending a tenuous yearlong cease-fire and indicating a possible resumption of civil war.


Fineman: Bush's Suicide Mission on Immigration Policy

Why is President Bush risking a nasty battle within his own party over immigration reform?


Turk helicopters pound Kurd rebels, PM determined

SIRNAK, Turkey  - Turkish Cobra helicopters pounded Kurdish rebel positions near the Iraqi border on Tuesday and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Ankara's readiness to send troops over the frontier despite U.S. opposition.


Paris Hilton is charged with drinking and driving, following her arrest earlier this month in Los Angeles.


Palestinian boy wounded, house destroyed

Israeli occupation troops wounded Monday a Palestinian boy, arrested six others and dynamited a house in West Bank cities, witnesses and security sources said.


Couple Proudly Displayed Baby Cut From Womb

A woman charged with killing an expectant mother and cutting the baby from her womb was showing the child off to people at a cafe and to her pastor hours before she was arrested, residents said Saturday.


Low-cost business class airline Maxjet ceases operating and files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.


Germany's economy, the largest in Europe, will grow more slowly than expected both this year and next, two top research institutes said Thursday.


MÃ¤rtin tastes victory again to lift gloom over Ford

A SECOND win in as many weeks for the Ford rally team will make it hard for the Ford management to announce anything but a reprieve at a press conference in Brussels tomorrow.


YouTube turns two this month, which presents a fitting opportunity to decry it. The video-sharing Web site -- whose name has come to stand for every other such site on the Web -- has clearly emerged as the great new media drain catch, an uncurated museum of everything from dumb home movies to slick...


Security issues in Sudan have Annan on edge

United Nations - United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan is "very concerned" by deteriorating security in the western Sudanese province of Darfur, where a humanitarian group said government troops forced hundreds of refugees out of a camp late on


LOS ANGELES  - NBC medical drama "ER"  is going for a first in its 10-year history with a real-time  taped episode, featuring Ray Liotta as a guest star.


Putin: "Presto pronto un nuovo missile nucleare"

Mosca, 17 novembre 2004 - Un nuovo missile nucleare "diverso da quelli posseduti dagli altri Paesi" e in grado di fronteggiare con successo "una delle principali minacce alla Russia": "il terrorismo internazionale".


India's Congress Wins Polls in Key Industrial State

India's ruling Congress party won power in a giant state on Saturday, a victory that would boost the fortunes of Italian-born Sonia Gandhi's party


Barclays PLC , attempting to wrest ABN Amro Holding NV from a competing offer by Royal Bank of Scotland Group, raised its bid to $93.4 billion after lining up investments from China and Singapore.


Offense: Julius Jones. Talk about making up for lost time. Despite missing seven games with a fractured scapula, the Cowboys rookie running back came back not only in shape but in a groove.


A record 7 million people — or one in every 32 American adults — were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the end of last year, according to the Justice Department. Of those, 2,193,798 were in prison or jail, an increase of 2.7 percent over the previous year.


Computer maker Apple launches a movie download service and new models of its iconic iPod.


Madrid, 17:22 - CICLISMO, OPERACION PUERTO: CHIESTI INTERROGATORI PER 50 CORRIDORI

Sono 50 i corridori che gli inquirenti spagnoli impegnati nell'Operacion Puerto intendono interrogar...


Army bomb experts are tasked to a security alert at a shopping store in Castle Street in Belfast.


Health Tip: Am I Getting Too Old to Drive?

(HealthDay News) -- Driving can become dangerous for some seniors as they decline both physically and mentally.


IBD's Top 10 - Monday      (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - 1 Apple's CEO unveiled a new version of the company's operating system, called Leopard, and disclosed top video game maker Electronics Arts will release new games for the Mac. But his highly anticipated address at Apple's developers conference offered few new details about the upcoming iPhone, which analysts think may be a boon for the company overall.


Time on a Chip: The Incredible Shrinking Atomic Clock

Tiny atomic clocks could be slipped into cellphones, hand-held computers and global positioning system receivers.


Syria may trouble Lebanon after U.N. vote: Hariri

Syria could spark trouble in Lebanon in response to a U.N. Security Council vote to set up a tribunal to try the killers of Rafik al-Hariri, the former prime minister's son said on Thursday.


SunTrust Expects to Restate Profit Higher

SunTrust Banks Inc. STI.N, the No. 7  U.S. bank, on Monday said it expects to restate first- and  second-quarter profit higher, changing how it accounts for loan  losses. It also said it put some finance executives on paid  administrative leave.


They partied in the streets yesterday in the Dominican Republic, where the president declared a national holiday after Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero won the American


Government proposes new rules for cigarettes that go out when ...

OTTAWA (CP) - Canadian cigarettes will be designed to go out when left untended under new regulations proposed by Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh.


NASA's Explorer Finds 'Newborn' Galaxies

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer has discovered three dozen galaxies emitting ultraviolet light at levels that indicate stars still are forming and supernovas still are exploding.


UN Refugee Chief Backs Autonomy for Sudan's Darfur Region

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says granting more autonomy to southern Sudan could help end the bloody conflict there.


The major car manufacturer backs out of a controversial CBS show.


EU seeks air travelers who sat near TB patient

European Union countries are seeking  to trace passengers who sat near a man infected with a  dangerous strain of tuberculosis on two transatlantic flights,  the European Commission said on Thursday.


By Troy WolvertonSTAFF  IN HIS KEYNOTE S


US says Iraq air strike kills 11, mostly civilians

The U.S. military said it killed 11 people in a helicopter attack on a group of men seen planting a roadside bomb north of Baghdad on Tuesday, but police and residents said the dead were farmers, women and children.


Start up web 2.0 Blog: CakePHP & CodeIgniter Benchmark

On the "start up web 2.0" blog today, there's a set of benchmarks comparing two popular PHP frameworks - CakePHP and CodeIgniter - and how the fare in the standard "Hello World" sort of test.   After reading How fast is your framework I was rather intrigued to compare CakePHP and CodeIgniter. [...] Each framework is required to have the output "HelloWorld!" produced from a view and a controllers will obviously have to be created.   He ran the tests with the Apache benchmark tool (ab) and the simple code he provides with the results leaning towards CodeIgniter (by a good bit). Overall, it had a faster response time than CakePHP by about half.   Check out his results and grab the code and run it for yourself - see what kind of results you get and how they compare.


Sound off: Is your wireless network a security breach waiting to happen?

The security threat posed by wireless networks has been a hot-button issue for years now. Are they still a prime target for hackers? Computerworld editors Preston Gralla and David Ramel take opposing sides on the issue.


Five years after 9/11, New York has emerged as an international leader in urban security and counterterrorism measures.


Nominee for Surgeon General Testifies in Senate

The nominee, Dr. James W. Holsinger Jr., said he would resign if asked to put politics over science on an important issue.


Workers at a car factory have been advised to wear face masks after an investigation was launched into a âlarge numberâ of occupational lung disease cases, it was learned today.


KUALA LUMPUR: A rising star of Malaysia's main ruling party urged the organisation yesterday to close ranks against its most prominent dissident, Anwar Ibrahim, branding the former deputy premier a traitor.


Secondo Calderoli i manifestanti all'iniziativa sulla sicurezza sarebbero trecentomilaIn piazza del Duomo il comizio conclusivo del leader del Carroccio                                          Lega, in migliaia in strada a Milano Bossi: "Prodi lascia stare i sindaci"


Group: Bin Laden video due for 9/11 anniversary

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden will address the American people by videotape on the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, a terrorism watch group says.


Iraq fears put pressure on Rumsfeld to quit

Donald Rumsfeld is at the centre of a Republican firestorm over his handling of the war in Iraq, with pressure appearing to mount in Washington for him to quit as defence secretary.


"The ties between the United Kingdom and the United States run deep, and obviously many British companies do business here in New York City and vice versa -- our economies are intertwined"  Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be traveling to the United Kingdom at the end of September to deliver a speech on the economy. via WNBC New York Channel 4


Military ties with China have eroded so much over the past five years that the top U.S. commander in the Pacific said he is now "starting from virtually zero" to engage Asia's largest military power.


A MOB ransacked the office of Qatar Airways in Nepal's capital Kathmandu to vent their anger after 12 Nepalese were killed by Islamic militants in Iraq, an airline employee said.


Strike Severely Disrupts French Railway Traffic

French railway workers severely reduced train traffic Wednesday due to a strike over working conditions, and the country geared up for separate protests by energy workers and hospital surgeons.


'Chemical Ali' Opens New Stage in Iraq Trials

Saddam Hussein's cousin and feared  lieutenant Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali," and  former defense minister Sultan Hashem appeared before an  investigating magistrate on Saturday, an Iraqi judge said.


Costly comedy set for "Almighty" box office debut

LOS ANGELES  - Will moviegoers flood the multiplex for the new comedy "Evan Almighty," opening this weekend, or will the modern-day take on the Noah's ark tale face a box office drought? That's the question confronting Hollywood as it steers toward midsummer waters.


Dopo gli ultimi episodi le proposte al governo. Il comune parte civile nei processi per violenzaArrivano altri cento agenti, bus navetta e un ufficio per le vittime                                          Milano, piano Moratti contro gli stupri "Allarmi ai semafori contro gli aggressori"                                                                                di RODOLFO SALA


Scottish church background makes Brown tick

Gordon Brown, in a big pitch to become Britain's next prime minister, played up his reputation for being a dour, hard-working man driven by his Scottish Presbyterian background.


Usher, OutKast Lead American Music Award Noms

In case you haven't seen enough of American's biggest selling pop stars, the nominations for the American Music Awards were announced today.


Musharraf "very happy" about killing of top Al-Qaeda militant

Visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf welcomed the death of Amjad Farooqi, a top Al-Qaeda militant said to have masterminded attempts on his life and to have arranged the beheading of US reporter Daniel Pearl.


Portsmouth claim all three points thanks to Yakubu

Aiyegbeni Yakubu earned Portsmouth a deserved 1-0 victory over Tottenham at Fratton Park with only the second away goal conceded this season by the White Hart Lane outfit.


Ryder Cup: Europe Heading for Massive Final-Day Lead

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan  - The U.S. Ryder Cup  team, wounded after a first day mauling, were losing a fight  for survival Saturday.


Lance Berkman talked his way into the lineup on Wednesday night and Houston manager Phil Garner was glad he did.


France calls for the boycott of aid to the Palestinians to be re-examined if a national unity government is formed.


The Nikkei average fell 1 percent by  midsession on Thursday after sharp declines in metals prices  pushed down shares of steel makers and mining companies, which  had been big gainers over the past three months.


UK defence giant BAE has acquired a leading American IT supplier to the Pentagon at a cost of $600m (Â£334m). Virginia-based DigitalNet provides services to US federal government agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.


Ukrainian Celebs Condemn Language Decision

Cultural figures and celebrities on Friday criticized efforts to grant the Russian language special status in this ex-Soviet republic, calling it an act of war against Ukrainian.


Group Claims to Kidnap, Kill Man in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A militant group in Iraq claimed in an Internet statement posted Saturday that it abducted and beheaded an Iraqi construction contractor working on a U.S. military base...


Steroids Harmful for Head Injury Patients

By Ed Edelson, HealthDay Reporter    HealthDayNews -- Giving steroids to reduce brain swelling can be deadly for patients with severe head injuries, according to the largest study ever done on the subject.    The research, which included more than 10,000 patients treated at 239 hospitals in 49 countries, found that 21 percent of those who were given steroids died within two weeks, compared to 18 percent of those given a placebo...


Salvataggio di Volare, atto primo. Oggi il Consiglio dei ministri dovrebbe varare l'estensione della legge Marzano: in pratica saranno modificati i requisiti del provvedimento salva-imprese (in origine collegato


World's oldest man, noted Red Sox fan, dies

Fred Hale Sr., documented as the world's oldest man and noted Boston Red Sox fan, has died. He was 113 years old. Hale died in his sleep Friday at The Nottingham in suburban Syracuse, while trying to recover


Wildlife Panel Unveils Plan to Save Tortoises

By David Fleshler, South Florida Sun-Sentinel  Feb. 17--After being sharply criticized for allowing developers to bury gopher tortoises alive, the state wildlife commission on Friday released a plan intended to virtually eliminate the practice and halt the species' decline.


Opinion: Using vendors' experience to push the boundaries of offshoring

Application portfolio analysis is the key to deciding which critical applications are good candidates to be maintained offshore.


Avram Grant's long-term future as manager at Chelsea could be in doubt because he lacks the required coaching licence, according to reports.


Hurricane Jeanne has arrived in the Bahamas battering the islands with ferocious winds and torrential rains. It is expected to reach Florida on the United States east coast later today and millions of residents


E-business sites hit with attacks, extortion threats

A distributed denial-of-service attack that disrupted Web-based systems at credit card payment processing firm Authorize.NetÂ earlier this week is indicative of a sharp increase in the number of cyberattacks being targeted at specific companies and driven by profit motives on the part of the hackers who launch them.


Remaining Ã¢ÂÂKerry-RepublicanÃ¢ÂÂ Districts Will Top DemsÃ¢ÂÂ List in Ã¢ÂÂ08

The House campaign strategists for both major parties undoubtedly are already dissecting the results of this yearÃ¢ÂÂs elections to determine their top districts to target for the 2008 campaign. And as they do, they surely will look closely at districts that favored their partyÃ¢ÂÂs nominee for president in 2004 but this year favored the other party for the House.


Opponents of the War, but Targets All the Same

The shock here was not just from the awful fact itself, that two vibrant young Italian women were kidnapped in Iraq, dragged from their office by attackers who, it seems, knew their names.


Wizpy player has the usual music/video capabilities--plus a bootable version of Linux, a browser, productivity apps, and more.


An English ode to happiness lights up Berlin film fest

Fifteen years after the despair of "Naked", British director Mike Leigh on Tuesday unveiled a film in praise of looking on the bright side of life at the Berlin movie festival.


Two Turkish hostages shot dead in Iraq: Al-Jazeera

The bodies of two Turkish hostages shot dead have been found in Baiji in northern Iraq, it was reported, citing Iraqi police.


ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Muhammad Nasir Khan said risky behaviours, socio-economic vulnerabilities like poverty and illiteracy and lack of effective use of resources highlights the need to act aggressively to limit the spread of AIDS/HIV in Pakistan.


Sharon, Peres seek common ground on coalition govt

Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peresand Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon have agreed in principlethat if a national unity government is formed, it will last till November 2006


New suit accuses Michael Jackson of sexual assault

A lawsuit has been filed accusing pop star Michael Jackson of sexual assault more than 20 years ago -- the memory of which the new accuser says he repressed until recently.


White House hopeful John McCain on Saturday called on Republican rival Mike Huckabee to end push polling in New Hampshire tied to his presidential campaign's supporters, but Huckabee denied any involvement.


The UK and Nigerian governments agree a series of measures aimed at reducing  human trafficking.


After defying an arrest warrant since 1992, Norman Hsu surrendered today at a California court to face a grand theft charge, according to wire reports.


A chip deal with mobile phone maker Nokia sends Infineon shares 10% higher.


Tegucigalpa - Ten men were in custody in connection with the massacre of 28 people on a bus in northern Honduras, authorities said on Sunday.


The extrasensory perception lab at Princeton University will be shuttered at the end of the month. Maybe you already knew that.


U.S. Marines Expand Tsunami Relief Efforts

U.S. Marines have expanded their role in Sumatra's tsunami relief operation after days of delays caused by Indonesian objections to armed U.S. troops and the setting up of a base camp on shore, officials said.


The White House released memos Wednesday night saying that George W. Bush was suspended from flying fighter jets for failing to meet standards of the Texas Air National Guard.


Telephone services provider SBC Communications Inc. received $9 billion worth of tax breaks during a three-year period, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.


Stocks rebound, but Thai credibility in tatters

Thai shares bounced back from their biggest sell-off in 16 years on Wednesday after the government scrapped controls on foreign stock buying, but the abrupt policy U-turn shattered confidence in its economic chiefs.


There is no safe amount of alcohol that mothers-to-be can drink, experts believe.


COLUMBIA, South Carolina  - Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney won Nevada's presidential nominating contests on Saturday, and voters in South Carolina cast ballots as an unpredictable White House race moved to the U.S. South and West.


Brain Abnormality Linked to Hyperactivity Disorder

Brain scans of children with attention  deficit hyperactivity disorder show abnormalities in the fiber  pathways along which brain signals pass, scientists said on  Monday.


Since March of 2003, American public relations firms have received some 1 million 41 thousand dollars in payments on contracts, which were concluded for the purpose of promoting a positive image of Victor ...


EBay Inc  announced on  Wednesday the planned departure of long-serving Chief Executive  Meg Whitman as it warned that revenue for the first quarter and  2008 would fall below Wall Street expectations, despite strong  2007 year-end results.


Hamas Militant Leader Killed in Gaza City

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Sept. 19, 2004 - An Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a car in Gaza City late Sunday, residents said, killing a senior Hamas militant leader, the latest Israeli attack in the territory it plans to leave next year.


Lou Dobbs is sorry about calling Gov. Eliot Spitzer an idiot.


Joaquín Salvador Lavado, known as Quino, is regarded as the best cartoonist ever to hail from Latin America.


Fever May Ease Effects of Autism Disorders

Children with disorders in what is known as the autism spectrum tend to be less irritable and hyperactive after a period of high temperature, a new study suggests.


In the birthplace of Jesus, Muslims and Christians used to celebrate the season in peace. A TIME correspondent recalls holidays past in a troubled land


Elderly with Rheumatoid Arthritis Can Cope Well

NEW YORK  - Many elderly people with  rheumatoid arthritis may go about their daily activities with  no more problem than others their age, a new study suggests.


GM, Renault-Nissan break off alliance talks

General Motors Corp., Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co on Wednesday said they had broken off talks over a proposed alliance between the three automakers.


Dozens killed in oil pipeline explosion in Nigeria

Dozens of oil scoopers had died in an oil pipeline explosion on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, police and witnesses said on Friday.


At the Mall, Mixing Popcorn and Religion

"On the third floor?" asks a woman in stonewashed jeans with an off-white hajib on her head, holding her daughter's arm. She's standing on the first floor of  Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, in view of a towering Christmas tree.


Venezuela rails at Exxon asset freeze "terrorism"

Venezuela accused Exxon Mobil of legal "terrorism" on Friday after the giant U.S. oil company won court orders freezing $12 billion of the South American oil supplier's assets in a dispute at the heart of a worldwide tussle for control of natural resources.


"Reconciliation and redemption Â across the board. Just all of us getting right with God." Â Michael Lohan, aka Lindsay's dad, on his hope for his estranged family.


PetroKazakhstan Says Turgai Output Cut; Shares Fall

PetroKazakhstan Inc. said oil production at Turgai Petroleum, a 50-50 joint venture with OAO Lukoil, Russia's biggest oil producer, has been curtailed because of a dispute over the marketing of the supplies.


In an exclusive Guardian Unlimited film, Clancy Chassay witnesses the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades launch a rocket into Israel.


Raptors increase security after threat made against Carter

A threat made against Toronto Raptors guard Vince Carter caused the team to increase security at last Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks.


The 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Sir Edward Elgar is marked with special performances.


Respinta a Montecitorio la mozione di sfiducia contro il ministro"Colpa dell'opposizione se le opere non si sono realizzate"                                          A3, Berlusconi difende Lunardi "Fu colpa di eventi straordinari"                                                                                "Quella non Ã¨ una vera autostrada, Ã¨ ingestibile in emergenzaGrazie a chi ha lavorato in quei giorni, sventando la tragedia"


Indonesian Incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri believes she can win next week's run-off vote. Most opinion polls, however, show former army general, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono


BFGoodrich Tires, owned by French-based  Michelin MICP.PA, on Thursday said it is recalling 46,000  passenger and light-truck tires in the United States for a  condition that could possibly result in steel belt separation.


DevShed: Working with MySQL Result Sets and the Decorator Pattern in PHP

DevShed continues its look at the Decorator pattern with this new article today talking about working with MySQL result sets inside of the structure of the Decorator pattern.   Definitely, the pattern in question can be used for generating different types of outputs (or views) based on a returned result set, by using a few decorator classes that I'll define in the course of this tutorial. Hopefully, when you finish reading these lines, you should have a clear idea of how to include decorator classes in your object-based PHP applications.   They start off by showing how they're going to handle the MySQL result sets normally with a class and how to use that class in an example. Finally, they tie all of that in with the Decorator pattern, creating multiple Decorator classes to handle the various MySQL result set types.


Russia's Gazprom Purchases Siberian Gas Field From BP

MOSCOW, June 22 -- The state-controlled energy giant Gazprom on Friday bought a vast natural gas field in Siberia from a unit of  British-based petroleum conglomerate BP, continuing the Kremlin's policy of shifting control of the country's major energy projects from foreign to state hands.


Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns criticized South Korea for halting beef shipments from a U.S. meatpacker, saying authorities there had "invented" a standard for imports.


Successful Burglars Target  Wealthy in Arizona Town

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. -- An exclusive town that is home to pitcher Randy Johnson, rocker Alice Cooper and former vice president Dan Quayle is also apparently prime real estate for burglars.


Livorno, 19:07 - CALCIO, LIVORNO: AMELIA FRASTORNATO DA NOTIZIE MERCATO

Il Livorno ha ufficializzato con una nota l'esclusione del portiere Marco Amelia dall'elenco dei con...


Source: Assistant Coach Reported Chatman

Former LSU women's basketball coach Pokey Chatman was not allowed to be alone with her players after an assistant reported alleged improper conduct to the university in February, a school official said.


Venezuela robbers free most hostages, speed off

ALTAGRACIA DE ORITUCO, Venezuela  - Armed Venezuelan bank robbers sped away from a police siege on Tuesday in an ambulance with a handful of hostages after a deal that freed dozens of other captives in a two-day standoff.


HBO Hosts Hollywood's Hottest Emmy Party

Fashion Wire Daily - Fashion Wire Daily September 20,2004- LOS ANGELES - Talk about a clean sweep.


It has cut a $300 million deal with the Justice Dept. and wants a similar pact with the SEC, but it's likely this saga still has a ways to go.


As sales fall, cigarette makers spending more on marketing

Tobacco companies are spending more than ever to market cigarettes, but sales still are falling, according to a study released Friday.


US investment bank Lehman Brothers is looking to buy European mortgage lenders, a report says.


Riduzione traffico decisione di carattere commerciale


Al-Arabiya TV says 7 killed in car bomb outside its office in ...

A car bomb killed seven people and injured 16 others outside of the Al-Arabiya TV office in Baghdad on Saturday, reported the Dubai-based Arab TV station.


Toms plans to build on his 3-1-1 Ryder Cup record

â Being a captain's pick was never an option. No way. Absolutely not. And if it had come to that, well, David Toms would have politely told Hal Sutton that wasn't what he wanted.


Decreto Legge del 14 settembre 2004, n.241 - Disposizioni urgenti in materia di immigrazione. Modifiche al testo della legge Bossi Fini in materia di espulsioni Pubblicato sulla Gazzetta Ufficiale n.216 del 14.09.04 14 settembre 2004.


Aston Villa agree a fee to buy Cameroon international Eric Djemba-Djemba from Man Utd.


La maison propone pantaloni ampi e calzari da guerriero


With Canada saturated, the doughnut chain Tim Hortons is looking to the U.S. for growth, despite past difficulties faced by other Canadian retailers.


Gruppo punta ristrutturazione delle operazioni in Usa


NCAA Top 25 Game Summary - Temple at Maryland

Washington has scored four of Temple's five touchdowns this season, but has yet to throw for a score...The Owls have lost 19 straight against nationally ranked opponents...Maryland improved to 21-1 at home under head coach Ralph Friedgen.


Stubblefield pleads guilty in BALCO case

Former NFL defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield pleaded guilty Friday to lying to investigators in the BALCO steroids case, making him the first football player charged in the long-running federal investigation.


Bulgarian Beauties Catwalk to the Supermodel Fame

Lifestyle: 21 November 2004, Sunday. At a spectacular show-concert in Sofia Land entertainment site the xGround fashion agency presented its 2004 Super Model awards.


Apple's iPhone can only help rivals in Europe

Major handset vendors have much more  to gain than to lose from the buzz Apple Inc's  coveted  iPhone will create when it arrives in European stores for the  key shopping season ahead of Christmas.


The Life of Gallant Knights, Off Ye Olde Jersey Turnpike

Medieval Times, a dinner-theater attraction, has grown to become a theme restaurant empire.


Ferro Appoints Tom Austin Vice President of Operations

Ferro Corporation (NYSE:FOE) has announced that W. T. (Tom) Austin has  joined the Company as Vice President, Operations.  Mr. Austin spent 30 years at The Dow Chemical Company in manufacturing  and plant management roles across several of its operations.


Russia complains about Latvian president's statements

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed regret in relation to what it called untactful public statements made by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga about the upcoming May 9 celebrations to mark the 60th ...


HOUSTON, Texas -- Australian Lleyton Hewitt, still with a chance to finish second in the year-end rankings, rallied to beat Spain's Carlos Moya 6-7 6-2 6-4 at the ATP Masters Cup on Tuesday.


MODENA, Italy  - Thousands of mourners filed past the open coffin of Luciano Pavarotti in the cathedral of his Italian hometown on Friday, in an emotional farewell to the singer whose death prompted tributes from around the world.


The Sri Lankan military claims it has killed 26 separatist rebels in four separate clashes.


Indonesia orders security clampdown after terror attack warnings

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities on Thursday ordered a nationwide security crackdown after several foreign governments warned that terrorists were preparing to launch attacks against Western targets ahead of Christmas.


Allarme in Thailandia Forse il primo caso di contagio uomo-uomo

BANGKOK, 28 SETTEMBRE 2004 - La Thailandia ha annunciato oggi un ''probabile'' caso di trasmissione uomo-uomo della cosiddetta 'influenza dei polli', cosa che spiegherebbe la morte, la settimana scorsa, di una donna forse contaminata da sua figlia.


Typhoon Kills at Least Two in Storm-Weary Japan

TOKYO, Oct. 9 -- A powerful typhoon raked Japan's Pacific coastline Saturday, killing at least two people and leaving at least five others missing in the most powerful storm to hit the nation in a decade, officials said.


G7 states to write off $33 billion Iraqi debt

BERLIN: The United States, Germany and other G7 nations agreed yesterday to write off up to 80 per cent or $33 billion of Iraq's Paris Club debt, which could pave the way for a wider international accord, officials said.


Representatives of the National Hockey League and its players union met for five hours on Wednesday and will meet again on Thursday in Toronto.


It's not normal practice for a brand which is a market leader by a distance to rope in a celebrity and that too for the first time since it entered the Indian market.


How Is Justice Roberts Like Professor Plum?

At the blackjack tables in Las Vegas, they would be called card counters.


Ministers call for national day, new citizenship rules

Two government ministers called Tuesday for the creation of a national day for Britain to boost unity and identity, as well as a points-based path to citizenship.


Johnson dominates Jones, knocks him out in 9th

Glen Johnson knocked out Roy Jones Jr. in the ninth round Saturday in Memphis, Tenn., to retain his International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight title and cast more doubt on the future of one of the most storied fighters in the sport.


Peyton Manning was perfect when he needed to be against Jacksonville's vaunted defense. Manning was 14 for 14 for 149 yards on three touchdown drives to lead the Indianapolis Colts to a 24-17 victory yesterday against the previously unbeaten Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla.


How could this scruffy, relentless bunch of baseball throwbacks have one most valuable player? By definition, they could not. Who would it, should it, be? David Ortiz? Curt Schilling? Pedro Martinez? Johnny Damon? Derek Lowe? Keith Foulke? Mark Bellhorn?


Israel Urged to Change Stand on Geneva Convention

Hoping to avoid sanctions, Israel's  attorney general wants Israel to consider applying to  Palestinians the Fourth Geneva Convention safeguarding the  treatment of occupied people, political sources said Tuesday.


Popular Palestinian leader drops out of race for leader

Imprisoned Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti declared in a letter Sunday that he would throw his support to mainstream candidate Mahmoud Abbas in a Jan.


NBA: James Returns to Lead Cavaliers Over Bobcats

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sports Network) - LeBron James, playing  his first game since suffering a facial fracture, scored a  game-high 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six  assists to lead Cleveland to a 94-83 win over the Bobcats at  Charlotte Coliseum.


Belarus Votes to Extend Lukashenko's Rule

The president of Belarus, confident of  victory in a referendum on Sunday to extend his rule, promised  to serve his people better if they voted "yes" and told the  West to keep criticism of his rule to itself.


US researchers are turning to peer-to-peer technology to help in the wake of natural disasters.


New York, NY (Sports Network) - Jacksonville Jaguars safety Donovin Darius was slapped with a $75,000 fine for the vicious forearm shot he delivered to Green Bay Packers wide receiver Robert Ferguson this past Sunday.


Sinn Fein says it wants to continue talks despite bank raid allegations

Sinn Fein, political wing of the paramilitary Irish Republican Army ( news - web sites ), said it was determined to continue talks on the future of Northern Ireland despite the IRA being accused of carrying out ...


The chief executive of US insurance giant Marsh and McLellan Jeffrey Greenberg last night resigned as the firm promised reforms after being accused of rigging bids.


Boeing Changes Management in Key Division

Boeing Co. changed management of its commercial aircraft division yesterday, replacing the head of the sales team after losing several competitions to its European rival Airbus SAS.


HALIFAX, Nova Scotia A "new term in office is an important opportunity to reach out to our friends," President George W. Bush said on an overnight trip to Canada, but he remained uncompromising about the US-led invasion of Iraq and his insistence that the


Fighting in Iraq drives US oil price towards $50

By Malcolm Moore, Economics Correspondent (Filed: 21/08/2004). The price of oil came close to $50 a barrel in New York yesterday, as fighting between US forces and Moqtada al-Sadr's militia in Iraq continued to inflame the market.


TJX faces class action lawsuit in data breach

A class action lawsuit was filed yesterday in US District Court in Boston accusing TJX Cos. of negligence for failing to maintain adequate security of customer credit and debit card data and not disclosing the breach for a month.


New film attacks Hollywood's "censorship" system

When director Kirby Dick wanted to  learn the identities of the most secretive group in the film  industry, he resorted to a time-honored Hollywood tradition. He  hired a private eye to follow them and go through their  garbage.


Iraqi Rebels Bomb Baghdad Ministry, Hit Oil Sector

Rebels bracing for a US-led assault on their Falluja and Ramadi strongholds showed their muscle Tuesday with a bloody car bombing in Baghdad, strikes on oil pipelines and several attacks on Iraqi security forces.


Anheuser-Busch is looking to add some oomph to the beer market. Come November, the world's largest brewer looks to introduce its latest beer.


Liberata l'A1 e la stazione ferroviaria di Orte


Sri Lanka confirms Chikungunya viral fever epidemic

Sri Lanka has confirmed an epidemic of the mosquito-borne Chikungunya viral fever, a top health official said on Saturday. Doctors suspect it has infected 5,000 people in the island's far north.


Nokia To Come Out with 40 New Handsets in 2005

Nokia, the world's largest maker of mobile phones, plans to bring 40 new handsets to the market in 2005 as it seeks to expand its already dominant market share in the face of increased competition from rivals Motorola, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson


Verona, 13:52 - CALCIO, COPPA UEFA: CHIEVO-SPORTING BRAGA ALLO SPAGNOLO DAVILA

Sarà lo spagnolo Carlos Megia Davila ad arbitrare la sfida di ritorno del primo turno di Copp...


One man who was definitely not smiling at the end of the 17th European Film Awards (EFAs) in Barcelona on Saturday evening was Spain's Pedro Almodovar who walked away empty-handed after his film Bad Education ...


The sound of gunfire ricochets inside a minaret as a private in the U.S. Marine Corps shoots a wounded and apparently unarmed Iraqi. Members of the camera crew remove their earplugs and discuss whether the scene went OK or needs a retake. It doesn't. "Death at the Mosque," shooting in this suburb north of Los Angeles, will air as an episode of "JAG," the military law series that's on 9 p.m. EST Fridays.


Scientific tests on a range of traditional remedies have shown they have "real benefits", researchers say.


Sony probes Los Angeles Airport laptop blaze

Who's battery was in that ThinkPad? Sony has revealed it is investigating the recent self-immolation of a Lenovo ThinkPad T43 at Los Angeles Airport. The fire was apparently caused by the notebook's battery, which may have been a Sony-made component.â¦


Bologna, 17:18 - CALCIO, MAZZONE: BAGGIO VITTIMA DI INVIDIA GRANDI TECNICI

Domenica 18 febbraio compie Roby Baggio compirà 40 anni e Carlo Mazzone, il suo ultimo allena...


United reaches tentative deal with pilots

United Airlines, the bankrupt carrier, on Tuesday made its first progress in efforts to achieve a second round of labour cost cuts when it said it had reached a tentative agreement


Crude Oil Falls for Third Session as Iraqi Exports Increase

Crude oil futures fell for a third session, dropping as low as $45.35 a barrel, as increased Iraqi shipments signaled that supplies may be adequate to meet global demand.


La Mondiale and Aegon Strengthen Their Partnership by an Increase of...

After two years of successful cooperation and recognizing strong prospects for further joint developments, AEGON's stake in LA MONDIALE PARTICIPATIONS, a subsidiary of LA MONDIALE Mutuelle, will increase from ...


Come March, is there going to be less glimmer in the Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) galaxy? Well, yes -- the news broke last night. The company's president and CEO, Orin Smith, will retire at that time after having


Russia Developing New Form of Nuclear Missiles

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported.


Middlesbrough's Steve McClaren admits a charge of improper conduct and requests a personal hearing.


A Fishing Family Deals With Changing Times

By ?Sona Patel, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.  Mar. 1--The sportfishing business on the Morro Bay Embarcadero started by Virgil Moores in 1954 was for decades a busy hub for fishermen and visitors from all over the state.


La decisione è di un'azienda inglese. E in Gran Bretagna pronte delle norme per non discriminare i lavoratori maturi. Trovalavoro


A Chinook military helicopter has crashed in southern Afghanistan, Nato confirms, but there is no word on casualties.


Wall Street may put the brakes on a  steep decline next week, when a rate cut is anticipated from  the Fed, and Friday's monthly jobs data may trigger a comeback  for stocks after their January funk.


U.K. writer Waters leads shock Booker shortlist

British author Sarah Waters was  installed on Thursday as 2-1 favorite for the Booker Prize  after judges left a string of literary heavyweights off the  shortlist for one of the world's top book awards.


Mexico PRI Has Slim Lead in Veracruz Governnor Race

JALAPA, Mexico  - Mexico's main opposition party  put in a tepid performance in elections in a state it has run  since the 1920s, hitting a bump on the long road toward its  goal of returning to power nationally in 2006.


Barry Bonds hit his 734th career home run to break Hank Aaron's NL record, but the Milwaukee Brewers rallied past San Francisco 10-8 Saturday night for their third consecutive win over the struggling Giants.


CORRECTED: Report Holyfield Banned from Boxing in U.S.

NEW YORK (Sports Network) - Former undisputed heavyweight  champion Evander Holyfield has been banned from fighting by the  New York State Athletic Commission, according to published  reports.


From a major international hacking incident to XP's non-retirement, the IDG News Service's Nancy Weil predicts the big stories of 2008.


Karzai unharmed in Taliban rocket attack

Taliban guerrillas made a failed attempt to kill Afghan President Hamid Karzai with a rocket attack on Sunday, narrowly missing a building where he was giving a speech, Taliban and the government said.


Strong jobs growth bodes well for economy

U.S. employers added 132,000 jobs in June and payrolls rose more strongly than previously thought in April and May, according to a Labor Department report that underlined a strengthening job market.


Germany will not seek extradition of suspected CIA agents in an alleged kidnapping case, officials say.


Roma, 20:45 - CALCIO, SPALLETTI: BISOGNA AVER FIDUCIA IN DONADONI

Luciano Spalletti difende Roberto Donadoni, il ct azzurro finito nel mirino della critica dopo la sc...


China's efforts to moderate its economic boom appear to be taking hold, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan said Sunday, reiterating Beijing's pledge to consider easing controls on its currency.


A TV show starring Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman has been cancelled after just two episodes due to low ratings.


A consortium of investors disclosed that it intended to oust the board and possibly the top management of Take-Two Interactive Software.


D-R's Nwachukwu attracts a growing following

Two years ago, Mary Nwachukwu spent her freshman year on the bench. Sidelined with a severe ankle injury, she was a virtual unknown in the Dighton-Rehoboth girls' basketball scene, let alone the South Coast Conference.


Google is making everyone who snubbed its unconventional initial public offering of stock regret their decision. In the latest rebuke to its skeptics, Google wowed Wall Street with its first quarterly earnings


Pubblicate le stime preliminari dell'IstatSu base mensile, i prezzi sono rimasti invariati                                                  Inflazione all'1,9% a gennaio in calo dal 2% di dicembre                                                                                Eurostat: nella zona euro, il caroprezzi Ã¨ al 2,1%Le associazioni dei consumatori contestano i dati: "Illusori"


Organizers Hope Lavigne Trek Has Happy Ending

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Don't tell Avril Lavigne about  this year's lackluster concert season.


Ex-XenSource CEO tries another virtualization start-up

Blog: Pano Logic combines VMware virtualization software on the server with a device to remotely connect users' keyboards, mice and other peripherals.


IL COMMENTO                                          Il malessere della politica                                                                                di GIORGIO BOCCA


Kerry Campaign Seeks Equal Time Over Film

Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, contending that Sinclair Broadcast Group wants to help President Bush by airing an anti-Kerry documentary two weeks before the election, asked on Friday that each station carrying the program provide a similar amount of time to Kerry supporters.


Le immagini arrivano dalla sonda Cassini che lo ha sorvolato a 1.640 chilometri di quotaConfermate le due facce di colore opposto e la catena di altissime montagne equatoriali                                            Giapeto, le prime foto dalla luna di Saturno I misteri del satellite dalle mille vette                                                                                L'entusiasmo degli scienziati: "PermetterÃ  di capire molte cose sul sistema solare"di LUIGI BIGNAMI


AMA softens video-game addiction measure

The American Medical Association on Wednesday backed off calling excessive video-game playing a formal psychiatric addiction, saying instead that more research is needed.


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

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


Coming off a miserable road trip, the Yankees are indicating that they will not seek a major trade this season.


HealthSouth Ex-CFO Says Scrushy Knew of Fraud

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  - A former high-ranking  HealthSouth Corp.  financial officer spent a second day in  court detailing a $2.7 billion accounting fraud and again said  that former Chief Executive Richard Scrushy was fully aware of  the extent of the fraud.


After India pulled off a 11-run win over Bangladesh in Chittagong on Thursday, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly said the home team was "never really in the game" although the narrow margin of victory suggested a close match.


An Italian soldier dies after his patrol vehicle overturns near the Afghan capital, Kabul, a Nato statement says.


The video game company Atari Inc. said yesterday that it had appointed David Pierce as its president and chief executive.


For Duncan, a Legacy Built Brick by Brick

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan had the anxious look of a first-time home buyer walking through his purchase last Friday as he toured the Music Center at Strathmore, the $100 million North Bethesda concert hall opening this week.


Group of 44 people using ladders scale wall of Canadian Embassy in ...

A group of 44 people, at least some of them North Koreans, entered the Canadian Embassy on Wednesday, using ladders to scale a spiked fence around the compound, the Canadian ambassador said amid a spate of asylum bids by North Koreans.


Green, Green Grass ; Natural Approach to Lawns Touted Over a Chemically Dependent Turf

A cultural turf war is being waged across America.  On one side are the traditionalists who shear and spray and fertilize and  take great pride in their picture-perfect lawns, as well they should.


Rathnaja fails to recreate the magic of Nenapirali in his second directorial venture. Prem looks cute in songs and has worked hard for his role. Hamsalekha delivers good songs, but the film drags forever.


ASIA/COREA DEL SUD - Il ÂVillaggio dei fioriÂ, oasi della caritÃ  da trentÂanni a servizio dei poveri, degli emarginati, dei senza tetto: una comunitÃ  cristiana vive lÂamore, il servizio, la condivisione Seul (Agenzia Fides) - EÂ una comunitÃ  cristiana che dedica la sua vita allÂaccoglienza al servizio dei poveri, degli emarginati, dei senzatetto, di orfani, handicappati, anziani e malti terminali, nutrendoli assistendoli, prendendosi cura di loro: l...


Fidel Castro's resignation brings an end to nearly fifty years of rule and looks likely to see his brother named as President


A German court acquits an alleged aide to jailed left-wing extremist Carlos the Jackal over 1980s bombings.


'Birth' is beautiful, not distasteful, says Nicole Kidman!:

[Hollywood News]: London, Oct 28 : Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman has defended a controversial scene in her forthcoming film 'Birth', in which she is naked in the bath with a ten-year-old boy.


Over on PHPMac.com there's a new article seeking to help you install PHPMyAdmin for MySQL multiuser environments.


BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union rejected a US demand to ban government loans to aircraftmaker Airbus SAS, intensifying a dispute between the two trading partners.


Jeff Adrien scored a career-high 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to lead No. 19 Connecticut to an 81-53 victory over Northeastern last night in Storrs, Conn.


I owe United teammates for goal heroics, says Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo took his season's goal tally to 25 with a double in the 3-1 FA Cup win over Spurs but insisted he's indebted to his Manchester United teammates for his heroics.


Replica crown might be used for new Cambodian king's coronation

A replica crown and sword, symbol of royal regalia, might be used during newly selected king Norodom Sihamoni's coronation ceremony to be started at 5 pm (1000 GMT) in the golden-roofed Royal Palace here Friday.


Many US businesses are already introducing greenhouse gas reduction programs despite their government's failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.


Operai occupano ancora binari sebbene spiragli in trattativa


Columbia Keeps It Close, but NC State Pulls Away

Columbia may not be ready to beat a top-20 team, but there are other ways to mark progress. The Lions, the longtime doormats of the Ivy League, have become good enough to put a scare into a good basketball team from a powerhouse conference.


He might have played dark and grim characters to perfection but now fans of Jude Law will be able to see him in a comedy drama if only on TV and that too in a cameo.


Zend Developer Zone: Contest! Write a small piece of sample code, win a free copy of Zend Studio

The Zend Developer Zone (and Zend) are running a new contest where you could win yourself a free copy of their popular Zend Studio IDE.   It's a very poorly kept secret that Zend is working on the next generation of Zend Studio. They must be getting down to the 'fit and finish' pieces of the project because my buddy Yossi wrote me and asked me to enlist the help of the PHP community at large. So here's his request. The Zend Studio team needs your help. They are looking for a code snippet to showcase the syntax highlighting and debugging capabilities of Zend Studio.    They're looking for certain types of code snippets and a list of the criteria are included in the ZDZ post. The deadline's at at midnight (Pacific) on July the 26th, so get those snippets together and get them sent off for your chance to win!


Craig Bellamy has revealed that he opted for a loan move to Celtic to give him time to mend his broken heart after being forced to leave the club he loves.


The disappointment of missing the cut by seven shots in the Sony Open turned into disgust as Michelle Wie walked slowly across the parking lot in darkness, waiting for her parents to take her home.


England's batsmen face an uphill struggle to save the first Test on day three in Brisbane.


CALIFORNIA DREAMER: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he would be interested in running for president if the Constitution were amended to allow foreign-born citizens to seek the nation's highest office.


East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Retired NBA center and seven-time All- Star Alonzo Mourning is going to give his playing career one more shot.


WASHINGTON About the same number of Americans who think the Supreme Court needs a mandatory retirement age can't name what post Chief Justice William Rehnquist holds.


Sienna Miller tells of "frenzied" paparazzi chase

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Actress Sienna Miller told a British court on Monday of her terror as paparazzi photographers chased her car across London after a night out.


Disappointment continues for holiday travelers

South Bend, IN - Bad weather and computer problems are causing hundreds of Michiana residents to change their holiday plans. Saturday, Comair, a division of Delta announced it was canceling 1100 flights on Christmas Day, as well as Sunday.


Former Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba accepts defeat in run-off presidential elections.


Condominiums for Businesses Fill a Niche in California

The dot-com collapse in Silicon Valley has contributed to the emergence of a previously obscure class of office building: the commercial condominium.


Bernie Ebbers' closest associate claims the former WorldCom boss was directly implicated in a $11bn fraud at the company.


Update 1: United Needs to Cut $500M More in Costs

United Airlines, in a bankruptcy court filing in advance of a status hearing Friday, has revealed it needs to cut $500 million more in costs than previously stated.


Mibtel guadagna lo 0,23%, tutte positive le altre europee


SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO - Four British citizens who were released from Guantanamo Bay are suing the US government for $10 million US each.


David Eckstein OKs 3-Year Deal With Cards

David Eckstein agreed Thursday to a three-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, completing a triangle of shortstop switches.


Hollywood summit tackles online entertainment wars

Hollywood and Internet executives met Tuesday to discuss changes wrought by online social networking against the backdrop of Viacom's billion-dollar lawsuit against YouTube.


The city hall of the southwestern French city of Bordeaux was damaged by a powerful explosion overnight, witnesses saw.


EMRISE CORPORATION Will Teleconference and Webcast Its Stockholders' Meeting of February 14, 2007

EMRISE CORPORATION (NYSE Arca:ERI), a multi-national manufacturer  of defense, aerospace and industrial electronic devices and  communications equipment, today announced that it will broadcast its  stockholders' meeting of February 14, 2007.


Icahn seeks Motorola to return cash to shareholders

U.S. billionaire investor Carl Icahn wants Motorola Inc  to return more of its $12 billion in cash to shareholders and take on more debt, according to a report on CNBC on Tuesday.


The US secretary of state says a Palestinian unity government  must recognise Israel's right to exist.


Nuclear waste convoy rolls toward German dump after protester's death

Demonstrators in Germany chained themselves to a railway to stop a shipment of highly radioactive nuclear waste from France, a day after a protester was crushed to death under the train's wheels.


Gash found on vessel's cargo tank after Delaware spill

By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press Writer, The Associated Press. The spill _ the worst on the river in nearly a decade _ stranded commercial vessels trying to move goods through the busy Port of Philadelphia


Apple calls on UK press as iPhone talk swirls

Apple Inc is calling a London news  conference next Tuesday as speculation mounts that the U.S.  consumer electronics guru will unveil long-awaited plans to  bring its iconic iPhone cell phones to Europe.


Siemens shares lower after slush fund scandal hits profits

Shares in Siemens have been lower on the stock exchange after the German engineering giant was forced to restate its full-year earnings to take into account charges connected with the alleged slush fund and embezzlement scandal at the company.


London - Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu will undergo counselling in a bid to get a reduced ban after testing positive for cocaine. The 25-year-old Romanian international accepted the positive finding on Tuesday


Simpson barred from spending "If I Did It" money

A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday barred O.J. Simpson from spending, at least for now, the advance for his aborted book "If I Did It" about the murders of his ex-wife and her friend.


Incontro bilaterale premier-cancelliere Gusenbauer


China is becoming increasingly alarmed that Microsoft is winning the lion's share of too many government contracts to supply software.


Tra le ultime vittime, un palestinese di 17 anni


Teenagers wary of new children's database

Confidentiality and security concerns Lack of trust may hinder the children's index, according to a new survey.â¦


An air passenger with bags of cocaine in her stomach dies as police urgently look for her companion, who may also have swallowed drugs.


US Urges Civilians to Flee Targeted Falluja

Air and artillery strikes shook the rebel-held Iraqi city of Falluja on Friday night after US forces, using leaflets and loudspeakers, urged civilians to leave.


Wind River acquires real-time Linux from FSMLabs

(InfoWorld) - Wind River Systems has acquired technology that lets it provide an embedded Linux OS for devices that need responses in real time. Wind River has completed the acquisition of real-time technology, called RT Linux,Â from FSMLabs to complement its Linux-based embedded OS, said Glenn Seiler, director of Linux platforms for Wind River. Real-time capabilities allow a device or application to respond to an external event immediately as it occurs. The company's Linux-based embedded OS, Wind River Linux, didn't have these capabilities before, he said. Wind River acquired only RT Linux, not all of FSMLabs, Seiler said. FSMLabs will license RT Linux back from Wind River for sale in the enterprise market, so it will not compete with Wind River, he said. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal. FSMLabs is available as an add-on technology immediately for both Wind River Linux and the Wind River Workbench developer tools, and it will be integrated into both of those products by the end of the year. Wind River is a public company and reported revenue of $266.32 million in its 2006 fiscal year. Wind River did not have a Linux-based embedded OS until three years ago, Seiler said. The company's main source of revenue in its more than 20-year history has been its Wind River VxWorks real-time embedded OS for devices in various markets, such as aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, and networking. Seiler described a real-time OS as one that has a rapid-fire response time to external events. "Real time means the response is in real time, measured typically in microseconds or milliseconds, as compared to an enterprise/batch environment, where things get scheduled to occur," he said. This kind of OS is required for devices like robots, the pilot stick of a helicopter or airplane, or the navigation or braking system of an automobile, to name just a few, Seiler said. Before the acquisition of RT Linux from FSMLabs, Wind River's Linux OS had soft real-time capability, which means it could guarantee the fastest response possible according to the limits of a device or application maybe 80 percent to 90 percent of the time, Seiler said. Now, having real-time response capabilities in its Linux OS makes Linux-based embedded systems possible for multibillion-dollar markets, such as aerospace, defense, and the mobile phone industry, he said. MontaVista Software also provides an OS that has soft real-time capability, and it is working to deliver real-time capability. Linux heavyweight Red HatÂ also hired a team to support development efforts to increase Linux response times and is eyeing moves into real-time Linux.


Britney Spears has "mental issues", manager says

Sam Lufti, the manager and companion of troubled pop star Britney Spears, has said the singer suffers from "mental issues" and has seen a psychiatrist, talk show host Barbara Walters revealed on Monday.


The CARE International charity reported that the director of itâs operations in Iraq was kidnapped early Tuesday in Baghdad. Margaret Hassan, a British-Iraqi citizen, was kidnapped in Baghdad at 7:30 am, CARE


UN Releases Major Report on Reform, Global Threats

A blue ribbon panel released on  Tuesday a landmark report on global threats that insisted the  U.N. Security Council approve any "preventive" war, which was  not the case when the U.S. invaded Iraq.


It is just six days since the 'mulligatawny madness' at Old Trafford, but the shock waves are still reverberating around the Arsenal dressing room.


New MicroSD, USB Reader Bundles from Kingston

Kingston has introduced two bundle kits that combine a microSD card with a Mac and PC-compatible USB reader.


When he won last year's Melbourne Cup on Makybe Diva, Glen Boss couldn't wipe the smile off his face. When he repeated the dose yesterday, he was in tears.


On the strength of Carlos Beltran and a tireless bullpen, the Astros came back from a three-run deficit on Sunday to defeat the Cardinals, 6-5.


NATO launches major southern Afghan offensive

NATO launched its biggest offensive in Afghanistan since the 2001 war on Tuesday, targetting the Taliban and drug lords as hundreds of people rallied in the east against U.S. soldiers killing civilians.


KKR arm in talks after fresh debt repayment delays

KKR Financial Holdings ,  the listed affiliate of private equity group Kohlberg Kravis  Roberts & Co , has delayed repayment of debt backed by  mortgage securities for the second time and begun a new round  of talks with creditors.


Without crucial feature, what will new Windows do?

Microsoft's next version of Windows, due in 2006, is code-named Longhorn. Last week, after Microsoft said it is postponing what would've been the most profound new feature of Longhorn, the tech comedians started calling the coming operating system Shorthorn.


The Oscar-nominated spy film stands out because its characters are allowed to be more than mere plot devices.


Child Abuse and UFOs Cast Shadow Over Venice Fest

Moviegoers expecting another feel-good Hollywood comedy at the Venice Film Festival on Friday were instead thrown into a dark tale about pedophilia and UFO abductions in "Mysterious Skin" by U.S. director Gregg Araki.


Skin Deep: Fountain of Youth? Go Wash Your Face

Eight resolutions your skin will appreciate in the New Year.


Clinton upstages Republicans with stimulus plan

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton on Friday proposed $70 billion in emergency spending to stave off a possible U.S. election-year recession, upstaging Republican rivals who clashed over the economy but offered few specifics.


Baghdad school uses black humor to help children cope

Ten-year-old Saad ponders the question, cocking his head to one side and tapping his finger on his lips. He's just been asked the source of Iraq's wealth.


One Dead After Gunfire Erupts Near Arafat Memorial

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- There's word that one security guard is dead after gunfire erupted at a tent set up in the Gaza Strip for mourners to gather in memory of Yasser Arafat.


Baseball: Rodriguez gets wish: Yankees oust Twins

MINNEAPOLIS This was the purpose of his winter, the vision behind all the haggling and hurt feelings. Alex Rodriguez wanted baseball to matter again.


Damien Martyn has made it back to back centuries against India as Australia looked to build a big first innings total in the third Test in Nagpur.


Suspect in Minn. Heists Has Criminal Past

MINNEAPOLIS - A man suspected in 23 bank robberies in the Twin Cities during the last year and a half was well-known to authorities as a public nuisance with a temper and a long history of criminal activity, according to police records.


Girl is the first known to survive rabies without vaccine

An American teenager is the first human ever known to survive rabies without vaccination, the US Centers for Disease Control confirmed Wednesday, after the girl received a desperate and novel type of therapy for the fatal disease.


Publishing, Retailing and Forest Industry Leaders Meet on Environmental Roles

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn., June 21  /PRNewswire/ -- Over 115 leaders in the publishing, retail, catalogue and printing businesses and the forest industry met here this week for a three-day environmental workshop organized by the Gravure Association of America.


Atlantis Shuttle Crew Prepares for Landing

HOUSTON -- The astronaut crew of NASA's shuttle Atlantis is gearing up for a planned Thursday landing after a successful construction flight to the International Space Station (ISS).


Sons of first two men to scale mountain say so much ice has melted that their fathers would not recognise terrain.


Police investigate the suspicious deaths of a mother and her two sons at a property in Birmingham.


Medicaid Overpaying for Prescription Drugs

Medicaid is "excessively overpaying pharmacists" for prescription drugs, according to a government study presented Tuesday at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, CongressDaily reports (Heil


Author likes film version of `Friday Night Lights'

When HG Bissinger set out for Odessa, Texas, in the summer of 1988, he intended to tell a Hoosiers-like tale of the Permian High School football program, one of the most storied and decorated in Texas history.


CSA 2.0: defaulting dads to have travel, ID, life switched off

And get to buy their own bullets? The Department of Work and Pensions' latest bid to salvage a viable system from the Child Support Agency catastrophe, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC), adds several extra and potentially draconian sticks to beat recalcitrant parents with. We have a 'name and shame' web site, credit blacklisting,* monitored curfews (possible including tagging), and confiscation of passport and/or ID card.â¦


Slashdot Founder Questions Crowdâs Wisdom

The founder of Slashdot introduces a new Web service, Idle, and takes aim at a rival, Digg.


Marbury Leads Dream Team Past Spain 102-94

ATHENS, Greece - Written off after their opener and branded failures back home, Stephon Marbury and the Americans are showing signs that they just might be the team to beat after all. Marbury set a U.S...


His ruddy cheeks were tear-streaked and his eyes were red. But Piotr Borcz was smiling.


The UN meets to discuss how to tackle the growing problem of dumping of electronic waste in Africa.


Litvinenko contacts may agree to speak to Russians

Relatives and contacts of murdered Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko would agree to meet Russian detectives probing his death in Britain if their safety were guaranteed, a family friend said on Sunday.


U.S., North Korea to hold talks in N.Y. next week

The United States and North Korea will meet in New York next Monday and Tuesday to discuss the normalization of relations, the State Department said on Wednesday but played down expectations of any breakthrough.


Santorum Unusually Quiet on Specter Fight

Ordinarily, Sen. Rick Santorum might figure to be Sen. Arlen Specter's most public of allies in a fierce and ultimately successful battle for the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, one Pennsylvania Republican aiding another in a classic Capitol power struggle.


Mibtel-0,52%, Numtel-0,77%.Contrastate altre piazze europee


Free online credit reports begin Wednesday

Consumers in 13 Western states will be able to grab free online copies of their credit reports starting Wednesday, as a new federal law is phased in.


Reggio Calabria, 18:12 - CALCIO, REGGINA: DIFFERENZIATO PER MISSIROLI E GIOSA

Allenamento a porte chiuse per la Reggina al S.Agata in vista della gara di sabato con l'Atalanta. I...


Sudan Govt, Rebels to Sign Permanent Truce-Kenya

Sudan's government and southern rebels will agree a permanent cease-fire on Friday at peace talks aimed at ending Africa's longest-running civil war, said Kenya's government, which is hosting the negotiations.


The US sports tycoon, Malcolm Glazer, has raised his stake in Manchester United from around 19% to a little over 25%. The purchase is not necessarily a prelude to a bid for overall control of the club bid according to one of his associates.


Former Atlanta Mayor Campbell Indicted for Corruption

A federal grand jury has indicted  former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell for tax evasion, bribery and  other corruption charges dating back to 1997, federal officials  announced on Monday.


When you hear cricketers and former cricketers repeat, ad nauseum, that cricket is a funny game, and that anything can happen in a one-day international, you wonder if they're watching the same game.


Consumers, battered by harsh economic crosswinds, spent less in December than at any time in the past 15 months while applications for unemployment benefits soared last week, two more signs the economy is weakening.


Incontro nullo, Bersani: spero in spazio di riflessione


Juventus Stays Top in Italian Soccer; Valencia Leads

Juventus won 3-0 at Sampdoria in Italian soccer's Serie A to record a third straight victory and maintain a two-point lead atop the 20-team standings.


N.Irish Deal Slipping Over IRA Weapons Impasse

BELFAST/DUBLIN  - Anglo-Irish attempts to seal a  lasting political settlement in Northern Ireland were halted on  Tuesday by a row over whether IRA guerrillas should allow  pictures to be taken of their arms being destroyed.


Ivan Spares French Quarter; Party Goes On

Hurricane Ivan didn't hit the French Quarter, but Tom Pinson was still devastated.


SAMARRA, Iraq - Bloodied by weeks of suicide bombings and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged Sunday to patrol Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city, and U.S. commanders praised their performance...


Weâve just unveiled the public beta of the IT Product Guide, a new online tool to help IT buyers make smarter purchases.


A former member of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's legal team pleaded innocent Tuesday to a charge of soliciting a prostitute.


Manchester United reports turnover of Â£245m for the 2006/07 season, a record in English football.


Texas Instruments is prepping a new single-chip solution designed to bring live broadcast television to mobile phones and other portable devices.


WRAPUP 1-N.Korea talks may be victim of US polls

Hopes for a September round of of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis were evaporating on Tuesday as Pyongyang hinted it was


"High School Musical 2" rules Teen Choice awards

Hollywood's young stars turned out to shine at the Teen Choice awards on Sunday with television sensation "High School Musical 2" winning a top honor for best TV movie.


Bagnone (Massa Carrara), 16:09 - CALCIO, JUVE; BUFFON: DI FUTURO NON PARLO PIU'

Gianluigi Buffon ha ricevuto oggi la cittadinanza onoraria di Bagnone, comune lunigianese del quale ...


UN Tsunami Aid Gathers Pace, Delays Denied

International efforts to aid desperate victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster are picking up pace, said UN officials, who dismissed as unfair suggestions that the response had been slow.


The company said its fourth-quarter profit tumbled 26.3 percent due to slumping U.S. motorcycle sales amid a weakening economy.


Bush, Koizumi take hardline stance on North Korea in final summit

US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi launched a new warning to North Korea over its weapons programs as they highlighted their close relationship at a final White House summit.


Cheering Section: Making Sure the Islanders Get the Message

When Chris Dey joined the Islanders in May, he set a number of goals for the organization, one of which, he said, âwas to create the best Web site in all of professional sports.â


Sfileranno anche gli abiti del palestinese Jamal Taslaq


Tropical Pursuit of Love, Coins and No Tan Lines

In âFoolâs Goldâ Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, as golden as a pair of rotisserie chickens, squabble and cavort in a tropical paradise.


Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern repays controversial loans he received from friends in the 1990s.


WASHINGTON - The US pharmaceutical industry that exports billions of dollars worth of medicine around the world faced new scrutiny Friday after a survey revealed nearly one-fifth of its government overseers had experienced pressure to approve drugs they


Pill Boosts Stroke Risk for Migraine Sufferers

Female migraine sufferers who take birth-control pills are eight times more likely to have a stroke than those not using the contraceptive.


Powerful Fla. Storms Kill 19, Raze Homes

By JIM ELLIS LADY LAKE, Fla. - Disaster crews with dogs went from one pile of debris to another in a search for bodies Friday after powerful storms, including at least one tornado, smashed hundreds of homes across central Florida and killed 19 people or more.


The Peruvian president denies responsibility for the deaths of over 100 inmates during a 1986 jail riot.


Business & money: House prices in Spain have risen at a faster pace than anywhere else in the eurozone.


Blast in Pakistani mosque kills 19, strongly blamed

An apparent suicide bomb blast at a Shiite Muslim mosque in the eastern Pakistani city of Sialkot on Friday killed at least 19 people and injured dozens of others, which brought


In the wake of one of the most striking series of spontaneous arrivals from the North African coasts of migrants escaping the tragedy of the African continent, we find a new minister bearing the responsibility ...


American Express sues Visa, MasterCard over anti-competitive ...

American Express has recently suffered considerable damage as around 20 thousand US banks could not use AE cards. "Consumers have been damaged by the boycott by being deprived of competitive alternatives," said


High School Sophomore Class's Concert to Feature 5 Rock Bands

By Talia Buford; Journal Staff Writer  WEST WARWICK - When it comes to school fundraising these days, apparently, a bake sale just won't do.


JOHANNESBURG Zimbabweans, weary of political conflict, are increasingly losing faith in democracy and tempted to accept a one-party system, a survey released Thursday has found.


J ohn Kerry's relentless attacks against the president's Medicare reform and prescription drug bill are rather brazen for a 19-year senator who didn't even care enough to show up for 36 out of 38 votes on the historic bill, including final passage.


Governi in costante contatto, Procura Roma apre fascicolo


Hutu killers 'ready for international court'

The Hutu rebel movement which claims responsibility for last week's massacre of Congolese Tutsis at a refugee camp in Burundi says, unrepentantly, it is ready to appear before an international tribunal.


Paul Gallagher and Paul Dickov score as Blackburn win their second game of the season.


Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) evidently has decided that making a new ally is good way to parry the threat from Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). The company announced yesterday that it is joining


In manette 5 persone dopo disordini di domenica a Caserta


Pakistan holds election key to democracy

Pakistanis fearful of militant attacks voted Monday for a new parliament in a key step toward democracy after eight years of military rule under President Pervez Musharraf, whose political survival hangs in the balance.


Are these guys ever going to have a game that doesn't come down to the last possession? It seems that, if nothing else, the Celtics give you 48 minutes worth. Sometimes more.


(InfoWorld) - YahooÂ is seeking to reassure carriers that it isn't trying to cut them out of the loop with its mobile content services, even as it rolls outÂ new mobile servicesÂ for customers. "Yahoo wants to work with operators for an optimized experience," said David Ko, vice president and general manager of Yahoo's mobile and broadband business in Asia, speaking Wednesday at the CommunicAsia Summit. Mobile operators are increasingly nervous that companies like Yahoo and Google will go direct to users with mobile content services, using their networks to offer so-called "over-the-top services" that don't give operators a cut of the revenue. These concerns have grown as content companies refine their mobile offerings and look for ways to make them available to users. During a speech at the CommunicAsia Summit, Ko announced that six Asian operators will use Yahoo's mobile search engine, calledÂ oneSearch. They are Globe Telecom in the Philippines, India's Idea Cellular, South Korea's LG Telecom, Maxis Communications in Malaysia, Indonesia's PT Telekomunikasi Selular, and Taiwan Mobile. These operators, which represent about 100 million subscribers, have agreed to use Yahoo's oneSearch in exchange for a portion of revenue from the mobile search service, Ko said, declining to detail specific terms of the deals. Most of the revenue will come from advertising, he said. In addition, operators will generate revenue from increased data charges as users access the search engine. The announcement that six operators will use oneSearch is an important win for Yahoo in Southeast Asia, where cellular-phone penetration rates outstrip the availability of PCs. Yahoo has long been a presence in the region, where its services are widely used. But competition is heating up: Google opened its Singapore office in May, announcing plans to set up an R&D center and expand its business in Southeast Asia. Â


Insights: Clinical Trials May Not Represent Population

The randomized clinical trial, widely considered the most reliable biomedical research method, can have significant drawbacks, a new study suggests.


Brooks & Dunn and Brad Paisley were both nominated for six Country Music Association Awards, but Ronnie Dunn emerged as the leader with seven nominations, including one for the group's inspirational song "Believe."


Pro-Family Group Says Peterson Death Penalty Verdict 'Morally ...

The leader of a pro-family group applauded to the unanimous decision by a California jury on Monday to give convicted killer Scott Peterson the death penalty for the murder of his wife Laci and unborn son Conner.


France marks the 100th day in captivity in Iraq of French journalists Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot.


Environment Secretary David Miliband says the government is determined to eradicate the bird flu outbreak.


Nokia offers mobile field service package

For companies seeking ways to increase the efficiency of their field forces, Nokia has introduced a one-touch system to connect teams with their back-office systems.


A US soldier admits murdering a severely wounded 16-year-old Iraqi civilian, saying it was a "mercy killing".


Toshiba create dual layered DVD/HD DVD disc

Toshiba has announced a dual layered disc that will playback both HD-DVD and DVD formats strengthing its offering in the battle of the next generation DVD formats.


France's economy minister said Societe Generale, reeling from losses blamed on a rogue trader, is a bank in crisis and may need to ditch its chairman.


Meat industry waiting on US mad cow scare

Meat industry leaders are taking a "wait and see" approach to news that a case of mad cow disease has been found in the United States.


There is a season, turn, turn, turn for Rolly.


Oil falls below $60, investors doubt OPEC

Oil fell below $60 a barrel on Friday as investors doubted OPEC's resolve to carry out a planned supply cut and fuel inventories swelled in the United States, the world's top consumer.


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


US soldier reports for duty, 39 years after going Awol

The ramrod-straight back and perfectly executed salute were to be expected from a man who had lied to join the US army at the age of 15.


Several people were killed in fighting at a mosque run by radical clerics who have challenged the government.


Bring it on! What to watch for in tonightâs crucial first debate

President Bush [related, bio] and Sen. John F. Kerry [related, bio] will go to war over Iraq tonight in their leadoff debate - a high-stakes showdown in steamy Florida that could radically recast the volatile 2004 race.


US, North Korea to begin normalization talks next week: official

The United States will begin landmark talks Monday on normalizing relations with North Korea, a regime once branded as part of an "axis of evil" by US President George W. Bush.


VoIP woes: Losing service without warning

(InfoWorld) - On Monday evening, my wife reached me on my mobile phone. She was spending a long weekend with her family in Maine. "I've called our home phone several times," she said. "And I keep getting a busy signal." That night, I didn't think twice about the phone problem. We have been VoIP customers for more than a year, and flaky service has been standard operating procedure. I reset my VoIP converter box and crossed my fingers. Then, on Tuesday, when the problems persisted, I called my VoIP provider, SunRocket, and got the message that the company was no longer taking tech support and sales calls. That's not good. Many free-market analysts and large telecom providers have hailed this as a new era of competition. It's a wonderful new world where your VoIP provider can cut off your home phone service without warning. This week, SunRocket went belly up without any communication to its 200,000 customers. SunRocket had been providing both my home and my home office phone service. I could charitably say that phone service since Monday evening has been intermittent. In reality, phone service has been mostly dead with occasional spurts of dial tone. Now, when business associates try to call my home office, they get either a busy signal, or they get one ring and a hang-up. I'm trying to switch my home and office numbers to Vonage, but they say it could take up to 10 days for the switch to happen. When I first heard about SunRocket more than a year ago, it seemed like a good solution to large monthly telephone bills. The local incumbent phone service was charging about $60 a month for unlimited local and long distance. SunRocket offered unlimited local andÂ long distance and even some international calling for $199 a year. The company also offered a second out-of-area-code phone number at no cost. That feature caught my eye because my home office is in suburban Maryland, but most of the people who call me are located in Washington, D.C. My wife and I looked at a savings of more than $500 a year and decided it was time to check out VoIP. The switch was not without problems. Voice quality was spotty at best, particularly when we were talking to someone on a mobile phone. For months, we had problems with frequently dropped calls. We soon became quite familiar with the "not-my-fault" phenomenon. SunRocket blamed the problems on Comcast, our broadband provider. Comcast, of course, blamed SunRocket. (Comcast: We can't guarantee quality of service for third-party applications. By the way, why don't you switch to our voice over IP service -- it only costs double what you're paying now.) After months of experimenting with equipment configuration, we finally got most of the problems ironed out. When it came time to renew our annual subscription, we had mixed feelings, but SunRocket was still significantly cheaper that most alternatives. We paid $199 for a year of service in March. In late June, in a sign of things to come, SunRocket laid off about a quarter of its workforce. The way I look at it, someone owes us about nine months of phone service, but we're not holding our breath. Now, in some ways, this is just a story about a couple hundred thousand VoIP customers who saw their phone service go dead without warning. But there's a larger context here. During the last couple of years, some telecom analysts, free-market think tanks, and telecom carriers have trumpeted a new era of competition. Their argument: Old, monopoly-style regulations aren't needed any more because there's all kinds of competition out there. They say that telecom carriers shouldn't have to share their networks with competitors and broadband providers shouldn't be prohibited from blocking or slowing Web content from competitors because there's all kinds of competition out there. Meanwhile, SunRocket, the second largest independent VoIP provider, has shut down. Vonage, the largest independent VoIP provider, has faced a patent infringement lawsuit from giant competitor Verizon, and its future is uncertain. Verizon contends it owns the patent to the technology that translates VoIP calls and allows them to connect to traditional telephone networks. Wireless phone carriers provide some competition, but the largest two wireless carriers are owned by the two giant telecom carriers. I'm not sure that counts as competition. In the broadband space, there are some indications that one or two new competitors are on the way, but it could take years. Right now, well over 90 percent of the U.S. has at most two broadband providers, the cable company or the telecom carrier. The telecom carriers are fighting against auction rules that would encourage a new broadband provider when a chunk of television spectrum is freed up in early 2009. Elsewhere, broadband customers in other countries, such as Japan and South Korea, pay less for faster service. Japanese customers pay about one-seventh what U.S. customers do per megabit of bandwidth. But few people in D.C. want to talk about the real reasons for this. It's not free-market competition; instead, telecom services in many other countries are highly regulated and subsidized by the government. For some of us, the promise of telecom competition seems a long way off. And, by the way, if you want to find me during the next week, your best bet is probably e-mail.


Rust Never Sleeps: And Neither Do Mold, Mildew or Dirt, Which Can Ruin Your Outdoor Furniture

By Robbyn Brooks, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach Feb. 27--The views from back yards and balconies in the Florida Panhandle can seem like a dream. But take a look at your barely-used-this-winter patio furniture and you might have nightmares.


Fiji's ousted prime minister says public anger against a military coup could force the new rulers to step down.


Ma sara' abrogata procedura d'infrazione del 2005


Federal Reserve policy makers at their Sept. 21 meeting considered the case for pausing a series of "measured" rate increases this year if economic data weaken, minutes of the gathering show.


Tokyo, 14:12 - F.1, TOYOTA: IL 12 GENNAIO PRESENTAZIONE NUOVA MONOPOSTO

Il 12 gennaio a Colonia sarà presentata la nuova monoposto della Toyota. La nuova TF107 del m...


Syria-Israel bombing incident shrouded in mystery

Mystery still shrouds Syria's complaint that Israel bombed its territory but the incident has set nerves jangling across the Middle East, with commentators urging both sides on Friday against an escalation into war.


Bucs, Panthers know the ups and downs of NFL

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers both know the concept and reality of NFL parity. They're prime examples of how swiftly teams can rise and how suddenly they can fall.


Ed Walsh, formerly of EMC and Avamar Technologies, is trying to draw more attention to the virtualization start-up.


UConn Stays in Fast Lane With Victory in First Bowl

In just its third full season as a Division I-A program, Connecticut continued its rapid ascent with a 39-10 victory over Toledo on Monday night.


Inmates at the federal prison camp in Otisville, N.Y., were stunned by what they saw at the chapel library on Memorial Day — hundreds of books had disappeared from the shelves.


Associazioni inviano lettera al ministro Padoa Schioppa


UN Security Council envoys are visiting eastern DR Congo, where UN troops maintain a fragile peace.


China's Lenovo Group Ltd. has agreed to acquire IBM's personal computing division for $1.25 billion in cash and equity, a move expected to transform it into the world's No. 3 PC maker.


Australia thrash India by 217 runs in first Test:

[Sports India, Cricket]: Bangalore, Oct 10 : India's tail-enders Sunday defied the Australian attack for a fairly prolonged period but could not prevent the visitors from winning the first Test by 217 runs on the fifth and final day at M. Chinnaswamy


Berlin opera may stage "Idomeneo" if sure of safety

A Berlin opera house condemned for   canceling performances of a Mozart work because of concern it   could provoke violence by Muslims said on Thursday it might   consider staging the production if it had security assurances.


Tom Cruise is set to be a presenter at the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony Sunday, joining a roster of A-listers appearing on the show.


Whether you're archiving your family history on DVD, posting straight to YouTube, or making the next Pi, our camera reviews will point you in the right direction.


If nothing else, âMeeting Resistanceâ should dispel any lingering misconception that the Iraq insurgency is mainly the work of outside agitators.


New York's Spitzer Expects to Sue Universal Life

New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer, who is probing bid-rigging in the insurance industry,  expects to file suit against health insurance consultant  Universal Life Resources as early as Friday, a spokesman for  his office said.


Prima veneziana per 'Una delle ultime sere di carnovale'


Computer-generated child abuse images and cartoons should be banned, Home Secretary John Reid has said.


Chris Bosh had 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors to an 86-83 preseason win over Benetton Treviso on Wednesday night.


Conn. Hospitals See Increase in Mammograms

Some Connecticut hospitals are reporting an increase in the number of women seeking mammograms following Gov. M. Jodi Rell's announcement that she has breast cancer.


Torino, 16:54 - CALCIO, JUVE; PICCO D'ENTUSIASMO: RIAPRE CAMPAGNA ABBONAMENTI

Il tifo bianconero ci crede: dopo il 5-1 al Livorno alla prima di campionato, la società, pre...


Emergency services attend the scene of a large blast in Mexico City, with at least one person reported dead.


India's Ruling Coalition Wins Key Victory in State Contest

India's five-month-old governing coalition received a major boost Saturday when the ruling Congress Party won a solid victory over Hindu nationalist parties in a state


The Bush administration is recruiting about 1,200 doctors nationally to remove the paperwork from their medical practice in return for higher Medicare payments.


Theater Review | 'The Treatment': The Therapist Interrogates, the Patient Is the Victim

Eve Ensler's new play is a dismaying muddle that fails to illuminate any of the troubling ideas at its core.


Tommy Hilfiger (TOM:NYSE - news - research) reported a drop in pretax earnings, lowered its guidance and delayed filing its second-quarter earnings statement amid an investigation by federal prosecutors into tax-related matters.


New Yorkers camp out for iPhone despite summer heat

New Yorkers brave 90-degree-plus temperatures to line up at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue everal days ahead of the iPhone release.


Patriots Begin Title Defense with Narrow Win Over Colts

The New England Patriots began their quest for successive Super Bowl titles with a tight 27-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the opening game of the NFL season in Foxboro Thursday.


Canada threatens to halt shipments of drugs to US

Canada's top health official warned yesterday that his government may try to stop prescription drug shipments to US consumers if the trade keeps growing.


Chips with features at 32nm use less electricity, allowing vendors to pack more processing power in their products.


The emergency services have battled through the night to keep a flood-threatened power substation operating.


Genetic Testing Challenges Medical Ethics

Advances in genetic testing are placing strains on the principle of doctor-patient confidentiality, as doctors grapple with whether to tell a patient's relatives when the patient has an inherited disease or mutation that could afflict other members of the family.


Treaty Curbs Trade in More Dangerous Chemicals

The United Nations on Monday added 14 pesticides and chemicals, including lead additive for petrol, to a growing list of toxic substances in which trade is restricted.


Ukrainian archaeologists say they have found ancient pyramids in the east of the country.


Harrington Completes Heavyweight Match Play Field

Ireland's Padraig Harrington completes  an impressive 16-man field for next week's World Match Play  Championship, organizers said Friday. The world number eight  joins three other members of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup  team, Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Levet, and  captain Bernhard Langer in the 41st Match Play at Wentworth,  England.


Dominant Woods seals 62nd PGA Tour victory

SAN DIEGO, California  - Tiger Woods shrugged off three consecutive bogeys while cruising to an eight-shot victory at the Buick Invitational on Sunday for his 62nd PGA Tour title.


Many See Hope in Parkinson's Drug Pulled From Testing

Some Parkinson's patients say drug developer Amgen robbed them of their only hope by ordering all patients off an experimental drug.


Number 10 spinner fingered in NTL investor 'bullsh*t' suit

Points for honesty, allegedly The man Gordon Brown hopes will pull the government out of its popularity slump was accused of deliberately misleading investors over the financial status of NTL when he was its COO.â¦


A Colombian rebel leader is jailed for 60 years in the US over the kidnapping of three US intelligence operatives.


The United States plans to increase its military force in Iraq by 12,000 soldiers and Marines, bringing combat strength to the highest level since the invasion in 2003.


Three Hollywood studios have chosen to embrace next-generation DVD technology backed by Toshiba, snubbing a rival product promoted by Sony.


Roma, 17:33 - CALCIO, SERIE A: 17 SQUALIFICATI, 3 TURNI A MUNTARI

Sono 17 i giocatori squalificati dal Giudice sportivo in serie A. Tre giornate di squalifica a Munta...


Changing your name, especially in the business world, is a time-honored way of coping with devastatingly bad publicity.


TI says chip will allow TV on cell phones

Texas Instruments says it has developed a computer chip that will let television fans watch their favorite shows on cellular phones.


Andrew Flintoff shines with bat and ball to give England a chance of victory over South Africa in the final Test.


Equity Office affirms support for Blackstone offer

Equity Office Properties Trust  said on Friday that its board of trustees has voted to reaffirm its support for a $54 per share takeover offer from private equity firm The Blackstone Group, despite a higher competing bid from Vornado Realty Trust.


Toys R Us expands toy safety notification efforts

Retailer Toys "R" Us said on Wednesday that it is expanding its efforts to inform shoppers of the latest toy recalls after a slew of Chinese-made toys were pulled from store shelves this summer due to unsafe levels of lead paint.


Palm warned that its upcoming earnings report could be weaker than expected.


More lenders, more options, more solutions. America's Lending Partners can get you a great deal on home loans. Fill out one form and you'll get up to 4 great offers from prominent lenders nationwide.


UN demands Rwanda pull out military forces in DRC

The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned reported military actions by Rwanda in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and demanded the country immediately withdraw any troops it may have in the DRC.