The leading offshore driller's backlog is as dynamically positioned as its drillships.


Yahoo! and Microsoft's shared shareholders may swing deal

Fingers in both pies !!!!! Some of Yahoo!'s institutional investors are keen for the proposed Microsoft takeover to go ahead, not because they're pleased with the offer price but because they own shares in both Microsoft and Yahoo!.â¦


Blair Says London Summit Would Aid Palestinians

British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem, Dec. 22, 2004. Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Reuters.


Berkshire's Buffett says unlikely to buy in China

DALIAN, China  - Berkshire Hathaway Inc's   Warren Buffett said on Wednesday he is looking to buy large businesses anywhere in the world, but that he is doubtful about finding a good buy in China, as the market is currently too hot.


Chocolate Helps Improve Blood Flow Reduce Heart Disease

Eating dark chocolate may not leave you with the feeling of guilt anymore. Greek researchers say they have evidence that shows chocolate improves the function of blood vessels, which in turn helps prevent


The House has scheduled votes this week on open-government bills. They would:  - Require organizations established for the purpose of raising funds for presidential libraries to disclose the sources of contributions of $200 or more.


A remote controlled bomb struck a police vehicle on a joint patrol with NATO forces in southeastern Afghanistan Thursday, killing six policemen.


Fernandez Racing Post-Race Notes: Toyota Indy 400

Adrian Fernandez scored his third career IRL IndyCarÂ® Series win this afternoon, claiming victory in the Toyota Indy 400 at California Speedway.


Marion Jones should lose all her Olympic and championship medals if she is found guilty of taking illegal drugs. That is the view of World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) chief Dick Pound, who feels that the triple


Backstory: For Caltech basketball, winning is a theory of relativity

The team hasn't won a league game since 1985, but this school is more about rocket science than rebounds.


Bring us TSMC Sun Microsystems' long, wafer-wrapped embrace with TI will start coming to a close. Earlier today, Sun announced that TSMC will manufacture future versions of its UltraSPARC processors.â¦


Ministero precisa, trasferimento proposto da ispettori


Briton's Kidnappers Demand Release of 26 Prisoners

Taliban-linked militants holding three kidnapped United Nations workers, including a British woman, are demanding the release of 26 prisoners, some possibly held at Guantanamo Bay, in return for sparing the hostagesâ lives.


Blast at Islamic school seen linked to killing of Dutch film-maker

An Islamic school in the Dutch city of Eindhoven was hit by an explosion but no one was injured, ANP news agency reported, as police said the blast could be linked to the murder of a controversial filmmaker.


Rural Areas Left in Slow Lane of High-Speed Data Highway

Big phone and cable companies are reluctant to expand in rural areas, leaving millions without high-speed access.


Comedy Little Miss Sunshine leads the nominations for the Independent Spirit film awards.


SALT LAKE CITY -- Police found what appeared to be human remains yesterday at a landfill where investigators have been searching for the body of Lori Hacking, the Utah woman allegedly murdered by her husband.


He's all sinew and cut muscle in perhaps a slightly smaller frame than he once was as a dominant NBA center for the Heat. It's as though the stunning diagnosis of four years ago - four years!


Dato inferiore alle previsioni degli analisti


Ciampi rinvia alle Camere la riforma della giustizia

Tra i motivi del rinvio da parte del presidente della Repubblica figurano due errori materiali: lâinsufficiente copertura finanziaria delle Scuole superiori della magistratura, la violazione dellâart.


Google's informal corporate motto is "Don't be evil" but the search engine provider isn't viewed as particularly nice by a growing list of companies that claim Google is misusing their trademarks and, in so doing, hurting their businesses.


Online advertising marketplace lets marketers buy premium ad space on Web sites six months in advance.


Freshman Danielle Hood scored a game- and career-high 20 points to lead four players in double figures as Hartford defeated Vermont, 79-66, yesterday at Burlington, Vt., to move into first place in the America East Conference.


AT least 250 people died in massive floods across northern Haiti after Tropical Storm Jeanne hit the crushingly poor Caribbean nation over the weekend, a UN spokesman said today.


Israeli Missile Strike Kills Two Gaza Militants

An Israeli missile strike killed at least two Hamas gunmen in Gaza City Monday, a day after a top commander of the Islamic militant group was killed in a similar attack


Torino, 10:49 - CALCIO, JUVE: A FUOCO SPOGLIATOI IN CENTRO SPORTIVO VINOVO

Paura al centro sportivo della Juve di Vinovo. Un incendio, che non ha avuto gravi conseguenze, &egr...


Britain will run out of world-leading scientists unless the downward spiral in science education is stopped, says Professor Colin Pillinger.


Xerox boss says credit crisis could crunch IT budgets

Yes, no, maybe. Can you repeat the question? Xerox has become the latest established IT company to join a chorus of complaints about how the credit crisis has begun to rock spending in the tech sector.â¦


Wading into a potential political minefield, President George W. Bush yesterday pledged to improve conditions for National Guard personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and said


Former POWS struggle with torture debate

Marion Oltman spent the last eight months of World War II in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp, and tears still fill his eyes when he recalls those desperate days.


Sanzione 2 euro in Umbria-Abruzzo, poi in tutte le Regioni


Nadal, Roddick, Murray advance, Blake bows out

INDIAN WELLS, California  - Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray reached the fourth round but sixth seed James Blake was knocked out of the Pacific Life Open on Monday.


India, Pakistan undeterred by train blasts

The peace process will continue despite the attack, with Pakistan's foreign minister expected in New Delhi Tuesday.


Stava giocando un'amichevole per allenamento in Toscana


U.N.: Youth Joblessness Could Boost Crime

The number of jobless young people worldwide has reached an all-time high of 88 million, fueling frustration and possibly boosting crime and even terrorism in hard-hit poor nations, the United Nations labor agency said Wednesday.


Will free office suites supplant Microsoft as the industry leader?

With two new office suites going free, can Microsoft maintain its high price tag on Office?  Don thinks it can -- and will.


India are already in massive trouble, losing two wickets straight after lunch as they chase an unlikely 543 for victory against Australia in the third Test in Nagpur.


A Hedge Fund May Try to Buy Circuit City, but It May Not

Highfields Capital Management's bid for Circuit City is either the latest example of a hedge fund jumping into the leveraged buyout world, or a ploy to put Circuit City in play.


ATHENS, Greece -- Gunmen have seized a public bus near the Greek capital of Athens and are holding about 25 passengers hostage. Authorities have surrounded the Athens-Marathon bus that was seized early Wednesday morning, Greek police told news agencies.


Indian police round-up rebel supporters in Manipur

Indian police have rounded up 60 suspected rebel sympathisers in the capital of the troubled state of Manipur, as authorities broaden a major sweep against insurgent groups, officials said on Sunday.


Homosexuals to Challenge Military Policy

Twelve homosexuals who were expelled from the military because of their sexual orientation are mounting a legal challenge to the Pentagon's 11-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.


Kenya's opposition says to resume protests

Kenya's opposition on Saturday said it would resume protests next week over a disputed election, just having finished three days of demonstrations in which at least 23 died.


Nigerian oil delta rebels pull out of peace talks

An influential rebel commander in  Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta has ordered the suspension  of peace talks with the government because of military  incursions and the arrest of another commander.


U.S. Starts New Budget Year with Shortfall

The U.S. government began the 2005  fiscal year with a budget shortfall, right after posting a  record $412.28 billion budget gap for all of the 2004 budget  year, a report on Wednesday showed.


Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will be free to face Newcastle next month after sitting out last night's comfortable Carling Cup triumph at Crewe.


Japan: China dumpling poisoning may be deliberate

Japan's health minister raised the possibility on Tuesday that someone had deliberately contaminated Chinese-made dumplings imported into Japan with pesticide in an incident that made 10 Japanese sick and sparked a food scare.


Al-Qaida released a video Monday showing what it claimed to be an April 1 ambush on an Afghan police convoy driving between two major cities in Afghanistan.


2nd UPDATE: HK Govt Land Sale Sets Post-'97 Price Record

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--A post-1997 price record was set Tuesday at a Hong Kong government land sale, reflecting the bullish outlook of property developers for the residential market after several lean years.


Security Guard Killed at Illinois State Capitol

A man wielding a shotgun killed a security guard at the Illinois state capitol in Springfield on Monday shortly after scuffling with a gun shop owner from whom he stole a shotgun a week earlier, police said.


What stock price does and does not tell you about a company.


A portrait by Gustav Klimt that was looted by Nazis during World War II reportedly sells for a record $135m.


Dance: An Artist Turned Toward Complexity

Merce Cunningham and colleagues have presented a retrospective series of evenings about his choreography called âHistory Matters.â


Harry Richard Landis, who enlisted in the Army in 1918 and was one of only two known surviving U.S. veterans of World War I, has died. He was 108.


Iran's judiciary has ordered 2003 Nobel  Peace Prize winner and human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi to  appear before the feared Revolutionary Court or face arrest,  Ebadi said on Thursday.


TV Time, Unlike Child Care, Ranks High in Mood Study

Findings show that watching television by oneself is a very enjoyable way to pass the time, and that taking care of children is often about as much fun as housework.


Officials Show They Will Enforce Contact Rule

Yes, officials will do as instructed this season and crack down on clutching-and-grabbing tactics by defensive backs. That was the early message from the New England Patriots' 27-24 triumph over


Tigers' rally means unlucky 13 for Royals

Ivan Rodriguez was supposed to get a day off. Unfortunately for Kansas City, the Tigers catcher had to play.


Convegno 2004, Asia e' unica nuova frontiera per il mercato


Argentine president blasts developed countries over climate change

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner on Wednesday criticized developed countries for their lack of commitment to environmental protection.


BOSTON -- The Gakkel Ridge, encased under the f


Lack of Offices Will Help Rent Rates to Soar

By Nigel Stirling  The amount of office space available to let on Tyneside is at its lowest level for more than 20 years, reinforcing the high probability of a further shift upwards in rents to pounds 24 per sq ft by the end of this year, according to local property agents.


Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney delivered his closing argument to New Hampshire voters Thursday, then headed west to seek a victory in the Iowa caucuses that would allow him to return with a winner's momentum.


Jones Is Said to Be Near a Deal for Barneys

The Jones Apparel Group, a $4.3 billion clothing company with a middle-brow reputation, is close to making a deal to buying the Barneys chain.


Il New York Times racconta oggi la vicenda di una dei sopravvissutiagli attentati alle Torri Gemelle. Ci sono molti dubbi sulla sua storia: forse ha mentito                                          Presiedeva l'associazione dei superstiti Ma l'11/9 forse era da un'altra parte


Catania, 21:46 - CALCIO, CATANIA: CEDUTI MILLESI E BABU', PRESO ROSSI

Il Catania ha completato cinque operazioni di mercato nell'ultima giornata della sessione di mercato...


Paul Pierce scored 33 points and Kevin Garnett had 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists Sunday night to lead the Boston Celtics to a 110-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.


Torino, 11:59 - CALCIO, TORINO: PREDKO IN PRESTITO ALLA PRO SESTO

Il Torino ha ceduto in prestito alla Pro Sesto (C1) il difensore della Primavera, Serhiy Predko. Lo ...


A U.S. jury on Friday found former media mogul Conrad Black guilty of multiple counts of criminal fraud and a single count of obstruction of justice but acquitted him of racketeering and tax charges.


Six charged in breakup of AOL identity theft ring

(InfoWorld) - Six men have been charged with orchestrating a phishing scheme that targeted AOL users, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday. The men are accused of harvesting thousands of AOL e-mail addresses and then infecting victims' PCs with malicious software that would prevent them from logging on to AOL without entering their credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other personal information. Under the scam, victims would receive fake e-mail greeting cards that would silently infect their computers with the log-on software, according to a grand jury indictment. Victims were also spammed with phoney e-mail messages that claimed to have come from AOL's billing department. "Due to a central server meltdown, your credit card information was lost," one such e-mail read, according to the indictment. "In order to enjoy your AOL experience and keep your account active, you must enter your credit card information within 24 hours." Some of the fake greeting cards claimed to come from Web sites such as Hallmark.com or BlueMountain.com, the indictment states. AOL users appear to have been the primary targets of the fraud, but others may also have been targeted, according to Tom Carson, a spokesman for the United States Attorney's office for the District of Connecticut. "The investigation is ongoing," he said. "I think we can say the bulk of those targeted were AOL users, but we can't say with 100 percent certainty that they were the only victims," he said. The accused are believed to have defrauded thousands of individuals, U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor said in a statement. "These are insidious crimes that wreak havoc on the lives of victims, and we will seek strict terms of imprisonment." The alleged scam was conducted over a two-year period, beginning in 2004, the U.S. Attorney said. Proceeds from the crime were used to purchase gaming consoles, laptop computers and gift cards, the indictment states. The men were actually indicted on fraud charges last week by a federal grand jury in New Haven, but the charges were not made public until Wednesday, when three of the men pleaded guilty. The three who have pleaded guilty face between two years and nine and a half years in prison, Carson said. They are Charlie Blount Jr., 22, of Branford, Connecticut, Richard D'Andrea, 22, of West Haven, Connecticut, and Thomas Taylor Jr., 20, also of West Haven. They are scheduled to be sentenced in mid-December. The three men awaiting arraignment are Michael Dolan, 22, of North Miami Beach, Florida, Keith Riedel, 20, of Winter Haven, Florida, and Daniel Mascia, 22, of West Haven. Dolan had previously been sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to accessing a protected computer without authorization.


Former NY Times reporter contradicts Libby

A former New York Times reporter, who was jailed during the CIA leak investigation, testified Tuesday that Lewis "Scooter" Libby told her the identity of an outed CIA operative weeks before the date he told investigators he had learned of the agent's identity. The timeline in the case is key as Libby is accused of lying to a grand jury about what he knew and when. Judith Miller served 85 days in jail in 2005 for refusing to testify at the grand jury.


Hawks Blow Big Lead but Beat Magic 80-79

Antoine Walker hit a fallaway jumper with 2.3 seconds left, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 80-79 on Monday night despite blowing a 12-point lead in the final five minutes.


COLUMBUS -- Troy Smith predicted earlier this season something severe would happen and he'd finally get his shot to quarterback the Ohio State Buckeyes.


England Beats South Africa 32-16 in Rugby Test; France Loses

Fly-half Charlie Hodgson got 27 points as England beat South Africa 32-16 to record a sixth successive victory against the Springboks.


Out of death may come a rebirth. The alternative is much more likely to happen. And if it does the consequence will be a living hell that will go on and on and on.


Firenze, 20:01 - CALCIO, FIORENTINA; UJFALUSI: UN GOL PER LE 100 PRESENZE

Il difensore della Fiorentina Tomas Ujfalusi centrerà domenica con il Torino le 100 presenze ...


Governor Doyle is expected to make an announcement Tuesday afternoon about the state's flu vaccine supply. Reports say the governor will make the flu vaccine available to more people.


Rice "cautiously optimistic" on North Korea talks

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday she is cautiously optimistic that it may be possible to begin carrying out a September 2005 agreement on ending North Korea's nuclear programs.


The dollar falls below the $1.35 level to a new record low against the euro as data fuels new concerns about the US economy.


Michael Jackson fails in his bid to have the man leading his child abuse prosecution thrown off the case.


Polish woman caught growing marijuana for cow

A Polish woman who grew marijuana to calm the nerves of her cow has been charged with cultivating a narcotic by police in the western town of Lobez.


150 web fraudsters snared in US operation

More than 150 individuals have been arrested or convicted in a US-wide crackdown on internet fraud and abuse, according to an announcement from Attorney General John Ashcroft on Thursday.


A record low primary turnout and voter disgust for politics could spell trouble for Republicans trying to keep control of the House and Senate.


Fishing crews from Kilkeel in County Down finally return to port after a rough night at sea.


Soggy IT pros check in from flooded Sheffield

Wellies and pizza keep servers running We're getting reports of rampant heroism from IT support staff in flooded Sheffield. The city received about two months rainfall in a matter of hours yesterday. Three people have been killed by the floods and thousands forced to leave their homes.â¦


Nervosi i sindacati, basta stare in surplace


There's nothing wrong with drug reps schmooze with doctors.


EU study sounds Iran nuclear bomb warning

International sanctions alone will not  prevent Iran making enough high-grade uranium for a nuclear  bomb, according to an internal European Union study leaked on  Tuesday.


The man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing claims the UK Government is trying to interfere with his appeal.


The head of Microsoft's Business Division is leaving the company, to be replaced by former Juniper Networks COO Stephen Elop in September.


Blackstone Group LP priced its initial public offering at the top end of the range on Thursday, even as lawmakers pushed for its delay, raising $4.13 billion in the largest U.S. IPO since 2002.


urban slang for targeting sarcastic jokes at someone - is coming to television with a reality show hosted by Ralphie May of ``Last Comic Standing.


LONDON - An armed man went on a stabbing rampage in north London Thursday, killing one person and critically injuring five others, police said.


Egypt names former player Shehata as caretaker coach

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has appointed a domestic coach to take over Italian Marco Tardelli who was sacked earlier this month after a surprise defeatto Libya, a spokesman said Thursday.


La hit di Fabrizio Corona lui non perdona, e voi?

Il protagonista di vallettopoli, campionando le sue parole a Matrix, lancia con il rapper Kalief la canzone per l'estate, summa del Corona pensiero


Mahendra Elected New Head of Cricket Board in India

After a hotly debated vote, Ranbir Singh Mahendra has been elected as the new head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, 16-15, ahead of federal agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.


The Anaheim Angels clinched the American League West title Saturday. They scored three runs in the eighth inning to edge Oakland, 5-4, and knock the Athletics out of the playoffs.


Oil tumbled more than 2 percent on Wednesday as persistent worries of a recession in top consumer the United States battered markets.


Court Orders Record Payout for Guatemala Massacre

An international court has  ordered Guatemala to pay a record sum of almost $8 million in  compensation to survivors of a 1982 army-led massacre of  hundreds of civilians in the country's Maya Indian heartland.


US President George W Bush is sworn in for a second term promising to help end tyranny and uphold freedom.


Fast food in children's hospitals a bad lesson: study

Fast food outlets are common inside U.S. children's hospitals, leading more patients to consume hamburgers and fries and encouraging them to view the fare as healthier than it probably is, a study said on Monday.


Scam images sent as stationery backgrounds are the latest tactic in ducking antispam filters.


It's shiny. It's new. It might be just for you.


Israeli Military Kills Three Palestinians in Gaza

Israeli troops killed two Palestinian  teenagers and a gunman in the Gaza Strip on Thursday as the  Israeli army pressed ahead with its biggest and bloodiest  offensive in Gaza for four years.


The British Grand Prix has a July 3 slot on the FIA calendar for next year's F1 World Championship, but it's one of several events which aren't yet firmly fixed.


India ; 20 years on, Bhopal's gas tragedy continues

India News, Bhopal, That cold night 20 years ago in this capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh changed Chiraunji Bai's life forever, just as it did for tens of thousands of others.


Bush visits Fifth Fleet amid Iran tensions

President George W. Bush visited the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet on Sunday amid new tensions with Iran over an incident in which the United States says its ships were harassed in the Strait of Hormuz.


Sri Lanka government, rebels said willing to talk

BRUSSELS/COLOMBO  - The Sri Lankan government and   Tamil Tiger rebels have told Norwegian mediators they are   willing to return to peace talks without conditions,   international peace mediators said on Tuesday.


Futures extend slide on Bernanke remarks

Stock index futures indicated a weaker start for Wall Street on Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said inflation risks remain to the upside, suggesting equity investors shouldn't look forward to a rate cut any time soon.


Engrossing Book Sheds Light on Great Lakes Water Issues

By Tom Henry, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio  Dec. 17--THE GREAT LAKES WATER WARS. By Peter Annin. Island Press. 304 pages.


General Mills 4th-quarter profit edges higher

General Mills Inc.  on Thursday  said quarterly profit edged higher, though increased marketing  spending and higher commodity costs tempered the increase.


A police sergeant was killed when his car flipped over while chasing a handcuffed suspect who had managed to drive away in another squad car, the authorities said.


Confusion over alleged capture of Hussein ally

Baghdad - Iraqi authorities struggled on Monday to clear up confusion over whether the most wanted member of Saddam Hussein's ousted dictatorship had been nabbed in a shootout north of Baghdad.


Stocks Rise as Better Earnings Fuel Rally

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday as  positive company earnings helped extend the previous session's  rally and the three major indexes tried to post two consecutive  days of gains for only the second time this year.


A woman says her stillborn baby was put in a supermarket bag and left with her while she waited in A&E.


EU chief battles to avert veto in crunch vote

The European Union braced for a knife-edge vote to decide the fate of its new executive arm with incoming EU chief Jose Manuel Barroso hardening his stance against rebel legislators.


U.S. Could Recall 600,000 Dodge Trucks -CBS News

The U.S. government could demand that  DaimlerChrysler AG's Dodge recall 600,000 Durango and Dakota  four-wheel drive vehicles on concerns over their safety, CBS  News reported on Thursday.


Israeli Parliament Backs Sharon Gaza Pullout Plan

Israel's divided parliament ratified  Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan on Tuesday,  a pivotal step toward the first evacuation of settlers from  occupied territory Palestinians want for a state.


Medicare to Send Drug Discount Cards to Poor in US

The US government will send prescription drug discount cards to 1.8 million poor Medicare patients who have yet to sign up for $1,200 in savings offered over the next 14 months, officials said on Wednesday, in the wake of criticism


A committee of the House of Lords has claimed that Value Added Tax (VAT) carousel fraud is out of control.


The discount retailer goes generic and buys back shares. Will that really help?


Taliban say they downed Afghan helicopter: Web

Taliban fighters downed a NATO military helicopter which crashed in Afghanistan, the militant group said in a statement on the Internet on Thursday.


The Sonatasization of Philip Rothâs âEverymanâ

When Edward Dusinberre read Philip Rothâs  novel âEverymanâ he was struck by what he perceived as its richly musical qualities.


The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan will   begin on Sunday morning in Egypt, the most populous Arab   country, the office of the mufti said on Friday.


Islamist sites say to show capture of 3 Americans

Web sites often used by al Qaeda-linked groups said on Monday they would soon show the abduction of three Americans, apparently referring to three U.S. soldiers who went missing in Iraq last month after a clash.


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


Gunmen who held more than 30 hostages inside a Venezuelan bank for over 24 hours negotiated their getaway in an ambulance Tuesday and sped off with five captives, leaving the others inside


Roma, 18:23 - CALCIO, SPALLETTI: VORREI EVITARE IL MILAN IN CHAMPIONS

Al contrario del capitano Totti che al termine del match di Lione ha espresso il desiderio di incont...


The globe-trotting tuberculosis patient moved up his flight to Europe after health officials urged him to stay put — but the Atlanta lawyer, in defiant testimony from his hospital room Wednesday, insisted he wasn't ducking anyone.


Jackson's Lawyers Seek Trial Delay, Grouse About Prosecutors' ' ...

Michael Jackson's lawyers have requested a six-week trial delay in order to wade through the 14,000 pages of evidence filed by the prosecution in the last two months.


Crude Oil Is Little Changed in London After Three-Day Slump

Crude oil was little changed in London after a three-day slump fueled by the biggest rise in US fuel inventories in four months. Oil prices in London had fallen about $5 a barrel since


Australian detainee enters not-guilty plea

A former Australian cowboy accused of attending an al-Qaida training camp and fighting alongside the Taliban pleaded not guilty to all charges in a makeshift military courtroom yesterday.


New shareholder will take Newcastle to new dimension: former chairman

Former chairman Sir John Hall has backed Mike Ashley to take Newcastle to "a new dimension" after agreeing to sell his 41.6 percent stake in the club to the billionaire businessman.


EVANSTON, Ill. - Virginia wanted to run. Northwestern wanted to walk. The Wildcats got their wish, but the 24th-ranked Cavaliers adapted well enough to claim a hard-fought victory in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.


Rooney given Ferguson's backing as FA charge looms

WHEN they agreed to pay up to Â£30 million to sign Wayne Rooney from Everton in August, Manchester United knew that they were not only getting arguably the most talented teenager in world football


Italiane rapite, forse sono assieme agli ostaggi americani e ...

Le due volontarie italiane, Simona Pari e Simona Torretta, ''sono state rapite in Iraq da organizzazioni malavitose'' che ''potrebbero averle vendute ai membri del gruppo di al Zarqawi''. Ad affermarlo e' il


E' stato colpito alla testa con una spranga di metallo


Twenty families in a small Israeli farming community deep in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday became the first Jewish settlement to agree to move inside Israel under Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan.


JERUSALEM - An Israeli military satellite fell into the Mediterranean Sea on Monday after a botched launch from southern Israel, military officials said.    The Defense Ministry said that "an unsuccessful attempt was made to launch into orbit a remote sensing satellite."   Analysts said the satellite was designed to help expand Israel's coverage of its more distant enemies, particularly Iran...


The Madain Saleh killings were the first of foreigners since 2004 A French teenager has died of his wounds after a shooting in Saudi Arabia, raising the death toll to four.Comment


A racism watchdog calls for a Tintin adventure to be removed from the shelves of a leading bookshop.


An Indian zoologist said Monday he has found a new species of limbless lizard in a forested area in the country's east. "Preliminary scientific study reveals that the lizard belongs to the genus Sepsophis," said Sushil Kumar Dutta, who led a team of researchers from "Vasundhra," a non-governmental organization, and the North Orissa University.


Celebrex users need to consult physician

Deciding whether to take Celebrex, Pfizer's popular arthritis drug, means choosing between pain relief and the risk of heart problems and strokes, area doctors say.


Maybe it should be called the Resurrection Party of the Century.


Boston Scientific Will Invest in Developer of a Plastic Stent

Boston Scientific announced an investment in Â and strategic partnership with Â REVA Medical, which is working on a polymer successor to todayÂs metal stents that would be biodegradable in the body.


PeopleSoft's board recommends shareholders reject Oracle takeover bid

Senior executives at business software group PeopleSoft unanimously recommended that its shareholders reject a 8.8 billion dollar takeover bid from Oracle Corp, PeopleSoft said in a statement Wednesday.


A general in the Iraqi National Guard is  held by the US military over  suspected links to militants.


Italy president dissolves parliament, election near

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano  formally dissolved parliament on Wednesday, a spokesman said,  putting the country on the road to a snap election that will  most likely be held in mid-April.


President Bush would veto legislation championed by Democrats and labor groups that would make it easier to organize unions by eliminating employer rights to demand secret-ballot elections, the White House said Wednesday.


Presentato l'ordine del giorno della Margherita"C'Ã¨ una drammatica carenza di analisi"                                                  Marini: "Asteniamoci sull'Iraq E' una mossa da forza di governo"


RPI Gains $3.3M on YouTube Backing: University Was Among Dozens of Colleges That Invested Early in Revolutionary Web Site

By Larry Rulison, Albany Times Union, N.Y.  Feb. 10--TROY -- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute made a risky bet on an Internet startup, and it paid off to the tune of $3.3 million.


Spanish police have arrested eight suspected Islamic militants. Authorities say they were planning to carry out a terrorist attack in the center of the capital.


la Cdl lascia l'Aula per protesta contro senatori a vita


Torre: I was insulted by Yankees contract incentives

RYE BROOK, New York  - Joe Torre says he was insulted by the incentives attached to the New York Yankees contract offer he rejected this week, thereby ending his 12-year spell as manager.


World champion Michael Schumacher has admitted that his poor performance in the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix a fortnight ago played its part in helping him to win a sixth Japanese GP crown.


Nasce Sella Export: 20 milioni per internazionalizzazione


Microsoft said Wednesday that it did not need to buy Yahoo to gain scale in online advertising, because it had âall the piecesâ to build a successful ad business.


Los Angeles, 11:35 - PATTINAGGIO: TROVATO MORTO EX CAMPIONE BOWMAN

Il due volte campione del mondo di pattinaggio artistico, Christopher Bowman, è stato trovato...


The Commonwealth suspends Fiji's membership in protest at this week's military coup.


Republican Convention Protesters Sue NY on Arrests

Protesters and onlookers arrested  during the Republican National Convention sued New York City on  Thursday and said police had violated their free speech and  other constitutional rights.


Former Microsoft Workers Charged with Stealing Software

Four former Microsoft Corp. employees were charged with stealing $32.4 million worth of software and selling it on the side.


Envoys seek consensus at North Korea talks in China

Six-party talks to end North Korea's nuclear arms ambitions enter a third day on Friday after envoys settled on a set of tasks the United States said could be carried out this year, rather than a disarmament timetable.


Want to get some VC funds? Come up with a cool energy-storage concept like the flow battery from Deeya Energy.


Ministro, ''spostare tre miliardi direttamente alla scuola''


A man is charged with the killing of a care worker and the attempted murder of her colleague at a nursing home.


A 21st century visionary? A failed adventurer abroad? Six scholars suggest how history will judge George W. Bush's first term in office--and compare him with his predecessors


Big in Japan? Sharp shows new Blu-ray Disc recorders

Sharp has announced that it plans to switch completely to Blu-ray on all its domestic Japanese video recorders by 2011, in the continuing effort to muscle HD DVD out of the market. The company will soon launch several new Blu-ray Disc recorders in that country.


Iran Says Uranium Conversion Plant Nearly Finished

A key Iranian nuclear facility which the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has urged Tehran to shut down is nearing completion, a senior Iranian nuclear official said on Sunday.


Despite violence at the polls, Iraq completes its historic election. Now, all the stakeholders face new choices


Ferrari wants technical documents back The McLaren Formula One team has suspended one of its top engineers while it investigates allegations that the engineer had a stash of high-level technical information from rival F1 team Ferrari.â¦


An international treaty aimed at curbing tobacco sales and advertising is set to come into force.


Rebels greeted Alvaro Uribe's first inauguration as president in 2002 with an audacious mortar attack on the governing palace. But violence and crime are down sharply as Washington's closest ally in Latin America gets sworn in for a second term Monday.


9/11 victims collect $38.1 billion US in compensation

WASHINGTON - Victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have received $38.1 billion US in compensation so far from insurance companies, the US government and charities, according to a study released Monday by the Rand Institute for Civil Justice.


Former Owner of School Used by Top Athletes Is Charged

The Miami-Dade state attorneyÂs office has filed a first-degree misdemeanor charge against the former owner of a Miami correspondence school that provided fast and easy grades to top high school athletes.


Offerta dal 23 ottobre al 14 novembre a 25 euro per azione


Marco Tabini's Blog: Someone please throw Hiveminds a comma key

In response to this recent article from the Hiveminds website, Marco Tabini has a few choice words about some of the topics they cover in the article, and cover incorrectly.   Over the last few years, I've made it a point of trying to respond to at least some of the "PHP is dead"-type articles that crop up on the Net from time to time. The latest one comes from Hiveminds and reveals a complete misunderstanding of almost every point it covers.   He notes that though the article seems to be a coherent whole for why PHP is dwindling, it's "based on nothing more than a string of misinformed concepts cobbled together to give the appearance that the author knows what he or she is talking about". Marco comes back against each of the points made in the article, setting things right and eliminating some of the FUD (fear, uncertainly, and doubt) that the Hiveminds article spreads.


Israeli Minister: Arafat Expulsion Close

JERUSALEM - Yasser Arafat's expulsion is "closer than ever," the Israeli foreign minister warned in remarks broadcast Thursday, as six Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.    In the single deadliest incident, in the northern Gaza Strip, soldiers opened fire from a tank-mounted machine gun at Palestinians, killing at least three, including a 13-year-old boy, and wounding nine, Palestinian hospital officials said...


TIGER Woods will lock horns with the man who replaced him as world No. 1 when he plays his first tournament as a married man in the US PGA Tour Championship starting in Florida tomorrow.


Is the âmidlife crisisâ the newest excuse for poor behavior?


CNN, YouTube to co-sponsor presidential debate

Time Warner Inc.'s CNN and Google  Inc.'s YouTube said on Wednesday they will co-sponsor upcoming  Democratic and Republican presidential debates, enabling people  to submit questions to candidates via videos sent through the  YouTube online video community.


Volkswagen is to buy a 15% share of  truck firm MAN, as it seeks to create a three-way alliance in the industry.


EMI will have to sing its private equity financed tune.


Tempi piu' rapidi nelle nomine con il sistema informatizzato


Japanese Coke machines to accept cellphone payment

US soft-drink giant Coca-Cola said it will equip all its vending machines in Japan to accept payment through mobile telephones, an increasingly popular money option in the country.


Diffie: Privacy laws could hurt the little guy

(InfoWorld) - Whitfield Diffie has been credited with making privacy possible in the digital age. As a co-inventor of public key cryptography, he is one of the most respected contributors to the field of computer security and is in constant demand as a speaker. In his day job as Sun Microsystems' Chief Security Officer, he works out of a corner office in the Sun Labs. He's just down the hall from where scientists are working on Java-based sensors and Sun's next-generation Proximity Communication processors, which seek to do away with wire connections. Though he describes his job as a "marketing" position, Diffie doesn't sound anything like a corporate pitch man. He met with IDG News Service at his Menlo Park, California, office recently to share his thoughts on Microsoft, security, and privacy. Following is an edited transcript of that conversation. IDGNS: When the PC went on the network, there were security implications that nobody thought about. Microsoft has spent the last five years fixing all of the security problems that maybe could have been foreseen ... Diffie: Wait a minute. I think there are two issues. I think you'll find that lots of them were foreseen. I think the critical thing [is] that Microsoft showed that it's judgment was correct. If it had paid less attention to security, maybe it would have had less market share. It had no real motivation, I think, until the last few years to try to fix these things. The interesting thing to me is why it's been so hard for them to do so, because they must have half the smart people I know about in the industry, and in security, working for them. And I think it has to do with the problems of legacy code, and the legacy interface expectations of their customers. IDGNS: Nowadays we don't hear about widespread security outbreaks, but there's a sense that many of the things we do on the Internet are not trustworthy. People going to Web pages do not have confidence that they are where they think they are. Diffie: I think that's a well-placed mis-confidence. IDGNS: So, are things getting better? Diffie: Phishing is the security problem, at that level, that I hear the most about right now. But I certainly don't worry about the security arrangements of going to Americanexpress.com, where I probably make the single largest most routine money transfer that I initiate. I'm not the least bit worried about that, partly because of the law, and partly because the essential point of SSL [Secure Sockets Layer -- a standard used in secure Web connections] is not about the quality of the cryptography -- about which there's often some doubt - but about the fact that the certificate costs enough money that the thieves aren't putting up a front. It's hard for me to believe that [the Internet] is getting relatively more secure. The growth of communications has steadily outrun the protection of communications over the whole history of human communication. Now I conjecture that the expansion of networked communications and of society's dependence on network communications is outrunning the security of that network and will continue to do so for quite some time. So the consequence of believing that is [believing] we're becoming more vulnerable, although to what events, it is hard to say. IDGNS: I think that ties into an interesting point you made earlier: This lack of security is a fair price to pay for growth. Diffie: Look at the biggest claim of theft against Microsoft that's been made in the last 10 years. It has 99 percent penetration in the Chinese market and 1 percent payment in the Chinese market. The business asset to them of being able to claim that they were ripped off at the same time that they gained this market of 1 billion people is fantastic. Security is always political. That is to say, it always advantages somebody and disadvantages somebody else. IDGNS: What are your current thoughts on privacy? Diffie: I believe in privacy, but privacy is just one of a number of considerations. Privacy of political conversation is essential for a democratic society. Is the privacy of information about yourself necessary for it? That's not very clear. It's a very squishy concept. In small communities you have very little privacy, but you have accountability, because you know who the members of the community are. What bothers me is that information about people is so readily available in a way not auditable to them, to organizations like ChoicePoint, who broker it around and enable other people, who are not legally constrained in what they do with it, to make decisions based on it. I am, on balance, more pleased with the fact that I can learn lots of information about people in minutes by using the Web than I am concerned about the fact that people can learn lots of information about me that way. And I would not like to see laws that restrict people's ability to go investigate things. Here's my scenario: For all its current faults, it won't be 10 years before facial recognition gets incredibly good. And it will be a PC thing, not a big money thing. So everybody's camera will be saying 'Hi" to the people who go by. Putting a camera right where you sign your signature with your credit card enables any store to build up a database of its customers. So if they see you coming down the street they can change the display in the window. But then that's going to produce all these databases of information about people. Very small operations will be able to collect information. Would I like to see that outlawed? I doubt it. I think what outlawing it would be saying [is] that certain classes of big boys -- the Fortune 1,000, the secret police -- would be allowed to have access to such information, but you little irresponsible children won't be. So I have a cowboy viewpoint on this.


New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power.


US drug giant halts Celebrex advertising

Drug giant Pfizer is to stop advertising its best-selling arthritis pain reliever Celebrex after a study showed high doses of it were associated with an increased heart attack risk.


Tripler to resume flu shots for high-risk individuals

Tripler Army Medical Center has received enough vaccine to resume flu shots for high-risk military personnel and their dependents and is offering clinics for children and adults this month, officials said yesterday.


Columbine Survivor Is a Fallujah Fatality

Greg Rund survived massacre at Columbine High School but was killed by small-arms fire from Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah.


Empoli, 18:47 - CALCIO, EMPOLI; MALESANI: NON SAREMO BRILLANTI COME CON JUVE

Alberto Malesani commenta il derby di domani a Livorno e annuncia che tatticamente il suo Empoli sar...


In Florida, the Campaigning Just Has to Wait

Hurricanes have crippled the campaign season in Florida, and candidates are only now starting to make up for lost time.


Il presidente della Federal Reserve si mostra fiducioso sulle prospettive del PaeseIn un'audizione al Senato, spiega: "L'inflazione dovrebbe moderare"                                          Fed, Bernanke: "L'economia Usa riprenderÃ  quota entro il 2008"                                                                                Oggi due dati positivi sull'economia statunitense: calano le domande di sussidie per la prima volta in sei anni si riduce il deficit commerciale (-6,9% a dicembre)


This coming week could mark the beginning of a brave new world for individual investors as the New York Stock Exchange and Euronext NV move closer to forming the first trans-Atlantic stock market.


Memory makers face jail for price fixing

THREE German executives and an American with microchip giant Infineon Technologies face jail terms and fines under plea agreements to settle a US probe into price-fixing, according to the Justice Department.


Some psoriasis linked to higher death rates: study

People who suffer from severe psoriasis die younger than people with mild cases or without the disease, for reasons that are unclear, researchers said on Monday.


A first RAF aid plane has delivered 50 tonnes of supplies to Indonesia, the country worst hit by the Asian tsunami.


Actor Christopher Reeve, left, who plays Superman, and co-star, comedian Richard Pryor arrive for the black-tie supper and dance celebrating the New York premiere of "Superman III" at the Pierre Hotel, in this June 15, 1983 file photo.


Scrub down and spruce up Deutsche Messe AG yesterday outlined the restructuring of its CeBIT 2008 trade fair in Hanover, which next year will focus more on B2B and less on novelties.â¦


L'incidente sulla Creta Verde, vicino a Monte Croce Carnico


Prime minister refuses to be drawn on speculation about an autumn poll.


When the Santy.a worm started spreading on Tuesday, Mikko Hypponen knew he had a way to stop the worm in its tracks. The only problem: He had trouble finding the right people to talk to at search giant Google.


NAJAF, Iraq - Followers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Friday they were prepared to hand control of the revered Imam Ali Shrine to top Shiite religious authorities, and Iraq's interim prime minister said he would not storm the holy site.    The moves came after a day and night of fighting in Najaf that killed 77 people and wounded 70 others, as al-Sadr militiamen mortared a police station and U.S...


Much of the stuff that comes out of Hong Kong-based Brando ranges from the curious to the bizarre, but every once in awhile there's something that tickles our fancy. From Crave, CNET's gadgets blog.


Daschle, Democratic Leader in Senate and Washington Fixture, Is ...

Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader of the Senate and a fixture of South Dakota politics for more than a quarter century, lost his seat Tuesday


Marty Turco stopped 25 shots for his 26th career shutout and Mike Modano scored a power-play goal before leaving with an injury in the Dallas Stars' 1-0 victory that ended San Jose's season-high five-game winning streak.


Microsoft to Judges: Eolas Didn't Invent Patented Tech

An appeals court should throw out a half-billion-dollar patent infringement judgment against Microsoft because a lower court failed to recognize that the Web browsing patent was based on a technology that was not invented by the company awarded the money


Schwarzenegger OKs chemical exposure research

SACRAMENTO, California  - California will become the first U.S. state to try to measure how its residents are absorbing chemicals from common products under a "bio-monitoring" bill signed on Friday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.


Amazon.com has reported fourth quarter sales of $3.99 billion, up significantly on the $2.98 billion it achieved a year previously. Although revenue growth continues to be fast despite Amazon's large size and relative maturity, profits are a different story.


Renault bring in Finn Heikki Kovalainen to replace reigning world champion Fernando Alonso for the 2007 season.


Middlesbrough celebrated the biggest night in their history in terrific style, outplaying and outclassing their famous visitors to take the early lead in Group E. Two goals from Bolo Zenden


Iraqi officials say at least 12 people were killed and 16 wounded in more incidents of violence across the country Wednesday. They say 10 people were killed and six wounded in an exchange of gunfire between


Britain's Brown renews calls for Middle East peace

British finance minister Gordon Brown renewed calls for a lasting peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution.


Hungary PM says will not give in to blackmail

Hungary's government will not allow  itself to be blackmailed by opposition street protests, Prime  Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Tuesday.


Doping, ricomincia la bufera Sei positivi tra AeB

ROMA - Nuova bufera doping nel calcio italiano. Sei giocatori sono stati trovati positivi nel calcio e tutti per la stessa sostanza, il betametasone. Tra loro anche il centrocampista della Reggina Santos Mozart


Hurricane Jeanne Hits Florida, Then Slows to a Tropical Storm

With Hurricane Jeanne being downgraded to a tropical storm this afternoon, Gov. Jeb Bush remarked that in the last six weeks, as four


Wikinews And The Growing Wikimedia Empire

After almost two months of deliberation and voting, the Wikimedia Foundation has now officially launched the Wikinews project in English and German editions. More languages will follow soon. Wikinews aims to be to news media what Wikipedia is to encyclopedias: a free, comprehensive and, eventually, reliable source of information, collaboratively created by volunteers around the planet.  Wikinews explicitly allows original reporting, making it somewhat similar to Indymedia, while adhering to a strict Neutral Point of View policy.    Read on to find out what the Wikimedia community has accomplished so far, what challenges it faces, and how Wikinews can become successful.


PARIS: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is gravely ill but alive and there is no question of switching off life-support equipment, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said on Tuesday, dismissing reports of his death.


Stealing signals isn't just a sign of the times

He was the George Washington of the NFL, the father of the league, but George Halas could tell a lie. In fact, the coach and owner of the Chicago Bears, it seems, told many.


Home Depot Says 2007 Profit Will Suffer in Housing Slump

Home Depot said it would invest $2.2 billion in the company this year, even though it expects a housing slump to lower earnings and curb sales growth.


Ringo Starr is known for being the amiable Beatle, but the rock star showed his tough side Tuesday when he walked off the set of "Live With Regis and Kelly" rather than cut short one of his songs.


Despite an agreement for a Palestinian unity government, the question of who gets to run internal security is still a stumbling block


Mike Weir plods along and hangs onto lead at Bell Canadian Open

OAKVILLE, Ont. (CP) - Mike Weir's wedge cut through the bushy rough and caught the ball perfectly, sending it briefly into the air before it rolled into the heart of the cup.


The man heading Paraguay's response to a dengue fever crisis is fired over the use of expired fumigation chemicals.


AUSTRALIAN airline Qantas has upped its prices for the second time in three months, blaming rising oil prices, while budget airline Ryanair insists it will not impose fuel surcharges on customers.


U.S. Air Strikes Target Militants in Falluja

FALLUJA, Iraq  - U.S. aircraft launched new air  strikes in the rebel-held city of Falluja on Saturday aimed at  killing supporters of a Jordanian militant who has led a  campaign of suicide bombings and kidnappings in Iraq.


ADV: Distance Learning Directory - Online Degrees

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


Scioperano i controllori, centinaia di voli a terra

Gli aerei restano fermi in pista oggi per 4 ore a causa di uno sciopero dei controllori del traffico aereo che incrociano le braccia dalle 12 alle 16 per protestare contro il progetto di costituzione di un unico centro di controllo per i servizi al


A British couple die in a helicopter crash hours after they marry in Spain, the Foreign Office confirms.


Some of the world's most prominent diplomats are in Kenya trying to prevent an all-out ethnic war from plunging east Africa's most important economy into chaos


CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Shares of Barclays PLC rose more than 4 percent yesterday after an investment analyst advised clients that Bank of America Corp. may be interested in bidding for the London-based banking company.


Two men have been charged with the murder of a former British boxing champion, who was shot after a smoking row in a London bar.


Republican Sen. John McCain's standoff with the White House over treatment of detainees — an issue the former POW knows intimately well — threatens to exacerbate his already contentious relationship with conservatives.


The Spanish Football Federation have been fined 100,000 Swiss francs (Â£44,750) by Fifa for the racist chanting at the friendlies involving England last month.


Google's PC search software is vulnerable to a variation on a little-known Web-based attack called anti-DNS (Domain Name System) pinning, that could give an attacker access to any data indexed by Google Desktop, security researchers said this week.


Woman murdered after answering Craigslist ad

24-year-old sought babysitting job A Minnesota woman was killed after answering a nanny job advertised on Craigslist. It is the first murder on the site, which offers free classified ads hawking just about anything you can imagine.â¦


CollinsÂ´ profile lifted with intelligence bill negotiations

The overwhelming congressional approval of sweeping reforms to the countryÂ´s intelligence gathering has marked a significant victory for MaineÂ´s Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who led negotiations surrounding the legislation.


Fed: banks must improve hedge fund risk management

The rapid growth of hedge funds could pose risks to financial stability if market participants fail to strengthen risk management practices, Federal Reserve Board Governor Kevin Warsh said on Wednesday.


The US president is to ask Congress for an extra $82bn to pay for military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Riding Sri Lanka's A9, a passage between two worlds

The bus from Anuradhapura to Vavuniya sits empty in the weak dawn sunlight, until Kapila Hemantha boards. Slender, smiling


Thatcher fights questions by Equatorial Guinea on coup plot

Mark Thatcher and his lawyers fought a call to answer questions on his alleged role in a coup plot in Equatorial Guinea, saying any trial in the oil-rich west African state would amount to a "military tribunal."


Israel Says It Will Be Willing to Co-Ordinate Gaza Withdrawal

Palestinian leaders reacted cautiously to remarks by the Foreign Ministryâs spokesman and argued that Israel should âunconditionallyâ re-open peace talks under the US backed road map plan.


A Slimmed-Down Smartphone Thatâs Not a Lightweight

Like Hollywood starlets, smartphones are becoming thinner and thinner. The Palm Treo 755p is less than an inch thick and has a 320-pixel-square color touch screen.


UK's Blair bids emotional farewell to party

British Prime Minister Tony Blair   urged his party in an emotional farewell speech on Tuesday to   put aside squabbles over who succeeds him and focus on winning   Britain's next election.


Links to the week's topics from search engine forums across the Web: Redesign Top 10 Do's Don'ts; How Much Text Is Needed?; Will Google Penalize You for Linking to Non-related Sites? and more.


Israel stole private land for settlements: report

Almost 40 percent of land held by Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank is privately owned by Palestinians, a left-wing Israeli group that monitors and opposes settlement-building said in a new report on Tuesday.


Ichiro Suzuki out of lineup with dizziness

Ichiro Suzuki did not sustain a concussion when he was hit in the head by a pitch, but the Seattle Mariners' star still felt slightly dizzy Thursday and was held out of the lineup against Kansas City.


A late Ronaldinho penalty earned Primera DivisiÃ³n leaders FC Barcelona a point at home to champions Valencia CF, enabling Real Madrid CF to close the gap at the top thanks to Zinedine Zidane's last-gasp winner at Real Racing Club Santander.


South African President Thabo Mbeki is in travels to the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, for mediation talks.


Federal regulators on Wednesday proposed a $220,000 indecency fine against the owner of two Kansas radio stations for broadcasting a "Naked Twister" game with local strippers and graphic interviews with porn stars.


Bush Surveys Hurricane Damage in Florida

President Bush told shell-shocked survivors of Hurricane Ivan on Sunday that "we're praying for you" as he made his third campaign-season trip to Florida and his first to Alabama to assess storm damage.


COMMENT: Price controls will reduce pharmaceutical innovation

A chicken in every pot. More open space and more affordable housing. The benefits of free trade without outsourcing. More manna from Washington, to be financed by that other guy behind the tree.


Chelsea skipper dreams of being England coach

England and Chelsea captain John Terry has said he would one day like to become the country's international manager.


ARLINGTON Coach: Dan Hirsch (second year). Last year's record: 5-5. Playing surface : Artificial turf. Football website: arlington.k12.ma.us/home Returning starters (7): Jimmy Roche, S, 6-3, 190, Sr.; Andrew Roussinos, LB, 5-9, 185, Sr.; Matt Duggan, DE, 6-2, 195, Sr.; Dan Downing, G/DT, 6-2, 225, Sr.; Brian Flynn, C/DT, 6-1, 225, Jr.; Blake Yee, G/DT, 5-10, 220, Jr.; Colin Willey, S, ...


Among Firefighters, Giuliani Is Hailed and Hated

Some New York firefighters resent the way the former mayor treated the department before and after Sept. 11.


Roddick and Blake Pull Out Victories for U.S. in Davis Cup

Clay has never been the favorite surface for the United States in Davis Cup play, but the American pair pulled out a win as they tried to defend their title.


Aica-Confindustria, buoni risultati per citta'd'arte


China raises interest rates in a move to dampen inflation and stop the economy overheating.


Solid-state drives may replace hard drives as future storage devices on computers, but not until their price plummets. Alienware has SSDs and other cool hardware on its latest PCs, the Area-51 ALX and Aurora ALX desktops, but its prices rise with the SSDs. Innovation is also the appeal of Plantronics' Calisto Pro Series, a sophisticated hands-free telephone system that merges wired, wireless, and online communications into one system. Moving to the kitschy, Saitek allows users to personalize PC scrolling by inserting a printed picture on a mouse top.The future of PC storageAlienware provides a glimpse of future PC storage with its Area-51 ALX and Aurora ALX desktop PCs, which come with 64GB SSDs (solid-state drives).Boot and program load times are quicker with SSDs and they are more reliable, Alienware says. They also consume less power than hard drives, the company says.However, SSDs are expensive. An SSD-free Aurora ALX system with Windows Vista Ultimate, running Advanced Micro Devices's Athlon 64 X2 6000 64-bit processor, a Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card, 2GB of memory, a Logitech gaming keyboard, and a 320GB hard drive costs $4,099. The price jumps to $5,799 when the hard drive is replaced with two 64GB SSDs.Hard drives provide more storage capabilities than SSDs, so it's smart to hold off until SSDs become competitive on price and storage capacity.Both PCs are available at Alienware's Web site.AAA to the rescue, againThere may be a Chinese restaurant a few blocks away, but is it good? AAA Mobile's GPS-based travel guide for mobile phones not only provides directions to the restaurant, but also shows how it rates. The ratings feature gives it a leg up over GPS services that provide only locations and directions.The service also gives hotel ratings and point of interests recommended by the AAA service. That is helpful for tourists and pedestrians wiggling around big cities in search of places to eat and sleep. Users can bookmark the locations.The 100,000 listings provided by the service may be tiny, but it could start a trend of more GPS systems adding recommendations and ratings.It works only on mobile phones in the United States with Verizon Wireless's service and is available for $9.99 a month.Make the mouse your ownInnovation on mice hasn't hit a wall -- Saitek's Photo Mouse lets people customize the top of a mouse with printed pictures, making it fun to use. A hatch on the top of the mouse opens up, where a picture can be inserted. The idea is to personalize a mouse, said Mark Starrett, Saitek's director of marketing, in a statement. But then pictures of loved ones can be placed on a mousepad or as PC wallpaper too, so pick your choice. The kitschy $19.95 wired optical mouse works with Windows and Mac systems.Converged communicationsPlantronics' Calisto Pro Series is a hands-free telephone system that combines wired, wireless, and online communications into one unit. The system can take landline, mobile phone or VoIP calls either through a wireless handset or Bluetooth headset.A desk-based base station houses and recharges the wireless handset and a Bluetooth headset. The handset operates at a range of up to 300 feet (91 meters), according to Plantronics. Users can also download up to 200 Microsoft Outlook contacts from a PC to the handset.A Bluetooth headset not only takes calls from landlines, it also directly connects to a Bluetooth-compatible mobile phones. A PC connects to the base station through a USB port to accept VoIP calls.Despite a clunky base station, Calisto Pro is a productive device to have for multiple forms of communication. It became available in the United States in September for $279.95.


Stocks soar as Fed makes bold rate decision

Stocks jumped the most in four years on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates and raised hopes the economy could ride out a prolonged housing slump and turmoil in the credit market.


(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of Thomson CenterWatch:


Indonesian police say they have captured the head of the Islamist group blamed for the 2002 Bali bombs.


China Promotes Another Boom: Nuclear Power

China plans to build reactors on a scale and pace comparable to the peak of the United States' nuclear energy push in the 1970's.


Hollywood's "Nativity" in world premiere at Vatican

"The Nativity Story," a Hollywood  movie of the story of Mary and Joseph before the birth of  Jesus, had its world premiere at the Vatican on Sunday and won  strong praise from the man known as the "deputy pope."


SOUTH KOREAN CHRISTIANS: 23 South Korean Christian aid workers are taken hostage while traveling by bus from Kabul to Kandahar on July 19. Two of the hostages were shot and two women were freed. The Taliban agree to free the remaining 19 in exchange for a promise from South Korea to end missionary work in Afghanistan and withdraw its troops from the country by the end of the year, as previously planned.


The close presidential race nudged even closer in the latest ABC News tracking poll, with 49 percent of likely voters favoring George W. Bush and 48 percent for John Kerry - a


Medioriente: Barghuti si candida alle elezioni dell'Anp

GERUSALEMME - Marwan Barghuti sfidera' Abu Mazen alle elezioni presidenziali palestinesi, in programma il prossimo 9 gennaio. Lo riferisce il quotidiano israeliano Maariv. Il capo di al-Fatah in Cisgiordania


Dollar Struggles, Hits Record Low Vs Euro

The dollar struggled to keep above a record low against the euro and its lowest in nearly five years against the yen on Friday in a holiday-thinned market.


UK Can't Hold Terror Suspects Indefinitely

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, left, takes the arm of Home Secretary David Blunkett, with his seeing eye dog, Sadie, in Sheffield, England, in this Thursday, Dec. 9 2004, file photo.


Editors: Shlomo Reifman and Samantha N. Wong Researchers: Joshua Brandt, Fei Mei Chan,  Andrew T. Gillies, Soo Jeong, Edward Knudsen,  Artie Kwok, John Ray and Jody Yen Programmer: Carl Subick


Dato primo trimestre supera la previsione degli economisti


Footy fans to get pushed advertising Footy fans at a number of clubs will soon be able to enjoy adverts downloaded direct to their mobile phones over a Bluetooth connection, courtesy of promotional company Bluepod.â¦


Tick, tock, tick, tock. For 3,600 seconds Tuesday, reclusive Colts receiver Marvin Harrison sat patiently and fielded questions he wouldn't think of availing himself for on a normal day. But this is the Super Bowl, and this was media day. And only under auspices as grand as these would one of the NFL's best receivers consent to talk.


The portal giant rounds out its online music offerings and gets a backdoor to the desktop.


US Airways and its pilots' union reached a tentative agreement yesterday on $300 million in annual wage and benefit cuts, after weeks of debate inside the union over whether to grant concessions to the troubled airline.


Stress linked to forgetfulness, researchers find

How many people have gotten home after a blindingly stressful day and realize they have forgotten some important event or errand? Well


Stressed Singaporeans crack down on thieving monkeys

With monitor lizards, snakes, and bats prowling their parks, residents of tropical Singapore are no strangers to the occasional animal ambush.


Even more worried than Americans One in five (22 per cent) European businesses expect to have to cope with "major data loss" of some sort annually over the next five years compared to 10 per cent of their US counterparts.â¦


US Probes Errant Bombing on House in North Iraq

The U.S. military pressed an  investigation on Sunday after a warplane bombed the wrong house  in northern Iraq, inflicting a heavy civilian death toll and  fueling anti-American anger three weeks before an election.


Indonesia Quake Sparks Fatal Tidal Waves

Foreign tourists from Phi Phi Islands arrive in Phuket, December 26, 2004 after the area was hit by a devastating tsunami. One of the most powerful earthquakes in history hit Asia on Sunday, unleashing a tsunami


Murdoch says Sacha Baron Cohen signs for "Borat 2"

British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has signed a deal to make "Borat 2," a sequel to the hit film about a boorish Kazakh journalist on a road trip across America, News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch said on Thursday.


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


Vatican returns 'Lady of Kazan' to Russia

MOSCOW: The Vatican returned a much-venerated icon to the Russian Orthodox Church yesterday in a symbolic gesture by Pope John Paul aimed at easing strained Orthodox-Roman Catholic relations.


AMERICA/BRASILE - XXVI Incontro Carismatico Cattolico Latino-Americano per commemorare il 40Â° anniversario della nascita del Rinnovamento Carismatico Cattolico: un momento per ascoltare  Dio, dare testimonianza ed elevare preghiere al Signore SÃ£o Paulo (Agenzia Fides) - Si celebra dal 24 al 28 luglio il XXVI Incontro Carismatico Cattolico Latino-americano nella sede della ComunitÃ  di CanÃ§Ã£o Nova, a Cachoeira Paulista (SP). Questo Congresso Ã¨ il maggiore evento promosso dal Rinnovamento Ca...


Friendly fire kills NATO soldier in Afghanistan

One NATO soldier was killed by friendly   fire and several were wounded on Monday during a major   offensive to crush a resurgent Taliban in southern Afghanistan.


Teamsters Offer Plan to Reshape Labor Future

The Teamsters union heated up the debate over reshaping the labor movement yesterday by proposing to slash the AFL-CIO's budget and finance a four-year campaign of political and union


Two positive drug tests and Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi playing as if they were on tranquilisers. India had a nightmare day at the Olympics today.


Toymaker Playskool and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall Friday of about 255,000 of its "Team Talkin' Tool Bench" toys following the deaths of two young children.


Quick Take: Barclays Plays the China Card

China Development Bank and Temasek help with Barclays' bid for ABN.


Video Game Industry Seeks Political Clout

The video game industry intends to establish a political action committee to donate money to game-friendly politicians and candidates.


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Cuba enjoys publicity from Moore's "SiCKO"

Michael Moore's new documentary film "SiCKO" has given Cuba's free health system its best publicity since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, a Cuban doctor who hosted the filmmaker's visit said on Monday.


2 December 2004 -- The European Union began its largest military operation today, formally taking over NATO's peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina with 7,000 troops.


Darfur rebels call assembly ahead of peace talks

A Darfur rebel group said on Sunday it was planning an assembly of fighters, supporters and displaced families to work out demands ahead of peace talks with Khartoum set for October.


A glimpse of SpaceShipOne's historic flights

SpaceShipOne on Monday captured the $10 million Ansari X prize when it made a second flight in less than a week to the edge of space.


Pentagon assesses China's military power

China is devoting more resources to its military and the Pentagon wants Beijing to be more open about its intentions.


Fatal shooting of rebel in Fallujah mosque investigated

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The US military said Tuesday it is investigating the videotaped fatal shooting of a wounded man by a US Marine in a mosque in Fallujah.


An English hospital suspends its plan to halt treatment of Welsh patients waiting more than three months.


As this country's largest political party holds its general assembly and party elections in the cavernous convention hall of the Putra World Trade Center, challenges on the


Nadal, Roddick make light work of Australian Open rivals

Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick powered into the third round of the Australian Open with straight set victories on  Wednesday on their way to a potential quarter-final showdown.


London - A decision on whether Liverpool and Everton move to a new shared stadium could be made by the end of this month, British sports minister Richard Caborn announced after talks with both clubs on Wednesday.


SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - His recovery was slowed because of an infection, but a man who once weighed half a ton may soon leave a hospital after losing more than 450 pounds.  Patrick Deuel, 42, is scheduled to go home to Valentine, Neb., on Jan. 22.


Court dismisses Broadcom suit against Qualcomm

A U.S. district court has dismissed an   antitrust suit filed by microchip maker Broadcom Corp. BRCM.O   against Qualcomm Inc. QCOM.O, although Broadcom said it would   continue to pursue the case.


Zurich, Switzerland - England and Manchester United teenage sensation Wayne Rooney has made it on to the shortlist for Fifa's 2004 Player of the Year award.


AT&T to Cut 7,000 Jobs and Reduce Assets by $11.4 Billion

The new measures are due to AT&T's retreat from selling services to consumers, the company said today.


Trucks carrying aid rolled into Karachi after violent storms and flooding killed at least 228 people in the southern Pakistani port city, officials said.


Arcelor to buy Russian steelmaker in bid to thwart Mittal takeover

European steelmaker Arcelor said it would buy Russian company Severstal in a 12-billion-euro (15.3-billion-dollar) deal that according to analysts could thwart a hostile raid by Mittal Steel.


THE Tories last night claimed that ministers had "let the cat out of the bag" after reports that the government was considering slapping a 50% inheritance tax on Britain's super-rich during a third term in government.


Cricket's TV rights dispute has reared its ugly head again, renewing fears that Australia's tour of India will have to be cancelled.


Four years ago in Barcelona, when Spain won the Davis Cup for the first time, Carlos MoyÃ¡ cut a rather sad and slightly dejected figure, an outsider who was forced to watch from the periphery because of an injured back.


Bush tells Musharraf he will focus on Mideast issue

US President George W. Bush told visiting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf he would make the creation of a Palestinian state a central priority of his second term in office.


GNOME: We have feature parity with Windows

An upgraded GNOME desktop environment for Linux and Unix is due for release this Wednesday, with its authors pitching enhanced features for end-users and a commitment to make hardware "just work".


Group including Amazon, Google, and TiVO lobbies for a national broadband policy that would provide affordable access for all.


A group of foreign tourists, mostly from France, reportedly go missing in a remote part of Ethiopia.


McCartney, estranged wife in initial divorce hearings

Beatles legend Paul McCartney appeared cheerful Thursday as he attended court for a preliminary divorce hearing with estranged wife Heather, reportedly seeking a multi-million pound settlement.


L'interista va in prestito ai granata. Il brasiliano accetta gli emiliani:contratto di tre anni. Caserta al Palermo. E Nonda finisce al Galatasaray                                            Calciomercato, alle 19 si chiude Recoba a Torino, Adailton a Bologna


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Sleep deprived doctors commit more serious errors

In the USA a new study has found that trainee doctors who work long hours make more mistakes in their work than doctors who sleep properly.


Martha Stewart released a statement today saying she is headed to a federal prison Alderson, W.Va., to serve her five-month sentence.


Microsoft squeezes out early release of 2007 Office SP1

Don't mention the word open, ok Microsoft pumped out its service pack 1 (SP1) for the 2007 Office suite yesterday, which it said should cheer up customers unhappy with the number of system failures in the previous release.â¦


OPEC's Purnomo Says Demand, Not Speculators, Driving Oil Market

OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro said oil prices are now being driven by fundamental factors rather than speculators. Hedge funds and other large speculators last week cut their bets


Capacity at Japanese plant to increase 7.5% to meet demand from digital camera, cell phone makers. TOKYO  - Toshiba Corp.


Drammaturgo Tom Green al centro di critiche per il titolo


Corporate computing software giant Computer Associates International Inc. said yesterday it will pay $430 million in cash to acquire Waltham data security firm Netegrity Inc.


The General Synod of the Church of England is to discuss a move to allow the sacking of incompetent or lazy priests.


Paris Hilton found herself somewhere she never thought she'd be: Harvard. "Harvard is hot!" the 26-year-old celebrity heiress said Wednesday as she picked up the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine's "Woman of the Year" award in front of the Lampoon castle.


FDA Panel Weighs Pain Drugs' Benefits, Risks

GAITHERSBURG, Md.  - U.S. scientific advisers  began hearing evidence on Wednesday about the benefits and  risks of pain killers taken by millions of Americans as  regulators weigh moves following Merck & Co. Inc.'s recall of  its arthritis pill Vioxx.


Sir Nicholas Stern, author of a major report on the economic impact of global warming, said the latest review of the scientific evidence by United Nations experts had demolished the chief argument of so-called ...Comment


SANTIAGO, NOVEMBER 21: US President George W. Bush increased the administrationâs pressure on Iran on Saturday, saying that there were indications that the country was speeding forward in the production of a key ingredient for nuclear weapons fuel, a


FCC will Again Test TV 'White Spaces' for Broadband Use

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin new testing this week to determine if the unused portions of television transmissions can be used for high-speed wireless Net transmissions.


Clinton Won Easily, but Bankroll Shows the Toll

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spent more on her re-election than any other candidate for Senate this year.


Michele Lehto left her 11-year-old son's side yesterday and, with her hand covering her mouth, walked alone toward her husband's coffin.


Aveva 89 anni, da tempo combatteva con il cancro


Tracing Internet pharmacy co-signing a Sherlock Holmes job for ...

It will take more than tough talk from politicians or changes to federal law to catch Canadian doctors who co-sign Internet pharmacy prescriptions, say medical and pharmacy watchdogs.


Sony Launches MP3 Walkmans to Counter IPod

Sony Corp 6758.T launched its first MP3-compatible flash memory digital music players under the Walkman name on Monday in the latest bid to reclaim the lead in a market it has lost to Apple Computer's iPod.


In altri paesi non si e' avuta la stessa crescita


Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has pardoned the victim of a gang-rape, whose sentencing to 200 lashes caused an international outcry, a Saudi newspaper said on Monday.


Bush recognizes Kosovo, says will bring peace

President George W. Bush recognized on Tuesday the independence of Kosovo from Serbia and said it would bring peace to the Balkans.


Francis Set to Return, but Where Will He Fit?

Steve Francisâs return on Saturday would make him the No. 3 guard, behind Stephon Marbury, who has been dealing with knee problems, and Jamal Crawford.


What's Green for Wal-Mart is Green for America

Scorecards for consumer electronics makers The Greening of Wal-Mart, America's least popular popular retailer, continues apace. This time it is putting the squeeze on consumer electronics suppliers, with a scorecard to assess the "sustainability of their products".â¦


Law enforcement officers searched an opposition group's office in Moscow, an activist said.


Perugia, 13:09 - CALCIO, PERUGIA: DOMANI DECISIONE SU CURI

Solo domani si saprà se il Perugia potrà aprire le porte del Curi agli abbonati in occ...


Laci Peterson's mother took the stand Tuesday in the penalty phase of Scott Peterson's murder trial, rising out of her seat and screaming at her former son-in-law: "She wanted to be a mother. That was taken away from her."


Pull over, show your index finger Ten police forces in England and Wales are to test handheld fingerprint checking devices on the roadside.â¦


South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia, arrested twice in recent weeks, will not participate in the Gamecocks' upcoming spring practice.


Alpine Skiing: Finland's Poutiainen Wins Giant Slalom

Finland's Tanja Poutiainen took the first giant slalom World Cup win of her career Friday and dashed Anja Paerson's hopes of a triple success this weekend.


Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is due in London to hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.


The top anti-spyware products are reviewed at Adware Report. In-depth, side-by-side comparisons of popular spyware removal applications help you find the software that's right for you.


The FTSE 100 closed in the red, hurt by a mixed performance on Wall Street and a decline in heavyweight energy stocks, though a rally in telcos and beverages did offset some weakness, dealers said.


AT the rate Chelsea are picking up the points in the Premiership, manager Jose Mourinho's bold prediction of securing the title with two matches to spare inches closer to reality.


If Serena Williams, an aspiring actress who also plays tennis, is ever cast as Lady Macbeth, she may rework one of Shakespeare's more familiar lines by declaring, "Out, damned match points!"


Ponders withdrawing support for non-stickered product


(CBS/AP) The Justice Department has reached agreement with a US citizen held as an enemy combatant for more than two years, clearing the way for him to be sent to Saudi Arabia, officials said Wednesday.


Russians React to Putin's Anti-Terror Power Play

Description: Russian President Vladimir Putin recently made sweeping political changes to consolidate his power in the name of a more effective anti-terrorism strategy.


DENVER BRONCOS ODDS REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR SUPERBOWL

Denver Broncos suffered a small setback on Monday Night Football when they were utterly outplayed by Cincinnati Bengals. The AFC West division leaders dropped to 5-2, although remain unchanged in the Superbowl


Pope shares fears of violence in Iraq, Sudan

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II expressed "great apprehension" about the war in Iraq and other world hot spots, as he delivered his annual Christmas Day message to thousands of followers in Rome's St Peter's Square.


Anna Nicole Smith's last film due in May

The last movie made by stripper-turned-celebrity Anna Nicole Smith, a sci-fi comedy titled "Illegal Aliens," will be released on DVD in May, its distributor said on Tuesday.


It was very much unlike John Fox, normally a steady and conservative coach: a trick play that cost the Carolina Panthers a seemingly safe one-touchdown lead and, eventually, a game in Minnesota.


Hip-Hoppers OutKast Lead MTV Award Nominations

Hip-hop duo OutKast led the field on  Wednesday when nominations were announced for next month's MTV  Europe awards in Rome.


The Spanish government agreed Friday to contribute up to 1,100 troops to the strengthened U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon and lead one of its multinational brigades.


U.N. Anti-Terror Head Wants More Intelligence Sharing

The U.N.'s counterterrorism body said Wednesday countries may be reluctant to show it all their intelligence but that was the only way the United Nations could help prevent future terror attacks.


BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. said Tuesday it was recalling packages of fresh mushrooms after it a routine inspection revealed the possible presence of the deadly bacteria E. coli.


AFC Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq: AFCE) has filed a lawsuit against Arthur Andersen LLP, two of its former partners and a former audit manager charging that the defendants violated generally accepted auditing


File-Spoofing Anti-Piracy Firm Expands in Europe

Overpeer, an anti-piracy technology firm best known for flooding Internet file-sharing networks with bogus music and movie files, is expanding into Europe, the company said on Wednesday.


Acapulco, 11:04 - TENNIS, ATP ACAPULCO: FINALE MOYA-CHELA

Lo spagnolo Carlos Moya e l'argentino Juan Ignacio Chela sono i finalisti del torneo Atp di Acapulco...


Those who know the Florida Gators' new football coach say he's the type of person who will unite fans, boosters and alumni, pointing his compass toward national prominence.


Japanese carmakers ride new vehicles to big gains

Toyota, Honda and Nissan rode a slew of new products to double-digit gains in October, while General Motors and Ford, the nation's two largest automakers, said demand for new vehicles


Israel leaves south Lebanon in formal end to incursion

MARWAHEEN, Lebanon -- The Israeli army abandoned almost all of its positions in Lebanon early yesterday, a key step toward fulfilling a major condition of the truce that ended a month- long war against Hezbollah.


Anu Malik to perform at MTV Lycra awards

Anu Malik will be performing live at the MTV Lycra awards to be held this year.


Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that the mission of private security contractors guarding individuals in Iraq is fundamentally at odds with the broader U.S. military objective of stabilizing Iraq, and that changes would be required to reconcile them.


Fundraisers in Wales step up efforts to help victims of the Asia disaster as survivors reflect on its impact.


Dutch filmmaker, known for criticism of Islam, murdered

Two years after the killing of highly popular anti-immigration populist Pim Fortuyn, Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh is thought to have died a politically motivated death.


World Business Briefing: Britain: Layoffs at Kellogg

The Kellogg Company said that it would cut about 220 jobs at its factory in Manchester, England, to counter rising expenses for fuel and commodities. Eliminating the hourly and salaried positions will cost $60 million, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The jobs will be eliminated through severance and voluntary retirement, Kellogg said. The chief financial officer, Jeffrey M. Boromisa, said cost cuts including the reductions in Manchester would lower 2006 earnings by about $90 million, or 15 cents a share. Kellogg, based in Battle Creek, Mich., employs more than 1,000 people in Manchester where it makes corn flakes and other of its cereals, said Sam Fulton, a spokesman for Kellogg in Britain.


Despite some progress, armor for vehicles and parts for repairs still fall short, leaders say. BY JOHN HENDREN AND MARK MAZZETTI. WASHINGTON - Prewar forecasts that failed to account for a lengthy and bloody


A doctor who admitted hastening the deaths of two dying babies is cleared of misconduct.


European leaders on Friday tried to revive efforts to adopt the proposed European Union constitution, which many declared dead last year after it was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands.Comment


The euro sets yet another record high against the dollar, following last week's cut in US interest rates.


Concern about the US housing market returns as a key survey shows sales have fallen to a near five-year low.


Call to end war signals start of a media battle

Media & professional: Last week an extraordinary editorial in the New York Times demonstrated the limits of the press in a diffuse media age. Paul Harris reports.


New Breast Cancer Drug May Beat Tamoxifen

SAN ANTONIO -- Doctors say a newer class of drugs is showing better results in preventing the return of breast cancer than the more traditional drug, tamoxifen.


UN members accused of supplying arms to Sudan

Amnesty International has implicated four permanent members of the UN Security Council in the supply of arms to Sudan. In a report released yesterday at a Nairobi hotel, the organisation


The Lede: Blog Reaction: Microsoftâs Bid for Yahoo

It was a matter of minutes before news of Microsoftâs bid jumped from front pages to the vibrant world of technology blogs. Hereâs some of the more interesting thoughts so far.


Poll Shows Tie; Concerns Cited on Both Rivals

Voters hold a critical view of President Bush's record, but they have reservations about Senator John Kerry, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.


Palestinian prime minister attacks Blair policies

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh   of Hamas accused British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Saturday   of "one-sided" policies that have punished the Palestinian   people and their elected government.


British police on Friday charged a first suspect in connection with failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.


Why a record fine against has the left the families affected by the drug unsatisfied.


'American Taliban' Seeks Commuted Sentence

SAN FRANCISCO - John Walker Lindh asked President Bush on Tuesday to commute his 20-year prison sentence for aiding the Taliban.    His lawyer, James Brosnahan, said that Lindh was fighting alongside the Taliban in a civil war against the Northern Alliance, that he is not a terrorist and that he never fought against U.S...


Report: China had pollution deaths nixed

Beijing persuaded the World Bank to cut from a report findings that pollution has caused about 750,000 premature deaths in China each year, the Financial Times reported.


Banks and insurers pushed European shares higher on Wednesday, with Britain's HBOS spearheading the gains on relief it would not be wading into a bidding war for domestic banking peer Abbey.


Minnesota Still Has Rose Bowl Hopes Despite Loss

The Minnesota Gophers' chances of making it to the Rose Bowl took a severe hit with their heart-breaking 27-24 loss to Michigan.


Pregnancy has been an engaging experience for Jessica Alba.


CBI director-general Digby Jones is knighted after five energetic years at the helm of the business leaders' group.


By Matt Nauman, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.  Jan. 30--When a new billboard in San Francisco scrolls the message "Motor On Vera!" it's a good bet that someone named Vera is driving her Mini Cooper at that moment.   Or that her car is nicknamed Vera.


Judge Upholds Arbitrator's Ruling on O'Neal

NEW YORK (Sports Network) - A federal judge has upheld an  arbitrator's ruling that reduced the suspension of Indiana  Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal to 15 games.


US consumers were more upbeat than expected in May, a survey says, helped by a strong stock market.


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Aumenta emissione gas per l'energia in parte interna


Convalescing Cuban leader Fidel Castro sent a written message to the National Assembly on Friday saying he had "clung" to power in his younger days, but that life had taught him to change his attitude.


Shares of Genta Inc. GNTA.O soared  nearly 50 percent on Monday after the biotechnology company  presented promising data on an experimental treatment for blood  cancers.


Head of VNU's Audience Measuring Unit Resigns

The head of VNU's largest unit, which monitors television watching and Internet use, has resigned to seek the top spot at another company, the world's top research group said on Friday.


The Department of Veterans Affairs used prewar data to estimate the cost of caring for veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, a mistake that contributed to a $3 billion budget shortfall since 2005, government investigators say.


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Three weeks after glass doors were shot out at a Bush-Cheney campaign office, volunteers have discovered chalk outlines of two bodies in the parking lot.


Rangers 2, Islanders 1: Look Whoâs No. 8! Rangers Win Again

Rangers forward Petr Prucha scored the game-winner, a power-play goal with 5 minutes 14 seconds left, to put themselves in a tie for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.


User seeks $1.4m from IBM for shoddy server packing

Forklift leads to unplanned downtime Say what you will about cooling issues, disgruntled admins and memory failures. There are times when it's the guys in shipping that cause the most harm to a data center.â¦


The European Union agreed Monday to lift penalties that have cost American exporters $300 million, following the repeal of a US corporate tax break deemed illegal under global trade rules.


President Bush, preparing for this week's much-anticipated campaign debate on foreign policy, is insisting Iran will not develop a nuclear weapon on his watch.


A US judge refuses a request to combine thousands of lawsuits involving the painkiller Vioxx into a class action.


UK police to close "holes" in serial murder case

Police investigating the murder of five prostitutes in Suffolk have vowed to close the gaps in their inquiry for a possible serial killer.


GOLF: ROOKIE MAC LEAVES ERNIE IN THE SHADE

WORLD No.3 Ernie Els was upstaged on his home patch yesterday by a 23-year-old rookie playing in his first event on the European Tour.


Congress's bid to renew a program for poor children revives debate over healthcare.


Inside Michael Moore's Head(phones) The anti-Bush provocateur also ...

When all is said and done, Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" may end up best remembered for a profound silence -- the seven minutes President Bush remained, after learning that the country was under attack, in front of a Florida elementary school class


A police officer drowns on holiday in Australia helping to save two children swept out to sea.


'Ali G' Comedian Risks Riot at U.S. Rodeo

British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen  escaped a near-riot at an American rodeo while filming his  satirical "Da Ali G Show."


Interest high in scope of Mitchell steroids report

The keenly anticipated Mitchell Report on steroids usage in Major League Baseball will be issued on Thursday, fueling hope the record will be set straight on a suspected doping era in the sport.


ConocoPhillips to make $2 billion equity investment in Lukoil

Houston-based oil company ConocoPhillips and Russia's largest oil producer, Lukoil, jointly announced Wednesday in Moscow that ConocoPhillips will become a strategic equity investor in Lukoil.


The champion at Cog Hill, the front-runner for the FedEx Cup. Indeed, Tiger Woods is where most everyone figured he would be heading into the final week of the PGA Tour Playoffs.


A leading German bank official signals that further rises in eurozone interest rates are likely, starting next week.


No one knows where Jason Giambi goes from here, now that he has come clean about the dirty business of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs.


La Spezia, 23:20 - CALCIO, SERIE B: SPEZIA-BOLOGNA 0-2 NEL POSTICIPO

Nel posticipo della seconda giornata di serie B, il Bologna ha vinto in casa dello Spezio 2-0. In go...


Following Tuesdayâs sell-off, investors still faced questions about the strength of the economy and the soundness of upcoming corporate earnings reports.


Team confident they can manage without him PlusNet CEO Lee Strafford has stood down about three months after the firm was sold to BT for Â£67m.â¦


Tiger's wife sues Irish magazine over pictures

Tiger Woods's wife Elin has issued libel proceedings against an Irish magazine for publishing fake nude pictures of her during September's Ryder Cup tournament in Ireland, a court official said on Friday.