Muslim envoys off to Baghdad in bid to free British hostage

Britain's leading Muslim organisation dispatched two envoys to Iraq, hoping to help secure the release of a British engineer taken hostage by Muslim extremists eight days ago.


Utrecht's Michael Mols is to start a five-match ban for knocking out a Graafschap Doetinchem defender in a game on November 28.


Driven by an intense race for the presidency, a greater percentage of Americans voted Tuesday than at any time in more than three decades.


The ultimate in rake wear, the one-button jacket is making a stealthy appearance at the men's wear party this season.


No Mideast peace deal yet: Palestinian official

JERUSALEM - A senior Palestinian official called reports of a Mideast peace agreement premature, but said Israelis and Palestinians have agreed on the logistics of the upcoming elections to replace Yasser Arafat.


Documentary Tells Dark Story of '70s Band Runaways

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Child exploitation, band infighting  and broken dreams are all explored in the documentary  "Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways."


Medici decisi a lasciar morire neonata, genitori si oppongono

I medici di un ospedale di Portsmouth hanno chiesto a un tribunale di poter lasciar morire una bambina nata, dopo sole 26 settimane di gestazione, nell'ottobre dello scorso anno perchÃ¨, sostengono, comunque non potrÃ  vivere a causa dei danni


Baghdad Blasts in International Zone Kill 8 Civilians

Eight civilians were killed and at least three were hurt in two blasts in Baghdad's fortified international zone, which houses government offices and foreign missions, Lieutenant-Colonel


Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and a commercial development team have agreed on an $850 million deal to build retail shops, apartments and condominiums on public land where the city's former convention center once stood.


Bergamo, 16:41 - CALCIO, ATALANTA; DEL NERI:TOGLIAMO INIZIATIVA ALLA ROMA

In vista della gara con la Roma il tecnico dell'Atalanta Gigi Del Neri è contento per i titol...


Detectives charge a 32-year-old man with the murder of an 18-year-old, who was fatally stabbed during an attack.


Pyongyang says it is suspending participation in talks over its nuclear programme "indefinitely".


MSN Music Falls Just Short of iTunes' High Marks

Microsoft's MSN Music store shouldn't surprise anybody. The company with its own operating system, online service, digital-music format and media software was always the likeliest suspect to launch an online music store.


Adobe AIR fulfills hopes for cross-platform developers

(InfoWorld) - Developers have high hopes for Adobe's newly named AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) software, but reservations remain about the technology's cross-platform capability and learning curve. Formerly called Apollo, AIR is described by the company as a cross-OS runtime enabling developers to use existing Web development skills to build Internet applications that can run on the desktop. Currently available in a beta release, it is due to ship by the end of the year. "I would say that [AIR] creates kind of a new breed of applications that are somewhere between traditional desktop applications and Web applications," said Lee Brimelow, senior design technologist at early AIR user Frog Design. "It kind of opens up a new world to Web developers. It enables Web developers to enter the desktop space," Brimelow said. "It allows you, for example, to take an online e-mail account like Yahoo Mail [and] you could have an offline app that allows you to read your mail and compose mails," he added. "One of the major [benefits] of AIR is that it is cross-platform so we donât have to worry about 'Is it a Mac thing, is it a PC thing?' " AIR is more or less a wrapper for Flash, said Gabor Vida, president of Teknision, a rich media application developer. But it is not tied to the operating system, he said. "We just deploy an AIR file, and it's the exact same file whether on a PC or on a Mac," with Linux support due soon, Vida said. AIR, however, is not as powerful as Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation or Apple's Cocoa development technologies, Brimelow said. With those, developers have fuller access to the user's hard drive and OS capabilities, he said. But WPF is only for Windows, Brimelow noted. One developer who said he has not tried AIR nonetheless was interested in it. AIR could be an improvement compared with third-party solutions for running the Flash projector offline, such as FlashJester, said Kurt Suchomel, founder of the Vermont Flash User Group and a developer at Draftfcb, an ad agency that also develops Web sites. "Itâs exciting to me to hear that there's a possible product that's something similar to that," but could offer more versatility, Suchomel said. But he expressed concerns about how effective AIR will be on different operating systems, wondering if there will be "possible gotchas on each platform." AIR is supposed to be identical on the Mac and on the PC, Suchomel said. "I would just hope that it is truly that way," he said. "It will "be interesting to see what the bugs are. "My natural concern is the learning curve for developing with Apollo, even though it does support all the major Web technologies [HTML, JavaScript, CSS, XHTML, and Flash]," Suchomel said. "I am looking forward to developing in Apollo since it gives me a way to create one rich Internet application and run [it] on multiple operating systems." Another developer who also had not experimented with AIR expressed similar curiosity. "It just seems like it's going to be really cool," said Steve Farwell, marketing director at Traveland USA, which sells recreational vehicles. He also is host of the Orange County Flash User Group in Southern California, or OCFlash. Farwell said he liked the idea of combining Web applications with desktop applications that can work with the local file system.Â  AIR could have benefits in applications such as hospital systems, where a physician has intermittent connectivity to the network, he said. Self-employed developer and AIR beta user Robert Hall, manager of the Philadelphia Flash Platform Adobe User Group, reiterated what Adobe said about the project. "It makes it really easy to take your existing Web apps and all the skills you have â¦ and repurpose them for desktop apps," he said. "For me, the big benefit is I'm able to leverage my existing skills that I've been working on for years," Hall said. As the product still in a beta form, the feature set is not complete, Hall cautioned. AIR "fills a major, major niche," said Gordon Clarke, manager of FlexUserGroup.org.Â  Developers can move to the desktop and create client-server applications without having to learn a new language, he said. Sometimes-connected applications offer advantages, Clarke said. "If you want to have rich media, it's better to have a lot of it coming from your desktop than having to download it off the Web," he said. Clarke likened AIR to the iPod, where music can be downloaded or heard on the Web, and Microsoft Outlook, which lets users browse e-mail offline. At effectiveUI, which developed the eBay Desktop shopping application using AIR, the president of the company said AIR could supplement or displace Java in different instances. AIR could be used to help build GUIs (a weakness for Java), while Java could reside on the back-end server, said effectiveUI President Anthony Franco. "One of the things that Java developers struggle with is developing interfaces," Franco said. "[AIR] could replace Java in the GUI development of an application." Adobe's Flex and Flash are part of the Apollo, or AIR, framework, Franco said. But AIR differs from Microsoft's new Silverlight technology, in that Silverlight is more of a competitor to the Flash Player, he said. AIR has enabled effectiveUI to develop the type of application sought by clients and to do so within budget, Franco said. The advent of AIR also will mean development of office suites running on AIR, said Chris Charlton, group manager of the Los Angeles Flash Users Group and a Web architect at Adobe solution provider Almer/Blank. Packaged software, chat applications, and business tools will result, he said. AIR applications are going to pull some market share from existing applications that have been on a single platform only, Charlton said. Adobe's new technology represents perhaps the next evolution of how people engage with the Internet,Â  providing functions of theÂ  browser without all the overhead, said Michael Lebowitz,Â  CEO of Web design firm Big Spaceship. The firm is using AIR to build a media center application for energy drink company Red Bull. "The browser right now is sort of monolithic. It's a one-stop shop for anything you might do on the Web," Lebowitz said. "The problem with that is that's not always effective."


Vick pleads guilty, apologizes in dogfighting case

RICHMOND, Virginia  - U.S. football star Michael Vick pleaded guilty and publicly apologized on Monday for his role in a dogfighting case that will land him in jail and already has prompted his suspension from the sport.


Liverpool storm back on night of high drama

IN THE most dramatic fashion imaginable, Liverpool last night extended their participation in this seasonâs Champions League. No one at Anfield to witness this triumph would dare question the meaning to Steven Gerrard.


Beijing, Nov. 27 (NNN) : A man armed with a knife broke into a high school in central China and stabbed eight boys to death as they slept in a dormitory.


Microsoft Revamps Windows Live Search, Eyes Google

Retooled Web search service aims to deliver more relevant results and combines text, video and other information onto a single page.


US Wants Personal Data on Airline Passengers

The US government wants airlines to turn over information on more than a million people who traveled in June to test a new system for identifying passengers who may pose a security risk, officials said on Tuesday.


Stocks rose on Wednesday as a tentative labor accord at General Motors Corp  lifted a cloud over Detroit's automakers and more weak economic data bolstered expectations for a further cut in interest rates.


Lockerbie bomber 'may have been wrongly convicted'

A Libyan man jailed for the 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Lockerbie won the right to a new appeal Thursday, after a judicial panel said he may have been wrongly convicted.


Sharapova Withdraws From Advanta Tourney

Maria Sharapova withdrew from her semifinal at the Advanta Championships on Saturday with a strained right shoulder.


The Jets take little comfort from the fact that the Bills, their opponent this week has won zero games this season and will be starting a quarterback with zero career starts.


Teen accused of making threats about school, possessing weapons

A 17-year-old was arrested after authorities received a tip that he was making threats in an online chat room about his high school and fellow students, police said Friday.


UPDATE 1-More large attacks by Thai Muslims expected

Muslim militants are likely to launch more large-scale attacks in Thailand's troubled south next year and the government will have to take pre-emptive action


Israel also mounted new air attacks in Gaza today as part of its efforts to stop rocket fire by Palestinian militants.


According to an article on The Register, camera phones will soon have lenses made from nothing more than drops of oil and water.


Crowds, protests expected as 'Da Vinci Code' opens

Moviegoers, shrugging off a burst  of negative reviews, were expected to flock to Friday's opening  of the religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code" as some Catholics  vowed coast-to-coast protests against the film.


Bombardier, the troubled Canadian maker of aircraft and trains, saw its shares fall by around 20 per cent in Toronto, after it announced that Paul Tellier was stepping down early as president and chief executive officer.


The Cleveland Indians pulled within one game of the AL Central lead by beating the Minnesota Twins, 7-1, Saturday night with home runs by Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez.


A senior figure in the Burmese military is appointed to replace Khin Nyunt, the country's state media reports.


Durable Goods Orders Up; Homes Sales Down

Orders for US durable goods posted a larger-than-expected rise in July, but new home sales showed signs of buckling under the weight of higher interest rates, two government reports showed on Wednesday.


Fulham have refused to comment on reports claiming a consortium of Turkish businessmen are ready to launch a 35 million pound takeover bid for the English Premiership club.


Suspended defensive tackle Tank Johnson will be allowed to practice starting Friday, which will be his first team session with the Dallas Cowboys since they signed him last month.


By MARK J. CZERWINSKI  How to get there  Take Route 80 west to Exit 28 (Route 183 North). The road merges into Route 206 North. Go through Newton and follow signs for Swartswood State Park. Turn left onto Swartswood Road and go past the junction for Route 619.


Defending champion Serena Williams eases past Jarmila Gajdosova to move into the second round of the Australian Open.


Crude reaches $51.48 a barrel as the damage from Hurricane Ivan lingers in the Gulf of Mexico. LONDON  - Oil prices streaked to a record high above $51 a barrel Wednesday as speculators drove up prices


Madrid, 15:23 - CALCIO, STAMPA SPAGNOLA: JUVE E MILAN SU ROBINHO

Secondo il quotidiano spagnolo "As", il procuratore Wagner Ribeiro che cura gli interessi dell'attac...


Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Monday he won a mandate from voters to stay in power in a weekend referendum scrapping presidential term limits, but foreign observers said the vote process was marred by violations and thousands of people protested the outcome.


Ziff Davis - Retailer Best Buy turns to i2's chain management/logistics software in the hopes of gaining more timely visibility into business operations on both the purchasing and logistics sides.


NBA-Nowitzki Cools Off Heat with 41-Point Display

Dirk Nowitzki registered an NBA season high 41 points as the Dallas Mavericks handed the Miami Heat their first loss of the season 113-93 Thursday.


Conservative support spreading in Labour strongholds, new ICM/Guardian poll shows


Too bad the newest installment in the "Leisure Suit Larry" series isn't much of a video game. The challenging puzzles and clever character interaction that boosted earlier titles in the franchise


Cagliari, 19:45 - CALCIO, CAGLIARI: ALBINO E GOBBI NON SI ALLENANO

Allenamento pomeridiano per il Cagliari in vista della trasferta di sabato a Bologna. Non hanno pres...


SE Asia Vows to Pull Together for Tourism Rebound

LANGKAWI, Malaysia  - Southeast Asian nations  pledged Monday to work together to help the region's tourism  industry recover from last month's tsunami, and launch a  marketing drive to woo tourists back.


NASA Prepares for New Atlantis Launch Attempt

NASA prepares for new Atlantis launch attempt    WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. space agency officials said on Monday that NASA had prepared for a fresh launch attempt of the space shuttle Atlantis on Wednesday.


Vijay Singh's ability to turn bad lies into good shots helped him to an even-par 72 that kept him in the 84 Lumber Classic lead on Saturday.


China's Ex-Party Chief Turns 85 Under House Arrest

Zhao Ziyang, toppled as China's Communist Party chief for opposing the army crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, turned 85 on Sunday in poor health and living his 15th year under house arrest.


Children collect usable metal parts from the site of a car bomb explosion in Baghdad, Iraq, October 4. AP. BAGHDAD  - Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw paid a surprise visit to Iraq on Tuesday amid


N.Korea allows IAEA team to visit nuclear reactor

North Korea will allow a team of U.N.  nuclear watchdog officials to visit the Yongbyon reactor it has  agreed to shut down under a disarmament-for-aid deal, the  International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday.


U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday lifted  by a merger between retailers Kmart and Sears,  better-than-expected earnings from Hewlett-Packard and data  showing a slight rise in core inflation.


The average American consumer will spend $702.03 this holiday season, favoring DVDs over jewelry, discount chains over department stores and low prices over customer service, according to a survey sponsored by the National Retail Federation, an industry trade group.


US strikes Falluja again in its fourth day of attacks

BAGHDAD A US jet fired missiles on Friday in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Falluja, the fourth day of attacks on the city where US and Iraqi troops have no control, officials said.


Update 4: Kuwait Foreign Minister Discusses Oil

Kuwait's foreign minister said Wednesday that Middle East oil exporters are producing at maximum capacity to stabilize prices that are being driven up by speculators from outside the region.


Rockers Mix Music and Politics at Pro-Kerry Concerts

Bruce Springsteen rocked  concert-goers while trying to rock the vote on Friday night,  leading a band of top musicians in a rollicking show to help  elect Democrat John Kerry to the White House.


Engine Fire Leads to Marijuana Discovery

MEXICO CITY - Smoke billowing from the engine compartment led police to discover a large stash of marijuana hidden aboard a luxury bus, the federal Public Security Department said Thursday.


Download a Verse From Bible or a Sermon Onto Your iPod

By Frances Grandy Taylor  There was a time when you had to attend a church to listen to the weekly sermon, or become a regular member to hear a choir whose music you really love. These days, thanks to iPod, you don't have to actually be there.


'Without a Paddle" is amiable, inoffensive piffle that benefits from the warmly moronic camaraderie of stars Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard. Short on laughs, the movie is so insubstantial that it's more time-killer than ...


Google Saves Kidnapped Journalist in Iraq  Google can claim another life saved after a kidnapped Australian journalist was freed by his captors in Iraq earlier today. Freelance journalist John Martinkus was abducted by gunmen on Saturday outside a hotel near the Australian embassy. Apparently Martinkus was able to convince his captors ...


Medicare Presents Drug Plan Coverage Map

The Bush administration said Monday it would carve the country into multiple coverage regions to get private insurers to offer Medicare prescription drug plans and comprehensive health benefits beginning in 2006.


Drivers can wait, says Red Bull boss Purnell

Red Bull will not be rushed into any decision about drivers after buying the Jaguar Formula One team on Monday, says team boss Tony Purnell.


British anti-terror laws attract unwelcome comparison with despotic regimes

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government stands accused of going down the road towards a police state following proposed new anti-terror laws which have prompted comparisons with repressive regimes such as Myanmar.


FairPoint Communications reached an agreement with the Vermont Public Service Department that would allow it to buy Verizon phone lines in the state.


Arts & entertainment: The Terracotta Army is the greatest work of mass-production art in history - and whilst the platoon visiting Britain is small, but it's endlessly fascinating, writes Laura Cumming.


Pakistan's government responded angrily Friday to a group of retired military commanders who appealed to President Pervez Musharraf to resign in order to promote democracy and combat religious militancy.


1 gunman killed in US consulate attack in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah

At least one gunman was killed by Saudi security forces when US consulate in the Red Sea city of Jeddah came under attack Monday, the Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV reported.


TOKYO  - The court martial of US Army Sergeant Charles Jenkins, accused of deserting to North Korea nearly four decades ago, will begin in Japan on November 3, the US Army said Thursday.


Dini: il governo ha fallito, ora lo aspettiamo in Aula


On a rainy day in Canberra, John Howard today chose to cut and run to an October 9 election, seeking to avoid parliamentary scrutiny of his Children Overboard obfuscations - and


Pod of 20 Whales Beached on Remote Australia Coast

Twenty adult female sperm whales have been found washed up on a remote Australian beach but wildlife officials on Tuesday were unable to explain the third such mass stranding in the same area in a month.


Roger Ebert, who has undergone a series of cancer surgeries, was recovering Friday after having yet another operation.


Jonny Wilkinson will shrug off his latest setback, says his fitness guru Steve Black.


Israel parties work to close coalition deal

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud party and opposition Labour have haggled over power-sharing in a coalition deal crucial for pushing through an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip.


Filipino rescuers pull four storm survivors from mud-buried ...

Rescuers on Thursday pulled at least four survivors from a building that collapsed 10 days ago during storms that killed more than 700 people in the Philippines, and soldiers were working frantically to free at least 20 other


A coroner rules a tape showing the "friendly fire" death of a British soldier cannot be shown in open court.


Improving Microsoft's CodePlex by contributing Microsoft's own dog food

Blog: Microsoft's CodePlex is not a bastion of great code, says eWeek.  That's a problem, but one that Microsoft can solve by contributing its own code.


Michael Phelps, denied in his bid to win seven gold medals, picked up his second victory of the Athens Games by winning the 200-meter butterfly Tuesday night in Olympic-record time. Phelps fell just short of his own world record, holding off Takashi Yamamoto to win in 1 minute, 54.01 seconds. The hard-charging Japanese swimmer took silver in 1:54.56, while Great Britain's Stephen Parry won bronze in 1:55.22.


Blackburn terror arrests change to drugs inquiry

Two men arrested under anti-terror laws in Blackburn after they reportedly received deliveries of propane gas are now being questioned on suspicion of operating a cannabis factory, police said today.


Cuban leader Fidel Castro said the worst   is over and he is recovering well from intestinal surgery one   month ago despite losing 41 lbs (18.6 kg), a statement   published on Tuesday said.


Hey yo, you wanna be a playa? The competition figures to be fierce, and fun, at the Hip-Hop Karaoke NYC event in Chelsea. Twelve finalists will be vying for a cash prize and top honors.


Europe won the 35th Ryder Cup on Sunday, clinching 14 points to retain the trophy against the United States.


Casini: "La taglia Ã¨ una boutade propagandistica"

Imola, 28 novembre 2004 - Per il presidente della Camera, Pier Ferdinando Casini, la proposta avanzata da Roberto Calderoli diuna taglia sulla testa dell'assassino del benzinaio di Lecco Ã¨ "piÃ¹ una buotade politica, polemica, partitica, che una proposta


World Business Briefing: Russia: Gazpromâs Profit Doubled in 2006

Gazprom, Russiaâs natural gas export monopoly, said 2006 profit doubled, to a record $22.6 billion, beating estimates, as it sold more fuel at higher prices. Net income surged 97 percent, to 613.3 billion rubles, from 311.1 billion rubles a year earlier, the state-run company said. The profit equals $22.6 billion at the average ruble rate for the period and is 8.2 percent higher than the median estimate of six analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Rising prices in Europe, where Gazprom has a quarter of the market, and increased shipments to former Soviet nations drove the gain in earnings, the highest ever reported by a Russian company. Gazprom, based in Moscow, relies entirely on exports for profit because it loses money on sales in Russia, where prices are capped.


U.S. and EU powers recognize Kosovo as some fear precedent

Europe's major powers and the United  States said on Monday they recognized Kosovo's new  independence, as Serbs reacted with anger and some states  warned that its secession from Serbia set a dangerous  precedent.


Sexy R&B sensation Usher was the king of the American Music Awards Sunday night-- taking home four awards including Favorite Male Artist in the Pop/rock and Soul/R&B categories, as well as Best Album in both the Pop/rock and Soul/R&B categories.


Rivals race to be the fastest and smallest in nanotechnology.


As Temperatures Rise, Health Could Decline

Depending on where you are, this is going to be a hotter, wetter, drier, windier, calmer, dirtier, buggier or hungrier century than mankind has seen in a while. In some places, it may be deadlier, too.


Smut Crackdown Set to Pass House Vote This Week

The House is expected to approve legislation this week that seeks to increase exponentially the amount of money broadcasters and performers would have to pay for indecency violations.


Clues to Reggie White's death could be released

(CORNELIUS) - Some clues to the death of former NFL great Reggie White could be available Monday. White was one of the league's all-time defensive linemen and sack specialists.


Large-cap stocks will rebound ... any day now.


Quake Measuring 6.4 Strikes Indonesia's Sumatra

A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on  the Richter scale shook Indonesia's Sumatra island on Sunday,  toppling several homes in restive Aceh province and causing  widespread panic, officials and media reported.


Questions for Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach: Put to the Test

The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration talks about the agencyâs recent failures and scandals, his new drug-safety initiative and ending cancer deaths in the next decade.


The latest photoshop creation of Army analyst Robot Economist limns missiles in color. Plus: A 17th-century image collection from Rosicrucian Robert Fludd is like a Danger Room, circa 1626. In Danger Room.


British Quartet Stuns US in Sprint Relay

Britain took a shock gold in the men's Olympic 4x100 meters relay Saturday, pipping favorite the United States by one hundredth of a second.


NASHUA, New Hampshire  - Presidential rivals in both parties took aim at Democrat Barack Obama's experience and health care proposals on Saturday, hours ahead of back-to-back debates that could reshape tight nominating races in New Hampshire.


For the first  time in a U.S. airport, Phoenix tests new X-ray technology that can see through people's clothes and show the body's contours with blush-inducing clarity. By Associated Press.


Yankees acquire veteran catcher Molina from Angels

The New York Yankees acquired veteran catcher Jose Molina from the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, trading minor-league right-hander Jeff Kennard.


Arkansas Ill-Prepared for Bio-Terror Attack

LITTLE ROCK, AR - A national review has placed Arkansas in the lower half of states when it comes to bioterrorism preparedness. But the state Health Department says major improvements in recent months were not considered in the review.


Do big trucks and big buybacks spell big opportunity?


Man released in Ill. faces charges in Mo.

A killer whose life was spared last year when Illinois' governor emptied out death row could again face a death sentence - this time in Missouri - if convicted of murdering his boss in St.


Convegno internazionale per il Quinto centenario dei Musei Vaticani 1506 - 2006. LÂidea del museo: identitÃ , ruoli, prospettive CittÃ  del Vaticano (Agenzia Fides) - In occasione delle celebrazioni del quinto centenario dei Musei Vaticani, dal 13 al 15 dicembre 2006 si terrÃ , in Vaticano, presso lÂAula Nuova del Sinodo, il Convegno Internazionale ÂLÂidea del museo: identitÃ , r...


GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - Three Palestinians were killed Saturday as the Israeli army continued a raid of a refugee camp in southern Gaza.


Alaskan Oil Leases Assailed as Environmentally Dangerous

The government's plan to award new petroleum leases covering an area the size of Pennsylvania is ripped for lack of due diligence and the potential harm to the area's wildlife.


Tre colpi di pistola a bruciapelo Imprenditore ucciso in casa

COMO, 24 SETTEMBRE 2004 - Un imprenditore di 47 anni di origine siciliana, Domenico Cucuzza, sposato, padre di due figli, e' stato ucciso a colpi di pistola nella camera da letto della sua villetta di Turate (Como), in via Santa Maria.


Sciopero dei giornalisti l'informazione si ferma

La redazione di Kataweb aderisce alla protesta per il rinnovo del contratto: venerdÃ¬ 29 e sabato 30 il sito non sarà aggiornato


In Finanziaria norme per favorire il ricambio


Families of Chinese Hostages in Iraq Issue Plea

Relatives pleaded for the lives of  eight Chinese hostages in Iraq as a deadline set by their  captors neared on Thursday, and the U.S. military said a  Brazilian was also missing following an insurgent attack.


Il colpo frutta 300 euro a tre malfattori nell'Oristanese


Rakhi Sawant turns witch at House of Horrors

Fashion designers are coming up with unique theme to create their range of collection.


Israel launches new operation in Gaza Strip

Israeli forces have mounted a new incursion into the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. A military spokeswoman says soldiers were looking for tunnels being used to smuggle arms from Egypt and to hunt down Palestinian militants.


Coming off of a campaign-saving victory in New Hampshire, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) went to Michigan last week to dispense a bit of what he called his "straight talk": Some of those manufacturing jobs that built the state into an economic power, then left it mired in recession, would not magically...


US financial services giant Citigroup (CN: Quote, Profile, Research) regrets its controversial sale of around 11 billion euros ($13.


Portugal involved in Guantanamo transfers: rights group

British rights group Reprieve said on Tuesday nearly all listed terror suspects flown by the United States to its base in Guantanamo passed through Portuguese territory or airspace, a charge rejected by Portugal.


US apologizes to wrongly arrested Iraq refugee

An Iraqi who fled repression under Saddam Hussein only to be wrongly arrested as an illegal immigrant by US police has received a rare official apology and compensation, the American Civil Liberties Union said.


Los Angeles, 23:22 - CALCIO, BECKHAM A LOS ANGELES IL 13 LUGLIO

David Beckham sarà presentato dai Los Angeles Galaxy venerdÃ¬ 13 luglio. Beckham terrà ...


The Austrian Davis Cup team drew first blood this morning when clay court specialist Stefan Koubek beat Tim Henman in straight sets 6-3 6-3 6-1.


What is Duane 'Dog' Chapman reading, watching, and listening to?


Ellen DeGeneres is in the doghouse with a pet rescue agency after giving a pooch away to her hairdresser because it didn't get along with her cats. The talk show hostess and her partner Portia de Rossi adopted Iggy, a Brussels Griffon mix...


The US military is investigating the videotaped fatal shooting of a wounded and apparently unarmed Iraqi prisoner by a US Marine in a mosque in the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, a Marine spokesman said.


BRAIN TRAINING quizzes made Prof. Ryuta Kawashima of Tohoku University well-known among video game fans as well as people who want to boost their memory.


TV Watch: With Focus on the Strike, Stewart Returns

Jon Stewartâs return on âThe Daily Showâ was a jarring display of solipsism from a performer famous for expertly tweaking the vanity and self-importance of others.


Malaysia-Thailand relations strained over southern violence ...

BANGKOK : Thailand will only end an insurgency in its violence-hit south if it patches up relations with neighbouring Malaysia which were damaged by the death of 87 Muslim protesters, analysts say.


Pubblicita' on line: un business da 10 mld di dollari annui


Libya took another stride out of diplomatic isolation yesterday when the European Union agreed to lift all sanctions against it. The move came two days after the US president, George Bush, formally ended Washington's


Michael Redd knew the Milwaukee Bucks needed a fast start against the Detroit Pistons to snap a six-game losing streak. Keith Van Horn supplied the early offense, scoring 14 of his 20 points


McGrath takes Australia to brink of victory

BANGALORE: Australia looked on the brink of a crushing victory over India overnight as they reduced them to 105-6 after the fourth day of the first test, having set them a massive victory target of 457.


Hezbollah flags mask darker mood in Lebanon village

AITAROUN, Lebanon  - Yellow Hezbollah flags flutter over the flower-strewn marble tombs of six men killed in combat with Israel during the July-August war in Lebanon.


Tough Topics Win the Night at 'European Oscars'

Films about euthanasia, abortion and  the hardships of immigrant life bagged the top prizes at the  17th European Film Awards on Saturday.


Paul Pierce scores 28 points, and the Celtics win for the first time this season in the Knicks' home opener.


Intel bill needs personal appeal by Bush

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called Monday for President Bush and his secretary of defense to personally reach out to opponents of intelligence reform.


Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut was set to abandon his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after a poor showing in Iowa's precinct caucuses.


Clemens statement: I never took steroids

Roger Clemens' opening statement before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government:


Ad agosto indice in crescita a 94,2, bene il Nord Ovest


Beijing court rules Yahoo China violates IPR

A Beijing court has upheld a ruling  that Yahoo China violates Chinese law by facilitating mass  copyright infringement through music downloads, the  International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)  said.


Chinese crowds greet the New Year with a bang

Bright, deafening explosions and thick smoke covered China's capital at midnight, as Beijingers celebrated the beginning of the New Year and the end of a firework ban in exuberant fashion.


Blackwater USA denied Saturday any involvement in illegal weapons smuggling, responding to reports the private security contractor is a target of federal prosecutors.


Uh-Oh! That Mad Scientist May Unlock the Underworld!

This horror film, spun off from an old Atari video game, is so inept on every level you wonder why the distributor didn't toss it directly into the trash.


Bush, Kerry Set for Crucial First Debate

President Bush and Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry prepared on Thursday for a security policy showdown expected to focus on Iraq, where 41 people died in one of the most violent days in the post-war insurgency.


Con oltre 600 mila clienti e una rete di 132 sportelli


IBM Accelerates Grid-Computing Efforts For ISVs

Grid computing already is close to being a $1 billion business for IBM. Now the company is stepping up its efforts to make sure its independent software vendor partners are onboard the grid-computing bandwagon.


Sospettato di numerosi e sanguinosi attentati dinamitardi


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


Sequel to the hilarious Meet the Parents -- not as good as the original, but still manages to deliver some laugh-out-loud moments.


Lefthander Jon Lester took another significant step toward a return to Boston, allowing just one run on five hits in five innings in Pawtucket last night.


Two hijackers holding a Greek public bus with more than a dozen passengers aboard have released three more hostages, bringing the total number set free so far to 10.


Apple Inc  beat Wall Street targets with a 67 percent rise in quarterly profit on Monday, led by strong sales of its Macintosh computers and a big first full quarter from the iPhone, sending its shares up more than 5 percent.


A selection of games that may someday be on every search marketers shelf.


House prices rose 0.2 percent in September compared with the month before to stand up 17.8 percent on a year ago, the Nationwide Building Society says.


When business innovation leads to disaster

This book attempts to demolish the notion that ''new is better." For the most part, it succeeds. Sergio Zyman and coauthor Armin A. Brott build a solid foundation for their argument that innovation can be disastrous for the bottom line. Innovation is like a sugar high, they say -- a quick fix that just doesn't work.


Jose Lima rejoined the Kansas City Royals when he agreed to a one-year contract Saturday, hoping to provide stability and leadership to a rotation that was awful last season.


Hotel heiress Paris Hilton, who commanded as much attention behind bars as on the Hollywood party scene, regained her freedom on Tuesday after serving three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.


Yahoo! joines Amazon in literary Google snub

You can't have our trade secrets Yahoo! has refused to provide Google with details of its book digitising programme that Google believes could help it to defend itself in a lawsuit. Amazon.com has already turned down a similar request.â¦


Macintosh owners are far more likely than PC owners to have recently paid for a music download.


The movie "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" is hysterical. Based on the books by Lemony Snicket, the movie lived up to my expectations of what I wanted to see.


Suspense built in East Timor on Monday as Dili joined in vote counting after weekend polls which EU observers hailed as democratic.


UK Chancellor Gordon Brown urges rich nations to act on poverty, as he offers foreign debt relief to Tanzania.


Blair Says Britain Would Respond to Hostage Takers

Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday Britain would respond to the captors of hostage Kenneth Bigley in Iraq if they made contact with his government.


The rocket plane SpaceShipOne is just one flight away from claiming the Ansari X-Prize, a $10m award designed to kick-start private space travel.


Take the first step: Programs can treat people addicted to drugs ...

Michael Levy. Q: How common is it for someone to both have a drinking problem and a drug problem? My son basically uses everything and anything he can get his hands on.


CAPE CANAVERAL, Dec. 11 -- After a two-day journey, the space shuttle Discovery reached the international space station Monday for a week-long stay to continue construction on the orbiting lab and rotate out a crew member.


Start-up says it can make hydrogen with sunlight and water

Nanoptek has an electrode that extracts electrons from sunlight, and then extracts them to break water molecules. Will it work?


Japan's financial regulators may suspend  or even end some private banking operations at the Japanese  commercial banking unit of U.S. financial services firm  Citigroup Inc., the Nihon Keizai newspaper said on Thursday.


Roma, 12:22 - CALCIO, SERIE B: GLI ARBITRI DELLA 15/a GIORNATA

Questi gli arbitri designati per le gare della 15/a giornata di serie B in programma sabato alle ore...


NEW YORK -- The nation's manufacturing sector, hurt by softer U.S. auto sales and a weakening housing market, expanded at a slower pace in September than in August, a trade group said Monday.


Le testimonianze a porte chiuse dei bambini di Rignano: quelle sollecitazioni durante gli interrogatori                                          "Streghe, statue e castelli neri" Ecco l'ultima carta dell'accusa                                                                                di CARLO BONINI


Bush and Kerry Differ on State of Economy

CLEVELAND - Good news, or bad? President Bush and Democrat John Kerry have differing takes about the vitality of the nation's job market - a question that's heating up this year's race for the White House.    Bush, who is campaigning Saturday in Ohio - a pivotal state that has lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs, says a new U.S...


Apple Computer has scheduled a special event for next week, fueling speculation that the company could be ready to introduce an updated model of its iPod digital music player.


Food and consumer goods giant Unilever has shocked investors by reining in expectations for full-year profit growth to under five percent due to stiff competitor pressure and poor weather.


Thousands gather to farewell Aussie 'Croc Hunter'

Thousands of mourners streamed into daredevil naturalist Steve Irwin's zoo ahead of a public memorial service that will be watched by millions of viewers across the world.


At least 14 people are killed in a US air attack which took place in Baghdad overnight, police say.


Relatives of the 202 people killed in the Bali terror attacks marked the second anniversary of the bombings Tuesday with a moment of silence and a defiant vow to defeat the Islamic militants behind the blasts.


Heat rout short-handed Nets in Shaq's debut

The greatest center in Miami history isn't sure that adding Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat lineup this season makes them a sure thing for the NBA Finals.


Suicide-smoker campaign aims to wean Serbs off weed

Serbia has launched a nationwide media blitz equating smoking with suicide bombing, in its biggest campaign yet to persuade almost four million people in this cigarette-loving stronghold to quit the weed.


Restored 'Battleship Potemkin' to Premiere at Berlin

A newly restored version of the Russian revolutionary epic "Battleship Potemkin" will have its premiere screening at the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb. 10-20), organizers said Wednesday.


Archie Mitchell, a standout shooting guard at Framingham High School and a 2004 Globe All-Scholastic basketball pick, is now a freshman and leading scorer on the Newbury College of Brookline team.


David Beckham, Posh Spice Expecting Third Child

They seldom get mentioned in North America, but news that David Beckham and wife Victoria are expecting another child is front page news in the UK.


UN atomic agency launches crackdown on Iran

VIENNA - The UN atomic watchdog agency demanded Iran suspend all uranium enrichment activities and gave it until November comply with the order.


European spacecraft prepares to orbit Moon

Europeâs first lunar spacecraft is set to go into orbit around the Moon on Monday. SMART-1 has already reached the âgatewayâ to the Moon, the region where its gravity starts to dominate that of the Earth.


Comcast, Disney Ink Video-on-Demand Deal

Comcast Corp. and The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday they signed a landmark multibillion-dollar distribution deal that allows the cable operator to distribute Disney content through its video-on-demand service.


ATHENS - On camera, in front of her audience of millions out there and thousands here in the Olympic Stadium, Marion Jones kept her composure.


Iraqi authorities say unidentified gunmen abducted two Americans and one Briton from a house in Baghdad, Thursday. Earlier, officials identified all three as British nationals.


Empoli, 20:14 - CALCIO, EMPOLI: POZZI E MARZORATTI RESTANO

Empoli molto attivo sul mercato. Oggi c'è stato l'incontro con il Milan per il rinnovo della ...


Arab and Israeli leaders hold a summit in Egypt, in a show of support for Palestinian chief Mahmoud Abbas.


Obesity, weight gain can boost risk of kidney stones: study

Obesity and weight gain can increase the risk of developing kidney stones, according to a new study.


Kobe Bryant scores 26 of his 38 points in the second half, Andrew Bynum has a career-high 28 points and the Lakers beat the Suns, 122-115, for their ninth win in 11 games.


Documents reveal potential risks to eyesight from the projectors used in schools' interactive whiteboards.


Edwardsâ influence in the South yet to be seen

Sen. John Edwards streaked through national politics like a rising star this spring and summer, gaining acclaim for his folksiness, youth and good looks.


Podcast: Product spotlight falls on Apple, CES

A gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas; some Apple pickings ahead of Macworld; and call her a very high-tech queen.


PHILADELPHIA -- One of the hottest teams in the league went from eye candy to spoilsport in minutes. Green Bay couldn't stop Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook or Terrell Owens, and Philadelphia routed the Packers, 47-17.


Gunman bursts into Japanese gym and kills instructor

A gunman in a camouflage suit burst into a sports club and shot dead a 26-year-old female swimming instructor and wounded several children on Japan's southern island of Kyushu, Japanese media reported on Friday.


Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge exits with a separated shoulder and Notre Dame capitalizes with an interception return for a touchdown to get by the No. 9 Volunteers, 17-13, on Saturday.


U.S. Artists Seen Dominating Britain's Black Music Awards

U.S. artists are expected to dominate  Britain's biggest black music awards on Thursday, with Chicago  rapper Kanye West boosting a record number of nominations.


Fans in a Video Playoff for Super Bowl Tickets

The Coors Brewing Company is offering consumers a chance to win tickets for the 2008 or 2009 Super Bowl by submitting video clips to its Web sites.


Public Lives: New Man in the Hot Seat of State Health Commissioner

Dr. Richard F. Daines would like health care institutions to come into alignment with patients rather than the other way around.


Jimenez Wins BMW Open; 6 Get Ryder Spots

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez won the BMW Open, his fourth title on the European tour this season, and Colin Montgomerie was one of six golfers to claim Ryder Cup berths Sunday.


WRAPUP 1-Real, Man Utd, Juventus reach Champions League

Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus booked their Champions League places as Europe's elite teams safely negotiated the third qualifying round for the continent's leading club competition on Wednesday.


Insurance firms are left  reeling as New York attorney general Elliot Spitzer sues Marsh & McLennan, the world's largest insurance broker, for taking illegal payments.


Guidant Corp.'s 10-year run as one of Indiana's most successful public companies will end with a $25 billion sale to health products giant Johnson & Johnson.


A murderer who absconded from an open prison and was then recaptured is found hanging in a cell.


Siena, 12:11 - BASKET, SIENA: ESAMI AL GINOCCHIO PER KAUKENAS

Rimantas Kaukenas, guardia della Montepaschi Siena, si sottoporrà nelle prossime ore ad una r...


Bangladesh police say at least 22 people have been killed in a fire at a garment factory near capital, Dhaka.


VERSAILLES, France  - British designer John Galliano marked his 10th year at the creative helm of iconic fashion house Dior with an extravagant autumn/winter show in Versailles Palace inspired by Impressionist and Modern painters.


General Motors saw US sales grow in August, bucking a trend for falling demand at other US carmakers.


Microsoft's piracy fight gains momentum in China

SHANGHAI/SEATTLE  - In his first official visit to the United States in 2006, China President Hu Jintao arrived for dinner at Microsoft Corp.  Chairman Bill Gates' house with a gift for the host.


Parties have not yet reached consensus on crucial issue of a political settlement, Kofi Annan says.


Lebanese forces search for remnants of a militant group a day after it was routed from a Palestinian refugee camp.


BA chief signs on for Heathrow holiday duty

LONDON  - British Airways chief executive Rod Eddington and other senior management will help out the ground staff at London's Heathrow airport during the upcoming busy holiday weekend, after days of staff shortages and delays, the company said


Militants beat man thought to be from US

HENDALA, Sri Lanka -- Day after day, locked in a cement room somewhere in Iraq, the hooded men beat him. They told him he would be beheaded. ''Ameriqi!" they shouted, even though he comes from this poor Sri Lankan fishing village.


Britain likely to agree to US request for Iraq troop deployment: FM

Britain is likely to agree to a US request to move its troops into more restive areas of Iraq and will only refuse if British generals advise otherwise, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says.


Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced yesterday that a proposal to build a tunnel under Tysons Corner as part of a Metrorail expansion to Dulles International Airport is dead, after federal officials and area congressmen made clear that the costs of an underground link could jeopardize the entire...


ABC Apologizes for Steamy Football Intro

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens (81) pulls in a 50 yard touchdown pass in front of Dallas Cowboys defenders Nathan Jones (33) and Tony Dixon (24) during the first quarter in Irving, Texas, Monday, Nov. 15, 2004.


Zend Developer Zone: Zend Technologies Updates Zend Core

A release announcement concerning the latest version of the Zend Core has been posted over on the Zend Developer Zone today:   Zend Technologies, the PHP company, today announced a new version of Zend Core. Zend Core 2.0 is based on PHP 5.2.1 and complements PHP with enhancements to improve development, deepen database support, enhance Windows integration and provide enterprise-class support. Zend Core is available for free and can be downloaded at www.zend.com/core.   Updates in this latest version including better Windows performance/reliability, Zend Enabler, the inclusion of the Zend Framework, MySQL 5.0 and bundled drivers for databases from IBM, Oracle, and MySQL. There's even Mac OS X support built right in.   It's free and simpel to set up, so head on over and give it a try...


Tata Steel confirms takeover interest in Corus

India's biggest private steel firm Tata Steel confirmed that it was mulling a possible takeover of Anglo-Dutch steel giant Corus Group.


Erasureâs Bell reveals HIV-positive status

Singer Andy Bell, one-half of British dance-pop combo Erasure, has confirmed he has been HIV-positive for more than six years. âI found out I was (HIV-positive


Suffolk accused 'can't explain' blood on jacket

Former publican accused of murdering five prostitutes says he cannot explain how the blood from two of the victims was found on his jacket


For those members  of   illustrious Bollywood families  who don't have time  for each other in Mumbai,


Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the United States Saturday for the "almost uncontained" use of force in the world, and for encouraging other countries to acquire nuclear weapons.Comment


Jaguar workers vote against strike action

Jaguar workers have voted against strike action in protest at the axing of car production in Coventry. Although the switch from Browns Lane to production facilities at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham forces


Latest MP3 players come equipped with songs

Customers picking up the latest  MP3 players this fall are getting much more than just a device.  Increasingly, they're getting free music as well.


In Over Their Heads, With Destiny Looming

âCassandraâs Dream,â Woody Allenâs latest excursion to the dark side of human nature, is good enough that you may wonder why he doesnât just stop making comedies once and for all.


Japanese whaling pictures 'sick': Australian minister

Photographs of a mother whale and her calf being dragged on board a Japanese ship after being harpooned in Antarctic waters have been described as sickening by Australia's environment minister.


BURLINGTON, Iowa  - White House hopefuls hammered home their closing messages on Saturday in a frenzied hunt for votes in Iowa, with Democrat Barack Obama promising a new kind of politics and rival Hillary Clinton proclaiming her readiness to lead.


Channel ferry services are disrupted by a French fishermen's strike over fuel price rises.


Carphone Warehouse shares rally with buyout rumours

Just enough to recover from Thursday's slump Shares in Carphone Warehouse closed up 2.6 per cent on Friday after rumours that Vodafone were looking to acquire the company surfaced. The recovery made up for the drop on Thursday when sometime competitor DSG International issued a profit warning, the combination putting CPW shares about where they were last week.â¦


Ferrero Win Boosts Spain to 1-1 Vs. France

Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Fabrice Santoro on Saturday 6-3, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in a match that was suspended the day before due to darkness, and lifted Spain to a 1-1 tie with France in the Davis Cup semifinals.


Roma, 10:38 - CALCIO, MATARRESE IN FIGC: PANCALLI QUANTO DI MEGLIO CI SIA

Il presidente della Lega Calcio, Antonio Matarrese, è arrivato di buon mattino in via Allegri...


Analysis: White House Must Wait on Mideast

Apart from President Bush's reassurances of unwavering support for Palestinian statehood, there is little his administration is set to do in the short term to try to break the Middle East deadlock.


Like a man given only a few months to live, Beanie Sigel has spent this year getting his business affairs in order.


Microst says its Zune music player will cost $249.99 in the US when it goes on sale on 14 November.


Thailand Orders Cull of Tigers with Bird Flu

Thailand ordered a cull of 40 tigers suspected of suffering from bird flu Wednesday after seven more of the big cats died, bringing the tiger death toll at an infected zoo to 30.


Britney Spearsâs Father Is Named Conservator

James Spears, the father of Britney Spears, was named her temporary conservator, putting him in control of her welfare a day after she was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation, The Associated Press reported. In addition, after a hearing in California Superior Court he was named a conservator, along with the lawyer Andrew Wallete, of the singerâs estate. The court also issued a restraining order against Ms. Spearsâs friend and sometime manager, Sam Lutfi, and gave permission to change the locks on her estate and remove anyone there. Ms. Spears, shown above outside a hearing last month regarding visitation rights for her two children, will be under conservatorship at least until Monday, when another hearing will be held.


A world-renowned geneticist was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison for molesting an employee's daughter who took martial arts classes at his home.


Reunited Oils Lead Second Aussie Tsunami Benefit

SYDNEY (Billboard) - Australian rockers Midnight Oil will  reunite to headline the country's second major fund-raising  concert to benefit victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.


Bush apologizes to Blair over bombs sent to Israel

President Bush apologized on Friday  to British Prime Minister Tony Blair after Britain complained  Washington had not followed correct procedures for sending  bombs to Israel via a British airport, a British official said.


Hockey The Columbus Blue Jackets, seeking an experienced hand to develop their crop of young players, hired veteran Ken Hitchcock as head coach yesterday. Hitchcock, fired this season by the Philadelphia Flyers, was to be formally introduced as the team's fifth head coach at a news conference today. Team president and general manager Doug MacLean announced Hitchcock's hiring shortly before ...


Spending restraints in President Bush's budget proposal would mean deep cuts to environmental protection, community development, veterans benefits and other programs through the end of the decade, a liberal think tank said Wednesday.


Prodotta dalla Colorado film andra' in onda nell'aprile 2008


Palermo, 18:11 - CALCIO, PALERMO; DIANA: SORPRESO DALLA CHIAMATA DI DONADONI

Il centrocampista del Palermo Aimo Diana, in merito alla convocazione in azzurro da parte di Roberto...


Chief executive officer Scott Livengood is out as head of troubled Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., which has been under regulators' scrutiny for its franchise buybacks and earnings outlooks and is facing shareholder lawsuits.


Mobile giant Nokia begins a second assault on handheld gaming, with the launch of the N-Gage platform.


MILWAUKEE - Barry Bonds barely missed his 700th homer, but J.T. Snow connected following yet another walk to the San Francisco slugger and the Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 behind Brett Tomko's four-hitter Wednesday night...


As a founding member of Sun's J2EE organization, Tegan-Padir managed the creation of specifications, compatibility test suites, blueprints and guided implementations of Java in the enterprise.


BATHING IN GLORY ; Scots Beaches Finally Get Clean Bill of Health

By Victoria Mitchell  SCOTLAND'S bathing beaches have never been cleaner, it was confirmed yesterday.  More than 60 designated bathing areas on the coast passed tough European standards for the first time in 20 years.


ASIA/CINA - Il mondo cinese si prepara a festeggiare il Natale: iniziative di beneficenza e anche tanti battesimi alla Messa di Mezzanotte Roma (Agenzia Fides) - Con la commovente canzone ÂWe Wish You a Merry ChristmasÂ cantata da tutti i presenti, si Ã¨ concluso il Concerto Natalizio della parrocchia di S. Pietro, nella diocesi di Shang Hai. ÂMelodia della VitaÂ Ã¨ stato tema del concert...


The Australian sharemarket dropped sharply at the open after Wall Street set the tone on Friday with one of its lowest closes for 2004.


Citing Cancer, Chief Resigns at McDonald's

McDonald's announced that Charles H. Bell was resigning as chief to focus on his battle with cancer, and will be succeeded by James Skinner, the vice chairman.


Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. on Tuesday   said it had fired Chief Executive Peter Dolan under pressure   from a federal overseer, who called for Dolan's ouster after   looking into a failed deal to delay competition to the   drugmaker's top product.


Martial Law in Chinese Town After Riots Kill Seven

China declared martial law in part of a central province after at least seven people were killed, 42 injured and numerous houses set ablaze in clashes between minority Muslims and Han Chinese, officials said on Monday.


LOS ANGELES  - Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, hosts of two of the struck late-night talk shows that resumed production last week, guested on each other's shows Thursday.


Chaos Reigns in Ukraine Presidential Race

The apparent front-runner was out of action for weeks with a mysterious illness. His close rival was hospitalized after an attack and was then warned he could be assassinated. With Ukraine's presidential election three weeks away, democracy seems to have gone badly awry as chaos and suspicion overshadow campaign issues in this strategically important country that sways between the West and Russia.


Government heads for clash with EU member states over 'red lines'

The government was heading for a showdown with other EU member states Thursday as it held firm over the "red lines" it has pledged to defend in negotiations on a key EU treaty in Tony Blair's final summit as the country's leader.


A possible new case of mad cow disease surfaced Thursday, reviving interest in giving consumers more details about tainted meat and in tracking cattle from barnyard to slaughterhouse.


A sei anni di carcere per terrorismo internazionale


Ukraine PM Aims to Mend Fences With U.S.

He was cast by critics as the Russian-backed bad guy during Ukraine's Orange Revolution two years ago, the burly politician who almost stole the presidential election from the pro-Western leader Viktor ...Comment


Former star Murphy testifies in sex assault trial

HOUSTON - Taking the stand in his own defense, Hall of Fame basketball player Calvin Murphy denied allegations that he sexually abused five of his 10 daughters.


Police in Afghanistan arrest a court judge for allegedly sheltering two men involved in deadly attacks.


Il ministro degli Esteri risponde al primo ministro dell'AutoritÃ  nazionale palestineseDa Ramallah aveva criticato l'apertura del governo italiano al partito estremista islamico                                            D'Alema: "Italia d'accordo con Ue Nessun negoziato con Hamas"                                                                                Il titolare della Farnesina ha perÃ² precisato che serve iniziare un processo per la pace in Palestina


Tax Break Helps a Crusader for Deficit Discipline

Can the co-founder of the Blackstone Group emerge as a credible voice in favor of fiscal constraint in Washington?


Martina Hingis overpowered Nicole Pratt 6-1, 7-5 Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open.


ASTROS TOP BRAVES â NOW ROGER GETS STAGE

When Roger Clemens ended his brief retirement to sign with the Astros, he said he'd do anything to help his hometown team win a championship.


WASHINGTON - The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering recommending charges against two former Citigroup Inc. employees and a current employee, the financial-services giant said Friday.


German, Australian win race up N.Y. skyscraper

Australian Suzy Walsham took up staircase running to win a trip to New York, and captured the top prize on Tuesday after racing 1,576 steps up the city's tallest skyscraper at the Empire State Building Run-Up.


Film star politician dies in Philippines

The Philippine film legend who came close to defeating Gloria Arroyo in the presidential race in May died early today after suffering a stroke.


South Korea plans crackdown on 'brokers' organizing mass ...

South Korea said it plans to crack down on people who demand money for organizing mass-defections of North Koreans. So-called brokers - often Koreans living in China, South Korean


Dearly departed to heat Manchester crematorium

'A final act of generosity' to chilly mourners A Manchester crematorium where "grieving friends and relatives have complained of the cold during services" will tackle the problem by using the "body heat" generated in the incineration process to crank up the temperature, the Telegraph reports.â¦


Paddy Ashdown says he had no choice but dismiss nine Bosnian Serb officials, after the PM resigns in protest.


MG Rover's historic Longbridge factory in Birmingham is due to reopen on Tuesday under Chinese ownership.


Like anyone who goes to war, Sgt. Geoffrey Allison worried about making it home alive.


Southeast Asian nations and China signed an accord Monday to create the world's biggest free trade area by removing tariffs for their 2 billion people by decade's end - a key step in their vision of a trade bloc to rival Europe and North America.


Kenya government, opposition face off in parliament

Kenya's new government and opposition clashed in parliament for the first time on Tuesday in a bad-tempered session reflecting deep bitterness over the disputed re-election of President Mwai Kibaki.


Torino, 14:27 - CALCIO, JUVE: A CROTONE PROBABILE TURN OVER A CENTROCAMPO

Juve al lavoro dopo la vittoria contro il Vicenza. I giocatori scesi in campo ieri hanno svolto un l...


SERIE A: Reggina-Juve 2-1, primo stop stagionale

Serata iniziata male e finita peggio quella vissuta dei bianconeri a Reggio Calabria. Il vento dello stretto ha portato la prima sconfitta stagionale della juventus che ha perso per 2-1. I gufi anti-juventini questa sera gioiscono.


Telling people off activates a part of the brain linked to enjoyment and satisfaction, say scientists.


Colgate says fake toothpaste a low health risk

Colgate-Palmolive Co. said on Friday that counterfeit toothpaste falsely labeled as "Colgate" posed a low health risk, and the company said it was picking up the suspected fakes from small independent stores in four U.S. states.


Terror. Not just fear. Not just awe. Not just respect, although there were also healthy doses of all three. The best word to describe the feeling Jimmy Walker brought to me as a fervent Boston College basketball fan was terror.


The Delhi High Court today granted bail to Baazee.Com CEO and US Citizen Avnish Bajaj, arrested in the obscene MMS case but asked him to surrender his passport and not to leave the country without permission of the trial court.


Abbas urges Hamas to agree to early elections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Hamas Islamists on Monday to agree to early elections and to open a "new page" by ceding control of the Gaza Strip and holding reconciliation talks with his Fatah faction.


Worries of violent showdown over Gaza pullout intensify

Jerusalem - As Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pressed ahead this week with his Gaza Strip evacuation plan, he grappled with a new obstacle to implementing the withdrawal: the specter of violent clashes mushrooming into a civil war.


The search engine giant has made it easier to navigate different media. It's also setting itself up nicely for video ads


Padilla Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison

Jose Padillaâs detention became the centerpiece of a debate over the Bush administrationâs prosecution of terrorism.


Ex-Chief of Computer Associates Is Indicted on Fraud Charges

federal grand jury on Wednesday charged Sanjay Kumar, the former chairman and chief executive of Computer Associates, with securities fraud and obstruction of justice, in what may be the last


Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone wants to be friends again with Tom Cruise. The actor's behavior over his romance with Katie Holmes and his aggressive defense of Scientology were reasons cited by Redstone when he broke ties with Cruise last year after a long and lucrative relationship at Viacom-owned Paramount Pictures.


Roma, 23:46 - CALCIO, REAL; CANNAVARO: MERITAVAMO DI PIU'

C'è ancora fiducia nel Real Madrid nonostante il ko con la Roma. Parla Fabio Cannavaro: "Avre...


The dollar crashed through key barriers  to a record low on the euro and a 7-month low on the yen on  Wednesday, as concern mounted a forthcoming G20 finance  ministers' meeting would do little to halt its slide.


Rapper Foxy Brown is sentenced to a year in jail in New York for violating her probation terms.


At the end of the very long Metallica documentary "Some Kind of Monster," the venerable heavy metal band reaches what is -- to its members -- a monumental conclusion.


Si chiama Miriam Leone, ammessa alle prefinali del concorso


Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee appealed to Iowa conservatives on two fronts Saturday, calling for a stronger military and stronger families.


Medical redshirt still a possiblity for Parker

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee freshman Candace Parker, who underwent another surgery on Wednesday, still might be forced to redshirt the upcoming season as she continues to rehabilitate her left knee.


Ireland holds host France 0-0 in qualifying

Ireland held host France to a 0-0 draw Saturday in a World Cup qualifying match at Stade de France. Defender John O'Shea missed a great chance to win the match for Ireland midway


Gordon Brown is due to report to MPs on the Lisbon summit at which EU leaders agreed a new reform treaty.


Caterpillar, Oil Prices Boost Blue Chips

U.S. blue chips rose on Tuesday after  a brokerage upgraded Caterpillar Inc. CAT.N and crude prices  fell for a third session, easing investor fears that costly oil  would squeeze company profits and slow growth.


Velvet, a casa dei dj ospite di riguardo è la musica

Ecco dove i divi italiani del mixer si rifugiano dopo le notti insonni impegnate a far ballare migliaia di persone in giro per il mondo


Heâs your best friend at the club, for a few $350 charges.


Microsoft: 2005 'Breakout Year' For Windows Server

com. Labeling 2005 a "breakout year" for its server operating-system line, Microsoft on Monday laid out a revised road map for Windows Server 2003 that promised the release of the second edition in the last half and a service pack in the first.


The Write Stuff: Owensboro Family Creates Home-Based Blogging Business

By Keith Lawrence, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.  Sep. 17--It started so simply.   Joi Sigers, a Madisonville native, was home schooling her three daughters.   And she worried that they weren't getting the kind of computer training that public schools could offer.


Bush, Putin ready for one-on-one meeting

Is a tense meeting in the cards for President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin? "Could be," even Bush admits.


Chairman Kevin McCabe is hopeful Sheffield United can overturn their relegation from the top flight after the first day of an arbitration tribunal.


Turkey votes in most important election in decades

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey  - Turks began voting on Sunday in a parliamentary election pitting the ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party against nationalists who disagree strongly over the future path of the secular Muslim country.


Borders Group Inc. (BGP.N), the No. 2 U.S. bookseller, on Tuesday said quarterly earnings rose, beating estimates by the company and Wall Street, largely because of stronger-than-expected book sales.


Cisco to Sell Faster Switch for Flood of Remote Data

Cisco Systems plans to introduce a network switch that will increase traffic capacity to 15 trillion bits of data a second.


Sindelar takes early lead with 5-under 66 at rain-delayed Canadian

Joey Sindelar had to wait five hours for the Canadian Open to get started Thursday, which was nothing compared with the five weeks he had to wait for his game to show up.


The music discovery service branches out from its Internet radio roots.


The Mahdi, an imam who happens to be Ahmadinejad's favorite, has become the object of frenzied and government-nurtured worship


Oprah Winfrey didn't have to think twice when she was asked to host this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert with Tom Cruise.


Carabinieri sono risaliti a lui dopo numerosi interrogatori


Maremoto: Maldive, Maldini e Zambrotta stanno rientrando

Paolo Maldini ha inviato un sms al padre Cesare per tranquillizzare tutti. Il capitano del Milan, alle Maldive per le vacanze natalizie era bloccato all`aeroporto di Male a causa del maremoto generato dal terremoto che ha colpito il sud-est asiatico.


Viacom Asks YouTube to Remove 100K Clips

By SETH SUTEL  NEW YORK - Media company Viacom Inc., which owns the cable networks MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and the Paramount Pictures movie studio, asked YouTube on Friday to remove more than 100,000 unauthorized clips from its hugely popular video-sharing site.


A Colorado man underwent surgery for a new kidney Wednesday in what was believed to be the first transplant brokered through a commercial Web site — a transaction that has raised a host of ethical and legal questions.


New England is at once sleepless, breathless, and full of hope. David Ortiz and the Red Sox just beat the Yankees in two extra-inning playoff games on the same calendar day. This century-long Sox-Yankee show, featuring themes of revenge and redemption, moves back to New York tonight.


Soaring household debt and the rise in credit card spending has left Briton's borrowers teetering on the brink of a precipice when it comes to the amount they owe, the Bank of England has warned.


A $1.2 billion program to deploy new radiation monitors to screen trucks, cars and cargo containers for signs of nuclear devices has been delayed by questions over whether Department of Homeland Security officials misled Congress about the effectiveness of the detectors.


President Musharrafâs two-office, Pakistanâs internal matter ...

WASHINGTON: US has termed President General Pervez Musharrafâs announcement of retaining the two offices of Army Chief and the president, in tandem, a matter of Pakistani parliament and the people.


US ready for diplomatic action if Iran fails to heed UN uranium ...

The United States reserves the right to take diplomatic action if Iran fails to honor a United Nations call for it to cease all uranium enrichment activities, US Under Secretary of State John Bolton told AFP Saturday.


Commerce Secretary Gutierrez to Keynote 5th U.S.-India High Technology Cooperation Group Summit

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) will host U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Carlos M. Gutierrez, on February 22, 2007 to keynote the 5th U.S.-India High Technology Cooperation Group to be held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.


Winemakers mull climate change at Barcelona conference

Carbon dixoide storage -- rather than grapes and vintages -- was on the agenda at a wine-makers conference in Barcelona Saturday, as vintners mulled ways to reduce the industry's greenhouse gas emissions.


British physicists work on "clockwork" technology that promises, theoretically, billion-year accuracy.


Milosevic Spends a 4th Birthday in Custody

Slobodan Milosevic spent a fourth birthday in U.N. custody Friday, his war crimes trial at a standstill because of his fragile health and his judges facing a dilemma on how to get going again.


Bush and Kerry Focus Campaigns on 11 Key States

Both campaigns have plans for a barrage of visits and television ads in key battlegrounds over the next 10 days.


Two rockets slam into a hotel complex in central Baghdad as gunfire breaks out nearby.


Citigroup,  under pressure to cut costs and boost revenues, named investment banking head Robert Druskin as chief operating officer.


JERUSALEM - Israel has sent intelligence officers to Russia and is hosting at least two senior Russian officers in Tel Aviv - quietly moving to upgrade anti-terror cooperation with Moscow in the wake of a series of devastating attacks in Russia, officials told The Associated Press.    The Israeli moves come as President Vladimir Putin revamps Russia's anti-terrorism capabilities after a school seizure by separatists in southern Russia ended with the deaths of at least 330 hostages, including many children...


Sara' l'unica occasione per vedere il gruppo in Italia


St. Maarteners celebrate national day in The Hague

For the first time, St. Maarteners residing in The Netherlands will celebrate St.


FDA OKs Test to Predict Breast Cancer Return

WASHINGTON - U.S. health officials approved a genetic test on Tuesday that can give women with early breast cancer an estimate of whether the disease is likely to return in five to 10 years.


Oracle: PeopleSoft's Board to Reject 'Final' Buyout Offer

PeopleSoft's board of directors is refusing yet again to entertain Oracle's all-cash tender offer, according to a news release issued by Oracle on Wednesday afternoon.


Cessione comporta plusvalenza 195 mln per azienda italiana


Airbus Hopes Its Planes, Not Its Setbacks, Will Stand Out

It is the twin-engine A350, not the delayed and much-publicized A380 superjumbo, that Airbus hopes will grab headlines at the Paris air show.


'Chemical Ali' will be the first in the dock

Baghdad - Iraq's "Chemical Ali" will be the first of toppled Saddam Hussein's henchmen to stand trial. Ali Hassan al-Majid, a cousin of Saddam's who earned his nickname over his alleged role in the gassing


Like Clockwork, Country Time Is Here Again

As summer ends, the fourth quarter looms and the fragile hopes of record executives head south, to Nashville. This season is already off to a good start.


Soldier Sentenced to Three Years for Murder of Iraqi Civilian

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2004 -- A Task Force Baghdad soldier was sentenced Dec. 10 to three years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering an Iraqi civilian, military officials in Baghdad, Iraq, reported today.


The gunman who fatally shot four people -- including Damageplan (and former Pantera) guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott -- at Columbus, Ohio's Alrosa Villa nightclub Wednesday night was a discharged Marine described as a "disturbed" loner by hometown


Ukrainian authorities have vowed to uphold public order during a crucial presidential election rerun, but tensions mounted as the vote drew near, prompting an assurance from Russia that it would not use underhanded tactics to affect the outcome.


Scotland to Ban Smoking in Closed Spaces

Scotland will ban smoking in enclosed public places, First Minister Jack McConnell said Wednesday, following Ireland in enacting a sweeping ban.


Former colleagues and friends remember Motherwell midfielder Phil O'Donnell, who died after collapsing during their match with Dundee United.


In a historic move that could extend Europe's borders to the edge of the volatile Middle East, the European Union recommended Wednesday setting mostly Muslim Turkey


Meat Company Fires 2 Over Cruelty to Livestock

A California slaughterhouse yesterday fired two employees, and the Agriculture Department opened a formal investigation following revelations that the plant used inhumane and what appear to be illegal methods to get sick and hobbled cows past federal inspectors.


The Pentagon appoints a retired general to review its Iraq operations, amid growing concern about security.


A car bomb exploded in the Falluja area Monday, causing several US casualties, a US military spokesman said. It was not immediately clear if the casualties included deaths.


Germany mulls 'Trojan' IT viruses as anti-terror measure

Left-wing members of the ruling coalition have objected strongly to plans by the German interior ministry to enlist "Trojans", malicious programmes sent in electronic mail, to spy on terror suspects.


Sistema informatico in tilt.Commercianti: oneroso balzello


U.S. Ambassador Calls on Taliban to Lay Down Arms

The United States called on Taliban  guerrillas to lay down their arms Thursday, saying Afghans had  voted against violence and those who gave up their insurgency  would not be punished unless they were guilty of major crimes.


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Wednesday's Champions League tie against holders AC Milan will be the "ultimate test" for his young team.


Seven U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq, including four in the western province of Anbar, the U.S. military said on Friday.


Rams Stay Alive and Look to Beat the Jets

The St. Louis Rams desperately needed a victory and played like it. The Philadelphia Eagles desperately wanted to stay healthy and played like it.


Spain arrests 14 over possible Barcelona attack

Islamic radicals may have been plotting  attacks in Barcelona, Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez  Rubalcaba said on Saturday, after police found bomb-making  materials and arrested 14 South Asians.


Palace steps up security as Batman walks

Security was stepped up around Buckingham Palace yesterday after the embarrassing lapse that allowed a protester dressed as Batman to storm the building.


In Ottawa, it was all smiles Tuesday as President Bush shook hands with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and kicked off a two-day state visit.


Bush Seeks to Allay Worries on Flu Vaccine Shortage

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.  - President Bush told senior  citizens in Florida on Tuesday he was doing everything possible  to ensure they get flu shots and his campaign accused Sen. John  Kerry of using "scare tactics" over the vaccine shortage to win  votes.


Social Networking I know I should probably lighten up a bit, but I see Web 2.0 sites such as YouTube and MySpace as clever ways to get schnooks like me to generate free content for the corporate media.


Microsoft offers flat-fee support option for NT 4.0 Server ...

DECEMBER 06, 2004  - Microsoft Corp. will offer custom support options on a flat-fee basis to users of Windows NT 4.0 Server and Exchange Server 5.5 when the standard support phases for those products end.


Panix Recovering from Domain-Name Hijack

New York-based Internet service provider Panix is working to recover from an apparent domain-name hijacking.


RIO DE JANEIRO -- Rich countries and developing nations agreed yesterday that global trade talks should resume, but they failed to set a date for formal negotiations.


UbiquiSys Sees Potential for Femtocells in UMA and IMS

UbiquiSys Ltd, a developer of femtocell technology, sees potential for its home access points in two flavors of fixed-mobile convergence: Unlicensed Mobile Access, UMA, and IP Multimedia Subsystems, IMS.


LONDON -- Britain's highest court harshly condemned yesterday one of the most hotly disputed elements of the country's anti-terrorist strategy -- a law allowing some foreign suspects to be locked up indefinitely with no charge.


Bob Dylan's much anticipated autobiography is hitting US bookstores, offering a rare, first-hand insight into the reclusive singer's life, the genesis of his career and struggle with celebrity.


JPMorgan's M&A head Dennis Hersch leaves firm

Investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co.  said on Monday that Dennis Hersch, global chairman of mergers and acquisitions, left the company.


Four people are killed and 30 injured after strong winds topple 11 carriages of a train in northern China, media say.


Physician-Owned Hospitals Faulted on Emergency Care

Most physician-owned specialty hospitals are poorly equipped to handle medical emergencies, federal investigators will report today, underscoring a long-standing concern about the rapid rise in the number of such hospitals.


Singer Gabrielle calls for the Mobo Awards to be scrapped, saying they ignore soul music and are too US-focused.


Researchers creating the Allen Brain Atlas unveil their first accomplishment -- a map of every gene in the mouse brain. Next up is a similar study using human brain slices. By Xeni Jardin.


Cheney Is a Quiet Force Behind Bush Presidency

Dick Cheney is one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history, regarded as a driving force behind the Iraq war and the Bush administration's industry-friendly energy policy.


Malcolm Glazer, tycoon owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reportedly plans to bid more than $1.2-billion to take control of British icon Manchester United, the world's richest soccer team.


Libby jury resumes deliberations after question

A jury resumed deliberations in the perjury trial of former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Monday after the judge declined to answer their question about the burden of proof needed to find him guilty.


La cittÃ  da giorni senza acqua, chiusi ristoranti e barla Barilla ha dovuto rallentare la produzione                                          Arriva la prima "class action" Ascoli a secco cerca il risarcimento                                                                                di LUISA GRION


FACTBOX-Lawsuits Surround U.S. Election Before It Starts

Political parties and civil rights activists have brought a wealth of lawsuits on voting issues before the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential election even gets under way.


No. 2 Okla. Outguns No. 22 Texas A&M 42-35

Jason White threw five touchdown passes, including the decisive one with 6:43 left, and the second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners overcame Texas A&M's explosive offense and special teams trickery for a 42-35 victory Saturday.


The transfer of confidential banking records by a Belgium-based company to U.S. authorities for use in anti-terrorism investigations breached Belgian and likely European Union data privacy rules, top government ...Comment


RMC, the troubled UK building materials group, was swallowed up for Â£2.3bn yesterday by the world's third-biggest cement producer, Cemex of Mexico.


Disposta chiusura Pronto soccorso del Sant'Elia


ANC to vote on Mbeki's fate amid signs of comeback

POLOKWANE, South Africa  - The African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday will hold a leadership vote that could end President Thabo Mbeki's control over South Africa's ruling party and tilt the government to the left.


Sharon Agrees to Pull Back Troops in Gaza

Israel said today that it had begun to scale back its 17-day military operation into the northern Gaza Strip after the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians, but Gaza


The United States said Tuesday it will conduct "a full investigation" along with the Iraqi government of the reported disappearance from Iraq's nuclear facilities of high-precision equipment that could be used to make nuclear weapons.


Aspiring Ala. Doctor Crowned Miss America

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Miss Alabama Deidre Downs, an aspiring doctor who put off medical school to compete for the Miss America crown, won it Saturday night...


Swift trawls space for gamma ray explosions

Gamma rays would be lethal to humans if it were not for the Earth's atmospheric shield. The rays emanate from astonishingly powerful phenomena, such as supernovae - massive stars that, when all their fuel has expired, perish in a violent explosion.


The Venezuelan leader visits Damascus to express his support for the country against US "aggression".


Growth for Companies Means Growth for CRM

Enterprises are focusing the customer experience like never before. In fact, over 80 percent of those recently surveyed by Forrester Research say that customer satisfaction will be more important for them this year than last. Almost none indicated that it would be less important in the coming months.


Circuit City Stores Inc. , the target of a $3.3 billion takeover bid by Boston-based Highfields Capital Management LP, plans to close 19 US stores, a warehouse, and five regional offices, eliminating as many as 973 jobs.


AIG will return $46m in fees it earned on three off-balance-sheet vehicles set up for PNC Financial as part of a settlement with regulators announced this week.


Russia, Britain clash over Litvinenko murder suspect

Moscow and London locked horns on Friday over where to try the chief suspect in the murder of Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, with each side insisting justice should be served on its own soil.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Bloomberg News) â Companies that lease tracts in the Gulf of Mexico in an oil and natural gas sale planned for March will pay higher federal royalties, the Minerals Management Service said Tuesday.


Diary of 'Original Bridget Jones' to Go on Sale

The 80-year-old private scribblings of a British teenager dubbed the "real-life Bridget Jones" will go on sale across the country next week.


Head of Iraq's Olympic committee kidnapped

Gunmen kidnapped the head of Iraq's Olympic committee and at least 30 employees after storming their offices in Baghdad on Saturday, police said.


Shares in Tesco climb 2% as it emerges that a firm owned by Warren Buffett has a stake in the supermarket chain.


Treatment Order Won't Affect Aggressive Breast Cancer Survival

TUESDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Switching the order in which treatments were administered did not improve survival for patients with aggressive inflammatory breast cancer, a new study found.


Jazeera: Hostage Asks British Troops to Leave Iraq

Iraqi-British national Margaret Hassan who is held hostage in Iraq urged Britain to pull out troops and release Iraqi women prisoners, Al Jazeera television said Wednesday.


Comcast stock may soar on cash flow: Barron's

Comcast Corp. , the largest U.S. cable operator, could see its stock soar nearly 57 percent in the next year due to available cash flows that it can spend on operations, according to the August 27 edition of Baron's.


Microsoft Seeks Video Game Winner With Halo 2

The anticipated release of Halo 2 is the latest and perhaps the best indication of how the blockbuster mentality of Hollywood has pervaded the videogame industry.


Saudi Reportedly Got $2 Billion for British Arms Deal

LONDON, June 7 -- Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family and the kingdom's former ambassador to the United States, pocketed about $2 billion in secret payments as part of an $80 billion arms deal between Britain and Saudi Arabia that was first signed in 1985, British media...


Kapfenberg, 10:00 - CALCIO, LAZIO: L'AFFARE CARRIZZO PIU' DIFFICILE

Il River alza il prezzo e l'affare Carrizo-Lazio si complica. Diversi siti e quotidiani online sudam...


India's captain Mahendra Dhoni is looking for a fresh start to the tour of Australia with Friday's Twenty20 game.


Even after hype, Games still deliver surprises

ATHENS  By the measure of the medal table, the approaching conclusion of the Olympics' first week seems to promise some sense of normalcy, with America again shadowing the top of the ...


ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's Islamic-rooted ruling party was planning to introduce a proposal to criminalize adultery despite earlier statements that the controversial measure had been shelved, Turkish media reported Thursday.


Microsoft, IBM feel heat from Google Apps

[Microsoft] and [IBM] executives Wednesday admitted feeling heat from [Google] now that the Web search giant is trying to make inroads into the enterprise market with its hosted suite of communication and [collaboration] tools.


Sweden's Johan Edfors fired a six-under par 66 to emerge as sole leader after the second round of the Qatar Masters on Friday.


Berlusconi frena Fini: 'Primo obiettivo completare il programma'

Roma, 28 ottobre 2004 - "La leadership di Berlusconi non si discute, ma nella Casa delle libertÃ  Ã¨ venuto il tempo delle scelte. E' necessario un nuovo patto e un nuovo governo". Gianfranco Fini lancia un


Chinaâs Inflation Rose to 7.1% in January

Consumer prices rose 7.1 percent, the largest increase in more than a decade.


US faces vaccine shortage as UK shuts Chiron plant

SAN FRANCISCO: The crisis in the flu vaccine supply in the US has led to renewed calls to modernise a half-century-old manufacturing system that relies on millions of chicken eggs and a lot of educated guesswork.


Khartoum claims 270,000 displaced from Darfur return 'voluntarily'

A Sudanese minister claimed that more than 270,000 people displaced by the conflict in Darfur had gone home "voluntarily" and that the situation in the western region was "improving."


MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. - Rap megastar Eminem and his high school sweetheart divorced for a second time Tuesday, less than a year after they remarried.


President of the United States. It would be fair to say that Blair's administration has been the most politically successful of any since the Second World War - as, from a certain perspective, it might be said ...


Italy's Francesco Casagrande and Carlos Golbano of Spain have been declared unfit to start the Tour of Spain following pre-race blood tests.


Searching for the stars among fund managers

Just about everything you've been  told about mutual fund investing in recent years goes something  like this:


Blair Wants Incentives For Sudan on U.N. Troops

LONDON, Sept. 16 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday that he would propose an incentive package for Sudan as part of an initiative to get U.N. peacekeepers on the ground in the war-torn region of Darfur and end the crisis there.


Israeli Helicopter Fires at Car in Gaza Strip

Missiles fired by an Israeli helicopter destroyed a suspected car bomb in a Gaza field on Thursday. Witnesses said no one was in the vehicle at the time.


Toys R Us converting NYC store into Babies R Us store

Toys R Us, the nation's second biggest toy retailer, plans to convert one of its two Manhattan stores into a Babies R Us, giving the company a prime location for its fast-growing


Three years ago, a newly minted columnist wrote that BearingPoint, the McLean-based consulting and technology contractor spun out of the KPMG accounting firm, had weathered a tough period and seemed poised to become one of the brightest stars of Northern Virginia business scene.


US President George W Bush is set to defend his Iraq policy at the  annual debate of the UN General Assembly.


Apple's iPhone Margins Could Hit 55.6%, Says iSuppli

Now with an official fresh consumer-grade iPhone in its laboratories, CE analysis firm iSuppli can fine-tune its estimates of how much of a markup Apple adds to the device, based on its estimated bill of materials. Each 8 GB model which retails for $599, iSuppli estimates, cost Apple a total of $264.85 in manufacturing and parts costs.


Wall Street's fourth-quarter rally gave stock mutual funds a solid performance for 2004, with small-cap equity funds and real estate funds scoring some of the biggest returns. Large-cap growth equities and technology-focused funds had the slimmest gains.


UK Sends Senior Minister to North Korea for Talks

British junior foreign office minister Bill Rammell will go to North Korea next month in the highest-level visit to the isolated Communist state by a UK official, London said on Tuesday.


HOW can you argue against attacking groups and individuals who want to plant bombs and kill innocent Australian civilians? Mark Latham believes he can mount and argue such a position (though he has given no coherent reason).


The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused Wednesday to reinstate a dropped conspiracy charge against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.


In organizzazione attentato anche Al Zarqawi, un arresto


Musharraf 'to keep army post if not elected president'

Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf will stay on as army chief if he is not re-elected for another five years as president, the government told the Supreme Court Tuesday.


A London hospital prepares for a post-mortem examination of the body of poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko.


Except for times when I use one online database that supports Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) dismal excuse for a browser, I never have much use for the blue lower-case "e" on my desktop.


World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: BSkyB Buys Stake in ITV

BSkyB, the satellite television company affiliated with the News Corporation, has bought a 17.9 percent stake in ITV, BritainÂs biggest commercial broadcaster, in a move that could thwart the ambitions of Richard Branson, the Virgin Group entrepreneur, to strengthen his position in the British media market. Mr. Branson had hoped to combine ITV with a cable company, NTL, in which he owns an 11 percent stake. The battle for ITV is rooted in a struggle for control of living rooms in Britain, which has one of the highest rates of digital TV and broadband Internet use in the world. BSkyB is the countryÂs biggest pay-TV operator, with more than eight million subscribers to its satellite system. NTL hoped to use the Virgin brand name and the ability to sell a Âquadruple playÂ of television, broadband, fixed-line phone service and cellphone service to gain an edge on Sky.


Solana arrives in Sudan for talks on Darfur crisis

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana flew into the Sudanese capital where he was expected to discuss the conflict in Darfur, amid international pressure on Khartoum over the rebellion there.


Demand for manufactured goods falls in May

Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell in May, reflecting a second straight month of weakness in demand for commercial aircraft.


Annan hails African Union's decision to send extra troops to ...

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed on Thursday the African Union's decision to deploy more troops and police in Sudan's trouble western region of Darfurto help improve the security conditions there.


A charity is warning obesity could be the cause of 12,000 cases of cancer a year in the UK by 2010.


Austria take 2-1 lead over Britain after doubles win

Austria took a 2-1 lead over Britain in their Davis Cup World Group playoff on Sunday after doubles pair Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya sailed past Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski 6-4 1-6 6-2 6-1 at Portschach.


(ANSA) - ROMA, 7 OTT - La nuova naufraga dell'Isola dei Famosi e' Carmen Di Pietro. Sostituira' Paolo Calissano, che ha abbandonato il programma la settimana scorsa. La notizia si apprende dal sito di 'Sorrisi


British Gas is increasing the cost of gas by 12.4% and electricity by 9.4% from 20 September, it announces.