Partners show off apps for IBM's revamped Sametime

(InfoWorld) - The update to its Lotus Sametime software that IBM has been promoting for months will launch Wednesday, and the company plans to show off not only the product but also partner applications built using its new extensibility platform. In January, IBM announced it wasÂ planning a major update to Sametime, its corporate instant-messaging and collaboration software. It said the product would have voice over IP (VOIP) capabilities, integration with public IM clients from America Online, Yahoo, and Google and client-side support for Apple Computer's Mac OS X 10.4 and Linux. As part of the revamp, IBM also added support for the open-source Eclipse development framework so third-party companies could build applications on top of Sametime. At a launch event in New York on Wednesday, partners such as Cisco Systems and Dassault Systemes will show off applications that leverage Sametime's ability to let users connect in real time, said Ken Bisconti, vice president of Lotus software products at IBM. Cisco will demonstrate Sametime plug-ins that let users "click to call" a VOIP audio conference that uses the networking company's technology, he said. Dassault, a French company that provides project-management software, is using its 3D modeling technology in conjunction with Sametime to let Sametime users view models of products -- for example, an airplane -- and connect via instant messaging or voice with the designers of different parts of the product, Bisconti said. Pricing for Sametime 7.5 is $55 per user. The product began shipping in mid-August. IBM is already planning enhancements for the product's next major upgrade, due some time next year. Keeping in line with its intention to make Sametime more extensible, IBM in the next version wants to improve Sametime's Web conferencing aspect by making it more open to external developers, said Adam Gartenberg, IBM's offering manager for real-time collaboration. For example, IBM is considering creating an API (application program interface) to let developers embed audio/video conferencing windows from other providers into Sametime's Web conference interface, he said. With Sametime 7.5 today, it's possible to schedule a third-party audio/video session when reserving the Web conference, or to launch an "instant meeting" from the IM client, he said. This brings up both a Sametime Web conference and a third-party audio/video session simultaneously, each with its own window on the desktop, he said. The planned API would give users an integrated video window where they could see all aspects of the Web meeting in one place, he said. IBM is also considering making the Sametime Web conferencing portion more modular, so elements of it can be made available outside the Web conferencing interface, Gartenberg said. These elements, such as uploaded files, desktop or application sharing capabilities and virtual whiteboards, could be made available from within IM or e-mail environments, he said. Instant messaging and real-time collaboration systems have traditionally been proprietary, so attempts to open up these systems to a broader IT universe are interesting, said Matt Brown, a Forrester Research analyst. "IBM is certainly pushing this idea of interoperability and [making] real-time collaboration a platform component that can be consumed by other applications," Brown said. Regarding IBM's plans, Sametime's Web conferencing would become less a place for users to meet online and more of an integrated part of the work they're involved in, Brown said. So, an e-mail sent to a group could be seamlessly escalated into a Web conference including every recipient, Brown said. Or a Web conference could be embedded into a product design application so the team could share designs and models in an ad-hoc way, Brown said. Sametime has more than 16 million users and is quite a mature product, but Microsoft hopes to steal some of its thunder with an update to its own real-time collaboration product. The company plans to ship Office Communications Server 2007 -- aÂ revamped and rebranded versionÂ of its Live Communications Server product -- as a competitor to Sametime in the second quarter of next year.ADVERTISEMENTMAKE SOA REAL WITH IBM WEBSPHERE PODCASTStreamline processes and maximize efficiency within a proven service oriented architecture. Take back control of your business processes with IBM WebSphere.


Ten carriers that lead the skies in late arrivals, cancellations and lost luggage.


Google to bid for U.S. airwaves if condition added

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK  - Google Inc said on Friday it would take part in a major auction of wireless spectrum airwaves, meeting a minimum required bid of $4.6 billion, if U.S. regulators added a sale condition that Google said would promote an open wireless market.


Israeli Missile Kills Palestinian in Gaza Strip

An Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a  house in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp Sunday, killing one  Palestinian and wounding four others, witnesses said.


Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. , the  world's largest chewing gum maker, posted a higher quarterly  profit on Tuesday, driven by stronger shipments of its  products, and said its board approved a 13 percent dividend  increase.


Sport: The chief executives of Chelsea and Man Utd are leading candidates for World Cup bid roles


Blackmail charges dropped against tracking software duo Blackmail charges have been dropped against a pair of hackers accused of mounting an extortion scam against MySpace as part of a plea-bargaining agreement.â¦


Shatner Wants to Boldly Go on Space Flight

Actor William Shatner is shown in this undated publicity photo. (AP Photo/www.williamshatner.com). LONDON Oct 22, 2004 - "Star Trek" star William Shatner and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro


UPDATE: Australian Growth Likely Slowed Sharply In 3Q

SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Australia's economic growth likely slowed sharply in the third quarter, economists said Monday, with data showing a record current account deficit and foreign debt.


People walking by mock coffins in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington during a tribute to the more than 1,100 US service personnel killed so far in the Iraq war.


Parigi, 10:57 - CALCIO, FRANCIA: LIBERO AGENTE CHE HA UCCISO TIFOSO

E' stato rilasciato il poliziotto francese che giovedÃ¬ sera ha ucciso un tifoso del Paris Saint Germ...


Rule May Let Workers Keep Health Coverage

For U.S. workers who change or lose their jobs, a new rule issued by the Bush administration just before the end of 2004 could provide better access to group health plan coverage — in keeping with changes Congress agreed to eight years ago.


The criminal case against a defrocked Roman Catholic priest at the center of the Boston Archdiocese sex scandal now hinges on the allegations of a single accuser.


Ford, GM have discussed merger, alliance: report

Senior executives at General Motors   Corp. GM.N and Ford Motor Co. F.N have discussed a merger   or alliance, industry newspaper Automotive News reported on   Monday.


Ugandan judges end a strike after they say the president expressed regret over the storming of the High Court.


Detroit Red Wings forward Aaron Downey felt he had to deliver a little on-ice justice.


Udine, 17:30 - CALCIO, UDINESE; OBODO: ATTENZIONE AD OBINNA

Cristian Obodo, centrocampista dell'Udinese, avvisa i compagni in vista della gara contro il Chievo:...


Northwestern earnings fall after suit settlement

Northwestern Corp. , which is  set to be acquired by Australia's Babcock & Brown  Infrastructure Group , said 2006 earnings fell after  the settlement of a lawsuit.


Rashad McCants continues his sharp shooting streak with 27 points and the Timberwolves snap an eight-game losing streak with a 101-91 victory over the reeling Heat.


Tenn. shooting suspect stuck in money scam

A woman accused of shooting her preacher husband to death after they argued over money may have been taken in by a remarkably common scam that strained their finances and their marriage.


A 97-year-old woman is seriously ill in hospital after being robbed and thrown to the ground for a loaf of bread.


Pharmaceutical stocks were mixed in afternoon trading, performing slightly better than the Dow Jones Industrial Average but seeing sharp declines in smaller stocks on clinical trial snags.


Cracknell insists the four-time Olympic medal winner will not continue to the 2008 Games, where he could have equalled the tally won by his former partner Steve Redgrave.


Sorpreso a casa dei suoceri a Reggio Calabria


Investor Raises Stake in Bank to Over 9%

The investor Joseph Lewis disclosed that he had increased his stake in Bear Stearns to 9.57 percent.


Google's Doodle Dipped in Valentine's Day Subtlety

By Ryan Blitstein, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.  Feb. 15--Would a Google by any other name search as sweet? That's what visitors to Google.com might have asked themselves Wednesday about the puzzling "Google Doodle" logo on its home page.


Bergamo, 19:51 - CALCIO, ATALANTA: VIERI HA SCELTO DI INDOSSARE LA MAGLIA 17

Per il suo ritorno a Bergamo Christian Vieri ha deciso di abbandonare la ,maglia numero 32 per indos...


Firenze, 23:18 - CALCIO, NAZIONALE: SEMIOLI INDISPONIBILE, NIENTE AZZURRO

Niente Nazionale per Franco Semioli. Il centrocampista della Fiorentina non risponderà alla c...


FINANZIARIA: STRALCIATI 17 COMMI, FINI RICHIAMA LA LEGA

ROMA - Superata la 'querelle' sui pedaggi ombra, la maggioranza ha inciampato sullo stralcio di alcune norme dalla Finanziaria per estraneita' di materia. Decisione presa dal presidente della Camera Casini


In rialzo rispetto moneta Usa all'apertura mercati valutari


Scripps Raises Forecast for TV Ad Revenue

Media company E.W. Scripps Co. SSP.N  on Wednesday raised its forecast for broadcast television  advertising revenue in the current quarter, citing a  stronger-than-expected market for political commercials in  October.


Despite my well-known interest in healthful eating, I donât believe in deprivation.


Hurricane Frances destroyed more of the  citrus crop in some places in Florida than Hurricane Charley  did three weeks ago, the state's agriculture commissioner said  on Tuesday.


Solvent Works: Graffiti Gone on Old Capitol

By Adam Wilson, The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.  Dec. 13--Passersby shouldn't notice a thing after the state successfully removed graffiti Tuesday from the Old Capitol in downtown Olympia.


Nervous US vows help for Turkey against PKK rebels

President George W. Bush Monday promised US cooperation in Turkey's struggle against Kurdish rebels operating out of northern Iraq, but Washington also urged restraint after deadly border clashes.


Manning faces fitness battle after injuring shoulder

New York Giants quarterback Eli  Manning's is a doubt for next weekend's game against the Green  Bay Packers after he sprained his right shoulder in the opening  day loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the team said on Monday.


I Let It Slide, Admits Downcast Mickelson

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan  - Shell-shocked Phil  Mickelson had little explanation for his miserable opening day  Ryder Cup form Friday after he partnered Tiger Woods to two  defeats against Europe.


By DAVID TWIDDY    KANSAS CITY, Mo.  -- Sprint Corp...


Putin claims Olympics as vote for resurgent Russia

President Vladimir Putin has claimed Sochi's victory in the race to host the 2014 Winter Olympics as an international endorsement of Russia's economic resurgence.


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Sept. 19, 2004 - Tropical Storm Jeanne killed at least 29 people in Haiti after battering the neighboring Dominican Republic with its lashing winds and deadly storm surge before it pushed off into the open seas on Sunday.


Israel Holds Out Prospect of Gaza Coordination

Israel held out the prospect on  Monday of coordinating a planned unilateral Gaza pullout with  the Palestinians if a new leadership succeeding Yasser Arafat  cracked down on militants.


Serbian vampire hunters prevent Milosevic come-back

Drive 3ft stake through dictator's black heart Serbian vampire hunters have acted to prevent the very remote possibility that former dictator Slobodan Milosevic might stage a come-back - by driving a three-foot stake through his heart.â¦


Zend Developer Zone: PHP Security Tips #6 and #7

Continuing in their security theme for the month of March, the Zend Developer Zone has posted two more Security Tips for PHP developers out there:  The first tip (#6 on their list) talks about the benefits of casting all of the values going in to your SQL queries. This helps keep you and your data away from things like nasty SQL injection issues that could result in exposure of valuable data. The second tip (#7) focuses on regeneration of session IDs to help prevent fixation.  They give an example of how, without it, you could inadvertently allow in unauthorized users. Thankfully, one quick function call can remedy the situation - session_regenerate_id.    Check out their full list for more great tips.


After a closed-door meeting with more than 50 physicians from Laurel Regional Hospital, Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) said he increasingly believes the county's troubled hospital system should be "doctors-run."


The West Bank town's transfer to Palestinians will set the stage for four more Israeli withdrawals.


FRANKFURT/LONDON  - Germany sold 6.3 percent in  phone operator Deutsche Telekom on Monday, raising up to 4.4  billion euros ($5.5 billion) as part of a privatization drive  to help it tackle a burgeoning budget deficit.


The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is giving some lucky movie buffs the chance to see their favorite stars up close at the Oscars next year.


Piracy accusations fly as Kazaa trial begins

THE firm behind leading file-swapping network Kazaa is being sued by the record industry in the latest round of a fight over copyright.


As Electronics Show Grows, Some Scale Back

The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has become a challenging place to introduce new products.


The gun that killed Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor was placed in a sock and thrown into the Everglades, an attorney for one of the suspects said.


The head of Iran's nuclear energy organisation said work would stop at two nuclear facilities in the central cities of Isfahan and Natanz.


Capital and GWR confirm merger talks to create Â£700m radio giant

Capital Radio and GWR admitted yesterday that they are in talks over a Â£700m merger of equals, a deal that will kick-start the long-awaited consolidation of the UK commercial radio industry.


China sees no deadline for North Korea talks

The next round of six-party talks could make concrete progress toward persuading North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons, China said on Tuesday, but no deadline has been set for negotiators.


Bush vows to 'deepen' ties with European allies

President Bush pledged yesterday to visit Europe shortly after his second inauguration in January as part of an effort to improve relations with European allies after bitter disputes over Iraq during his first term.


Hollywood directors reach deal with studios: source

The Hollywood directors' union reached a contract deal with major film and television studios on Thursday, a source familiar with the negotiations said, confirming a report in Daily Variety.


Uncensored transcript posted online Exclusive Highly-sensitive documents that disclosed secret information about the inner workings of the technical strategies adopted by rival Formula One (F1) teams were exposed for all to see on the internet.â¦


Data revision shows Japan's economy grew slightly in July-September

TOKYO  - Japan's economy barely grew during the quarter ending Sept. 30 and in the April-June period it actually shrank instead of squeezing out slight growth, according to revised government data released Wednesday.


The traditional doctor's white coat is to be changed as part of government plans to tackle hospital infections.


Biovitrum acquires promising oncology project from Karolinska

Biovitrum today announces that the company acquires a promising oncology project from Axelar AB, an innovative company established by leading researchers at the Karolinska Institute, and Karolinska Innovations ...


Poland sees its jobless rate hit a five year low in July as more of its citizens seek better paid work elsewhere in the EU.


Goldman profit almost doubles, but investors wary

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. , the world's largest investment bank, said on Tuesday quarterly earnings nearly doubled on strong growth in almost every business, but some investors questioned whether the company can keep up the pace.


H.I.V. Risk Halved by Circumcision, U.S. Agency Finds

The directors of the two largest funds for fighting the disease said they would consider paying for circumcisions in high-risk countries.


Blockbuster and Netflix stop suing each other

Will secret 'sweetheart' deal stifle the competition? Blockbuster and Netflix have ended their patent litigation battle, Blockbuster revealed today. No terms have been announced, but in an SEC filing the video retailing giant said the settlement would not affect financial performance.â¦


Couric's CBS News debut draws strong early ratings

Katie Couric posted a strong start   as anchor of the CBS Evening News in the ratings, with more   than twice as many viewers as usual tuning into Tuesday's   debut, early Nielsen Media Research figures showed.


When the Germans, and Rockets, Came to Town

After World War II, Huntsville, Ala., was transformed by Wernher von Braunâs rocket program. Now it has one of the countryâs highest concentrations of scientists and engineers.


Ryder Cup hopefuls head for Munich, where the team will be ...

Luke Donald of England made an early charge in a late bid to make his first European Ryder Cup team, but now must wait a week to see if European Captain Bernhard Langer finds him worthy of a captain's pick.


UN chief Kofi Annan says most Mid-East leaders regard the US invasion of Iraq as a disaster for the region.


South Korean gymnast goes to sport court to get gold medal

The South Korean gymnast who lost the all-around title to Paul Hamm because of a scoring error filed an appeal Sunday with a sports arbitration panel, asking it to help him get the gold medal.


Ore. Man Pleads Guilty in 2 Girls' Deaths

A man accused of killing two of his daughter's friends, then hiding their bodies on his property pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder charges and received two life sentences in prison.


Inmates at a prison are to get a small financial bonus for good behaviour during a recent prison officer strike.


UCLA break-in puts data on 800,000 at risk

For more than a year, an intruder has been accessing private information on students and staff, among others, the university says.


GM, UAW keep bargaining as contract extended

The United Auto Workers union extended its contract with General Motors Corp. on an "hour-to-hour" basis on Saturday as the two sides continued labor talks beyond a Friday deadline.


A record 7 million people -- one in every 32 U.S. adults -- were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the end of last year,  a Justice Department report released yesterday shows.


Oliver Stone's gay sand-and-sandal epic "Alexander" got a thorough critical roasting for its Thanksgiving opening - and Times Square moviegoers yesterday seemed equally allergic to the toga turkey.


Luciano Pavarotti, whose vibrant high C's and ebullient showmanship made him one the most beloved tenors, has died, his manager told The Associated Press. He was 71.


Microsoft confirms Office for Mac 2008 snafu

The latest version of Microsoft office for Macs incorrectly assigns ownership of some of its files when it's installed, causing a potential security problem for companies that are using the business suite.


MIAMI There aren't any Christmas presents for Miami Dolphins fans. They still don't know who will be coaching the team next year, as LSU coach Nick Saban is taking his time in deciding whether to take the job.


German journalists killed in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said two German journalists have been killed by gunmen in northern Afghanistan.


Scientists are hoping that "playing" a tiny guitar string will be able to help weigh molecules to find out what they are.


AUSTRALIA PRESS: Murdoch Drums Up Support For US Move

SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--News Corp. (NWS) Chairman Rupert Murdoch said there was "no choice" but to change the media giant's domicile to the US as he attempts to win over crucial support from Australian investors for the move, the Australian Financial Review ...


The election reveals a worrisome divide among the country's voters  -  and a predeliction for show over substance in the winning party


Milano, 19:24 - CALCIO, SCOMMESSE: PROCURA FIGC APRE FASCICOLO SU CASO CATANIA

La Procura federale della Federcalcio ha aperto un fascicolo sul presunto caso di calcio-scommesse ...


Susan Lyne has valuable insight into the lives of the desperate housewife. Michael Eisner, the embattled CEO of Disney, was unappreciative of her rare gift.


Salmonella Outbreak Due to Peanut Butter

ATLANTA -- A salmonella outbreak that has slowly grown to nearly 300 cases in 39 states since August has been linked to tainted peanut butter, federal health officials said Wednesday.


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...


US-Iranian naval clash: Radio trolls probably to blame

'Filipino Monkey' strikes again Analysis Those readers who follow the non-IT'n'Paris news will be aware that in recent days a group of US warships almost fired on fast boats operated by Iranian Revolutionary Guards. This was after hearing radio transmissions in which the Iranians appeared to threaten some form of attack.â¦


Pakistan's paradox: bombs, blood and record profits

A little more than six years ago, immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. cities, few sane investment advisers would have recommended Pakistani stocks.


Spanish international midfielder Cesc Fabregas said Friday that he would be sticking with Premiership side Arsenal despite the interest shown in him by Real Madrid.


Diamond valued at $14 million stolen from Paris museum

Thieves have stolen two diamonds worth about $14.1 million from a trade fair at one of Paris' top museums. The gems were taken from a display case at an antique and jewelry dealers show at the Louvre Museum complex.


Hollywood studios plan to file hundreds of lawsuits this month against people who illegally share movies online, industry representatives said Thursday.


Stubbles Blog: My wishlist for PHP 6, pt1: The 'object' type hint

Stephan Schmidt has posted some thoughts about type hinting in PHP5 (what's there) and the same kind of functionality for objects in PHP6 (what's to come).   I was very pleased, that PHP 5 introduced type hints, although they are not available for primitives like string, int, boolean, etc. Still, I'd like to see the object type hint introduced in any future version of PHP that allows me to specify, that a method or function only accepts an object, regardless of the type of the object.   He gives the example of Java's handling of the functionality and what PHP does with the same type of code. He also mentions that, via the Reflection API extension, some of this is possible already, so why not just include it from here on out?


LONDON -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday the United States would rebuff European efforts to bring it into negotiations with Iran aimed at preventing the Islamic state from developing nuclear weapons.


Republicans expand their margin of control, even as bitter fights over judiciary and spending remain. By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.


Artest Banned for Rest of Season After Ugly Brawl

The National Basketball Association  suspended All-Star Ron Artest for the rest of the season and  Indiana Pacers team mates Stephen Jackson for 30 games and  Jermaine O'Neal for 25 following Friday's ugly brawl.


N.B. contributes funds to help art gallery in tug of war over paintings

FREDERICTON (CP) - The Beaverbrook Art Gallery is getting major financial support from the New Brunswick government in its battle to keep millions of dollars in paintings from the heirs of the late Lord Beaverbrook.


Jewish groups furious over Maradona's Iran wish

Families of victims of a deadly 1994 bomb attack on a Jewish centre have hit out at Diego Maradona after the Argentina football legend said he wanted to meet Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.


Benazir Bhutto's party challenged the Pakistani government's version of the opposition leader's assassination as fresh violence on Saturday stoked fears that January 8 elections could be put off.


Year-old start-up Cassatt has launched a new service for automating IT operations using grid technology. Cassatt will aid the management and aggregation of a large number of machines


News.com Extra: New sport: Ethernet cable detangling

Also: Flirting, online and off. See what people are saying on News.com Extra.


More steam gushed out of Mount St. Helens following an increase in earthquake activity, keeping scientists guessing as to what is happening deep within the volcano and perhaps


Gilberto Higuera Guerrero, said to be behind half the cocaine smuggled into the US from Mexico, is arrested.


Leeds United Football Club confirm Elland Road sale

Leeds United Football Club chairman Gerald Krasner has said that Elland Road will be sold and leased back after the collapse of the propsed takover deal today.


No deal yet in 'tough' North Korea nuclear talks

Six-nation talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear programme failed to strike a deal as the US chief negotiator said only one sticking point remained.


South African holds off Bjorn to overtake Woods in world rankings

Ernie Els emerged from a slough of despond yesterday when he won the American Express World Golf Championship at Mount Juliet here and moved to No2 in the world rankings, pushing Tiger Woods down to third place.


At $350m center, Philip Morris looks for future

RICHMOND - With waning cigarette sales due to concerns about health, smoking bans, and price increases, Philip Morris USA is staking its future in a new research center meant to develop products to reduce the risk of tobacco use.


Police in India question a schoolboy in connection with the filming and sale of video clips of a sexual act.


A weekend of frenzied campaigning in South Florida began on Saturday as both Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns sought to fire up supporters for the beginning of early voting and


At least three children are reported to have died by accident  while acting out the recent hanging of a Calcutta man convicted of rape and murder.


It's His Prerogative: Brown, Bravo Talk TV

Cable channel Bravo is in negotiations with Bobby Brown for a reality series about the R&B singer's troubled life.


An Ex-President, a Mining Deal and a Big Donor

A Canadian financier who traveled to Kazakhstan with Bill Clinton and won a big mining deal later donated millions to Mr. Clintonâs charitable foundation.


Victoria Beckham debuts fashion label in New York

Victoria Beckham, wife of British soccer star David, launched her debut denim collection in New York on Thursday to a crush of photographers, television cameras and journalists.


The Geminid meteor shower is one of the annual meteor showers that pull professional and amateur astronomers alike out into the cold night air.


Blog: New rumors from publications in India say a "Google Phone" will likely be introduced within the next couple of weeks, but I wouldn't get too excited just yet.


Shakhtar to beat Celtic twice, bets Marica

Donetsk, Ukraine, Oct. 20 -- Shakhtar Donetskâs Romanian teenage forward Ciprian Marica believes his sideâs strong team spirit will see them beat Celtic twice in the UEFA Champions League.


Facebook announces incentive fund for application developers

The company announces a new program called FBFund to provide grants to developers who are interested in creating applications for the Facebook Platform.


Obama dips but still has big South Carolina lead

FLORENCE, South Carolina  - Democrat Barack Obama's big lead over rival Hillary Clinton has slipped but is still substantial two days before the presidential primary election in South Carolina, where candidates were competing vigorously to win support from black voters.


The UK is responsible for almost 30% more carbon dioxide than it reports, the conservation organisation WWF says. WWF's Living Planet Report 2004 says Britain counts only CO2 emitted by UK industry, power plants and vehicles.


Over 2,500 Republican delegates gathering in New York adopted a party platform on the first day of a four-day national convention on Monday, touting President George W. Bush's achievements over the past four years.


The number of students choosing to take university courses abroad has more than doubled in recent years.


His Boston University teammates knew that if they were going to win this pot of beans for a 28th time, their scarlet-robed guardian angel would have to be his usual miserly February self. John Curry is more reliable than Punxsutawney Phil at this time of year, and last night he sprawled, scrambled, and stifled for 60 minutes and more until ...


Cda propone assemblea un dividendo unitario di 0,58 euro


Life & style: Linda Grant: Couture can only exist because enough women will buy an Yves St Laurent Tribute bag


After a day spent reviewing its spectacular but wild spaceflight Wednesday, aerospace visionary Burt Rutan's team is sticking to its plan to try to capture the Ansari X Prize with a second launch on Monday.


Coke Profit Hurt by Sluggish Global Sales

Coca-Cola Co.  on Thursday reported a 24 percent drop in quarterly net income due to weak sales of its soft drinks, juices and bottled waters in Germany and other key markets.


Chauncey Billups' two free throws with 2.6 seconds left gave Detroit its first lead since the first quarter, and Stephon Marbury's last-second miss gave Detroit a 94-93 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.


TV hosts Leno and O'Brien to return amid strike

Late-night TV hosts Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien plan to cross picket lines to resume taping shows on January 2, nearly two months after the Hollywood writers strike forced them off the air, the NBC network said on Monday.


Suggs Gets 2 TDs, Browns Beat Lions 17-10

Jeff Garcia got the Cleveland Browns into the end zone and helped them to a preseason victory they really wanted.


The high court in the Indian capital, Delhi, dismisses a  petition seeking to legalise homosexuality.


War Opponents Train For Visits to Area Schools And Recruitment Centers

Two days after bringing thousands of protesters to the U.S. Capitol, Iraq war opponents will begin a "week of action" today that starts with sending activists to area high schools and military recruiting centers and marching through a congressional building.


UN climate talks in Bali appear to be heading for a compromise deal on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.


Ue. Patto di stabilita'. Siniscalco: i numeri rigidi sono inadatti ...

I parametri "rigidi" del Patto di stabilitÃ  "si sono rivelati un arma a doppio taglio", secondo il ministro dell'Economia, Domenico Siniscalco. Parlando davanti alla Commissione Bilancio della Camera il ministro


Flu shot mess: Enough to make your head hurt

A FEDERAL ADVISORY panel late last week recommended an easing of government restrictions on the nation's flu shot supply. The panel now recommends the shot for everyone age 50 and older.


L'azienda deve anche pagare un risarcimento di 1,5 milioniDi Pietro: "Lezione di democrazia". Soddisfazione di Fassino                                          Santoro deve tornare in Rai sentenza del tribunale del lavoro


Microsoft (Quote, Chart) is fighting to hold onto a multi-million dollar deal with the municipal government of Beijing. On Nov. 17, Microsoft beat domestic software developers to snag a $3.6 million, three


Murdoch Will Buy Rest of Fox Shares in $7 Billion Deal

Rupert Murdoch, consolidating his global media empire in the U.S., is expected to announce that he will buy out the shareholders of his Fox properties.


Senate Reorganizes Counterterrorism Functions

The Senate approved a reorganization  of its counterterrorism oversight on Saturday, but ended up  changing little more than a panel's name after various  committee chairmen fought successfully to keep their turf.


Retailer Giordano soars, denies stake sale talk

Shares in Giordano International Ltd.  jumped more than 11 percent on Monday, valuing the fashion retailer at up to US$790 million, on speculation three rivals were vying for a stake in the company.


WASHINGTON -- Growth in the manufacturing sector slowed in August while construction spending dropped sharply in July, indicating turmoil in the housing and financial markets could be spilling over to the broader economy.


IL COMMENTO                                          Se i poteri si sfidano a colpi di ritorsioni


gruesome killing of two hospital nurses, one beheaded and one stabbed to death, officials say. the southwestern town of Pau. The head of the decapitated woman was left perched on a television set.


Last Saturday, at an extraordinary meeting, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1564 which threatens sanctions on the Sudan's vital oil industry.


NEW YORK  UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Tuesday raised doubts about Myanmar's resolve to implement a road map for democracy and urged the nation's military leaders to immediately release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.


NASA plans to try to set a world speed record for jets on Monday with the flight of a pilotless vehicle that culminates a decades-long research program into hypersonic flight.


A doping test developed by Sydney-based researchers and introduced secretly during the Athens Olympics has produced evidence that gold medal-winning cyclist Tyler Hamilton had had an illegal blood transfusion.


A $13,000 handbag and other items were snatched from "Spider-Man" star Kirsten Dunst's penthouse suite at a posh Manhattan hotel earlier this month, according to court records.  Thieves slipped into the actress' rooms at the SoHo Grand Ho...


US Bombs Falluja, Battles Guerrillas in North Iraq

US forces launched new attacks on Thursday in the towns of Falluja and Tal Afar, which they say are havens for foreign militant fighters, and doctors said at least 25 Iraqis were killed in air strikes and fighting.


Sam Allardyce has spoken of his sorrow at the departure of Portsmouth managerial duo Harry Redknapp and Jim Smith. The Bolton boss was looking forward to locking horns with both men


Media & professional: TV ad for  Toyota Prius banned for exaggerating the car's environmental benefits.


Italian PM Romano Prodi vows to curb football violence after a policeman is killed in clashes between Sicilian fans.


A Florida appeals court issued a stay Monday in the dispute over Anna Nicole Smith's body, ruling that her remains cannot be moved to the Bahamas until the judges hear a challenge from the starlet's estranged mother.


Sophos released a warning yesterday about a worm that has the capability to use webcams to spy on computer users in their home or workplace.


From BlasÃ© Bollywood, a Star Helps Relief Effort

Unlike most of the members of India's flourishing entertainment business, Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi chose to take part directly in tsunami relief efforts.


Londra, 12:14 - CALCIO, STAMPA GB: MOURINHO VERSO IL VALENCIA

Jose Mourinho allenatore del Valencia. E' questa l'ipotesi avanzata dal tabloid inglese 'The Sun', s...


Gip decide su padre ragazza e cugino accusati di sequestro


A multitalented mouse and a Webcam designed expressly for notebooks are among the newly launched peripherals.


Controlli su strutture turistiche, gia' 100 segnalazioni


Hong Kong accuses radio activists of contempt

Hong Kong has accused activists who made an unlicensed radio broadcast of contempt of court, a case that highlights sensitivities over media freedom in the city 10 years after it returned to Communist-ruled China.


US woes slash $2bn from price of Home Depot supply business

Business & money: Â· Buyers renegotiate deal in face of tighter creditÂ· Housing sales fall for five successive months.


Comedian George Carlin Enters Rehab Program

Comedian George Carlin, who became  a counter-culture hero in the 1970s with routines about drugs  and dirty words, said on Monday he was voluntarily entering a  drug and alcohol treatment program.


Circuit City Stores Inc. reported a smaller-than-expected loss in the third quarter on store efficiencies and higher extended warranty sales, but the retailer's top executive said holiday sales have been slower than expected so far.


Class-Action Cases Rise, Fueled by Subprime Troubles

The subprime mess is turning out to be a boon for class-action lawyers. Through Dec. 15, filings were up 58 percent from 2006, according to a new study.


In a world first, Toronto cancer specialists have developed an innovative one-hour radiation therapy that could dramatically change the way breast cancer is treated.


CES getting bigger, but not necessarily better

News.com's Ina Fried finds herself agreeing with analyst Jeffrey Kagan, who said CES may have been even more massive this year, but it was short on big new ideas.


Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.  said  on Tuesday that quarterly earnings more than tripled, helped by  strong trade revenue.


Red Hat simplifies pricing on SaaS-based system monitoring

(InfoWorld) - Red Hat has changed the pricing model for its SaaS-based system monitoring and added support for more software packages, the company said on Wednesday. The Red Hat Command Center service provides remote system monitoring for systems running operating systems including Solaris, Windows and, of course, Red Hat Enterprise Linux. VMware also is monitored. With the upgrade, Red Hat has changed to a price of $192 per server, annually, said Donald Fischer, Red Hat vice president of online services. Previously, pricing involved a complicated model based on usage after the fact and factoring in the number of services. "Now, it's just a basic annual subscription per server. We got a lot of feedback that that's just a simpler way to consume this kind of service," Fischer said. Also added to the service is basic system monitoring of all servers in a network when service is purchased for just a single server. Command Center will ping other servers just to make sure they are functioning. But additional capabilities, such as monitoring of FTP services and application servers, are restricted to the server monitored for the $192 price tag. Red Hat also has updated which software it can monitor, adding support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, the JBoss 4 application server, the Oracle10g database and VMware ESX version 3. At IT outsourcer ITresources, the company is using Command Center as a network operations tool competitive to how it would use CA Unicenter, HP OpenView or Tivoli, said Chad Decatur, senior manager of IT infrastructure for ITresources. Command Center has been very affordable and reports for SLAs are easy to run, he said. "It doesn't seem to have a lot of latency," Decatur said. Also, it is easy to learn. "Somebody doesn't have to devote their career to learning the product," said Decatur.Â  Technology leveraged in Command Center was acquired from NOCpulse in 2002, Fischer said.


Excessive drinking can damage brain cells but the brain can repair some of the harm, a team of international researchers said on Monday.


Google Cries Foul Over Microsoft Bid For Yahoo!

Google charges the software giant is aiming to apply the same allegedly anti-competitive strategies to the Net that it has used to dominate the PC.


Having easy access to a doctor's e-mail address appears to increase patient communication.


Ethiopia rejects charges it bombed a Mogadishu market on Thursday, as clashes continue.


Ram [four-legged kind] Smashes through Dealer Window -- Damages Colt [four-wheeled kind]

A randy ram smashed into a car showroom after letting his animal instincts get the better of him, Irish police said Friday.


Eastern Kentucky clinches 7th NCAA berth

Josh Taylor had never practiced the play. With the clock ticking down and the Colonels trailing by one, the freshman saw the open lane in front of him. He didn't hesitate.


Cambodia's new King Norodom Sihamoni has addressed his people for the first time and promised to be their "faithful and loyal servant".


GCC to sign framework economic agreements with India, Pakistan

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will next week sign framework economic cooperation agreements with India and Pakistan, the head of the oil-rich Gulf bloc said.


No Brussels Fireworks Amid Terror Threat

"We've reviewed the situation and the conclusion is that there is no reason to scale back the current level of (terror) alert"  Traditional New Year's Eve fireworks in central Brussels have been canceled due to a continuing terror threat in the Belgian capital, officials said Sunday. via Free Republic


Terminal Patients Don't Hang on Until After Holidays

Researchers singled out the deaths of more than 300,000 cancer patients, because deaths from cancer are usually more predictable and less sudden than those from heart attacks, strokes or other ailments.


FRIDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDayNews) -- A mother's love may be unconditional, but her genes can be a burden for some children, research suggests.


Matt Ringel knows there's a certain image that comes to mind when you start talking about hardcore video gamers: think teenage boys with messy hair and dark circles under their eyes from staying up all night, their eyes glued to a screen and their fingers frantically flitting about a keyboard or a controller.


The Santa Barbara Sheriff's department denies being the source of leaks in the Michael Jackson child abuse case.


Sovereign Bancorp posts $1.6 billion loss

Sovereign Bancorp Inc , the  second-largest U.S. savings and loan, on Wednesday posted a  $1.6 billion quarterly loss and canceled its dividend after a  larger-than-expected write-down for consumer credit losses and  the 2006 acquisition of a bank in Brooklyn, New York.


Kenya leaders talk peace but violence doesn't stop

Youths burned a church in Kenya's Rift Valley on Saturday as ethnic tensions showed no sign of ebbing despite an agreement between the government and opposition to try to end weeks of bloodshed.


Valentino Rossi moved a step nearer his fourth world championship title with a dominant victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril today.


The market research provider this week updated its qSearch 2.0 measurement service to dramatically expand the number and kinds of properties being measured.


Baby version of big core switches. Alcatel reckons it's time that 10Gig Ethernet reached the wiring closet, and has extended its Omniswitch 9000 series with a low-end five-slot chassis able to support up to 24 10Gig ports, 96 1Gig ports, or a combination thereof.â¦


British Envoy: Sudan Agrees to Stop Darfur Fighting

The Sudanese government agreed on Sunday to stop military operations in Darfur and asked the African Union to request that rebels do the same, British ambassador William Patey said.


Police start taking fingerprints using mobile electronic devices to identify suspects while out on patrol.


Analysis: The Iraq Study Group didn't just provide a blueprint for withdrawal from Iraq; it called for an overhaul of Bush's foreign and defense policies


Do you find yourself unsatisfied, but unable to work out why?  Do you find yourself nodding during Fight Club when Tyler Durden tells his recruits that their struggle is a philosophical one... only to be dismayed with his idea of a solution?  Is everything okay, but nothing great?    You could well be a comfort addict.


NFL Rejects Time Warner Offer on Rutgers

By SETH SUTEL  NEW YORK - The NFL Network has rejected two proposals from Time Warner Cable that would have allowed New York area viewers to see a much-anticipated college football game between Rutgers and Kansas State.


China Plenum to End, Military Boss Jiang May Retire

China's Communist Party is due to wrap up a four-day meeting on Sunday at which military chief Jiang Zemin is expected to give up his last post, completing a historic leadership succession.


Michael Phelps insists his main aim in life is to raise the profile of swimming in the United States. And at the end of the Athens swimming meet, no-one can accuse him of under-achieving on that score.


The Royal Mail is making Â£1million a day and delivering more than nine out of ten first class letters on time. Chief executive Adam Crozier said the group is being "transformed" under a massive modernisation


Kuznetsova beats injured Davenport, becomes first Russian woman to ...

Lindsay Davenport hobbled her way out of the US Open, losing a big lead and able to do little but watch Svetlana Kuznetsova win 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 and become the first Russian woman to reach the final at this tournament.


Grammy-award winning singer and songwriter Paul Simon joined longtime friend and Democratic presidential hopeful Chris Dodd on campaign appearances across Iowa on Friday, saying the political process is too focused on money and not on issues.


An Indian doctor briefly linked to UK terror attacks wins a court battle to regain his Australian work visa.


Operator gains 7.4m users, trims margin outlook

LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Mobile phone network leader Vodafone Group on Tuesday cheered the market by more than doubling its interim dividend and increasing its share buyback plan by 1 billion pounds ($1.


Bank of Japan seen on hold as Fed cuts rates

The Bank of Japan is seen holding off  raising interest rates on Wednesday, hours after the U.S.  central bank slashed rates by a hefty half-percentage point to  try to shield the U.S. economy from a housing slump and market  turmoil.


A fire destroyed a family's home early Saturday, killing a man, his pregnant wife and two of their children, authorities and family members said.


The two candidates in Ukraine's bitterly-fought presidential election make their final appeals to voters.


Cheney seeks security boost in Afghanistan, Pakistan

BAGRAM, Afghanistan  - Vice President Dick Cheney made surprise visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan on Monday to discuss a planned spring offensive against the Taliban after the most violent year since the hard-line group was ousted in 2001.


Sir Richard Branson offers to help the McCanns fund their legal battle, the BBC has learned.


By Kearns, Ethan  News From the world of Trees  Four community groups in Louisiana are the first recipients of AMERICAN FORESTS grants to restore native tree canopy lost to Hurricane Katrina.


THE US had asked Britain to redeploy troops stationed in the UK-controlled zone in southern Iraq, the Ministry of Defence confirmed today.


Dozens of new Iraqi troops die in ambush

Officials fear that an infiltrator may have tipped insurgents that the unarmed soldiers were heading home on leave. BY ROBERT H. REID.


Medical experts in the Coachella Valley are warning parents to be careful about the types of gifts they give children this holiday season.


'Hunter-killer' drone hits Afghan target

After a few weeks of flying mere recon missions, the grimly named Reaper UAV gets to launch a Hellfire missile in earnest.


Roma, 13:29 - CICLISMO, BETTINI: NEL 2007 VOGLIO IL GIRO DELLE FIANDRE

Paolo Bettini pensa alla prossima stagione e fissa gli obiettivi primari. Premiato questa mattina a ...


Fisco, scontro Fini Berlusconi sul taglio tasse ai ricchi

ROMA - Il taglio delle tasse mette ancora in disaccordo Silvio Berlusconi e il suo vice Gianfranco Fini. Dopo la nota di Landolfi portavoce di An sono i due leader che, all'ingresso di una cena offerta dal


DAMASCUS -- A senior US diplomat urged Syria's president yesterday to withdraw his country's troops from Lebanon and stop interfering in internal Lebanese affairs. William J. Burns, the US assistant secretary of state for the Near East and the highest ranking US official to visit Damascus in more than a year, also said Syria must take "concrete action" to cooperate ...


The Munch Museum in Oslo, where thieves stole The Scream last month, is to upgrade its security in the wake of the raid.


Krasimir Dimitrov was headed to lunch with friends at a restaurant on a busy street in Bulgaria's capital. He never made it.


Here's the complete text of the letter Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent to Yahoo's board, saying a merger is the "best way" to serve both companies' shareholders.


Benedetto XVI interviene all'assemblea generale della Cei"La chiesa italiana grande fattore unificante della Nazione"                                          Il Papa: "Family Day una festa di popolo Giusta la nota dei vescovi sui Dico"


Court rules on privacy for Guantanamo detainees

A US federal judge has ruled that terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba must be allowed to meet lawyers. The ruling also forbids the US government from monitoring their conversations.


Rumors of Shakeup in Military-Ruled Myanmar

Months of tension in Myanmar's junta appeared to break into the open on Tuesday amid rumors Prime Minister Khin Nyunt may have been arrested, Thai officials and diplomats said.


Automakers Attack Proposal to Address Global Warming

Automakers on Wednesday attacked a California plan to regulate automotive emissions of global warming gases. The state's proposal "clearly goes far beyond what is reasonable


A man helps to push a vehicle stranded on a flooded street in Tokyo in the heavy rain caused by a typhoon Saturday, Oct. 9, 2004. The most powerful typhoon to barrel into Japan's Pacific costline in a decade


Baby Bells are spending billions to sell video service over broadband. Can they crack cable and satellite's hold on TV viewers?


Blog: When the iPhone freezes it's not the blue screen of death, but instead the black screen of death


Snacks on SunCom Wireless T-Mobile USA has gobbled up SunCom Wireless, looking to expand the country's fourth-leading cell phone network into Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the heart of Southeastern United States. You know, the former confederacy.â¦


Bancroft Dow Jones decision seen next week: source

The family that controls Dow Jones & Co expects to decide by early next week if it wants to sell the company to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp for $5 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.


Ask.com on Tuesday launched its redesigned website, complete with new search technology, a three-panel design, and other new features aimed at differentiating itself from its competition.


Bush Says Kerry 'More Heroic' for Going to Vietnam

President Bush on Saturday described  John Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam as more heroic than his  own service in the Air National Guard, saying his Democratic  rival had been "in harm's way."


A Trip to MARS: Ben Corbin of Shalimar Travels to Utah to Experience a Real-Life Simulation of Exploring the Red Planet

By Angie Toole, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach  Feb. 11--Since he was a little boy, Ben Corbin of Shalimar has dreamed of a future in space, of traveling to Mars and exploring other planets.


Hurricane Ivan tears into Cayman Islands and heads on towards Cuba

Hurrican Ivan barrelled into the Cayman Islands last night, its ferocious 155mph winds tearing off roofs while an 8ft storm surge flooded the coastal plain, including parts of the capital, George Town.


Venus Williams beats Marion Bartoli in straight sets to claim her fourth Wimbledon singles title.


Napoli, 12:43 - CALCIO, NAPOLI; IERVOLINO: A META' MARZO RIAPERTURA SAN PAOLO

Lo stadio San Paolo di Napoli riaprirà probabilmente a metà marzo. Lo ha detto il sind...


Taiwan's miCard chosen as global memory card standard

A Taiwan institute has produced a new memory card standard, the miCard, which works in digital cameras, mobile phones as well as any device with a USB port.


BBC man: Sadville is great for bubblewrap kids

Your taxes at work TV shrink Tanya Byron blamed over-protective parents for keeping "bubble wrap" kids away from real social interaction and tethered to technology such as the internet, we reported yesterday.â¦


It's a sweltering 90 degrees and soldiers Kevin Messmer and Kroften Owen are hunched in a rubble-strewn apartment. Peering from a window to avoid sniper fire, they see a bustling Iraqi city.


2006 Winter Olympics in Turin lost money

The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin posted a small deficit, and the IOC wants a clear picture from London organizers of the rising infrastructure costs for the 2012 Summer Games.


Microsoft's MSN (Quote, Chart) launched a blogging tool that ties in with its home media technology plays. Called MSN Spaces, the beta is part of an update to MSN's suite of communication services.


NEW YORK - A federal judge struck down a New York City rule requiring some restaurants, including those operated by McDonald's Corp. , to publish calorie counts on their menus.


S.Korea Boosts North Security After DMZ Fence Cut

South Korea is stepping up security along the Demilitarised Zone frontier with North Korea after a hole was found cut in a border fence, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.


Here's something to consider on your way to the medicine cabinet this morning: One of the nation's leading drug reviewers with the Food and Drug Administration told a congressional hearing last week that consumers are "virtually defenseless" against


A trawler with 14 crew on board is driven aground in gale force winds on the island of St Kilda.


Oscar-winning Australian actress Nicole  Kidman is pregnant and has pulled out of shooting her next film  "The Reader" with her baby expected around mid-2008.


Vivendi Universal Games will release Half-Life 2, sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed PC game titles, on November 16 this year.


The man who killed John  Lennon in 1980, Mark Chapman, fails in his third attempt for release on parole.


Former Monster lawyer pleads guilty over options

(InfoWorld) - Monster Worldwide's former general counsel pleaded guilty in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday, another executive caught up in the stock options backdating scandal. Myron Olesnyckyj faced charges of securities fraud and conspiracy in connection with the backdating of millions of dollars' worth of employee stock option grants at the online recruitment services company. Olesnyckyj appeared before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office in New York, Olesnyckyj "conspired with other former senior executives at Monster to systematically backdate stock option grants to Monster employees in an effort to fraudulently suppress Monster's compensation expenses and falsely inflate its earnings and share price. As a result, Monster's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission between 1997 and 2005 fraudulently understated the company's compensation expenses and inflated its earnings by over 300 million dollars." The names of Olesnyckyj's alleged co-conspirators were not immediately disclosed.


The US Federal Reserve yesterday raised interest rates by a quarter point to 2.25 per cent and signalled that there had been no change in its assessment of economic conditions.


Policy Meets Reality in West as Cattle Tracking Is Tested

Wide-open spaces, technological glitches and bitter cold all are potential obstacles to plans to track livestock and protect the food supply from disease and bioterrorism.


A bitter row rages over gas giant Gazprom's plan to build a skyscraper in the historic centre of St Petersburg.


Ex-Alcatel exec pleads guilty to bribery

A former Alcatel executive has pleaded guilty to paying more than $2.5 million in bribes to secure a telephone contract with Costa Rica's state telecommunications agency, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.


Republicans clash as White House race tightens

TAMPA, Florida  - Republican presidential candidates sparred over the best fix for the faltering U.S. economy on Wednesday as a poll showed Florida's high-stakes race for the White House tightening.


Citigroup local boss says eyeing German banks

Citigroup  is interested in all banks in Germany which would be for sale but is not in talks with Commerzbank , its head of Germany, Sue Harnett, said on the sidelines of a news conference on Tuesday.


Bold insurgents targeting Iraqi police kill 59

Nearly 150 people have been slain in 3 days as militants try to derail plan for security force. â¢ Oil exports: Saboteurs wrecked a recently repaired pipeline junction in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Tuesday and the fire set off a cascade of power blackouts.


The U.S. Senate on Friday  overwhelmingly agreed to authorize construction of a fence  along the U.S. border with Mexico, sending to President George  W. Bush before the November 7 elections a bill that Republicans  hope will showcase their efforts to stop illegal immigration.


Kenyans go to the polls on Thursday in an atmosphere of suspicion, with rumours rife of vote-rigging.


Van Halen Sues Orioles Over Concert Deal

Van Halen is suing the Baltimore Orioles for at least $2 million, saying the baseball team reneged on a deal for a stadium concert featuring the rock band.


A top North Korean official is visiting China for talks expected to focus on nuclear arms, as well as the North's economy.


FEC Union Election Spending Probe Sought

An anti-union group is urging the Federal Election Commission to investigate one of the largest unions in the country, claiming the Service Employees International Union unlawfully spent workers' dues to elect Democrats in last week's election.


News Corp has no plans to pull its television shows from iTunes like NBC Universal, but echoed the media industryâs calls for Apple to offer more flexible pricing.


CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- At least for now, the slowdown in consumer spending is a bottoms-up affair. Free! Sign up here to receive our Before the Bell e-Newsletter!


Si intensifica lotta alla pedofilia dopo lo Tsunami


IBM's two discoveries may yield 30,000 movies on an iPod

IBM has found a way to stabilize the magnetic orientation of an atom -- a technique called magnetic anisotropy -- and are experimenting with molecular switches, which could be used to store information and would lead to super-fast, super-tiny computer chips.


US general named to head probe into Mosul blast that killed 22

The brigadier general who investigated abuse at Abu Ghraib prison is heading the US military's probe into how a suicide bomber infiltrated a US Army base near Mosul and


Everett likely to be partially paralyzed

The Buffalo Bills' Kevin Everett sustained a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury and his chances of regaining a full range of body motion are very small, an orthopedic surgeon said Monday.


Welsh assembly members try to force a debate on plans for 400ft wind turbines three miles off the coast.


A grudge can be a truly terrifying thing. Deep-seated rage, like the rumbling volcano, can erupt with deadly consequences. Like the time I took the dogs for a ride in my wife's car and they chewed up the gear shift.


Polish PM sees even chance of early elections

Poland's conservative Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Friday he saw an equal chance that the country would need to hold early elections or that the current coalition would hold together.


Roma, 12:18 - MOTOGP, YAMAHA: ROSSI RINNOVA SINO AL 2008

Valentino Rossi resta in Yamaha sino al 2008. Il pilota italiano della MotoGP infatti, ha rinnovato ...


Google launches bookmark-sharing feature

Search giant adds sharing to its bookmark service, allowing people to e-mail links, post them to a "Shared Stuff" page or send them to Facebook, Digg and other sites.


Celebrating 50 Years of Organ Transplantation

Fifty years ago today, Dr. Joseph E. Murray led a team of surgeons at Boston's Peter Bent Brigham Hospital -- now Brigham and Women's Hospital -- that gave Richard Herrick a second shot at life.


Architecture Review: More Openness in Government (Offices, That Is)

Thom Mayneâs Federal Building in San Francisco might just be the bookend to a heady phase of government-sponsored architecture.


Today's Apple iPhone video is: keyboard!

Blog: Apple has released another video showing how to use the keyboard on the iPhone.


In the wake of Apple's swift--and steep--iPhone price cuts, early adopters may have to live with shorter windows of joy.


A creation by Japanese designer Jun Takahashi for Under Cover during the Autumn/Winter 2007/2008 ready-to-wear collection show in Paris. (Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images) Although the purpose of my trip is to see Rei Kawakubo, as well Junya Watanabe and Tao Kurihara, for a piece in the Times Magazine, I paid a visit yesterday to Jun Takahashi [...].


Back after a good showing in the ICC Champions Trophy, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh sent out a warning to Australia, saying he is looking to recreate the magic of 2001, that grounded the World champions in India, in the upcoming four-Test series.


Wars Past and Present, Rockers Evergreen

At the Berlin International Film Festival, the subjects range from Abu Ghraib to the Rolling Stones.


The judicial review of Edinburgh's congestion charging plans begins at the Court of Session.


Parties Seek Advantage in Vietnam Debate

The events may be 35 years old, but the heated discussion hasn't stopped because Republicans and Democrats alike sense a political advantage in keeping the debate over John Kerry's service in Vietnam on voters' minds.


Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dunks pearls of wisdom, psychologist Steven Pinker tells TEDsters it's the most peaceful time ever for our species and Cassini expert reports on life in outer space. NYT's Chris Suellentrop blogs from the TED conference in Epicenter.


Mel Gibson Gets Court Order Against Praying Fan

Mel Gibson, producer and director of "The Passion of the Christ," has obtained a restraining order against a man he says stalked him to demand that they pray together, according to court papers.


Betty Hutton, the actress and singer who brought a brassy vitality to Hollywood musicals such as "Annie Get Your Gun," has died in Palm Springs, Calif., at age 86.


Bush's daughter writes book on teen mom with HIV

After years of steering clear of the spotlight, one of President George W. Bush's twin daughters is writing a book about a teen mother in Central America who has the AIDS virus.


Limassol, 15:21 - CALCIO, UEFA AD ARBITRI: FERMATE TACKLE E TRATTENUTE

La Uefa, durante il 16esimo Corso Avanzato per arbitri d'Elite che si è tenuto a Limassol, a ...


Poor planning, air strikes by coalition forces and a "climate of violence" have led to more than 100,000 extra deaths in Iraq, scientists say.


One-Stop Shopping: Searching With a 'Bot'

Some Web sites will simultaneously search multiple travel suppliers to find the cheapest price for hotels, flights and car rentals.


So how did the great seats for Beyonce end up on StubHub?

Some of the best seats for Beyonce Knowles's 37-city summer tour, including an Aug. 12 Boston show, are being auctioned on a website that caters to ticket scalpers.


In what's being called a shrewd licensing move, Microsoft last week put its competitors on the defensive and avoided price increases for customers by announcing it would not charge extra fees for server software running on dual-core, processor-based


Unknown gunmen shoot dead a Lebanese worker heading to work in Port Harcourt, Nigeria's oil capital .


Reporters covering singer Michael Jackson's US trial ask to see the responses of potential jurors.


Hoggard injury leaves England attack short of experience

Sport: England face the opening Test against India with one of their most inexperienced seam attacks ever.


Fear factor hits new depth in US presidential campaign

Forget Republican versus Democrat, conservative versus liberal, hawk versus dove. This year's presidential candidates have all but turned their supercharged race into a choice between Armageddon and survival.


Media & professional: Brighton parents lose case to have controversial secondary schools admissions system revised.


A confirmed bachelor believed to be the oldest person in the world dies at the age of 116 in his Ukrainian village.


Health organizations say diabetes along US-Mexico border worse ...

People who live along the US-Mexico border suffer diabetes at a rate somewhat higher than the national averages in either country, according to a study released Wednesday.


Parades Mark World AIDS Day, Africans Told 'Abstain'

The world's two most populous nations  promised on Wednesday to eradicate ignorance about AIDS, a  disease that was at first dismissed by many as a Western evil  confined to drug users, homosexuals and prostitutes.


Congress to Welcome Sarkozy As America's Newest Old Friend

How times have changed. French President Nicolas Sarkozy will address a joint meeting of Congress on Nov. 7, signaling the fulsome transformation of relations between Washington and Paris.


U.S. blacks get sepsis at twice the rate of whites

Blacks get severe sepsis -- a rampant infection of the bloodstream that causes organ failure -- at nearly twice the rate of whites, and they are far more likely to die from it, U.S. researchers said on Friday.


Telefonata del presidente dell'Anp Abu Mazen al premier israeliano Olmert"Concordato con tutte le fazioni di stabilire la calma e bloccare i lanci da domenica"                                              Gaza, si va verso la tregua "Stop ai razzi se l'esercito sgombera"


Coca-Cola Co. KO.N on Thursday  reported a sharp drop in quarterly net income due to weak sales  of its soft drinks, juices and bottled waters in Germany and  other key markets.


E sul mercato dei cambi l'euro torna ai minimi


AL Wrap: Stumbling Yankees Go Down Again

Sidney Ponson pitched a complete-game two-hitter as the Baltimore Orioles stunned the New York Yankees 7-0 in American League play at Yankee Stadium Saturday.


Paris menswear designers showed an array of retro-flavored outfits on Friday, delivering a message that dressing up is cool again.


A court in Denmark rules that an 83-year-old former Danish SS officer should be charged over a wartime murder.


VATICANO - Benedetto XVI allÂudienza generale prosegue la catechesi su San Giovanni Crisostomo: ÂNonostante le sue sofferenze, riaffermava la scoperta che Dio ama ognuno di noi con un amore infinito, e perciÃ² vuole la salvezza di tuttiÂ CittÃ  del Vaticano (Agenzia Fides) - NellÂudienza generale di mercoledÃ¬ 26 settembre, continuando il ciclo di catechesi sui Padri Apostolici, Benedetto XVI si Ã¨ soffermato ancora sulla figura di San Giovanni Crisostomo, prendendo in considerazione la...


Arafat's top lieutenants en route to Paris

Palestinian leaders rushed to Paris on Monday to check on the critically ill Yasser Arafat, but hospital officials said visiting rights were restricted - setting the stage


The pace of Japan's economic growth is slowing due to a big drop in housing investment and the slowdown is likely to persist for some time, a senior central bank official said in a speech Thursday.


Fannie makes effort to repair its credibility

The decision yesterday by Fannie Mae's board to get rid of its chief executive and chief financial officer illustrates the company's determination to try and restore its credibility


A corporate spending survey that boosted optimism about Japan's economy drove Tokyo shares sharply higher on Monday, while other Asian stock markets traded around multi-month highs.


The jury in the 21/7 terror trial is discharged after failing to reach verdicts on the last two defendants.


A blast bomb explodes at the back of Lurgan police station in County Armagh, but no-one is injured.


S African's nuclear smuggling charges dropped

South African police have dropped charges against a businessman accused of involvement in an international nuclear smuggling network.


New SAP upgrades are stretching talent resources, giving job seekers with advanced, up-to-date skills the upper hand in the employment race.


SEMMES, Ala. -- Contrary to the name of the event she was competing in, Heather Daly-Donofrio was hardly a champion on the LPGA this season.


Roma, 12:59 - CALCI, SERIE A; ROMA-JUVENTUS: ARBITRA MORGANTI

Sarà Morganti l'arbitro di Roma-Juventus, big-match della 4/a giornata in programma allo stad...


Operator gains 7.4m users, trims margin outlook

LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Mobile phone network leader Vodafone Group on Tuesday cheered the market by more than doubling its interim dividend and increasing its share buyback plan by 1 billion pounds ($1.


It was the ''product placement to end all product placements,'' the Washington Post declared. It epitomized ''a marketing era that morphs advertising, public relations, event marketing and product placement


Ohio company Velocys touts its novel method for making methane useful for powering heating systems or transportation. By Elizabeth Svoboda.


Companies seen warming to idea of health reform

As rising health costs erode profits, U.S. corporations are expected to warm up to health care reform under the next president -- a prospect that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.


European stocks close higher in Christmas Eve trading

European stock markets closed modestly higher in shortened trading hours after a strong pre-Christmas showing by Wall Street.


Physicists have carried out successful teleportation with particles of light over a distance of 600m across the River Danube in Austria.


60 infected in hepatitis E outbreak: WHO

BAGHDADâAn outbreak of hepatitis E has infected at least 60 people south of the capital, the Iraqi Health Ministry said yesterday.


India is to build a pipeline into Nepal to ensure smooth supply of petroleum products in the Himalayan nation torn by an increasingly violent Maoist insurgency, an oil official said on Thursday.


IBM Encourages Developers to 'Hop Chips'

IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced an initiative to make Linux applications available across the company's entire hardware line.


121 die as Baghdad suffers another blast

A suicide bomber driving a truck loaded with a ton of explosives hidden beneath cooking oil, canned food and bags of flour obliterated a Baghdad food market on Saturday, killing at least 121 people in one of the most fearsome attacks in the capital since the U.S. invasion in 2003.


Bimba scomparsa, caccia a uomo con precedenti per pedofilia

Un uomo, un pregiudicato con precedenti per reati specifici di pedofilia, non originario di Mazara del Vallo, visto aggirarsi piÃ¹ volte dalla parti dell'abitazione di via Domenico La Bruna. E' una traccia


The adult son of a Pennsylvania lawmaker was missing Tuesday after reportedly being abducted on a street at gunpoint in the hours before his mother and sister were shot and wounded in their home.


Microsoft's Unlimited Potential Effort Makes Progress

Microsoft aims to bring programs and technology to underserved markets through its Unlimited Potential initiative.


October 12, 2004 - By taking advantage of a hole in Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser, hackers have been able to introduce âspywareâ or âadware,â which is downloaded on to hard drives without owners' knowledge.


'Finding Neverland' Wins First Award in Oscar Race

"Finding Neverland," a fictionalized  account of the creation of children's classic "Peter Pan," was  named best film of 2004 by The National Board of Review on  Wednesday in the first major award of the Oscar season.


Arrested Paris Hilton says just wanted a burger

Celebrity Paris Hilton was arrested   in Hollywood early on Thursday for suspected drunk driving, but   she said the incident had been blown out of proportion and that   she may have been speeding to get a late-night burger.


Newcastle, England (Sports Network) - Patrick Kluivert scored twice for new coach Graeme Souness as Newcastle defeated Israeli club Bnei Sachnin 2-0 Thursday in the first leg of its UEFA cup opener.


Studies Show Anemia Drugs May Harm Cancer Patients

New studies are raising questions about whether drugs that have been used by millions of cancer patients might actually be harming them.


All the batons had been twirled. The confetti had been shot into the air. The "Arrrrgos" chant had been repeated maybe 100 times.


Europe's first mission to the Moon is about to start. The unmanned, solar energy driven SMART-1 spacecraft has entered the orbit around the Moon.


Could the Orange Revolution be just a mirage in the snow?

Six days on and still they chant, still they march, still they seek to overturn the election result that cheated them. The crowds and the momentum are on their side, but, say Andrew Osborn and Ivan Lozowy


Kuznetsova and Chakvetadze to square off in semis

Former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova ended the inspired run of teenager Agnes Szavay on Wednesday to set up an all-Russian semi-final against Anna Chakvetadze at the U.S. Open.


Mexico police have convict in opera fire

Mexican authorities have arrested an Italian electrician convicted in the 1996 fire at La Fenice opera house in Venice, authorities in the two countries said.


US regulator calls for limits on use of Celebrex, Bextra

WASHINGTON, Dec 23  - US regulators called Thursday for use of Pfizer's painkilling drugs Celebrex and Bextra to be limited, urging doctors to keep in mind indications of higher heart attack and stroke risks.


Scores of Taliban Fighters Killed in NATO Offensive

PASHMUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 3 -- Warplanes and artillery pounded Taliban fighters hiding in orchards Sunday during a NATO-Afghan offensive in southern Afghanistan that the alliance said killed more than 200 insurgents in its first two days. Four Canadian soldiers were also killed.


Swisscom AG and OIAG have ended their talks about a possible merger between Swisscom and Telekom Austria AG.


How does it feel to be the first woman to receive the nation's top computer science award? Sweet, indeed, says Frances Allen, the IBM Fellow Emerita who this week received the prestigious A.M. Turing Award.


U.S. criticizes Sudan over Darfur militia chief

The U.S. ambassador to the  United Nations on Tuesday strongly criticized Sudan's decision  to promote to a government post a man Washington has accused of  coordinating Darfur's marauding militias.


Protest Emerges as Some Workers Vote Against Chrysler Deal

Workers voting against the Chrysler deal see the lack of job guarantees as a violation of the unionâs long-held principle of winning similar terms at each Detroit auto company.


The Food and Drug Administration yesterday called for an evaluation of all prevention studies involving two controversial painkillers - Celebrex and Bextra - to ensure adequate protection for participants who use the pills.


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The chairman of South Korea's ruling Uri Party admits his father worked for Japan's military, and resigns.


Terrence McGee set the tone for a wild afternoon by returning the opening kickoff 104 yards as the resurgent Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins, 42-32, in an unexpected shootout.


ATHENS, Greece -- Two armed hijackers have surrendered and released their hostages, 18 hours after seizing a bus near Athens, Greece.


Powell Offers U.S. Help to New Ukrainian Leader

Secretary of State Colin Powell, a prominent guest for President Viktor Yushchenko's inauguration on Sunday, said Washington would help Ukraine boost its economy and join the World Trade Organization.


As we all eagerly await the moment Steve Jobs appears onstage, this is how one reporter passes his time.


UNC Athletics Planning Group to Meet Tuesday

By Doyle Murphy, Greeley Tribune, Colo.  Dec. 12--The Athletics Strategic Planning Committee at the University of Northern Colorado will meet from 3-5 p.m. today in the High Plains Room at Nottingham Field, corner of 17th Avenue and Reservoir Road.


E' stallo con Gm, Ghosn potrebbe cambiare obiettivo


The New York Yankees have won the rights to bid for the services of Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa, as the Hanshin Tigers accepted their $25 million offer on Tuesday.


Global mobile phone sales rose by a robust 17.4 percent to nearly 271 million handsets in the second quarter, driven by dizzying sales growth of more than 40 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the latest data from research firm Gartner. Moreover, Gartner now predicts that worldwide mobile phone sales will reach 1.13 billion units for the entire year.


The world's biggest cereal maker Kellogg's will make its food for children healthier, amid mounting pressure.


Almost 25% of care agencies fail to protect disabled and elderly people from thefts by carers, the BBC finds.


Nyon, Switzerland (Sports Network) - The draw for the Champions League round of 16 was unveiled Friday in Switzerland, and there are a number of titanic clashes.


BP Settlements Seen on Safety and Price Cases

The British energy company BP is preparing to settle accusations that it was criminally indifferent to worker safety and that it manipulated energy prices, officials say.


Trade union leaders in Nigeria vow to press on with a general strike despite government efforts to promote talks.


The motorcade of Iraq's prime minister was pelted with stones on Sunday by fellow Shi'ites in a Baghdad slum when he paid respects to some of the 200 who died there last week in the deadliest attack since the U.S. invasion.


Police continuing to examine a house where suspicious devices and home-made explosive powder were found.


Darfur peace talks kicked off four days late in Nigeria on Monday amid mounting international concerns of a resurgence of fighting in the remote Sudanese region.


Global Competitiveness Survey Highlights

NEW YORK - It doesn't look like Britannia will again rule the waves anytime soon. In the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, the UK's business environment rose four places to 11th this year, ahead of Germany at 13 and France at 27.


Vatican says Pius XII sainthood process not stalled

The Vatican's top saint-maker said on Monday he was moving ahead with the cause of wartime Pope Pius XII, and defended him against accusations he was silent about the Holocaust.


Movie Studios Target Peer-to-Peer Networks with Suit

The MPAA is arguing not that the P2P networks are at fault, but that the operators of the servers are because they know what is stored on them.


Nicaraguan President Faces Removal by Congress

MANAGUA, Nicaragua  - Nicaragua's unpopular  president faces possible removal from office after a special  Congressional committee was created on Thursday to explore  corruption charges against him.


Microsoft Pledges Cash for IT in Developing World

Microsoft plans to spend $235.5 million in schools worldwide, as part of a plan to triple the number of students and teachers trained in its software programs by 2013.


Greco al classico, matematica allo scientifico


Four seconds after he checked into his first basketball game in nearly a year, Alonzo Mourning drilled a jumper from the foul line, then pointed to the ceiling.


The Internet was abuzz Friday over a series of racy photos linked to an "American Idol" contestant. The pictures, posted on several Web sites, included one with four women posing topless at the beach, their hands covering their breasts, and others with a woman engaged in a sex act.


US aircraft carried out a third set of air strikes on Fallujah, reportedly targeting a meeting of suspected loyal activist to Abu Musab al Zarqawi.


Workers at Chrysler Approve New Contract

The narrow approval of the four-year contract came after a tumultuous vote.


U.S.-led offensive against Taliban easing

U.S.-led coalition forces detained four suspected al-Qaida operatives in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, while a major operation to crush Taliban fighters in the south moved to a close, officials said.


Even though his 10-year-old co-star was new to acting, Daniel Day-Lewis said he didn't need to adjust his style while filming "There Will Be Blood."


Fight over O.J. Simpson's money goes to Hollywood

Attorneys for the father of murder victim Ron Goldman subpoenaed several Hollywood industry groups on Monday, seeking money O.J. Simpson was paid for TV appearances and work in such movies as "Naked Gun 33 and 1/3" and "The Towering Inferno."


CENTRAL BANK WATCH: RBNZ Won't Change Neutral Stance

WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--New Zealand's central bank is unlikely to alter its neutral monetary policy stance, and almost certainly won't hike interest rates


By Peter Hull, The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.  Feb. 9--The expansion of the Port of Charleston appears to be back on  course.


Glenn McGrath claimed three wickets, Michael Kasprowicz two and Shane Warne bagged the all-important scalp of VVS Laxman to reduce India to 150 for 6 wickets by the end of Day 2 in the first Test against Australia at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore


Alternately promising and pleading, Republican Mitt Romney on Monday asked Michigan residents to vote for him in a primary election that could either rejuvenate or mortally wound his presidential campaign.


New video shows Bhutto slumping after shots

Dramatic new videotape of the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto emerged that appears to support the theory that she was shot. Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission has reportedly recommended that parliamentary elections be delayed.


Sharon says recent events may be turning point in Mideast

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that the recent events could be a historic turning point for the Middle East, without mentioning the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.


Tesco self-service tills suffer from an apparent "security loophole", consumer group Which? says.


N.Korea moves towards implementing nuclear deal

North Korea has invited a delegation of the United Nations nuclear watchdog to visit the country in what could be a first step towards implementing an international agreement intended to curb its nuclear program.


Basketball: NBA Jazz to retire Stockton's number

SALT LAKE CITY, United States : The National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz will retire the jersey number of retired star guard John Stockton, the club announced.


By GILLIAN FLACCUS BALLARAT, Calif. - Whoever named Surprise Canyon got it right. Mere miles from bone-dry Death Valley, the canyon cradles two unexpected jewels: a gushing mountain stream and what's left of a once-bustling silver mining town.


ZARIT, Israel  - Israel's army left all of south Lebanon except for one small border village on Sunday, as part of a handover to the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers under the truce that ended a war with Hizbollah fighters.


Mating Hares Block Milan Airport Runways

MILAN, Italy - Wild hares at Milan's Linate airport seem to have only one thing on their mind, and their excessive mating and growing numbers have blocked takeoffs, landings and radar systems.


China is reported to have sent heavily armed troops to protect its huge Three Gorges Dam against terrorist attack.


MADRAS, India -- Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble achieved his sixth 10-wicket haul in tests to raise his side's hopes of a series-equaling win in the second test against Australia in Madras.


Intel is shipping a new mobile processor built on 90nm process technology that clocks up to 2.1GHz. The Pentium M 765 includes 2MB of integrated L2 cache and a "power optimized" 400MHz system bus and enhanced "Speedstep" power saving technology.


Diana's driver "acted like alcoholic", inquest told

Princess Diana's chauffeur taunted paparazzi and showed tell-tale signs of being an alcoholic, an inquest into her death was told on Monday.


At precisely 9:54 a.m. yesterday, catcher Doug Mirabelli came cruising around the corner of the Red Sox clubhouse and stopped in his tracks.


Broncos put playoff hopes on the line in Tennessee

Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - The Denver Broncos will hope to find improved playoff position in their stockings on Saturday night, when Mike Shanahan's struggling team visits Tennessee in the second of two Christmas NFL contests.


U.S. State Dept Finishes Review of Iraq Aid Plan

The State Department finished an  intensive review this week on how best to spend $18.4 billion  in U.S. aid to Iraq and may shift focus to smaller-scale  projects, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.


Excess weight gain during pregnancy bad for baby

Weight gain above guidelines  during pregnancy is common, according to researchers, and  infants born to women with high weight gain tend to have worse  outcomes.


UK monitors four planes for radiation in spy probe

Britain is monitoring a Russian plane and three British aircraft in an ever widening probe into the death from radiation poisoning of a former Russian spy that has heightened tensions with Moscow.


Time Warner Inc. finalized an agreement Monday to sell the Atlanta Braves to Liberty Media Corp. after more than a year of negotiations.


The giant stag was no Bambi. It stood 7 feet tall at the shoulders and carried a spread of antlers 12 feet wide. It would have been easy to spot in the cool woodlands of Ice Age Europe, but perhaps hard to kill.


Londra, 16:24 - CALCIO, INGHILTERRA: GERRARD CI SARA' CON LA RUSSIA

Steven Gerrard ci sarà contro la Russia nella gara chiave  per la qualificazione a Euro 2008....


Starbucks same-store sales lag Street, shares drop

Starbucks Corp. , the  world's largest coffee shop chain, on Wednesday reported a 15  percent rise in quarterly earnings that met analysts'  estimates, but July same-store sales results were below Wall  Street estimates, and shares fell sharply after hours.


State Failures Threaten Water Source: S.C. Has Not Secured Funds to Clean Up Pollution From Tanks, Gas

By Sammy Fretwell, The State, Columbia, S.C.  Jun. 18--Despite federal warnings, the state has not set aside enough money to clean up leaks from buried petroleum tanks that threaten drinking water across South Carolina.


Take-Two Begins Road to Financial Recovery

Take-Two investors that may have been looking for some good news got it late Monday as the company reported a narrower-than-expected loss.


Hingis uses finesse as Kuznetsova employs power

Rafael Nadal advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open Wednesday but a knee injury could hamper his chances of dethroning top-ranked Roger Federer.


Malone tells Lakers he's not ready to play

Karl Malone told the Los Angeles Lakers he's not ready to play, but he didn't rule out returning sometime this season or beyond.


New releases from R. Kelly, the Bravery, Richard Thompson, Von SÃ¼denfed, Chick Corea and BÃ©la Fleck and Perry Ferrellâs Satellite Party.


FDA Warning Might Be a Buying Opportunity

The reduction in patients for Amylin's Byetta diabetes drug could be small.


Bill Gates and Microsoft were in the news a lot this week, most notably with CEO Steve Ballmer claiming that Gates is the most spammed person in the world.


The famous cruise ship leaves Southampton on her final world trip before being turned into a floating hotel off Dubai.


Seeking Control of Technology, G.M. Will Build Its Own Research Center in China

General Motors said the research center, to be built in Shanghai, would focus on developing hybrid technology and other designs.


Mostrava perizie su bambini della scuola, trasmesso ieri


As of yesterday, at least 1,206 members of the US military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003. Below is a list of those killed recently.


China is filthy and needs to spend lots of money to clean up. American companies could get that business.


Bryant wins Texas Open for first PGA Tour title

Savoring his first PGA Tour victory, Bart Bryant was asked if he had more fun Sunday than Tiger Woods. And for perhaps the first time ever, given Europe's rout in the Ryder Cup, Bryant was able to say, "I think I did.


Google takes big step to make Web work offline

Google Inc.  said on  Wednesday it had created Web software that runs both online,  and offline, marking a sea change for the Internet industry by  letting users work on planes, trains, spotty connections and  even in the most remote locations.


When Vincent van Gogh arrived in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise in late May 1890, seeking a new life after a year in a mental asylum, he embarked on an explosion of creativity, producing more than 70 paintings within two months.


Wendy's red-wig ads a hit with young customers

A red-wigged man screaming about juicy hamburgers to dozens of people kicking trees in a forest has become an unlikely advertising success for Wendy's International Inc, which spent five years searching for a TV campaign that would once again make its hamburger brand cool.


Efforts to help save the life of Kenneth Bigley held captive in Iraq, intensified when Irish politicians made an appeal to Bigley's captors.


OECD foresees China's growth at 8 percent in 2005

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has predicted that the Chinese economy would grow by 8 percent in 2005, saying a restrictive economic policy would lead to a slowdown.


Mauresmo pulls out of Australian Open warm-up

Amelie Mauresmo's build up to this month's Australian Open suffered a setback on Sunday when she was forced to withdraw from her last warm-up event.


Da ieri sono irreperibili, scattate le ricerche


Bulgaria, EU move to secure freedom for HIV medics

Bulgaria and the European Union called on Libya on Wednesday to transfer six foreign medics to Sofia, after Tripoli lifted their death sentences for infecting hundreds of children with the HIV virus.


Several killed in attack in Afghan south

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan  - At least eight people were killed in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Sunday in a suicide car bombing against NATO troops and subsequent gunfire by the soldiers, police and witnesses said.


Gartner: Four Out Of Five Linux PCs End Up Running

Although Linux backers boast of a growing market share on the desktop, especially in booming regions like Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, those numbers are hugely inflated, a research firm said Thursday, because most of the PCs actually


Many families caring for someone with severe learning disabilities is close to breaking point, a survey says.


Microsoft pact with Air Force could be model for DOD

An enterprisewide software and services agreement the Air Force has signed with Microsoft promises to save the service more than $100 million in direct costs and an undefined but significant amount through indirect costs, according to Air Force CIO John


Spacewalkers Start Switch of Stationâs Cooling System

The spacewalk was the first of three scheduled over nine days, an unusually short time for ventures outside the station by its crew.


The ceiling of a parking garage collapsed in a fire in northern Switzerland on Saturday, killing at least five firefighters, officials said.


New figures show a soaring trade surplus for China, just as a US report says trade with China has cost 1.5 million US jobs since 1989.


EU's chemical agency inaugurated in Helsinki

The European Union on Friday opened its new chemicals agency in Helsinki, tasked with implementing the EU's new chemicals regulation to eliminate dangerous chemicals through tightened regulation.


Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to speak at a New York university, despite protests in the US.


Roma, 14:05 - CALCIO, MATARRESE: NON ABBIAM MANCATO DI RISPETTO AL SENATO

"Ero impegnato al Viminale con la dottoressa Sensi, il presidente Lotito, Luca Baraldi e il segretar...


Avevano petardi e biglie, domani saranno processati


FDA set to approve controversial cow drug: report

The Food and Drug Administration may be poised to approve a controversial antibiotic for cattle despite fears it could hurt human health, The Washington Post reported in Sunday's edition.


China Uses Defense Report to Renew Warnings to Taiwan

The Chinese government said in an annual defense policy report issued Monday that relations with Taiwan were "grim" and vowed that it would accelerate military modernization.


For cartoon-college grads, future is hard to sketch

The first class to graduate is looking to break into the fast-growing world of graphic novels and comics.


Dollar Ignores Data, Creeps Lower vs. Yen

The dollar dropped against the yen on  Friday, as the market ignored a mostly positive report on  October U.S. retail sales and remained focused on the record  U.S. current account deficit.


When two bodies were found in a rig at a truck stop on the well-traveled route to Houston, some drivers figured it was an accident — maybe carbon monoxide poisoning. When another body was discovered there weeks later, they called it a mystery.


The Leeds chairman Gerald Krasner said: "The club are not in discussion with Mr Sainsbury. Yet again there was no proof of funds provided.


Did Jobs woo Sony boss over iTunes anti-Gates love-in?

To throw a spanner in the works of Microsoft's arrival on the digital music scene, Apple wanted to sign a strategic agreement with Sony, Japanese daily Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun has revealed, quoting sources from Sony.


In a setback for French president Nicolas Sarkozy, the companyâs main private shareholders agreed to give DaimlerChrysler the right to name the chief executive.


New U.S. guidelines look hard at childhood asthma

New guidelines unveiled by U.S. federal health experts on Wednesday for tackling asthma carve out a new age group, children 5 to 11, for unique treatment.


ConAgra plans to sell its Pilgrim's Pride stake even though the poultry producer is performing well.


Barry Bonds better watch out. J.T. Snow seems to have designs on the slugger's spot in the San Francisco Giants' lineup.


A Seismic Shift Under the House of Fannie Mae

FROM a compulsively neat desk inside a company that routinely jousts with powerful critics from the White House, Congress, the Federal Reserve and Wall Street, J. Timothy Howard has been the financial architect of one of the world's most formidable and


Now we see what the return of Tory Britain would be like

Comment is free: Seumas Milne: David Cameron's support for Boris Johnson, tax cuts and longer jail terms shows that the real Conservative party is reasserting itself.


Poll finds Americans more pessimistic on Iraq

As President Bush weighs options for changing course in Iraq, Americans are more pessimistic on the war and most support a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup poll.


In a recent trial, a pain medication wasn't as effective as had been hoped.


Microsoft prepares for Windows climb down

Microsoft is ready to put a stripped-down version of Windows on the market if it fails this week to persuade a judge to suspend a landmark EU antitrust decision.


Microsoft Corp.  on  Thursday failed to quash fears that a new version of its  Windows software system would be further delayed, stirring  concerns that a new technology cycle tied to the upgrade could  be put on hold.


A prominent Egyptian-American reformist said Sunday he would run for Egypt's presidency if a proposed constitutional amendment allowing direct elections for multiple candidates succeeds.


NASA began retracting via remote control a 115-foot solar panel on the international space station Wednesday, likening the tricky task to folding a road map back up and stuffing it in the glove compartment.


On National Geographic News: Science & Technology


Blog: One analyst firm thinks Apple can juice up its iPod product lineup simply by releasing an iPhone without the phone or Internet capabilities.


Ford to sell Aston Martin in $925 mln deal

Ford Motor Co.  is selling British luxury car maker Aston Martin to a group fronted by former Benetton and BAR motor racing boss David Richards in a deal worth 479 million pounds ($925 million).


South Korea seeks to curb rising suicide rate

South Korea may make farm chemicals less toxic and install more fences on the tops of tall buildings in order to cut down on one of the developed world's highest suicide rates, a health official said on Tuesday.


The number of cannabis farms being uncovered by police has trebled in two years, says DrugScope.


Once the bid for Abbey is completed, SCH plans to offer Abbey employees 100 of the Spanish bank's shares, "as a means of leveling the interests of employees at both banks," Botin said.


Beyonce Knowles hopping aboard "Cadillac"

LOS ANGELES  - Beyonce Knowles has  signed on to play blues singer Etta James in "Cadillac  Records," a 1950s period film about the founder of Chicago's  Chess Records and his lineup of stars.


The company's dividend yield for next year is an eye-popping 9.2%.


President Bush loses his power Saturday to seal "fast track" trade agreements without intervention from Congress, where Democrats blame recent deals for sending U.S. jobs abroad.


IAEA and Iran agree to draw up action plan

The U.N. nuclear watchdog director said  on Friday he and Iran's chief negotiator had agreed to draw up  an "plan of action" within two months on how to resolve  questions about Iran's disputed nuclear program.


Daylight saving bug in Java eclipses Sun

DÃ©jÃ  vu Sun has warned of a bug in its Java software platforms stemming from problems involving an update module designed to address the earlier start of Daylight Saving Time in the US this year.â¦


Italy Asks U.S. for Judicial Cooperation

The Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the United States to cooperate on judicial matters after a court indicted a U.S. soldier for the fatal shooting of an Italian intelligence agent at a checkpoint in ...Comment


Catchment areas ought to be banned to prevent richer families buying their way into good schools.


It would be a lot easier to enjoy your life if there weren't so many things trying to kill you every day. Shadowed by peril as we are, you would think we'd get pretty good at distinguishing the risks likeliest to do us in from the ones that are statistical long shots. But you would be wrong, and it's almost certainly something we can learn to do better.


Apple sees profits surge 67% in the three months to September, thanks to demand for computers and iPods.


President Bush vowed on Friday the United States will not be intimidated by a pre-election warning from Osama Bin Laden and called Democrat John Kerry "shameful" for accusing him of bungling the search for the al Qaeda leader.