Richmond, Va., resident: 'It looks like Armageddon'

Residents of a neighborhood still cordoned off because of flood damage from Tropical Storm Gaston's remnants visited their homes to retrieve what belongings of theirs remained.


Fiat's board is due to meet on Sunday, a source close to the Italian carmaker said, as speculation mounted that it could sign a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.93 billion) deal to settle a lengthy row with U.S. partner General Motors.


Parigi e Berlino a Barroso, no a scorporo forzoso colossi


I've come to explain, says oil chief as he is arrested

THE mainland Chinese executive at the centre of Singaporeâs biggest rogue trading scandal since Nick Leeson brought down Barings Bank in 1995 was yesterday arrested by the islandâs commercial crimes police unit.


Putin Moves to Increase Power, Citing Effort to Fight Terror

The Kremlin's pervasive control over the legislative branch and regional bodies would be strengthened under the plan.


Canada Warns It Cannot Be the Drugstore to US

Canada warned the United States on Wednesday that it would not be able to meet its prescription drug needs. "To me it is a matter of common sense that Canada cannot be the drugstore of the United States.


A new digital system for identifying fingerprints is being adopted by police forces in England and Wales.


Gerusalemme. Tre soldati israeliani sono stati uccisi ed un quarto e' rimasto ferito in modo grave nel corso di una sparatoria avvenuta intorno al posto di guardia dell'insediamento di Morag, nella Striscia di Gaza.


Footballer Kevin Campbell obtains a court order preventing singer Mark Morrison releasing an album.


Murdoch Offers Record Amount for Triplex

Description: News mogul Rupert Murdoch pays a record-setting $44 million for a three-story Fifth Avenue penthouse in Manhattan formerly inhabited by the late Laurance Rockefeller.


Aug. 27, 2004 - NAIROBI, Kenya Urgent investment is needed in North Korea to deal with severe environmental problems that have depleted the country's forests, contaminated water supplies and polluted the


Senate committee approves surveillance bills

(InfoWorld) - An advocacy group called a U.S. government surveillance authorization bill, approved by a Senate committee Wednesday, one of the worst bills imaginable for people concerned about civil liberties. The National Security Surveillance Act, one of three surveillance bills approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, would give congressional authorization to a U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program that critics have complained is illegal. The bill, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, "would radically undermine the privacy of innocent Americans," the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) said Thursday. The Specter bill would allow the U.S. government to conduct surveillance programs without court warrants for individual cases as long as the surveillance program is approved ahead of time by the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. This court is sometimes called FISA after the legislation created it. Specter defended his bill as necessary to help the U.S. government fight terrorism. The bill addresses "a national security issue," he said after the committee vote. The Judiciary Committee also approved a second bill, sponsored by Ohio Republican Senator Mike DeWine, allowing the U.S. president to authorize surveillance programs for up to 45 days without a court order. The U.S. attorney general can then review the program and continue it for another 45 days without a court order. The DeWine bill requires that the president report the programs to congressional subcommittees, but it also allows a 15-year prison sentence and a US$1 million fine to anyone who leaks the details of secret surveillance programs. The CDT include the Specter bill on its list of nine legislation efforts that "must be stopped" this year. The bill will give the U.S. government "broader authority to spy on Americans ... without judicial review," the group said. "Cutting the intelligence agencies loose from any checks and balances in this way can actually harm national security, since unfocused fishing expeditions are likely to produce more false leaders than valuable intelligence." Other civil liberties groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union, have also raised privacy concerns about the Specter and DeWine bills. With U.S. President George Bush pushing for Congress to authorize the NSA program, the bill is likely to get action on the Senate floor this month, said Leslie Harris, CDT's executive director. "The FISA bill has taken on a political life of its own," she said. Congress may work to pass the FISA bills during the last weeks of the session as lawmakers up for re-election in November try to show their constituents they're tough on terrorism, Harris said. Bush has said he believes the NSA program is legal, but he's called on Congress to authorize the surveillance as a way to head off legal challenges to it. A third bill, which gives the FISA court more funding and resources, also passed out of the Judiciary Committee. Most civil liberties groups have not objected to that bill, sponsored by Specter and Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat. TheÂ CDT's watch list of "dangerous" tech legislation is online. "We're trying to shame [lawmakers] to better behavior," Harris said. "Even if one of these misguided legislative gambits succeeds, we will all be the worse for it."


Blog: Apple will set the iPhone free at 6 p.m. in each time zone across the U.S., company representatives have confirmed.


Hungary's largest commercial bank, OTP Bank Rt, last week put the disappointment of losing out in the privatization tender for Serbian bank Jubanka a.d. Beograd behind it, and acquired Croatia's seventh largest ...


When âLast Year at Marienbadâ reopens at Film Forum, New York cinephiles may find themselves as mystified and delighted as their counterparts were in 1962.


Apparently losing can be the best thing that ever happened to a team. Just ask Duxbury boys' lacrosse coach Chris Sweet.


Jamaica's opposition Labour Party was poised to end the ruling party's 18-year reign on Tuesday as a recount of votes widened its slim election lead to 32 out of 60 seats in parliament.


Affidavits related to search warrants executed at four Southern California museums on Thursday say that staff members at two of the four museums worked closely with the main targets of the investigation.


Atlantis Shuttle Crew Undocks from Space Station

HOUSTON -- Seven astronauts aboard NASA's shuttle Atlantis cast off from the International Space Station (ISS) Tuesday, leaving the orbital laboratory with a more balanced look after installing new starboard solar wings.


Oil prices eased yesterday as top world exporter Saudi Arabia slashed prices for its westbound crude sales in an effort to shift the large volumes it is offering to cool world markets.


A top al-Qaida official warned Abu Musab al-Zarqawi six months before he was killed by a U.S. airstrike that he would be removed as the terror group's head in Iraq if he did not consult with the group's leadership on major issues.


Blaze kills 149, injures 360 in club in Argentina

A fire swept through a packed nightclub during a rock concert late last night, killing at least 149 people and injuring 360 as young concert


US diplomat among seven injured in Pakistani Marriott hotel explosion

An American diplomat was among up to seven people wounded in a "powerful" explosion at the luxury Marriott hotel in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, US officials, police and witnesses said.


Whirlpool unveils new Maytag washer at Home Depot

The first washing machine made under   the Maytag brand by new owner Whirlpool Corp. is being rolled   out this week at Home Depot Inc., which is devoting more space   to appliances in a bid to boost its market share.


Mosque siege puts Musharraf policy under scrutiny

How much public approval President Pervez Musharraf wins from his confrontation with Islamist militants holed up in an Islamabad mosque will depend on the number of casualties if troops end the siege by force.


Bangladeshi Child Star Hopes Life Will Mirror Art

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- At just 13, Shimu is arguably the most beautiful girl in her neighborhood, with her pitch-black eyes and silver nose ring. But her playful pixie smile belies her adult-size problems: Her grandmother wants her to quit seventh grade and get married, and older boys who loiter in...


ATHENS - The US might have found its shooting touch in time to retain gold in Olympic basketball, but American attempts at diplomacy continue to miss badly.


Iran helping to plan attacks in Iraq: U.S.

Iran is training fighters in Iraq and helping to plan attacks there despite diplomatic pressure for change, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, while violence around the Arab state killed at least 19 people.


Michael Jackson: Stop Calling Me 'Wacko Jacko'

Beleaguered pop star Michael Jackson, responding to a recent TV movie about his life and legal troubles, said in a statement he was tired of being "vilified" and taunted as "Wacko Jacko" in the public eye.


1994 Law Designed to Preserve Guard Jobs

A 1994 law strengthened job protections for National Guard and Reserve troops called to active duty. Here are major provisions of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).


Pakistan elect to bat against the Windies

Southampton - Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat in the second semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy against West Indies at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.


Musical Les Miserables is to transfer to Windsor Castle for a special performance when the Queen entertains French President Jacques Chirac.


Study Links Heartburn and Ulcer Drugs to Increased Risk for ...

The little purple pill may leave some people at a greater risk of pneumonia. And, it's not just the little purple pill. These new findings apply to a number of widely used heart burn and ulcer drugs.


Spreading Linux within Interamerican University of Puerto Rico

Expanding alternatives and broadening educational opportunities, the SNAP Development Center sponsors its first Linux installfest.


Despite the euphoria of one of the busiest weeks in U.S. mergers and acquisitions in almost five years, Wall Street investment bankers cannot live by mega-deals alone.


A Big Throne to Fill, and the Man to Fill It

Ascending the throne has never been more of a struggle for the title character of "Richard III" than it is in the production that opened last night at the Public Theater.


Thailand seeks Britain's help over Thaksin extradition

Thai prosecutors said Thursday they plan to travel to Britain for talks on what they admit is a long-shot bid to seek the extradition of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra on corruption charges.


Tony Blair has said it does not matter who is Labour's deputy leader as it is the leader that counts.


Premier britannico spera che Nato addestri truppe in Iraq


Israeli authorities barred five Palestinian soccer players from traveling to this Gulf nation for Wednesday's World Cup Asian qualifier against Uzbekistan.


FDA drags its heels on pediatric anti-depressants

And when a child struggles with depression, their concerns and worries multiply exponentially as they try to get their child some help.


Some Brand-Name Bloggers Say Stress of Posting Is a Hazard to Their Health

Blogger Om Malikâs heart attack â and his blogging about it â raises the issue of what happens when a blogger becomes a name brand.


SEC subpoenas Jobs in Apple backdating case, report says

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs has been subpoenaed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the agency's stock-backdating probe against Apple's former general counsel, Bloomberg reported today.


Britain to renew nuclear arsenal despite revolt

Britain's parliament is expected to approve a new nuclear arsenal on Wednesday but British Prime Minister Tony Blair may have to rely on opposition votes to push his plans through.


Russia, U.S. Clash Over Ukraine, OSCE Monitoring

SOFIA, Bulgaria  - Moscow warned Western nations  on Tuesday against interfering in Ukraine and other ex-Soviet  republics and Washington and the European Union accused Russia  of a heavy-handed approach to its neighbors.


The NHS is failing to offer sufficient out-of-hours GP care for severely ill patients, experts say.


MOSCOW Yukos, Russiaâs largest oil producer, had another bad news day Friday as its huge tax bill ballooned again. The Tax Ministry raised its claim against Yukos by $700 million for 2001, bringing the total


Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. , the pharmaceuticals giant that is building a $750 million biotech manufacturing plant on the site of the former Fort Devens US Army base, is aiming to become a major biotech research force in the state, as well.


Johnson wins Southern 500, closes in on Busch

Darlington, SC (Sports Network) - Jimmie Johnson captured the 55th and final running of the Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway.


Rosenfels leads Houston to win over Denver

Quarterback Sage Rosenfels ran for one touchdown and threw for another to lead the Houston Texans to 31-13 win over the Denver Broncos on Thursday.


Live Search comes to Windows Mobile and Java, and Windows Mobile has bundled Lives services.


As the New Year approaches, many in the country music industry are ready to pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly. This year, there are more reasons to toast than just "Auld Lang Syne."


Entertainment: Gellar's `Grudge' grabs top box-office slot

LOS ANGELES "The Grudge" made a match with moviegoers, taking the number-one spot at the box office. The Sarah Michelle Gellar horror flick took in 40 (m) million dollars ahead of Halloween.


If the video game industry is beginning to rake in revenue that rivals the movie industry, it's also beginning to accumulate Hollywood-like headaches.


Emissione obbligazionaria, adesioni al doppio del richiesto


Con lui anche Rita Bernardini e altri quattro radicaliIn una protesta antiproibizionista distribuirono hashish                                                  Droga, assolto Marco Pannella "Il fatto non costituisce reato"


Kanye West received ten nominations for the 47th Annual Grammy Awards to lead the field. The rapper/producer is up for Best New Artist, Song of the Year for "Jesus Walks," and Album of the Year for The College Dropout.


Universal downgrades kneecapping to kick in nuts

Reserves nuclear option Universal Music Group (UMG) has responded to yesterday's report in the New York Times by declaring that it will continue to supply its catalog to Apple's iTunes store. It'll just do so on new terms, far more flexible than it previously enjoyed.â¦


FDA Approves Test to Screen Blood for Disease Spread by Parasite

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved a test to screen donated blood and organs for Chagas disease, an infection common in parts of Latin America.


Minnesota Vikings center Matt Birk will miss at least four games after undergoing sports hernia surgery Friday for the second time in four months.


Glen Johnson KO'ed Roy Jones Jr. in Round 9 of their Saturday fight. For the second time in a row, Jones has been knocked out (previously KO'ed May 15 in the second round by Antonio Tarver).


Andre Agassi's status for the Australian Open next week was in doubt Thursday after a hip injury forced him to retire during the first set of his Kooyong Classic match against Andy Roddick.


Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage said Tuesday he remains optimistic about the recovery of ailing leader Fidel Castro, who temporarily stepped aside after intestinal surgery four months ago.


Zimbabwean police fire tear gas on hundreds of protesters in Harare after a court banned a protest march.


Four men convicted of the 21 July bomb plot are jailed for life, with a minimum tariff of 40 years each.


Sigilli a beni dell'azienda per 600 milioni di euro


F.C.C. Rebuffed by Court on Indecency Fines

The decision, by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, was a sharp rebuke for the F.C.C. and for the Bush administration.


Martin Bandier will take the reins of the music-publishing unit at the rival Sony Corporation after his EMI contract expires at the end of next month.


Stephen Merchant beats comedy partner Ricky Gervais to best actor at the British Comedy Awards.


The political debates are getting some sporting competition — the baseball playoffs. Tuesday night's debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic Sen. John Edwards is up against Game 1 of the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins.


St Louis Rams owner Georgia Frontiere dies at 80

St. Louis Rams owner Georgia Frontiere, a former nightclub entertainer who became one of the few women to own a major U.S. sports franchise when she inherited the National Football League team from her husband, died on Friday.


The timing of Clint Dempsey's move to Fulham FC was optimal for the Revolution. Dempsey's transfer was worth $4 million, a Major League Soccer record, and it happened to be the first significant move of a player since the league's board of governors voted to increase teams' shares in transfer fees.


Twenty-five years after it bore Marshal Tito's coffin on a final journey through Yugoslavia, the dictator's luxurious private train is to take to the rails once more.


"Shrek the Third" led  the foreign box office with a weekend haul of $48.6 million  from 45 markets, according to studio estimates issued Sunday.


Manchester United win 5-1 on aggregate. Manchester United will hold top-level talks today in their attempt to bring Everton and England striker Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford.


Lebanese army keeps up pressure on Islamists

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon  - Lebanese troops resumed their shelling on Tuesday of a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon where al Qaeda-inspired militants remained entrenched along with thousands of civilians.


ATA Airlines' 1,100 pilots could start to vote as early as today on $6 million in temporary concessions sought by the bankrupt Indianapolis carrier to cut expenses as it scales back operations at its Chicago Midway hub.


4 Linux Vendors Team Up for Standardized Linux

In an effort to encourage software and hardware providers to support Linux Standard Base 2.0, four smaller Linux vendors are joining together to ensure their core binaries are compatible with each other and with the standard.


Air China inaugural flight lands at Dubai International Airport

The Department of Civil Aviation Dubai, last night welcomed the inaugural Air China flight CA 941 from Beijing to Dubai International Airport.


Liberty Media Corp. (L) on Tuesday said a share-swap transaction that would nearly double its voting power in News Corp. was a ``friendly'' move, a day after News Corp.


Bryan Randall runs for one touchdown and passes for another score Saturday and Virginia Tech wins its first game as an Atlantic Coast Conference member, 41-17, over Duke.


Really? : The Claim: Don't Eat the Mistletoe. It Can Be Deadly

Mistletoe has a legendary reputation for romance, but it is also widely considered as lethal as it is festive.


Ramon Vazquez and Ramon Hernandez each hit a three-run homer for the San Diego Padres, and Adam Eaton beat Los Angeles for the fourth time this season in a 9-4 victory Tuesday night that cut the Dodgers' NL West lead to 1 1/2 games over San Francisco.


The U.S. Federal Reserve on   Wednesday held its benchmark interest rate steady for a second   straight meeting, saying that while inflation risks remain,   they should abate as economic growth slows.


Shreveport, LA (Sports Network) - Freshman quarterback Bret Meyer passed for 113 yards and rushed for 121, leading the Iowa State Cyclones to a 17-13 victory over the Miami-Ohio RedHawks in the 29th annual Independence Bowl.


Even small amounts of the illegal  drug ecstasy can be harmful to the brains of first time users, researchers say.


More winterizing steps for big energy savings.


Google bewilders observers with subpoenas to rivals

(InfoWorld) - Legal experts are split in their evaluation of Google's defense strategy in two copyright-infringement lawsuits, particularly regarding the company's arm-twisting attempts to extract confidential information from uninvolved competitors. Some view Google's tactics as aggressive, unusual and ultimately ineffective, while others see them as part of a fairly standard defense in copyright litigation. Google sent subpoenas to Amazon.com, Yahoo and Microsoft demanding they provide it with information about their book-scanning activities, a move that raised eyebrows because those companies are among its biggest rivals. Google plans to use this information in its defense in two lawsuits filed last year. The suits allege that Google's massive project to scan, make searchable and store digital copies of millions of copyrighted library books without permission from the copyright owner is illegal. Google is also scanning books in the public domain. Google argues that its scanning is protected under the fair use principle, which allows for limited use of copyright material, because it only displays text snippets of copyrighted books' content in response to queries in its Book Search service. That overall argument, along with the subpoena tactic, demonstrates Google is willing to mount an atypical and pugnacious defense, said Lee Bromberg, a partner at Bromberg & Sunstein LLP, a firm that specializes in intellectual property litigation. "This [subpoena action] isn't par for the course at all in this type of case," he said. With the subpoenas, Google is trying to argue that if its competitors are scanning books, it follows that Google is acting legally, according to Bromberg. "But I don't think it's evidence of that at all, and I think it's out of line for Google to do this," Bromberg said. This type of subpoena is usually used to get evidence from an uninvolved third party that may have relevant information about the litigation. For example, it would make sense for Google to subpoena information from one of its business partners, or from a partner of one of the plaintiffs, Bromberg said. "Those partners might possess documents that could be relevant to sorting out the issues between Google and the plaintiff publishers here. But that doesn't seem to be the case," Bromberg said. Wendy Seltzer, a Fellow at the Harvard University Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and an expert on Internet law and intellectual property, said the subpoenas might be part of a more conventional defense, in which Google will try to prove that book-scanning isn't hurting copyright owners nor the publishing market. Google's ultimate goal will be to have the court say its activities are protected by the fair use principle, which allows for limited use of copyright material, she said. Already Yahoo and Amazon.com have refused to comply with the subpoenas and have indicated in court filings that they are determined to stand their ground against what they consider an inappropriate and overreaching request from Google. Microsoft declined to comment when asked how it has responded or plans to respond to the subpoena. What's clear is that the subpoena standoff could further complicate and lengthen an already complex case that, barring an unexpected settlement, could drag on for years. After the refusals from Yahoo and Amazon.com, the ball is in Google's court. Google has the option to file a motion with the court to compel its two rivals to comply with the subpoena request. If the court were to grant that motion to compel, Amazon.com and Yahoo would probably have a choice to escalate the matter to an appeals court. "That [the subpoena clash] in itself can become a protracted battle," said Sheldon Klein, an attorney specializing in intellectual property and a partner at Arent Fox PLLC in Washington, D.C. Google declined to answer specific questions, providing only a prepared statement via e-mail that characterized the subpoena and objection process as "a common part of ongoing litigation." It intends to speak with Yahoo and Amazon.com over their concerns, Google said. Amazon.com declined to comment on whether it is holding talks with Google, but Yahoo doesn't foresee much chance of arriving at some middle ground. "Google will quickly learn we're not interested in some lesser compromise position. Our position is that we're not going to produce documents in response to the subpoena," said Reggie Davis, who is associate general counsel at Yahoo and manages litigation for the company. Like Bromberg, Davis finds Google's subpoena action surprising and aggressive, in large part because Yahoo doesn't even have its own book-scanning project. Its activities in this area are limited to its participation in a collective effort known as the Open Content Alliance, which doesn't scan copyrighted books without permission from the copyright owner. "It seems to us that their approach is completely different from ours, so we're surprised they'd want to get information from us about our approach, which is to get permission before copying. And it seems to us to be completely irrelevant and not particularly helpful to Google's argument or justification for their approach," Davis said. The plaintiffs in the Book Search cases -- the Association of American Publishers (AAP), acting on behalf of five of its members, and the Authors Guild Inc. and three authors -- aren't the only ones questioning the copyright legality of a Google search service. Others are suing Google in the U.S. and abroad for similar reasons over its news, image and video search engines.


Obama, Clinton tied in 2008 Democratic race

Barack Obama has erased a once substantial deficit to climb into a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential race, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.


Manchester United: The richest and possibly most famous football ...

Manchester United, which said on Monday it had received a takeover approach, stands as the richest and one of the most famous football club's in the world, 126 years after being formed by railway workers.


US troops and their families have a more positive impression of their commander-in-chief and a more upbeat attitude about both Iraq and the United States than the general public does, according to the University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg


Miss Kazakhstan said her country is preparing its own movie in response to "Borat," the hit comedy that portrayed the Central Asian nation as bigoted and backward.


House price growth remains strong despite concerns about interest rate rises, Land Registry figures show.


Britain's WWII Enigma codebreaking machines resurrected

A fully-functioning replica of a secret British codebreaking machine which hastened the end of the Second World War more than 60 years ago was unveiled.


Udine, 18:31 - CALCIO, UDINESE; GALEONE: E' IL MIO ULTIMO ANNO IN PANCHINA

Giovanni Galeone ai microfoni di Sky ha parlato piÃ¹ del suo futuro che del successo sul Torino. "Col...


US asked to take stern action against China on currency issue

The US government has come under new pressure to take stern action against China after failing to win firm assurance from Beijing on revaluing its currency.


AOL and other Internet access providers usually offer the same online security products: ones to fight viruses, spam, pop-ups and spyware; to set up firewalls; and to install so-called parental controls.


I fan del West Ham si producono in una maxi rissaVentuno supporters fermati, 6 feriti, piÃ¹ di 100 identificati                                            Uefa, hooligans scatenati a Palermo Arresti e scontri nel centro storico


Security company announces two new Firefox flaws

Pop-up blocker and phishing protection feature are vulnerable to attacks, according to SecuriTeam reports.


Investigators toil to get into mind of arsonists

Arson investigators get on their hands and knees to track how and where suspicious fires began. Then they have to find the fire-starter, who could be a flame-obsessed kid, a property owner seeking an insurance payout -- or even a firefighter looking for glory.


Shhh...My Child Is Sleeping (in My Bed, Um, With Me)

For âcloset co-sleepers,â revealing the truth isnât worth the criticism.


Home-builder sentiment improved unexpectedly in February as prospective buyers showed more interest, but the gauge remained near historic lows, the National Association of Home Builders said on Tuesday.


Per la B tutto da decidere ma il probabile inizio e' il 19


La Scala Is the Star at Its Own Reopening

The choice of Antonio Salieri's long-forgotten opera "Europa Riconosciuta" seemed just right when La Scala reopened on Tuesday night after nearly three years of renovation.


Upscale Hotel Planned in Prince William County

Developers announced plans Thursday for a large hotel and conference center to be built on an environmentally sensitive bluff overlooking the Potomac.


25th Senior Citizens' Week starts in Singapore

The 25th annual Senior Citizens'Week, with the theme of "stay active and involved", was launched here on Sunday. Speaking in a hospital to celebrate the beginning of the event


Men in military uniforms held up a United Nations vehicle in Kabul yesterday and abducted three election workers at gunpoint. It was the first kidnapping of UN or aid workers


Algeria Rebel Group Virtually Wiped Out, Ministry Says

Algeria's second largest Islamic rebel  group, blamed for the brutal killings of thousands of people in  the mid-1990s, has been virtually wiped out after security  forces killed and arrested its top members.


U.S. Tanks Move Toward Najaf Shrine, Clashes Kill 40

NAJAF, Iraq  - U.S. tanks rumbled to within 800  meters (yards) of a holy shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf on  Sunday as fierce clashes with Shi'ite rebels in a nearby town  killed at least 40 Iraqis, officials said.


Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has warned that "terrorists" are flooding into his country from across the Muslim world.


A drunken soldier sparked a security alert when he left a costume party dressed as a suicide bomber, wearing a turban, false beard and a combat jacket stuffed with pretend explosives, British police said Friday.


Giants Give Up Right to Void Bonds' Deal

Barry Bonds will have two more seasons to break Hank Aaron's career home run record with the San Francisco Giants, who decided Tuesday to drop their right to void the final year of his contract.


WASHINGTON - President Bush's plan to call tens of thousands of U.S. troops home from Europe and Asia could gain him election-year applause from military families, but won't ease the strain on soldiers still battling violent factions in Iraq and Afghanistan...


India's largest aluminium producer, Hindalco, agrees to buy its US-Canadian rival Novelis for $5.9bn.


Microsoft quarterly revenue hits $9.1 billion

Microsoft posted its first-quarter 2005 financial results last week, reporting revenue of US$9.19 billion and net income of $2.9 billion.


More than a million fishermen in Sri Lanka's north-east may have lost their livelihoods in the  tsunami, experts say.


On streets of Philadelphia, crime is back

On a cold January evening in southwest Philadelphia, a police patrol responds to the latest shooting in a neighborhood that is deadly even by the standards of America's most dangerous big city.


Hungarian PM seeks to explain lies on the economy

Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany has sought to justify his lying about the dire state of the economy, and vowed to press on with unpopular austerity measures.


THE wife and children of Mark Thatcher fled South Africa yesterday to escape the furore that has erupted since the British businessman's arrest last week for allegedly financing a botched coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.


Italian justice minister pulls party out of coalition

Italy's former justice minister Clemente Mastella announced Thursday that he was pulling his small centrist party out of Prime Minister Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition.


Tony Blair arrives in the US to become the first foreign leader to meet George Bush since his re-election.


Plummer's poor play may put him on bench

Jake Plummer's been looking over his shoulder since the Denver Broncos chose Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler with the 11th pick in the NFL draft back in April. He may not be craning his neck much longer.


An agreement comes into effect which allows Chinese tour groups to visit 29European nations.


The United States has reiterated its rejection of the Kyoto Protocol on global warming despite renewed pressure to yield after Russia ended years of hesitation by moving to ratify the treaty.


Reporter held in contempt for withholding source

A reporter for The New York Times was held in contempt yesterday by a federal judge and faces possible jail time for refusing to divulge confidential


Punta Gorda, Fla. -- US federal assistance started flowing to hurricane Charley's victims, and postal workers handed out mail outside their damaged building yesterday, but hundreds of thousands of Floridians remained without telephones, running water and ...


Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his first public comment on the dramatic Ukrainian presidential election that the Kremlin-favored candidate lost, said Friday he hopes that the country will move from rhetoric to pragmatism, news agencies reported.


Silajdzic ahead in race for Bosnian presidency

Bosnia's wartime foreign minister Haris Silajdzic leads in the race for the Muslim member of the state tri-presidency against incumbent Sulejman Tihic, organizers of an October 1 vote said on Monday.


A little-known Frenchwoman destroyed world number one Justine Henin's Wimbledon dream on Friday.


The Cassini flyby of Titan sent back the most detailed surface images, but the 1000 kilometer cloud formation near the south pole has scientists stumped.


Indonesia's Sumatra pounded by quake, aftershocks

BENGKULU, Indonesia  - Indonesia's Sumatra island was pounded by aftershocks on Thursday after a massive earthquake killed at least eight people and buried many others under collapsed buildings.


Sanyo says selling mobile phone unit to Kyocera

Struggling Japanese electronics maker Sanyo Electric Co. said Monday it has decided to sell its mobile phone production unit to precision equipment maker Kyocera Corp.


Lawmakers Describe 'Being Slimed in the Green Zone'

The sheets of paper seemed to be everywhere the lawmakers went in the Green Zone, distributed to Iraqi officials, U.S. officials and uniformed military of no particular rank. So when Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) asked a soldier last weekend just what he was holding, the congressman was taken a...


Injured receiver Robert Ferguson wants to return for playoffs

Wide receiver Robert Ferguson says he hopes to see action in the playoffs. Ferguson continues his recuperation from a clothesline hit Dec. 19 that temporarily paralyzed his legs and


Chak De! India director all set to tie the knot

After delivering a box office hit "Chak De! India", which revolves round an Indian   women's hockey team and its coach, director Shimit Amin is all set to tie the knot with his girlfriend.


Thai officials plan to send DNA samples from the remains of unidentified victims to China for testing.


Two senior CIA officials are reported to have quit in the latest sign of turmoil within the US spy organisation.


Terriers should jump through hoops to join

On the surface, it's just another marquee America East matchup between Vermont and Boston University, who have become the Duke and North Carolina of a conference that has always had a low profile nationally.


Schools in England are urged to "twin" with those overseas as part of a strategy on  international collaboration.


Exports to China give Bay State firms boost

Massachusetts exports to China have nearly doubled from just two years ago, making China one of the state's biggest foreign markets.


Tolkien-inspired oil painting 'immortalizes' Silicon Valley rich people

Six VCs to rule them all A woman named Jane is preparing an oil painting that "depicts the leaders of Silicon Valley in a situation inspired by the pivotal fight scene in The Fellowship of the Rings."â¦


Strong Quake Hits SE Asia, Tsunami Kills Dozens

A huge earthquake rocked Southeast Asia  on Sunday, setting off tsunami tidal waves that killed more  than 150 people in Sri Lanka, sent residents rushing to high  ground in Indonesia and washed into the Indian city of Chennai  and the Thai tourist island of Phuket.


Video shows execution of 11 Iraqi guardsmen

Baghdad -- Eleven kidnapped Iraqi national guardsmen were shown being killed in a video posted Thursday on the Internet, extending a succession of recent slayings of Iraqi and foreign security forces by insurgents.


Dimon solidifies control at nation's second-largest bank

NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Dina Dublon is resigning as chief financial officer after 23 years at JP Morgan Chase in a shakeup that further solidifies Jamie Dimon's control at the nation's second-biggest bank.


TALLAHASSEE Â· Florida A&M University officials want to create a flu vaccine lab and production plant that could help avoid the kind of vaccine shortages the country is seeing this year.


At least 23 people die in a car bombing in the Iraqi town of Balad, as the US defence secretary arrives in Baghdad.


U.S. Bars Entry of Those Undermining Lebanon Peace

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine, June 29 -- President Bush ratcheted up pressure on Syria and its allies in Lebanon on Friday, issuing an order barring from entry into the United States anyone who has worked to undermine the fragile pro-Western government in Beirut.


Don Nelson will return to coach Warriors

Don Nelson and the Golden State Warriors agreed to a new contract Sunday, keeping Nelson as the team's coach again this season.


"Friendly fire" kills NATO soldier in Afghanistan

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


If you're still pointing and clicking with the factory-issued mouse that came with your computer — or, heaven forbid, if you're still using your laptop's barbaric touch pad — it's time to upgrade.


PeopleSoft Forges On; Oracle App Sales Down

Less than two weeks after US District Judge Vaughn Walker gave Oracle an important victory over the Justice Department, PeopleSoft Inc.


Turkey sends troops to border, Iraq pushes diplomacy

Turkish helicopters and fighter jets pounded Kurdish rebel positions on Friday as diplomatic efforts began in Ankara to avert a major offensive against the guerrillas based in northern Iraq.


The command of the Polish-led multinational force in Iraq will move out of a camp that includes ancient Babylonian archaeological sites by year's end, Poland's defense minister said Sunday during a surprise visit to the troops.


Hurricane Lorenzo formed off  Mexico's Gulf coast on Thursday, packing 75 mph (120 kph) winds  and seen making landfall near Tuxpan port early Friday, the  U.S. National Hurricane Center said.


Mibtel sale dello 0,55%, SP +0,27%, All Stars +0,75%


WILLEMSTAD, Curacao  - Hurricane Felix became an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm on Sunday as it swept through the southern Caribbean on a path toward Central America and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, U.S. forecasters said.


The Lebanese government decided Monday to protest to the U.N. Security Council over Israel's blockade of the country and call on it to force Israel to lift the siege.


A special Italian government prize for Luciano Pavarotti is the clearest sign that he's fighting for his life


A coroner rules two soldiers ambushed in Iraq were unlawfully killed by Iraqi Military Intelligence.


Rio de Janeiro, 21:28 - CALCIO, BRASILE: SANTANA NUOVO ALLENATORE FLUMINENSE

Joel Santana è il nuovo allenatore della Fluminense. Il tecnico torna sulla panchina gi&agrav...


Nuova fiamma per Jack Nicholson, e non una fiamma qualsiasi: si tratta infatti di Kate Moss, modella tra le piÃ¹ pagate al mondo che a quanto pare Nicholson sta corteggiando in maniera sempre piÃ¹ serrata...


A federal appeals court today rejected a bid by Zacarias Moussaoui that would have made him ineligible for the death penalty, clearing the way for the first US trial on charges related to the Sept.


By John Myers, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn.  Jun. 23--The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is drafting a new, statewide plan to cope with the VHS virus in fish after the disease was recently found as close as Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin.


Non possiamo essere chiamati a responsabilita' civile


Some 70,000 Mac fans gathered at Apple Expo 2004 in Paris earlier this week for the largest exhibition of its kind in Europe. The event provided a showcase for just what kind of stylish technology


Singer Sting becomes the first international star to perform in Thailand since the tsunami disaster.


Salmonella from a pet turtle killed a four-week-old baby earlier this year in a case that showed the reptiles are not safe for children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.


An insider's take on revamping US health policy

Dr. Jerry Avorn brings convincing data and sharp analysis to ''Powerful Medicines," his timely, challenging appraisal of health policy.


Whole Foods CEO's message posts trouble experts

Corporate governance experts said Whole Foods Market Inc. should launch an internal investigation into chat room postings made by Chief Executive John Mackey under an alias that boosted his company and were critical of rivals.


German coalition fails to agree on national minimum wage

Germany's ruling coalition parties failed to agree on introducing a national minimum wage after seven hours of talks that ended early Tuesday.


Lack of interest hurts baseball in China

The Yankees and Mariners have become the first major league teams to sign Chinese players, so could baseball's version of NBA superstar Yao Ming be on deck? Unlikely, for reasons that are varied and complicated.


NASA's proposed 2024 moon base will be a steppingstone to Mars, but it may also be a mining outpost. The moon is an abundant source of helium-3, a potent fuel for next-generation nuclear reactors. Trouble is, China, India and Russia have their eyes on it too. By John Lasker.


Largest U.S. Theater Chain Urged Teen's Prosecution

Virginia prosecutor says the general counsel at Regal Entertainment Group, the world's largest movie exhibitor, pushed him to prosecute a 19-year-old woman for filming 20 seconds of Transformers.


Report: Apple to use Intel's Silverthorne chip in 2008

Apple is apparently considering Intel's upcoming low-power chip for use in 2008, but it's not likely that it will have Intel inside the iPhone next year.


Everyone needs a soundtrack — even politicians.


(InfoWorld) - Patent reform legislation before the U.S. Congress would kill the value of patents and allow companies from other countries to steal U.S. intellectual property, a group of inventors said Thursday. About 20 inventors and U.S. company executives, visiting Washington, D.C., encouraged Congress to defeatÂ the Patent Reform Act, a version of which passed the House of Representatives earlier this month. The Senate has not yet voted on its version of the bill. The legislation "will weaken the patent system," said Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and the AutoSyringe. "It will devalue patents. It will be a disincentive for people to invest in the future." Several large tech vendors, including Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco, support the legislation, which would allow courts to change they way they assess damages in patent infringement cases. Currently, courts generally consider the value of the entire product when a small piece of the product infringes a patent, and the legislation would allow courts to base damages only on the value of the infringing piece. The legislation would also allow a new way to challenge patents after they've been granted. Supporters say the bill is needed because patent infringement lawsuits have gotten out of hand. It's too easy for patent holders to sue and collect huge damage awards when a small piece of a tech product is found to infringe, supporters argue. Microsoft this month praised the House passage of the legislation, saying lawmakers voted to "support American innovation and to preserve incentives for progress." But Peter Volanakis, president and COO of Corning, said the legislation would be an invitation for its competitors in Asia to repeatedly challenge his company's patents. "This encourages infringement, plain and simple," he said. "It is much easier to infringe patents with this legislation." The patent reform legislation would also "undermine" Corning's ability to invest in new products, Volanakis added. Steve Perlman, inventor of WebTV and lead developer of Apple's QuickTime, said he was surprised to learn of the legislation when he read of the House passage of the bill. As he's begun to contact lawmakers about his opposition to the legislation, their staffers are "stunned" to hear of tech startups that are opposed to the bill, Perlman said. Small inventors and startups were mostly ignored during hearings on the bill, Perlman added. One of the goals of the bill is to harmonize U.S. patent laws with the rest of the world. But the U.S. now has the best environment for startups and entrepreneurs, Perlman said. "I don't want to have the startup economy they have," he said. "I want the one we have." Perlman, founder and CEO of Rearden, and Kamen, founder of DEKA Research & Development, both said changes to the U.S. patent system are needed. But the legislation largely doesn't address the real needs -- more patent examiners and more money for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, they said. Perlman has a patent he applied for five years ago still awaiting examination, he said. "Let's first make the system we've got today work the way it's supposed to work," Perlman said. Congress should also wait to see the effects of a May 2006 Supreme Court ruling, in which justices overturned the long-held practice of issuing injunctions against infringing products in nearly all patent cases, Perlman said. That ruling should have a large effect on so-called patent trolls, he said. "There already has been a huge change" in U.S. patent law because of the Supreme Court ruling, he said.


Nine workers lose their jobs at a council office after becoming "addicted" to internet shopping site eBay.


Dimissioni coincidono con data approvazione bilancio 2007


For the N81 at least The first version of Nokia's gaming platform, the N-Gage, is available to download for the N81, and offers a glimpse of how Nokia envisions us playing games on our mobiles.â¦


Roma, 16:03 - CALCIO, LAZIO; BARONIO: SERVE UNA STERZATA

"La classifica è preoccupante, pensiamo a salvarci. Serve una sterzata immediata, altrimenti ...


Partiti dalla Libia sono stati gettati in acqua aggrappati a taniche di benzina vuoteStamani un maxisbarco a Lampedusa: 184 extracomunitari tra cui una donna e 24 minori                                            Pantelleria, abbandonati in mare dagli scafisti Recuperato il corpo di un clandestino


Americans enjoy surreal haven at military center in Iraq

CAMP ANACONDA, Iraq -- No one breaks stride on the elliptical trainers when the announcement blares over the loudspeakers every few hours. Nobody pauses at racquetball at either of the two multimillion-dollar gyms at this war-zone base.


Microsoft Windows Home Server Shipped To OEMS

Microsoft announced Monday that it had completed its Windows Home Server (WHS) software and released the code to its OEM partners, just six months after Redmond unveiled the project.


Jose Guillen and Ichiro Suzuki in the same outfield — Seattle manager Mike Hargrove has never had two arms so strong side-by-side.


Wall Street Likely to Be Quiet During RNC

NEW YORK Aug. 29, 2004 - Wall Street was poised for another quiet week as many traders and money managers prepared to leave town ahead of the Republican National Convention.


Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was poised to become Turkey's president on Tuesday, which if accomplished would make him the first head of state with a background in political Islam in a country with strong secularist principles.


By Fraser Sherman, Destin Log, Fla.  Sep. 16--The remarkable thing isn't that it took five years to build June White Decker Park in Destin. It's that construction ever started.


NAPOLI - Lancio di pietre alle forze dell'ordine, lacrimogeni, tafferugli e cariche della polizia. E' degenerata in incidenti la manifestazione indetta ieri contro la realizzazione del termovalorizzatore di Acerra.


On a remote stretch of land where stray chickens outnumber students, California's only tribal college is clinging to life against seemingly insurmountable odds.


A white gentleman's urinal by Marcel Duchamp is named the most influential modern art work of all time.


US boots Jamaica out of qualifying for Cup

United States national team coach Bruce Arena was planning for the future last night. But Arena was also playing to win, the US's 1-1 tie with Jamaica eliminating the Reggae Boyz from World Cup qualifying.


Study shows lice were carried from Africa

Head lice taken from 1,000-year-old mummies in Peru support the idea that the little creatures accompanied humans on their first migration out of Africa, 100,000 years ago, researchers reported on Wednesday.


By RUSTY MILLER  COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ron Lewis hit a key driving layup and No. 3 Ohio State overcame Greg Oden's foul trouble, closing on an 11-4 run to hold off Purdue 63-56 on Saturday.


Italian, UK police break up Islamic militant cell

Italian police said on Thursday they had  arrested nine suspected members of a North African Islamic  militant group linked to al Qaeda while British police carried  out a further arrest linked to the swoop in Milan.


The head of a government panel debating revisions to Japan's imperial succession law said Tuesday that public opinion, which strongly supports allowing a woman to reign, would be the most important factor in their discussions.


Electrolux: Profit Won't Meet Expectations

Electrolux AB, the world's biggest maker of home appliances, warned Thursday that its profit expectations for the rest of 2004 would be less than expected because of a rise in steel prices.


Howard, at 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, can clinch a winning record in the MEAC with a win over Delaware State on Saturday.


NATIONAL EARNINGS Mercedes crimps Chrysler

FRANKFURT - An earnings stumble at DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes flagship tarnished higher profits at the world's fifth-biggest automaker on Thursday and stoked questions about the loss-making Smart compact's future.


Mastella, auspico intesa ma crisi non mi spaventano


Ebony and ivory: mixed British twins celebrate birthday

They were born within minutes of each other, but the British twins celebrating their first birthday Wednesday are far from identical: one of the girls is black while the other is white with blond hair and blue eyes.


FCC Chair to Seek Net Telephone Oversight

FCC Chairman Michael Powell said Tuesday that he would seek broad regulatory authority for the federal government over Internet-based telephone services to avoid stifling the emerging market.


English magician shares secrets during class

For a couple of hours one weekday night, a small empty office space next door to a loan company became a magic club.


AIDS programs fail to reach high-risk groups: UN

Surveillance for the HIV virus is weak in most of the world and prevention and treatment programs often fail to reach high-risk drug users, homosexuals and sex workers, the World Health Organization said on Friday.


In passerella maison famose da Chanel a Dior, ad Armani


Suicide bomber kills eight at Shiite mosque in Pakistan

A teenage suicide attacker blew himself up at a packed Shiite mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Thursday, killing eight people and wounding 20, officials said.


Higher Voter Registration Could Affect Election

New voters are signing up in record  numbers across the United States as state deadlines to register  to vote expire this week, but it is unclear which party will  benefit from the influx.


Foley Scandal Withers GOP Hopes for Holding House

The GOP base, eroded by scandals and an unpopular war, appear ready to take down some of their own


Tourism sales dip for first time in four years

U.S. tourism sales declined in the third quarter, the first slowdown in four years, on the back of new security restrictions for air travel announced in August, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.


European shares head lower before US earnings news

Europe's main stock exchanges slid on Tuesday, with London dragged downwards by a weak trading update from retailer Tesco, and as investors awaited fresh US earnings news.


Investment manager T. Rowe Price Group  Inc. TROW.O said on Friday that quarterly profit rose 42  percent to a record, helped by a big increase in investment  advisory revenues.


Deal struck on the phone is binding, rules High Court

Your word is your bond An oral contract over the phone is binding, the High Court has ruled in a multi-million pound case which threatened to undermine the way the world of high finance operates. The verbal agreement did not have to be in writing, the court found.â¦


Gordon Brown will make science a top  priority, says Education Secretary Alan Johnson.


Il giornalista seuestrato nel marzo scorso consegnato a funzionari di HamasIl leader del movimento islamico Meshaal: "Abbiamo riportato l'ordine"                                            Gaza, liberato dopo 4 mesi il reporter della Bbc rapito


Off the Stripper Pole and Into the Movies

She no longer dances naked, but the first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody is still exposing herself.


Big Blue demonstrates that it's still a major force in tech innovation.


Mobile phone tune may play too loudly, Siemens says.


Giving HIV-positive children in Africa a daily dose of antibiotic could nearly halve the death rate.


WASHINGTON - A mysterious Syrian military facility that was reportedly the target of an attack by Israeli jets last month has been razed, according to a new satellite image that shows only a vacant lot in the place where Syria was recently constructing what some US officials believe was a nuclear reactor. The new photograph, taken by a commercial satellite ...


Ask.com let's you ask for directions on mobile

Ask.com launches free voice-activated directions service for mobile users.


Indonesia and its Aceh rebels agree to hold direct talks in Finland on Friday, just over a month after the tsunami.


Caption Only: All the Right Moves at Brazilian Fest

Members of the Salt Lake Capoeira School practice their martial- arts moves at the Utah Brazilian Festival at the McKay Events Center at Utah Valley State College in Orem Saturday. The festival featured Brazilian food, art, music and dance.  (c) 2006 Deseret News (Salt Lake City).


Sudan agrees to process Eritrean asylum seekers-UN

Sudan has agreed to consider the asylum claims of 76 Eritreans who forced a Libyan plane to land in Sudan because they feared returning home, a UN official official said on Saturday.


Searching for that special something for the NBA GM in your life? Just in time for Christmas, how about a 31-year-old guard in possession of a game with a mind of its own? And it will only cost you $18 mill, per annum, to gain possession. You'd owe him $40 million, give or take a diamond earring, through 2008-09.


Many report being newly alone, disoriented by the refugee camps, and deeply longing for home.


THE Israeli army has lifted some of the travel restrictions imposed on residents of West Bank towns for the funeral of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.


Gonzaga rebounds from an embrassing loss to Illinois with a 99-87 upset victory over No. 14 Washington on Wednesday night.


POLITICAL POINTS | 10.7 2:27 PM Democrats Tweak New England ...

The Capitol was buzzing today with talk of Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his latest ethics problems and the potential ramifications for the Nov. 2 battle for the House of Representatives.


In discesa dell'1,5% a 66,31 dollari al barile


A French village is pioneering a new approach to tackling the growing problem with obesity.


Reggio Calabria, 12:53 - CALCIO, INTER: IBRAHIMOVIC FERMO PER FARINGITE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic fermo per una faringite, Francesco Toldo alle prese con una ferita lacero contusa...


The discount brokerage posted a larger-than-expected quarterly loss after a $2.2 billion charge related to the sale of its asset-backed securities portfolio.


Hospitalized Clinton Prepares For Surgery

Former President Bill Clinton was resting Saturday in a New York hospital in preparation for heart bypass surgery next week. Clinton, 58, was admitted Friday to Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital after an angiogram


ExtendMedia Inc. of Newton is going Hollywood, thanks to a deal with an Internet video start-up cofounded by actor Morgan Freeman .


OPEC aims for four percent increase in oil quotas

VIENNA: OPECâs core Gulf producers on Wednesday recommended the cartel raise supply quotas by one million barrels a day, four percent, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahd al-Sabah said.


Singh attends THE PLAYERS charity luncheon

Vijay Singh didnât have his golf clubs. He wasnât inside the ropes where heâs gotten so comfortable this year, either. As Singh looked out at the gathering of


Hand Recount Starts in Wash. Gov.'s Race

Sitting at a folding table under fluorescent lights, Republican Lloyd Haskins Sr. held up ballots for Democrat Carl Brownstein to see, and they both marked their running totals on white scrap paper.


Five US journalists are fined for refusing to identify sources behind stories alleging nuclear espionage.


McNealy innovates in trade-show theatrics

Scott McNealy for years has relied on Top 10 lists for comic relief during his tech show keynote speeches, but at the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco Wednesday, he tried a new stunt. [Missing Links]


Hezbollah-led rally demands Lebanon govt quit

Hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah-led protesters rallied on Friday at the doorstep of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to force the resignation of his U.S.-backed government.


Siege bodes ill for Putin Rescue a catastrophe for leader and ...

WHEN it came, the end of the siege at School No1 in the small north Ossetian town of Beslan was the worst possible outcome. It was protracted, chaotic and bloody and a catastrophe not just for the families


Personal Health: Mental Reserves Keep Brains Agile

Well-designed studies suggest several ways to improve the brainâs viability.


Ukrainian rivals wrap up election campaign

The Ukrainian presidential candidates wrapped up their stormy campaigns Friday, as hundreds of Canadians prepared to monitor the Boxing Day vote.


Sprint launches home cells to boost signals

Sprint Nextel is now selling small cellular base stations for homes to improve coverage and offer flat-rate calling.


China calls on Iran to cooperate with IAEA

China called on Iran on Tuesday to step up its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, as world powers raise pressure on Tehran to curtain its nuclear program.


Foggia, ucciso nella sezione del partito

Due colpi al cuore, sparati da distanza ravvicinata. Una vera e propria esecuzione. La vittima Ã¨ Leonardo Biagini, 38 anni, consigliere comunale di An, freddato a Foggia mentre si trovava in una sezione del


EU Willing to Give Up Airbus Plane Loans

Europe is willing to stop providing government loans to help Airbus develop new aircraft as long as the United States no longer provides similar aid for Boeing, a top European Union official said on Friday.


Kohl's launches Food Network kitchenware line

Kohl's Corp debuted a Food  Network-branded kitchenware product line in its stores on  Wednesday, part of the department store's campaign to diversify  its product line.


Hurricane Felix strengthens into Category 3 storm

Hurricane Felix intensified into a "major" Category 3 hurricane on Sunday as it churned over the warm waters of the Caribbean, aimed at Central America or Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, U.S. weather forecasters said.


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Lawmakers yesterday approved a UN-backed plan to try surviving Khmer Rouge leaders for genocide more than a quarter-century after the radical communists were ousted from power.


A State Department security officer was killed Sunday during a mortar or rocket attack at a U.S. base near Baghdad International Airport, the U.S. Embassy announced.


Bush, Cheney 'In Denial' Over Iraq - Edwards

President Bush is in "a complete state of denial" about the deteriorating situation in Iraq, Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards charged on Wednesday.


Nintendo aims high with low-cost console

Nintendo hopes to hold its advantage over Sony in the handheld game console market, by selling its DS model for half the price of the new PlayStation Portable.


Captain Dickie Annand, who died on Christmas Eve aged 90, won the Army's first Victoria Cross of the Second World War when serving with the 2nd Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, in Belgium in May 1940.


By Susan Jurgelski  Sensory integration In the corps Chip of a lifetime TMB hours  Thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities, Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center has a new sensory-integration room in its occupational- therapy department.


Londra, 15:10 - CALCIO, U21: CONFERMATA AMICHEVOLE INGHILTERRA-ITALIA A WEMBLEY

La federcalcio inglese ha confermato l'amichevole tra le nazionali under 21 di Italia e Inghilterra ...


The family of Australian "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin considers whether he should receive a state funeral.


N. Korea Says It Will Be Off Terror List

North Korea said on Monday the United States had agreed to remove it from its list of countries that support terrorism, a move long sought by Pyongyang to better its status with the outside world.


L.A. District Court may dismiss case filed by NASA contractors

The 28 NASA contractors who went to court to protest extensive new backgrounds checks are awaiting a hearing Friday -- one that may accede to a government request to throw the case out, most likely costing them their jobs.


Google on Thursday confirmed a long-rumored deal that will bundle some of its software on Dell Inc.'s personal computers, providing the online search engine leader with another potentially potent weapon in its fierce rivalry with Microsoft Corp.


Kremlin Seeks To Extend Its Reach in Cyberspace

MOSCOW -- After ignoring the Internet for years to focus on controlling traditional media such as television and newspapers, the Kremlin and its allies are turning their attention to cyberspace, which remains a haven for critical reporting and vibrant discussion in Russia's dwindling public sphere.


Anche miniserie e sit-com legate al tema delle feste


Pm Catanzaro e' arrivato a Palazzo di giustizia a Matera


Si schianta la capsula sganciata dalla "Genesis", missione fallita ...

Il paracadute non si Ã¨ aperto, e la capsula con polvere solare sganciata dalla sonda Genesis si Ã¨ schiantata al suolo, nel deserto dello Utah, rischiando di mandare in frantumi in pochi secondi una missione durata tre anni.


First direct flight from United States to Vietnam

SAN FRANCISCO A United Airlines plane has taken off on the first direct flight from the United States to Vietnam in almost three decades.


National Guard officials mounted a rescue effort Thursday for two Korean backpackers stranded on an ice floe in the Bering Strait.


Consumer Prices Drop, Housing Starts Rise

A drop in energy costs pulled U.S.  consumer prices down last month, but core inflation moved up  modestly and housing starts surged, according to data on  Wednesday that bolstered expectations for a steady diet of  interest-rate rises.


Stern: 'I'm tired of censorship'; switches channels

The local radio galaxy tilted on its axis Wednesday when New York shock jock Howard Stern announced he would abandon the radio dial in 2006 for satellite subscriber radio.


Apple is holding fast to its declaration that 3G chips consume too much power, so the Brits are stuck with an EDGE iPhone just like the Americans.


Nationals 9, Mets 8: Mets Talk Over Their Problems and Then Add to Them

The Metsâ latest loss came after they frittered away three separate four-run leads, which undermined their feisty comeback in the ninth.


EarthLink to build out full Philadelphia Wi-Fi network

(InfoWorld) - The sun came out for EarthLink's Philadelphia Wi-Fi network on Thursday even as prospects forÂ its San Francisco projectÂ remain shrouded in fog. Wireless Philadelphia, a nonprofit group formed by the city of Philadelphia, has approved the 15-square-mile Wi-Fi test network EarthLink built, opening the door for the operator to finish building out a 135-square-mile network covering the city. The approval comes just a month afterÂ EarthLink announced it would scale back its city Wi-Fi initiative, focusing on existing and large cities for the rest of the year. The company has seven or eight cities under contract now and is negotiating with five more, Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing Cole Reinwand said last week. It decided to stagger its Wi-Fi expansion to conserve resources, he said. Residents can already use the 15-square-mile network in Philadelphia. The full network is expected to be complete in the third quarter. EarthLink is financing, building, and managing the network and will share revenue with Wireless Philadelphia, which will offer cut-rate access for low-income people. For six months, customers of a 1MbpsÂ service will pay an introductory rate of $6.95 per month, which bumps up to $19.95 thereafter. A faster 3Mbps service is available for $9.95 for the first six months and $21.95 after that. City parks will have free access, and low-income residents can sign up for service at $9.95 per month, before promotions. Customers can also pay for service on an hourly, daily or three-day basis. The Philadelphia Wi-Fi network is notable because when announced, it set off a storm of controversy that resulted in a Pennsylvania law requiring municipalities to receive approval from incumbent telecommunications operators before building Wi-Fi networks. The law was created after incumbents complained that by financing Wi-Fi networks, cities were building networks that would compete with their businesses. The San Francisco project, which has drawn attention partly because of Google's planned involvement as provider of a free citywide service, has run into fierce opposition from activists as well as some local elected officials. The proposed contract is scheduled for a vote by the city and county's board of supervisors in July.


A young man in his 20s is killed as two vehicles crash near Downpatrick, County Down.


Would-be US presidential nominees see in 2008 on the stump in Iowa as the first caucuses beckon.


CBS has announced its newest batch of castaways for Survivor 9. The cast of scheming hotties will be set loose on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu--part of the infamous ring of fire area of volcanoes. This season it'sa gender showdown when the Lopevi ...


Prima vittima offensiva lanciata oggi nel sud del Paese


Big names won't determine Orange Bowl outcome

It's the first Mailbag in several weeks, which means it's the first chance I've had to comment on that scintillating Fort Worth Bowl (attendance: 13,204) and the first chance to look ahead to Thursday's Troy-Northern Illinois showdown (projected attendance


Prosecutor challenges UN to speak up on Darfur

UNITED NATIONS - The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court yesterday challenged the United Nations and its members to break their silence on two men he charged with war crimes in Darfur.


Portuguese pilots strike over retirement plan

Airline pilots in Portugal went on strike on Tuesday affecting the country's biggest airline, TAP Air Portugal, and stranding thousands of passengers, a TAP spokesman said.


India PM spoke terror with Pakistani Pres.

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday he raised the issue of terrorism with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.


An intelligent smile and a devilish roar

With a slightly hoarse voice, speaking slowly and emphatically, Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, the leader of ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD), on Saturday seemed an exhausted man.


No evidence of Iranian support for Sadr: Iraqi vice president

DUBAI  -- Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim al-Jafari said Saturday he had no evidence of any Iranian support for radical Shiite militia leader Moqtada Sadr.


Milano, 12:15 - CALCIO, MILAN; MALDINI: ESTATE AMARA

Il campionato riparte e Paolo Maldini non puÃ² non tornare a quanto successo nei mesi scorsi: ''E' st...


Activist may get seat on Sprint board: reports

Activist investor Ralph Whitworth of Relational Investors LLC is in advanced discussions to take a seat on the board of Sprint Nextel Corp , according to the Wall Street Journal Web site, citing people familiar with the matter.


CLEVELAND -- The Celtics and successful comebacks do not often go together. Ricky Davis and Cleveland do not often go well together.


Sprint's move to cancel problem accounts is wider than initially thought, and apparently also aimed at those who may roam too frequently. However, some are crying foul over these latest moves.


Data-plumbing deal Trend Micro has acquired data leak prevention firm Provilla, in an agreement that expands its business beyond its core antivirus and content security markets. Financial terms are undisclosed.â¦


New Virus May Cause Childhood Diseases - Study

A newly discovered virus related to the SARS virus may cause several mysterious childhood ailments, including Kawasaki disease, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.


Thailand nabs Canadian pedophile suspect

Canadian pedophile suspect Christopher Neil, focus of a global hunt that ended in rural Thailand on Friday, will be charged with molesting underage children after being tracked down through his boyfriend's phone.


Unlikely marriage as visiting Dubai sheikh checks into hotel - and checks out with pretty 19-year-old.


Iraqi militants wanted Bush to win presidency: French hostage

PARIS - Iraqi militants wanted President George W. Bush re-elected because he would keep US soldiers in Iraq, and that would boost the position of the insurgents, a French reporter says.


Hospitals Nationwide Combat Employee Camera-Phone Abuse

Hospitals across the country grapple with infringement of patients' privacy caused by employees using camera phones.


A foreign man is shot dead near a shopping complex in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.


In the Course of Human Events, Still Unpublished

More than 200 years after they were written, huge portions of the papers of America's founding fathers are still decades away from being published, prompting a distinguished group of scholars and federal officials to pressure Congress to speed the process along.


Directors Aditya, Nishikant say salaam Mumbai

Aditya Bhattacharya and Nishikant Kamath, two directors from contrasting   backgrounds and with different visions, are set to pay cinematic homage to the city of Mumbai.


Military Satellite Project Hits Additional Snags

The Air Force said yesterday that a Lockheed Martin Corp. military satellite program has fallen another year behind schedule and that the cost of the program will grow by at least $800 million.


Indian truckers' strike enters third day, prices spiral

A strike by thousands of Indian truckers protesting a proposed new tax entered its third day, with officials reporting a sharp increase in prices of essential goods in major centres.


Time Warner's new media-sharing site hopes to take on News Corp.'s Photobucket.


Bill to Prevent 'Reservation Shopping' Fails

By Howard Decker, Desert Dispatch, Barstow, Calif.  Sep. 14--BARSTOW -- A vote in the House of Representatives on a bill to  ban "reservation shopping" that would have kept two American Indian tribes  from building a casino resort here failed to pass Wednesday.


Illinois, Wisconsin Launch Drug Import Program

Illinois and Wisconsin have joined forces to launch the country's first program that allows the residents of Illinois and Wisconsin to purchase lower cost prescriptions from wholesalers in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.


Party official says jailed Palestinian leader will seek presidency

Associates of Marwan Barghouti (mahr-WAHN' bahr-GOO'-tee) say he's decided to seek the presidency of the Palestinian Authority -- a move that will sharpen a power struggle within the ruling Fatah party.


9,32% della controllata Usa per 4,9 mln dollari


Film rental firm Blockbuster says it will rent only Blu-ray high-definition DVDs at 1,450 of its US stores.


A couple of small--but serious--issues regarding the audio output of the iPhone have been percolating on the Web for the last week or so.  From Crave, CNET's gadgets blog.


The AU chairman calls a summit on the crisis in Ivory Coast as foreigners continue to flee the West African country.


Thousands of Fermanagh GAA supporters were flocking to Dublin this weekend to support their county in the team's crunch decider for a place in the All-Ireland final.


US Fed Cup team loses King for Garrison mentality

NEW YORK  - Tennis legend Billie Jean King has retired as coach of the United States Fed Cup team, completing a transition that will leave Zina Garrison in command of the 2005 squad, the US Tennis Association said.


The World Heritage Committee will soon pick another list of natural and human-made wonders most in need of protection


Siberian pizza chain shows way to Russia

NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia  - After building a chain of restaurants selling pizza to the Siberians, Eric Shogren has a few tips for foreigners wanting to break into the booming Russian market.


Cinven and Apax Partners Funds to Acquire Vnu World

LONDON - (BUSINESS WIRE) â-ept. 27, 2004 â -ds advised by Apax Partners Worldwide LLP (âApax Partnersâ) and Cinven Limited (âCinvenâ), announce that they have agreed to acquire VNU World Directories


Oxford's vice-chancellor is to learn whether academics back reforms which could hand control to outsiders.


Summer wound down with a yawn this weekend at the movie box office, where the Jet Li warrior epic "Hero" took the top spot over the scary-snake drama "Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid.


Mobile phones take back seat at revamped BenQ

(InfoWorld) - Taiwan's BenQ Corp. launched as a new corporate entity on Sept. 1, with plans to focus on digital projectors, computer monitors and other electronics, while its former main business, mobile phones, takes a back seat. It's a big change from a year ago. BenQ has now come full circle from its 2005 takeover of Siemens AG's mobile phone unit. The Taiwanese company was never able to turn the troubled business around, despite Siemens paying BenQ â¬250 million (US$340.8 million) to take the ailing division off its hands. Six money-losing quarters after the acquisition, BenQ called it quits, citing cutthroat competition and an inability to drive down costs at the German unit. By then, it had racked up losses of over â¬840 million. In its new form, BenQ is the branded division of Qisda Corp., which replaced the old name, BenQ, as the legal entity and the company listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Qisda is the manufacturing side of the former BenQ, and the plan is to spin off the new BenQ within the next few years once it's healthy. One of the biggest changes at BenQ is a lighter focus on mobile phones. While BenQ will still market handsets and focus on select markets, it will drop high profile advertising campaigns such as sponsorship of the Real Madrid football club and other big budget programs. Instead, it will target a smaller budget on its strongest products. This year, the company's best products are digital projectors and computer monitors, which it expects to lead it to a break-even year on sales of around NT$60 billion (US$1.82 billion). By 2009, the company forecasts sales to reach NT$100 billion. Hurdles remain. The insolvency administrator of the company's former mobile phone unit in Germany, BenQ Mobile GmbH & Co. OHG, is suing Qisda to recoup over â¬100 million in past account payables and employee bonuses. Qisda is considering filing counterclaims against the lawsuits. Qisda executives also face the prospect of jail time for alleged insider stock trading in Taiwan, related to when the company revealed losses tied to BenQ Mobile. The Taoyuan District Court in Taiwan started court proceedings against some Qisda executives in mid-July, including Chairman K.Y. Lee and Chief Financial Officer Eric Yu. Qisda has denied any wrongdoing on the part of its executives. Â


British cinemas pull Fox film in DVD release row

Some of Britain's biggest cinema chains  have pulled hit comedy "Night at the Museum" from their screens  in protest against Hollywood studio Twentieth Century Fox's  plans to rush out the DVD version.


Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has won re-election for a second term, poll officials say.


Three ex-bosses of Mitsubishi have been cleared for a fatal accident said to be caused by design faults being hid.


The 10 most endangered national wildlife refuges as chosen by the environmental group Defenders of Wildlife, and reasons cited by the group:


Report: Synagogue attacker gets 16 years

A man who injured nine people in a knife attack at a Moscow synagogue was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a second trial, Russian news agencies reported.


Chad's government imposes a dusk-to-dawn curfew in much of the country after the rebel assault last weekend.


Rebels attack military camp in Kashmir, two dead

Rebels have attacked a military camp in disputed Kashmir, killing a soldier hours before India's Home Minister was due to visit the troubled region, security officials said.


Shootout Kills 2 Ariz. Officers, Wounds 1

PHOENIX - Two Phoenix police officers were killed and a third wounded Saturday night during a shootout at an apartment complex, authorities said.    The man believed to have shot the officers was found dead following a two-hour stand off with police...


An Electoral Affirmation of Shared Values

It was not a landslide, or a re-alignment, or even a seismic shock. But it was decisive, and it is impossible to read President Bush's re-election with larger Republican majorities in both


AnnTaylor profit falls on weakness at LOFT

Women's apparel retailer AnnTaylor Stores Inc.  said on Thursday that a weak assortment of clothes at its LOFT chain led to deeper markdowns, causing quarterly earnings to fall.


As a Campaign Tool, Web Has Its Uses and Limits

By Jill Lawrence  WASHINGTON -- Republican Fred Thompson has been posting his thoughts this year on conservative websites. He's tangled with  gadfly filmmaker Michael Moore via YouTube.com and encouraged an online draft movement.


Umenyiora Sets Mood, and Giants Join the Fun

On an afternoon when the Giantsâ defense had six sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and five passes knocked down, Osi  Umenyiora finished with the lionâs share.


Brown Shoe Co. Inc. (BWS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday posted a 32 percent drop in quarterly earnings, hurt by slack sales from its children's unit, Bass wholesale business and Naturalizer chain.


Iraq Forces Advance on Najaf Shrine, Battle Rages

NAJAF, Iraq  - Iraqi security forces moved to  within 400 meters (yards) of a holy shrine in Najaf on Tuesday,  just hours after the government warned Shi'ite rebels inside  they would be killed if they did not surrender.


HK's financial status suffers little despite property sale ...

The shelving of a huge public property sale is an embarrassment for Hong Kong but analysts say the incident shows the territory's legal system is intact and that its reputation


Iraq PM Blames U.S.-Led Forces' 'Neglect' for Massacre

Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad  Allawi said on Tuesday "major neglect" by U.S.-led forces led  to the murder of 49 Iraqi army recruits by insurgents this  weekend.


Dual therapy improves endometriosis pain control

NEW YORK  - Hormone suppression and diet therapy can relieve pain in women with endometriosis who undergo conservative therapy, according to a report in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.


Kazmir Outduels Willis, Shuts Out Marlins

Scott Kazmir allowed four hits and matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts in eight innings Sunday, leading the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 3-0 victory over Dontrelle Willis and the Florida Marlins.


Ti stressa l'email in ufficio? Forse hai poca autostima

Ansia da posta elettronica. Ad esserne colpiti i lavoratori che non sanno gestire le interruzioni. Uno su tre si sente obbligato a rispondere immediatamente


(Linda Stern is a freelance writer who covers personal finance issues for Reuters. Any opinions in the column are solely those of Ms. Stern. You can e-mail her at lindastern(at)aol.com.)


Michael Phelps clinched his fifth gold medal and became the first man since Mark Spitz to hold four individual Olympic swimming titles when he won the 100 meter butterfly final Friday.


Japan's Princess Kiko is due to give birth by Caesarean on Wednesday, amid hopes she will have a boy and heir.


JPMorgan Chase has hired Gordon A. Smith from American Express to head its credit card unit.


Columbus edges Toronto to stop winless streak

Jason Garey and Jacob Thomas scored second-half goals and the visiting Columbus Crew posted a 2-1 victory yesterday that snapped their winless streak at seven games and extended Toronto FC's skid to 11 games.


Roma, 19:33 - Calcio, Lazio: Talamonti stringe i denti

Migliorano gli infortunati Couto e Seric, le cui condizioni sono in miglioramento, oggi hanno svolto...


As attacks on data rise, corporate teamwork fails

As the TJX Companies data leakage incident seeped its way further toward becoming the Exxon Valdez of corporate information spills this week, researchers reinforced the notion that businesses continue to make a mess of electronic data security because they fail to foster adequate internal communication.A new report from Ponemon Institute -- which has produced a series of studies into corporate data leakage over the last several years -- concluded that the various people in charge of collecting, protecting, and managing sensitive information inside large businesses typically don't collaborate sufficiently. Those constituencies also have widely differing views regarding their respective roles in safeguarding the content, the report contends.Echoing comments made by a number of security policy experts in recent months, the study highlights the fact that companies are likely failing to protect data based on broken business processes -- at least as much as they may be succumbing to complex technological challenges.Just as many software developers complain that their applications are left vulnerable to attack because business teams refuse to wait long enough for the programs' underlying code to be made secure, the results of Ponemon's survey of 3,600 IT security and marketing executives -- located in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany -- illustrate a distinct lack of organizational coordination in the name of protecting data.For instance, only 30 percent of the marketing workers interviewed for the study said they actually consult security teams before collecting and using sensitive information, while 80 percent of the IT security employees surveyed indicated a belief that they are typically involved in such decision-making.In addition, while only 53 percent of IT security workers surveyed said their companies have well-coordinated data protection policies, only 32 percent of those workers who handle the information said their employers are doing an adequate job. Some 45 percent of security workers don't feel that their data-handling rules get in the way of business objectives, while only 21 percent of the people using the content feel that such policies represent roadblocks to their productivity.And in yet another blow to the perceptions of security workers, only 21 percent of the marketers using sensitive information interviewed by Ponemon said that security teams play a leading role in defending the content.At the heart of the matter is the issue of poor collaboration between all the involved parties, according to the research firm. Only 29 percent of those interviewed said their companies' current policies would be adequate to handle a major breach within 24 hours of its occurrence.Based on the results, Ponemon contends that organizations with substandard data protection collaboration policies were twice as likely as to have had a data breach within the last two years.Therein lays the ultimate proof of collaboration's impact on data protection, said executives with Microsoft, which sponsored the research report."We expect the data threat environment to continue to evolve, and at the same time, clearly, there's a long way to go based on where we are today," said Brendon Lynch, director of privacy strategy at Microsoft. "There's this major issue around the degree to which marketing professionals consult with these other involved parties; they see the policies as getting in the way of business objectives, and they're not interacting with security or privacy specialists based on that, which undermines the process change that companies are already attempting to enact."As part of its connection with the study, Microsoft is pushing the notion that companies should merge their security and data privacy operations to simplify the process of interaction between the various constituencies.Some 80 percent of all respondents to the Ponemon study said that they would support further combination of those teams to improve coordination of their data defenses."We feel that most companies need to be more holistic and bring these types of roles together," said Lynch. "All of these workers are critically important to better locking down the data, so they need to look at developing appropriate-use cases, and how to better fulfill business objectives while maintaining protection."The study is just the latest expert opinion to highlight the fact that despite the ever-expanding range of security technologies available to enterprises to protect sensitive data, many organizations could be well served to start with a review of their internal policies.In addition to getting business teams to work more closely with security and privacy pros, some experts contend that organizations could improve security risks quickly by merely retrenching the settings of their network and IT systems.Many critical infrastructure systems are installed with the idea of getting an operation up and running first, with plans to bolster security after the fact, and never readdressed, said Paul Williams, chief technology officer at IT security services provider Global Security Management.Reviewing networking gear settings to ensure that they have been sufficiently obscured, along with tweaking the features of other systems crucial to protect external attack is another way that companies can significantly bolster data security with little to no capital investment, he said."Before you learn how to defend a network, you have to take a walk on the wild side and see how you can break in yourself," said Williams. "Most networks can be made more secure by simply taking the time to go back and see how things were installed and whether or not the settings were changed in a way that promotes security; people typically look to technology solutions to address these problems, but they could begin helping themselves significantly at relatively no cost."In a presentation delivered at the Gartner IT Symposium earlier this month, analyst Neil MacDonald told attendees of the show that they could save money on their security projects if they continue to push for a more thorough, process-driven approach to data protection on a high level within their organizations."This can't be about managing a set of projects, it has to be about improving process," MacDonald said. "At the end of the day, the idea of tagging every piece of data in an enterprise for the sake of protecting it is unfeasible; it sounds great on paper, but the problem is a monumental effort with new information coming in all the time, it's not a process that's sustainable."


Milano, 20:37 - CALCIO, MILAN; KAKA': NON SO SE GIOCHERO' A CAGLIARI

Kakà è in dubbio per la sfida di domenica a Cagliari. E' lo stesso brasiliano a spiega...


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


Nottingham uni launches green tech research wing

Funds of Â£8m already raised The University of Nottingham is launching a research institute dedicated to developing clean energy technologies.â¦


Il segretario al congresso nazionale dell'Udc

ROMA - Â«Siamo stati definiti un "residuo inerziale", ma domenica parlava un focoso militante di Forza Italia. Si tratta di un giudizio militante, non proprio istituzionaleÂ». Il segretario dell'Udc Marco


South Africa lose wickets to spin ahead of India Test series

Leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule bagged four wickets against visiting South Africa in a three-day practice game ahead of an upcoming two-Test series.


Controvalore ammonta a 4.700 miliardi di euro


France's president says his relationship with model Carla Bruni is "serious" but refuses to reveal any wedding plans.


JFK'S FAMILY SLAM 'DESPICABLE' SCOTS ASSASSIN GAME

A COMPUTER game based on JFK's assassination was branded sick by the Kennedy family yesterday. The online game, produced by Glasgow firm Traffic, was released yesterday - 41 years to the day since the US president was shot in Dallas,Texas.


Yahoo Offering Cheaper Domain Names and Hosting  Yahoo has changed their small business targeting approach by offering domain names for $9.95 as part of an aggressive move to expand its presence in domains and small business web hosting. Yahoo is also beefing up its shared hosting accounts, offering 2 gigabytes of ...


NHL players Tanguay, Zednik sign in Europe

Star wings Alex Tanguay of the Colorado Avalanche and Richard Zednik of the Montreal Canadiens are the latest NHL players to head to Europe during the lockout.


Prosecutors Say Jackson Has 'Prior Sexual Offenses'

Prosecutors are seeking to admit  evidence of Michael Jackson's "prior sexual offenses" in his  trial for child molestation, but the nature of the material was  kept secret by the judge.


Paul Millsap scored a career-high 28 points to help the Utah Jazz end a seven-game road losing streak with a 113-94 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.


Blue Chips Fall on Merck Recall, Crude Up

US blue chips fell on Thursday after drug company Merck & Co.(MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said it was withdrawing its key arthritis drug Vioxx, while relentless oil prices floated back to $50 a barrel.


Jakarta embassy blast kills eight, wounds 130

JAKARTA Sept 9 - A powerful car bomb exploded outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding 173 in an attack Indonesian police blamed on al-Qaeda-linked militants.


Crater's "Loaf" rises 100 feet on St. Helens

MOUNT ST. HELENS - Part of Mount St. Helens' crater has risen an additional 100 feet in the past few days, more evidence of change in the volcano as it enters a new period of activity.


Security experts cast doubt on claims that Microsofts Vista is "more secure" than other operating systems.


Comcast Defends Its Practice of Disrupting File Sharing

The company tells the FCC that blocking some file sharing prevents subscribers from hogging the bandwidth and keeps net traffic moving.


Betting patterns described as "the most suspicious ever seen in football" yesterday prompted European football's governing body to begin "gathering information" about a Uefa Cup match - in Newcastle United's group - on Wednesday.


Quick action urged on LAX's security fixes

RAND report examines attack scenarios. One suggestion is eliminating long ticket lines in terminal lobbies. By Ian Gregor and David Zahniser.


Napolitano touts Kyl for homeland security post

US Sen. Jon Kyl's familiarity with border issues would serve the state well if President Bush were to pick the Arizona Republican as his new secretary of homeland security, Gov.


An unsatisfactory conference call and disappointing forecasts send the search engine's shares tumbling.


Darfur former rebel says govt rearming militia

Former Darfur rebel turned presidential adviser Minni Arcua Minnawi on Monday accused the Sudanese government of rearming and mobilizing the feared Janjaweed militia, violating a peace deal signed in May.


Card Remains Bush's Chief, W.House Changes to Come

At the urging of President Bush,  White House chief of staff Andrew Card will remain in the job  and is expected to play a key role in shaping Bush's Cabinet  for a second term, the White House said on Monday.


Tomorrow's greatest investments are today's pathetic losers.


Blue-chip stocks opened slightly lower  on Thursday, with rising energy prices feeding investor  concerns, but the Nasdaq index opened higher after software  company Cognos Inc. COGN.O posted better-than-expected  earnings.


For new immigrants to Britain, adapting to the country isn't just about learning the language or getting used to the rain -- it's increasingly about changing their names.


Companies Expand Services for Working Mothers

General Mills is among a host of companies that have expanded services for working mothers beyond just maternity leave and flexible hours, according to Working Mother magazine, which released its 19th annual list Tuesday of the 100 best companies for working mothers.


China warns product safety still a worry

China's powerful Vice Premier Wu Yi warned on Wednesday the country must not rest on its laurels following a claimed victory in a four-month campaign against shoddy goods, saying it was still too easy to break the law.


Report: Explosions in Madrid After Warning

Five small explosive devices detonated Friday at Madrid gas stations after a telephone warning from the armed Basque separatist group ETA, reports said.


Will Bush Make Any Progress With an Iraqi Shi'ite Leader?

The President's next White House guest, a staunch Shi'ite partisan and critic of the U.S., probably won't be any more accomodating than  Maliki—but may be able to give some insight into what Iran is thinking


Chad Billingsley has this starting pitcher thing down. Billingsley tossed three-hit ball for seven innings, Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-0 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.


There's only one good way to check up on all those opinions.


Mobile Phones not to Blame for Bee Decline

Recent claims that mobile phone signals may be responsible for the decline in honeybee numbers have been quashed by research.


THE RACE: The presidential race for Republicans, Democrats nationally


A trailblazing Chicago school starts economic education early to give inner-city black kids a leg up


Calif. Judge Admits Evidence in Jackson Case

SANTA MARIA, Calif.  - The judge in the Michael  Jackson child molestation case tentatively ruled on Monday that  dozens of items of evidence seized at the singer's Neverland  Valley Ranch and a private investigator's office could be  admitted at trial.


U.S. Helicopter Crashes in Indonesia's Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  - A U.S. Seahawk helicopter  helping in the tsunami relief effort crashed near Banda Aceh  airport on Monday, but military sources said no one was killed.


Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts has billed South Africa forward Benni McCarthy as the key man in the Premiership club's bid to overcome Bayer Leverkusen and claim a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.


Toys R Us Inc. , which is considering quitting the toy business, warned consumers on Monday not to expect another price war this Christmas as it posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss.


Joe Jackson Recovering From Ulcer Surgery

Joe Jackson, father of singers Michael and Janet Jackson, is recovering from surgery for bleeding ulcers, a family lawyer said Wednesday.


Londra, 14:58 - CALCIO, LIVERPOOL: SISSOKO VUOLE LA JUVE A GENNAIO

Momo Sissoko si pente di aver detto no alla Juve. ''Non essere passato alla Juventus è stato ...


Prodi confident the US will understand Italy's troop withdrawal from Iraq

The United States is not happy about the withdrawal of Italian troops from Iraq but will accept the decision when it is fully explained to them, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said here.


He had a crush on her, but Alyssa Milano doesn't mind — she thinks "he's hot." Nick Lachey told "Access Hollywood" in a recent interview that he had to tell his "Charmed" co-star about his former crush to avoid the humiliation of having her find out from someone else.


C'e' pero' crisi delle entrate pubblicitarie


The British actor Ian McShane opens next week as the patriarch Max in Harold Pinterâs âHomecoming,â a man-monster of diminishing powers and, of course, many vulgarities.


Reward offered for Panama lost plane, U.S. passengers

A California family is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who can find a small plane believed to have crashed in a Panamanian jungle with three Americans aboard, including two children.


Hip-hop quartet Black Eyed Peas top the American Music Awards by winning in three categories.


SchembechlerÂs Voice Lives in Â07 HBO Documentary

On his last full day of life, Bo Schembechler sat in the press box at Michigan Stadium, giving his last major interview to HBO Sports for a documentary about the Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry.


High-Flying Germany look ahead to South Korea test

BUSAN - A VfB Stuttgart quartet arrived in Busan on Friday to further strengthen a confident German national team ahead of their friendly with South Korea.


Iraqi holy city calm after pilgrim clashes

KERBALA, Iraq  - Pilgrims gathered peacefully in Iraq's holy city of Kerbala on Tuesday to mark one of the holiest days of the Shi'ite calendar after clashes between pilgrims and police overnight killed at least six people.


Obesity linked to too little sleep, again

NEW YORK  - The amount of time people spend sleeping may affect their weight, study results suggest.


"Hobbit" Discovered: Tiny Human Ancestor Found in Asia

The skeleton was found in the same sediment deposits on Flores that have also been found to contain stone tools and the bones of dwarf elephants, giant rodents, and Komodo dragons.