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Lowe's Second-Quarter Profit Rises (Reuters)

Reuters - Lowe's Cos. (LOW.N), the second-largest\home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc. (HD.N), on\Monday said quarterly profit rose, but trailed estimates.

Stocks Seen Little Changed; Oil Weighs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks are seen opening little changed on Monday as crude prices remain high, but insurers may dip on worries about their potential liabilities after a hurricane struck Florida on Friday.

Lowe's Second-Quarter Profit Rises

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <LOW.N>, the second-largest home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc. <HD.N>, on Monday said quarterly profit rose, but trailed estimates.

Oil Prices Hold Near Record

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices simmered near fresh highs Monday even though early reports of victory for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a referendum on his rule eased fears that unrest could upset the country's oil exports.

BA workers approve holiday strike

British Airways workers plan to strike for 24 hours during the August Bank Holiday weekend unless a pay row is settled, the GMB union said.

Doping Probe of Greeks Staggers Toward Farce

ATHENS (Reuters) - A doping probe that has dogged the host country's Olympic Games staggered toward farce on Monday when a hearing involving Greece's two top sprinters was postponed again.

Lowe's 2Q Earnings Higher on Home Market (AP)

AP - Home improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. reported Monday that a robust housing market drove second-quarter earnings higher year-over-year, but results failed to meet Wall Street expectations.

Sri Lanka hit by oil strike

Workers at Sri Lanka's main oil company end a two-day strike, held in protest at government plans to sell more of the company.

Internet calls add foreign accent (USATODAY.com)

USATODAY.com - In the digital age, the next best thing to being there might be this: a French phone number.

FCC mobile spam rule doesn't cover some SMS (MacCentral)

MacCentral - A rule prohibiting mobile-phone spam adopted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) earlier this month doesn't prohibit phone-to-phone text messaging, but FCC officials believe the new rule, combined with a 13-year-old law, should protect U.S. mobile phone customers against unsolicited commercial e-mail.

Ky. Professor Looks to Set Up Telescope (AP)

AP - A University of Kentucky professor is pushing to set up a telescope in Australia that students could use via the Internet.

Survival of software's fittest

Darwin may work in the flat enterprise software market--mergers and acquisitions are expected to increase the clout of leading firms.

Playing the convergence game

Sony and Microsoft confront consumer apathy as they attempt to turn game consoles into multipurpose entertainment gadgets.

Singh Wins Playoff to Seize Third Major Title

KOHLER, Wis. (Reuters) - Fiji's Vijay Singh held his composure to win the 86th U.S. PGA Championship in a three-way playoff on Sunday, clinching the third major title of his career.

Williams Has No Problem Running with Jones

ATHENS (Reuters) - American sprinter Lauryn Williams said on Monday she would have no problem competing on the same team as Marion Jones in the Olympic 4x100 meters relay.

Moya Tames Olympic Wind and Enqvist; Dementieva Out

ATHENS (Reuters) - Spanish third seed Carlos Moya tamed a swirling wind and dogged Swedish opponent Thomas Enqvist to reach the second round of the Olympic men's singles with a 7-6, 6-7, 9-7 victory Monday.

Britain 'sleepwalking' into big-brother state, watchdog warns (AFP)

AFP - Britain is "sleepwalking into a surveillance society" because of government plans to introduce ID cards and a population register, the nation's information watchdog was quoted as saying.

India urges Bangladesh not to kill stray elephants (Reuters)

Reuters - Authorities in northeast India urged Bangladesh on Monday not to kill about 100 wild elephants that have strayed across the border and gone on a rampage, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more.

Israel Turns Up Heat on Palestinian Hunger Strike

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel declared psychological war on hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners Monday, saying it would barbecue meat outside their cells to try to break their will.

Cost Cuts Boost Kmart Quarterly Profit (Reuters)

Reuters - Kmart Holding Corp. (KMRT.O) on Monday\reported its third consecutive quarterly profit as cost cuts\made up for slumping sales, and its cash pile grew to about\ #36;2.6 billion.

Cost Cuts Boost Kmart Quarterly Profit

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit as cost cuts made up for slumping sales, and its cash pile grew to about \$2.6 billion.

Wall Street to Open Little Changed

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street is seen opening little changed on Monday as crude prices remain high, but insurers may dip on worries about their potential liabilities after a hurricane struck Florida on Friday.

Sysco Profit Rises; Sales Have Slowed

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sysco Corp. <SYY.N>, the largest U.S. distributor of food to restaurants and hospitals, on Monday said quarterly profit rose as an extra week in the period and acquisitions helped offset the effects of higher food prices.

Lowe's Profit Rises But Trails Estimates

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <LOW.N>, the No. 2 home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc., on Monday reported an 18 percent increase in second-quarter profit, but results trailed estimates as sales weakened in June.

Kmart Swings to Second-Quarter Profit (AP)

AP - Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp. reported Monday that the company swung to a profit in the second quarter, but same-store sales were still in decline.

Vodafone names former rival as new head of Japanese unit (AFP)

AFP - British mobile phone operator Vodafone said it has brought in an executive from Japanese rival NTT DoCoMo to head up its struggling Japanese unit, Vodafone K.K.

Cheap Windows comes under fire

Microsoft's attempt to win over new users with a cut-down edition of Windows comes in for strong criticism.

Wal-Mart Maintains August Sales Forecast (Reuters)

Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N) on Monday\maintained its August sales forecast and said demand was\particularly strong in the U.S. Southeast last week as people\stocked up on duct tape, rope and water in preparation for\Hurricane Charley.

Cost Cuts Help Kmart Post Profit

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit as cost cuts made up for slumping sales, and its cash pile grew to about \$2.6 billion.

China's Red Flag Linux to focus on enterprise

The company behind China's leading Linux client distribution, Red Flag Software Co. Ltd., is shifting its main focus to its server operating system and enterprise customers, and planning to expand sales overseas, the company's acting president said in an interview on Friday.

Symantec releases patching tool

Security company Symantec Corp. plans to announce the release of a patch management product on Monday that it says will enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to stay on top of software vulnerabilities.

Chavez Claims Victory in Referendum on His Rule

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won backing from 58 percent of voters, with 94 percent of electoral rolls counted, in a referendum on whether to recall him.

U.S. Tries to Rebound From Loss in Athens (AP)

AP - Greetings from the Olympic men's basketball tournament, where America is tied for last place with Angola, Australia, New Zealand, China and the defending world champions from Serbia-Montenegro.

Olympian on Briton death charge

An Olympic sailor is charged with the manslaughter of a Briton who died after being hit by a car in Athens.

AccuRev touts software configuration management approach

AccuRev on Monday will release an upgrade to its SCM (software configuration management) package that the company argues offers a superior alternative to file-based SCM systems.

End of the line for HP's Alpha processor

Hewlett-Packard Co. will release the final processor upgrade for its AlphaServer line of Unix servers on Monday.

HP pushes parity for Itanium, PA-RISC servers

At its annual HP World user conference in Chicago this week, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) will announce a number of enhancements to its HP-UX operating system, designed to narrow the gap between the capabilities of the company's Integrity and HP 9000 servers.

Darfur Displaced Return to 'Live in Fear' of Militia (Reuters)

Reuters - Villagers returning to their\homes in Sudan's Darfur region are living in fear of the Arab\militiamen who initially drove them away, the United Nations\said in a report received by Reuters Monday.

Sudan Trying to Keep Darfur Promises-U.N. (Reuters)

Reuters - Raids by Sudanese forces and Arab\militiamen have worsened a desperate situation in Darfur,\rights groups say, but the United Nations said Khartoum was\making serious efforts to keep pledges to curb the violence.

Darfur Displaced Return to 'Live in Fear' of Militia

KHARTOUM, Sudan (Reuters) - Villagers returning to their homes in Sudan's Darfur region are living in fear of the Arab militiamen who initially drove them away, the United Nations said in a report received by Reuters Monday.

Ex-Chess Champion Fischer to Marry Japanese Woman

TOKYO (Reuters) - In a bold gambit worthy of the chess champion he once was, Bobby Fischer plans to wed a four-time Japanese great in the hope of avoiding deportation home to the United States, where he is wanted for breaking sanctions.

Heiress Nicky Hilton Marries in Vegas

LAS VEGAS - Nicky Hilton, the hotel heiress and socialite, has tied the knot with her beau in a late-night ceremony, according to court filings obtained by The Associated Press. Hilton, 20, married New York money manager Todd Andrew Meister, 33, at the Las Vegas Wedding Chapel early Sunday, according a Clark County marriage license...

Anarchists' Convention Debates Voting

ATHENS, Ohio - A group of anarchists is taking an unusual step to make its political voice heard - going to the polls. Anarchists generally pride themselves on their rejection of government and its authority...

Allstate Says Charley Could Hurt Results

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Allstate Corp. <ALL.N>, the No. 2 U.S. home and auto insurer, on Monday said potential losses stemming from Hurricane Charley could hurt its current results.

Hungarian central bank cuts key interest rate by half percentage point (AFP)

AFP - The Hungarian central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points from 11.5 percent to 11.0 percent, the bank said in a statement posted on its website.

CompUSA Stores to Sell Gateway PCs (Reuters)

Reuters - Gateway Inc. (GTW.N), the computer\maker that recently shuttered its chain of 188 stores, will\begin selling its desktops at CompUSA Inc.'s outlets later this\week, the two companies said on Monday.

CompUSA Stores to Sell Gateway PCs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gateway Inc. <GTW.N>, the computer maker that recently shuttered its chain of 188 stores, will begin selling its desktops at CompUSA Inc.'s outlets later this week, the two companies said on Monday.

Lebanese shun mobile phones for a day in protest at high costs (AFP)

AFP - Lebanese mobile phone users were urged to leave their portable telephones at home or switched off in protest at what is considered one of the costliest services in the world.

Forming galaxy cluster captured

The Chandra telescope has seen huge gas clouds in space in the act of merging to form a massive galaxy cluster.

U.S. Embassy in Malaysia Has Anthrax Scare (AP)

AP - Authorities are testing a suspicious powder mailed to the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia to determine whether it is anthrax, officials said Monday after the second such scare at a U.S. mission in Asia within a week.

Suspicious Powder Found at U.S. Embassy in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) - An envelope containing suspicious white powder and threats against Americans was delivered to the U.S. embassy in Malaysia, prompting health checks on three staff, the embassy and police said Monday.

Megawati Defends Achievements Ahead of Vote

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, trying to maintain momentum in a tight election battle, said Monday her government had stabilized the economy and cracked down hard on militants and separatists.

Syrian Rights Activist to Be Released Pending Trial

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A Syrian court has agreed to release on bail a prominent rights activist who faces trial on charges of tarnishing the image of the Arab state by publishing false information, one of his lawyers said Monday.

Kmart Posts Profit After Cost Cuts

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit despite slumping sales as it cut jobs and reduced advertising and discounts, boosting its cash pile to \$2.6 billion.

LifePoint in \$1.1 Billion Province Deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rural hospital operator LifePoint Hospitals Inc. <LPNT.O> has agreed to acquire rival Province Healthcare Co. <PRV.N> for \$1.125 billion in cash and stock to broaden its geographic reach, the companies said on Monday.

Commuter tackles bad train service by starting own railway (AFP)

AFP - Grumbling about trains is part of the way of life, but one commuter has decided to do something about it -- by starting his own railway.

Israel turns up heat on prisoners

Israel launches psychological war against hundreds of Palestinian inmates on hunger strike for better conditions.

Czech Coach Hlinka Dies in Car Accident (AP)

AP - Czech Republic national ice hockey team coach, and former Pittsburgh Penguins coach, Ivan Hlinka died Monday after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash, an official said.

Stocks Set to Open Little Changed

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street is set to open little changed on Monday as crude prices remain near their record highs, but insurers may slip on worries about their potential liabilities after a hurricane struck Florida on Friday.

Wherenet adds biz rules to RFID

The first indication that the value of RFID (radio frequency identification) will extend beyond the supply warehouse was shown last week by WhereNet, a provider of wireless location and communications technology.

Oracle readies CRM updates

Oracle Corp. plans to release the latest version of its CRM (customer relationship management) applications within the next two months, as part of an ongoing update of its E-Business Suite.

Grieving families cremate dead after Assam bombing (Reuters)

Reuters - Grieving relatives on Monday cremated victims, mostly women and children, of a separatist bombing in northeastern India, while hundreds of angry people rallied against the rising bloodshed.

Chechnya marks 'special' birthday

The authorities in war-torn Chechnya announce cash gifts for boys born on the slain leader's birthday.

Feedster Includes Kanoodle Ads in RSS Feeds

Feedster Includes Kanoodle Ads in RSS Feeds\\Feedster, Inc. today announced the launch of its RSS feed media program. The Company rsquo;s RSS search feeds will soon contain context targeted ads from Kanoodle, Inc., a leading provider of sponsored links for search results and content pages. Alternatively searchers may opt to pay ...

Google IPO Continues Despite Playboy Boob

Google IPO Continues Despite Playboy Boob\\Google's IPO ran into another problem last week with investors being allowed to start bidding on the company last Friday. Google rsquo;s founders will appear in an upcoming issue of Playboy magazine which will be on the shelves this Friday. Although the interview was apparently held ...

Greek Sprinters Given Two-Day Reprieve

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou won a two-day reprieve at the Athens Olympics Monday so they could appear in person at a disciplinary hearing into their missed drugs tests and protest their innocence.

Sysco Corp.'s 4Q Profit Up 16 Percent

Sysco's fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 16 percent due to an extra week in the quarter, customer-service initiatives and operating efficiency.

Chvez Is Declared the Winner in Venezuela Referendum

The president won the backing of 58 percent of voters, officials said, but the opposition said that the government had cheated.

Stocks Open Near Flat as Oil Near Record

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened little changed on Monday as crude prices remain near their record highs, but early reports of victory for the Venezuelan president in a referendum on his rule eased fears about the country's oil exports.

Letter, suspicious powder spark anthrax scare at U.S. Embassy in Malaysia (Canadian Press)

Canadian Press - KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Authorities are testing a suspicious powder mailed to the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia to determine whether it's anthrax, officials said Monday. It's the second such scare at a U.S. mission in Asia within a week.

Patriots Sign First-Round Pick Watson (AP)

AP - The New England Patriots signed first-round draft pick Benjamin Watson on Monday, ending the tight end's lengthy holdout.

Indonesia urges debt flexibility

Indonesia calls on the International Monetary Fund to help reschedule its debts, as figures reveal a slowdown in economic growth.

Oil Holds Near Record Level

Oil prices fell 23 cents to \$46.35 a barrel after Venezuelan Hugo Chavez won a recall referendum, appeasing worried energy markets.

Ride This Gem

Amusement park operators have produced volatile results, but this company has stood the test of time.

HP Faces New Realities in a 64-Bit World (Ziff Davis)

Ziff Davis - The company this week will unveil more programs and technologies designed to ease users of its high-end servers onto its Integrity line, which uses Intel's 64-bit Itanium processor.

EU Extends Microsoft-Time Warner Review (AP)

AP - European antitrust regulators said Monday they have extended their review of a deal between Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc. to make anti-piracy software together.

Insurers Begin Tallying Charley Losses (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. insurers on Monday predicted that\Hurricane Charley could be the most costly U.S. storm since\Andrew in 1992, with Florida officials initially estimating\economic losses at #36;15 billion.

Google Stays on Track Despite Best Efforts

It looks like Google's public stock offering will proceed, no matter how hard the company tries to shoot itself in the foot. Not only that, its unique approach to the IPO game could result in an overhaul of federal securities regulations. <FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2"\ color="#666666"><B>-washingtonpost.com</b></font>

Microsoft lists SP2 conflicts

Software giant releases just which programs are having issues with its Service Pack 2 update for Windows XP.

Chavez Declares Recall Victory; Foes Claim Fraud

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chavez on Monday declared victory in a historic recall referendum on his rule, but his opponents vowed to challenge vote results they rejected as a "gigantic fraud."

Singh Wins PGA Championship in Playoff

HAVEN, Wis. - Vijay Singh shot a 4-over 76 to eke into a three-way playoff Sunday, then made his only birdie of the day on the first of three extra holes to beat Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits...

Crews Rush to Hurricane-Ravaged Florida

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Urban rescue teams, insurance adjusters and National Guard troops scattered across Florida Monday to help residents rally from the brunt of Hurricane Charley, the worst storm to hit the state in a dozen years...

Stocks Higher Despite Soaring Oil Prices

NEW YORK - Wall Street shifted higher Monday as bargain hunters shrugged off skyrocketing oil prices and bought shares following an upbeat sales report from Wal-Mart Stores and a bright outlook from Lowe's. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 84.07, or 0.9 percent, at 9,909.42, after edging 0.1 percent higher last week...

China Condemns Whistle-Blower

A Communist Party whistle-blower who created a national sensation in China by publicly accusing his superiors of tolerating official corruption has been condemned for breaking party rules and ordered to "do a complete self-examination," authorities announced.

KMart Posts Profit; Cash Pile Grows

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit despite slumping sales as it cut jobs and reduced advertising and discounts, boosting its cash pile to \$2.6 billion.

Thomson Buys Test Provider Capstar

TORONTO (Reuters) - Electronic publisher Thomson Corp. <TOC.TO> said on Monday it will buy test provider Capstar from Educational Testing Service, the latest in a string of acquisitions designed to flesh out its product offerings.

Lowe's Reports Increase in Second-Quarter Net Income

Lowe's reported a 17.9 percent increase in net income during its second quarter, but results missed Wall Street expectations.

New tool identifies 'phishy' Web sites

A new software tool from WholeSecurity Inc. can spot fraudulent Web sites used in online cons known as "phishing" scams, according to a statement from the company.

Lowe's Net Trails Views, But Shares Rise

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <LOW.N>, the No. 2 home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc., on Monday reported an 18 percent increase in second-quarter profit, but results trailed estimates as sales weakened in June.

On the Beastie Boys 'virus' CD

<strong>Review</strong> Does not attempt world domination, but

Briefly: AOL kicks off free fantasy sports

roundup Plus: HP partners with 3G gear maker...AMD starts shipping 90-nanometer chips...ABC.com to air on Real's SuperPass.

EC puts off decision on Microsoft, Time Warner deal

Regulators could still launch an investigation into the two titans' acquisition of ContentGuard, a digital rights company.

An Olympic Selection of Search Resources

The 2004 Summer Olympics are underway in Athens and the web is home to plenty of information that makes watching the games even more interesting.

KMart Posts Profit; Cash Pile Grows (Reuters)

Reuters - Kmart Holding Corp. (KMRT.O) on Monday\reported its third consecutive quarterly profit despite\slumping sales as it cut jobs and reduced advertising and\discounts, boosting its cash pile to #36;2.6 billion.

Oil Slips from Record High of \$46.30

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices eased from new record highs on Monday as victory for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a referendum on his rule eased fears that unrest could upset the country's oil exports.

Stocks Gain as Oil Prices Ease

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Monday as oil prices dipped after reports of victory for the Venezuelan president in a referendum on his rule eased fears about the country's oil exports.

News: Technology Already Exists to Stabilize Global Warming

Existing technologies could stop the escalation of global warming for 50 years and work on implementing them can begin immediately, according to an analysis by Princeton University scientists. (Princeton University press release)

News: Future Heat Waves: More Severe, More Frequent, and Longer Lasting

Heat waves in Chicago, Paris, and elsewhere in North America and Europe will become more intense, more frequent, and longer lasting in the 21st century, according to a new modeling study by two scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). (NCAR press release)

News: New Hypoxic Event Found Off Oregon Coast

For the second time in three years, a hypoxic "dead zone" has formed off the central Oregon Coast. It's killing fish, crabs and other marine life and leading researchers to believe that a fundamental change may be taking place in ocean conditions in the northern Pacific Ocean. (Oregon State University press release)

HP invokes Adaptive Enterprise mantra

Hewlett-Packard will detail enhancements to its virtualization products, the HP-UX 11i Unix operating system, and its AlphaServers this week during its HP World 2004 conference in Chicago.