The America's Intelligence Wire articles from September 2004

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from September 2004

UPDATE 1-Boston Scientific, Corinthian Colleges, and more.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) Stocks to watch Aaron Rents bought 25 rent-to-own stores in the Carolinas from Home Express for an undisclosed amount. See full story. Acuity Brands named Vernon Nagel, its current chief financial...

Biotech, Pharma open lower; Boston Scientific warns.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Both the biotechnology and pharmaceutical indices opened lower on Wednesday, with the Amex Biotechnology Index trading down 0.16 percent at 322.09 and the Amex Pharmaceutical Index down...

Air Products rallies on BofA upgrade.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Air Products and Chemicals rallied 1.8 percent and reached an 8-month high after Banc of America upgraded the chemical company to "buy" from "neutral," citing the new...

UPDATE 1-Dollar edges up vs. yen, euro; U.S. jobs data eyed.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) CHICAGO (CBS.MW) - The dollar stabilized against its major rivals ahead of U.S. factory data due Wednesday, but concerns about U.S. economic strength continued to weigh on the greenback. The dollar fell...

Teenagers with HIV/AIDS dare to speak out, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ What does the public need to know when a group of young people with HIV/AIDS gather and engage in scientific -- not self-pitying -- discussion? Certainly, their...

In Memoriam: Benny Moerdani, a hero of the Republic, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ Many Indonesians undoubtedly regard L.B. Moerdani as a hero of the Republic. At the age of 14-years-old he began fighting the Dutch as a guerrilla fighter in...

Most fuel prices to remain unchanged, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ Prices of most fuel products for transportation and industry for the month of September remain unchanged, except for jet fuels Avtur and Avgas, state oil and gas firm...

ISM ISM.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Factory activity in the United States decelerated in August, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday. The ISM index fell to 59.0 percent in August from 62.0 percent...

Tens of thousands protest U.S. involvement in Iraq.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Shouting anti-American slogans and waving placards, tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of the eastern Indian city of Calcutta on Wednesday to protest the continued presence of U.S.-led coalition...

World Cup leader gets dual citizenship to run worlds.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) World Cup leader Davide Rebellin will compete in Argentine colors in the upcoming world road cycling championships after being granted a dual citizenship by the South American country, Italy's largest sports daily...

Tobacco-happy Spanish parliament goes almost smoke-free.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL WOOLLS Former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez was a Marlboro man. His successor Jose Maria Aznar puffed on fine Cuban cigars, and opposition leader Mariano Rajoy also relished a good, thick stogie....

Britons are getting bigger, weight survey shows.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL WOOLLS Britons are getting bigger, with 38 percent of women and 44 percent of men now either overweight or obese, according to a major study of body measurements released Wednesday. The SizeUK...

Cheney due to lash into Kerry in speech; demonstrations continue.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TOM RAUM Vice President Dick Cheney was stepping up to denounce Democratic challenger John Kerry's "confusion of conviction" after President George W. Bush formally won the Republican nomination for a...

Jordanian government employee reported missing in Iraq.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TOM RAUM A Jordanian government worker has been kidnapped for ransom in Iraq, his family said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali Al-Ayed said Wednesday the family of Alaa Thabet Hasweh, who worked for...

Swedish burglars tear down store wall, take fish balls, leave cash and tobacco behind.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TOM RAUM Burglars tore down part of a wall to get into a grocer's shop in central Sweden but apparently were only after fish balls and a little shrimp _ they didn't touch the cash. "It puzzles both me...

Fiat appoints new managers in turnaround efforts.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TOM RAUM Fiat SpA named 24 new managers to its struggling auto unit Wednesday, part of efforts to restore the giant automaker's fortunes. The announcement was made shortly after the company said it...

Sweden's Skanska selected for public-private partnership road project in Poland.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TOM RAUM Construction giant Skanska AB said Wednesday that it had been selected for a major public-private partnership road project in Poland in a construction contract valued at 4.5 billion kronor (US$600...

Study finds Europeans eating too much fat but less of most-dangerous kind.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PAUL GEITNER Europeans eat too much fat, but decreasing amounts of the most dangerous, cholesterol-raising kind, according to a report released Wednesday by the European Union's food safety agency. ...

Seven hostages released in Iraq as attackers apparently try to kill Chalabi.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BASSEM MROUE A militant group in Iraq on Wednesday released seven foreign truck drivers they had held hostage for six weeks after dropping nearly all their demands for the release of prisoners and...

Rhodes, Eto lift Giants over BayStars.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BASSEM MROUE Tuffy Rhodes tied the game with a solo homer and pinch-hitter Akira Eto drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to lift the Yomiuri Giants to a 4-3 walkoff win...

Spain sends another 240 military personnel to Afghanistan.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BASSEM MROUE Some 240 army and air force personnel left for Afghanistan on Wednesday as part of a beefed-up Spanish contingent tasked with providing security for the first post-Taliban elections in...

Air force pilot killed in Hawk trainer fighter crash.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BASSEM MROUE A Finnish air force pilot died when his Hawk fighter jet crashed to the ground Wednesday in southern Finland, the Defense Ministry said. The crash, at about 12:30 p.m. (0930GMT), occurred...

Afghan government, United Nations appeal for extra millions to ease impact of drought.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BASSEM MROUE The government and the United Nations appealed Wednesday for US$71.3 million (euro 58.6 million) to ease the effects of drought across a swath of impoverished Afghanistan. Nearly US$52...

First of two ferry lines moves out of Copenhagen, leaving room for construction of new playhouse.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BASSEM MROUE The ferry boats that connect the capitals of Denmark and Norway on Wednesday moved to a new terminal north of downtown Copenhagen to create room for a new playhouse on the city's waterfront....

Attackers wrapped with suicide bomb belts seize school in southern Russia, hundreds taken hostage.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MUSA SADULAYEV Attackers wearing suicide-bomb belts seized a school in a Russian region bordering Chechnya on Wednesday and were holding hundreds of hostages, reportedly including 200 children. The assault...

India says hostages released without 'sacrificing principles'.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LAURINDA KEYS India's government said Wednesday it did not sacrifice its principles to win the release of three Indian truck drivers held hostage by Iraqi militants for the past six weeks, but refused to...

In reversal, Justice Department agrees to throw out major terror conviction.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOHN SOLOMON and CURT ANDERSON In a dramatic reversal on the eve of President George W. Bush's nomination acceptance, the Justice Department acknowledged its original prosecution of a suspected terror cell...

WORLD SPORTS at 1330 GMT.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOHN SOLOMON and CURT ANDERSON TENNIS: Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer highlight U.S. Open play NEW YORK _ No. 2 seed Lleyton Hewitt goes up against South African Wayne Ferreira, and No. 1 Roger...

Group of 29 North Koreans force their way into Japanese school in Beijing.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH A group of 29 people claiming to be North Korean asylum-seekers forced their way through a fence into a Japanese school in Beijing on Wednesday, a Japanese Embassy official said. The...

U.N. report calls for quick increase in international force in Sudan's Darfur region.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH A U.N. report on Wednesday called for a quick increase in the international monitoring force in Sudan, saying the government has not stopped attacks against civilians or disarmed...

Court rules for Aventis in generic Rilutek patent case.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- A Delaware district court ruled in favor of Aventis Pharmaceuticals in a patent infringement case over IMPAX Laboratories' generic Rilutek drug, IMPAX...

Dow, S&P 500 decline belies broad market strength.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- While the Dow industrials and the S&P 500 Index wallow in negative territory, the internal readings for the broad market are fairly positive. Advancing...

UPDATE 1-Allstate, others tally Charley losses, eye Frances.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Allstate and other firms are tallying their latest estimates for losses from Hurricane Charley, even as the companies, and millions of residents, face...

Five bidders compete for Bank Permata, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ The government has short-listed five consortia vying for a majority stake in Bank Permata, allowing them to carry out due diligence...

Winning hearts and minds, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ It is with compassion and generosity, not guns or recrimination, that hearts and minds are won. That is certainly so with regard to the...

Pragmatism determines choice, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ Political culture plays a dominant role in a paternalistic society like Indonesia's. The patron-client pattern forms the basis for the...

Competitive market benefits power consumers, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ An article in this newspaper on Aug. 23, 2004 reported the doubts that consumer protection activists have for reform of the Indonesian...

Mayor urges good public service, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ TANGERANG: Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim has ordered his subordinates to do their best to provide quality service to the public without...

New star on the horizon, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ Even though the curtain just fell on the Olympic Games in Athens, sports fans across Asia are already looking forward to the 2008 Summer...

Residents want clean Council, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ TANGERANG: Hundreds of students, workers, non-governmental organization (NGO) activists and members of the arts community staged a rally...

Gold prices fall as traders eye dollar, data.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Gold futures fell in morning trade, easing back from the one-week high reached in the previous session as traders continued to eye this week's U.S....

Infrastructure needs fixed financing scheme, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ In economics, the term infrastructure refers to fixed assets required to provide public services. Two key infrastructure are utilities,...

Treasurys gain, key yield at 5-month low, ahead of data.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH CHICAGO (CBS.MW) - The Treasury market extended its rally ahead of a factory-sector report due later Wednesday, pushing benchmark yields to five-month lows. The Institute...

S'pore ties: No opportunity lost, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: ELAINE KURTENBACH URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ AM Hendropriyono's article RI-S'pore ties: Opportunity lost (The Jakarta Post, Aug. 25) is interesting due to the stature of its writer...

Honduras admits can't find missing airline bombing suspect.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: FREDDY CUEVAS The government said Wednesday it has been unable to find an airline bombing suspect believed to have entered the country, and it said the man may have fled to the Bahamas. Security...

UPDATE 1-Visteon may be forced to cut outlook: analyst.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Visteon may be forced to lower its earnings guidance substantially if Ford Motor Wednesday provides a disappointing fourth-quarter production target, according to Prudential Equity Group....

Visteon may be fprced to cut outlook: analyst.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Visteon may be forced to lower its earnings guidance substantially if Ford Motor Wednesday provides a disappointing fourth-quarter production target, according to Prudential Equity Group....

UPDATE 1-U.S. stocks open with modest losses.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - The major U.S. indexes opened to the downside Wednesday amid a rebound in crude prices and more negative analyst comments on technology. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 19...

U.S. July construction spending up 0.4% as expected.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Spending on U.S. construction projects increased 0.4 percent in July after no change in June, the Commerce Department estimated Wednesday. The increase matched expectations of Wall...

Cohu initiated at 'sell' by Wells Fargo.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW)-- Cohu Inc. was given a "sell" rating and a $12 price target by Wells Fargo Securities, which initiated coverage of the Poway, Calif., company. The brokerage said the semiconductor testing...

U.S. Aug. ISM manufacturing 59.0% vs. 59.8% expected.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Factory activity in the United States decelerated in August, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday. The ISM index fell to 59.0 percent in August from 62.0 percent in...

UPDATE 2-Corinthian Colleges rallies after topping lowered view.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Corinthian Colleges jumped in Wednesday after the company beat lowered Wall Street expectations for its fourth-quarter results. The Santa Ana, Calif.-based educations...

PGN posts lower net income on forex losses, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ Publicly-listed state gas distribution firm PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) announced on Wednesday that net income in the first half of this year had dropped by 82...

U.S. July construction outlays up 0.4% as expected.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Spending on U.S. construction projects increased 0.4 percent in July after no change in June, the Commerce Department estimated Wednesday. The increase matched expectations of Wall...

UPDATE 10-Updates, advisories and surprises.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) John Wiley & Sons Q1 net 32c vs. year-ago 35c (8:56 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW)-- John Wiley & Sonsposted Wednesday first quarter net income of $19.9 million, or 32 cents a share compared with $21.8 million,...

Seven councillors named suspects, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ The Jakarta Police named on Tuesday seven Depok councillors as suspects for alleged misuse of Rp 9 billion (some US$1 million) from the 2004 budget. Head of the...

'The city needs more arts venues', JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ The arts give people a outlet to express themselves, to explore more ideas and to capture their passions and emotions, helping to balance the tough existence in the...

Toba Pulp receives ISO 14001 award, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ Pulp and paper company PT Toba Pulp Lestari, which has long been accused by local people of polluting the area, was awarded the ISO 14001 certificate on Tuesday for...

Lawmakers criticize lack of stimulus in 2005 budget, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ The 2005 state budget proposed by the government has been seen as lacking in stimulus measures, badly needed to help stimulate the economy, some lawmakers said on...

China's growing economy may fuel illegal timber trade, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ A booming economy has not only made China thirsty for oil and minerals but also forestry products, which could be fueling the illegal trade of the commodity from...

Mayor gets tough on developers, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ In a bid to help improve public facilities in Tangerang municipality, Mayor Wahidin Halim has issued a ruling reinforcing the requirement for every housing developer to...

Monorail developer proposes route change, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ Developer PT Jakarta Monorail has proposed another change to the route its monorail lines will take, its second since the US$5.9 million project was launched by...

Thailand carries out tests on orangutans, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ JAKARTA: Thailand said on Tuesday that it was still carrying out DNA tests on dozens of orangutans in Bangkok to determine whether or not they were from Indonesia, as...

Bali to host World Hindu Youth Summit, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ DENPASAR: Bali will host the first World Hindu Youth Summit in November attended by hundreds of young Hindus, including some 230 international participants from around...

UPDATE 2-Visteon may be forced to cut outlook: analyst.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Visteon may be forced to lower its earnings guidance substantially if Ford Motor Wednesday provides a disappointing fourth-quarter production target, according to Prudential Equity Group....

Fahmi's remains arrive in Jakarta, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ JAKARTA: The remains of an Indonesian engineer shot dead in Iraq, Fahmi Achmad Wani, arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday, and were buried later the same day by his family. ...

Identix jumps on SunTrust upgrade.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Identix {s: idnx] jumped almost 12 percent to $5.11 in morning trading after the Minnetonka, Minn.-based biometric technology company was upgraded by SunTrust Robinson Humphrey...

Crude futures climb in early trade.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Crude futures headed higher in early trading, with the October contract up 28 cents at $42.40 a barrel in New York. Traders awaited updates on U.S. petroleum supplies due out at...

U.S. Aug. ISM manufacturing 59.0% vs. 59.8% expected.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Factory activity in the United States decelerated in August, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday. The ISM index fell to 59.0 percent in August from 62.0 percent in...

August U.S. vehicle sales seen slipping from year ago.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- U.S. light-vehicle sales are likely to show an overall decline in August from year-earlier levels, with General Motors and Ford Motor expected Wednesday to report substantially lower...

UPDATE 1-Statistical basis for September's reputation.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) ANNANDALE, Va. (CBS.MW) -- September has always been an awful month for the stock market, no matter how you slice it. Yet no one can figure out why. It sure looks as though some villain has been...

Gold prices fall; traders eye ISM, payroll data.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Gold futures fell Wednesday morning, off the one-week high reached in the previous session, as traders continued to eye this week's U.S. economic data for an indication of the...

Treasury gain pared as ISM data in line with forecast.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- U.S. Treasurys remained in positive territory but pared earlier gains after a closely watched report on the U.S. factory sector was reported near forecasts. The bond market had gained...

UPDATE 1-Boston Scientific warns of Q3, Q4 misses; shares gain.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Boston Scientific shares rose in early trading Wednesday as investors shrugged off a warning that it'll miss Wall Street's profit targets for the third and fourth quarters. Natick,...

UPDATE 1-U.S. July construction outlays up 0.4% as expected.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Spending on U.S. construction projects increased 0.4 percent in July after no change in June, the Commerce Department estimated Wednesday. The increase matched expectations of Wall...

Fifth Third Bancorp slip on Morgan Stanley downgrade.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Pulses)) NEW YORK (CBS.MW)-- Shares of Fifth Third Bancorp fell 1.8 percent to $48.94 in morning trading Wednesday after Morgan Stanley analyst Betsy Graseck downgraded the company to "equal weight" from...

UPDATE 1-U.S. ISM factory index slows in August.
September 1, 2004... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Factory activity in the United States decelerated in August, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday. The ISM index fell to 59.0 percent in August from 62.0 percent...

NTT schools suffer teacher shortage, JAKARTA POST.
September 1, 2004... (From Worldsources (English)) URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/ KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: A recent study by the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) office of the Ministry of National Education discovered that 400 out of 4,060 elementary...

Hurricane Frances Inches Toward SE U.S.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Online) Byline: JOHN PAIN A menacing Hurricane Frances, packing 140 mph wind, crept closer Wednesday to the southeastern United States, and forecasters said Florida _ still cleaning up after Charley _ was at risk for another...

Eight Killed in Russian School Seizure.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Online) Byline: MUSA SADULAYEV Heavily armed militants wearing suicide-bomb belts seized a Russian school in a region bordering Chechnya on Wednesday, taking hostage about 400 people _ half of them children _ and threatening...

Carrefour posts 5.3 percent profit rise, maintains 2004 goals.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MUSA SADULAYEV Carrefour's first-half net profit climbed 5.3 percent, the world's No. 2 retailer said Wednesday, as robust international operations and lower finance costs helped it ride out tough trading...

French surgeons strike for better pay.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MUSA SADULAYEV A small percentage of French surgeons went on strike for better pay Wednesday, with several dozen demonstrating at the Health Ministry and laying down their surgical knives in protest. ...

New Swedish prison draws criticism for 'luxury' accommodations.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATTIAS KAREN It boasts an idyllic rural setting, plenty of recreational amenities and TV in every room. Welcome to Sweden's newest prison, a minimum-security facility where rehabilitation means...

Nintendo cuts price on Game Boy Advance.
September 1, 2004... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATT SLAGLE Nintendo Co. has permanently slashed prices on its Game Boy Advance SP portable video game system as the company tries to entrench its No. 1 position in the handheld game market. Beginning...