October 25, 2002

Reuters - Renowned actor Richard Harris, for years one of the hell-raisers of British acting along with Richard Burton, died in hospital Friday. "Richard Harris died this evening at 1900 hours," said a spokeswoman for University College of London Hospital. She did not give a cause of death. His family said Harris, 72, whose most recent incarnation was as Professor Dumbledore in the hit "Harry Potter" film series, had died peacefully. Reuters 4:16:47 PM

Khaled Al-Maeena, Editor in Chief of Arab News asks: What has happened to the overall Arab economy? Why has it failed to keep up with the rest of the world? 3:51:55 PM

Israeli tanks storm into Jenin again Independent - Hundreds of Israeli soldiers backed by tanks stormed back into the Palestinian city of Jenin yesterday, in the army's biggest offensive for months. 3:42:14 PM

Sen. Paul Wellstone reported dead in plane crash St. Paul Pioneer Press, MN - A plane crashed near the Eveleth-Virginia Municipal Airport today, and CBS News is reporting that Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed in the crash. According to CNN, the Transportation Department reports that the plane was one used by Sen. Paul Wellstone's campaign. According to CBS, Wellstone was killed. A recorded media message from the FAA says a plane en route from St. Paul to Eveleth crashed in a heavily wooded area near Eveleth, Minn. The fate of the eight people on board is unknown. The last contact with the plane was at 10:20 a.m., the message says. A worker at Duluth Airport said air-traffic controllers lost contact with the plane, then received a 911 notification. A while later, he said, the crash was confirmed. He did not give his name. 12:58:09 PM

Internet Tax webfin.com Times have been hard for Georgeos Diaz-Montexano's online course in Egyptian hieroglyphics. One student in two years, $12 in tuition. But Diaz-Montexano pulled the plug on what he calls the world's only Spanish-language Egyptology site for a different reason: fears of hassle or a hefty fine under Spain's new law regulating cyberspace. Any Spain-based Web site that engages in commerce -- even a struggling Egyptology site -- must now register with the government under a stringent new law that took effect on Oct. 12. 11:07:09 AM

IBM's "Blue Gene" to run on Linux ZDNet - Linux will be the main operating system for IBM's upcoming family of "Blue Gene" supercomputers--a major endorsement for the operating system and the open-source computing model it represents. 9:12:46 AM

Salt Lake Tribune Microsoft, Disney Team Up on Internet Salt Lake Tribune - Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, center, and Walt Disney Co. Mickey and Minnie Mouse launch a collaborative MSN Internet service on Thursday during a publicity event in New York's Central Park.  Disney Chairman Michael Eisner was also in attendance. Microsoft decals don't stick in NYC CNET News.com - The city has ordered Microsoft to remove a slew of butterfly decals that were plastered on phone booths, subway posts and traffic poles throughout Midtown Manhattan. 8:45:02 AM

BBC Food additives 'cause temper tantrums' New Scientist - Common food additives cause "substantial effects" on some young children's behaviour, increasing temper tantrums and hyperactivity, according to a UK study. 8:28:12 AM

Orange Windows open on a mobile world VNUNet - Orange has launched the first credible Windows-powered smartphone and fired the first shot in what could become a bloody techno-tussle. Although its SPV phone is only considered 2.5G technology, Orange believes it will pave the way to acceptance of true 3G capabilities. The Microsoft software supports services such as photo messaging (MMS), email, calendar, contacts, instant messaging, text messaging, web browsing and audio and video playback. The phone will also act like a low-level Pocket PC personal digital assistant. 8:19:11 AM