Yahoo jumps on Twitter bandwagon to improve search

SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo Inc. is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon in its latest attempt to get people to use its Internet search engine more frequently.

Beginning Thursday, Yahoo will mine the short messages posted on Twitter to find fresher information about hot topics.

Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. had earlier announced plans to incorporate Twitter messages into search results, but Yahoo said it will be the first among them to include such "tweets" on its main search results.

The addition comes at a pivotal time for Yahoo. The company, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is bogged down in a three-year financial slump partly because it has losing ground in the lucrative Internet search market to Google and, to a lesser extent, Microsoft.

The Twitter twist is the latest sign of Yahoo's resolve to spice up its search results even as it prepares to lean on Microsoft for most of the technology powering its search engine. That transition is scheduled to begin next year.

Microsoft so far is listing Twitter results in a special section of its search engine, Bing.

Google, the Internet's search leader, also plans to include Twitter's chatter in its search results, but has yet to say when that change will occur or how it will do it.

Yahoo is relying on Twitter to highlight the latest news about specific subjects. When a user enters a search request tied to breaking news, Yahoo will top the results page with four tabs — one for direct links to news sites, one for photos, one for video and one dedicated to Twitter.

Clicking on a Twitter tab will show news links posted by Twitter users. Some of the links will be drawn from Twitter accounts set up by the news media, such as CNN and The Associated Press, while others will be pulled from people pointing out a story they find interesting.

Yahoo is relying on its own algorithms to identify the tweets containing the most relevant information. Twitter's own search engine, by contrast, shows results in chronological order and doesn't focus exclusively on posts containing news links.

This probably won't be Yahoo's only foray into "real-time" search — a term used for indexes consisting of the freshest information posted on the Web. Yahoo also is experimenting with data from several other real-time search services, such as OneRiot.

Twitter isn't being paid any money for access to its posts because Yahoo is relying on free tools to get them, said Larry Cornett, Yahoo's vice president of consumer products.

Microsoft and Google haven't said how much they are paying Twitter in their respective deals.

Twitter, based in San Francisco, has generated little revenue since its 2006 inception, yet private investors recently estimated the startup's market value at about $1 billion.

The lofty appraisal stems from Twitter's rapid growth. Nearly 60 million people worldwide now use the service to share their thoughts in 140 characters or less, according to comScore Inc. At the end of last year, 4 million people were regularly using Twitter.

As its reach has extended, Twitter has turned into a prized resource for search engines trying to monitor what people are talking about.

Other Internet companies such as LinkedIn Corp. are latching on to Twitter in other ways. LinkedIn, which runs a Web site for business networking, recently began letting users to simultaneously update their posts on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Although its Web site remains among the most visited on the Internet, Yahoo has been hurt by more trendy hangouts such as Facebook that are luring away Web surfers and advertisers.

Yahoo also has been struggling in Internet search. Its engine remains the Web's second most popular behind Google's, but its share has been shrinking for years and now it appears some users may be defecting to Bing, which Microsoft has been promoting heavily since its June debut.

Eclogues By Virgil, Robert Coleman

Suncor Energy budgets $5.5 billion in capital spending for 2010

CALGARY — Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX:SU) says it is budgeting $5.5 billion for capital spending in 2010, and that Phases 3 and 4 of its Firebag oilsands project will be the first out of the gate.

"This officially restarts the growth of oilsands," chief executive officer Rick George told analysts on a conference call to discuss his firm's 2010 plans.

Canada's biggest oil company since its acquisition of Petro-Canada this year says about $1.5 billion of its 2010 capital budget will go towards growth projects, which includes resuming construction on the Firebag Stage 3 oil sands project.

The project was half complete when it was deferred earlier this year. Suncor now expects production to begin in the second quarter of 2011 with volumes ramping up to the design capacity of about 68,000 barrels per day of bitumen.

Spending will also go towards Firebag Stage 4 to support a target of first bitumen production in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Some growth capital will also go towards completing the Millennium Naphtha Unit and expanding Suncor's St. Clair Ethanol Plant.

The remaining $4 billion of the 2010 capital budget will go towards sustaining existing operations.

Plans include investments in Suncor's Tailings Reduction Operations and maintenance plans at oil sands, natural gas, international and offshore facilities. Downstream operations will see spending focused on improving environmental performance and planned maintenance at work.

Suncor's proposed Voyaguer upgrader, which would convert the sticky bitumen from the oilsands into higher quality synthetic crude oil, is to remain in "safe mode" for the foreseeable future.

In the near term, the price differentials between heavy and light crude are narrow enough that it doesn't make sense to invest in upgrading for the time-being.

Instead, it may be a better idea to sell bitumen to refiners in the United States that are seeing lower volumes of heavy oil come in from Venezuela and Mexico.

"But I do see that Voyageur upgrader as a great option for us down the road at some point," said George.

The Fort Hills mining project is also not on the agenda for next year, since Firebag was further along in engineering and construction.

Suncor inherited a 60 per cent stake in Fort Hills through its merger with Petro-Canada in August. Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX:TCK.B) and UTS Energy Corp. (TSX:UTS) evenly split the rest.

It was shelved just over a year ago by the project partners amid skyrocketing costs and low commodity prices.

"Obviously it is not in this first leg. It's hard for us to see project economics beating Firebag 3 or 4 for other projects that we have, certainly in the near term," George said.

"We continue to like the resource. We're not sure exactly at this point exactly where Fort Hills fits into the development plan overall."

Last week, Suncor had said it planned to sell as much as $4 billion in assets as it grappled with the various operations it took on through its union with Petro-Canada earlier this year.

Suncor shares rose 30 cents to $36.74 in mid-morning trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Cineplex Galaxy fund posts record revenue as industry grapples with DVD window

TORONTO — A strong line-up of summer blockbuster movies helped Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund (TSX:CGX.UN) turn out higher attendance and record revenues at its theatres in the third quarter.

But, the narrowing amount of time before movies are released on DVD has Cineplex executives on high alert.

"We are very concerned about the theatrical window," said Cineplex Entertainment president and CEO Ellis Jacob in an interview on Tuesday.

"If the release between the theatrical and the DVD is so short, our concern is that people will not go as frequently to the movies, and they will wait for the DVD release."

"It's not just not a Cineplex problem, it becomes an industry issue," he said.

Jacob added his voice to the growing number of theatre owners worried that film studios are ignoring their pleas to stop rushing movies to DVD. Generally, both sides have agreed to a four-month window for theatrical releases.

Hollywood studio Paramount ignored that agreement last week when "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra" landed on DVD last week, hardly three months after it hit movie screens. The distributor has said it was an exceptional case tied into the promotion of Hasbro's G.I. Joe toys for the holiday season.

However, Sony initially planned to shorten the theatrical window even further by releasing Michael Jackson's "This is It" concert documentary on DVD in time for Christmas, less than two months after its much-hyped theatrical debut. Exhibitors protested prompting Sony to cancel those plans until the New Year.

The changes mark a major shakeup in the industry as studios look for new ways to combat eroding DVD sales and exhibitors say it will put their profits in jeopardy.

On Tuesday, Cineplex, the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada, said its box-office sales were the highest-ever for a given quarter at $155.9 million. The increase was attributed to a greater variety of films, and growing audience numbers.

The Toronto-based income trust also reported higher net income of $20.4 million for the third quarter, up from year-ago profit of $18.4 million.

Quarterly revenue from ticket sales, food and beverages and other sources totalled $257.5 million, up from $239.1 million last year.

Cineplex said theatre attendance grew nearly five per cent during the quarter, as well as box office per patron growth of three per cent and concession per patron growth of 4.5 per cent.

"We attribute this growth primarily to a greater breadth of film product," Jacob told analysts in a conference call.

"The third quarter of 2009 benefited from film products that catered to wider-ranging audiences, coupled with the success of premium-priced 3D and Imax film product."

The company screened 3D features like "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and Imax format movies like "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," both which drew a higher ticket price.

Cineplex added that select ticket price increases in November last year also helped increase revenue.

Concession revenues were up nine per cent from last year and helped by more family-oriented films, which attract stronger concession sales.

Odlum Brown analyst Cory O'Krainetz downplayed fears that shorter DVD windows could lead to fewer customers for Cineplex and its peers.

"Home theatres have been around for a long time," he said.

"People go out to the movies for the experience, and certainly we saw that throughout the recession. As long as there's new movies releases out that people want to see, they'll go to the movies."

Cineplex has cinemas across the country and a workforce of about 10,000 employees.

US seeks climate framework, not legal pact: experts

WASHINGTON — Lack of action on the climate change bill bogged down in the US Senate will not stop Washington from seeking a framework to curb carbon emissions at next month's summit in Copenhagen, experts say.

"I don't think that anyone is expecting a legal pact at this point," Michael Levi, an expert on climate issues at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP.

But US President Barack Obama already hinted this week that the United States would seek to create a "framework for progress" at the summit, which he said would pave the way to stem a "potential ecological disaster."

No one expects the United States to arrive in Copenhagen with definitive targets for cutting its emissions of greenhouse gases or set numbers for helping developing nations combat climate change, two prerequisites for a deal, according to Levi.

"The Senate will still be working on the bill when Copenhagen begins and ends," he said, and possibly not agreeing on final wording until next year.

The summit in the Danish capital has been set up to seal a treaty to succeed the landmark Kyoto Protocol -- which the United States never signed. Kyoto's obligations to cut carbon emissions expire in 2012.

The Republican minority in the Senate and a Democratic lawmakers from coal industry-reliant states are however fiercely opposed to the creation of a scheme for cutting carbon emissions, known as "Cap and Trade," which aims to promote development of clean energy sources.

"There is a big question as to whether a deal can be made on the architecture of an agreement without one on the content," Levi said, however.

The United States, unlike other participating countries, such as those in the European Union, could likely be willing to sign on to a framework of an agreement, without putting a finger on hard numbers, Levi added.

The House of Representatives in June narrowly passed the plan to curb carbon emissions by 17 percent by 2020, but the bill -- already criticized by other developed nations as not ambitious enough -- is bogged down in the Senate, where a slightly more ambitious version calls for a 20-percent cut by 2020.

Critics of "cap and trade" say the plan would boost electricity bills and cost jobs -- persuasive arguments with the US economy struggling to regain its footing as the recession drags on and the national unemployment rate exceeds 10 percent.

Large numbers of US lawmakers also reject the idea of a binding climate commitment for the United States without similar accords for major emerging powerhouses such as China. Taken together the two nations are the world's largest carbon dioxide emitters, amounting to 40 percent of the total output.

Todd Stern, Obama's special envoy for climate change, told US lawmakers this week that the United States cannot commit to a deal in Copenhagen if "major developing countries make no commitment at all," adding that "no country holds the fate of the Earth in its hands more than China."

Some developing nations employ "dubious interpretations" of former climate change agreements "to prove they don't have any responsibility for action," Stern lamented in November 4 testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Despite such obstacles, the Copenhagen summit "might still present an opportunity to significantly advance the international climate effort," Eileen Clausen, president of the non-profit organization Pew Center on Global Climate Change, told lawmakers at the same Foreign Affairs hearing.

"We have believed for some time that it would not be feasible to achieve a full, final ratifiable agreement in Copenhagen," she said, noting that domestic issues for some nations including the United States will prevent them from bringing the "specific and binding commitments" needed for a ultimate deal.

But Clausen said the summit may be able to produce an agreement on the "fundamental architecture of a post-2012 framework, which would provide a basis for then negotiating towards specific commitments in a final legal agreement."

Suspect named in Edmonton slaying

Edmonton police have issued an arrest warrant for a 40-year-old man in connection with the slaying of a woman last month.

Michael Bryan Flanigan is wanted for second-degree murder in the death of Sara Sanders, 28, who was found dead in her downtown Edmonton apartment on Oct. 15.

"Last known whereabouts of Mr. Flanigan is believed to be Vancouver and we're appealing to the public … for their assistance in locating and arresting Mr. Flanigan," Edmonton Police Det. Dale Johnson said.

Flanigan is five-foot-nine and weighs just under 200 pounds, Johnson said.

Flanigan is also wanted on a warrant by police in London, Ont., on charges of assault, uttering threats, forcible confinement and mischief under $5,000.

Police believe Flanigan poses a threat to the public and warns anyone who sees or knows where he is not to approach him. Instead, people are advised to call police.

Johnson would not say what connection, if any, Flanigan had to the victim.

Victim's BlackBerry lost before she died

In the days after Sanders' body was found, police released the recording of a voice mail left by a man who apparently found the young woman's BlackBerry which she lost five days before her death.

The caller left no name or contact information and attempts to call the BlackBerry went unanswered.

Police were able to retrieve the voice mail recording from the victim's answering service. They released it to the public in hopes of hearing from someone who recognized the man's voice.

Police are still looking for that man, Johnson said. He is not considered a suspect but police wanted to talk to him to determine how and where the phone was found so they can try to figure out where Sanders was before she was slain.

The medical examiner has determined how and when Sanders died, but that information has not been released by police.

Retro items, motorized gadgets, arts and crafts among hot holidays toys

TORONTO — Consumers seeking the latest toys heading into the holidays can expect to experience a little deja vu as revamped versions of popular playthings from the past join more contemporary games, gadgets and crafts.

The Canadian Toy Association held its seventh annual "Hot Toys for the Holidays" media event Monday where a select group of toddlers to tweens tested dozens of activities, toys and games which the association anticipates will be in demand.

Spokesman Jeff Hurst says they are definitely seeing the retro trend this year, notably with the re-emergence of Buzz Lightyear from the popular "Toy Story" movie franchise.

"We haven't seen Buzz on the toy shelves for a while and he's out this Christmas which is great.. (for) a lot of kids who didn't know who Buzz Lightyear was before," he said of the talking action figure, which features light and sound effects and pop-out wings.

Other blasts from the past include an updated draw-and-erase Etch-A-Sketch now featuring a joystick, as well as updated versions of classic board games like Monopoly.

Hurst said there isn't any indication there's a lone "it" toy this season.

"I think what you'll see is if you take five kids and ask them what their favourite one is, I think you are going to see differences in their favourites which does make it a little easier."

While kids on hand at the event were drawn to all kinds of toys, divisions in terms of the types of items favoured were generally drawn along gender lines.

Boys seemed more keen on construction toys like Lego and K'NEX and most notably motorized gadgets. They tested out zooming cars, activated talking trucks and sent a remote-controlled mini helicopter swooping and circling through the air.

"I like toys that have a little bit of tech," said Braeden Somers, 10, as he took a break from racing a car along a winding track inspired by the Disney movie "Cars."

Somers said the Nerf blaster which fired foam fluorescent orange darts was one of his favourites.

"It's fun to pull the trigger and see the darts fly through the air."

Meanwhile, girls generally gravitated towards arts and crafts and more hands-on activities. They were painting pictures, slicing faux cookies, moulding edible dough and channelling their inner fashionistas making mini-outfits on dress forms.

Rosemary Ganton, 11, was engaged using sticky strips called Wikki Stix to customize a Christmas activity book. It's the type of activity she says is right up her alley.

"(I like) more crafts and stuff you can do with your hands and you can, like, decorate your own.

Parents faced with lengthy wish lists from kids may not necessarily have the deep pockets to meet the demand.

Aware of cost-conscious parents and challenging economic times, nearly half of the more than 110 toys and games showcased were priced at $25 or less.

Neville Thomas, who brought 21-month-old Nathan to the event, said cost is a definite consideration when toy shopping for his son.

"It is a big factor because they outgrow the toys so quickly and they move on," he said. "You don't want to spend a fortune on something they're only going to use for four months or five months and then they'll want something else because they've grown out of it."

Hurst said it's not solely about giving consumers affordable toys, but ensuring they're fun and offer choice.

"I think as an industry we recognize where the world is," he said. "I think it's something we look at as an industry and reflect on what consumers want, what the kids want, but definitely want to make it affordable for parents."

4th typhoon in month lashes sodden Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — A powerful typhoon crashed into the Philippine capital Saturday with pounding rain and strong winds, causing a massive power outage, downing trees and bringing fresh floods to areas still partially submerged from a recent deadly storm.

More than 100,000 people sought shelter in five province east and south of Manila in the path of Typhoon Mirinae on the main Luzon Island. One river in Laguna province south of Manila overflowed, flooding most of lakeside Santa Cruz town and sending residents clambering onto roofs to escape rising waters, said Mayor Ariel Magcalas.

"We cannot move, this is no joke," Magcalas said. "The water is high. We need help," he said in a public address via Radio DZBB.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the flooded communities but were having difficulty moving in light trucks, said regional disaster officer Fred Bragas.

"As of now, our efforts are concentrated on rescue and evacuation," he said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

In Manila, residents hunkered down in their homes overnight as rains beat down on dark, deserted streets. Mirinae passed south of the sprawling city of 12 million with winds of 93 miles (150 kilometers) per hour and gusts of up to 115 mph (185 kph).

The fourth typhoon to lash in the Philippines in a month, Mirinae was tracking the same route as Tropical Storm Ketsana on Sept. 26 when it dumped the heaviest rains in 40 years in and around Manila — a month's worth in just 12 hours — leaving hundreds dead and thousands stranded in cars, on rooftops and in trees.

Strong winds toppled trees and power poles, slowing traffic on some highways, radio stations reported. Manila electric power distributor Meralco said the winds had forced outages in many areas around the capital and nearby areas.

Commuter train service was disrupted, flights at Manila international airport were canceled and about 8,000 ferry passengers were stranded as the coast guard grounded all vessels.

Unlike Ketsana, the latest typhoon was quick — moving fast at 15 mph (24 kph). It was projected to veer away from the Philippines in the direction of Vietnam by later Saturday.

At least 10,000 villagers left their homes near rivers and close to the Mayon volcano in Albay province, said Jukes Nunez, a provincial disaster official.

Mayon, in the eastern Philippines, is the country's most active volcano and authorities fear that rains might unleash rivers of mud and loose volcanic rock.

In Arenda village, where knee-deep waters still lingered a month after Ketsana hit, Hilaria Abiam was getting ready to leave at a moment's notice from her house along the shore of Laguna Lake, southeast of Manila.

"If the floodwater threatens to rise again, then I will surely evacuate because I am really frightened," she said.

Another resident, Loida Vicente, prepared a boat at her home.

"I have a lot of children and if the water rises suddenly, then we will use that to evacuate," she said.

The government's disaster agency told people to prepare 72-hour survival kits, including food items like rice plus a radio set, flashlights and batteries, clothing and first aid supplies.

Ahead of the typhoon, millions of Filipinos boarded buses heading to home provinces for this weekend's All Saints Day, when people visit cemeteries to pay respects to dead relatives in this devoutly Roman Catholic nation.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro expressed fear that floods and traffic congestion may trap visitors at graveyards, where people traditionally spend a day or even a night, but few heeded his call to scrap their commemorations.

The northern Philippines is still struggling to recover from back-to-back storms that killed 929.

In some provinces, floodwaters raged through cemeteries, breaking up tombs and sweeping away caskets and bodies.

About 122,000 people remain in government-run evacuation centers, and many communities in Manila suburbs are still under water, with residents moving around on makeshift rafts and foot bridges.

Associated Press writers Hrvoje Hranjski and Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.

NM spaceport will open 'hardhat tours' to the public

UPHAM, N.M. — New Mexico spaceport officials will begin offering paid public tours of the construction site north of Las Cruces. The so-called "hard-hat tours" will begin in December.

The tours at Spaceport America will highlight New Mexico history in the Upham area, spanning from Spanish conquistadors and pioneer rocket research to the new commercial space industry.

Tour participants get a look at the construction site, including the runway and vertical launch facility.

Spaceport officials have been working with leading aerospace firms such as Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Moog-FTS, UP Aerospace, and Armadillo Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight at the southern New Mexico site.

The 10,000-foot long runway is expected to be complete by next summer. A terminal hangar facility should be built by early 2011.

Tour details and reservation forms will be available on the Spaceport America Web site by mid-November at http://www.spaceportamerica.com.

Netflix movie streaming coming to PlayStation 3

NEW YORK — PlayStation 3 owners will soon be able to stream movies and TV shows from Netflix to their TVs using the gaming console, just as Xbox 360 owners have been able to do for a year.

Sony Corp. and the DVD rental company planned to announce the service Monday and launch it next month. It will be available for free to PlayStation 3 owners who have a Netflix subscription that starts at $9.

Netflix streaming is already available on a broad range of devices, such as the Roku digital video player, Internet-connected TV sets (including Sony's) and Blu-ray players — and the PlayStation 3's archrival, Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360. On the Xbox, however, the Netflix streaming is available only to Xbox Live "Gold" members, who pay $50 a year mainly to play games online with friends in other places.

For Netflix Inc., the deal brings millions of potential new customers, to add to the 11.1 million it already has in the United States. About 9 million PlayStation 3 systems have been sold in U.S., and more than 25 million worldwide.

Movie streaming is an increasingly important service for Netflix even though it says it expects to keep renting DVDs until 2030. And Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said he would like the streaming service to be available on all three of the major gaming platforms — the Xbox, the Wii and the PlayStation. Until now, however, the company had an exclusive deal with Microsoft.

"The PlayStation 3 is an amazing video platform," Hastings said in an interview.

This leaves the Wii as the last console without Netflix streaming. But even without it, the Wii is the top-selling console.

Netflix has about 17,000 movies and TV shows available for streaming, though few of them are new releases. This will expand the movies Sony already rents and sells through the PlayStation 3, and will give the company another feature to tout as it markets the PlayStation as a diverse entertainment device.

With a TV ad campaign whose slogan is "It Only Does Everything," Sony is targeting men and women between 18 and 49 and playing up the console's capabilities beyond gaming. Last year, its aim was still younger men, the gamer demographic.

"I think we always knew we made a significant investment in the PS3 and we were ahead of the time in terms of technology," said Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America. "But technology that was mystifying to the consumer three years ago is being coveted now."

To access the Netflix streaming service, PlayStation 3 users will have to pop in a Blu-ray disc that Netflix will mail out. The disc will access the Internet and activate the Netflix system so people can find movies to stream.

Walking tough for cellphone users: study

Never mind driving while talking on a cellphone, new U.S. research shows people have a hard time even walking while talking on a mobile.

In a study out of Western Washington University, researchers planted a polka-dot-dressed clown with a big red nose riding a unicycle around a campus square and measured those who noticed the clown and who didn't.

Just 25 per cent of people talking on their cellphones saw the unicycling clown, compared to 50 per cent of people walking alone, in pairs and even those listening to portable music players.

"We asked, 'Did you notice anything unusual today?' And if they didn't volunteer the clown, we asked them directly, 'Did you see the unicycling clown?'" psychology professor and lead researcher Ira Hyman said in an interview on CBC Radio's As It Happens on Tuesday.

"As you can imagine, cellphone users were the most oblivious," he said.

Almost always, cellphone users were shocked when their lack of awareness was pointed out.

"They're like, What!' And they turn and they're surprised they could have missed that," said Hyman, adding this lack of awareness is one of the "real hazards" of using a mobile.

"When you're on a cellphone you may feel like you're aware of the world around you and it seems that you're connected, but you're unaware of the things you've missed and this is a problem because most people may think, 'I do just fine. I'm aware of what's going on around me.'

"But when you actually show them things they've missed, they can be utterly surprised and wonder how it is that I could have missed such things."

Study after study has shown drivers are less reactive and notice fewer events when talking on a cellphone. Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Nova Scotia have banned drivers from talking on hand-held devices. A similar ban comes into effect in Ontario on Oct. 26.

Interesting results

People often make the argument that talking on a cellphone is no less distracting than listening to a radio or talking to a passenger. Not so, said Hyman.

In a second part of his study, researchers simply observed people talking on mobiles as they walked through crowds.

"Compared to people who were just walking by themselves or walking while listening to their iPhone, or even walking in pairs, cellphone users are slower, they change directions more frequently, they weave and they're much less likely to acknowledge any other people around them."

Ultimately, "it's something about the cellphone conversation which is disrupting," he said.

"Walking is a heck of a lot easier than driving a car. It's something people have been doing their whole lives, and if you can't manage to walk effectively and keep track of the world around you, how much harder is it going to be with the task of driving, which is a much more demanding task."

The study is published in an upcoming issue of the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology.

Dutch court orders Pirate Bay to remove links

THE HAGUE — A Dutch court Thursday ordered Sweden's The Pirate Bay filesharing website to remove links to works of members of a Netherlands-based music and film copyright protection group.

The Amsterdam referral court ordered the three founders of the website to "take off within three months all downloadable links that allow access to files representing the works of the members of Stichting Brein," which had filed a suit.

They will be fined 5,000 euros (7,500 dollars) for each offence if they do not comply, the referral court ruled, adding that they would be liable to a maximum fine of 30 million euros.

The three founders -- Frederik Neij, Peter Sunde and Gottfrid Svartholmmen -- and a fourth defendant were found guilty on April 17 by a Swedish court of having promoted copyright infringement through their filesharing site.

They were sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay 30 million kronor (2.72 million euros, 3.56 million dollars) to the movie and recording industry.

They are currently appealing the verdict.

The verdict against them did not concern the website itself, which continues to function.

Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay makes it possible to skirt copyright fees and share music, film and computer game files using bit torrent technology, or peer-to-peer links offered on the site.

None of the material can be found on The Pirate Bay server itself.

The Pirate Bay claims to have some 22 million users worldwide.

Train crash kills 15, many trapped: reports

AGRA, India — An express train ploughed into the back of another in northern India early Wednesday, killing up to 15 and trapping as many as 50 in the wreckage, officials and reports said.

Local television channels put the death toll at 10-15, while a local railway official confirmed four dead to AFP in the crash outside the town of Mathura, 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of New Delhi.

Rescuers battled with mechanical cutters to reach the dozens of people feared trapped in one badly mangled carriage that had derailed due the impact of the collision.

"At least four were killed in the accident that took place near Mathura on the Agra-Delhi train track," said Rajendra Dutt Tripathi, the divisional railway manager from the nearby city of Agra who was at the scene.

"More than a dozen have been shifted for treatment to a nearby hospital," he added.

Vijay Kumar, a senior police official in the nearby town of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, told the CNN-IBN channel that the crash happened at 5:30 am local time (0000 GMT), but declined to give casualty figures.

He said an express train from the southern state of Goa heading to Delhi had run into the back of a stationary train, the Mewar express, which is an overnight train linking the state of Rajasthan with the capital.

Tripathi told AFP that initial reports suggested the Mewar express was at standstill because a passenger had pulled the emergency chain and the driver of the Goa express had overlooked a signal requesting him to stop.

"These are matter of investigation and a final conclusion can only be reached after a detailed inquiry," he said.

R.D. Vajpayee, chief spokesman for northern railways, told NDTV that the company would pay 500,000 rupees (10,800 dollars) to the families of the dead.

"There are many people who are injured and many people who are dead," an unnamed eyewitness told CNN-IBN. "A lot of people fell onto the tracks because of the impact of the collision."

New natural gas find in Australia: Chevron

SYDNEY — Energy group Chevron Monday announced a new natural gas discovery off Western Australia that will help support the massive Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil last month agreed to develop the Gorgon field, spending some 43 billion Australian dollars (39.25 billion US) in the initial construction phase of the country's largest-ever resources development.

The energy giant said gas was found in about 100 metres (330 feet) of the 4,500 metres drilled in the Achilles-1 exploration well which lies about 160 kilometres (100 miles) offshore.

"The success of our drilling programme will provide additional natural gas to underpin the Gorgon and Wheatstone projects," Chevron Australia managing director Roy Krzywosinski said in a statement.

The Gorgon project, expected to begin production in 2014, is designed to be an important source of energy for Asia's burgeoning economies.

It is already supported by supply contracts with China, Japan, India and South Korea worth a combined 145 billion Australian dollars.

Chevron owns a 50 percent stake in Gorgon and will operate the plant, with ExxonMobil and Shell each holding 25 percent.

Zelaya's deadline for Honduras crisis talks

TEGUCIGALPA — Negotiators struggled over the reinstatement of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya Thursday, pushing against a deadline for resolving a four month old political crisis.

"We're still at the negotiating table. The climate is extremely delicate and dangerous," Zelaya told AFP, insisting that he would stick to a midnight Thursday (0630 GMT, Friday) deadline for concluding the negotiations.

The two sides were trying to reach agreement on whether the Supreme Court or the Congress would have to approve Zelaya's reinstatement until elections are held and a new president takes office in January.

The head of the de facto government, Roberto Micheletti, on Wednesday rejected a deal under which the Congress would approve Zelaya's reinstatement, insisting it had to be the Supreme Court.

It was the Supreme Court that paved away for Zelaya's ouster June 28, ordering his arrest on 18 charges stemming from a bid to re-write the constitution. The Congress then named Micheletti to head an interim government.

Negotiators have said they have reached agreement on most points of a settlement, based on a accord proposed by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

Those include the creation of a unity government, and requirements that Zelaya drop plans to rewrite the constitution, and that the November polls be held on schedule.

Zelaya's reinstatement, however, has been the biggest stumbling block from the start of the crisis.

John Biehl, the head of the Organization of American States mission in Honduras John Biehl, criticized Zelaya's insistence on a midnight deadline for wrapping up the negotiations as "absolutely unnecessary."

After months of protests and crackdowns by security forces, representatives of Zelaya and Micheletti finally sat down together last week to try to hammer out a settlement.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Thursday the negotiators were "making great progress," adding that the United States was striving "to encourage them to continue, because... we're close, and we want to see this deal happen."

The United States has called for Zelaya's return to office, suspended some 30 million dollars in financial aid programs and canceled the US visas of top regime officials.

Elected in 2006, Zelaya antagonized the country's elite by aligning himself with Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez.

The political crisis has compounded economic woes in the nation of some 7.6 million people.

Meanwhile, Hondurans celebrated a public holiday Thursday after qualifying for the 2010 soccer World Cup, basking in a piece of good news after months of political tension.