Sanofi-Aventis Q2 net up 61 percent

Drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis SA said net profit rose 61 percent to (EURO)1.7 billion ($2.2 billion) in the second quarter, thanks to lower restructuring costs, but warned that earnings may fall for the full year.

The Paris-based company's warned that its core earnings may drop by up to 4 percent this year as a result of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of a generic version of its Lovenox, an injected drug for preventing life-threatening blood clots.

The company's top executive also did little to bat down speculation that has emerged over the past month that he could be preparing a takeover bid for U.S. drug rival Genzyme Corp.

Asked …

Going to School on Intruders; The University of Tennessee didn't have enough manpower to see who was trying to attack its systems. The answer: installing a centralized software product to analyze intrusion logs and warn of danger ahead.

Like many research universities, the University of Tennessee is a prime target for hackers and other Internet miscreants. It manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which conducts research on national security for the Department of Energy. It runs health-care facilities that collect patient data. It supports an inter-campus computing grid for researchers, who routinely transfer 40-gigabyte data files using unorthodox protocols that may escape detection by ordinary security programs. And it acts as an Internet service provider for students, who occasionally "get crazy" with the high bandwidth and swap multimedia files that can transmit viruses and worms, says senior security analyst A.J. …

Huckabee Says Race 'Far, Far From Over'

Mike Huckabee lost the Republican primary in South Carolina, falling short in a state that was crucial to his presidential aspirations but promising the race was "far, far from over."

"Tonight is not a time to start asking what if; it is a time to start talking about what now," he told about 300 cheering supporters at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Huckabee needed to win South Carolina to prove it was no fluke when he won the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. Instead, he came in second to John McCain, who validated his own victory Jan. 8 in the New Hampshire primary.

The loss was particularly acute because, as the first …

Beauty finalist Leigh heads for New York

BEAUTY consultant Leigh Woodward is off to New York after beingshortlisted as one of the best in the business.

Leigh, aged 30, of Bradley Stoke, is business manager of the EsteeLauder beauty team at Boot's in The Mall at Cribb's Causeway.

She was chosen as a finalist in the Supreme Consultant of the Yearcompetition for the five-star service she gives customers.

She will join five other Estee Lauder finalists for the five-daytreat in the Big Apple next week.

She said: "It hasn't really …

Engagement With Russia: Managing Risks, Repairing Rifts

The U.S. security relationship with Russia is a matter that is more significant to the U.S. government and the American people than was apparent during the presidential election. Elections are primarily about attitudes. The exercise of power is about the management of consequences.

As Barack Obama assumes the burdens of the presidency, he will acquire direct responsibility for the fact that the nuclear deterrent force operated by Russia represents by far the greatest physical threat to the United States and the only one that might plausibly put the viability of our society into immediate question. He will need to be continuously aware that he alone bears direct responsibility for …

Summary Box: DOJ sues to block VeriFone deal

THE LAWSUIT: The Justice Department on Thursday filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in federal district court to block VeriFone Systems Inc.'s proposed purchase of rival electronic-payment provider Hypercom Corp.

THE DEAL: VeriFone Systems announced plans to buy Hypercom in November in an all-stock deal valued at …

FBI, police rescue 52 kids in prostitution probes

FBI officials say they have rescued 52 children in a series of raids around the country aimed at under-age prostitution.

Authorities say the youngest victim was just 10 years old. The bureau and local police officials also arrested 60 pimps during the three-day enforcement effort in 36 cities.

The raids are the latest in a long-running …