Los Angeles  - Barack Obama's speech accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency was watched by more than 38 million people - making it the ratings hit of the summer - according to figures released Friday by Nielsen Media Research.

The historic address Thursday by the country's first African- American presidential candidate was more popular than the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

Los Angeles - It was meant to be Barack Obama's big moment - his first speech as his party's official candidate for president.

The preparations had been painstaking - a mass rally at a Denver football field designed to showcase the popular appeal that had allowed Obama to leapfrog the Clinton political machine and become the first black presidential nominee.

But if Obama thought that his opponent John McCain would sit back Thursday night and applaud admiringly he had another think coming.

Los Angeles - Barbie doll maker Mattel was awarded 100 million dollars in damages by a jury Tuesday after it concluded that the designer of the rival Bratz dolls created the popular figures while employed at Mattel.

The decision was seen as a disappointment for Mattel, which had sought up to 2 billion dollars in punitive damages. The company's sales of Barbie have plunged some 
21 per cent since the large-headed, multi-ethnic Bratz line became a hit.

Los Angeles  - Electronic Arts, the world's largest maker of video games, said Monday it-was reconsidering its hostile takeover bid for smaller rival Take-Two Interactive because a merger could not be completed in time for the all important holiday season.

Take Two is the publisher of the controversial, but highly successful game series Grand Theft Auto - selling 8.5 million copies of the latest version in the quarter that ended in June.

Los Angeles - The pilot of a home-built aircraft was killed Tuesday when a car crashed into his plane as he was trying to take off after making an emergency landing on a southern California highway, police said.

The pilot managed make an emergency landing on the busy road. As he attempted to take off, the car slammed into the plane, ejecting the pilot. He died instantaneously.

The incident occurred on Interstate 40 in San Bernadino country, said Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller.

Three occupants in the car suffered minor injuries from a broken windscreen.