A year deduces earlier, the 2005 festival states agency had put that contract under review. . Forbes magazine said it had sold a minority stake to a private equity group that included the singer Bono of U2. The firm, called Elevation Partners, is buying a stake in a newly formed company called Forbes Media that will include the magazine, Forbes and other media properties. The companies did not disclose the amount of the investment or the stake that Elevation Partners is acquiring. Elevation Partners' principals include Bono; former Apple Computer Inc. finance chief Fred Anderson; and Bret Pearlman, former senior managing director of Blackstone Group. . EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. -- Trent Dilfer became the latest quarterback to suffer the wrath of Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan and the New York Giants' defense. Umenyiora scored on a 75-yard fumble return and the defense helped to account for 24 points as the Giants won their fifth straight with a 33-15 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants' dynamic four-end defense dominated the NFL's worst offense.

New York (5-2) forced four turnovers by the 49ers (2-4) and sacked Dilfer six times while Alex Smith rested his ailing shoulder. Strahan had his biggest sack performance since 2003, collecting 2 1/2 against his former defensive coordinator, current 49ers Coach Mike Nolan. Eli Manning threw touchdown passes to Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey, and Brandon Jacobs ran for 107 yards and a touchdown for the Giants, who also got two field goals from the struggling Lawrence Tynes. Quoteworthy: "I felt like we were getting the ball on their side of the 50-yard line all day long. " -- Shaun O'Hara, Giants center . TOKYO — Lending by Japanese banks rose at its fastest annual pace in more than five years in July, data released early today indicated, providing further evidence of a rebounding economy. The balance of outstanding loans held by Japan's four main categories of banks rose 2% in July from a year earlier, Bank of Japan data showed. It was the biggest year-over-year increase since the central bank began its current calculation method in January 2001, reaffirming that five years of decline in bank lending ended early this year as companies expanded investment. "Bank lending is rising, with balanced growth in bank loans by city banks and regional banks, reflecting an economic recovery," said Yoshimasa Maruyama, an economist at BNP Paribas. Loans held by the four main categories of banks, including shinkin, or credit unions, stood at $3. 9 trillion. Excluding special factors such as loan write-offs, the loan balance rose 2. 9% from the same month a year earlier. What's more, the 2. 2% rise for lending by banks excluding credit unions was the largest gain since August 1992. Japan's economy has been enjoying a healthy recovery over the last few years, and corporate capital spending has become a key engine of growth, pushing up demand for bank loans. Separate Bank of Japan data showed that the nation's most widely watched measure of money supply rose a slower-than-expected 0. 5% in July from a year earlier. Economists had expected money supply to grow 1. 3%. The government is scheduled today to unveil its latest assessment of the economy. airport festival . ORCHARD PARK, N. Y annual festival . -- Rookie Trent Edwards was 11 for 21 for 153 yards and engineered five scoring drives to help the Buffalo Bills beat the Baltimore Ravens, 19-14. The Bills (2-4) limited the Ravens (4-3) to two scores despite six drives into Buffalo territory arts festival . That included Baltimore's final drive, when Kyle Boller couldn't convert a fourth and one from the Buffalo 49, his pass falling just out of the reach of Musa Smith with 1 minute 49 seconds remaining. Rian Lindell made four field goals, including one of 41 yards, and Marshawn Lynch scored on a one-yard run, giving the Bills a 19-7 advantage late in the third quarter. Boller was 21 for 36 for 191 yards in his second consecutive start in place of Steve McNair, who's nursing a sore back and groin injury. The Ravens managed only one first down and 29 yards on their first three possessions. Baltimore had 11 penalties for 91 yards. Quoteworthy: "I would say he's more mature than a normal rookie. " -- Dick Jauron, Bills coach, on Trent Edwards.

IBM Corp . did not commit age discrimination when it changed its pension coverage in the 1990s, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in an influential case that Big Blue had agreed to settle for as much as $1. 4 billion if it had lost the appeal. The case involved 140,000 older employees who were affected when IBM converted to a so-called cash-balance plan, which gives workers virtual accounts that can be cashed out for a lump sum when they leave the company. The plans are designed to be more attractive to younger workers who are more likely to switch jobs calendar festival . But opponents say the setup denies older workers the gains they would have seen under traditional pension plans, in which employees amass more retirement benefits during their last years of service . About 1,500 U. S christmas festival . companies have adopted cash-balance or other "hybrid" pension plans, although this case was a large reason the approach had become less popular and legally questionable devon festival . Just last week, Congress passed a bill that sought to clarify the legality of such plans, over the objection of groups such as senior advocate AARP. The plaintiffs in the IBM case sought to force the company to make up for what they said they lost in potential benefits after IBM adopted the cash-balance plan in 1999. In 2003, a federal judge agreed that the plan amounted to age discrimination because it unfairly penalized older employees. Although Armonk, N. Y. -based IBM negotiated a possible settlement, it pressed its appeal with the U. S.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, which found Monday that the plan did not discriminate because it gave every employee the same credits. "All terms of IBM's plan are age-neutral," the judges wrote . "Removing a feature that gave extra benefits to the old differs from discriminating against them. "The lead plaintiff, Kathi Cooper of Bethalto, Ill. , said she wanted to keep pursuing the case documentary festival . She said she was confident that IBM's move was illegal, noting that it wasn't until last week that Congress officially said otherwise. "I don't consider this a dead end," said Cooper, who spent her career with IBM before retiring last year at age 55 event festival . "I do not consider this fight over Stagecoach Festival . "IBM said in a statement that the company was gratified by the verdict. IBM shares fell 39 cents to $75. 52. festival arts . SEATTLE -- Matt Hasselbeck was hurting.

Shaun Alexander was stalled and getting booed again. Too bad for St . Louis that nothing was wrong with Ram-killer Nate Burleson. Burleson returned the second-half kickoff 91 yards for a game-changing touchdown and the sputtering Seahawks pulled away from winless St festival blues . Louis, 33-6, sending the Rams (0-7) to their worst start in their 70 years in the NFL Seattle (4-3) led, 10-3, at the half, even though St festival events . Louis had just 41 yards. Stagecoach Festival tickets Then Burleson took the second-half kickoff, ran through a tackle near midfield and then shook off Jonathan Wade at about the 20 for his first career kickoff score. Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, playing for the first time in three weeks because of sore ribs, was sacked seven times, four by Darryl Tapp festival film Stagecoach Festival - stagecoachfestival . Bulger lost two fumbles, and finished 21 for 40 for 225 yards with three interceptions. Quoteworthy: "Right now I am embarrassed to be a [Ram] It is pathetic Stagecoach Festival - stagecoachfestival . " -- Randy McMichael, tight end.