Good morning.

This is a big day for "fans" of Microsoft's Vista operating system. Windows 7, a new system, becomes available today. As NPR's Wendy Kaufman reported on Morning Edition, it's "good riddance Vista":

Other stories making headlines include:

— Boston Globe — "FBI Calls Sudbury Suspect Inept But Serious Terror Plotter": "They allegedly tried to get into terrorist training camps overseas, but could not find one that would take them. They plotted to shoot shoppers and emergency responders at a suburban mall, but scrapped the plan because they could not get their hands on automatic weapons, according to the FBI. Yet, even though Tarek Mehanna, 27, of Sudbury and his friend, Ahmad Abousamra, who allegedly was rejected by the Taliban because of a lack of experience, were portrayed as hapless would-be terrorists in an FBI affidavit unsealed yesterday, federal authorities allege their intentions were deadly serious."

Related story on Morning Edition — "Massachusetts Arrest Spurs Fears Of Homegrown Terrorism": NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

— The New York Times — "Pakistani Brigadier Is Assassinated": In Islamabad, "two assailants on a motorbike fired on a Pakistani Army jeep amid heavy rush-hour traffic Thursday morning, killing a brigadier and his driver, a security official said."

From NPR's Julie McCarthy in Islamabad:

Unidentified gunmen ambushed the brigadier as he drove in an SUV through a sector of Islamabad that had been undisturbed by attacks. Eyewitnesses reported that his assailant opened fire then sped off on a waiting motorcycle. The brigadier is reported to have been on leave from duties with the U.N. in Sudan when he was gunned down by what the army called "an act of terrorism."

That a senior ranking officer could be so vulnerable in the capital has shaken residents. Their alarm deepened when a gunman open fire hours later at a popular market in a residential area full of embassies and foreigners. Analysts have warned of the possibility of more attacks as the military squeezes the militants in the tribal area of South Waziristan. The army acknowledges encountering stiff resistance in its advance on the Taliban's stronghold.

— The Associated Press — Election Preparations Begin In Afghanistan: "Ballots and voting kits are already heading out across Afghanistan ahead of the Nov. 7 presidential runoff. International election monitors called on authorities to avert the widespread fraud that marred the first round of voting in August as the United Nations began delivering voting materials today. Organizing the ballot in a little more than two weeks poses a huge challenge amid a growing Taliban insurgency and ahead of mountainous Afghanistan's winter snows, which begin around the middle of November. Also, scores of election staff accused of misconduct have been fired and new personnel still need to be hired."

— Morning Edition — Management Expert: Pay Restrictions For Bailed-Out Firms Are Appropriate: NPR's John Ydstie reports.

Related article in The Wall Street Journal — Pay Restrictions Mark A "Seismic Shift".

— Charleston Gazette — Woman Recants Story Of Rape And Torture, But Authorities Don't Believe Her: "Megan Williams, who was supposed to take back her story that seven Logan County (W. Va.) residents beat, raped and tortured her (in September, 2007), didn't speak at a press conference at her lawyer's office on Wednesday. Instead, lawyer Byron L. Potts recanted her claims for her. He said Williams told him that the only injuries that weren't self-inflicted were the bruises on her face. ... Authorities don't believe Williams' new claims. They point to the physical evidence and the fact that all seven defendants pleaded guilty and confessed their roles in the incident."