The internet’s key ruling body today agreed to allow potentially thousands of new domain names to be used instead of “.com” in the first sweeping changes in its 25-year history.

Within minutes of the Virginia Tech shooting massacre, online domain names related to the tragedy were snapped up by people hoping to sell them off for a profit or use them to link to advertisers.

Hackers overwhelmed at least three of the 13 computers that help manage global computer traffic, in one of the most significant attacks against the internet since 2002.

Negotiators from more than 100 countries have agreed to leave the United States in charge of the Internet’s addressing system, averting a US-EU showdown at this week’s UN technology summit.

The president of the Internet’s oversight body has recommended a major restructuring, saying the goal of leaving the web in private hands has proven unworkable.

A 15-year-old Singaporean girl says she will not surrender the rights to her Harry Potter internet site despite the threat of legal action.