PHP problem with including files to connect to my (vB) database in a different dir...

[KuraFire]

http://64.119.172.89/index.php
(domain pointer isn't active yet)

What that file starts out with (source code):

PHP Code:

<?
require('/home2/kurafire/public_html/thecouch/global.php');
require('/home2/kurafire/public_html/thecouch/admin/config.php');
?>

In the directory "thecouch" (http://64.119.172.89/thecouch/) I have my vBulletin installed. Now, I want to connect to my board's database, to extract the news, latest replies to threads (headlines) and the 10 last tutorial threads (threads made in forum 39). The extracting of all the data isn't implemented yet, because I'm having enough problems as it is trying to get the thing to show up without that already!

If you check the attached file (rename it to .php if you want, I just had to change its extension for attaching it)

Attached file: index.php
Only the first four lines of that file are actually PHP, and one more somewhere down at 80% or so, which is this line:

PHP Code:

            <? require("news_inc.php"); ?>

http://64.119.172.89/blankindex.htm

This is what it is SUPPOSED to look like (but then the "Start content here" will be replaced by scripts extracting data from the database, of course)

Anyone know how to fix this problem??

(PS. I asked this here on vb.org instead of .com because the front page of vb.org seems to use this exact same thing, more or less, so... )