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Taiwan Says China Forming Legal Basis to Attack. Taiwan condemned China #39;s plan to draft an anti-secession law, describing it Saturday as a move to establish a legal basis to attack the self-ruling, democratic island that Beijing claims as a province.

iRiver H10. Finally, the wait is over. After a long wait, iRiver has finally decided to challenge the might of Creative and Apple in the 5 GB portable music player department.

Red Sox reel in Cubs #39; Clement. It was a busy day for Red Sox brass, who also introduced new shortstop Edgar Renteria. By GARRY BROWN. Free agent pitcher Matt Clement apparently will be coming to the Boston Red Sox to plug the last open spot in their starting rotation.

Post-Kyoto climate talks end on a low. UN talks on climate change have ended with few steps forward after the United States, oil producers and developing giants slammed the brakes on the European

Afghan Jailbreak Inmate to Be Questioned. An inmate injured in a deadly Afghan prison shootout will be questioned to determine if he and four comrades, all once suspected of belonging to al-Qaida, were trying to escape or were attempting to attack three American prisoners, the jail warden said

Talks End With No U.S. Climate Deal. A U.N. conference ended early Saturday with a vague plan for informal new talks on how to slow global warming but without a U.S. commitment to multilateral negotiations on next steps, including emissions controls.

German Business Sentiment Rises in Dec.. BERLIN - German business sentiment improved unexpectedly in December after slumping sharply in November over concerns about high oil prices and worries that the strengthening euro could damage exports, a closely watched survey showed Friday.

GE's Transformation Seen Paying Off in 05 (Reuters). Reuters - After three years of playing down\expectations, General Electric Chief Executive Jeff Immelt has\delivered on the most important promise of his tenure by\telling analysts and investors exactly what they wanted to\hear: GE is back.

Texas' Johnson, Benson Go Out With Win (AP). AP - Their final games will be remembered for the plays others made. Still, Texas tailback Cedric Benson and linebacker Derrick Johnson went out the way they wanted to: with a Rose Bowl win.

Wenger Ready To Prove Doubters Wrong. Arsene Wenger has hit back at critics who claim that Arsenal cannot perform against Europe #39; big guns after being drawn against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Surprise! Ratner #39;s team can play to win. It remains to be seen whether the Nets are as good with Vince Carter as they once were with Kenyon Martin, but at least they have made winning a priority again over in the Meadowlands.

Jones gets to give knockout analysis. It won #39;t be the easiest assignment that Roy Jones Jr. will have in his new job as an HBO Sports boxing analyst. But it will probably be one that Jones has the most intimate knowledge about.

Bryant stumbles as Lakers lose to Wizards. LOS ANGELES, (AFP) - Kobe Bryant committed a foot foul from the free throw line with 4.4 seconds left as the Washington Wizards snapped an 11 game road losing streak by beating Los Angeles Lakers 120-116.

Knicks deep-six Philly in OT. Allan Houston was stuck in a corner, surrounded by the opposition and working against the clock. And yet, at the game #39;s most frantic moment, there was something reassuring about

Ivory Coast overturns candidacy rule. Lawmakers approved amending Ivory Coast #39;s constitution Friday to widen the pool of potential presidential candidates, implementing a crucial reform from a French

Thunderbird well worth a test flight. Many people don #39;t pay all that much attention to their e-mail software. After all, it takes a real geek to care about the fine points of one program or another, especially when they all do more or less the same thing.

OSDL Looks Under the Sofa Cushions for Signs of Linux Growth. The Open Source Development Labs has gone into the soothsayer business and - based on research that it had IDC run up - says that the global Linux market will be worth \$35.7 billion in 2008.

Pride left after the fall. Burdened by six consecutive losses, Giants, Eli still can play for some respect vs. daunting Steelers. BY NEIL BEST. When athletes talk about playing for pride, it is a sure sign there is little else to play for in a season gone wrong.

Scant Progress on Post-Kyoto as Climate Talks End (Reuters). Reuters - U.N. talks on climate\change ended early Saturday with few steps forward as the\United States, oil producers and developing giants slammed the\brakes on the European Union's drive for deeper emissions cuts\to stop global warming.

Anything But Microsoft Retail Store Pushes Linux, Open Source (TechWeb). TechWeb - The Linux and open source software movement has an ambitious retail store, and it is offering a low-cost, lightweight laptop that is devoid of Microsoft software.

Microsoft Moves On Spyware To Stymie Firefox (TechWeb). TechWeb - Microsoft bought anti-spyware technology to protect its Internet Explorer browser from surging rivals like Mozilla's Firefox

Probe ordered into apparent Afghan jailbreak attempt (AFP). AFP - The Afghan government has ordered an inquiry into an apparent jailbreak attempt by suspected Al-Qaeda prisoners which left five guards and four inmates dead.

Trail Blazers Snap Warriors' Win Streak (AP). AP - Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 97-88 come-from-behind victory Saturday night over Golden State that snapped the Warriors' four-game winning streak.

Bunker down, Browser Wars #39; are back. For those who have been technology enthusiasts for years, there is a familiar war brewing in the technology industry. Mozilla, an open-source community of developers and testers that was started by Netscape

China plans to enact anti-secession law. China plans to enact an anti-secession law, the government said Friday, in a move apparently aimed at promoting Beijing #39;s campaign to pressure Taiwan into uniting with the mainland.

Indonesian extremists influence Thai Muslims, prime minister says <b>...</b>. Militants behind the ongoing violence in Thailand #39;s Muslim-majority far south have been indoctrinated by extremists in nearby Indonesia, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Saturday.

Bosnian Serb prime minister resigns. The prime minister of the Bosnian Serb-run half of the country resigned Friday, a day after the US government and Bosnia #39;s top international administrator sanctioned

Future climate talks deal agreed. The EU and US reach a compromise after marathon talks over post-Kyoto steps to combat climate change.

#39;Go west, young men #39; bad idea for this bout. With tonight #39;s light heavyweight fight between Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson not bearing the championship sanction of any of boxing #39;s jurisdictions, think of it as the Roy Jones Jr.

Many Counties Failing Fine-Particle Air Rules. About a third of all Americans live in counties that do not meet standards for particles of pollution that cause thousands of premature deaths a year, the E.P.A. said.

Shuttle Loss Proved 'Cathartic,' Departing NASA Leader Says. The loss of the shuttle Columbia was a "cathartic moment" that led to reforming the space agency and pushed the nation to establish a broader space policy, Sean O'Keefe said.

Bush Forms Panel to Coordinate Ocean Policy. In response to a gloomy assessment of the state of the nation's coastal waters, President Bush ordered the creation of a new federal panel to coordinate oceanic policy.

American Express to cut 2,000 jobs in restructuring. American Express has said that it expects to record a pre-tax charge in the fourth quarter of 2004 of approximately \$100 million to \$120 million in connection with various restructuring activities that it is undertaking within certain business units and

Plans for air calls. Air passengers could soon be allowed to use their mobile phones during flights, Sky News reports. Planes are currently one of the few sanctuaries from the modern curse of the mobile ring tone, but America #39;s

Immediate upside for Yankees. If the Randy Johnson deal gets done, the Yankees will have the best rotation in the American League - if it gets done. The Yankees continued discussions yesterday with Arizona and Los Angeles

AUSSIE TRIO FRUSTRATE PAKISTAN. Australia piled on the runs today to set Pakistan an improbable 564 to win the first Test in Perth. The hosts lost Matthew Hayden early in the third day but Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn scored

India in Commanding Position. Bangladesh finally ended Indias first innings in the second Test in Chittagong today - but not before the tourists had amassed a commanding 540.

Postal worker jailed for stealing letters -- 133,000 of them (AFP). AFP - If people in the sleepy northern English town of Kidsgrove ever wondered why their letters went missing, the jailing of postal worker Nicholas Fryer for stealing 133,000 items of mail might have provided an answer.

U.S. Military Wraps Up Philippines Relief (AP). AP - The Philippines thanked the U.S. military on Saturday for its help after storms and typhoons left more than 1,000 people dead and at least 550 missing.

Canada court rules #39;iPod levy #39; illegal. The Canadian Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that special levies applied to the sale of MP3 players, such as the iPod, are illegal.

ReignCom Challenges Apple #39;s iPod. ReignCom, parent company of portable music player maker iRiver, on Thursday unveiled the H10, a hard disc drive embedded multifunctional MP3 player, at the COEX InterContinental Hotel in southern Seoul.

Pfizer #39;s Celebrex, Increased Heart Risk Linked. A woman walks past the Pfizer headquarters in New York. The pharmaceutical giant warned of an increased risk of heart attack for its drug Celebrex.

Lazard files for \$850M IPO. Lazard Ltd., the international investment bank, late Friday, Dec. 17, filed an initial prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an \$850 million IPO.

#39;Googleizing #39; libraries won #39;t replace books. This week Google Inc. down in Mountain View, wading in dough from its stock offering, announced it would use some of the money to put millions of volumes from the country #39;s great libraries online where anybody can use them.

Robinhos Mom Comes Home Safe. The kidnapped mother of Santos starlet Robinho has been returned to her family in good health, allowing the teenage forward to breath a huge sigh of relief.

Toronto trades Carter. The Toronto Raptors traded six-time All-Star Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets for three players, including center Alonzo Mourning, and two first-round draft picks.

DC works to find stadium financing. Advocates for preserving a major league baseball team in Washington, DC, said Friday that their strategy involves trying to convince DC Council chairwoman Linda W. Cropp that the city is committed to attracting private stadium financing on its own without

Eli Manning gets rude welcome. For one moment in his second game as a starting NFL quarterback for the New York Giants, Eli Manning met the expectations created by his last name and his position as the No.

3 Palestinians Said Killed in Gaza Raid. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Dec 18, 2004 - Israeli troops killed three Palestinians Saturday on the second day of an Israeli raid in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza, witnesses and hospital officials said.

Israeli Coalition Deal Expected as Troops Kill at Least 11 <b>...</b>. Israel #39;s ruling Likud bloc and the opposition Labor Party are set to meet Saturday on final details of a national unity government.

Storm Leaves Six Dead in France. Six people died, thousands of homes were blacked out and air traffic delayed as violent storms hit northern France. Tourist hotspots like the Eiffel Tower reopened today after yesterdays hurricane-force

ANTI-SECESSION LAW HIGHLIGHTS BEIJING #39;S SUPPRESSION OF TAIWAN: VP. Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) Mainland China #39;s plan to legislate a so-called anti-secession law will only help the international community to better understand Beijing #39;s ubiquitous suppression of Taiwan, Vice President Annette Lu said Saturday.

Asylum seekers in Japan embassy. Two men, four women and a child scaled a wall and barbed wire to get into the Japanese school at dawn on Friday. Asylum-seekers have been invading foreign missions in China since 2002.

Digitized And Brought To Life. Digital technology is radically changing the 165-year-old photography industry, creating turmoil and excitement as people buy digital cameras at rates far exceeding industry projections. <FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2" color="#666666"><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>

New Computer? Six Steps to Safer Surfing. To see the e-mail I get every day from readers about security issues is to develop a deep discomfort with the state of computing today. Keeping a Windows PC safe can demand a high degree of vigilance. <FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2" color="#666666"><B>-Rob Pegoraro</B></FONT>

Video Files Present A Search Challenge. Indexing Web pages looks like child's play next to indexing video files -- the next big frontier for Internet search engines. But they're giving it a try.

Toys 'R' Us banks on strategy . With one week left until Christmas, customers can still find some of the season's hottest toys, like Dora's Talking House and Bella Dancerella, a ballet kit, at Toys "R" Us Inc. But it's a different story at rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , whose inventory of many of the popular items has been depleted.

Compromise seals climate meeting. A climate conference overcomes last-minute objections to approve a deal on future talks global warning.

Administration cuts job growth forecast. The Bush administration, after being ridiculed by Democrats for an overly optimistic jobs forecast this year, yesterday significantly reduced its forecast for new jobs that will be created in 2005. It slightly boosted its estimate for overall economic growth.

Lazard files long-awaited \$850m IPO plan. Investment bank Lazard filed yesterday for its long-awaited initial public offering, asking to sell up to \$850 million in stock.

MetLife may be sued over Boston unit. MetLife Inc. , the second-largest US life insurer, said the Securities and Exchange Commission may sue the company for improperly recording expenses at its New England Life Insurance Co. unit.

Services held for quake victims. A series of special prayer services are being held across the UK on Sunday for the Asia earthquake victims.

Murdoch Offers Record Amount for Triplex. Description: News mogul Rupert Murdoch pays a record-setting \$44 million for a three-story Fifth Avenue penthouse in Manhattan formerly inhabited by the late Laurance Rockefeller.

No-Fuss Budgets. Some people think a budget means they have to live an austere life. In fact, in an effort to get people to budget, some experts say don't call it a budget at all.

Deal with Red Bull gives Coulthard wings. DAVID COULTHARD will contest the 2005 Formula One season after signing a one-year deal with Red Bull Racing. However, the 33-year-old Scot will have to work for his salary after agreeing a performance-related pay package.

Stokley flourishing with Colts. He was known as the deceptively fast, glue-fingered wide receiver who burned New York Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn for a deep touchdown to ignite the Ravens #39; Super Bowl XXXV rout.

Brazil: Kidnapped footballer #39;s mother freed. Forty-one days after her dramatic abduction, Marina Lima de Souza, the mother of Brazils brightest footballing star, has been freed.

Stocks to Hold Up, But Anxiety Over Drugs (Reuters). Reuters - U.S. stocks should hold firm next week\with little economic data or corporate news on tap to move the\market going into the Christmas holiday, strategists said.

Despite Mega-Deals, Small Mergers Rule (Reuters). Reuters - Despite the euphoria of one of the\busiest weeks in U.S. mergers and acquisitions in almost five\years, Wall Street investment bankers cannot live by mega-deals\alone.

Sabotage Stops Iraq's North Oil Exports (Reuters). Reuters - Saboteurs blew up Iraq's northern\export pipeline for the second week in a row on Saturday,\halting oil flows to Turkey's Ceyhan port, oil officials said.

Full Extent of Indonesia Disaster Slowly Revealed. BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) - A week after being swamped by a massive tsunami, water is only just beginning to drain off parts of Aceh's provincial capital, revealing the full extent of the horrific destruction, and yet more bodies to count.

Tsunami disaster overshadows India's ATP season-opener (AFP). AFP - Generating relief funds for tsunami victims and gearing up for the new season is the players' aim as they prepare for the ATP Chennai Open.

Mortaza enjoys moment to remember. Bangladesh fast bowler Mashrafe bin Mortaza was understandably elated after dismissing Sachin Tendulkar with the first ball of the day in Chittagong.

EU agrees to membership talks with Turkey. HAMISH ROBERTSON: In an historic decision, the leaders of the European Union have agreed to open membership talks with Turkey, after the Turkish Prime Minister pledged to recognise the Greek-Cypriot Government next year.

Bosnia Serb PM Resigns, Rejects Western Pressure. Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic stepped down on Friday, refusing to enact police and army reforms demanded by top peace overseer Paddy Ashdown.

North Korea says US steps up espionage flights. SEOUL, South Korea North Korea says America has increased the number of spy flights over its territory this year. The North says there have had been at least 21-hundred such flights through November.

Russia to hold Yukos auction despite US ruling. MOSCOW - Russia said on Friday it would go ahead with an auction to sell the key asset of embattled oil company Yukos despite a US bankruptcy court decision to block it for several days.

Utah Routs Pittsburgh in Fiesta Bowl. TEMPE, Ariz. (Sports Network) - Alex Smith threw for 328 yards and four touchdowns to lead fifth-ranked Utah to a convincing 35-7 rout of 19th-ranked Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium.

Stocks to Hold Up, But Anxiety Over Drugs. NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks should hold firm next week with little economic data or corporate news on tap to move the market going into the Christmas holiday, strategists said.

Despite Mega-Deals, Small Mergers Rule. Philadelphia (Reuters) - Despite the euphoria of one of the busiest weeks in U.S. mergers and acquisitions in almost five years, Wall Street investment bankers cannot live by mega-deals alone.

Wal-Mart Dec. Sales Still Seen Up 1-3 Pct. CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=WMT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">WMT.N</A> said on Saturday it still expects a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in December sales at its U.S. stores open at least a year as sales of general merchandise and winter items improved in the latest week.

Corporate Cost-Cutters Miss Out. CHICAGO (Reuters) - One of the mantras of global industry in recent years has been keeping inventories lean and mean, but there are increasing signs this cost-cutting strategy is creating strains and causing companies to miss out on sales.

Murdoch will shell out \$44 mil. for Manhattan penthouse. NEW YORK -- Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire CEO of News Corp., has reportedly offered to buy a three-story penthouse for \$44 million, which would be the highest price ever paid for a Manhattan by about \$1.75 million if the deal goes through.

AU Says Sudan Begins Troop Withdrawal from Darfur (Reuters). Reuters - The African Union said on Saturday that\Sudan had started withdrawing troops in Darfur ahead of an\evening deadline to end fighting in the troubled region.

Insurgents Attack Iraq Election Offices (Reuters). Reuters - Insurgents have launched attacks\on election offices in northern Iraq, killing two people and\wounding nine six weeks before Iraqis are due to go to the\polls.

Syria Redeploys Some Security Forces in Lebanon (Reuters). Reuters - Syria, under intense pressure to quit\Lebanon, pulled out its security forces from three key\positions in Beirut and north Lebanon on Saturday and\redeployed them in eastern Lebanon.

Security Scare Closes British Airport (AP). AP - Police arrested a Libyan man and blew up his luggage Saturday in a security scare that closed a small regional airport for about two hours.

Iraqi Judges Start Quizzing Saddam Aides (AP). AP - Iraqi judges on Saturday started interrogating Saddam Hussein's former defense minister and the notorious general known as Chemical Ali, who is accused of gassing thousands of Kurds in the 1980s, the lead judge said.

Musharraf says won't quit as army chief (Reuters). Reuters - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said he will stay on as army chief, reneging on a pledge to quit the powerful post by the end of the year.

Navy to go on PR 'offensive' to repair battered image of submarine program (Canadian Press). Canadian Press - HALIFAX (CP) - They have become the defining images of Canada's fault-filled submarine program.

NBA Wrap: Wade, O'Neal Carry Heat to 7th Straight Win. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dwyane Wade scored 25 points to inspire the Miami Heat to their seventh straight win, a 107-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets Friday.

Barack Obama Gets #36;1.9 Million Book Deal (AP). AP - U.S. Sen.-elect Barack Obama, whose 1995 book jumped onto best seller lists after his keynote address to the Democratic National Convention, has landed a three-book deal worth #36;1.9 million.

Rauffer Beats Favorites to Win Downhill. VAL GARDENA, Italy (Reuters) - Max Rauffer became the first German man in nearly 13 years to win an Alpine ski World Cup race when he beat the favorites in a wind-affected downhill on Saturday.

Iraqis Face Winter Shivering by Candlelight. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - As if the daily struggle to dodge bullets and bombings is not enough, many Iraqis now face a freezing winter shivering by candlelight as persistent attacks keep the power out for more than 12 hours a day.

AU Says Sudan Begins Troop Withdrawal from Darfur. ABUJA (Reuters) - The African Union said on Saturday that Sudan had started withdrawing troops in Darfur ahead of an evening deadline to end fighting in the troubled region.

Syria Redeploys Some Security Forces in Lebanon. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria, under intense pressure to quit Lebanon, pulled out its security forces from three key positions in Beirut and north Lebanon on Saturday and redeployed them in eastern Lebanon.

Pakistan's Musharraf Says Won't Quit as Army Chief. KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said he will stay on as army chief, reneging on a pledge to quit the powerful post by the end of the year.

Renteria signing a top-shelf deal. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein acknowledged Edgar Renteria was more a luxury for the 2005 Red Sox than a necessity. But there's nothing wrong with getting the keys to a BMW, and that's what the four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover is in the eyes of the Red Sox.

Saban not going to Dolphins yet. The Miami Dolphins will put their courtship of LSU coach Nick Saban on hold to comply with the NFL's hiring policy by interviewing at least one minority candidate, a team source told The Associated Press last night.

Nets get Carter from Raptors. INDIANAPOLIS -- All-Star Vince Carter was traded by the Toronto Raptors to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, and a pair of first-round draft picks yesterday.