Microsoft Fixes 'Critical' XP Firewall Issue Fix prevents users from sharing their files and printers with the entire Internet.


Symantec Will Buy Veritas Deal will merge antivirus vendor with maker of backup and archiving software.


Technology SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Retailers expected Apple Computer Inc. #39;s iPod music player to be a hot item this holiday season but are still struggling to keep up with demand.


Russia to Hold YUKOS Auction (Reuters) Reuters - Russia said on Friday it would go ahead\with an auction to sell the key asset of embattled oil company\YUKOS  despite a U.S. bankruptcy court decision to\block it for several days.


Gazpromneft Will Not Pull Out of Auction (AP) AP - The oil wing of Russia's state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom does not intend to pull out of this weekend's auction of the main production unit of the embattled Yukos oil company, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported Friday.


Wenger puts ticking-off behind him Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has pledged to put his Football Association misconduct charge behind him and keep his side #39;s title challenge on track at Portsmouth on Sunday.


Feeling jilted, DC? We #39;ve been there, done that One minute, you feel as if you have won the lottery. The next, the bully down the street swiped your ticket. You have been conned, swindled, taken.


Montana keeps tradition going despite youth No players are pictured on the front or back covers of the Montana football media guide. Displayed instead are images of the two NCAA championship trophies the Grizzlies have won


AP: Colombia Troops Being Sought for Iraq (AP) AP - Recruiters working for U.S. contractors are hiring former Colombian soldiers  #151; and luring away active-duty ones  #151; for security jobs in Iraq, according to a former army officer who met with the recruiters.


Turkey Agonizes on Cyprus as Last EU Hurdle Turkey agonized over pressure to recognize Cyprus in the last hurdle to an historic agreement as EU leaders held a crucial summit on Thursday on opening membership talks with Ankara.


Hunters pursue killer great white stalking Australian death beach (AFP) AFP - A great white shark that killed a teenage surfer off the South Australian capital Adelaide will be hunted down and destroyed after it returned to stalk the city's beaches, authorities said.


Australian Party Leader to Join Hunger Strike (Reuters) Reuters - The leader of a small Australian\political party will begin a hunger strike on Saturday in\support of about 20 Iranian asylum seekers held at a rural\immigration detention center who have refused food for almost\two weeks.


Ask Jeeves Launches Desktop Search Ask Jeeves has launched a beta desktop search application, capping off a very busy year in the desktop search space.


States #39; Pocketbooks Are Fuller, but Health Costs Stall Recovery The fiscal condition of the states improved this year, but soaring health costs have made it difficult for them to recover from the worst fiscal crisis in six decades, the National Governors Association said Thursday.


.mobi domain approved ICANN, the body that oversees the core functionality of the Internet and is responsible for regulating top level domains or TLDs (such as .


Pistons stop James and Cavaliers Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. AUBURN HILLS, Michigan, United States of America -- National Basketball Association champions Detroit held LeBron


Greg Paulus named Gatorade National Player of the Year Despite heading to Duke to play basketball, Greg Paulus of Christian Brothers Academy is the 2004 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.


Website audiotape believed bin Laden CAIRO, EGYPT -- A man identified as Osama bin Laden, speaking on an audiotape posted on an Islamic website yesterday, praised the men who attacked a US consulate in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, earlier this month and called on militants to stop the flow of oil to


Australians vow to destroy  #39;killer shark #39; Sydney - Australian police and wildlife officers were ordered on Friday to destroy a large shark which killed a teenage surfer in a savage attack as his horrified schoolfriends looked on.


Russia to Hold YUKOS Auction  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday it would go ahead  with an auction to sell the key asset of embattled oil company  YUKOS despite a U.S. bankruptcy court decision to block it for  several days.


Historic buildings to be sold Boston Wharf offered \$97m Boston Wharf Co. today is set to sell about half of its remaining portfolio of historic brick buildings in the Fort Point Channel area to Berkeley Investments Inc. for \$97 million, Berkeley executives said yesterday.


Boston sampler Citizens Energy boss Joe Kennedy, like his famous uncle Ted, opposes the huge wind farm proposal in Nantucket Sound, his backyard. But the "Call Joe-4-Oil" Kennedy is working hard to also become "Joe-4-Wind" elsewhere.


IPod demand white-hot  Many holiday shoppers are struggling to find one of the most explosively popular gifts in years: Apple's iPod digital music player that stores 5,000 songs in a device no bigger than a deck of cards.


Gillette hopes to create a buzz with vibrating women's razor Gillette Co. yesterday unveiled its newest razor -- one that promises to make a buzz in women's shaving.


Symantec to acquire Veritas  Computer security giant Symantec Corp. is buying storage and backup program specialist Veritas Software Corp. to create the world's fourth-largest software maker, marking the latest merger in an industry trend that's expected to compress the competition to a few juggernauts.


Board rules options be counted as expenses The nation's accounting rule maker decided yesterday that companies will have to begin deducting the value of stock options from their profits next year, reining in a cheap way to compensate workers that had been abused by executives and clouded earnings.


US deficit widens to \$164.7 billion The deficit in the broadest measure of trade climbed to a record high of \$164.7 billion in the third quarter of this year, reflecting Americans' hardy demand for imported oil and foreign-made goods.


Banknorth-TD Bank merger gets backing Banknorth Group's largest shareholder, Private Capital Management, said it plans to vote in favor of the merger with Canada's TD Bank Financial Group after expressing reservations several months ago. The change increases the likelihood the merger will go through. Several of Banknorth's major shareholders had reservations because of the deal's structure. TD plans to acquire a majority stake in the ...


Ex-Pennichuck CEO settles In an unusual settlement to a lengthy investigation of the former chief executive of one of New Hampshire's largest utilities, state and federal regulators yesterday said Pennichuck Corp. will make a special payment of \$280,000 to its shareholders.


The Dollar Extends Gains  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar extended gains on Friday after  a positive batch of U.S. economic data prompted speculators to  buy the currency before trade trickles down during the year-end  holiday season.


Harvard cardiologist a key player in Guidant deal Beverly H. Lorell took a leave from her academic job last year to become chief medical and technology officer for Guidant Corp. The post puts her at the center


Board rules options be counted as expenses The nation #39;s accounting rule maker decided yesterday that companies will have to begin deducting the value of stock options from their profits next year, reining


Braves sign Smoltz to 2-year deal CBC SPORTS ONLINE - John Smoltz will open Spring Training 2005 in the Atlanta Braves #39; rotation and armed with a new contract. General manager John Schuerholz spent a busy Thursday coming to terms on a two-year pact with his former closer.


NBA: LA Lakers 115, Sacramento 99 Kobe Bryant made all six of his field-goal attempts in a big third quarter Thursday night as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past Sacramento, 115-99.


Dravid, Gambhir blast Bangladeshi bowlers Gautam Gambhir scored a half century in his second consecutive innings after India suffered an early setback on the first day of the second and final cricket Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong today.


Stanford stops Huskies LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The University of Washington #39;s magical volleyball season unraveled long before it ended with Oganna Nnamani #39;s strong, graceful swing slamming a ball to the floor to give Stanford the


SADDAM MEETS HIS LAWYER December 17, 2004 -- AMMAN, Jordan - Saddam Hussein met yesterday with a defense lawyer for the first time since his capture a year ago, said the chief of the tyrant #39;s legal team.


Eurotunel plans to reduce its freight shuttle service (AFP) AFP - Eurotunnel, the French-British group that operates rail traffic under the Channel linking France and Britain, plans to reduce its freight shuttle service by 15 percent from January 1, the company said in a statement.


Growth was key to J amp;J, Guidant deal Guidant Corp. #39;s 10-year run as one of Indiana #39;s most successful public companies will end with a \$25 billion sale to health products giant Johnson  amp; Johnson.


Time Warner pays \$510m to settle fraud probe Time Warner said yesterday that it had agreed to pay the US government \$510 million (R3 billion) to resolve criminal and civil charges that its America


Fannie Mae whistle-blower feels vindicated by SEC decision Roger Barnes, a former Fannie Mae accounting manager, leaped onto the national stage this fall when he accused the mortgage-finance giant of cooking its books


AirAsia ordering 40 Airbus planes Airbus won an order to sell 40 planes to AirAsia, Southeast Asia #39;s largest discount airline, beating out Boeing. The Kuala Lumpur-based airline said in a statement to the Malaysian stock


ATA sees Southwest as a savior ATA Airlines founder J. George Mikelsons was driving to Chicago from Indianapolis when the life-saving phone call came through for his troubled airline.


Omni BioTech to pay penalty and halt sales The state has effectively shut down a Marysville-based company that allegedly misled consumers about the effectiveness of breast-enlargement, weight-loss and sexual-dysfunction products it marketed through Web sites.


Five Killed in Al Qaeda Jailbreak in Kabul (Reuters) Reuters - Three Afghan prison guards and two\prisoners were killed in a jail break attempt by al Qaeda\inmates Friday and a shoot-out was going on between police and\another two, the chief of Kabul's Pul-i-Charki prison told\Reuters.


Noble taps Patina Oil Houston-based Noble Energy Inc. agreed Thursday to acquire Denver #39;s Patina Oil  amp; Gas in a deal that highlights the Rocky Mountains #39; stature as an energy center even as Denver loses another headquarters.


AOL Settlement Includes Tight Controls (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - America Online Inc.'s settlement with the Justice Department imposes a strict new set of controls on the company, including requirements that the Internet giant hire a corporate monitor and disclose serious wrongdoing discovered internally to the government.


European Shares Little Changed (Reuters) Reuters - European shares were little changed at\29-month highs on Friday, with Germany's Ifo survey expected to\be an early focus.


Making Widener Digital Harvard is one of a handful of institutions in a joint venture with Google that could be the biggest development to hit the library since the card catalog went digital.


Discovery of water on Mars tops scientific achievements of the <b>...</b> The discovery of water on Mars was the scientific breakthrough of 2004, according to one of the world #39;s leading science journals.


HP Closes Chip Unit; Designers Move To Intel HP today announced a complete overhaul of its server strategy, with plans to terminate its involvement in the co-production of Itanium processors with Intel.


New Zafi-D Worm on the Prowl, Alerts MicroWorld MicroWorld Software has cautioned Internet users about a new malicious worm known as the W32/Zafi-D. According to the antivirus and content security software provider, W32/Zafi-D behaves in a typical worm manner.


Peter Berg to Direct Splinter Cell Paramount has acquired film rights to Tom Clancy #39;s video game Splinter Cell and hired Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) to direct.


Pistons pound Cavaliers (12/17/04)-- The Detroit Pistons must have learned something after allowing LeBron James to score a career-high 43 points in their last game against Cleveland.


#39;Big #39; blockbuster has big obstacles Several obstacles remained in the way of a blockbuster trade being discussed Thursday night, a three-team mega-deal that would reportedly send Arizona ace Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees and would also include fellow All-Stars Shawn Green and Javier


Officials working behind the scenes Mayor Anthony A. Williams isn #39;t giving up on Major League Baseball in Washington, saying Thursday that District of Columbia officials are working hard behind the scenes to get an acceptable deal done by the Dec.


Bulls 96, Grizzlies 88 MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Eddy Curry scored 20 points, and Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon each added 15 points to lead Chicago past Memphis. Chicago won for the only the second time on the road this season and Memphis


Aussie wins title by KO HOLLYWOOD  There were plenty of fireworks in and out of the ring Thursday night when Aussie Vic Darchinyan knocked out Colombian Irene Pacheco in a battle of unbeaten left-handers for the International Boxing Federation flyweight title.


Huskies #39; season over after 3-1 loss to Stanford LONG BEACH, Calif. - Washington #39;s first visit to the NCAA volleyball Final Four turned out to be a short one. The magic carpet ride that had included the school #39;s first Pac-10 title and a No.


Lakers jump Kings; two in row for Bulls roundup SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- When the Lakers were dismantled last summer, the Sacramento Kings thought their biggest rivalry was finished.


QB ROUNDUP: Cowboys return Henson to 3rd-string IRVING, Texas -- Drew Henson lasted just two quarters as the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Three weeks later, he #39;s not even their top backup.


Experts think bin Laden tape authentic (12/17/04)-- A newly released audio recording sounds like Osama bin Laden, and the intelligence community has  quot;high confidence quot; that it is.


White House Takes Cool Stance Toward Annan (AP) AP - The Bush administration, cool to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as he copes with calls for his resignation, has a track record of trying to oust heads of U.N. agencies.


Lawyers Call on U.N. to Shield Whistle-Blowers (Reuters) Reuters - Two lawyers for U.N.\whistle-blowers urged the United Nations on Wednesday to\protect staffers who want to disclose corruption at the world\body, including the oil-for-food program for Iraq.


Tennis Player Draper to Join Australian Golf Tour  MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian tennis player Scott Draper  qualified Friday for Australia's secondary golf tour and said  he planned to play both sports next year.


Report: Yankees to sign Johnson The Red Sox were already braced for the likelihood that Randy Johnson would wind up in pinstripes, a coup the Yankees were on the verge of pulling off last night in a three-team deal with the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, according to a report in Newsday.


He'll let the words speak for themselves So now we know the reasons why he left. And more. Pedro Martinez was hurt the Red Sox didn't act more quickly in their efforts to sign him. He didn't like the Sox sending more than one person to the Dominican Republic to negotiate. He doesn't like Curt Schilling. He doesn't need the money because he's been a millionaire since ...


Rising star His hair is Manny-style, and his bedroom here is a shrine to the Red Sox left fielder, who gave him bats, spikes, a No. 24 wristband, and hugs.


Tranghese offers new BCS plan Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese is pushing a plan to change the way teams are selected for the Bowl Championship Series and make the process, which has been marked by controversy since its inception in 1998, more in line with the way the NCAA picks teams for its basketball tournament.


Millar will not play second fiddle at first Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar , making an appearance at Modell's Sporting Goods at the Westgate Mall yesterday, said he told general manager Theo Epstein there isn't room for both him and Doug Mientkiewicz at first base.


Announcers cross-checked by NHL lockout Someday, after the NHL lockout ends, there will be stories to tell about how this hockey hiatus changed the direction of people's careers. Because things will never be the same.


Sigalet public about illness At first glance, the question of whether the Bruins should sign 2001 draft pick Jordan Sigalet at the end of his senior season seems to be a no-brainer.


Read all about it, Rebels tough When a newspaper dubbed Walpole little more than a speed bump for Oliver Ames in the Division 2 state tournament last season, there was no one giddier to read that than Walpole coach Stacy Bilodeau.


Bumpy road ahead for Andover When Ashley McLaughlin's 3-pointer skipped off the rim, concluding last year's MIAA Division 1 state championship game, gone were Andover's chances at back-to-back titles. Gone, too, are more than half the players.


Sandwich gymnasts off to fast start In its first meet in the program's history, the Sandwich girls' gymnastics team proved to be quick learners, defeating Carver, 130 3/4-105.


Report published on Gaul's fate The 30-year mystery of how a Hull trawler sank off Norway may be solved when a new report is published.


This weekend on TV, radio TODAY PRO BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. -- Celtics vs. Utah at the FleetCenter, FSN, WWZN (1510) 8 p.m. -- Denver at Miami, ESPN 10:30 p.m. -- Phoenix at Seattle, ESPN BOXING 11 p.m. -- Ebo Elder vs. Courtney Burton (lightweights) at Santa Ynez, Calif., SHO COLLEGE FOOTBALL 8 p.m. -- Division 1-AA championship: James Madison vs. Montana at Chattanooga, Tenn., ESPN2 ...


Pistons burn Cavaliers Richard Hamilton scored 21 points and the Detroit Pistons held the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 6-point third quarter and almost held LeBron James scoreless in the second half in an 81-69 win last night in Auburn Hills, Mich.


Today's schedule College basketball: Men -- Hofstra at Dartmouth, 7 p.m. Pro basketball: Utah vs. Celtics at the FleetCenter, 7:30 p.m.


Transactions BASEBALL Anaheim (AL): Added INF Kendry Morales to 40-man roster; designated P Bobby Jenks for assignment. Atlanta (NL): Signed P John Smoltz to a two-year contract. Boston (AL): Named Jason McLeod director of amateur scouting, Amiel Sawdaye assistant scouting director, Dave Finley national crosschecker, Mike Rikard East Coast crosschecker, Fred Peterson West Coast crosschecker, and Jon Lukens and Danny Watkins ...


A passing reference Patriots coach Bill Belichick wanted to get one thing straight about the Miami Dolphins. As woeful as their offense has been in this 2-11 season, Miami's defense has been an entirely different matter.


Big East makes a stand to keep its bid secure Give the Big East credit for survival tactics, if nothing else. In what must be considered a major victory, the Big East has convinced its Bowl Championship Series partners to count incoming members Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida in this year's BCS standings and exclude outgoing members Boston College and Temple.


Vinatieri not kicking himself The last time Adam Vinatieri faced the Miami Dolphins, in a 24-10 victory Oct. 10 at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots kicker missed a 47-yard attempt wide right to end a string of seven consecutive successful field goal tries.


Voice, Said to Be bin Laden's, Criticizes Saudis A recording broadcast Thursday accuses the ruling dynasty in Osama bin Laden's Saudi homeland of being the "agents of infidels."


Lott Criticizes Rumsfeld The former Senate majority leader joined a growing chorus of Republicans criticizing the Pentagon chief's failure to call for more troops in Iraq and to properly equip troops.


Iceland Offers Asylum to Jailed Fischer Iceland has agreed to offer asylum to Bobby Fischer, the former chess champion who is being held in a Japanese jail while fighting extradition to the United States.


Turkey Pressed to Move on Cyprus for EU Deal  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union spelled out tough  conditions Friday for Turkey to start membership talks next  October ahead of final bargaining with the Turkish prime  minister at a landmark summit.


eBay buys Rent.com Internet auction firm eBay agrees to buy Rent.com for \$415m (214m), giving it access to more of the online property market.


RUSSIA * US * YUKOS * LAWSUIT * YUGANSK * AUCTION MOSCOW, December 17 (RIA Novosti) - Yesterday, a Houston court started hearing Yukos #39;s petition for bankruptcy. The company filed the petition to contest the December 19 auction of a 77 stake in its main


London higher as Bunzl confirms targets Londons main equity market opened in positive territory on Friday on a quiet day for corporate newsflow. On the senior index, gains from Bunzl, which confirmed it expected full-year results


U2 iPods now in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR: If youre still undecided on that long-contemplated iPod purchase, Apple Malaysia is hoping that its latest iterations - the iPod Photo and iPod U2 Special Edition -ill help you make up your mind.


Pistons hold LeBron to 11 When LeBron James shot two airballs on a single possession in the first quarter, it was a sign of things to come. Richard Hamilton scored 21 and the Pistons almost held


Three-way deal close Randy Johnson was on the verge of joining the New York Yankees in a three-team, megadeal that also includes Shawn Green and Javier Vazquez, the Associated Press reported on Thursday night.


Notebook: Overrated? Urlacher aggravated by article The Bears added sportswriter Dennis Dillon to their 2005 training-camp roster yesterday. Brian Urlacher confirmed the transaction.


Key to the deal was respect When bouncing back and forth between offers from the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets, Pedro Martinezs decision to come the Big Apple over


Bulls book first back-to-back victories Kirk Hinrich and the Bulls are starting to play in a relaxed fashion, and it #39;s resulting in victories. Kirk Hinrich scored nine of his 28 points in a 15-0 run, and the Chicago Bulls beat the


Hope and risk in Middle East The recent rhetoric from the Middle East - hopeful and constructive from both sides of the divide - provides a glimmer of hope that Palestinians and Israelis may agree on new and peaceful borders in the coming new year.


Violence greets Iraq poll campaign, Saddam meets lawyer, hostage <b>...</b> BAGHDAD (AFP) - An Italian hostage was reported killed in Iraq, adding to the violence as campaigning started for the first post-Saddam Hussein elections, while for the first time since his capture a year ago the ousted president met his family-appointed


Drilling update hits Cairn shares Shares in UK oil company Cairn sink 20 after a disappointing drilling update and worries over possible tax demands.


HCA to let employees cash in stock options faster Hospital chain HCA said yesterday it will allow employees and its executives to cash in certain stock options earlier than was originally scheduled, a move that could be a financial plus for


ATA OKs \$117 million Southwest deal INDIANAPOLIS - ATA Airlines has accepted a \$117 million offer from Southwest Airlines that would forge close ties between two of the largest US discount carriers.


Vinatieri's Field-Goal Streak Reaches 21 (AP) AP - The only way to stop Adam Vinatieri from making field goals might be to keep him from kicking them.


Microsoft makes Net security move by acquiring Giant In a move to quell rising consumer frustrations, Microsoft on Thursday announced it has acquired Giant Company Software, maker of well-reviewed but little-used anti-spyware software, for an undisclosed sum.


Governor keeps dirty video games away from minors Gov. Rod Blagojevich has taken an aggressive stand on exposure of Illinoiss minors to violent and sexually explicit video games, by proposing a ban on the sale of the video games.


Turkey  #39;disappointed #39; by EU talks Turkey has said it is  quot;disappointed quot; at the conditions set out by the EU for opening accession talks. EU leaders have offered to begin membership talks with Turkey next year, with 3 October given as a start date.


North Korea under the spotlight It #39;s the latest in a series of defections and attempted defections from the communist country. Seven people, believed to be North Korean refugees, have entered a Japanese school in Beijing.


Five Killed in Al Qaeda Jailbreak in Kabul  KABUL (Reuters) - Three Afghan prison guards and two  prisoners were killed in a jail break attempt by al Qaeda  inmates on Friday and a shoot-out was going on with another  two, the chief of Kabul's Pul-i-Charki prison told Reuters.


S amp;P may raise Veritas Software ratings Standard  amp; Poor #39;s Ratings Services said on Thursday it may boost the ratings of Veritas Software Corp. after the firm announced a merger with Symantec Corp.


Dutch candour Rijkman Groenink has learnt the hard way. The ABN Amro chief executive admits frankly that his  quot;inexperience as a leader quot; lay behind over-ambition and mistakes when he took over at the Dutch bank 4years ago.


Some bank credits included on Parmalat list An Italian judge has included some of Parmalat #39;s debts owed to banks on an official list of creditors but excluded some others, court documents showed on Friday.


HP hands Itanium to Intel HP has ended its development of the Itanium chip and handed the work back to Intel. The chip giant has taken over HP #39;s 300-strong Itanium development team, based in Colorado, in a move that brings to an end


Open Source Software Licensing and the Law to be Featured at <b>...</b> The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a global consortium dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux in the enterprise, today announced the creation of a Open Source Software Licensing  amp; Legal education track at its upcoming Enterprise Linux


Splinter Cell Chaos Theory sneaks onto the Web Ubisoft has launched the official Web site for its upcoming third-person stealth title, Tom Clancy #39;s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory.


McLeish guilty of unsettling tried formula Twenty-four hours on, Rangers #39; removal from the UEFA Cup seemed no less of an embarrassment at Ibrox. The 2-0 defeat to Auxerre on Wednesday night revealed a multitude of failings, and not all of them were


Fans are thinking spring after Mets #39; coup de grass The ink is barely dry on the four-year, \$53 million contract that lured star pitcher Pedro Martinez to the Mets and excited fans of the woebegone franchise are wishing the frigid December


Buckeyes Step it Up Against Red Raiders and Knight Ohio State (7-2) handled Texas Tech #39;s (5-2) pressure defense and overcame anemic foul shooting to hang on for their first road win of the season, 77-71 over the Red Raiders.


Sharon Optimistic About Peace Prospects While Violence Continues <b>...</b> Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has sounded a note of optimism about peace prospects in the coming year provided Palestinians stop violence against Israel.


Myanmar junta putting Aung San Suu Kyi #39;s health at risk: Oppn Myanmar #39;s Opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party accused the military regime of endangering party leader Aung San Suu Kyi #39;s life by restricting her access to a doctor and non-junta security.


Fischer wants to go to Iceland TOKYO - Former world chess champion Bobby Fischer, who is currently being detained in Japan over a passport dispute, wants to live in Iceland, his lawyer told a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.


Cairn plunges after drilling disappointment Shares in Cairn Energy plummeted 20 per cent on Friday after the oil explorer announced it had failed to strike oil in a new field in the Indian state of Rajasthan.


Companies must expense stock options, standards board says ACCOUNTING:The new rules, which can be struck down by Congress, will force companies to subtract the option expense from earnings.


Update 4: Tokyo Stocks Rebound on Bargain Hunting Tokyo stocks rebounded Friday on bargain-hunting in select blue chips, real estate and banking issues. The US dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.


Time to Dump IE? Internet Explorer is a hacker #39;s dream. Can you (and should you) drop it right now? Internet Explorer is the Swiss Cheese of softwareit #39;s full of holes.


Tanks closing in on Unit Finally, Randy Johnson is close to becoming a Yankee. The Yankees yesterday reached agreement on the players in a three-team blockbuster that would land the coveted lefthander, Newsday learned last night.


Akhtar faces misconduct charge Shoaib Akhtar has been charged with level one misconduct for pointing Matthew Hayden towards the dressing room when he trapped him lbw in the first Test at the WACA yesterday.


Kingsway grad dealt to Oakland by Braves Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane must like former Kingsway Regional High School left-hander Dan Meyer an awful lot. The highly-regarded GM traded ace right-hander and two-time American


Surfer  #39;torn to pieces #39; by shark Authorities in Sydney said today they would kill the shark that tore apart a young surfer near a popular beach as his friends desperately tried to save him by beating the animal with oars.


Rebels to meet Mbeki again Johannesburg - Ivory Coast rebels were on Friday due to hold a second day of talks with South African leader and mediator Thabo Mbeki on their proposals for a new peace plan after a very encouraging start, according to Pretoria.


Ukraine Contenders to Visit Same City (AP) AP - Ukraine's two presidential contenders scheduled campaign trips to the same eastern city on Friday, raising fears of more tension ahead of the Dec. 26 repeat of their fraud-marred runoff. Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko hinted his rival was trying to disrupt the vote.


Indian state-run gas giant eyes 10 percent stake in China Gas (AFP) AFP - India's state-run Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) said it is considering buying a 10 percent stake in China Gas Holdings Ltd, which has sole rights to distribute gas in 42 Chinese cities.


J amp;J biggest acquisition in its history will reshape the medical <b>...</b> Johnson  amp; Johnson has made a deal to buy Guidant Corp. a producer of medical equipment for patients with heart and circulatory illnesses, for \$24 billion in stock and cash.


Moto Touts PTT Upgrade SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT - message board) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Nextel Communications Inc.


TPV buys Philips PC monitor business LONDON, December 17 (newratings.com) - Dutch electronics company Royal Philips Electronics NV (PHI1.ETR) announced yesterday that it has entered into an agreement to sell its PC monitor and flat TV businesses to Taiwans TPV Technology Ltd for \$358


Silicon Valley loses fight on stock options Silicon Valley lost a decisive round in a long and hard-fought battle Thursday when the organization that sets corporate accounting standards served notice that companies would have to deduct the value of stock options when calculating profits.


EBay to Pay \$415 Mln for Rent.com Ebay Inc. (EBAY.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday it would buy Rent.com, an Internet housing rental listing service, for \$415 million in a deal that gives it access to a new segment of the online real estate market.


Canada #39;s Inflation Rate Unexpectedly Picks Up to 2.4 (Update1) Canada #39;s inflation rate unexpectedly accelerated in November to a 2.4 percent rate, reflecting a jump in prices for new cars, gasoline and houses from a year earlier.


Euro firms on upbeat IFO report The euro edged higher in European morning trade on Friday as Germanys influential IFO survey beat expectations. The index of business sentiment rose to 96.2 in December, the highest


Indian tax dispute send Cairn shares lower Shares in Britain #39;s Cairn Energy, which have soared on a series of oil discoveries in India, plunged by one-fifth on Friday on worries about a tax dispute with the Indian government and a lack of new finds.


Murdoch #39;s \$44M New York pad? Report: News Corp. chief agrees to buy a Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment for a record price. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of media giant News Corp.


Zafi.D virus - A  quot;Merry Christmas quot; email Santa didn #39;t send! The latest email virus  quot;Zafi.D virus quot; is certain to bring sadness and not joy to many surfers over the next few days/weeks.


Motorola Apple iPod phone imminent? Apple and Motorola  quot;could soon show us quot; their co-developed solution. A report on Forbes cites Apple vice president of applications


Microsoft buys spy-fight firm MICROSOFT has moved to shore up its defences by acquiring a small anti-spyware company that makes security products to detect and remove unwanted software from Windows-based computers.


Task force should clear shuttle for launch NASA appears on track to return the space shuttle to flight in May or June 2005 as planned, says an influential oversight panel. The independent task force - set up to oversee NASA #39;s efforts following the


HP  amp; Intel end Itanium chip alliance 17 December 2004 Computer giant Hewlett-Packard and processor maker Intel have ended their costly 10 year partnership to develop Itanium chips for server computers, following lacklustre sales.


Gov bets video game ban can survive courts With five youngsters in the house, state Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago) already uses a blocking mechanism on his television to protect little eyes and ears from inappropriate material.


Tantalizing clues in pictures of Saturn #39;s moons com December 17, 2004, 4:51 AM PT. Titan and Dione, two of the moons orbiting Saturn, apparently aren #39;t exactly what researchers had previously believed.


Adobe patches Acrobat, Reader flaws Adobe Repairs Reader, Acrobat Flaws <nobr>Information Week</nobr>


Critical hole found in Windows XP SP2 firewall A critical hole in Windows XP firewall in Service Pack 2 makes computers accessible to anyone on the network. The configuration problem only affects dial-up users: some dialling software mistakes the entire


Linux goes mainstream Sales of the open source operating system Linux will reach \$35 billion by 2008, according to analysts at IDC, with \$10 billion of that accounted for in desktops.


Cisco to open R amp;D centre in Japan Cisco will open a Tokyo-based research and development centre focusing on internet software and routing technologies in February 2005.


ZigBee low-power wireless standard ratified The ZigBee Alliance, an industry standards group dedicated to promoting low-power wireless networks, ratified the first ZigBee specification this week.


Intel expands core concept for chips com December 17, 2004, 4:00 AM PT. Intel plans to come out with chips containing two processing cores next year, but that #39;s just the start.


Kasprowicz makes tourists pay Australia are in firm control of the first Test with Pakistan after bowling the tourists out for 179 on the second day in Perth. Michael Kasprowicz took five wickets to give Australia a lead of 202 after the


High-Flying Germany look ahead to South Korea test BUSAN - A VfB Stuttgart quartet arrived in Busan on Friday to further strengthen a confident German national team ahead of their friendly with South Korea.


India in command Chittagong, Bangladesh - Opener Gautam Gambhir slammed his maiden Test century and Rahul Dravid notched his 18th hundred to put India in command Friday on the opening day of the second cricket Test against Bangladesh.


Stanford wins, Minnesota upends champion USC in volleyball semis Led by All-American Ogonna Nnamani, the Stanford women #39;s volleyball team defeated Washington 3-1 in the NCAA semifinals at Long Beach Arena last night.


James struggles as Cavaliers fall apart Kirk Hinrich and the Bulls are starting to play in a relaxed fashion, and it #39;s resulting in victories. Kirk Hinrich scored nine of his 28 points in a 15-0 run, and the


UK terror suspect detention law overruled ISN SECURITY WATCH (17/12/04) - Britains House of Lords ruled yesterday that the indefinite detention of foreign terrorism suspects was incompatible with the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), in a decision Human


3 Palestinians killed in Israeli incursion At least three Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli army who invaded the southern Gazatown of Khan Younis at dawn on Friday, medical sources said.


Colombia hunts for Irish  #39;terror #39; trio Colombian police have launched an international search for three Irishmen who were convicted of training Marxist rebels in the South American country, it was reported today.


SURFER TORN IN TWO BY GREAT WHITE TWO Great White sharks ripped a schoolboy surfer in two off a packed beach yesterday. Nick Peterson, 18, was being towed on his surfboard behind his grandmother #39;s dinghy when a shark began attacking the boat.


Japan and US agree to co-operate in missile defence programs Japan and the United States on Friday agreed to boost co-operation in their missile defence programs - an important first step in carrying out new defence guidelines that ease Tokyo #39;s strict postwar pacifism.


ANALYSIS-Saudi thwarts protests but reformists demand change Saudi rulers may have breathed a sigh of relief when protests calling for change were thwarted this week but reformists, scholars and even royal family members say the challenge will not go away.


Saddam Hussein finally talks to his lawyer Former dictator, who remains in an undisclosed detention center, was described as being in good spirits and health. Rush to start trial splits cabinet.


Circuit City Quarterly Loss Narrows (Reuters) Reuters - Circuit City Stores Inc.  on\Friday reported a narrower quarterly loss from continuing\operations as sales of higher-margin warranties and improved\distribution helped offset weak merchandise sales.


Court Seen Lifting YUKOS Block -- Lawyers (Reuters) Reuters - A U.S. bankruptcy court is likely to\revoke its temporary ban on the sale of Russian oil group\YUKOS's main production unit, lawyers said on Friday.


Circuit City Quarterly Loss Narrows  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Circuit City Stores Inc. CC.N on  Friday reported a narrower quarterly loss from continuing  operations as sales of higher-margin warranties and improved  distribution helped offset weak merchandise sales.


Stocks Set for Flat Start, Data Awaited  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat  open on Friday, with investors awaiting November inflation  numbers due before the opening bell and oil prices hovering  around a two-week high.


The Dollar Loses Ground  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar lost ground on Friday after a  stronger than expected German business sentiment survey boosted  the euro, but thin pre-holiday trade made moves erratic.


Before the Bell: Genentech, ImClone Rise  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Genentech Inc. DNA.N, OSI  Pharmaceuticals Inc. OSIP.O and ImClone Systems Inc. IMCL.O  surged before the bell on Friday after rival AstraZeneca Plc  AZN.L said its lung cancer drug Iressa failed to show  survival benefits in a major clinical study.


European Stocks Ease  LONDON (Reuters) - European shares eased from fresh 2-1/2  year highs on Friday after drugmaker AstraZeneca said clinical  studies found its Iressa lung cancer drug did not help patients  survive, sending its shares sliding.


Marsh Plays An Inside Hand NEW YORK -- Michael G. Cherkasky, the longtime prosecutor now running embattled financial services giant Marsh   McLennan Cos., says he has figured out the main difference between investigating corporate wrongdoing and taking charge of a company targeted by a white-collar probe:


French boss steps down from EADS Philippe Camus announces that he will  leave Franco-German defence group EADS, bringing the company's power struggle to an end.


Microsoft sets sights on spyware Following the takeover of anti-spyware firm Giant, Microsoft said it would soon release a toolkit that strips machines of the irritating programs.


Mars water tops science honours The discovery by Nasa #39;s robotic rovers of a watery past on Mars has topped a an eagerly awaited list of the 10 key scientific advances of 2004.


NASA May Not Have New Chief Until January WASHINGTON -- Though President Bush wants to move quickly to replace outgoing NASA Administrator Sean O #39;Keefe, it could be at least a month or longer before the Senate confirms a new space chief.


England strike early in first Test PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (AFP) - South African batting kingpins Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis were both out for nought as England made a strong start on the first day of the first Test at St George #39;s Park.


Microsoft splashes cash on anti-spyware firm Microsoft said it plans to offer tools based on Giant #39;s technology that will help protect Windows PCs from spyware and other deceptive software.


Linux Is Now Mainstream, Says IDC In a private study conducted by IDC for Open Source Development Labs, Inc (OSDL), IDC predicted that the overall Linux marketplace revenues for server, PC hardware and packaged software on Linux is expected to reach \$35.7 billion by 2008.


Castro back on his feet after fall Havana - Less than two months after an accidental fall shattered his left kneecap and broke his right arm, Cuban President Fidel Castro is back on his feet, attending to visiting leaders and making public appearances.


Randy Johnson on Verge of Joining Yankees NEW YORK Dec 16, 2004 - Randy Johnson was on the verge of joining the New York Yankees in a three-team, megadeal that also includes Shawn Green and Javier Vazquez, a source told The Associated Press on Thursday night.


US Judge issues restraining order on Yukos unit auction NEW YORK, December 17 (newratings.com) - A US bankruptcy court yesterday granted the beleaguered Russian oil giant, OAO Yukos Oil Co (YUSA.


The Future of Calamity In seven hours last week, great ocean waves exacted a terrible price in wealth and human lives. Future catastrophes may be far grimmer.


German business confidence rebounds MUNICH - German business confidence recorded a surprise jump in December, a survey of 7,000 executives released on Friday showed, rebounding to its highest level in eight months and underscoring optimism that Europe #39;s biggest economy will remain on a


Nike #39;s 2nd-Quarter Earnings Jump Nike Inc. on Thursday said its second-quarter earnings rose a surprisingly large 46 percent on strong sales in the United States and in emerging markets like China


Apple Fights Back Against RealNetworks No longer only a war of words, Apple Computer Inc. has quietly started to block the technology that RealNetworks Inc. created to get around the iPod music player #39;s copy-protection armor.


Rockets #39; red glare NASA SCIENTISTS are poised to blast a hole in a faraway comet to get a look at its innards. It #39;s an innovative feat of scientific daring, but why not take a second shot at NASA itself?


Ask Jeeves Previews Desktop Search Tool Ask Jeeves will launch a test version of its desktop search tool on Wednesday, following the launch of similar tools by rivals Microsoft on Monday and Google in October, and ahead of expected entries from America Online and Yahoo.


Sox Ace Heads To Shea BOSTON -- Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez will hold a news conference Thursday after he accepted a four-year, multimillion-dollar deal with the New York Mets earlier this week.


UPDATE 4-Pakistan crumble for 179 as Woolmer fumes Australia, buoyed by Justin Langer #39;s 191, skittled Pakistan for 179 on the second day of the first test in Perth to take total control of the match.


India seizes initiative, on course for big total Chittagong (Bangladesh), Dec. 17 (PTI): India put themselves in a commanding position after centuries from Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid ensured the visitors another huge total against Bangladesh in the second and final cricket Test here today.


Seoul, Tokyo Agree to Sign FTA by 2005 South Korea and Japan on Friday agreed to conclude negotiations to sign a free trade deal by the end of 2005. President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi came up with


Giving peace a chance? M ahmoud Abbas may have done more for the Palestinian people in a few weeks than Yasser Arafat did in four decades -- or, at least, four years.


Russian officials, business disagree on relevance of US hearings <b>...</b> Presenter Hearings on the Yukos case are to resume in a Houston court in a couple of hours. The court is expected to look today at the possibility of temporary suspension of all transactions involving the


Firms told to omit options from profit The nation #39;s accounting rulemaker decided yesterday that companies will have to begin deducting the value of stock options from their profits next year, reining


Golkar Party congress to see  #39;sharks #39; fight for control This week #39;s Golkar Party congress will feature rich, deceptive and powerful people bidding to win the chairmanship of the party, which controls the most seats in the House of Representatives.


With Panama in control, canal runs swimmingly PANAMA CITY, Panama -- When the United States gave Panama control over its canal, many observers predicted that the international waterway would be plagued by problems at best and chaos at worst.


Rocks could hold early secrets of life Nearly 4 billion-year-old rocks from Greenland could hold the earliest evidence of life on Earth, University of Chicago and Field Museum scientists say.


Speculation about N. Korea resurfaces SEOUL, South Korea -- How long can the North Korean regime survive? A decade ago, it was taken as a matter of faith that it would soon be relegated to the same historical dustbin as the Soviet Union. But Kim Jong Il defied predictions of his political demise, and embarrassed pundits stopped even broaching the topic of the regime's life ...


U.S. companies ordered to expense options In a move that may be seen by some in corporate America as an early lump of coal in many Christmas stockings, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) will require companies to report the cost of stock options in their financial statements beginning next year, it announced Thursday.


November Consumer Prices Rise Moderately  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices rose modestly  in November as energy costs that had shot up a month earlier  and fanned inflation fears posted only a small gain last month,  the Labor Department said on Friday.


10,000 Mozilla Donors Get A Very Public Thanks It #39;s a thing of beauty: a two-page  quot;advocacy ad quot; in The New York Times featuring, among other things like quotes from satisfied Firefox users, all 10,000 names of those who donated to The Mozilla Foundation so that it could take a NYT ad that it hopes


Yankees May Get Johnson As Deals Continue On a day of big movement in baseball, the New York Yankees are on the verge of claiming the biggest prize of all. The Yankees closed in on completing a blockbuster three-team trade that would send Randy Johnson


Vic #39;s a knock-out VIC Darchinyan, the mighty atom of Australian boxing, unleashed some furious fission to win the IBF world flyweight title in Hollywood, Florida yesterday.


S.Korea,Japan Urge North to Resume Nuclear Talks (Reuters) Reuters - Leaders of Japan and South Korea\jointly urged North Korea on Friday to return to talks aimed at\ending its nuclear weapons program and agreed imposing economic\sanctions now on Pyongyang would thwart such efforts.


Ebay May Be Afoul of Scalping Law in N.J. (AP) AP - A benefit concert by the Boss is bringing out big bids on eBay. But some people offering tickets at several times their face value for an intimate performance Sunday by Bruce Springsteen may be running afoul of anti-scalping laws. The face value of the tickets is  #36;100 each.


Ukraine rivals face off in 'battleground' eastern region (AFP) AFP - Ukraine's presidential rivals both stumped for votes in this eastern industrial city, a key swing constituency where liberal intellectuals compete for influence with some of the country's most entrenched business interests.


Symantec to acquire Veritas for  #36;13.5B (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Computer security giant Symantec has agreed to buy storage and backup program maker Veritas Software to create the world's fourth largest software company. The all-stock acquisition was initially valued at  #36;13.5 billion, but the price quickly plummeted after investors weighed in on the merger.


Apple's Tokyo store turns one year old (MacCentral) MacCentral - It's a little after 5 p.m. on a Friday evening in early December and Apple Computer Inc.'s store in Tokyo's Ginza district is bustling. The store opened just over a year ago as Apple's first retail location outside of the U.S. and it's a been a good year, said the manager of the company's Japanese retail operations in an recent interview.


Annan Tells Powell U.N. Will Aid Iraq Vote (AP) AP - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, fending off Republican demands for his resignation over alleged corruption, said Thursday he will expand U.N. support for Iraqi elections if need be. He said he was not offended that President Bush did not ask to see him during this visit to Washington.


AP Newsbreak: Yushchenko Poisoned by TCDD (AP) AP - Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned by TCDD, the most harmful known form of dioxin and a key ingredient of the Vietnam-era herbicide Agent Orange, the scientist who conducted tests on the presidential candidate's blood said Friday.


China to Introduce Anti-Secession Law, Eyes Taiwan  BEIJING (Reuters) - China is to introduce legislation  against secession, state media reported on Friday, a move  analysts have said is aimed at mandating eventual reunification  with rival Taiwan.


S.Korea,Japan Urge North to Resume Nuclear Talks  IBUSUKI, Japan (Reuters) - Leaders of Japan and South Korea  jointly urged North Korea on Friday to return to talks aimed at  ending its nuclear weapons program and agreed imposing economic  sanctions now on Pyongyang would thwart such efforts.


Gaza Smuggling Tunnel Collapses, Trapping 5  GAZA (Reuters) - A smuggling tunnel being dug by  Palestinians on the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed on Friday and  at least five people were trapped inside, witnesses in the Gaza  frontier town of Rafah said.


Seven Killed in Al Qaeda Jailbreak in Kabul  KABUL (Reuters) - Five Afghan prison guards and police and  two prisoners were killed in a jail break attempt by al Qaeda  inmates on Friday and a shoot-out was going on with another  two, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said.


Abductors Free Brazil Soccer Star Robinho's Mother  SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Kidnappers have freed the  mother of one of Brazil's most exciting young soccer talents,  Santos forward Robinho, 40 days after they seized her at  gunpoint from a party, the player's agent said on Friday.


Brazil footballer's mother freed Kidnappers free the mother of Brazilian football star Robinho, six weeks after seizing her at gunpoint.


Aid workers leave DR Congo town Aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres pulls out of a town in eastern DR Congo, amid rising concern at fighting.


Treasuries Hit by Sellers Despite CPI (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury debt prices were swept\lower on Friday after failing to sustain a bounce despite a\moderate set of U.S. inflation numbers.


Consumer Prices Up in Nov. As Gas Calms (AP) AP - Consumer prices rose by a mild 0.2 percent in November as costs for gasoline and food products calmed down after posting sharp increases the month before.


French ex-minister in art trial The trial begins of former French foreign minister Roland Dumas, accused of corruption over art sales.


'Westerners' killed in north Iraq At least three Westerners have been killed by insurgents in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, local police say.


Microsoft sets sights on spyware Windows users could soon be paying for Microsoft software that keeps their machine free of spyware.


Star Wars inspires art shortlist An artist who used a life-sized Jabba the Hutt in a piece is shortlisted for the Beck's Futures prize.


EU agrees to Turkey membership talks next year BRUSSELS -- European Union leaders agreed yesterday to open negotiations with Turkey next year on eventual EU membership, but the Turkish premier said more talks were needed -- presumably over the contentious issue of Cyprus -- before he could accept the offer.


Ukrainian warns of protests KIEV -- Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said yesterday that he would not accept a victory by his opponent in the Dec. 26 rerun of Ukraine's contested presidential race and that his supporters were likely to turn out onto the streets en masse to block such an outcome.


US feeling the heat at climate conference BUENOS AIRES -- Two sets of Americans have come here to talk global warming: the United States, opposed to controls on carbon emissions, and a bloc of united states, from Maine to Delaware, that plan to impose them.


China takes aim at corruption BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have arrested or reprimanded more than 750 officials in recent months in connection with billions of dollars in financial irregularities ranging from unpaid taxes to embezzlement, according to a report made public yesterday.


Annan cites readiness to expand UN aid WASHINGTON -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, fending off Republican demands for his resignation over alleged corruption, said yesterday he will expand UN support for Iraqi elections if need be. He said he was not offended that President Bush did not ask to see him during this visit to Washington.


Saudi dissident fails to stage mass protests RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Hundreds of security forces made a show of force in two Saudi cities yesterday to ward off protests against the royal family, chasing a few would-be demonstrators in the streets and arresting several others, after a dissident called for a day of marches.


10 militants get prison in France bomb plot PARIS -- Ten Islamic militants were convicted and sentenced to prison yesterday for a plot to blow up a crowded Christmas market on New Year's Eve 2000 -- a bombing that a prosecutor said was avoided "by a hair" and could have triggered the first blood bath of the new millennium.


Sharon sees 'great historic opportunity' JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, insisting that Israel has no wish to rule over the Palestinians, declared yesterday that 2005 would be  quot;the year of a great historic opportunity quot; in the Middle East.


Parked in a Desert, Waiting Out the Winter of Life Slab City, Calif., is not so much sinister as it is strange, a forlorn quarter of America where more than 3,000 elderly folk pass the winter.


Russia says Yukos case to be dealt with under Russian law Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that the legal case against the country #39;s embattled oil giant Yukos will be handled under Russian law.


OSI Pharma Soars on AstraZeneca #39;s Loss Shares in OSI Pharmaceuticals (OSIP :Nasdaq - news - research) and Genentech (DNA :Nasdaq - news - research) jumped Friday after AstraZeneca (AZN :NYSE - news - research) said new medical data showed its lung cancer drug Iressa provided no survival


Report: Murdoch offers \$44 million for NY apartment Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire CEO of News Corp. (NWS)(NWSA), has reportedly offered to buy a three-story penthouse for \$44 million, which would be the highest price ever paid for a Manhattan apartment if the deal goes through.


Tom Online Buys Stake in Indiagames Wireless Internet company Tom Online Inc. on Friday said it signed a definitive agreement to buy a majority stake in Indiagames Ltd.


Wenger fined, warned over Ruud outburst Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been fined 15 000 (about R160 000) for improper conduct over comments he made after the English champions #39; controversial 2-0 defeat by Manchester United in October.


In  quot;year of opportunity, quot; Sharon offers state to Palestinians HERZLIYA, Israel An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says a final vote on his planned pullout from Gaza and four West Bank communities could take place months sooner.


Israeli Army Raid Into Gaza Kills 5 Palestinians Israeli tanks and troops raided southern Gaza on Friday in response to increasing Palestinian mortar attacks, killing at least five Palestinians and prompting hundreds to flee their homes, witnesses and medics said.


Terrorists threat puts Indonesia on high alert The island paradise Bali will be off limits this holiday season. If your travel plans include Indonesia, you would be wise to cancel your trip immediately.


AP: Colombia Troops Being Sought for Iraq Recruiters working for U.S. contractors are hiring former Colombian soldiers - and luring away active-duty ones - for security jobs in Iraq, according to a former army officer who met with the recruiters.


Cuban Doctor Returns Home From Argentina A prominent Cuban doctor returned home Thursday after an overnight stay at the Argentine Embassy that raised tensions between the two nations amid reports she was seeking political asylum.


Prior art claimed for concentration camp invention Letters It could only happen in Letters


It's time to tap the IT barometer Reg Reader Studies Your input essential, as ever


New life amidst destruction PORT BLAIR, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India -- As she fled the killer waves swallowing her island, Namita Roy gave birth to a boy in a forest. His name is Tsunami.


Video phone help for deaf people Deaf people who use sign language could soon be using video phones to make calls.


Gamer buys \$26,500 virtual land A gamer spends \$26,500 on a virtual island that exists only in a PC role-playing game.


US music firms sue 'web pirates' US music firms take legal action against 754 computer users alleged to illegally swap music online.


eBay snaps up Rent.com eBay agrees to buy Rent.com for \$415m (214m), gaining access to more of the online property market.


Dollar Rises After CPI Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose on Friday, after a  U.S. report showed consumer prices in line with expections,  reminding investors that the Federal Reserve was likely to  continue raising interest rates, analysts said.


Online Dangers Likely to Continue Growing Internet users witnessed yet another wave of spam, worms, viruses and other online attacks in 2004, and experts predict the online world will grow even more dangerous in 2005. -washingtonpost.com


Experts Optimistic About Shuttle Flight They say the space shuttle would likely be ready to fly by the currently planned launch date in May or June, but cautioned that efforts to devise a way to do onboard repair of damaged heat shielding were moving slowly.


Microsoft Software to Remove Spyware Microsoft Corp. disclosed plans Thursday to offer frustrated users of its Windows software new tools within 30 days to remove spyware programs secretly running on computers. But it might cost extra in coming months.


Computer Users Sued for Swapping Music Recording companies filed copyright infringement lawsuits against 754 computer users Thursday, the latest round of legal action in the industry's effort to squelch unauthorized swapping of music online.


Midway Developing Mature-Rated Football Video Game
\

 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Midway Games Inc. plans to publish\a "mature"-rated pro football video game with the kinds of\violence and excess shunned by the National Football League,\the company said on Thursday.


Titan clouds seen to come and go Scientists now have their first direct evidence of changing weather patterns on Titan, Saturn's largest moon.


Feeble roar of the hybrid lions The BBC's Asit Jolly in Chandigarh reports on India's disastrous efforts to cross-breed Asiatic and African lions.


Sparrow song illustrates memory Sparrows can piece together a complete song from fragments - research that could help with understanding memory.


A Breeze from the Stars This week the Sun is in the 13th house of the zodiac, and that means Earth is getting hit by a strange breeze from beyond the solar system.


Turkey-EU talks stall over Cyprus Intensive talks aim to end a stalemate over an EU demand that Turkey recognise Cyprus before accession.


German confidence rises, but outlook is gloomy BERLIN Business confidence in Germany unexpectedly rose in December to its highest level in eight months, figures released on Friday showed.


Firefox is hot; Thunderbird #39;s not  for good reason Among the online worlds hottest commodities, nothing sizzles quite like Firefox, the new Web browser by the California-based Mozilla Foundation thats causing sleeplessness in and around Seattle, Microsoft Corps home turf.


Johnson may go to Yankees A three-team trade that would send the D #39;backs #39; ace left-hander to the New York Yankees is close to completion, pending physicals.


Tennis player earns card for Australasian Tour MELBOURNE, Australia -- If former Australian Davis Cup player Scott Draper has an early exit from next month #39;s Australian Open tennis championships, he can always put away his racket and pull out the golf clubs.


Miller is fourth in super-G Bode Miller finished fourth in a World Cup super giant slalom Friday in which Michael Walchhofer led a 1-2-3 Austrian sweep. Miller has won six of 11 races this season and still holds a commanding lead in the overall standings.


Notebook: Bryant, Lakers embarrass Kings in Sacramento Kobe Bryant and the new Lakers had been searching for a signature victory, something to prove their revamped club still can play with the West #39;s powers.


Thai Prime Minister Says Some Muslim Insurgency Trained Leaders <b>...</b> Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says some leaders of a separatist insurgency in southern Thailand have fled to neighboring Malaysia.


Military Offensive Imminent in Darfur-African Union (Reuters) Reuters - Large quantities of arms and ammunition\have poured into Darfur in the last two weeks and the\government appears to be preparing for a major military\offensive, the African Union (AU) said on Friday.


Canada Steals March on U.S. With Libya Visit (Reuters) Reuters - Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, keen\to play a greater role in a world dominated by the United States,\heads to Libya on Saturday for the latest in a series of\high-profile foreign trips.


Dravid and Gambhir plunder Bangladesh (Reuters) Reuters - Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir lashed big hundreds as India piled up 334 for two on the opening day of the second and final test against Bangladesh on Friday.


EU, Turkey Agree Terms of Entry Talks - EU Official  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders and Turkey  agreed on Friday the terms on which Ankara will start  membership talks with the bloc next October, an EU government  official said.


Cisco to open R D center in Japan next February TOKYO -- Cisco Systems will open a Tokyo-based research and development center focusing on Internet software and routing technologies in February 2005, the company said in a statement on Thursday.


NTT DoCoMo's 4G research hits 1Gbps TOKYO -- NTT DoCoMo, Japan's biggest mobile communications carrier, achieved a 1Gbpspacket transmission speed using fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication equipment on Aug. 20, the company said Friday.


IBM researchers eye 100TB tape drive ALMADEN, CALIFORNIA -- IBM has begun work on new technologies designed to boost the capacity of tape storage devices by 250 times. Using "nanopatterning" techniques derived from the company's microprocessor division, researchers say they expect to one day build cartridges that can store as much as 100TB of data.


The Weirdest Games of 2004 Our favorite genre-busters will roll, creep, slither, bounce, and wriggle their way into your free time--if you give them a try.


Multicore Chips May Push Intel Off Its Bus Chip giant will need to introduce integrated memory controllers or redesign its frontside bus, analysts say.


LATEST FOREX NEWS WASHINGTON (AFX) - US consumer price inflation moderated in November after a sharp rise in the prior month, the Labor Department said Friday.


Annan plans visit to aid Indonesia UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary General Kofi Annan said yesterday he will visit tsunami-devastated Indonesia to work with regional leaders to help coordinate aid and relief efforts on the ground. Annan said he will attend a regional meeting there Thursday. Asked how long he thought the reconstruction would take, Annan replied: "It will differ from country to country, but my own ...


Report: Murdoch offers \$44 million for Rockefeller apartment _ Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire CEO of News Corp., has offered to pay \$44 million for a three-story penthouse apartment where Laurance S. Rockefeller once lived, according to a published report.


EBay to Buy Rent.com for \$415 Mln in Cash and Stock (Update3) EBay Inc., the world #39;s largest Web auctioneer, agreed to buy privately held Rent.com for \$415 million in cash and stock as it expands into classified listings.


Cairn to oppose cess on output Cairn Energy Plc, which plans to produce 80,000-1,00,000 barrel of crude oil per day from its Mangala and Aishwariya fields in Rajasthan, is disputing a tax that has been imposed on production.


Legal questions dog Microsoft buy A legal row over software ownership could hinder Microsoft #39;s ability to offer products based on technology from its latest acquisition, anti-spyware company Giant Company Software.


Shuttle on track for launch, panel says Members of the panel monitoring NASA #39;s effort to return the space shuttle to flight said Thursday that despite several open items, they see no reason why Discovery can #39;t be launched in May or June.


Microsoft Fixes  #39;Critical #39; XP Firewall Issue Microsoft has quietly released an update to Windows XP to fix a potentially serious configuration problem in the firewall that ships as part of Windows XP Service Pack 2. Users who installed SP2 on their Windows


WRAPUP-1-Glamour ties dominate Champions League draw Chelsea take on Barcelona, Real Madrid face Juventus and AC Milan return to Manchester, scene of their 2003 European Cup triumph, following Friday #39;s draw for the first knockout round of the Champions League.


Ruud to undergo injury scan Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to undergo a scan on his calf today as concerns deepen about the lingering problem. The prolific Dutchman - who tops United #39;s goal chart this season with 12 - reported the injury


Morientes claims Liverpool interest Fernando Morientes claims Liverpool have contacted him over a move from Real Madrid to Anfield. The Spaniard is frustrated with the lack of first team opportunities at the Bernabeu, and has been linked with a New Year move to Merseyside.


Japan, US agree on missile defence cooperation Tokyo, Dec. 17 (VNA) - Japan and the United States signed an agreement on Friday that stipulates the details of bilateral cooperation on a ballistic missile defence system, according to Kyodo news service.


S.Korean President, Japanese PM to discuss visa, nukes South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will have a summit meeting in Kagoshima, Japan, on Friday to discuss issues of mutual interest, Chong Wa Dae said Wednesday.


Circuit City Disappointed in 3Q Sales (AP) AP - Circuit City Stores Inc. reported a smaller-than-expected loss in the third quarter on store efficiencies and higher extended warranty sales, but the retailer's top executive said sales closer to the holiday season were slower than expected.


Treasuries Hit Again by Technical Selling  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries prices were swept lower for  a second straight session on Friday as technical selling from  different pockets of the market overshadowed a moderate set of  U.S. inflation numbers.


LeapFrog's Blue Christmas LeapFrog sticks to its quarterly ritual of raining on the toy-making parade.


Good Night for a Good Knight Phil Knight saved the best for last for the company he helped nurture into a brand superstar.


Banks freeze Gazprom loan An international banking consortium has decided to suspend approval for the 10 billion (6.9bn) loan to Gazprom that would have financed the state-controlled company #39;s acquisition of Yukos #39;s most important oil production plant.


Circuit City narrows 3Q loss Circuit City Stores Inc. on Friday reported a narrower third-quarter loss from continuing operations as sales of higher-margin warranties and improved distribution helped offset weak merchandise sales.


FASB Rules that Companies Must Expense Stock Options AccountingWEB.com - Dec-16-2004 - In a long-awaited and sure-to-be controversial move, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ruled yesterday that companies have to begin expensing for stock options given to employees as part of compensation packages.


Ebay snaps up Rent.com for \$415 million Ebay Inc. has agreed to acquire property listings site Rent.com Inc. for US\$415 million in its latest move to expand beyond online auctions, the company said late Thursday.


France chooses Forgeard for joint control of EADS PARIS (AFP) - French interests named the head of Airbus, Noel Foregeard, to be one of two new pilots running the EADS aeuronautics group after weeks of reported tension over his role.


Cisco plans to invest \$12m in Japanese R amp;D centre Cisco Systems, Inc. has announced its intent to open a research and development centre in Tokyo, Japan. The company informs that the facility will open in February, 2005, and will represent an initial \$12


India looking to submerge Bangladesh in run deluge Chittagong, Dec. 17 (PTI): India will look to pile up a huge first innings score to back their bowlers on a flat, lifeless track in the second and final cricket Test against Bangladesh, vice-captain Rahul Dravid said here today.


Gaming Projector Geared to Xbox Users (PC World) PC World - Boxlight Raven's black chassis matches the Xbox.


It could have been me A Territorian yesterday told how he watched in horror as two sharks savaged a man to death at a popular beach. Chris Niemoeller had been swimming near the same spot minutes earlier.


Bosnian foreign minister banned from US ISN SECURITY WATCH (17/12/04) - Bosnian Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic has been banned from entering the US, as Bosnian Serb officials come under pressure for failing to arrest Europes two most-wanted war criminals, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan


Japan's i-mode Internet mobile service to enter Russia (AFP) AFP - Japan's top mobile operator NTT DoCoMo said it was launching its i-mode Internet service in Russia and three other former Soviet republics through an agreement with Russia's largest provider Mobile TeleSystems (MTS).


IBM BladeCenter specification picks up speed (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - IBM on Friday announced it has signed up 115 companies since early September to develop for its eServer BladeCenter open specification it co-authored with Intel.


NATO Eyes Closer Ukraine Ties if Yushchenko Wins (Reuters) Reuters - NATO is ready to speed Ukraine toward\closer ties and membership if pro-West presidential frontrunner\Viktor Yushchenko wins a revote on Dec. 26, alliance sources\and diplomats said on Thursday.


Israeli Army Raid Into Gaza Kills 6 Palestinians  GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks and troops raided southern  Gaza on Friday in response to increasing Palestinian mortar  attacks, killing at least six Palestinians and prompting  hundreds to flee their homes, witnesses and medics said.


Darfur a 'Time Bomb' Waiting to Explode - AU  ABUJA (Reuters) - Astronomical quantities of arms and  ammunition have poured into Darfur in the last two weeks and  the government appears to be preparing for a major military  offensive, the African Union (AU) said on Friday.


Ivory Coast MPs discuss key laws Ivory Coast's parliament start to debate proposed laws which lie at the heart of the two-year conflict.\</b>


Six Killed in Afghan Jail Break Two Pakistani prisoners were holed up in Kabul's main prison Friday after a bloody breakout attempt that left at least six dead and eight wounded, officials said.


EBay Expanding Into Online Rental Listings EBay Inc. said Friday it has agreed to acquire the online rental listing company Rent.com for \$415 million, consisting of \$385 million in eBay stock and \$30 million cash.


Mathematicians crochet chaos Mathematicians have made a model of the stable manifold of the origin of the Lorenz system - in crochet.


Pfizer Celebrex Trial Stopped After Heart Attacks  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. on Friday said patients  taking its blockbuster arthritis drug Celebrex in a long-term  cancer-prevention trial had more than twice the number of fatal  or non-fatal heart attacks as those taking a placebo.


Treasuries Hit by Selling for 2nd Day  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries prices were swept lower for  a second straight session on Friday as selling from different  pockets of the market overshadowed a moderate set of U.S.  inflation numbers.


Stocks Open Little Changed, Pfizer Falls   NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened near unchanged on  Friday as oil prices hovered above \$44 a barrel while drug  company Pfizer Inc. PFE.N shares tumbled after it released an  research update.


InterContinental Sells 13 Hotels  LONDON (Reuters) - The world's biggest hotelier  InterContinental Hotels Group Plc said on Friday it was selling  13 hotels in the Americas for \$450 million as part of its  strategy of selling assets while still managing the hotels.


Siebel to acquire edocs for \$115 million Siebel Systems has agreed to acquire edocs, a maker of e-billing and customer self-service applications, for \$115 million, Siebel said Friday.


Pfizer #39;s Celebrex is under a cloud Pfizer (PFE) said Friday that is has received new information about the cardiovascular safety of its popular arthritis drug Celebrex, based on an analysis of a long-term cancer trial.


US CPI and Core rates rise 0.2pc in Nov US consumer price inflation moderated in November after experiencing a sharp rise in the prior month, the Labour Department said today.


CarMax posts lower earnings Auto retailer reports that profit fell 6 percent in the third quarter as sales of new cars declined. DETROIT (Reuters) - Auto retailer CarMax Inc.


Along the ocean, a tourist destination copes with death PHUKET, Thailand -- Day after day, the bodies keep arriving at Wat Lam Kaen. The Buddhist temple in the Khao Lak beach section of this popular resort is one of several temples in the area that have been turned into makeshift morgues, where the calming aroma of incense has been overcome by the sulfurous smell of decay.


gdSuite Version 1.1 Released gdSuite is an add-on to Google Desktop. With Google Desktop and gdSuite, you can instantly find emails (from Outlook and Outlook Express), chats (in AOL and AOL Instant Message AIM), and web pages you #39;ve viewed in Internet Explorer.


Zafi computer virus shows up in  quot;Happy Holidays quot; e-mail (National-NBC) Dec. 17, 2004 - The Christmas Grinch on the Internet this season is a new computer virus called  quot;Zafi. quot;. Zafi pretends to be an e-mail with holiday greetings, according to the antivirus firm Symantec.


Dravid first to score centuries in 10 Test-playing nations: Sports India, Cricket: Chittagong, Dec 17 : Consistent Rahul Dravid Friday became the first batsman to smash a Test century in all 10 Test playing nations when he scored his 18th ton in the second Test against Bangladesh here.


Wartime blogs serve as dispatches sent from bloody front LOS ANGELES -- ''Baghdad Girl" fills the pink pages of a Web log with photos that show a skinny, dark-eyed teenager hugging her cats and classroom essays beginning with sentiments such as: ''Childhood is a beautiful stage in our life."


Japan, US Sign Missile Defense Pact Japan and the United States have signed an agreement to encourage cooperation on developing a missile defense system. Japanese Defense Minister Yoshinori Ono signed a memorandum of understanding


Afghan soldiers storm jail to end standoff with inmates Afghan troops stormed a notorious prison Friday in an assault aimed at ending a standoff sparked by a bloody escape attempt by four


Yahoo Games and GameSpot Partner for Gaming Content Yahoo Games and GameSpot Partner for Gaming Content\\Yahoo Games and GameSpot a web source for unbiased gaming information, today announced a partnership through which GameSpot's comprehensive PC and video game content offering will be provided to Yahoo Games users, starting in the first quarter of 2005.\\As video games become increasingly ...


Google Froogle Adds Product Reviews Google Froogle Adds Product Reviews\\Almost at the end of the Holiday online shopping season (unless you're going overnight delivery) Google has broken the mold of their Froogle shopping comparison search engine (not the Jello mold, but the Beta mold) and added 3rd Party product reviews.\\Google said that the product reviews ...


Google AdWords Content Changes Yield Results Google AdWords Content Changes Yield Results\\Search Engine Lowdown's Andy Beal had a chance to speak with Google's Mike Mayzel regarding the changes Google made to their AdWords (or AdSense) contextual ad network over the past year. Here are some findings from the conversation.\\Andy on AdWords:\\In partnership with Atlas, Google looked ...


Does Your Copy Look Fake To the Search Engines? Does Your Copy Look "Fake" To the Search Engines?\\From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and content have always been vital to achieving your goals. Starting back in the days when we used to shove every slightly relevant keyword into our Meta tags, it has been obvious that ...


I Want My blinkx TV! Television Search Engine I Want My blinkx TV! Television Search Engine\\blinkx today announced the availability of blinkx TV, the first search engine that allows you to search TV across news, sports and entertainment programming. blinkx is the first search engine to make such TV programs fully searchable on demand. Because blinkx captures and ...


News: Report: DHS cyber security lagging Inspectors find weak passwords, buffer overflows and mystery modems at the Department of Homeland Security.


News: Symantec snaps up Veritas Software for \$13.5 billion in stock The Associated Press By Michael Liedtke


Columnists: Zero Viruses In 2005? It's the time of year to reflect on the good security choices you've made over the year, the defense-in-depth strategy that you've decided to follow, and plan for your response to future threats and virus outbreaks.


The Right Tools for Research Now with centralized management of their more than 1000 Mac, PC and UNIX computers, scientists at the University of Maryland #146;s College of Life Sciences have more freedom than ever to focus on their research. For many of them, the Mac platform is all they need. Dec 16


iTunes Tops 200 Million Downloads Music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 200 million songs from the iTunes Music Store. The 200 millionth song, part of  #147;The Complete U2, #148; was purchased by Ryan Alekman from Belchertown, MA. iTunes has made it easy to give the gift of music this holiday season with \$15 and \$25 iTunes prepaid cards available from retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Kroger, RadioShack, 7-Eleven, Target, as well as the Apple online store and Apple retail stores. Dec 16


Smaller Is Better on Battlefield Armed with miniaturized medical devices, surgeons bring advanced care to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan just moments after they're hurt. By Randy Dotinga.


Vaporware Nominees: Bring 'em On Technology companies love talking up products that are just about to hit store shelves. And every year, it turns out a bunch of them are full of ... steam. Send us your nominees for Wired News' annual Vaporware Awards. By the Vaporware Team.


Cell Phones That Do It Mobile phones can check e-mail, browse the web, keep your calendar and even let you make a telephone call. Is it any wonder that we're also turning them into sex toys? Commentary by Regina Lynn.


P2P Needs a Fix, but What? The FTC's peer-to-peer workshop brings opposing sides together, and they agree something should be done, but it's that uncertain something that is causing trouble. Michael Grebb reports from Washington.


Aviator Keeps Feet on the Ground Martin Scorsese's portrayal of aviator/billionaire/loony Howard Hughes is brilliant in places, but it fails to translate his fire and passion to the screen. By Jason Silverman.


Panel Sees Shuttle Flights Resuming Soon NASA should be able to meet all the requirements for resuming space shuttle flights next spring, an oversight panel said.


Celebrex Trial Stopped After Heart Attacks Pfizer Inc. on Friday said a government-sponsored cancer-prevention trial of its blockbuster arthritis drug Celebrex was halted after patients taking it had more than


Technology Challenges Sprint-Nextel Merger The proposed merger of Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. could face a shaky start as the companies work to run and eventually merge two wireless technologies without losing a ton of money or customers.


Hang up and fly HAVE YOU ever been stuck within earshot of a loudmouth with a cell phone on a BART train or Muni bus? Just imagine the annoyance of having to sit near a chronic caller on a five-hour flight from San Francisco to New York.


Pfizer News Sends Blue Chips Down The Dow Jones industrial average fell on Friday after Pfizer Inc. (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) shares opened nearly 19 percent down on trial data for its popular arthritis drug Celebrex that showed increased risk of heart attack.


Murdoch offers record price for Manhattan penthouse Rupert Murdoch has offered the highest price ever for a Manhattan residence to buy a penthouse once owned by the Rockefeller family.


US November Consumer Prices Rise 0.2; Core Up 0.2 (Update3) Prices paid by US consumers rose for a fourth straight month in November, supporting forecasts that Federal Reserve policy makers will keep raising interest rates.


United, US Airways Making Progress On Labor Cost Cuts DECEMBER 17, 2004 -- United Airlines #39; pilots union leaders last night agreed to send a new tentative agreement to its members for a ratification vote, according to a message sent to company employees.


Airbus #39;s Forgeard to Be EADS Co-Chief, Replace Camus (Update1) Airbus SAS Chief Executive Officer Noel Forgeard, who turned the European company into the world #39;s largest planemaker, will replace Philippe Camus as co-CEO of its parent, European Aeronautic, Defense  amp; Space Co.


DaimlerChrysler, Ford to Invest in Ballard Fuel cell maker Ballard Power Systems Inc. on Friday said exercised its right to call a \$55 million Canadian investment from DaimlerChrysler AG and Ford Motor Co.


The Fool's Look Ahead The holiday leaves us a short trading week as a present. Let's unwrap it to see what's in store for us.


Apple iTunes Hits 200 Million Sales Apple announced yesterday that over 200 million songs have been sold via the iTunes online music store. According to Eddie Cue, Apples VP of Applications, the amount of sales/downloads from iTunes has vastly accelerated since its launch in April 2003.


Illinois governor: Ban violent kid videos CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich yesterday proposed the state ban the sale and rental of violent and sexually explicit video games for children under 18, a restriction that has failed so far elsewhere in the country.


Age Against the Machine : Technosexual revolution Through its Windows  #39;Experience More #39; event in Singapore, Microsoft let Super! cop a feel of the slickest hi-tech goodies way before they hit the streets.


Broadcast satellite launched successfully from Cape Canaveral CAPE CANAVERAL -- An Atlas 5 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral just after dawn Friday carrying a broadcast communications satellite designed to provide subscribers with direct-to-home video and broadband services.


Hollywood Targets File Swapping Networks The Motion Picture Association of America this week started an aggressive legal campaign against the eDonkey, BitTorrent, and DirectConnect file swapping services, filing suit against individuals operating servers for the peer-to-peer file swapping


Cisco Set To Open Japanese R amp;D Center Cisco Systems will open a research  amp; development (R amp;D) center in Tokyo that will focus on IP-based technologies including IPv6, multicast and wireless for both its mainstream routers and its IOS and IOS XR software.


Court decision may lower cost of MP3 players MP3 players could become even more popular in Canada thanks to newer, lower price tags made possible by a recent court ruling. The drop in price could be possible after the Federal Court of Appeal #39;s decision


Chile Wins Trade Sanctions Against U.S.

 GENEVA (Reuters) - Chile on Friday became the eighth memberof the World Trade Organization (WTO) to win the right to hitthe United States with sanctions over an illegal anti-dumpinglaw known as the Byrd amendment.


Draw Sets Up Reunion in Barcelona Jose Mourinho will take Chelsea to Barcelona, the club where he honed his raw coaching talent, for the most glamorous tie of the first knock-out phase of the Champions League.


Human eyes can #39;t detect offside position in sports: Health India: Washington, Dec 17: A new study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that the human eye is unable to detect an offside position during a football match.


Will the Yankees Sign Randy Johnson? (New York -WABC, December 17, 2004) - The New York Yankees already are close to completing deals with starting pitchers Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright.


IU names Hoeppner football coach Miami of Ohio football coach Terry Hoeppner will be named the next football coach at Indiana University, sources confirmed early today.


New bugging device found in UN offices GENEVA - The United Nations has found another listening device planted in its offices, this one in the world body #39;s European headquarters in Geneva.


Killer shark  #39;will be destroyed #39; A great white shark which killed a teenage surfer should be hunted down and destroyed, officials say. But the dead boy #39;s father has said he doesn #39;t want the creature to be killed.


No miscarriage of justice in Colombia: Harney The Tnaiste, Mary Harney, has said she has no reason to believe that a miscarriage of justice was involved in the case of the three Irishmen in Colombia given lengthy jail sentences for training left wing guerrillas.


Darfur a  #39;Timed Bomb #39; Waiting to Explode - AU Astronomical quantities of arms and ammunition have poured into Sudan #39;s Darfur region in the last two weeks and the government is poised for a major military offensive, the African Union said on Friday.


Celebrex Trial Halted After Heart Attacks  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A government-sponsored trial of Pfizer  Inc.'s PFE.N blockbuster arthritis drug Celebrex was halted  after patients taking the medicine had more than twice as many  heart attacks as patients taking a placebo, the company said on  Friday.


Oil Rises on Winter Weather Worries  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose sharply on Friday as  worries a cold spell in the United States could erode already  depleted winter fuel inventories spurred the market higher.


Russia to U.S. Court: YUKOS Not Your Worry  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday it would go ahead  and sell Yuganskneftegaz, the main oil production unit of  YUKOS, despite a U.S. bankruptcy court order seeking to block  Sunday's auction for 10 days.


Santa's Bag of Tech Mergers 'Tis the season for mergers, as technology firms go on a buying binge this holiday season that is starting to rival the great M A spree of the 1990s. -washingtonpost.com


Hyundai Recalls 120,000 Elantra Sedans Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday that it is recalling about 120,000 2004 and 2005 model Elantra sedans because of a software problem with its air-bag system.


In Brief: NetSuite integrates with WorldPay to boost e-commerce NetSuite has unveiled the availability of multicurrency credit card processing for its e-commerce customers. The new feature was made possible by integration, announced this week, between NetSuite and WorldPay, which is part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group. NetSuite's e-commerce capability enables companies to transact business on the Web while automatically linking into internal customer relationship management, financial, and warehouse systems. With the new multicurrency credit card processing feature, NetSuite e-commerce customers can now accept credit card payments in 120 currencies and receive settlement in 14 currencies. More information about NetSuite e-commerce is available at www.netsuite.com/netcommerce1.\\


Natick #39;s edocs to be acquired by West Coast #39;s Siebel for \$115M Natick-based edocs Inc. is being acquired by San Mateo, Calif.-based Siebel Systems Inc. for \$115 million in cash. The deal #39;s size could expand if edocs meets unspecified performance goals next year.


Update 1: German Business Sentiment Rises in Dec. 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.


Water of Life and Other Scientific Highlights of 2004 Science judged that the runner-up to the discovery of water on Mars was the finding of another species of dwarf human which lived on the remote Indonesian island of Flores as little as 13,000 years ago.


MS plugs weak XP firewall Microsoft this week quietly fixed a security weakness in the configuration of the built-in firewall component of Windows XP. The firewall - turned on by default by XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) - can leave files


Fergie may rest Ruud until European campaign Alex Ferguson is willing to write Ruud van Nistelrooy out of Manchester Uniteds Premiership title push for the next two months to ensure he is ready for their assault on Europe.


Kidnapped mother of wonderkid Robinho released The mother of Brazilian football prodigy Robinho has been released following her kidnapping on November 6. Marina De Souzas release will now enable Robinho to play for Santos in a title-decider this weekend in the Brazilian championship.


Los Angeles Lakers Team Report - December 17 (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Lakers begin a season-high six-game homestand tonight against the Washington Wizards at the Staples Center.


Japan and US sign missile accord TOKYO Japan and the United States signed an agreement on Friday to improve cooperation in their missile defense programs. The agreement, a memorandum of understanding allowing the two allies to share information


Talks on Ivory Coast Continue in Pretoria Talks on the political future of Ivory Coast are continuing in Pretoria today with President Thabo Mbeki expected to join the discussions later in the day.


IAAF Receives Explanations From Kenteris (AP) AP - Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou submitted written explanations to the sport's governing body, detailing the reasons why they missed drug tests on the eve of the Athens Olympics.


Cuba Erects Sign Linking U.S. and Fascism (AP) AP - Cuba responded Thursday to the U.S. diplomats's refusal to take down Christmas decorations by putting up a huge billboard in front of the U.S. Interest Section emblazoned with a swastika and showing photographs of Iraqi prisoners being abused by American soldiers.


It's time to pass torch, younger Dems say (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - A wave of young Democrats is demanding not just to be heard but to take charge.They are opining, organizing and running for party chairman.


Walchhofer Leads Austrian Super-G Sweep  VAL GARDENA, Italy (Reuters) - The Empire struck back in  the men's Ski World Cup on Friday with Michael Walchhofer  winning the super-G as a trio of Austrians pushed overall  leader Bode Miller off the Val Gardena podium.


Microsoft Purchases GIANT Anti-Spyware Microsoft Purchases GIANT Anti-Spyware\\Here's an interesting story. Microsoft, who's Internet Explorer browser is full of holes which make it able to accept browser programs and add-ons which  sometimes can be spyware, has now purchased an Anti-Spyware company. Something kind of stinks here. \\Why not fix Internet Explorer security holes ...


Apple iTunes Hits 200 Million Sales Apple iTunes Hits 200 Million Sales\\Apple announced yesterday that over 200 million songs have been sold via the iTunes online music store. According to Eddie Cue, Apple's VP of Applications, the amount of sales/downloads from iTunes has vastly accelerated since its launch in April 2003.\\It took Apple nearly a year ...


Sudan 'plans huge Darfur attack' Sudan's government is preparing a major offensive in Darfur, says the head of the African observer team.


Iressa Drug Failure Deals AstraZeneca Fresh Blow AstraZeneca Plc suffered its third setback in two months on Friday as lung cancer drug Iressa failed to help patients live longer


Libraries in a Net future The news that Google will digitize more than 15 million books and make them available online didnt dominate headlines all week, but it would have if editors had a longer view for historical impact.


Illinois Governor proposing ga Governor Rod Blagojevich seeks law to punish those who sell violent and sexually explicit games to minors. It #39;s as if the Governor of Illinois never heard of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.


Nokia Targets Fake Phone Batteries Nokia has launched a program to help consumers spot counterfeit mobile phone batteries. The company has begun labeling batteries with holographic labels containing a series of symbols and a 20-digit authentication code hidden under a scratch-off area.


Violent, sexual video game tests child #39;s sense of reality  quot;Hang on, I #39;m going to pick up a prostitute, quot; my boyfriend told me during a weekend trip to Pennsylvania. Steve pulled up to the curb as a girl in hot pants strutted past.


Linux can gain from the Firefox ad Mozilla took out an ostensibly dual-purpose ad in the New York Times yesterday. One reason was to thank everyone who contributed to the open source browser project and, as such, the ad included some 10,000 names, in small print of course.


Seedorf: We Are Ready The Milan midfielder believes that the Rossoneri are ready to take on Juventus on Saturday night. Clarence Seedorf will be facing his former coach at Real Madrid, Fabio Capello, this weekend, but hed rather


Foreigners Killed in Attack in Iraq #39;s Mosul Gunmen attacked a car in the northern Iraq city of Mosul on Friday, killing three foreigners and their Iraqi driver before cutting off the head of one of the victims in a daylight attack.


Drug Failure Deals AstraZeneca Fresh Blow (Reuters) Reuters - AstraZeneca Plc suffered its third\setback in two months on Friday as lung cancer drug Iressa\failed to help patients live longer in a major clinical trial,\sending its shares down as much as 9.2 percent.


Lilly Adds Warning to Strattera Label (Reuters) Reuters - Eli Lilly and Co  said Friday\it added a warning to the label of its attention\deficit/hyperactivity disorder medicine, advising patients with\jaundice or a liver injury to stop taking the treatment.


Hyundai Recalls 120,000 Elantras in U.S.  DETROIT (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. 005380.KS is  recalling about 120,000 Elantra sedans sold in the United  States because of a possible problem with deployment of their  airbags.


Oil Up \$1 on Winter Weather Worries  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose a dollar on Friday as  worries a cold spell in the United States could erode already  depleted winter fuel inventories spurred the market higher.


Sprint deal #39;s job impact unclear Sprint Corp. #39;s acquisition of Nextel Communications Inc. might result in more jobs in the company #39;s local telephone service segment.


EBay buys Rent.com EBay today announced plans to purchase Rent.com, making its entrance into the online real estate category in a deal valued at approximately \$415 million.


Yahoo! to test desktop search engine in January GOOGLE caused a stir when it announced recently that its search engine can now look for data that is stored in users #39; computers.


Cisco Invests \$12 Million in Japanese R amp;D Center Cisco #39;s Tokyo R amp;D center will focus on advanced Internet technologies such as IPv6, multicast, and wireless, in addition to improving existing security and quality-of-service (QoS) technologies.


Newspaper: RedHawks coach accepts IU offer BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Miami (Ohio) football coach Terry Hoeppner reportedly has accepted the head coaching job at Indiana. The Bloomington Herald-Times quotes sources close to the IU program as saying that


Liverpool V Bayer Leverkusen Key Battles Liverpool seem to have been handed one of the easier last-16 draws after the group phase of the Champions League. But Rafael Benitez will be careful not to under-estimate the experienced


Scottish driver David Coulthard signs for Red Bull for 2005 season Scottish driver David Coulthard signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Racing for the 2005 Formula One season, the Austria Press Agency reported on Friday.


Sharon opens a new era of peace in Middle East Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, addressing an academic conference, said that it is the horrible disaster for both people when one nation is occupied by another.


Bugging device found at UN headquarters GENEVA - The United Nations said on Thursday a secret listening device had been found in a posh meeting room of its European headquarters in Geneva.


Bad Day for Drug Companies - and Patients (Reuters) Reuters - Investors in pharmaceuticals were dealt\a triple whammy on Friday as Pfizer Inc, AstraZeneca Plc and\Eli Lilly and Co all shocked the market with bad news about key\products.


Steelcase Posts Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Steelcase Inc. , the world's\largest office furniture maker, posted a quarterly profit on\Friday, reversing a year-earlier loss, as orders increased and\it passed on higher costs to its customers.


France chooses Forgeard for joint control of EADS (AFP) AFP - French interests named the head of Airbus, Noel Forgeard, to be one of two new pilots running the European aeronautics and defence group EADS after weeks of reported tension over his role.


Gazprom Hits Funding Snag on YUKOS Bid  BERLIN/LONDON (Reuters) - Bankers now in talks with Russian  gas firm Gazprom about paying for its bid for the oil  production arm of YUKOS will not go against a U.S. ruling that  the sale was illegal, banking sources said on Friday.