China expects 9 GDP growth in  #39;04 TOKYO (CBS.MW) - China expects economic growth to reach at least 9 percent in 2004, according to a published report. Free! Sign up here to receive our Before the Bell e-Newsletter!


Big business pushing security agenda For Paul Martin, George W. Bush #39;s official visit to Ottawa this week after taking control of the White House for another four years, not only signals a new era in Canada-US relations.


NBC Exec Dick Ebersol Survives Jet Crash (AP) AP - NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol and his college-aged son emerged from the fiery wreckage of a corporate jet after it crashed during takeoff and burst into flames, killing two crew members. Rescuers were still searching for Ebersol's younger son, whose seat was missing from the smoldering ruins.


Owens makes his presence felt, even without a dance And in Week 12, Terrell Owens paused to become just another Eagle contributing to just another victory. No controversy. No ceremony.


Australia Needs Five Wickets for Sweep of Test Cricket Rivals Australia reduced New Zealand to 149- 5 on day four of the second cricket Test in Adelaide, moving within five wickets of a 2-0 series win after setting the tourists 464 for victory.


World Bank Head to Leave in June  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Bank President James  Wolfensohn will leave his post at the beginning of June, when  his term expires, and a search is now under way for someone to  replace him, a U.S. Treasury spokesman said on Monday.


NBA Today (AP) AP - Cleveland at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 p.m. EST). LeBron James is averaging 26.6 points for the Cavaliers.


Manufacturing Picks Up in December (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. factories picked up their pace in\December, capping off a year of expansion in the manufacturing\industry despite some recent signs of a downturn in employment,\a report showed on Monday.


World Bank Head to Leave in June (Reuters) Reuters - World Bank President James\Wolfensohn will leave his post at the beginning of June, when\his term expires, and a search is now under way for someone to\replace him, a U.S. Treasury spokesman said on Monday.


Fred Couples Wins Record 5th Skins Game (AP) AP - Fred Couples continued his amazing run in the Thanksgiving weekend tournament, prevailing in four playoff holes over Tiger Woods to claim the final three skins and  #36;340,000, and win his record fifth Skins Game with a total of  #36;640,000.


Sony to Disclose Details on Computer Chip Sony Corp. plans in 2006 to begin selling home servers for broadband and high-definition TV systems powered by a revolutionary new computer chip, the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant said Monday.


Branson can buy Indian airline stake Richard Branson could qualify to buy a stake in an Indian airline in his personal capacity under India #39;s existing foreign investment regulations, a top government official says.


Recording industry sues Kazaa in Australia Lawyers for Australia #39;s recording industry branded the popular Kazaa computer file-swapping network  quot;an engine of copyright piracy to a degree of magnitude never before seen quot; as they launched a court battle on Monday to shut down its illegal activities.


Finnish skier on top at Aspen After her latest win, Finland #39;s Tanja Poutiainen just shrugged and raised her eyebrows with each question. Not even she could explain why she #39;s off to such a good start this season.


Milan close in on Juve AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Juventus to four points on Sunday after receiving a helping hand from city-rivals Internazionale.


Steelers #39; defense, Bettis key win over Redskins When your defense holds an opponent to 207 yards of offense and allows only one touchdown, you should win a lot of football games.


THE CLINCHER Eagles earn division title by rolling over Giants No matter how much sugar Eli Manning tried to sprinkle on yesterday #39;s 27-6 loss to the Eagles, he couldn #39;t cover up the sourness of his own performance.


Brees, Chargers still electrifying The revitalized San Diego Chargers showed why they keep winning, and the distraught Kansas City Chiefs showed why they continue to lose.


140 still trapped in mine in China blast; 25 dead BEIJING - More than 140 miners remained trapped in the tunnels and shafts of a coal mine in central China after an explosion Sunday that killed 25 of their colleagues, the government said.


Rescue workers save 12 beached whales Rescuers have saved at least 12 pilot whales that beached themselves on Maria Island, off Tasmania #39;s east coast. It has been an exhausting 24 hours for National Parks and Wildlife officers in Tasmania after mass strandings at Maria Island and King Island.


US tech firms hire more foreigners here, too US tech companies aren #39;t just sending work overseas. They #39;re also trying to hire more foreign workers in the USA. Congress approved 20,000 new visas for skilled foreign workers this month.


Software Upgrade knocks out UK Government Network A routine computer software upgrade has crashed 80 percent of UK government PCs at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on Friday.


Consumers losers in next-generation DVD battle As videocassettes fade into history, a full-fledged battle is on to establish the next standard of DVDs which could open up a new realm of possibilities in interactive home entertainment.


It Bodes well LAKE LOUISE -- Less than a dozen hours before making history, Bode Miller proved he #39;s every bit as good an apres skier as he is on the snow.


Stephen Dodd wins China Open Stephen Dodd of Wales won the China Open Sunday by three strokes over Thomas Bjorn. Dodd shot a 4-under-par 68 in the last round to finish in 12-under 276.


Brooks gets into the flow TEMPE - Before yesterday, Brooks Bollinger was last seen in the final preseason game, leading the Jets to 21 unanswered points in the final five minutes to defeat the Eagles.


Lonard wins Australian Open for second year running Defending champion Peter Lonard charged home with five late birdies to win the centenary Australian Open by a single shot on Sunday.


Big plays give Chargers edge KANSAS CITY, Mo.  With their 34-31 victory Sunday, the San Diego Chargers showed why they keep winning. The Kansas City Chiefs showed why they continue to lose.


China, Japan, SKorea Vow Cooperation Over NKorea (Reuters) Reuters - Leaders of China, Japan and South\Korea vowed Monday to strengthen cooperation in resolving the\crisis over North Korea's nuclear programs and to tighten\security and economic ties.


Google Stumbles With New Desktop Tool (PC World) PC World - Beta search app creates vulnerabilities that may threaten your data's\  security.


Brighter Previews for Your Pictures (PC World) PC World - Epson's Photo Fine technology promises vivid, crisp colors on digital\  camera LCDs.


Landmine summit opens in Kenya A conference has opened in Kenya to try to eradicate the use of landmines around the world. Dozens of people are killed or injured by landmines every day and many of them are civilians.


New Wi-Fi Nearly Doubles Speed (PC World) PC World - Belkin's Pre-N wireless networking line also dramatically improves\  range--even for 802.11b and 802.11g gear.


The Cost of Virus Protection Rises (PC World) PC World - Symantec, McAfee hope raising virus-definition fees will move users to\  suites.


DNA bank to catch badger killers A database of badger DNA is being created to help catch people who illegally bait the animals and dig their setts.


Telekom Austria secures right to buy MobilTel Telekom Austria on Monday won the right to acquire MobilTel, the Bulgarian operator, for 1.6bn (\$2.12bn), in a deal that would allow it to tap into an underdeveloped mobile market.


Virgin keen to invest in airlines, telecom WHEN someone as colourful as the Chairman of the Virgin group, Sir Richard Branson, comes visiting there is bound to be some fun and games.


Music industry opens new front against Kazaa in Australia The music industry has taken its battle with peer to peer networking down under. The Australian subsidiaries of the major record labels, including Universal, EMI, Sony BMG, Warner and 25 others are suing Sharman


IBM to unveil graphics processing chip  #39;Cell #39; - report LONDON (CBS.MW) -- IBM (IBM) later today is expected to announce the limited production plans for a chip for home entertainment products, the Wall Street Journal reported.


4 studios back Toshiba #39;s HD DVD TOKYO: Toshiba said on Monday it had won support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros.


Dodd has the last laugh after marathon wait WELSHMAN Stephen Dodd began the new European tour season by ending a 15-year wait for his first title. The 38-year-old from Cardiff, who turned professional after becoming


Pats school Ravens in sloppy drubbing: Stay on roll as defense <b>...</b> Don #39;t talk to the Patriots stats, news about making statements. Don #39;t talk to them about their playoff seeding, winning percentage or schedule down the stretch.


DaimlerChrysler vetoes French plan for single EADS chief PARIS (AFP) - The German-US automaker DaimlerChrysler has shot down plans by French President Jacques Chirac to place a Frenchman as the sole head of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, the Financial Times said.


South Korea Bans Matsushita Products South Korea on Monday slapped a temporary ban on the import and sale of plasma display panels made by Japan #39;s Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.


Shoppers offer retailers cheer Retailers generally had a good showing as the Christmas shopping season began last weekend, but Wal-Mart Stores Inc. dampened the holiday mood with a lump of coal as it reduced its projected sales.


Hong Kong Shares Close Higher The blue-chip Hang Seng Index rose 171.88 points, or 1.22 percent, to 14,066.91. On Friday, the index had slipped 31.58 points, or 0.2 percent.


European shares edge higher European shares opened slightly firmer on Monday as the dollar edged off record lows against the euro but Franco-Belgian bank Dexia slipped after rejecting talks regarding a cross-border tie-up.


International Space station crew takes a ride in Soyuz The two-man crew of the International Space Station left its orbital home today, taking a brief ride in a Russian Soyuz capsule to move the craft from one docking port to another.


Study: Hunters off hook for bison population crash Big game hunters may be off the hook in the latest twist of a prehistoric whodunit that tries to explain why bison populations sharply crashed thousands of years ago.


Vieira to miss Arsenal #39;s tussle with Chelsea Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira will miss the champions #39; crunch game against Premier League leaders Chelsea next month through suspension, the Football Association said on Monday.


Brees kept offense cool If ever there were a time for the Chargers offense to panic, this was it. In fact, it seemed as if the group already was a bit unnerved.


Water sinks Appleby #39;s chances of Open title Stuart Appleby #39;s golf game was a notch away from its best and that was the difference between winning and finishing second at the Australian Open golf tournament here yesterday.


SE Asia Forges Closer Ties with China, Japan, S.Korea Leaders of 13 Southeast and Northeast Asian states Monday underlined their determination to turn growing economic power into political influence by establishing a new summit-level grouping.


Beached whales die off Tasmania More than 100 whales and dolphins have died in two separate beachings in islands off Tasmania in Australia. Ninety-seven pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins died off King Island over the weekend, and several others have died off Maria Island.


Palestinians look for early solution CAIRO, Egypt -- Mahmoud Abbas, the leading candidate for the Palestinian Authority presidency, said Sunday that Palestinians wanted to begin negotiating final statehood terms with Israel as soon as possible and hoped to reach an accord by the end of next


Sri Lanka attack raises tension Members of the Sinhala and Tamil communities have clashed again in eastern Sri Lanka after a grenade attack on a bus left one person dead.


Heineken boosts African position Heineken buys a majority stake in Nigerian brewer Consolidated Breweries, boosting its position in Africa's second-largest market.


Barcelona Testing, Day 3, 26/11/04 A trouble-free day for Franck and Giancarlo as they completed almost 200 laps of Barcelona.


Couples skins Tiger in playoff Minutes after hitting his ball into the water to blow a chance of winning the Skins Game, Tiger Woods smiled and walked arm-in-arm down the fairway with Fred Couples.


Rescuers Trying to Reach Chinese Miners Rescuers trying to reach 141 miners trapped by an underground explosion were pumping noxious fumes out of a Chinese coal mine Monday but an official said their chances of survival were  quot;extremely slight.


French Ruling Party Head Sarkozy Resigning as Finance Minister French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy is resigning when he meets today with Prime Minister Jean- Pierre Raffarin, freeing him to use his new position as head of the ruling party to prepare for the 2007 presidential elections.


Southeast Asian Leaders Open ASEAN Summit in Laos Southeast Asian leaders have opened a two-day summit in Laos aimed at creating an economic community in six years and expanding free trade agreements with Asia #39;s largest economies.


Shoppers Spend, Retailers Rejoice On the Day After Thanksgiving The news was good for many retailers over the holiday weekend as enthusiastic consumers took to stores in droves on Black Friday and bought at a higher rate than last year.


HK Shares End Near 45-Mo High On Hutchison, Ppty Stks -2- HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Hong Kong shares ended up Monday to close at their highest level in nearly 45 months, led by gains in property counters and blue-chip Hutchison Whampoa.


Premier implies US has mismanaged its currency -report Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao launched an indirect attack on the United States Sunday for failing to halt the dollar #39;s slide, and vowed not to revalue the renminbi yuan under pressure, according to a published report.


Nun enjoys prison meals with Martha DENVER - The food at the Federal Corrections Camp in Alderson, W.Va., apparently is nothing to write home about - unless one is eating it with Martha Stewart.


Kazaa trial opens with  #39;massive piracy #39; claim Kazaa owner Sharman Networks was back in the Australian Federal Court in Sydney today facing allegations that it had not only created the world #39;s largest music piracy network, but also knew for what illegal purpose its software was being put and even


Phones catching hackers attention Several Web sites recently began offering software promising ringtones and screen savers for certain cell phones. But those who downloaded the software found that it turned


Technology drives toward the future, throws retail items to the <b>...</b> Now shows can be recorded without anything physical to record them on. The same goes for music. The days of tape-cassette #39;s are long-gone, but CDs could be on their way out, too.


French hostility a chronic problem PARIS -- US diplomats here respond to Jacques Chirac #39;s continued Yankee-bashing following George W. Bush #39;s re-election by saying the French president is out of step with his people, who are not nearly that anti-American.


Top News ; Jordan #39;s king removes crown prince Top News News, Amman,Jordan #39;s King Abdullah II has stripped his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, of his title as crown prince and heir to the Hashemite throne in an unexpected move that surprised many Jordanians.


Kazaa trial opens with 'massive piracy' claim Sharman 'encouraged' illegal file-trading, lawyers allege


Call for action on internet scam Phone companies are not doing enough to warn about net rogue-dialling scams, says the UK telecoms watchdog.


Myanmar Extends Suu Kyi House Arrest - Opposition (Reuters) Reuters - Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi\has been told by police she is being held under house arrest\under a law which allows for such detention for up to a year,\an opposition spokesman said Monday.


German Snow White sacked for posing nude (Reuters) Reuters - A German singer who plays Snow White has lost her job at Dresden's\Christmas market after posing for nude photos in a bathtub, Bild newspaper says.


Device to probe limits of physics UK physicists finish a crucial element of a device that will probe the forces that shape our Universe.


Beached whales die off Tasmania More than 100 whales and dolphins die in two separate beachings in islands off Tasmania in Australia.


Sri Lanka attack raises tension Sinhalas and Tamils clash again in eastern Sri Lanka after a grenade attack on a bus leaves one person dead.


India make first-innings inroads India reach 48-1 at tea in reply to South Africa's 305 on day two of the second Test.


Call for action on internet scam Phone companies are not doing enough to warn customers about internet "rogue-dialling" scams, watchdog Icstis warns.


Space Station Astronauts Move Soyuz to Prepare for Spacewalks The two astronauts aboard the International Space Station moved the Soyuz spacecraft that brought them to the orbiting outpost to prepare for a pair of spacewalks to be conducted next year.


Bolton wobble continues Four games without a win, and two away matches coming up before a home date with a resurgent Manchester City, have put a new complexion on their season.


French agriculture minister to take finance portfolio from Sarkozy (AFP) AFP - France's agriculture minister, Herv #195; #169; Gaymard, will replace Nicolas Sarkozy as finance and economy minister following the latter's resignation to take up the helm of the governing UMP party, officials said.


The downward spiral It #39;s hard to believe that only a month ago, the New York Giants were 5-2 and sitting a realistic two games behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East race.


Patriots #39; defense leaves Ravens all wet Jarvis Green capped the Patriots #39; domination when he recov ered the slip pery ball in the end zone against a team known for its own defensive touchdowns.


Romanian ruling party lead shrinks Romania #39;s ruling ex-communists scored a wafer-thin victory over opposition centrists in Sunday #39;s parliamentary vote, according to partial official results.


Powerful earthquake hits northern Japan, triggers tsunami A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan #39;s northern island of Hokkaido early Monday, swaying buildings and triggering a tsunami that lashed the shore, officials said.


Sea Knowledge Not Very Deep An ambitious project to catalog life in the ocean shows that so far we've just scratched the surface. By Stephen Leahy.


Web Won't Let Government Hide Advocates for open government are creating search engines and websites to let citizens peek into the inner workings of official agencies. Now more than ever, they say, openness is essential to self-government. By Ryan Singel.


Dumbing Down a Smartwatch Researchers are developing an RFID-enabled watch system to help the memory-challenged find their stuff. But making sure it doesn't track too much is a big privacy concern. By Michael Bradbury.


The Next Giant Leap Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, talks space and the future with James Cameron for Wired magazine.


Swiss: Limited Stem Cell Approval A measure that forbids cloning human embryos but allows scientists to extract stem cells from unwanted embryos for medical research is approved by Swiss voters. The restrictive legislation is similar to that of the Netherlands and Spain.


Sequester That Carbon Dioxide Disused Texas oil field reservoirs may become storage areas for greenhouse gases emitted by burning fossil fuels. Known as carbon sequestration, the technology captures the gas that can linger in the atmosphere for decades.


TiVo Their Way: Ads, Copy Brakes Plans for pop-up ads and restrictions on copying have some consumer advocates wondering about Tivo's commitment to customer control. The company says it has to bow some to Hollywood and advertiser interests.


Passport Privacy Protection? Nope The Bush administration opposes security measures recommended by privacy advocates for new microchip-equipped passports, saying it's concerned for the safety of American travelers. Critics say the chips are good for identity thieves and government snoops.


Reliance Energy Board to meet tomorrow The Board of Directors of Reliance Energy Ltd. would meet this week to consider the resignations of 6 of its 14 directors, a statement from the country #39;s second-largest power utility said.


Australian current account deficit hits record Australias current account deficit widened to a record level in the third quarter, putting downward pressure on the nations fast-growing economy and sending the countrys currency lower.


IBM, Sony firm up Playstation Cell chip plans THE CELL CHIP which is the basis for the Playstation 3 will go into limited production next year, said IBM and Sony. It won #39;t go into mass production until 2006, but IBM will show off the chip at a chip conference in February next year.


TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 2004--Toshiba Corporation a indiqu ce jour que la socit a reu diffrents engagements de soutien de Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema, et Warner Bros.


Microsoft hunts for fake XP Microsoft is hoping to beat the fraudsters and trace large-scale counterfeiters of Windows XP OEM with a free checking and replacement scheme for users.


Gerrard sets sights on Premiership surge Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says Sunday #39;s win over Arsenal can help galvanise the Reds for a run up the English Premiership table.


Oh brother! He stripped him off AMMAN: Jordan #39;s King Abdullah II has stripped his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, of his title as crown prince and heir to the Hashemite throne in an unexpected move that surprised many Jordanians.


Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi house arrest extended: party (AFP) AFP - Myanmar's detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has had her period of house arrest extended by another year, her opposition party and officials said.


Mortgages fall as house market cools Home loan approvals in October fell to their lowest levels in nearly five years, according to figures released this morning by the Bank of England, confirming that the housing


Roechlings Sell Rheinmetall Stake for \$743 Million, People Say Germany #39;s Roechling family completed the sale of its stake in weapons-maker Rheinmetall AG to institutional investors for 561 million euros (\$743 million), people familiar with the transaction said.


US holiday leaves oil waiting for a lead Singapore - Crude oil futures fell on Monday in muted Asian trade with players hoping for a fresh lead when the US market reopens later after a four-day closure, dealers said.


Kmart, Sears merger could cost area jobs The monster merger between Troy, Mich.-based Kmart Holding Corp. and Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Roebuck  amp; Co. may have local impact.


Music companies sue Sharman over Kazaa Five record companies are suing Sharman Networks, creator of the file-swapping technology Kazaa, for music piracy in Australia #39;s Federal Court.


Carter left on TE on key play If Andre Carter never makes it as a standout in pass coverage, he will excel as a diplomat. Carter, the 49ers #39; best pure pass rusher, neatly sidestepped the


Australian labels sue file sharer Australian record companies, including the world's four major labels, are suing the firm behind the Kazaa file-sharing software.


Government 'must reduce spending' Whatever party wins the next general election will have to either cut spending or raise taxes, says the CBI, which wants the former.


US shoppers fail to give thanks to Wal-Mart WAL-MART, the worlds largest retailer, has cut its sales forecast, in the run-up to Christmas, by more than half after suffering a fall in the number of shoppers passing through its doors


Roechling Sells Its Stake in Rheinmetall Roechling Industrie Verwaltung GmbH said Monday it has sold its majority stake in German defense and industrial group Rheinmetall AG for an undisclosed sum.


Hollywood majors back Toshiba DVD Toshiba said on Monday that four major Hollywood studios had thrown their crucial weight behind High Definition DVD (HD-DVD), one of two disc formats contending to be the standard in next-generation DVDs.


Best antivirus software for 2005 Viruses and worms just keep getting smarter and more devious. While the best defense is not opening e-mail attachments, you still need a solid antivirus program.


Raiders win snow bowl  quot;Dead over the middle, quot; he said. And in he came, all 6-foot-8 and 345 pounds of him, to block a 43-yard Denver field goal attempt with 31 seconds to play, secure a 25-24 victory for the Oakland


Loftier goal for Eagles Koy Detmer took a knee for the final time, the clock struck 0:00 and the Eagles had won it and done it. They had cut down the Giants 27-6 with a run of 20 straight points


Romania Vote Marred by Fraud Charges Exit polls in key Romanian elections are showing a likely win for the ruling Social Democrats. But as in Ukraine, the opposition has demanded an investigation into voting irregularities.


As flat-panels oust older TVs, disposal fears arise (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Soaring sales of flat-panel televisions this holiday are expected to spark one of tech's toughest environmental challenges: disposing of millions of old, toxic TVs. Almost 4 million flat-panel TVs are expected to be sold worldwide this year, says researcher DisplaySearch.


Diplomat: Rwanda Troops in Congo (AP) AP - Rwanda has sent thousands of troops into Congo in recent days, a Western diplomat in Congo's capital said Monday, but U.N. officials said they had no evidence of such an incursion.


IBM project puts supercomputer on a chip (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - IBM today plans to disclose details of a project to put a supercomputer on a chip.


Confirmation Hearings for Rice Pushed Back (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times - At the White House's request, confirmation hearings for Condoleezza Rice as secretary of State will not begin until Congress reconvenes in January, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said.


Germany probes army abuse claims Germany's defence ministry investigates claims of abuse of soldiers by superior officers at a unit in Bavaria.


IBM, Sony to detail 'Cell' PS3 CPU February 2005 Massively parallel, 64-bit POWER-based processor to debut at ISSCC


Automakers Tout Hybrids, Power Rules General Motors Corp., which sells  the gas-gobbling Hummer, urges Americans to "Get Green" on a special Web site and is producing advertising campaigns trumpeting hydrogen fuel and gas-electric hybrid vehicles.


Holiday Shoppers Off to a Fast Start Holiday shoppers spent 10 percent more Friday than they did a year ago, according to early reports, but Wal-Mart Stores Inc. dampened hopes for a strong start to the key retail season by slashing its November sales forecast by more than half.


Bush to Change Economic Team The president wants to tap prominent figures outside the administration to help sell rewrites of Social Security and the tax laws to Congress and the country, White House aides and advisers said over the weekend.


Computer Analysis Is Bringing Science to Art Some computers can beat grandmasters at chess. <br>Others can compose music.


Family Tree Maker 2005 Deluxe; Law   Order: Justice Is Served; WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw The 12th edition of this genealogy program comes in three editions -- Standard, Deluxe and Collector's -- but the core program is identical in all.


India 'overruns' separatist camps The Indian army says it has overrun scores of camps in a four-week drive against separatists in the north-east.


Australian labels sue file sharer Record labels are suing the firm behind leading file-sharing software Kazaa, in the latest round of the fight over copyright. Sharman Networks, based in Australia but registered in the Pacific island state


Russian-US Crew Re-Docks Soyuz Spacecraft at ISS After Half-Hour <b>...</b> The US-Russian crew of the international space station successfully re-docked a spaceship at a new port on the station Monday in preparation for two spacewalks early next year.


UPDATE 3-Aggressive Sehwag leads positive Indian reply Opener Virender Sehwag cracked a rapid unbeaten 82 as India rushed to 129 for one in reply to South Africa #39;s first innings 305 on the day two of the second and final test on Monday.


Official: Fear Factor Adding to Oil Price Saudi Arabia #39;s oil minister Ali Naimi said Monday that the  quot;fear factor quot; over supplies has added \$10 to \$15 a barrel to the price of oil and reiterated that his country is working toward lifting its sustainable oil production capacity.


S Korea bans imports of Matsushita plasma panels South Korea on Monday imposed a temporary import ban on plasma display panels made by Matsushita, the Japanese consumer electronics maker, after LG Electronics complained its rival had violated its intellectual property rights.


Dexia shelves proposed merger with Sanpaolo LONDON, November 29 (newratings.com) - The board of the Franco-Belgian Bank, Dexia (DXB.ETR), has rejected the companys proposed 37 billion merger with Italys Sanpaolo (PAO), following increasing opposition to the proposal by a group of its key


Toshiba Wins Support for HD DVD from 4 Film Studios Toshiba Corp. said on Monday it had won support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from Warner Bros. Studios, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures


Cell Processor Unveiled Specifically, the companies confirmed that Cell is a multicore chip comprising a 64-bit Power processor core and multiple synergistic processor cores capable of massive floating point processing.


Striking up digital video search com November 29, 2004, 4:00 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


The Cost of Virus Protection Rises Gasoline and milk aren #39;t the only things that cost more these days. The cost of keeping your antivirus software current has been rising, also.


Diouf charged by FA with improper conduct Bolton striker El Hadji Diouf has been charged with improper conduct following an incident in Saturday #39;s Premier League match against Portsmouth, the Football Association (FA) said on Monday.


Iraq forces kill 17 in  #39;triangle of death #39; Iraqi forces backed by US and British troops killed 17 gunmen and wounded nine others in battles in the so-called  quot;triangle of death quot; south of Baghdad.


Head of British charity expelled from Sudan The Sudanese Government has expelled the head of Save the Children from the country and threatened the director of Oxfam with a similar fate today.


Finnish labour market reform vital to pay for ageing population: OECD (AFP) AFP - The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development called on Finland in a report to reform its labor market to boost employment, necessary to cope with an ageing population.


Easymobile Closer to  #39;Lean, Low-Cost Service #39; Launch Moves by easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou to launch a low-cost mobile service were boosted today by an agreement to rent airtime from T-Mobile.


Newcastle 1, Everton 1 (D,Post) DETERMINATION, character and resolve are the usual words reeled off when talk turns to praising David Moyes #39;s latest Goodison revival.


Christmas trees crop up all over TRAVERSE CITY - It may not replace cherries as the region #39;s signature farm crop, but the area #39;s Christmas tree industry is sprucing up all the same.


Virgin plans may clash with govt policy The present policy of not allowing a foreign carrier to hold stake in domestic airlines has put a question mark on Virgin Atlantic chief Richard Branson #39;s plans to acquire equity in private Indian airline companies.


Suicide Bomber Attacks Iraqi Police, Kills 12 (Reuters) Reuters - A suicide car bomber plowed into\policemen waiting to collect their salary at a police station\west of Ramadi Monday, killing 12 people in the latest\insurgent attack on Iraq's beleaguered security forces.


Iran to Escape Censure After Nuclear Cat-And-Mouse (Reuters) Reuters - Iran looked set to avoid being reported\to the United Nations Security Council on Monday after\reaffirming its commitment to a deal meant to reassure the\world it is not trying to build a nuclear bomb.


Sudan expels representatives of two British aid groups (AFP) AFP - The Sudanese government declared the representatives of two British humanitarian organizations persona non-grata and gave them 48 hours to leave the country.


Football: Diouf on spitting charge The FA charges Bolton's El-Hadji Diouf with improper conduct after he spat at Portsmouth's Arjan de Zeeuw.


Strong dollar  #39;to blame #39; TREASURER Peter Costello warned yesterday that exporters faced a challenging year, blaming the strength of the Australian dollar for an uncomfortably large current account deficit.


The Bonus: A Rise in the Number Wall St. Crunches the Most The holiday season has arrived and with it the ultimate in year-end giving, bonus season on Wall Street. Top executives of the leading financial firms are now spending


Toshiba wins backing for HD-DVD Toshiba has won a major victory in the battle to determine the standard for next-generation DVDs with the endorsement by four Hollywood studios of its High Definition-DVD format.


The Internet Column Beware the web, beware even of known and trusted web sites that you have been visiting for years. For even the most trustworthy of organisations, operating the most trustworthy of web sites


Cicadas #39; Overall Effect on Trees That appears to be the conclusion of research in this week #39;s issue of Science that assesses the effects of 17-year periodical cicadas on forest ecology.


Blacks Caps stumble early in chase New Zealand was in early trouble during its second innings midway through day four of the second cricket Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.


Spain: Madrid and Valencia both win and consolidate their <b>...</b> MADRID, Nov 28 (SW) - A few magic minutes early in the second half were enough for Real Madrid to decide their home match against Levante.


Experts debate over whale strandings A MASSIVE rescue operation is under way off the southeast coast of Tasmania after two mysterious strandings of long-finned pilot whales and bottle-nosed dolphins within


SE Asia Forges Closer Ties with China, Japan, S.Korea
\

 By Ed Cropley

 VIENTIANE (Reuters) - Leaders of 13 Southeast and Northeast\Asian states Monday underlined their determination to turn\growing economic power into political influence by establishing\a new summit-level grouping.


Dollar Rests After Sharp Losses (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar held above last week's record\low against the euro and 4-1/2 year lows against the yen\Monday, winning some respite after 10 consecutive weeks of\losses.


Eurostocks Near 28-Month Peak (Reuters) Reuters - European shares flirted with 28-month\highs on Monday, buoyed by a bounce back in auto groups after\their recent trouncing due to the weak dollar.


Stephen B. Shepard to Retire from BusinessWeek; Expected to Lead <b>...</b> NEW YORK, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- After 20 years leading BusinessWeek magazine -- a tenure defined by editorial excellence, circulation growth and global expansion -- Stephen B. Shepard, Editor-in-Chief, will retire effective April 1, 2005.


Stocks Set for Firmer Open; Retail Eyed Stock futures rose sharply on Monday, pointing to a strong open, as investors pinned hopes on a solid start to the holiday shopping season, while the dollar pulled back from record lows and oil eased slightly.


Turnpike turns to temps With smooth holiday travel along its 531 miles of road, the Pennsylvania Turnpike will continue to cycle temporary workers and managers


Net music swap firm a  #39;pirate #39; A SYDNEY software company painted itself as a defender of the interests of millions of music fans when in fact it was the world #39;s biggest music pirate, a court was told yesterday.


HD-DVD picks up Hollywood support By Martyn Williams, IDG News Service and Paul Kallender, IDG News Service. The group supporting the HD-DVD optical disc format for high-definition video has received a boost in its battle against the rival


High-tech consortium to challenge Intel #39;s chip dominance IBM, Sony and Toshiba are joining forces to challenge Intel, creating a new computer chip called Cell. The three companies have been working together on Cell since 2001.


Oram relishes the tough Aussie challenge Adelaide: New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram said playing in the lopsided series against Australia  quot;leaves for dead quot; thrashing Bangladesh twice in Tests last month.


Real Madrid stays in touch of leader Barcelona in the Spanish <b>...</b> Four goals in 11 minutes allowed Real Madrid to destroy Bernd Schuster #39;s Levante and win over some frustrated fans as it secured second place in the Spanish league standings.


Sehwag slams 82 in Indian reply CALCUTTA, India - Indian opener Virender Sehwag slammed a sparkling 82 not out to ensure the base for a big total in reply to South Africa #39;s modest score in the second and final Test.


Burger named IRB player of the year Schalk Burger completed a mesmerising season by winning the International Rugby Board (IRB #39;s) Player of the Year in London #39;s Royal Lancaster Hotel last night.


Hope fading for China miners More than a day and a half after a deadly gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in northwest China, rescuers are losing hope of finding 141 people still trapped underground.


Sudan expels British charity head The head of Save the Children in Sudan has been expelled from the country over claims that the charity breached Sudanese law by claiming warplanes dropped bombs near an aid centre in Darfur.


Account deficit blows out to \$13.7 bn MARK COLVIN: It #39;s been a day of records on the economic front, but they #39;re not the sort of achievements the Federal Government likes to trumpet.


No-frills service could see prices drop LONDON (CBS.MW) -- T-Mobile is to act as carrier for a web-based UK mobile phone service set up by Denmark #39;s TDC and the EasyGroup that is to launch in March.


Giants are now playing for next year When Tom Coughlin growled, gritted his teeth and clenched those fists his first day on the job, he vowed these Fasselian free falls were finished.


Rugby: Burger named Player of the Year LONDON : Schalk Burger was named Player of the Year at the International Rugby Board (IRB) awards ceremony as South Africa scooped three awards.


Pampling in lead at Australian Open SYDNEY, Australia -- Australias Rod Pampling got off to a rough start Saturday and finished with a 3-over-par 74, leaving him one stroke ahead of countryman Richard Green entering the last round of the centennial Australian Open.


Chirac loyalist takes finance job Herve Gaymard, farm minister and loyal backer of French President Jacques Chirac, takes over the finance ministry from Nicolas Sarkozy.


Top clubs 'should run UK football' Large football clubs should not be concerned about those struggling at the lower end of the leagues, says Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd.


Update 2: Crude Oil Futures Ease Slightly Crude oil futures eased slightly Monday but remained close to the \$50 a barrel level amid lingering concerns about shortages of heating oil at the start of the Northern Hemisphere winter.


Telekom Austria Plans to Buy Mobiltel for \$1.5 Bln (Update7) Telekom Austria AG plans to buy Bulgaria #39;s largest wireless company, MobilTel EAD, for 1.15 billion euros (\$1.5 billion), adding 3 million subscribers in a nation where less than half the population has a cellular phone.


Martha has a jailhouse flock - nun popular with prisoners and guards who give her  quot;kid-glove quot; treatment, a new report says. In the seven weeks since the diva of


GDP in Q3 grows 6.3 DESPITE the budget deficit, continued increases in oil and consumer prices, the economy, as measured by gross domestic product, grew by 6.3 percent in the third


Sony Discloses Details on Computer Chip (AP) AP - Sony Corp. plans to begin selling home servers for broadband and high-definition TV systems powered by a revolutionary new computer chip in 2006, the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant said Monday.


Toshiba Announces the Next-Generation DVD Format Endorsement by <b>...</b> TOKYO --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 29, 2004 -- Toshiba Corporation disclosed today that the company has received separate commitments of support from Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros.


Sony Discloses Details on Computer Chip Yoshihide Fujii, president and chief executive officer of Tokyoba Digital Media Network Co., speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Nov. 29, 2004.


Pirate for genuine XP trade BRITISH owners of pirated copies of Microsoft #39;s Windows XP operating system can trade them in for the real thing as part of a bid by the software giant to fight counterfeiting.


Toshiba Wins Support for HD DVD from 4 Film Studios (Reuters) Reuters - Toshiba Corp. said on Monday it had won\support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from Warner Bros.\Studios, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and New Line\Cinema, advancing its cause in the battle for the\next-generation DVD.


Russia Captures Fed Cup Tennis Title Favored Russia has captured the Fed Cup tennis title for the first time, with a dramatic 3-2 win over defending champion France in Moscow.


Green slams tough courses RICHARD Green is campaigning for a fair go for golfers in a bid to inject more excitement into home tournaments this summer. Green blasted the brutal course set-up for last week #39;s Australian


Spain fear Bryan brothers in Davis Cup final The United States doubles pairing of Mike and Bob Bryan could pose as big a challenge to Spain #39;s Davis Cup final hopes as world number two Andy Roddick, a Spanish team coach said on Monday.


FA charge Diouf over spitting incident LONDON, Nov 29 (SW) - The English Football Association has confirmed Bolton Wanderers striker El Hadji Diouf had been charged with improper conduct.


Iraqi Red Crescent Sets Up Relief Center (AP) AP - The Iraqi Red Crescent has established a relief center in Fallujah, Iraq, but continued fighting between U.S.-led forces and insurgents makes it impossible for doctors and nurses to move around and treat the wounded, the international Red Cross said Monday.


GPL Could Put Heat on Microsoft (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Efforts under way to revise the popular GNU General Public License could put additional pressure on Microsoft by the time it tries to push its long-awaited Windows upgrades out the door.


Breaking Down the Orange Bowl Match-Up (AP) AP - Southern California and Oklahoma both have a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, an All-American tailback and swift defenses that run similar schemes. A look at how the No. 1 Trojans and No. 2 Sooners will match up in the Orange Bowl on Tuesday night:


Eagles to Weigh Playoff Pressure Over Week (AP) AP - The Philadelphia Eagles once again have home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. And once again, nothing less than a trip to the Super Bowl will be considered a success.


Report Links Ex-TV Manager, Saddam's Son (AP) AP - A videotape found in Baghdad after the ouster of Saddam Hussein shows a former manager for Al-Jazeera television thanking one of Saddam's sons for his support, the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat says.


Stocks Set to Rise; Retail and Apple Eyed (Reuters) Reuters - Stock futures rose on Monday, pointing\to a firmer open, as investors pinned hopes on a solid start to\the holiday shopping season, while Apple Computer Inc \was helped by another brokerage raising its price target on the\stock.


Asia Faces Living Nightmare from Climate Change (Reuters) Reuters - The weather predictions for Asia in\2050 read like a script from a doomsday movie.


Hillary Opposed to Highway to South Pole (AP) AP - New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest and the first to drive a vehicle to the South Pole, described a U.S. highway to the pole as "terrible."


Creative Zen Micro 5GB music player Reg review Mobile phone styling comes to the MP3 world


Screensaver tackles spam websites A screensaver targeting spam-related websites could help drive spammers out of business.


Intelligence Community Looks at Convera Software Software provider Convera Corp. of Vienna was awarded \$800,000 by a CIA-funded private-venture group to expedite the development of its search-and categorization capability.


Company Hopes to Take Outsourcing to a New Level: Africa Many large companies have reaped the economic benefits of outsourcing in recent years. Karim Morsli is trying to make money bringing those same advantages to small and medium-sized businesses -- while also spurring economic growth in Africa.


U.S. Opposes Passport Privacy Protections The Bush administration opposed security measures for new microchip-equipped passports that privacy advocates contended were needed to prevent identity theft, government snooping or a terror attack, according to State Department documents released Friday.


Toshiba Wins Support for HD DVD from 4 Film Studios
\

 By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Nathan Layne

 TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp. said on Monday it had won\support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from Warner Bros.\Studios, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and New Line\Cinema, advancing its cause in the battle for the\next-generation DVD.


Australia Music Industry Decries Kazaa Lawyers for Australia's recording industry branded the popular Kazaa file-swapping network "an engine of copyright piracy to a degree of magnitude never before seen" as they launched a court battle to shut down Kazaa's illegal activities.


'Ringback' Tones May Be Next Big Thing Ring tones are so yesterday. If wireless companies have their way, the next multibillion-dollar surprise in the cellular business will be "Ringback" tones.


Asteroid named after professor Scientists name an asteroid after the professor responsible for the failed Beagle 2 mission to Mars.


Asian equities higher as dollar claws back Asian equities were higher as the dollar clawed above last week #39;s record low against the euro and firmed against the yen, sending shipping and steel shares higher.


GDP growth likely healthy Despite cautionary words from Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge last week about the impact of the rising dollar, Canadian gross domestic product likely grew at a healthy 3.5 clip in the third quarter due to strong consumer spending.


CELL Prototype Announced By Sony, Toshiba, and IBM In two joint press releases, Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Toshiba, and IBM, have today announced the creation of the prototype CELL processor, which is currently being developed in Austin Texas.


Expedition 10 Relocates Soyuz The Expedition 10 crewmembers successfully relocated a Soyuz spacecraft at the International Space Station this morning, setting the stage for their upcoming spacewalks.


Sony keeps PSP production low, focuses on PS2 Low initial shipment figures for Sony #39;s forthcoming PlayStation Portable are down to a decision to focus on manufacturing the profitable PlayStation 2 hardware, according to a spokesperson for the Japanese giant.


Creative Zen Micro Le Zen Micro te donne la possibilit de choisir ta couleur prfre. Tu prfres le rose au noir ou gris ? Fais ton choix entre toutes les couleurs que le Zen micro peut toffrir.


Microsoft upgrade knocks out 80,000 government PCs Some 80,000 computers at the Department for Work and Pensions went down during  #39;a routine software upgrade #39; of its Microsoft machines this week.


Toffeemen  #39;ecstatic #39; with a point Everton boss David Moyes was full of praise for his hard-working side after Lee Carsley #39;s free-kick goal saw them claim a point from their visit to St James #39; Park yesterday, writes Miles Starforth.


Rugby-Burger named best player as Springboks sweep IRB awards Flanker Schalk Burger was named the International Rugby Board (IRB) #39;s player of the year as South Africa swept the top honours at a ceremony in London.


Middle East ; Iran still striving for centrifuge exemption Middle East News, Iran said yesterday that it was still discussing with Europe on its demand on the exemption of 20 centrifuges from the suspension, sniffing at the prospect of the referral of its nuclear case to the UN Security Council.


Bombing of Kazakh president #39;s office  #39;hooliganism #39; not  #39;terrorism #39; <b>...</b> Terrorism wasn #39;t involved in a pair of bomb blasts that rocked the pro-presidential party #39;s office in Kazakhstan #39;s commercial capital, police said Monday.


Chile Will Give Pensions to Torture Victims Under Dictatorship Chile #39;s government said that tens of thousands of people were tortured during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and that the victims will receive reparations.


IBM opens on demand tech center Hoping literally to bring users more in touch with its on demand technologies, IBM on Monday announced the opening of a new technology center in Gaithersburg, Md., to help users implement a number of different orchestration and provisioning capabilities.


Sony, IBM, and Toshiba reveal more plans for Cell chip The four companies developing the Cell microprocessor released a few more details about the chip on Monday -- and with them a surprise: first generation versions of the device won't be built on a cutting edge production technology into which the companies have sunk billions of dollars, but on a technology already in widespread use today.


Microsoft and Sun plan Webcast to detail cooperation Those wondering what this year's surprise cooperation deal between Microsoftand Sun Microsystems will actually produce should get an update in coming weeks, when the companies detail some of their interoperability work in areas like Web services, directory services, and security.


Russia welcomes foreign bids for assets of embattled Yukos oil giant (AFP) AFP - Russia said it would welcome Indian and other companies bidding for the assets of Russian oil giant Yukos, the country's biggest oil exporter, due to be sold off later this month.


Satellite failure hits U.S. broadband services The failure of a communications satellite on Sunday has knocked out broadband services supplied by StarBand Communications, according to a statement posted on the company's web site.


Industry group might buy Commerce One patents A move is afoot to form an industry consortium to buy about 40 patents that are among the assets of bankrupt Commerce One.


Shopping Search Week 2004! Shopping has emerged as one of the most important vertical categories in the specialized search arena, for searchers, advertisers and merchants alike.  This week we take a look at what's new and improved in shopping and product comparison search engines.


Tutu and Mbeki in war of words The row between South African President Thabo Mbeki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu worsens.


Reform candidate enters PA race Palestinian democracy activist Mustafa Barghouti joins the race to replace Yasser Arafat as Palestinian president.


First look at PlayStation 3 chip The chip that will power the PlayStation 3 is said to be up to 10 times faster than current processors.


North Carolina Cruises Playing their fifth game in eight days, the Tar Heels get 23 points from Jawad Williams to beat Southern California, 97-65.


Ukraine Supreme Court Opens Hearing Into Vote Fraud Charges As the court met on whether the election results should be nullified, there were two other significant developments.


Is Microsoft creating tomorrow's IE security holes today? Opinion Seeds of disaster


U.N. Agency Welcomes Iran's Nuclear Halt The International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution today welcoming Iran's suspension of its nuclear program but said it would continue to monitor it.


Judge Orders Ex-State Senator Back to Jail A judge ordered former state Sen. Guy Velella and four others to return to jail today, but the defense promised an immediate appeal.


AstraZeneca Gets Added Nexium FDA OK Drug maker AstraZeneca PLC reported Monday that the Food and Drug Administration approved its heartburn medication Nexium for the treatment of gastric ulcers associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs.


BellSouth Names Feidler Operating Chief BellSouth Corp. on Monday said Mark Feidler will become chief operating officer on Jan. 1 amid a reshuffling of several higher-level executives.


Dollar Firms as Focus Turns to US Data The dollar gained tentatively on Monday, recovering from last week #39;s record low against the euro and a 4-1/2-year trough against the yen as traders turned their sights to US economic reports due later in the week.


GDP expands 6.5 in Jan-Sept The Philippine economy maintained its solid growth in the first nine months of the year as gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 6.5 percent, well on track of the governments full-year target.


UnitedHealth to Buy Definity Health UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it would buy Definity Health Corp. for \$300 million, as the No.


Atari names James Caparro president, CEO NEW YORK (Dow Jones/AP) -- Video-game maker Atari Inc. said Monday it named James Caparro president and chief executive officer, effective immediately.


BusinessWeek editor to CUNY Stephen B. Shepard, the longtime editor in chief of BusinessWeek magazine, will retire in April to become the founding dean of the new Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.


EADS plans decision on A350 on December 10: Airbus PARIS : The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) will reach a decision on launching the A350, a possible competitor to Boeing #39;s planned fuel-efficient 7E7, on December 10, a spokeswoman for the European consortium Airbus Industrie said.


RIL Borad justifies superior power to CMD MUMBAI: Reliance on Monday asserted that there was no violation of law or memorandum of association by its Board in according superior power to Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani.


Univision drops suit against Nielsen NEW YORK -- Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications Inc. on Monday said it has dropped its lawsuit against Nielsen Media Research over a new TV rating system Univision claimed miscounts its viewers.


Russia May Repay Up to \$10Bln in Foreign Debt in 2005  Finance <b>...</b> Russia may allocate up to \$10 billion from its stabilization fund to repay foreign debt, Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin told reporters at a press conference held in the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti on Monday.


EU Nations Cling to Biotech Bans on Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer Monsanto Co., Syngenta AG and Bayer AG failed to win wider access to the European Union #39;s biotechnology market when a demand that five nations lift bans on some gene-modified foods allowed elsewhere in the EU was blocked.


Iran Uranium Program Resolution Passed Iran escaped U.N. censure over its nuclear program but Washington, which accuses it of seeking an atomic bomb, said on Monday it reserved the right to take the case to the Security Council on its own.


Sudan Expels Head of Britain Aid Agency Sudan expelled the country director of Save the Children, accusing the British aid agency of breaching Sudanese law and interfering in domestic affairs, the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry and the agency said on Monday.


NFL Wrap: McNabb Leads Eagles to Fourth East Title  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donovan McNabb passed for one  touchdown and rushed for another as the Philadelphia Eagles won  their fourth straight division title with a 27-6 win over the  New York Giants in the NFL Sunday.


Kazaa offering free Internet-based calls Free Internet-based phone calls are the newest feature of the popular Kazaa file-sharing program. The offering, in a software upgrade this week, comes as Kazaa #39;s maker, Sharman


Toshiba wins 4 Hollywood studios #39; support for HD DVD format TOKYO, Nov 29, 2004 (Kyodo via COMTEX) -- Toshiba Corp. said Monday it has won support from four US film studios for its next-generation DVD format called HD DVD.


Sony, Toshiba and IBM prepare to reveal Cell details The three partners involved in the development of the Cell processor, which will power the PlayStation 3 along with a number of other devices, have unveiled new details about the technology behind the chip.


Who #39;s Using Firefox? The Firefox Web browser has been causing a commotion among users and snaring snippets of market share from Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer since June--long before Version 1.0 of the open-source software was officially released earlier this month.


ISS Crew Successfully Redocks Soyuz Spacecraft The tenth crew of the International Space Station (ISS) made a short spaceflight early Monday to move a Russian lifeboat to a new docking port and prepare the station for a pair of upcoming spacewalks.


Scientists Study Effects of High-Flow Test on Grand Canyon The Department of the Interior #39;s US Geological Survey is collaborating with partner agencies to conduct scientific experiments designed to evaluate the effect of a high-flow release from Glen Canyon Dam on the natural resources of the Colorado River in


Apple deepens Sony #39;s woes as iPod takes off Juliana Sasaki did not bother checking out Sony Corp #39;s digital music player in Tokyo before buying her green iPod mini.  quot;I knew Sony and other companies had MP3 players, but


First Optical Discs with Play Side Messaging MediaCoat unlocks the potential for placing targeted advertising messages that are certain to be noticed on the play side of motion picture, music, gaming and software discs.


WS-Reliability middleware released as open source Three proponents of the WS-Reliability standard late last week released messaging software based on the specification as open source.


Capello Applauds Vieri Fabio Capello was disappointed at the end of the 2-2 draw at San Siro against Inter as the Bianconeri threw away a two goal lead. The Juve coach was mostly upset with the way the Nerazzurri equalized in the


Cracknell to take a break from rowing Double Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell is to take a year out of the sport but hopes to return to compete at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.


Coughlin Not Pleased With Manning #39;s Progress New York Giants Coach Tom Coughlin isn #39;t coddling his prized rookie quarterback. After Eli Manning completed only six of 21 passes and threw two interceptions in Sunday #39;s


Online sellers given fraud alert People selling items over the internet or through newspaper adverts are warned of a sophisticated fraudulent payment scam.


Packers face Rams in Monday nighter GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- Brett Favre will be hoping his 200th consecutive start turns out better than his last two have against the St.


NBA Wrap: Wade, O'Neal Lead Heat to 10th Win of Season  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dwayne Wade scored 25 points and  Shaquille O'Neal tied a franchise record by making all nine of  the shots he attempted as the Heat edged the Boston Celtics  106-104 in Miami Sunday.


EADS Board Still Mulling New Airbus Jet The board of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. met Monday to consider plans to launch a new Airbus passenger jet that would rival Boeing Co.


Waste management firms BFI Canada, IESI announce \$1.1 billion <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - BFI Canada Income Fund and IESI Corp. of Fort Worth, Tex., say they have agreed to a \$1.1-billion merger that will give IESI shareholders a 39 per cent stake in one of North America #39;s largest non-hazardous solid waste management companies.


Red Sox Grab SI's Sportsman of the Year Honor  NEW YORK, (Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox, who ended  an 86-year-old "curse" by winning the World Series in a  four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, have been named  Sports Illustrated's 2004 Sportsmen of the Year.


Iran Flip-Flopping on Nuclear Agreement The West is trying to bully Iran into giving up its nuclear program, Iran #39;s supreme leader said on Monday. Tehran once again appeared to be flip-flopping on its agreement


Asean signs historic deal with China The Asean group of south-east Asian states sealed a historic trade pact with China today in the latest move towards a pan-Asian trade bloc that could rival the EU and the US.


Sri Lanka mulls Tiger threat to return to war Colombo: Sri Lanka #39;s president and top aides were Monday studying the latest Tamil Tiger threat to return to their protracted war amid mounting tension in embattled regions, officials said.


Nairobi Summit Urges More Progress to Ban Land Mines An international summit to assess how countries are complying with a convention banning land-mine use, production, stockpiling, and transfer is underway in Nairobi.


Alpine Skiing: Super-G Win Puts Miller in Exclusive Club  LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Reuters) - American Bode Miller  blitzed to victory in a World Cup super-G on Sunday, completing  a weekend of career firsts to earn a place among Alpine  skiing's all-time greats.


Bears Set to Sign QB Jeff George  CHICAGO, (Sports Network) - The Chicago Bears are expected  to sign quarterback Jeff George on Monday.


Sony, IBM, Toshiba Give Details of 'Cell' Chip  TOKYO (Reuters) - IBM IBM.N, Sony Corp. 6758.T and  Toshiba Corp. 6502.T on Monday unveiled some key details on  the powerful new "Cell" processor the three are jointly  producing to run next-generation computers, game consoles and  TVs.


International Space Station Status Report: SS04-042 WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Expedition 10 crewmembers are back inside the International Space Station after taking a short ride this morning.


Injury Forces Emmitt Out of Arizona Game  TEMPE, Ariz., (Sports Network) - Arizona Cardinals running  back Emmitt Smith left Sunday's 13-3 loss to the New York Jets  in the first half with a sprained ankle.


Toshiba Wins Support for HD DVD from 4 Film Studios  TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp. said on Monday it had won  support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from Warner Bros.  Studios, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and New Line  Cinema, advancing its cause in the battle for the  next-generation DVD.


Asean must fast-track integration Two of Southeast Asias newest leaders called for faster economic integration at an annual meeting Sunday, saying the region risked being trampled by China and India if it did not act.


Swiss Referendum Allows Stem Cell Research A Swiss referendum to cancel the law on root cell use taken from human embryo, resulted. The 66 percent of Swiss participants in a public survey said they supported a law passed by the Swiss government in


Video Games Teach More Than Hand-Eye Coordination  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Video games, often maligned as  having little or no redeeming value, are becoming a way for  firefighters, soldiers, currency traders and college  administrators to hone their skills.


Fighting Games Deliver Knocks for the Holidays  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - Just as it's time to deck the  halls, along comes a new crop of fighting games for people who  love to deck the brawlers.


Firm Intros Text-Friendly Coat for 2-Sided Discs  NEW YORK (Billboard) - DualDisc and DVD(plus) discs have  until now been devoid of graphics, apart from limited text on  the inner ring. Because both sides of these CD/DVD hybrids  contain optical data, it has been impossible to apply graphics  to them.


Sony Unprepared for Flat TV Demand  LONDON (Reuters) - Sony, the world's largest  consumer-electronics group, is having trouble meeting soaring  demand for flat televisions as its assembly lines did not gear  up quickly enough, a senior official said on Friday.


Chip Sales Rise 1.5 Pct in October from September    NEW YORK (Reuters) - Worldwide semiconductor sales rose a  scant 1.5 percent in October, to \$18.8 billion from \$18.5  billion in September, as many chip users pared bloated  inventories, the Semiconductor Industry Association said on  Friday.


After a Decade, Philips Makes PCs Again  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - After an absence of a decade, Philips  Electronics is making personal computers again, the company  said on Thursday.  The Netherlands-based electronics  conglomerate, which abandoned the PC business in the early  1990s after suffering big losses, quietly introduced six models  together with British retailer Dixons earlier this week.


Canon Problems Ease Fears of LCD Glut  TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Japan's Canon Inc. said on Thursday  it had found problems with equipment for making liquid crystal  displays (LCDs), boosting shares in LG.Philips and other LCD  makers as fears of a supply glut eased.


Nintendo Operating Profit Up 39 Percent  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese video game maker Nintendo Co.  Ltd. reported a 39.1 percent rise in operating profit for the  first half on Thursday and raised its sales target for a new,  keenly awaited portable game player.


Bush Picks Kellogg #39;s Gutierrez as US Commerce Chief (Update1) President George W. Bush picked Carlos Gutierrez, who rose from being a political refugee from Cuba to chairman and chief executive of Kellogg Co.


Black Friday pushes market into green Stock arrows point higher as retail sales Friday total more than \$8 billion. But Wal-Mart #39;s November sales stumble. After listless holiday trading last week, buyers are back in force this morning.


Economy grows by 6.3 Editor #39;s Note: Published on page A1 of the Nov. 30, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. BEATING most forecasts, the economy -- as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP), the


BFI Canada in \$1.1B waste management merger TORONTO - BFI Canada Income Fund of Toronto and IESI Corporation of Fort Worth, Texas have agreed to a \$1.1-billion deal to merge and create one of the largest non-hazardous solid waste management companies in North America.


Coast to Coast, Different Views From the Top Technology's financial future looks pretty bright from the top floors of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in New York City, significantly more so than from the Intel executive suite in Santa Clara. -washingtonpost.com


Universal Pictures to adopt HD-DVD format MANHASSET, NY - Proponents of HD-DVD gained an ally Monday (Nov. 29), as film studio Universal Pictures announced it has adopted the format, with select titles available to consumers during the 2005 holiday season.


Cell to Drive PS3 Sony and IBM are expected to start producing the Cell, a 4GHz chip the two companies have been working together on for the past three years.


Liverpool 2 - 1 Arsenal .: 1000 #39;s of Liverpool fans have joined the best unofficial Liverpool FC website on the planet - why dont you? Neil Mellor scored with a blistering finish deep in injury time as Liverpool stunned Arsenal at Anfield.


Rogers to buy SkyDome The 50,000-seat domed stadium opened in 1989 with a price tag of \$600 million, mostly funded by taxpayers. Rogers Communications announced the purchase from US-based Sportsco International in a news release Monday.


Intelsat Satellite Loss Threatens Sale
\

 PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A planned \$3.1 billion takeover of\satellite operator Intelsat Ltd. appears in jeopardy after an\electrical problem ruined one of the company's satellites.


Cracknell to take a year out James Cracknell, the double Olympic gold medal winning rower, confirmed today that he will take a year #39;s break the sport before deciding his long-term future.


InfoWorld Announces 2005 Technology of the Year Awards Apple Xserve G5 won InfoWorld #146;s  #147;Best Server Hardware #148; award and Mac OS X v10.3 Panther won the  #147;Best Operating System #148; award. Jan 03


Wal-Mart Falls 3 Pct on Forecast Cut  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N shares  fell 3 percent early Monday after the world's biggest retailer  cut its November sales forecast, casting a shadow over hopes  for a bumper holiday shopping season.


Pakistan test-fires ballistic missile Ghaznavi RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Monday carried out a succes sful test fire of its indigenously developed short range surface to surface ballistic missile Hatf-III Ghaznavi.


Hamas leader signals it has halted attacks on Israelis A senior Hamas leader indicated today that the militant group is halting attacks on Israelis while the Palestinians prepare to choose a new leader, the latest sign of change following the death of Yasser Arafat.


Archbishop of Canterbury Asks Anglicans not to Condemn Homosexuals The Archbishop of Canterbury has asked conservative members of the Anglican Church not to belittle or harass homosexuals, a British newspaper reported Sunday.


Dollar Firms as Focus Turns to U.S. Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar gained tentatively on  Monday, recovering from last week's record low against the euro  and a 4-1/2-year trough against the yen as traders turned their  sights to U.S. economic reports due later in the week.


Merck Adopts Key Managers Benefits Plan  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck   Co. Inc. MRK.N, whose shares  have tumbled since the withdrawal of its blockbuster arthritis  drug Vioxx, said on Monday it has adopted a severance benefits  plan aimed at protecting key managers in the event the company  is taken over or liquidated.


UnitedHealth to Buy Definity Health  CHICAGO (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH.N on  Monday said it would buy Definity Health Corp. for \$300  million, as the No. 1 U.S. health insurer seeks to offer more  health savings accounts, which give consumers incentives to  rein in health costs.


Airbus Enroute to Challenge Boeing's 7E7  MUNICH (Reuters) - Plane maker Airbus got tentative  approval on Monday to market a new model to rival Boeing Co.'s  7E7 from parent firm EADS, which said a final decision was  expected next month.


Blue Chips Extend Losses, Wal-Mart Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blue-chip stocks extended losses on  Monday as a disappointing start to holiday sales from the  world's largest retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N weighed  on sentiment.


Planemaker Airbus Clears Another Hurdle Airbus got tentative approval on Monday to market a new model to rival Boeing Co. #39;s 7E7 from parent firm EADS, which said a final decision was expected next month.


Investors tell Vietnam to do more The level of foreign investment in Vietnam is rising but foreign donors say the country's government needs to tackle corruption and improve infrastructure.


Essbase 7X brings interactive BI to BPM For some 30 years, companies have envisioned arming executives with sets of diverse tools to easily define business objectives and view their ongoing progress. Companies pursuing this vision, now commonly known as BPM, can cobble together homemade solutions or lean on a single vendor, such as Hyperion, which has strengthened a key building block of its overall BPM solution.


Atari Appoints James Caparro President and Chief Executive Officer Atari has appointed entertainment industry veteran James Caparro President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, it was announced today by Bruno Bonnell, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the Company.


BFI Canada to Acquire IESI to Expand in US South (Update1) BFI Canada Income Fund, which owns a Canadian trash hauler, agreed to buy closely held IESI Corp. of Texas for C\$1.1 billion (\$930.3 million) in equity and debt to expand in the US South and Northeast.


Sony, Partners Offer Glimpse Of New  quot;Cell quot; Chip IBM, Sony Corp., Sony Computer Entertainment, and Toshiba Corp. said Monday that the companies had  quot;powered on quot; the first workstation designed around the collaboratively-designed  quot;Cell quot; processor, which will begin pilot production next year.


Bhopal survivors still short on medical treatment and compo The failure of the Indian Government and an American corporation to tackle the after-effects of one of the worst industrial accidents in history has left a legacy of continuing pollution


Anglican Head Warns Against Homophobia Provoked by the rising rate of hate crimes against homosexuals in England, the Archbishop of Canterbury issued a 4 page letter warning the Anglican world against the language of hatred to gays.


Gibbs to Look at Offense Coach Joe Gibbs says he thoroughly evaluate the Redskins, particularly an offense that finished among the league's worst, now that the season is over for Washington.


Satellite Failure Hits Broadband Users StarBand is hoping to provide temporary dial-up access to affected customers.


Bush taps Carlos Gutierrez to replace Evans WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- President Bush announced Monday that Kellogg chief executive Carlos Gutierrez would replace Don Evans as Commerce secretary, naming the first of many expected changes to his economic team.


AstraZeneca #39;s Nexium Gets US Approval for New Use (Update1) AstraZeneca Plc, the UK #39;s second largest drugmaker, said US regulators approved its ulcer treatment Nexium for use in reducing the risk of stomach ulcers in patients taking certain painkillers


GMail Fighting Spam with Oomph! GMail Fighting Spam with Oomph!\\GMail is already the seventh largest (1 month back) email service with roughly a million users. As and when it goes public, signups will increase exponentially. It will probably relegate Yahoo! Mail to the third spot and occupy the second spot by November next year (with ...


Yahoo Update or Changes do to Clusters Yahoo Update or Changes do to Clusters\\There is a thread at WebmasterWorld named Yahoo Update? where members have noticed major shifts in Yahoo's search results pages for competitive keywords. GetBot in message number four says that he has been watching Yahoo! Search and noticed that Yahoo! has been serving up ...


IBM, Sony Debut Cell Workstation Sony and IBM have introduced the first workstation based on the Cell processor, which they jointly developed in partnership with Toshiba.


Saturn Pictures Seen from Near and Far - Saturn Pictures from <b>...</b> As Saturn grows closer through the eyes of the Cassini spacecraft, which is hurtling toward a rendezvous with the ringed world on June 30 (July 1, Universal Time), both Cassini and the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope snapped spectacular pictures of


MSN Improves Search with Rosette Linguistic Analysis MSN Improves Search with Rosette Linguistic Analysis\\Found by way of a WebmasterWorld featured post, an article named Basis Technology Enhances Multilingual Search in MSN Search Engine. An other, more detailed article on this can be found at Yahoo! News, which is basically a copy of the offical press release.\\The Rosette ...


Myskina Wins Three to Edge France for Fed Cup Victory In what many expected to be a 5-0 whitewash for the Russians, the Fed Cup finale came down to the final doubles match Sunday in Moscow, with Anastasia Myskina and Vera  quot;The Crying Game quot; Zvonareva edging Marion  quot;Roly Poly quot; Bartoli and Emilie Loit 7-6(5), 7


PACKERS: Favre #39;s historic streak  #39;incomprehensible #39; GREEN BAY - As he makes his unheard-of 200th consecutive regular-season start at quarterback tonight, Brett Favre is thankful his father, Irvin, taught him everything he knew about playing the position back at Hancock North Central High School in Kiln


Seattle SuperSonics Team Report - November 29 (Sports Network) - Rashard Lewis scored 22 points to lead the Seattle SuperSonics to a 103-95 win over the Indiana Pacers at KeyArena.


Yahoos New Front Page and Shortcuts Yahoo's New Front Page and Shortcuts\\I know this kinda stuff has to happen, but it makes me very sad. Yahoo has a new front page. Go look at it. It's at http://www.yahoo.com. See anything odd about the page? The odd thing I see is that the pointer to the directory ...


Columnists: Seeds of Disaster Internet Explorer's problems can be traced to Microsoft's shortsightedness during the browser wars of the 1990s. Is the company sowing tomorrow's security woes today?\


Sony, IBM and Toshiba reveal more Cell chip plans The four companies developing the Cell consumer electronics microprocessor have released first generation versions of a device not built on technology already in widespread use today.


AMD unveils chip for portable video players Advanced Micro Devices(AMD) has developed a low-power chip that it thinks will make portable video players more compelling by reducing the time needed to transfer content to the devices. The company is expected to announce the chip at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Monday.


Take part in your very own DDoS attack Lycos Europe has started to offer a controversial screensaver that floods spammers #39; servers with requests for info, similar to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.


Dollar Firms as Focus Turns to U.S. Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar firmed slightly  against  the euro on Monday, recovering from last week's record low and  a 4-1/2-year trough against the yen as traders turned their  sights to economic data due later in the week.


Bush Picks Kellogg CEO for Commerce Post President Bush, left, announces that he has chosen Carlos Gutierrez, chief executive officer of the Kellogg Co., right, to be Secretary of Commerce, Monday, Nov. 29, 2004, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.


Rising euro puts ECB in a fix FRANKFURT : As the euro continued to rise against the dollar, speculation intensified over whether the European Central Bank, meeting this week to set interest rates, would feel compelled to act either by intervening directly on the forex markets or by


Fonterra slates National Foods Takeover target National Foods came in for a stinging attack yesterday from Fonterra strategy director Graham Stuart. In an aggressive move aimed at lowering market expectations of what Fonterra


Cuba Releases at Least Four Dissidents (AP) AP - At least four of 75 Cuban dissidents arrested in a broad crackdown last year were released Monday without warning, friends, relatives and local rights activists said. The surprise move raised hopes for additional releases in the coming days.


December 13 Titan Flyby Prelude to Landing The countdown is underway for the next flyby of the Saturian moon Titan for Monday, December 13, 2004 by the Cassini spacecraft expected to yield more detailed imaging


NHL season nearing point of no return: Dryden CHARLOTTETOWN -- He #39;s long since traded his pads for politics. But, that doesn #39;t mean Ken Dryden has lost his love of the game.


Bush Picks Kellogg CEO for Commerce Post (AP) AP - President Bush on Monday chose Carlos Gutierrez, a native of Cuba who rose from truck driver to chief executive officer of Kellogg Co., to be secretary of Commerce.


Jordan #39;s crown prince loses title: King Abdullahs son now seen <b>...</b> The 10-year-old son of King Abdullah II now stands as the legitimate heir to the Jordanian throne, after the monarch stripped his half-brother of the title of crown prince.


Edwards to End Term With Farewell Tour (AP) AP - Democrat John Edwards is pondering his future as his tenure as a North Carolina senator winds down, but says even his campaign for vice president fit his view of public service.


Column: Singh Poised for Overdue Players' Accolade  LONDON (Reuters) - Just over 12 months ago, Vijay Singh  controversially lost out to Tiger Woods in the battle for the  2003 PGA Tour players' player-of-the-year award.


Sudan Threatens to Expel Two UK Aid Agency Heads  KHARTOUM, Sudan (Reuters) - Sudan asked the country heads  of two British aid agencies to leave the country, accusing them  of breaching Sudanese law and interfering in domestic affairs,  government and aid officials said Monday.


France Opens Judicial Inquiry Into Holocaust Doubter  PARIS (Reuters) - French prosecutors said Monday they were  opening a judicial investigation into comments by a leading  far-right politician who questioned whether the Nazis used gas  chambers in the Holocaust.


Stocks fall sharply, quickly A disappointing holiday sales forecast from Wal-Mart is dragging on blue chips, while Apple Computer is a bright light on Wall Street.


Merck Execs Protected in Case of Takeover Merck  amp; Co. Inc. has adopted a severance benefits plan aimed at protecting key managers in the event the company is taken over -- a growing possibility since the withdrawal of arthritis drug Vioxx sent shares tumbling.


Royal Group Removes Chairman De Zen, Names New Chief (Update2) Royal Group Technologies Ltd. fired Chairman Vic De Zen, the target of a police probe, and Chief Executive Douglas Dunsmuir after finding they failed to disclose their interest in a parcel of land sold to the company in 1998.


Universal Pictures backs HD-DVD  quot;Toshiba Corp. said in a statement today it has received separate commitments of support not only from Universal, but also from Paramount Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros.


SCO Web site hack mocks company #39;s legal claims NOVEMBER 29, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Malicious hackers have compromised The SCO Group Inc. #39;s Web page twice in as many days, posting messages that appear to mock the company #39;s claims to own parts of the Linux operating system.


Quake Shakes Mount St. Helens Scientists hoped good weather yesterday and today would allow them to get a better look at the volcano. A flurry of small earthquakes beginning in late September were followed by a burst of steam and ash on


Bison overkill theory maybe debunked by DNA Big game hunters may be off the hook in the latest twist of a prehistoric whodunit that tries to explain why bison populations sharply crashed thousands of years ago.


Pompey plan to set record straight LONDON, England -- Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric and former manager Harry Redknapp have called a clear-the-air news conference at the Premiership club on Tuesday.


Blue Jays buy SkyDome com. The phrase  quot;buyer beware quot; has yielded to  quot;lease, be gone. quot; The Blue Jays announced on Monday that they had acquired their home field -- SkyDome -- from Sportsco International.


Fictional Billionaires (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Mickey Mouse may be 75, but age hasn't put a damper on his earning power. Last year Mickey and Disney pals Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy grossed  #36;5.8 billion from toys, movies and the like. That's 23 more than the year before, when Disney's Winnie the Pooh topped the list. Why the mouse's rebound? Credit hoopla and new products--including adult apparel--tied to Mickey's milestone birthday last year. For more details, stories and methodology, go to forbes.com/extra.


Loss of Intelsat Satellite Threatens \$3.1 Bln Deal  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The planned \$3.1 billion takeover  of satellite operator Intelsat Ltd. could be in jeopardy after  an electrical problem ruined one of the company's satellites on  Sunday.


Cereal chief gets US commerce job The chairman of food giant Kellogg, Cuban-born Carlos Gutierrez, is named new US Commerce Secretary.


Christmas spending 'set to rise' Warnings of a poor Christmas for High Street retailers in the UK are unduly pessimistic, according to accountants Deloitte  Touche.


Retailers Seen Posting Modest Nov. Sales (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. retailers are expected to post\modest November sales this week, with No. 1 retailer Wal-Mart\Stores Inc.  already cutting its holiday outlook on high\oil prices and warmer weather.


Retailers Seen Posting Modest Nov. Sales  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. retailers are expected to post  modest November sales this week, with No. 1 retailer Wal-Mart  Stores Inc. WMT.N already cutting its holiday outlook on high  oil prices and warmer weather.


Ukraine crisis 'sparks bank rout' Worries over the political situation have sparked a run on Ukraine's banks, the country's central bank admits.


Kellogg appoints Jenness CEO after Gutierrez resigns to join <b>...</b> Kellogg Co. on Monday announced the appointment of James M. Jenness as chairman and chief executive, following the resignation of Carlos Gutierrez to take the post of US Commerce Secretary.


Retailers have modest start to holiday shopping The holiday shopping season began with a surge in spending, but consumers faded by the end of the long Thanksgiving weekend and many retailers were facing decent but hardly impressive sales.


Update 2: Euro #39;s Eclipse of Dollar Is  #39;Unwelcome #39; The euro #39;s growing strength against the US dollar is  quot;unwelcome, quot; the European Central Bank chief said Monday as the 12-nation European currency hovered just below a record high.


Dollar worries prompt Wall Street selloff Fears of a falling US dollar pushed stocks lower Monday as investor concerns about rising inflation outweighed their satisfaction with a decent start to the holiday shopping season.


Hollywood Backs Toshiba on DVD Format (AP) AP - Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. is getting support from four Hollywood studios for its next-generation DVD format which is expected to be used in players, recorders and other products that go on the market late in 2005.


Sirius to Air Men's NCCA Tournament (AP) AP - Sirius Satellite Radio signed a deal to air the men's NCAA basketball tournament through 2007, the latest move made in an attempt to draw customers through sports programming.


Kazaa Offering Free Internet-Based Calls (AP) AP - Free Internet-based phone calls are the newest feature of the popular Kazaa file-sharing program.


Universal Pictures Backs HD DVD Universal said HD DVD can deliver enhanced picture and sound quality, greater storage capacity and increased interactivity. An additional benefit is backwards compatibility, allowing existing


Tech Trio Share Cell Processor Details IBM, Sony, and Toshiba dropped some details on the co-developed next generation processor, code-named Cell, which was first announced in 2001.


SCO Group Web Site Attacked Again Pages were defaced with text that erroneously implied that SCO would sue Microsoft for intellectual-property theft. By George V. Hulme.


Recording Industry, Kazaa Square Off (AP) AP - Lawyers for Australia's recording industry branded the popular Kazaa computer file-swapping network "an engine of copyright piracy to a degree of magnitude never before seen" as they launched a court battle Monday to shut down its activities.


Team spends \$21.24 million for SkyDome TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to buy SkyDome, the team #39;s ballpark, for about \$21.24 million. The 50,000-seat stadium, which opened in 1989, cost about \$375 million to construct and was mostly funded by taxpayers.


Good Reward for McGaughey in Hollywood Derby Shug McGaughey hadn #39;t sent a horse to California for 11 years, since the fall Lure won the Breeders #39; Cup Mile at Santa Anita.


Satellite Failure Hits Broadband Users (PC World) PC World - StarBand is hoping to provide temporary dial-up access to affected customers.


Powerful quake injures 17 as Japan waits for the big one (AFP) AFP - A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale injured 17 people in northern Japan in a new sign of seismic activity a month after the country's deadliest tremor in a decade.


Easy Group signs up with T-Mobile (FT.com) FT.com - Easy Group on Monday confirmed that it has signed a deal with T-Mobile to offer mobile services in the UK as it targets a formal launch of EasyMobile in March next year.


BCS Standings Unchanged With Auburn No. 3 (AP) AP - Auburn needs an upset. The Tigers are still stuck behind first-place Southern California and second-place Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series standings, heading into the final weekend before the national title game is decided.


Amnesty Int #39;l: Bhopal Gas Leak Victims Still Suffer 20 Years Later Amnesty International says tens of thousands people still suffer appalling illnesses from one of the world #39;s worst industrial disasters that struck the central Indian city of Bhopal 20 years ago.


Study: Scurvy Hit Early N. American French Colony (Reuters) Reuters - Scurvy wiped out nearly half of the\colonists who established one of the first French settlements\in North America 400 years ago, scientists confirmed on Monday.


Europe's Tug-Of-War on GMO Crops Rages On (Reuters) Reuters - UK scientists pronounced some\genetically modified (GMO) crops harmless Monday but European\Union experts demurred, declining to approve another new GMO\product for the eighth time in a row.


Post Office Gearing Up for Holiday Rush (AP) AP - The Postal Service expects to handle 20 billion pieces of mail between Thanksgiving and Christmas, up slightly from last year, the agency said Monday.


Major UK Study Sees Little Harm in GMO Crops (Reuters) Reuters - A controversy over genetically modified\(GMO) crops brewed in Britain Monday after a major government\and industry-backed study found no evidence they harmed the\environment.


Suicide Bomber Kills 12 in Attack on Iraqi Police  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber plowed into  policemen waiting to collect their salaries at a police station  west of Ramadi Monday, killing 12 people in the latest  insurgent attack on Iraq's beleaguered security forces.  At least 10 people were wounded in the blast, and 90 percent of  the casualties were policemen, said Nazar al-Hiti, a doctor in  the town of Hit around 125 miles west of Baghdad, where the  dead and wounded were taken.


Marines Aided by Robotic Airplane in Iraq (AP) AP - A robotic airplane called ScanEagle has done more than 1,000 hours of intelligence and reconnaissance work for the Marines in Iraq, its developers said.


Sophisticated Radar System Protects Bush (AP) AP - The reason Brown International got into the business of guarding the president with a sophisticated radar command center is really quite simple, its officers say. Repairing televisions just wasn't paying enough.


U.S.-Russian Crew Re-Docks Spaceship (AP) AP - The U.S.-Russian crew of the international space station successfully re-docked a spaceship at a new port on the station Monday in preparation for two spacewalks early next year, Mission Control said.


It is a perfect time to be with Renault: Giancarlo Fisichella After his first test last week in Barcelona, Giancarlo Fisichella sat down to share his thoughts about his progress so far, and his first impressions of the Renault team.


Nobel winner in degree protest "Buckyball" pioneer Sir Harry Kroto slams a UK University's plans to close its chemistry department.


Bush nominates Kellogg #39;s CEO for commerce WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday nominated Carlos Gutierrez, a native of Cuba and now the chief executive officer of Kellogg Co.


A glimpse of the Cell processor IBM and Sony powered-on the much hyped  quot;Cell quot;-processor and used the opportunity to provide a few details about the chip.


Toshiba Dreams of Hollywood Toshiba is getting support from four Hollywood studios for its next-generation DVD format which is expected to be used in players, recorders and other products that go on the market late in 2005.


Celtics lose fourth straight The Celtics come close again -- but ultimately lose 106-to-104 to the Miami Heat Sunday night. Paul Pierce missed one of two free throws with five seconds left that would have tied it for Boston, which lost its fourth straight.


SCO Web site hack mocks company's legal claims Malicious hackers have compromised The SCO Group's Web page twice in as many days, posting messages that appear to mock the company's claims to own parts of the Linux operating system.


Crude oil futures flat; Saudis look to raise capacity LONDON (CBS.MW) -- The benchmark New York crude contract was little changed at \$49.44 a barrel early Monday after the Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Nuaimi said the country will raise production capacity to 12.5 million barrels per day within a few years from


Studios Support Toshiba #39;s DVD Format Four major motion picture studios will support the HD DVD videodisk format. New Line Cinema, Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros.


Firefox Registers Usage Gains, Though IE Remains Dominant NOVEMBER 29, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - The open-source Firefox Web browser may be making inroads on Internet Explorer with some users, but Microsoft Corp.


Nintendo, Sony game for gaming war The holiday shopping season is set to be a shoot- #39;em-up round in the video game industry, as its top players Nintendo and Sony go head to head by launching new and advanced hand-held machines.


Toronto Blue Jays to Buy SkyDome for \$21 Million The Toronto Blue Jays baseball team will buy their home stadium, the SkyDome, from closely held Sportsco International for C\$25 million (\$21 million), team owner Rogers Communications Inc.


USC strengthens BCS No. 1 hold; Oklahoma still No. 2 Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Southern California and Oklahoma are still the top teams in the Bowl Championship Series standings, while Auburn remained third and on the outside looking in at the national championship game with one week remaining in


Woolmer hopes to spring a surprise A youthful Pakistan cricket squad arrived in Perth Monday night bristling with confidence at the daunting task which confronts them in the upcoming Test series against Australia.


Marc Bulger (2819 yards, 15 TD, 11 INT) is coming off a so-so <b>...</b> ball compared to last year. His most crucial INT last Sunday came early in the. to all but end any chance of a comeback. Torry Holt (8 receptions, 90 yards).


Spadafora appears in Allegheny County court PITTSBURGH The trial for a troubled boxer charged with shooting his then-girlfriend after a traffic mishap has been delayed until next month.


Wal-Mart Sales Cast Gloom, Stocks Fall  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Monday after Wal-Mart  Stores Inc. WMT.N recorded disappointing Thanksgiving sales,  hurting hopes for a strong holiday retail season.


News: SCO hacked in apparent IP protest Visitors to SCO's website this morning were treated to a rare moment of corporate self-awareness after hackers apparently replaced an image linking to the undoubtedly scintillating "Extending Legacy Applications and Databases to the Web and Wireless Devices with SCOx Web Services Substrate" with a graphic bearing the rather more promising "We own all your code - pay us all your money"\


Toshiba Dreams of Hollywood Four major movie studios give support to Toshiba's HD DVD format.  Also: Sony gives details on new computer chip   hellip;.  Kazaa adds free internet phone calls to its repetoire   hellip;. and more.


Retailers Post Mediocre Holiday Sales Lucinda Antal, of Liverpool, England, right, tests lipstick shades on her hand at the Face store in New York Sunday Nov. 28, 2004, assissted by salesperson David Kalahiki.


Merrill, UBS Up Apple Stock Estimates As consumers start spending on Christmas, two brokerage houses raised their estimates on Apple Computer (AAPL) stock Monday to more than US\$77, predicting


Priorities Are Askew at the FCC NOVEMBER 29, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - It must be tough being America #39;s nanny, especially when there #39;s so much real work to do.


Screensaver to attack Spammers Lycos Europe has released a special screensaver for Windows and the Mac OS platforms that will attack spam web pages. The screensaver Make Love No Spam will overload a variety of spam servers by flooding


Rogers Communications Agrees to Buy SkyDome for C\$25 Million Rogers Communications Inc. #39;s Toronto Blue Jays agreed to buy the SkyDome from Chicago, Illinois-based Sportsco International LP for C\$25 million (\$21.1 million), the team said in a press release.


Soccer: Henry, Ronaldinho and Shevchenko nominated for FIFA #39;s <b>...</b> PARIS : French striker Thierry Henry, Brazilian Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko of Ukraine were nominated for FIFA #39;s world player of the year award for 2004.


Improved Heat Not Content With Start (AP) AP - The Miami Heat are atop their division, own the best in-conference record among teams in the East and have won twice as many games as they've lost.


China forges landmark free trade pact with Southeast Asian nations Rising power China moved Monday to expand its influence in a region long dominated by the United States, signing an accord with Southeast Asian nations aimed at creating the world #39;s largest free trade area by 2010 - sprawling


Compensation plan for 27,000 Pinochet victims Chile #39;s government is to seek congressional approval to compensate more than 27,000 victims of political imprisonment and torture at the hands of the country #39;s rightwing military regime, which ruled from 1973 to 1990.


Al-Zawahri Vows to Keep Fighting U.S. (AP) AP - In a videotape aired Monday, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant vowed to continue fighting the United States until Washington changed its policies.


Hill brings magic back to NBA (The Sporting News) The Sporting News - The day after the colossal mess into which his team landed in Detroit, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle paused to say something most in attendance tolerated impatiently. Indiana was preparing to face Orlando, and Carlisle said unprovoked, "It will be good to see Grant Hill. To me, he is an important athlete. He is a great guy, and to see him out there, it's great."


Death toll from China coal mine blast rises to about 50 (AFP) AFP - The death toll from a blast in a north China coal mine rose to about 50  after more than 20 bodies were found, the Xinhua news agency said.


U.N. Told to Protect Civilian Victims of Conflict (Reuters) Reuters - The United Nations must offer better\protection to 25 million civilians displaced by conflicts from\Sudan to Colombia, a report said on Friday.


Fear has put \$15 on oil price, says Naimi Oil prices are inflated by as much as \$15 a barrel by fears of shortages and geopolitical issues in the Middle East, Ali Naimi, the Saudi oil minister, said on Monday.


Rolls Royce hot seat to be filled by BMW SA chief A BMW executive currently in charge of the company #39;s extensive South African operations is to become the third chairman and chief executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars within a year.


Sony prefer PS2 over PSP Sony is not exactly going mega with the launch of its handheld gaming system named PSP on December 12. Instead, critics already fear that getting hand on one would be a very tough affair.


Lycos launches screensaver in fight against spam Haarlem (pts) - The Internet portal Lycos http://www.lycos-europe.com has developed a screensaver that endlessly requests data from sites that sell the goods and services mentioned in spam e-mail.


Nothing funny about silly money Among the many unique things proponents of professional golf like to point out is that the athletes who play the game for pay are different than those who toil in other sports because golf has no guaranteed contracts.