College Basketball: Oklahoma State, N.C. State Win  DALLAS (Sports Network) - John Lucas poured in a game-high  24 points to lead No. 6 Oklahoma State over SMU, 76-57, at  Moody Coliseum.


Five in Texas Are Accused of Reporting False Trades Five former traders were indicted yesterday in Houston on charges of reporting false trades to industry newsletters to manipulate natural gas prices.


Disney characters on trial Not exactly the things you #39;d like your boss to be saying about you in your performance appraisal. And wouldn #39;t it be a little embarrassing if those opinions from the boss were somehow made public


Dollar Firms as Focus Turns to US Data The dollar firmed slightly against the euro on Monday, recovering from last week #39;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.


Are you sitting comfortably? Then let #39;s spy New Internet-based technology could soon turn regular computer users into armchair spies, a Canadian inventor said on Monday. Vincent Tao, an engineer at Toronto #39;s York University, said he has invented a mapping


Viral threat to 3G phones pumped up IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY at the two most widely reported  #39;viruses #39; for Symbian phones, you #39;ll realise that only a dunderhead would actually manage to get infected.


I #39;ll stand and fight THIERRY HENRY admits he and Patrick Vieira are putting their bodies on the line to keep alive Arsenals Premiership and Champions League dreams.


Miller, Mirabelli finalize deals as free-agent market resumes Damian Miller #39;s \$8.75 million, three-year contract was finalized by the Milwaukee Brewers and Doug Mirabelli became the first of Boston #39;s 16 free agents to re-sign, agreeing to a \$3 million, two-year deal Monday.


IAEA endorses Iran #39;s N-freeze: US insists on taking action VIENNA, Nov 29: Iran escaped UN censure over its nuclear programme on Monday but Washington, which accuses it of seeking an atomic bomb, said it reserved the right to take the case to the Security Council on its own.


Sony Takes on iPod with New Hard Disk Walkman Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) unveiled its first MP3-compatible, hard disk Walkman music player on Tuesday in an


Suu Kyi detention extended YANGON, Nov 29: The detention period of the Myanmar #39;s detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been extended by another year, her party officials said on Monday.


Britain admits cost of ID cards will be almost double estimate (AFP) AFP - The British government has admitted the cost of introducing identity cards will be almost double its original estimate of three billion pounds (5.6 billion dollars, 4.3 billion euros)), the Financial Times reported.


China Agonizes as Hope Vanishes for Missing Miners (Reuters) Reuters - Investigators have determined that\back-to-back coal-dust and gas blasts ripped through a mine in\northern China killing at least 63 workers and leaving 103\trapped and feared dead, state media said on Tuesday.


Reeling Merck Offers Officers a Bonus Deal With its stock plunging, drug giant Merck has adopted a plan that could give top executives big bonuses if the company is taken over.


Leader Offers Fresh Election For Ukrainians Government unity seemed to crumble as the president proposed a new election and the Supreme Court heard complaints of fraud.


Merck Adopts Severance Safeguards for Executives Drugmaker Merck  amp; Co., under financial siege since pulling its top painkiller Vioxx off the market in September, said Monday it has adopted a plan that


Singapore and India to sign free-trade pact in 2005 SINGAPORE : Singapore and India are now ready to sign a wide-raging economic agreement to boost trade and investment after resolving all outstanding issues, an official statement said.


Nielsen #39;s Concessions End Fight With Univision Univision Communications Inc. and Nielsen Media Research Inc. have dropped lawsuits against each other over the rollout of Nielsen #39;s controversial  quot;personal people meters, quot; which critics said


DC #39;s Thayer Gets Stake in BFI Canada Thayer Capital Partners, a DC private-equity partnership that buys companies, agreed to a deal that will give it a 24 percent stake in one of Canada #39;s largest trash haulers.


Kazaa created for lawful purposes, court told The Federal Court in Sydney has been told the creators of the popular file-sharing software, Kazaa, cannot be held responsible if people use it to illegally swap music files.


Motorola using Microsoft ActiveSync protocol for Linux smartphone Motorola, Inc. has announced interoperability between its MotoSync technology-enabled mobile phones and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.


CRACKNELL TAKES YEAR OFF Olympic rowing hero James Cracknell has revealed a lack of hunger was behind his decision to take a year away from the sport. The 32-year-old, who was part of the British gold-medal winning coxless fours in


California bears burden of making point that it #39;s BCS-worthy This week #39;s Bowl Championship Series saga picks up where last week #39;s left off. As you might recall, California needed Texas to beat Texas A amp;M to keep its hopes of going to its first Rose Bowl in 45 years.


Nuggets 76, Hornets 67 Earl Boykins scored 22 points to help the Denver Nuggets overcome the absence of Carmelo Anthony and defeat the New Orleans Hornets 76-67 on Monday night.


Burma Extends Democracy Leader #39;s Detention Detained Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been told she will be held under house arrest until at least next September, a spokesman for her political party said.


N-capable Ghaznavi missile test-fired ISLAMABAD: Pakistan early Monday test-fired its indigenously developed short-range nuclear-capable Ghaznavi missile, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.


Body of NBC Official's Son Is Believed Found in Crash The body of a teenager believed to be the son of Dick Ebersol was found Monday in the wreckage of a corporate jet that crashed during takeoff.


Disparity Is Growing Between Conferences The N.F.C. has only one presumed heavyweight, the Philadelphia Eagles. By contrast, 10 victories in the A.F.C. might not be enough for some teams to reach the playoffs.


The Giants' Warner, a Backup, Speaks Up The person insisting loudest that the Giants' offense has bigger problems than Eli Manning is Kurt Warner, the quarterback who was benched in favor of Manning.


Judge Dismisses Big Rights Suit on Apartheid A federal judge in New York dismissed a human rights suit yesterday against 35 major corporations that did business in South Africa under apartheid, dealing a blow to rights lawyers who have


TSA backs off no-bid contract plan for airport security equipment WASHINGTON The idea of a no-bid contract for maintaining airport security equipment has turned into a non-starter for the Transportation Security Administration.


Severn Trent First-Half Net Falls 27 on Pension Cost (Update1) Severn Trent Plc, the UK #39;s second- largest publicly traded water company, said first-half profit fell 27 percent because of higher pension charges and the impact of exchange rates.


Kazaa Now Offers Free Internet Phone Calling Feature According to wire reports Sharman Networks has added Internet-based phone calls to the popular file-sharing program Kazaa. Legal experts are quoted as saying that this may be a preemptive by Sharman Networks, which owns Kazaa, to legitimize the software.


Volunteers spread word of Firefox By day, Alexander Vincent is a mild-mannered secretary for a Vallejo real estate broker. By night, he #39;s an online crusader protecting users of a new Internet browser from glitches and security bugs.


Dragon Quest VIII Dungeon Details The latest information from Square Enix on Dragon Quest VIII focuses on the dungeons, which take full advantage of the game #39;s 3-D graphics.


Australia Beats NZ for Sweep of Test Cricket Wins (Update1) Australia beat New Zealand by 213 runs in the second cricket Test in Adelaide to clinch a 2-0 series victory and complete a winning record against all nine nations at the sport #39;s elite level.


FOOTBALL: WENGER #39;S PAT ON THE BACK ARSENE WENGER fears title rivals Chelsea will break the bank to sign Steven Gerrard during the January transfer window but said he is still not as good as Patrick Vieira.


Walter Smith offered Scotland coaching job According to a BBC Scotland report, Smith has been in talks with the Scottish Football Association about the job which became available after German Berti Vogts resigned earlier this month.


UN agency agrees to police Iranian enrichment freeze as US voices <b>...</b> VIENNA, Austria - The UN nuclear agency agreed on ways to police Irans suspension of some nuclear programs, but a US official said Washington might still try to take the case to the Security Council.


Dalai Lama Arrives in Russia The Dalai Lama arrived in Elista, the capital of the Russian internal republic of Kalmykia, on Monday. Dalai Lama XIV did not plan any meetings on his first day in Russia.


Kellogg CEO to head Commerce Department President Bush said yesterday that he had tapped one of the nation #39;s most prominent Cuban-Americans, Carlos Gutierrez, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Kellogg Co.


TSA Reconsiders Technology Contract The Transportation Security Administration yesterday said it would resume plans to seek bids for a large technology maintenance contract, ending consideration of a proposal to give the


HK PRESS: PSA Takes HK Port Stake For HK\$2.6 Billion HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--PSA International will pay at least HK\$2.6 billion for majority control of Asia Container Terminals, giving Singapore #39;s state-owned port operator the strategic foothold in Hong Kong #39;s port that it has long coveted, reports the South


Grassley Defends Whistle-Blower Food and Drug Administration whistle-blower David J. Graham believes he will soon be transferred or fired in retaliation for telling a congressional hearing that the agency is falling short


HP rejiggers utility computing line Hewlett-Packard next year will take a fresh approach to its utility computing initiative with a product designed to reduce the cost of running corporate computing systems.


Skulls Trojan teams up with Cabir worm Virus writers have unleashed a second version of the morbid-looking Symbian Trojan  #39;Skulls #39; and packaged it with one of the first mobile phone viruses, dubbed Cabir.


Microsoft Licenses ActiveSync For Motorola, PalmOne Smart Phones Microsoft has licensed its ActiveSync technology to OEM partners Motorola and PalmOne to enable a new class of non-Windows smart phones to wirelessly synchronize with Exchange Server 2003.


Turn yourself into a diamond: tips from science on a good life <b>...</b> A thinktank of British scientists has come up with a new way of quickening the national intellect - a brain-taxing spin on the old formula of 100 things to do before you die.


Australia finish off New Zealand Australia wrapped up a 2-0 win in the series with a 213-run victory in the Second Test in Adelaide. New Zealand, chasing an unlikely 464 for victory, put up little resistance as they lost their last five wickets for 100 runs.


Miller:  quot;I #39;ma real skier! quot; His remark, of course, was half in jest, fuelled by the euphoria of a clean sweep of the World Cup season thus far. With Super-G wins in Soelden and Lake Louise, and the Lake Louise downhill as well, Miller #39;s


Redknapp  #39;forced out #39; THE arrival of Velimir Zajec as Portsmouth #39;s director of football was the final straw for manager Harry Redknapp, his assistant coach Jim Smith told the BBC today.


This season more jolly with playoff Set aside, for a moment, the Twelve Days of Christmas. And consider what the coming holiday season would be like with the Twelve Teams of Playoffs.


U.S. Military Seeks Plane With Six Aboard (AP) AP - The U.S. military said Tuesday that it was searching for three civilian crew members and three military passengers who were aboard an aircraft that went missing over Afghanistan.


China mine death toll increases More than 100 men are trapped and feared dead after a gas explosion at a coal mine in central China on Sunday. Dangerous carbon monoxide levels are hampering rescue efforts, but one official said it was impossible for anyone to have survived.


China mine death toll increases At least 63 miners are known to have died after Sunday's mine explosion, with more than 100 missing.


Torture victims slam Chile payout Groups representing torture victims of Chile's former military government reject a proposed compensation deal.


PSA buys key stake in Hong Kong port operator Singaporess PSA gained a much-sought foothhold in Hong Kong with an agreement to buy a stake in Asia Container Terminals, a port operator in the worlds busiest container hub, from Sun Hung Kai Properties.


Indian Ocean Island Pleads for Relief (AP) AP - Bambooflat island is only a 20 minute ferry ride from the capital of this Indian archipelago, yet no relief for the tsunami victims had arrived by Saturday, leaving some 2,000 families angry and desperate for humanitarian aid.


Sun Devils, Aggies closing in on Holiday Bowl berths SAN DIEGO ---- The official announcement will be made Sunday, but barring any wild surprises, Arizona State and Texas A amp;M will be the participants in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30.


NCAA Game Summary - Oklahoma State at SMU Oklahoma State also holds an 8-3 mark in Dallas versus the Mustangs...Graham #39;s twin brother Stephen recorded nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Cowboys...Bobik was 3-of-4 from long range. Dallas


Jayhawks Breeze No. 2 Kansas does not face much of a challenge as it rolls through an overmatched Nevada team, 85-52, on Monday night.


Favre's 200th Straight Start Is a Win Brett Favre topped 20 touchdown passes for the 11th straight season in the Green Bay Packers' rout of the St. Louis Rams on Monday night.


Italy braced for general strike Millions of Italian workers are expected to take part in a general strike against \$8bn in government spending cuts.


Bacteria Enlisted for New Trials on Dental Health Can genetically engineered bacteria prevent tooth decay? A small biotechnology company is about to take the first step toward answering that question.


Mets Top Red Sox in Offer to Martnez The Mets submitted a three-year guaranteed contract to Boston pitcher Pedro Martnez worth approximately \$38 million.


Retailers Seen Posting Modest Nov. Sales US 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.


Golden rings cheaper but list dearer Want a gift to please your honey this holiday season and save some bucks, too? Consider five golden rings, the fifth gift in the classic holiday song  quot;The Twelve Days of Christmas.


Courts and Torts: Vetting Compensation Even the The Incredibles would have a hard time rescuing the Walt Disney Co. #39;s compensation committee from their current predicament.


Hedge fund targets Coke for devaluation LONDON - A former Wall Street stockbroker plans to start a hedge fund in an ambitious drive to halve the value of Coca-Cola #39;s shares within 12 months.


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.


Studios line up behind competing new DVDs Three large Hollywood studios are throwing their weight behind one of two competing formats for the next generation of DVDs, citing in part the need to stem piracy.


Sun extends multi-platform services offerings Sun Microsystems has entered into an agreement to acquire SevenSpace, a privately-held company based in Ashburn, Va. SevenSpace will broaden Sun #39;s Managed Services offerings to include heterogeneous environments


The Benefits Of The New Firefox Browser You probably heard of the new Firefox browser version 1.0 recently released by Mozilla. If you are currently using Internet Explorer or Netscape, you are probably wondering if Firefox is better and why is it better.


Goodbye to fossil fuels? Not quite yet It all came down to a small, Utah-made device sitting inside an Idaho pottery kiln. This recent experiment at a national research laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho, may pave the way for an efficient means of extracting hydrogen from water.


New  #39;Skulls #39; Mutant Releases Cabir Virus on Phones Anti-virus vendors have spotted a new strain of the  quot;Skulls quot; Trojan sneaking into Symbian-based cell phones, and this one drops the Cabir worm on the devices.


Valkyrie Profile and Dragon Quest VII To Make Another Round At the beginning of the year, Square Enix will be re-releasing two RPGs originally released at the turn of the century. Valkyrie Profile and Dragon Quest VII will be released in Japan under the PS One Books


Aussies sweep series with 213-run victory over Kiwis ADELAIDE, Nov 30: Australia crushed New Zealand by 213 runs on the final day of the second Test to complete a series clean sweep at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.


Hopes fade for trapped miners Chenjiashan Mine - Hopes of finding alive 141 workers trapped inside a north China coal pit vanished Monday as officials and angry relatives blamed the disaster on management #39;s drive for profit.


Archbishop seeks to calm  #39;war of words #39; Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane has stepped into the fray between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and President Thabo Mbeki, calling for calm and offering to mediate between the two.


Another oil-food scandal emerges UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday he was disappointed in his son for accepting payments from a key contractor in the oil-for-food program for more than four years longer than had been previously acknowledged.


World Failed Bhopal Gas Victims, Says Amnesty London, Nov. 30 (NNN) : The world has failed to help survivors of the Bhopal gas leak in India 20 years ago or to punish the guilty, Amnesty International has said.


Oil Prices Hover Just Below \$50 a Barrel  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. oil prices hovered just below  \$50 a barrel on Tuesday, holding recent gains on a rash of  crude supply outages and fears over thin heating oil tanks.


Nikkei Slips 0.8 Pct on Data  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average fell around 0.8  percent by mid-afternoon on Tuesday after industrial output  data sapped investor appetite for tech issues and profit-taking  hit recent gainers such as Nippon Steel Corp.


Newspaper Publishers Padded Sales Figures Investigations have found that several companies inflated circulation totals and revenue in order to keep advertising rates high.


DOT Says Air Traffic Overhaul Is Flawed An eight-year effort to upgrade the computers for the nation's air traffic control system is "facing obsolescence" before it has been completed, the Department of Transportation inspector general said in a report released yesterday.


Nielsen's Concessions  End Fight With Univision Univision Communications Inc. and Nielsen Media Research Inc. have dropped lawsuits against each other over the rollout of Nielsen's controversial "personal people meters," which critics said undercount the size of minority television audiences.


Thayer Gets Stake in BFI Thayer Capital Partners, a D.C. private-equity partnership that buys companies, agreed to a deal that will give it a 24 percent stake in one of Canada's largest trash haulers.


Temps Lose Bargaining Rights Won In 2000 Temporary workers will no longer be able to bargain for job benefits as part of a unit with permanent employees, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled, reversing a Clinton-era precedent.


Offer gives Harmony 11 of Gold Fields World number six gold miner Harmony Gold on Monday announced that it had secured 10.8 percent of shares in world number four gold miner Gold Fields as a result of its early settlement offer, which closed at 12h00 on Friday.


Judge dismisses Oracle insider trading suit A judge yesterday dismissed a lawsuit against Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Larry Ellison and Chairman Jeffrey Henley that accused them of insider trading before the company announced an earnings shortfall in 2001.


China's annual central economic meeting "imminent" (AFP) AFP - China's senior policymakers are to convene soon for an important annual meeting in Beijing to map out the principles for China's economic plan for 2005, state media reported.


WVU will play Florida State in Gator Bowl The most enjoyable part of Rich Rodriguez #39;s message to his West Virginia football team yesterday was short and sweet. The Mountaineers will play in the Gator Bowl -- probably


College Basketball: Kansas, Oklahoma State Win LAWRENCE, Kan. (Sports Network) - Wayne Simien scored 14 points with 10 rebounds to lead No. 2 Kansas over Nevada, 85-52, at Allen Fieldhouse.


Sehwag sizzles in Eden sun A Belligerent Virender Sehwag and compact Rahul Dravids unbroken century partnership on Monday shaped Indias sound reply to South Africa in the second cricket Test.


63 are dead, 103 missing, feared lost in China mine BEIJING - The death toll in a coal-mine explosion in central China rose to 63 with 103 workers still missing, the government said today, as toxic fumes slowed rescuers from entering the pit.


ASEAN approves talks with Japan VIENTIANE, Laos -- A day after reaching a deal with China in a bid to create the world #39;s largest free trade zone, the leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations have approved free trade talks with Japan.


Lover  #39;bumped off #39; - Diana tapes A videotape of the late Princess Diana talking frankly about her sex life with Prince Charles and suggesting that a lover on her royal staff was  quot;bumped off quot; was broadcast on US television on Monday.


US plane missing in Afghanistan The United States military says one of its airplanes carrying six people has gone missing over Afghanistan. The plane was carrying three civilian crew members and three military passengers, a statement said.


Merck files new termination plan BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Merck  amp; Co. has adopted a new plan to compensate senior management in case of a corporate takeover, according to regulatory filings made Monday.


PSA seen as leading race to buy CSX port assets Singapore-based PSA International is leading a pack of shipping giants, which includes tycoon Li Ka-shing #39;s flagship Hutchison Whampoa, that are prepared to shell out upward of US\$1 billion (HK\$7.8 billion) to buy CSX World Terminals #39; port assets


France's Renault to invest 570 million dollars in South Korea (AFP) AFP - French auto giant Renault SA said it will invest some 570 million dollars in South Korea over the next three years as part of its global strategy to become a key player in Asia.


Ntini strikes early for Proteas Kolkata - Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar have consolidated the Indian innings after South Africa #39;s Makhaya Ntini claimed the wicket of Virender Sehwag (88) on the third day of the second Test at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.


Bhopal activists accuse Indian govt of failing to bring main accused to book (AFP) AFP - Activists fighting for victims of the world's worst industrial accident in 1984 have accused the Indian government of dragging its feet on the extradition of the main accused in the case, US industrialist Warren Anderson.


Florida A M Coach Joe Won't Get Extension (AP) AP - Florida A amp;M won't extend the contract of football coach Billy Joe beyond the 2005-06 season.


Italy Faces Strike Day Against Tax Cuts 'For Rich'  ROME (Reuters) - Italy's factories, trains, banks and  planes will come to a standstill for hours Tuesday as unions  stage a general strike to protest at plans for tax cuts they  say will help the rich and cost the public sector.


Olympics, Elections Boost US Ad Sales - Study The Athens Olympics and the US elections boosted total US advertising spending in the third quarter, leaving 2004-to-date spending levels 10.3 above the year-ago level, according to a study released Monday.


Motorola Finalizes Freescale Split The Schaumburg, Ill., tech giant set final plans in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Monday to distribute to shareholders its remaining stake in the Austin, Texas, chip company.


#39;There Goes the WOLFPACK!... #39; Delivering a little payback for a loss last season, Kansas defeats Nevada 85-52 in Allen Fieldhouse. Links and images inside. Kansas forward Wayne Simien (23) looks for the basket after getting past Nevada


Officials Stumped by Australia, NZ Whale Beachings Scientists and wildlife officials continued to search Tuesday for what may have caused a series of mass strandings which left 168 whales and dolphins dead on Australian and New Zealand beaches in the past three days.


Thousands of observers quit Romanian election BUCHAREST (AFP) - Romania #39;s main civil rights group said Monday it was pulling thousands of observers out of the Romanian presidential election after being submerged by an avalanche of fraud allegations.


College Basketball: Kansas, Oklahoma State Win  LAWRENCE, Kan. (Sports Network) - Wayne Simien scored 14  points with 10 rebounds to lead No. 2 Kansas over Nevada,  85-52, at Allen Fieldhouse.


France #39;s Renault to invest 570 million dollars in South Korea SEOUL (AFP) - French auto giant Renault SA said it will invest some 570 million dollars in South Korea over the next three years as part of its global strategy to become a key player in Asia.


Internet Users Left Stranded After Intelsat Satellite Fails (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Commercial satellite operator Intelsat Ltd. lost use of one of its satellites Sunday -- a mishap that left some Internet customers stranded and could jeopardize a proposed  #36;5 billion deal to sell the company to a group of four venture capital firms.


Screen saver to go on offensive against spam web sites Internet users fed up with spam can go on the offensive by downloading a screen saver aimed at hitting junkmailers in the pocket, according to Net portal Lycos.


Sony Takes on iPod with New Hard Disk Walkman (Reuters) Reuters - Sony Corp (6758.T) unveiled its first\MP3-compatible, hard disk Walkman music player on Tuesday in an\attempt to recover ground lost to Apple Computer's \iPod.


NBA Wrap: Boykins Helps Nuggets Down Lowly Hornets (Reuters) Reuters - Earl Boykins contributed 22 points to\help the Denver Nuggets overcome the absence of top scorer\Carmelo Anthony to defeat the New Orleans Hornets 76-67 Monday.


Brett Favre Shines as Green Bay Mauls St. Louis Brett Favre celebrated his 200th consecutive start by throwing three touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers destroyed the St. Louis Rams 45-17 at Lambeau Field Monday.


Time for coach to practice patience One door opened and another shut Monday. In the hallway separating the two, a place better known as Cardinals purgatory, Josh McCown watched his career flash before his eyes.


Sybase Partners with IBM to Sell Database Software (Reuters) Reuters - Sybase Inc.  said on Tuesday\that it will partner with hardware vendor IBM  to market\its Linux database software, potentially dealing a blow to Sun\Microsystems, another long-standing partner.


Officials Stumped by Australia, NZ Whale Beachings (Reuters) Reuters - Scientists and wildlife officials\continued to search Tuesday for what may have caused a series\of mass strandings which left 168 whales and dolphins dead on\Australian and New Zealand beaches in the past three days.


UN Panel Proposes New Criteria for Using Force (Reuters) Reuters - A report by a high-level panel\on reforming the United Nations proposes expanding the criteria\for U.N. military action but maintains the need for Security\Council approval, U.N. diplomats said.


Diana video tape screened in US A video of Princess Diana talking about her life is aired on American television.


Annan 'Disappointed' in Son's Lack of Disclosure U.N. Secretary-General Kofi\Annan said on Monday he was "disappointed" his son did not tell him the full story of his ties to a firm involved\in the U.N. oil-for-food program, now under investigation.


Sybase Partners with IBM to Sell Database Software  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sybase Inc. SY.N said on Tuesday  that it will partner with hardware vendor IBM IBM.N to market  its Linux database software, potentially dealing a blow to Sun  Microsystems, another long-standing partner.


US Plane in Afghanistan Presumed Crashed -- Sources  KABUL (Reuters) - An aircraft that went missing in central  Afghanistan at the weekend is presumed to have crashed with  three U.S. military passengers and three U.S. civilian crew  aboard, military and security sources said on Tuesday.


Pedestrians and Drivers Beware! Motoboys Are in a Hurry Daring motorcycle messengers seem immune to delays in South America's largest city.


Sony, IBM, Toshiba offer details on upcoming 'Cell' chip The three companies are investing billions of dollars to develop and prepare for mass production of Cell, a multicore semiconductor composed of several processors that work together to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.


Some retailers had luxurious weekend  quot;I think the start was very mixed, quot; said Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz  amp; Associates, a national retail consulting and investment banking firm in New York.


Government claims collusion for the first time Investigators looking into price manipulation in the natural gas industry charged five former traders Monday, and for the first time accused workers from different companies of colluding to move the market.


Intelsat sale could fall through Intelsat lost a satellite during the weekend, and that could put its \$5 billion sale to private investors in jeopardy. Intelsat says a sudden and unexpected electrical-distribution anomaly caused the permanent loss of the spacecraft.


California company offers workers  #39;hot deal #39; for purchasing a <b>...</b> An environmentally minded California software firm says it will give \$5,000 to every one of its 1,500 US workers who buys a gas-electric hybrid vehicle rated 45 miles per gallon or more in highway driving.


Halliburton says way clear for units to exit bankruptcy An order signed Monday by a federal bankruptcy judge in Pennsylvania clears the way for Halliburton #39;s KBR unit to emerge from bankruptcy by year #39;s end, according to the Houston company.


Reliant plans debt sale of \$4 billion Reliant Energy, a producer of power in 12 US states, plans to sell about \$4 billion in new debt in a refinancing that may cut the company #39;s interest costs.


US movie studios back HD DVD format Four US movie studios have announced their intention to release next-generation DVDs in the Toshiba-backed HD DVD format, the technology firm announced on Monday.


Microsoft Order Pulled by Beijing Amid Focus on Local Products Beijing #39;s municipal government canceled an order for Microsoft Corp. computer software following official complaints that local governments aren #39;t buying enough domestically-developed software.


Favre, Packers pummel Rams CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Quarterback Brett Favre celebrated his 200th straight start with three touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers defeated the St.


Stanford dismisses coach  quot;It was an extremely difficult decision, quot; Athletic Director Ted Leland said,  quot;but I simply felt that the program was in need of new direction and leadership.


Agency OK #39;s plan to monitor Iran #39;s nuclear programs The UN nuclear agency agreed yesterday on a plan for policing Iran #39;s nuclear programs designed to avoid a showdown at the United Nations.


Sharon says early elections are a political and economic danger <b>...</b> After losing two no-confidence motions, PM vows he will do everything in his power to expand Coalition and avoid elections, but stressed, If we are forced to declare elections, we shall.


Four Studios Give Backing to a Format for DVD's Four Hollywood studios announced that they would release films in a new high-definition DVD format by the end of next year, an advance in the effort to define a new DVD standard.


Dollar Recovers Against Euro, Yen  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar recovered against the euro and  the yen on Tuesday following poor Japanese output figures,  although many traders suspect the U.S. currency's two-day  reprieve from weeks of heavy selling won't last long.


Harmony puts brave face on 11 Harmony Gold, which has managed to acquire only 10,8 of Gold Fields in the first stage of its hostile take-over bid, put a brave face on its offer yesterday, saying it would immediately launch the second part of its offer for the remaining shares.


Willis Group hires top Marsh broker SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Willis Group said Monday that it hired a top broker from larger rival Marsh  amp; McLennan, one of the first signs talent is on the move as a result of Eliot Spitzer #39;s probe of the industry.


Martha Stewart Eyeing Reality TV Comeback Martha Stewart is making big plans to return to the small screen next year following her five-month gig in a West Virginia prison.


quot;Twelve Days of Christmas quot; True Love Gifts Have you ever considered giving your  quot;true love quot; everything offered in the traditional timeless song, Twelve Days of Christmas?


TOSHIBA IN A DVD WIN Four Hollywood studios promised to support Toshiba #39;s next generation of DVD technology, due in stores next fall. The technology, called HD-DVD, is doing battle with Sony


Cell Phones New Targets For Hackers Since the Skulls virus hit, people are starting to become aware of the fact that cell phones are just as vulnerable to attacks as computers.


Celtics enjoy laugher When Doc Rivers has dinner with Orlando coach Johnny Davis and Magic players Pat Garrity and Grant Hill sometime next summer, there should be some interesting conversation.


Early success for South Africa Rahul Dravid completed a solid half-century as India reached 198 for three at lunch on the third day of the second and final Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.


China, Asean eye biggest free trade zone VIENTIANE - China and 10 South-east Asian countries signed historic trade pacts to pave the way for the world #39;s biggest free-trade zone by 2010, with a total population of nearly two billion people.


Ukraine president wants new election KIEV, Ukraine -- Facing a relentless tide of opposition protests, embattled President Leonid Kuchma said Monday that a new election might be the only way out of a spiraling crisis that threatens to break up this former Soviet republic between the pro


Australia accused of double standards as anti-proliferation meeting starts (AFP) AFP - Australia may have "innocently" exported nuclear technology to parties with weapons of mass destruction programs, Defence Minister Robert Hill said on the sidelines of an anti-proliferation forum.


Efforts Made to OK Foreign Born Presidents (AP) AP - The nation's forefathers envisioned a president born in the good ol' U.S. of A.; a red, white and true-blue chief executive for when the band strikes up "Hail to the Chief."


Taking flight in N.H. Manchester Airport is the only one of the three major airports serving the Boston area that has increased its market share since 2001, according to a Boston Globe analysis of passenger data.


A revolution grows up Is the revolution over already? I'm talking about the Internet retailing revolution, which over the past six years has changed the way much of America shops.


Cambridge Heart hits a snag Cambridge Heart Inc. , a small, publicly traded company based in Bedford, has suffered a setback in its bid to persuade Medicare to mandate its tests for a registry of implantable defibrillator patients.


LinuxWorld to visit Hub for 1st time LinuxWorld Conference  amp; Expo will come to Boston for the first time in February, underscoring the area's standing as a hub for the open-source software being adopted by thousands of businesses.


Adapting to shift in tech landscape Research firms rode high during the high-tech boom, advising businesses to use technology to cut costs and boost efficiency.


Short-term T-bill rates up Interest rates on short-term Treasury securities rose in yesterday's auction. The Treasury Department sold \$19 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 2.20 percent, up from 2.16 percent last week. An additional \$17 billion was sold in six-month bills at a rate of 2.40 percent, up from 2.37 percent.


Crude nears \$50 a barrel Crude oil futures rose to within a quarter of \$50 a barrel yesterday after a gas leak shut down a North Sea oil production platform, and as traders weighed concerns about heating oil supplies against the fact that temperatures have been mild in recent weeks.


Merck moves to retain key staff Merck  amp; Co. has adopted a severance plan that offers some executives one-time payments of up to triple their salary plus other perks if the troubled pharmaceutical giant is acquired and they lose their jobs.


EU calls dollar's weakness 'unwelcome' The euro's growing strength against the US dollar is  quot;unwelcome, quot; the European Central Bank chief said yesterday as the 12-nation European currency hovered just below a record high.


Gold passes \$450 per ounce for the 1st time since 1988 Gold futures hit a 16-year high yesterday, continuing a bull run that has gold companies  quot;living the dream, quot; according to one industry analyst.


Former owner to operate WBIX-AM Former owner Alex Langer is poised to resume operations of WBIX-AM this week amid signs the station is about to significantly cut back on its signature business news and information programs. Langer sold WBIX to accused embezzler Bradford Bleidt in 2002 for \$10 million, but was still owed \$7 million when Bleidt was arrested and charged this month with stealing ...


Vioxx study's publication derailed by FDA queries Government questions about ''basic data integrity quot; derailed publication of a report raising safety concerns about arthritis drug Vioxx on the eve of a contentious congressional hearing, according to an e-mail exchange.


Studios choose sides in format battle to succeed DVDs Three top Hollywood studios are throwing their considerable weight behind one of two competing formats for the next generation of DVDs.


Dollar Recovers Against Euro, Yen (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar recovered against the euro and\the yen on Tuesday following poor Japanese output figures,\although many traders suspect the U.S. currency's two-day\reprieve from weeks of heavy selling won't last long.


Think tanks see no eurozone rate change Nine leading think tanks in the eurozone have predicted that interest rates will stay unchanged for six months. The forecast comes from a new  quot;Euroframe quot; outlook, in which Ireland #39;s Economic and Social Research Institute is one of the institutes involved.


WILLIS SNAGS MARSH STARS Embattled Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. has lost more than a dozen brokers in the past six weeks, since Attorney General Eliot Spitzer charged them with bid-rigging and the stock price fell by 40 percent.


Qatar Sees  #36;30 as Fair Price for Oil (Reuters) Reuters - Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah\said on Tuesday that  #36;30 a barrel was a fair price for oil -- a\level nearly  #36;20 below U.S. crude futures.


#39;Skulls #39; Mobile Security Threat Seen Low-McAfee A computer program known as  quot;Skulls quot; with potentially destructive capability aimed at advanced mobile devices was seen as a low threat because it had not targeted consumers, security software maker McAfee Inc.


Oates: Favre delivers on hype GREEN BAY - It was clear from the non-stop Brett Favre hype that aired on ABC and its little brother, ESPN, all weekend the television network had pulled some strings with the NFL to get Favre #39;s 200th consecutive start on  quot;ABC #39;s Monday Night Football.


Mets offer reportedly 3 years, \$38M After reportedly having dinner with right-hander Pedro Martinez last Thursday, Mets general manager Omar Minaya has made an offer that tops the one the Red Sox submitted, The New York Times reported.


The BCS shuffle University of Texas head coach Mack Brown didn #39;t have long to savor his team #39;s 26-13 victory over in-state rival Texas A amp;M.


Pakistan #39;s Musharraf sees chance for  #39;peaceful coexistence #39; with <b>...</b> Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said here Monday that he looks forward to  quot;a peaceful coexistence quot; with India as the nuclear-armed neighbors seek to push their peace process forward.


Qatar Sees \$30 as Fair Price for Oil  DOHA (Reuters) - Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah  said on Tuesday that \$30 a barrel was a fair price for oil -- a  level nearly \$20 below U.S. crude futures.


Japan's Nikkei Average Closes Lower  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average closed 0.72  percent lower on Tuesday after weak industrial output data  sapped investor appetite for technology issues, but declines  were limited as the dollar firmed against the yen for a second  day.


Film studios snub Sony DVD format Three Hollywood studios choose to use next-generation DVD technology backed by Toshiba, snubbing a rival product promoted by Sony.


Oracle Takes Over PeopleSoft (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) finally has won control of PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT) after an 18-month takeover battle, making the Redwood Shores, California-based company the world's second-largest vendor of business management applications software.


Russian Buddhists trudge through snow to see Dalai Lama (AFP) AFP - Hundreds of Buddhists in southern Russia marched through snow to see and hear the Dalai Lama as he continued a long-awaited visit to the country in spite of Chinese protests.


Technology NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Slower growth and reduced profits will likely squeeze three of the nation #39;s top 10 personal computer manufacturers out of the market by 2007, a research firm predicted Monday.


Kazaa owners launch defence in file-swap copyright infringement <b>...</b> The owners of file-swapping giant Kazaa claimed Tuesday their software, which allows users to exchange copyrighted music and movies online, is no different from video recorders as they launched their defence in a landmark music


Rescued whales head out to sea as scientists blame weather for beachings (AFP) AFP - Rescuers succeeded in saving most of the whales still stranded on beaches in Australia and New Zealand as scientists pinpointed cyclical weather patterns as a likely cause of increased beachings.


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


White House Awaits Proof on Iran Promises (AP) AP - The United States is taking a time out from browbeating Iran about its nuclear weapons, giving way  #151; for now, at least  #151; while the Europeans try to sweet-talk Iran's uranium enrichment to a halt.


Nuclear Freeze Talks Must Not Last Too Long - Iran  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran is prepared to keep uranium  enrichment activities frozen as long as nuclear negotiations  continue with the EU, but those talks should not last too long,  Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani said Tuesday.


Mirabelli signs for two years Hard as they tried, the Red Sox were unable to dissuade Gabe Kapler from bolting to Japan. But they made sure another key bench player will return next season when they enticed Doug Mirabelli to sign a two-year contract worth \$3 million, the richest deal of his career.


Browns linebacker Davis out for season The Patriots will meet yet another team that has a key player missing because of injury, this time on defense.


Hardly cavalier about Cleveland For the Patriots this weekend, it's back to Cleveland, where Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli first got together years ago.


Trojans seeking top of the heap One game into Bridgewater-Raynham's league schedule, the Trojans' season appeared to be over. After losing to Marshfield to open Old Colony League play Oct. 30, the Trojans figured their chances at surviving beyond Thanksgiving were as good as a turkey's. With only four teams in the league, Marshfield seemed a safe bet to garner its playoff berth.


It took a while, but Lions are roaring now For a team coming off back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, Chelmsford sure found itself flying under the radar coming into this season.


It's hardly a weighty issue for Colonials Density may be important in physics, but Acton-Boxboro thinks the concept is overrated -- especially when it comes to its football team.


Fear of ethnic conflict charges Mosul unrest MOSUL, Iraq -- After Saddam Hussein was ousted and his security apparatus collapsed, many Iraqis predicted ethnic war. They feared ethnic militias like the Kurdish Peshmerga would fill the security vacuum and engage in a bloody power struggle.


Ukraine president eyes new vote KIEV -- Facing a relentless tide of opposition protests, embattled President Leonid Kuchma said yesterday that a new election might be the only way out of a spiraling crisis that threatens to break up this former Soviet republic between the pro-Russia east and the Western-leaning rest of Ukraine.


Agency OK's plan to monitor Iran's nuclear programs VIENNA -- The UN nuclear agency agreed yesterday on a plan for policing Iran's nuclear programs designed to avoid a showdown at the United Nations.


Blair urges dialogue with US on climate LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday urged a new international dialogue with the United States on climate change, weeks before Britain takes over the presidency of the G8 group of industrialized nations.  quot;The most important thing is to try to get a dialogue with America on how we recognize both the scale of the problem on greenhouse gas emissions ...


A brief history of Iran's nuclear program 2002 Jan. President Bush describes Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as an  quot;axis of evil. quot;


A leader indicates Hamas holding off JERUSALEM -- A local Hamas leader indicated yesterday the militant group would not attack Israelis during the Palestinian presidential campaign and would consider a formal truce with Israel in the latest signs of hope for renewed peace efforts in the region.


Sinn Fein leaders, police chief meet in bid for peace accord LONDON -- Leaders of the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party talked with Northern Ireland's police commander for the first time ever yesterday in pursuit of a new peace agreement between Catholics and Protestants.


Tough EU terms for Turkey Draft of document draws framework BRUSSELS -- Turkey will have to accept tough conditions, including de facto recognition of Cyprus and a permanent brake on labor migration, to open European Union entry talks, according to a draft EU summit statement.


Another day of bloodshed for US troops and Iraqis BAGHDAD -- Insurgents stepped up attacks on Iraq's fledgling security forces, killing seven Iraqi police and guardsmen yesterday in a suicide bombing hours after storming a police station north of the capital. The military reported five new US deaths.


Bin Laden deputy vows fight Muslims to 'stand firm,' tape says CAIRO -- Osama bin Laden's top deputy vowed in a videotape aired yesterday to keep fighting the United States until Washington changes its policies.


Colombia backs off claim Bush was targeted BOGOTA -- Colombia's government backpedaled yesterday on a sensational claim made by the defense minister that Marxist rebels wanted to assassinate President Bush during a recent state visit.


Radio Boycott of Skinny Puppy's new album urged Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood has sent letters threatening a boycott against radio stations playing the new Skinny Puppy album, The Greater Wrong of the Right.


Retail sales over Thanksgiving weekend good for some The far north Scottsdale Target store rang up better than expected sales during the three days after Thanksgiving. At Superstition Springs Center in Mesa, Bath and Body Works sold out


Downloader.GK 'Worst Trojan of 2004' (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - The Downloader.GK Trojan was named as the worst piece of malicious code of 2004, according to Spanish anti-virus firm Panda Software.


Oregon tree growers team up for the troops The holiday season keeps the Hansen family busy harvesting, shipping and selling thousands of Christmas trees. However, this year the Hansens, along with 12


Willis Hires Top Marsh Exec, Stock Rises Insurance broker Willis Group Holdings Ltd. (WSH) on Monday said it hired a top executive from embattled rival Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos.


Martha Stewart Shares Hit a Three Year High Martha Stewart Living #39;s business may not have hit rock bottom yet, but its stock is officially back from the dead. Shares of the struggling media company were up nearly 9 on Wednesday, reaching not only their


New Cabir Variants Quick To Replicate (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - F-Secure, the Finnish anti-virus software developer, has identified two new, fast-spreading versions of Cabir, the worm that infects cell phones using the Symbian operating system.


DoCoMo #39;s i-mode to expand into Britain, Ireland TOKYO - NTT DoCoMo Inc said Tuesday that it will expand its i-mode Internet-capable cell phone services into Britain and Ireland in the latter half of 2005 by concluding a licensing contract with British cell phone company mmO2 PLC.


SCO Website Defaced Again Malicious hackers have once again compromised The SCO Groups website, the second time in as many days. The messages on the website appear to mock the companys ownership claims over various parts of the Linux operating system.


EDS: The single point of failure After the Child Support Agency (CSA) debacle earlier this month, when it emerged that the 450m system built by EDS still isn #39;t working properly a year and a half after its supposed completion, the DWP crash seemed impossibly incompetent.


CRICKET: Aussies sweep series with 213 run victory Australia defeated New Zealand by a massive 213 runs on the final day of the second cricket Test at Adelaide Oval today. With this victory the Aussies have won the series.


PACKERS: Defense bends, doesn #39;t break GREEN BAY - Ahmad Carroll and Joey Thomas knew they were going to be targeted by the St. Louis Rams #39; pass- happy offense Monday night.


Celtics beat Magic 117-101 to end skid Doc Rivers got his team back on track while gaining a measure of revenge on his old squad, and the Boston Celtics snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Orlando Magic 117-101 on Monday night.


Woolmer hopeful of Pak show KARACHI, Nov. 28. Coach Mr Bob Woolmer today brushed aside previous Pakistani performances against Australia and said his team could spring a surprise if they played to their potential on their upcoming tour.


Patriots win in all conditions against all kinds of teams The Patriots can be healthy or hurting. The field can be drenched or dry. The opponent might have a stingy defense or a high-scoring offense.


Emmitt reportedly out 2-3 weeks TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith will miss 2-3 weeks with a toe injury, ESPN reported Monday. And that #39;s not the only change in the starting lineup for the Cards.


AMD Launches Mobile Video Processor (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Chip manufacturer AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced a processor designed to handle\the demands of multimedia content on mobile devices. The latest\iteration of AMD's Alchemy product line, dubbed Au1200, promises to\provide video entertainment for consumers on the move, much like what\MP3 players deliver to music fans.


Survey: Web Holiday Shopping Up 25 Percent in 2004 (Reuters) Reuters - Online shoppers in the United\States spent  #36;23.2 billion during the holidays, excluding\travel, up 25 percent from the 2003 season, according to a new\survey from Goldman, Sachs   Co., Harris Interactive and


Adams and Paisley Edge Towards Peace Deal Gerry Adams shook the hand of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde in Tony Blairs Downing Street office today, as the republican leadership and the Reverend


Senior Hamas figure ready for cease-fire Hebrew news service Itim quotes Sheikh Hassan Yousef, considered a senior Hamas leader in the West Bank, as saying that Hamas was ready for a ten-year hudna (truce).


Variety is truly the spice of Christmas tree sales What does it take to lure harried Christmas shoppers away from the malls and the prepackaged convenience of an already decorated plastic Christmas tree in a box?


Sorry. Your Eating Disorder Doesn't Meet Our Criteria. For years, doctors have been relying on a vague nondiagnosis known by the acronym Ednos: eating disorder not otherwise specified.


For a Teenage Boy, a Basketball and a Bug Spell Trouble In one young patient, unidentified stalkers seek out openings to attack the vision.


Why Good Friends Don't Always Make Good Doctors When painful medicine is involved, closeness to a patient can make for fuzzy views.


The Great Salt Flats Where did the Bonneville Salt Flats of western Utah come from? Did the same thing create salt flats elsewhere?


Storm pulls wet blanket over holiday sales The first weekend of holiday shopping went from red-hot to dead white, as a storm that delivered freezing, snowy weather across Colorado kept consumers at home.


State Compensation Insurance Fund Files an Average 5 Rate <b>...</b> SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- State Compensation Insurance Fund today announced it has filed with the Department of Insurance an average rate decrease of 5 percent on new and renewal workers #39; compensation


Asian Stocks Rise for Fourth Day in US Trading; Sony Climbs Asian stocks rose in US trading. Sony Corp. gained after the world #39;s No. 2 consumer-electronics maker agreed to resolve a dispute over patents related to digital cameras.


Fresh Philippine Flooding Kills at Least 26 (Reuters) Reuters - Floods and landslides caused\by heavy rains killed at least 26 people in the northern\Philippines, disaster officials said Tuesday, a week after\storms left about 160 dead or missing.


studios snub Sony DVD format Three Hollywood studios have chosen to embrace next-generation DVD technology backed by Toshiba, snubbing a rival product promoted by Sony.


Favre has big game, but defense pitches in to beat Rams 45-17 The defense that couldnt seem to get a turnover finally got a couple on Monday night. First-round draft pick Ahmad Carroll, facing the stiffest test of his rookie season, scored a touchdown on a fumble


Pinsent set for Role with IOC Matthew Pinsent has already been guaranteed an influential position in the International Olympic Committee following his expected retirement from rowing, Standard Sport can reveal today.


Leeds Utd reject new takeover bid from Sainsbury His initial takeover was thwarted by Leeds after a failure to provide promised monies two weeks ago. Yesterday, Mr Sainsbury - the great-grandson of the founder of the supermarket chain -evealed he had


Lawyer IDs fan accused of throwing Palace chair whose face has become famous as police have sought for more than a week to identify him -- finally has a name. Auburn Hills police said Monday that


Off to a strong start Before lineup introductions, NC State men #39;s basketball coach Herb Sendek pulls each one of his starters aside and offers a word.


U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq (AP) AP - A U.S. Army soldier died from injuries sustained after a roadside bomb exploded next to his patrol north of Baghdad, the military said Tuesday.


Rison Can Leave Jail With  #36;10K Payment (AP) AP - Former Pro Bowl receiver Andre Rison was given the option of paying  #36;10,000 to get out of jail after spending almost a month locked up for failing to pay child support for more than two years.


Expulsion near for aid officials inside Sudan The government of Sudan is delaying the expulsion of country directors of two British-based aid agencies it has accused of making statements that suggest support for rebels.


Dalai Lama Leads Prayers at Russian Monastery Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims trekked to a temple in the southern republic of Kalmykia today to join prayers led by the Dalai Lama, on his first visit to Russia after years of being denied entry.


Fresh Philippine Flooding Kills at Least 26  GAPAN, Philippines (Reuters) - Floods and landslides caused  by heavy rains killed at least 26 people in the northern  Philippines, disaster officials said Tuesday, a week after  storms left about 160 dead or missing.


Iran Says Nuclear Freeze Talks Must Not Last Long  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran reiterated Tuesday it was only  prepared to keep its uranium enrichment activities frozen for a  few months and would not, as the EU and Washington want,  permanently mothball facilities which could make atomic bombs.


Burma crackdown on Indian rebels The Indian army says Burmese troops have begun an offensive to flush out Indian rebel bases in their territory.


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


Oil Prices Hover Just Below \$50 a Barrel US oil prices hovered just below \$50 a barrel on Tuesday, holding recent gains on a rash of crude supply outages and fears over thin heating oil tanks.


Wal-Mart asks for reversal of ruling in workers #39; suit Wal-Mart asked an appeals court to overturn a ruling allowing 1.6 million female workers seeking billions of dollars in back pay to sue the company for discrimination as a group.


Univision drops suit against Nielsen LOS ANGELES - Univision Communications Inc. said Monday it dropped a lawsuit against Nielsen Media Research Inc. over the firm #39;s new TV rating system, which the Spanish-language broadcaster claimed miscounts its viewers.


Lots of eyes on Disney trial The courtroom drama of shareholders vs. Disney #39;s battling Mikes - Michael Ovitz and Michael Eisner -as become a can #39;t-miss reality show for entertainment industry executives.


Alleged fake trades lead to indictments Federal indictments were unsealed yesterday accusing five former natural-gas traders at three Houston energy companies of reporting fake trades to industry publications.


Hyperion offers employees \$5,000 if they buy hybrid car Business software maker Hyperion Solutions Corp., of Sunnyvale, says it will give \$5,000 to every employee who buys a car that gets at least 45 miles per gallon.


BellSouth Picks a COO BellSouth Corp. (NYSE: BLS - message board) today named Mark Feidler as its new chief operating officer, along with a host of other executive changes.


4 studios support HD DVD Shades of VHS versus Betamax: The war over the next-generation DVD format was launched Monday. Warner Bros., Paramount and Universal studios, as well as minimajor New Line Cinema


Time to move beyond Explorer So quit fighting. Switch to Firefox, in a newly released 1.0 version. If you already are using Mozilla, a Web browser built using the same architecture as Firefox, then you know most of those benefits of switching.


Favre sets record in Packers #39; rout GREEN BAY, Wis.  Brett Favre threw three touchdown passes in his 200th consecutive start, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 45-17 win over the St.


Cal coming up Roses Texas came up just short and California appears headed to the Rose Bowl, or maybe better, as the Bowl Championship Series #39; second-to-last rankings showed little movement at the top.


Turnovers, early run seal victory for Kansas At first glance, the statistics sheet from last nights basketball game against Nevada indicates that Kansas played exceptionally well defensively.


UN agency backs nuclear deal for Iran The UN nuclear agency agreed yesterday on a European-negotiated plan for policing Iran #39;s nuclear programs. The United States, which claims Iran is trying to build a nuclear


Twenty years on: Bhopal victims still waiting for compensation ELEANOR HALL: It was one of the world #39;s worst industrial accidents but nearly 20 years after a gas leak devastated a shanty town on the outskirts of Bhopal in central India, many of the tens of thousands of people affected are yet to receive compensation.


KOFI: I #39;M SON-BURNED WASHINGTON - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday he was  quot;disappointed quot; to learn his son Kojo was getting secret payments from a company under investigation for its role in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.


European Shares Open Modestly Firmer  LONDON (Reuters) - European shares opened modestly firmer  on Tuesday, helped by a reprieve for the battered dollar but  mixed company updates kept a lid on gains.


Kellogg #39;s Cuban-born CEO to lead Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, whose family fled Castro, will head administration efforts to revive the manufacturing sector. By Associated Press.


Shoppers fast out of gate Excitement on Friday as the holiday shopping season got underway cooled before the weekend #39;s close as cautious shoppers browsed and let many deals pass.


Software Firm To Subsidize Employees #39; Hybrid Cars Hyperion said it hopes to encourage other firms to join its clean-driving campaign and has launched a group called the Companies for Clean Air Consortium.


Iraq Oil Infrastructure Losing Billions (AP) AP - When Saddam Hussein's lieutenant heard that an oil pipeline had been sabotaged in Qushqia, his order was swift: blow up the village. Under Saddam, nobody messed with oil.


HP iPaq hx2000 Series Will Be Three Devices On HP #39;s UK site the upcoming hx2000 series is now broken out into three different Pocket PC devices, the HP iPaq hx2750, HP iPaq 2410, and HP iPaq 2110.


Death toll in Philippines storm tops 100 (AFP) AFP - Rescuers were desperately searching for survivors after floods and landslides unleashed by a tropical storm in the Philippines killed more than 100 people, most buried alive under tonnes of debris, officials said.


Packers 45, Rams 17 Green Bay #39;s indomitable quarterback celebrated his 200th straight regular-season start by throwing three touchdown passes and leading the Packers to their sixth straight win Monday night, 45-17 over St.


Soccer spitter accused again English soccer #39;s ruling body charged Bolton forward El-Hadji Diouf with improper conduct for spitting at defender Arjan De Zeeuw during Saturday #39;s 1-0 home loss to Portsmouth.


FLEMING PRAISE FOR AUSSIES New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was quick to praise Ricky Ponting #39;s Australia side after the Black Caps were beaten by 213 runs in the second Test in Adelaide.


Hawks rout Pack Kansas had one primary goal defensively Monday night and that was to limit the touches of Nevada sharpshooter Nick Fazekas. Before the first half even ended, the Jayhawks knew if


Doc Rivers wins in return to Orlando Doc Rivers was cheered by his old fans, then his new team gave him a small measure of revenge. Rivers #39; Boston Celtics snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Orlando Magic 117


Anthony misses victory The Nuggets needed a record-breaking defensive night to make up for a rim- breaking offensive one Monday night in their 76-67 win over the down and depleted New Orleans Hornets at the Pepsi Center.


Stanford coach #39;s last loss is job Three years ago, Ted Leland thought he had found the right offensive mind for Stanford in coach Buddy Teevens. The results eventually told the athletic director otherwise, and Teevens was


Iran won #39;t abandon nuclear program Iran #39;s top nuclear negotiator says Tehran will never completely abandon its uranium enrichment activities. At a news conference on Tuesday, Hasan Rohani said the current suspension will last only as long as negotiations continue with Europe.


Whale beachings stump officials Scientists and wildlife officials are continuing to search for what may have caused a series of mass strandings which have left 169 whales and dolphins dead on Australian and New Zealand beaches in the past three days.


The Hague Fouls up the Atmosphere Maybe the most unpleasant Ankara-Brussels meeting since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002 was held in The Hague last week.


About 100 Dead in Floods in Philippine Town -- Mayor  MANILA (Reuters) - About 100 people have died in a northern  Philippine town following floods and landslides caused by heavy  rain, a local official said on Tuesday.


West has broken hand Just two games into his return from a fractured right thumb, Delonte West suffered a broken right hand that will keep the rookie point guard out indefinitely. West broke his hand on an innocuous-looking fall early in the second quarter against Miami Sunday night. He iced the hand at halftime and came back to play in the ...


Smoother sailing for Brand, Clippers Elton Brand had a season-high 30 points and and Bobby Simmons scored 9 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Clippers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 94-82, in Los Angeles last night to complete the second-best November in franchise history.


Dollar Wins Reprieve, Data Weighs on Yen  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar won a reprieve against other  major currencies on Tuesday, bouncing off last week's record  low versus the euro as markets grew cautious ahead of words  from the European Central Bank chief and U.S. data.


German offer sets bar at Stelco A GERMAN BANK #39;S \$900-million offer to refinance Stelco Inc. was approved yesterday as the benchmark bid for the restructuring Hamilton steelmaker by a judge, who challenged others to step up and prove


Iran Says Nuclear Freeze Won't Last Long  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran reiterated Tuesday it was only  prepared to freeze its uranium enrichment activities for a few  months and would not, as the EU and Washington want,  permanently mothball facilities which could make atomic bombs.


Ukraine Faces Split, Bloodshed, Putin Ally Says  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian parliamentary speaker Boris  Gryzlov said Tuesday Ukraine was headed for breakup or  bloodshed over its deadlocked presidential election.


Car Bomb North of Baghdad Kills 7, Wounds 19  BAIJI, Iraq (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded near a U.S.  military patrol in the town of Baiji, north of Baghdad, on  Tuesday, killing at least seven Iraqis and wounding 20 people,  including two U.S. soldiers, doctors and the military said.


Rebels Again Say Rwanda Troops Enter Congo  KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congo-based Rwandan rebels, under  threat of imminent attack by Rwanda, repeated an allegation  Tuesday that Rwandan troops had crossed the border in recent  days to seize the vast country's mineral-rich east.


Iran hails UN nuclear 'victory' A top Iranian cleric hails a "victory" over the US after the UN said it would not punish Iran with sanctions.


Intense talks on NI power-sharing Two key meetings are set to take place as efforts intensify to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.


Africa 'makes excuses on climate' African governments are failing to act to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Kenya's Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai says.


A boost to his base President George W. Bush #39;s nomination of Cuban-born Carlos M. Gutierrez for Commerce secretary fits neatly into a long-term strategy of boosting Republican prospects for national


Merck adopts compensation plan for top offiicals NEW YORK, November 30 (newratings.com) - Merck  amp; Co (MRK.NYS) has adopted a new compensation plan aimed at retaining its senior management officials in case of a possible takeover.


Editor to head CUNY school The City University of New York tapped BusinessWeek editor Stephen B. Shepard late yesterday to lead its new graduate school of journalism, set to open in 2006.


Mmo2 to launch i-mode in UK MOBILE group mmO2 and giant Japanese telcom NTT DoCoMo today signed a deal allowing mmO2 to launch the i-mode internet service in Britain, Germany and Ireland.


Sun Micro Agrees to Buy Closely Held SevenSpace Sun Microsystems Inc. SUNW.O has agreed to acquire closely held SevenSpace Inc., adding to Sun #39;s managed services offerings, the network computer maker said on Monday.


Rams not in Pack #39;s league The governor of Wisconsin proclaimed it Brett Favre Day yesterday and the night belonged to the Green Bay Packers quarterback, too.


Challenger finds his roots He has moved his training camp back to the Catskills, where he had most of his professional success. He is on a three-fight win streak after nearly falling off the boxing map.


Death toll rises to 63 in Shaanxi coalmine explosion At least 63 miners have been killed in the Chenjiashan coal mine gas explosion in Northwest China #39;s Shaanxi Province and more than 100 miners remained trapped underground.


Sharon Seeks Labour Help to Bail Him Out Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approached the opposition Labour Party with a tentative offer to join his shaky coalition, in hopes of avoiding early elections and saving his Gaza withdrawal plan.


SEC begins formal investigation of Newton biotech company The Securities and Exchange Commission has upgraded its investigation of Pro-Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Newton from an informal inquiry to a formal probe, according to the firm's most recent quarterly report to investors. The federal securities watchdog is looking at whether false or misleading statements were made about Pro-Pharmaceuticals, possibly by the company itself.


Record labels sue Kazaa firm Major record labels are suing the firm behind Kazaa, the internet #39;s most-used file-swapping software. Sharman Networks, a firm based in Australia but registered in the Pacific island state of Vanuatu, is being


NVIDIA SLI on two GeForce 6800 Ultras  quot;NVIDIA #39;s SLI tech is about as cool as it gets, and I wanted to see what happens when you pair up a couple of GeForce 6800 Ultra cards for a PC graphics solution


VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) Japan and South Korea joined the rush to court Southeast Asia, agreeing Tuesday to launch free trade talks with the region #39;s leaders hours after they clinched a momentous market-opening deal with booming China.


Whale beachings stump officials have left 169 whales and dolphins dead on Australian and New Zealand beaches in the past three days. By Tuesday, 96 long-finned pilot whales and bottle-nosed dolphins had died after the first beaching on Sunday at King Island, midway.


Kellogg chooses experience for CEO President Bush #39;s choice of Kellogg chief executive Carlos Gutierrez as commerce secretary leaves the cereal and snack giant without the dynamic leader who has guided its remarkable turnaround.


ECB #39;S Trichet calls on US to reduce budget deficit FRANKFURT (AFX) - European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet has called on the US to reduce its budget deficit, saying this will help facilitate a  quot;gradual and smooth correction quot; of the ballooning US current account deficit.


Hong Kong Shares Close Marginally Lower The blue-chip Hang Seng Index slipped 6.86 points, or 0.04 percent, to 14,060.05. On Monday, the index had gained 171.88 points, or 1.22 percent.


Royal Group dismisses founder Vic De Zen as chairman, fires two <b>...</b> A special committee of independent directors at building products manufacturer Royal Group Technologies Ltd. (Woodbridge, ON) has fired president and CEO Douglas Dunsmuir and senior vice-president and CFO


Diouf set for ban following spit fury ON-LOAN Liverpool striker El Hadji Diouf is facing a three-match ban after his latest spitting controversy drew widespread disgust from the football world.


** For the latest news, please refresh this page regularly ** Jesus Chavez:  quot;I am getting ready to vamp up for this coming year. I #39;m going to take a fight in February. Not sure when in February but sometime in February and then I #39;m looking to get my title back.


Gold Drops From 16-Year High in London as Dollar Climbs vs Euro Gold fell from a 16-year closing high in London, the first drop in five days, as the dollar rose against the euro, decreasing the appeal of the dollar-denominated metal as an alternative investment to US assets.


Walgreen Profit Rises 30.5 Pct, Shares Up  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walgreen Co. WAG.N on Monday posted a  30.5 percent rise in quarterly profit, boosted by sales of  generic drugs and digital photo processing, sending its shares  to a nearly three-year high.


4 studios back new DVD format A new high-definition DVD format aimed at replacing current DVDs got a huge boost Monday when NBC Universal and three other heavyweight Hollywood studios endorsed electronics giant Toshiba #39;s new HD DVD.


The power behind PlayStation 3? Some details of the highly-anticipated advanced microprocessor, code-named Cell, which is expected to power the PlayStation 3, have been released by the three firms responsible for the chip #39;s development - IBM, Sony and Toshiba.


In Brief: Product Pipeline The speedy GeForce Go 6800 mobile graphics chip from NVidia helps power high-end, wide-screen notebooks. Plus: new Microsoft accounting software.


SMITH #39;S SCOT IT IN THE BAG NOW WALTER SMITH will be unveiled as the new Scotland manager on Thursday after being offered the job last night. The former Rangers and Everton boss will sign a deal that will see him take charge until the 2008 European Championship.


Russian gas giant plans Yukos bid Gazprom, Russia's gas monopoly, says it will bid in the \$8.65bn government sale of the main production arm of embattled oil firm Yukos.


Spam Law Test A year after Congress enacted the CAN-SPAM legislation, our tests show that unsubscribing from marketing e-mail can still be hard.


News In Brief The speedy GeForce Go 6800 mobile graphics chip from NVidia helps power high-end, wide-screen notebooks. Plus: new Microsoft accounting software.


Bush taps top Latino exec WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday nominated Carlos Gutierrez, among the most prominent Hispanic business executives in the United States, to be his new Commerce secretary, as the president continued with what Republicans said would be a broad overhaul


Russias Gas Monopoly Gazprom to Take Part in Yuganskneftegaz <b>...</b> On Tuesday, November 30, the Board of Directors of Russias natural gas monopoly Gazprom has approved the decision to take part in the auction for the sale of 76.8 percent of shares of Yuganskneftegaz, the main production asset of embattled Yukos Oil


Dalai Lama Arrives in Southern Russia (AP) AP - The Dalai Lama arrived Monday for his first visit to Russia in 10 years after Moscow abruptly reversed its refusal to grant the Tibetan spiritual leader entry.


Summary: Cuba Frees Three Dissidents (AP) AP - THE FREED: Cuba unexpectedly releases for health reasons three political dissidents: economics writer Oscar Espinosa Chepe, who has a liver ailment, Marcelo Lopez, who has a neurological disorder, and Margarito Broche, who suffered a heart attack in prison.


US moves closer to harnessing hydrogen power US scientists say they have made a breakthrough in their quest to make low-cost hydrogen, possibly a step toward finding new sources of energy to end US dependence on foreign oil.


Sharon contacts Labor on govt coalition Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approached the opposition Labor party with a tentative offer to join his coalition in hopes of avoiding early elections and saving his Gaza withdrawal plan.


Dalai Lama Visits Russia Despite Chinese Objections The Russian government has allowed the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to visit the country despite longstanding opposition from China.


Rebels Again Say Rwanda Troops Enter Congo Congo-based Rwandan rebels, under threat of imminent attack by Rwanda, repeated an allegation Tuesday that Rwandan troops had crossed the border in recent days to seize the vast country #39;s mineral-rich east.


ANC seeks to calm war of words South Africa's ruling party tries to soothe the tempers of President Thabo Mbeki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.


Dow, GM to take fuel cell project to next stage A hydrogen fuel cell being tested since February at Dow Chemical Co. #39;s complex in Freeport has successfully generated electricity using hydrogen that is less than 100 percent pure, which is prompting an expanded test.


Sharman begins defense in Kazaa case Sharman Networks, the company behind the Kazaa peer-to-peer file sharing software, began its defence in a Sydney court room on Tuesday against charges by members of the music industry that the company aided music piracy and copyright infringement.


Sun to extend Multi-Platform Managed Services Sun Microsystems Inc. announced yesterday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a small IT outsourcing company - SevenSpace.


Arsenal striker on shortlist for FIFA award Arsenal Football Club forward Thierry Henry is one of three players nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. The Frenchman enjoyed another successful year with the Highbury club, his goals leading them to the Premiership title last season.


OECD sees Japanese growth slower at just above 2.0 pct in 2005 (AFP) AFP - The Japanese economy is expected to grow just above 2.0 percent in 2005 and 2006, losing some steam on slower exports after an estimated robust 4.0-percent expansion this year, according to the OECD.


Govt  quot;may need to raise taxes quot; Public borrowing is set to rise and the government will need to raise taxes or reduce spending to decisively cut the deficit, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development says.


Rentokil warns of lower earnings Services firm Rentokil Initial has warned of a likely deterioration in trading into the first-half of 2005 and earmarked some asset sales, as it continues to suffer from shrinking margins.


Computer makers face slowdown, firm predicts Three of the nation #39;s top 10 personal computer manufacturers will likely leave the market by 2007 because of slower growth and reduced profits in the industry, a research firm predicted Monday.


Putin to Respect New Ukraine Election -- Germany (Reuters) Reuters - Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed\in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Gerhard\Schroeder to respect the results of any new election in\Ukraine, the German government said on Tuesday in a statement.


Hollywood backs HD DVD Hollywood film studios have pledged support for one of the competing formats battling for primacy in the DVD market. The group supporting the HD DVD optical disc format for high-definition video is vying with the rival Blu-ray Disc format .


Screensaver hits back at spammers INTERNET users fed up with spam can go on the offensive by downloading a screensaver aimed at hitting junkmailers in the pocket, net portal Lycos said.


Smith expected to be unveiled by Scotland The SFA have tried to play down speculation Smith (right) had been offered the job on Monday but his appointment would come as little surprise.


Button admits to Williams mistake Jenson Button has admitted he was  quot;misguided quot; in his attempts to switch to Williams for next season. The 24-year-old declared his intention to leave BAR in August but team boss David Richards prevented the move on legal grounds.


Celts give Rivers victory vs. Magic Paul Pierce scored 24 points and Marcus Banks a season-high 20, and the visiting Boston Celtics put seven players in double figures en route to a 117-101 victory Monday against the Orlando Magic.


Stanford cans classy Teevens  #39; #39;It was an extremely difficult decision, but I simply felt that the program was in need of new direction and leadership, #39; #39; athletic director Ted Leland said Monday.


Kazaa Launches Defense in Copyright Case (AP) AP - The owners of file-swapping giant Kazaa claimed Tuesday their software, which allows users to exchange copyrighted music and movies online, doesn't differ from video recorders, as they launched their defense in a landmark music piracy case in Australia.


Secretary-General Voices Hope for Access to Safe Drinking Water <b>...</b> United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today voiced his hope to an international meeting on water, sanitation and hygiene that one day the world will no longer have to face the dire consequences of inadequate access to safe drinking water and basic


Putin to Respect New Ukraine Election -- Germany  BERLIN (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed  in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Gerhard  Schroeder to respect the results of any new election in  Ukraine, the German government said on Tuesday in a statement.


Kagame: Army Will Deal With Congo Rebels (AP) AP - Rwanda's president on Tuesday warned that his forces will deal with rebels based in Congo and suggested they may already be doing so, a day after reports emerged that Rwandan troops had crossed in neighboring Congo.


U.S. President Bush aims to avoid missteps on official visit to Canada (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - WASHINGTON (AP) - President George W. Bush's trip north of the border will be akin to a polite dance where he'll try to avoid missteps that could create more anti-Americanism in Canada. For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin will want to avoid looking as if he's bending to U.S. will on trade and security issues.


OECD cuts growth outlook for US, Japan, Europe on oil LONDON (CBS.MW) -- The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development cut its 2005 economic growth forecasts for the US, Japan and the eurozone, citing a period of sustained high oil prices.


Nationwide predicts house price freeze House prices across the UK will come to a virtual standstill in 2005, the Nationwide Building Society predicted today. The lender said that property prices in Britain look set to rise by just 2 across the year, compared to a rise of 13 in 2004.


Chairman says weak dollar, one-off costs have hit group HONG KONG (CBS.MW) -- British pest control and office services group Rentokil warned investors Tuesday to expect weaker results next year and said 2004 profit would be hurt by the soft US dollar and one-off costs.


Hardware slump predicted MORE TIN makers are going to crash and burn with three of the top 10 PC makers being squeezed out of the market by 2007, Gartner has repeated for the third time so far this month.


Screenscraper here to fight spam AN ISP CALLED Lycos has come up with a way of fighting spam that attacks the spammers servers. All you have to do is load a screensaver -  quot;Make Love Not Spam quot; - available from Lycos Europe and it will requests


BAR #39;s Button regrets bid to join Williams British Formula One driver Jenson Button has admitted he was  quot;misguided quot; in seeking to move from BAR to Williams. The 24-year-old announced his intention in August to drive for Williams


Iran #39;s top nuclear official says Tehran has not abandoned uranium <b>...</b> Iran has not abandoned its right to enrich uranium, as the suspension it agreed to with the UN nuclear agency is for several months, Iran #39;s top nuclear official, Hassan Rowhani, said Tuesday.


Annan Disappointed in Son #39;s Link to Corruption Probe Company UN Secretary-General Kofi Annans son was paid more than 16,000 a year for five years by a company under investigation in the UNs Iraq oil-for-food programme corruption probe.


Shopping Search Update 2004, Part 1 Here's a look at new and interesting developments at the major shopping search and comparision sites during 2004. Today: BizRate/Shopzilla, Froogle, and MSN Shopping.


Global economy to hit headwinds next year: OECD PARIS (AFP) - China, Japan and North America will pull the global economy forward over the next two years despite headwinds thrown up by high oil prices and tenacious deficits, the OECD predicted.


Rentokil warns of tough outlook Hygiene-to-security group Rentokil Initial has warned of further tough trading next year and announced plans to sell part of its hygiene division.


Sun buys IT services company to help HP/IBM fight Sun Microsystems is buying IT services company SevenSpace for an undisclosed amount of cash, helping to expand its support for operating systems outside of Solaris.


The Firefox Surge NEW YORK - A sudden, measurable decline in market share in any product over the course of a few months says something, even if that product is one whose producer still holds about 90 of the market in question.


FIFA Player of Year finalists announced Zurich, Switzerland (Sports Network) - Arsenal #39;s Thierry Henry, AC Milan #39;s Andriy Shevchenko, and Barcelona #39;s Ronaldinho are the three finalists for FIFA #39;s 2004 World Player of the Year award.


Oil Prices Briefly Climb Back Over \$50  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices briefly climbed back over \$50  on Tuesday, pushed higher by supply outages in the North Sea  and fears about low stocks of winter heating fuels.


Battling the Copyright Big Boys A new political action committee supports candidates who speak for the consumer when it comes to copyright law. The group doesn't have the big bucks of the entertainment companies, but it's just getting started. By Katie Dean.


Sleep Disorders Traced to Genes Can't wake up before lunchtime? Blame your ancestors. Researchers now suspect that night owls inherit their sleeping patterns and are launching a study that could lead to new gene therapy for sleep disorders. By Randy Dotinga.


Searching Smarter, Not Harder When it comes to searching, more is not always better. Data experts are honing topic maps to better classify the information that's out there. By John Gartner.


To Hell and Back Bill Stone has invented diving gear and roving robots to explore the deepest -- and deadliest -- caves on Earth. In the icy water 4,500 feet below Mexico, he had to figure out how to bring his dead friend home. By Jeffrey M. O'Brien from Wired magazine.


Trial to Unmask Kazaa Owners In a copyright-infringement trial under way this week in an Australian federal court, music industry representatives say they plan to make public the secretive ownership structure of the Kazaa file-trading network. By Patrick Gray.


Lying Makes Brain Work Harder Researchers expose differences in brain activity between people who fib and those who don't. Brain scans reveal that it really is easier to tell the truth.


Hundreds die in Philippines storm More than 300 people are feared dead after a storm triggers flash floods in the Philippines, officials say.


A New Push to Loosen New York's Divorce Law Lawyers and judges are pushing to have New York's divorce law changed, saying it is archaic and heightens hostilities between spouses.


TSA Reconsiders Technology Contract The Transportation Security Administration yesterday said it would resume plans to seek bids for a large technology maintenance contract, ending consideration of a proposal to give the work to an Alaska Native Corporation without competition.


Maryland's Technology Future Julie Coons, the president of the Technology Council of Maryland, discusses the organization and the region's technology community.


Gazprom board may discuss YUKOS bid The executive board of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom may discuss making a bid for the main production unit of oil major YUKOS at a meeting today, a Gazprom source says.


Citibank Japan CEO, TSE chief summoned to appear at Diet TOKYO - The House of Councillors Financial Affairs Committee said Monday it has summoned Citibank Japan CEO Douglas Peterson and Tokyo Stock Exchange Inc President Takuo Tsurushima to give unsworn testimony at its meeting Tuesday.


Harmony seeks leave to appeal competition ruling Harmony said today it would seek leave from the Competition Appeal Court to appeal the ruling allowing it to acquire Gold Fields #39; shares, but not to exercise the shares #39; voting rights.


FIs set to discuss RIL board representation MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 28: Admitting that the Reliance boardroom feud involving the Ambani brothers was totally unexpected and had caught them off-guard, domestic financial institutions (FIs) are now expected to discuss the crucial issue of


London seen higher but bourses unchanged London is seen starting slightly higher on Tuesday after a late recovery on Wall Street, but the continents bourses are seen opening flat.


Novartis withdraws application for EU approval of new arthritis <b>...</b> The Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis withdrew on Tuesday an application for EU approval of a new arthritis drug called Prexige to await a review of such treatments next year.


Market Report A flurry of corporate updates failed to inspire investors today as the FTSE 100 Index slipped back towards the 4700 barrier. Catering group Compass and Rentokil


Song-swap service hits back in piracy case The company behind the internet song-swapping service Kazaa today claimed it was merely the musical equivalent of a video recorder as it began its defence in a landmark court case in Australia.


O2 AND NTT DoCoMo ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT for i-mode in the UK O2 plc, a leading European mobile operator, and NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Japan #39;s largest mobile communications provider, today signed a long-term strategic agreement under which O2 will launch the i-mode mobile internet service in the UK, Germany and Ireland.


Sun Microsystems to acquire technology services firm NEW YORK, November 30 (newratings.com) - Sun Microsystems (SUNW.NAS) has agreed to acquire SevenSpace Inc, a closely held technology services company, for an undisclosed amount.


Beijing cancels purchase of Microsoft software The Beijing municipal government has canceled an order for Microsoft computer software following official complaints that local governments are not buying enough software developed domestically.


Apple #39;s iPod is a hot item on holiday wish lists this year One of the hottest holiday gifts this year is the Apple iPod, the digital-age equivalent of the Sony Walkman. The iPod, which stores music files downloaded


Nokia to Further Expand Henan GSM Network Nokia Corp. will further expand a digital GSM mobile network for Chinese Henan Mobile Communications Corporation Ltd., in a deal valued at \$200 million (euro150 million).


New phone Trojan surfaces Johannesburg, 30 November 2004 - A variant of the Skulls Trojan horse has surfaced and now carries the Cabir.B cellphone worm. Once a user is infected with the Skulls.


Half-life shoots up Sierra VALVE, the makers of Half-Life, have won a court battle against their distributors Sierra Studios over the rights for pay as you play games.


SCO website defaced by hacker Unix vendor SCO Group Inc became the victim of a hacker over the Thanksgiving weekend, in an apparent response to the company #39;s claims against the Linux operating system.


IBM sets up hands-on user test centre IBM has established a new technology centre in the Washingon DC to help IT departments to better define their Tivoli-based infrastructure management strategies.


Moon dance on Saturn #39;s canvas The Cassini space probe has captured an incredible image of Saturn #39;s tiny moon Mimas, suspended against the grey-blue backdrop of Saturn #39;s rings.


Tedford is Coach of the Year Eight Bears receive All-Pac-10 honors Cal coach Jeff Tedford, who has his team ranked No. 4 in the nation and close to claiming a berth in the Rose Bowl, has been named Pac-10 Coach of the Year.


Cycling Union rejects Phonak licence appeal Doping scandals have cost the Swiss cycling team, Phonak, a place on next years ProTour circuit, which includes the world #39;s biggest cycling events.


Rivers Has No Regrets In Return to Orlando Doc Rivers plays the part an unfortunate victim in The Grant Hill Story. But it #39;s still a good story, according to the former Magic coach.


quot;My Body Was Done quot;, Says Retiring Pinsent Four-time Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent this morning announced his retirement from rowing three months after his final triumph in Athens in the coxless fours.


Gough lands top job at Livingston Gough emerged as the leading candidate for the post after captaining Rangers, Scotland and Everton, though this will be his first managerial appointment.


Kmart Shows Operational Progress The same-store sales decline slows in November and December, and net income increases.


Walgreen Seeing Green Rivals CVS and Rite Aid have a bitter pill to swallow as Walgreen stays strong.


Intel Brings N.Mexico Pollution Concerns  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A 15-year tax break that secured  Intel Corp.'s ongoing investment in the state of New Mexico has  rekindled a heated debate over the ability of a poor U.S. state  to regulate the world's largest chip maker.


Car Bomb Kills Seven, Wounds 20 in Iraq A car bomb exploded in a crowded market in a town north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least seven people and wounding 20, underlining Iraq #39;s severe security problems with elections just two months away.


France to clear its land mines from Djibouti NAIROBI, Nov 30 (AFP) - The French army will clear landmines that were buried deep underground by landslides around its military base in Djibouti, starting in 2006, officials said in Nairobi on Tuesday.


Stock Futures Soft Ahead of GDP Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat  open  on Tuesday before a slew of economic data, with a  steadier dollar helping to mute firmer crude oil prices.


Hundreds die in Filipino storm More than 200 people are feared dead as a result of flash floods and landslides triggered by a storm in the Philippines, officials say.


Sharon government faces crisis after double blow in Israeli <b>...</b> JERUSALEM : Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced a fresh political crisis after the secular Shinui party threatened to quit the ruling coalition and he suffered two symbolic defeats at the hands of parliament.


Dollar Claws Back Some Ground Against Yen  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar clawed back some ground  against the yen on Tuesday after data suggested that Japanese  economic growth had slowed, but remained within sight of record  lows against the euro.


Kellogg names Jenness as chief executive; share price declines LONDON, November 30 (newratings.com) - Kellogg Company (K.NYS) named James Jenness yesterday to take over as the companys Chairman and Chief Executive, if Carlos Gutierrez is appointed by the US administration as the next Commerce Secretary.


Retailers view mixed holiday forecasts Retail sales during the important Thanksgiving weekend showed some strength, with sales measures released Monday reflecting year-over-year growth.


French economy set for growth: OECD PARIS, Nov 30 (AFP) - The French economy is set for growth in the next two years and unemployment should begin to fall once oil prices ease, the OECD said here Tuesday.


Citibank Japan Chief Apologizes The new chief executive of Citibank Japan apologized at a parliament committee Tuesday and promised that customers who were misled about financial investment risks will be compensated.


In Blow to Blu-Ray, Universal Backs HD DVD The HD DVD format has won a battle in its ongoing war with rival optical format Blu-ray with the announcement that Universal Pictures is backing the technology.


Now, a screensaver to shield against spam A screen saver may now be your shield against spam websites, all thanks to a screen saver dveloped by Internet portal Lycos ,which is capable of making spam servers go flat by overloading them with continuous spam requests.


49ERS NOTEBOOK Erickson longs for the simple life Immediately following the 49ers #39; 24-17 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday, disgusted 49ers coach Dennis Erickson said he would make changes on offense.


Doc Rivers Wins in Return to Orlando Orlando Magic coach Johnny Davis, right, and Boston Celtics #39; coach Doc Rivers get together prior to their game in Orlando, Fla.


Annan  #39;disappointed #39; his son received 30-thousand a year from <b>...</b> UNITED NATIONS UN chief Kofi Annan says he #39;s  quot;disappointed quot; to learn his son was getting 30-thousand dollars a year from a company with an oil-for-food contract in Iraq.


Japan, Philippines Reach Free Trade Deal Japan and the Philippines have agreed on key parts of a free trade pact but need a few more months to put finishing touches on the landmark accord between the World War II foes, officials said Tuesday.


Slow Thanksgiving Weekend for US Shopping The US holiday shopping season got off to a ho-hum start as shoppers lined up for the early-bird specials after Thanksgiving, then stayed home all weekend.


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Update 1: Sony to Sell New Music Players in Japan Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will begin selling in Japan two new models of digital portable music players that support the MP3 format, which is used by its rival iPod.


Mobilizing Against Wireless Viruses As cell phones turn into mobile handheld data devices, companies are exploring ways to protect them from being hacked by a growing number of sophisticated viruses designed specifically to attack the wireless world.


Sun acquisition to boost IT services portfolio Sun is moving from its traditional focus on supporting only its Solaris operating system platform and beefing up its support for competing operating systems such as Windows, HP-UX and AIX, with the purchase of IT services company SevenSpace.


Gatlin, Hayes win Jesse Owens Awards Olympic champions Justin Gatlin and Joanna Hayes were announced as recipients of the 2004 Jesse Owens Awards by USA Track  amp; Field (USATF) on Monday.


Gough: Knox Is Key Livi Signing New Livingston manager Richard Gough insists he has already made his best-ever signing for the club by convincing former Rangers and Manchester United coach Archie Knox to be his number two at Almondvale.


US to eliminate non-detectable landmines by end of year The United States announced here Monday that it will eliminate its non-detectable landmines by the end of this year. In a statement issued at the ongoing Nairobi Summit on a


Sharon challenged over poverty PRIME Minister Ariel Sharon has narrowly survived three parliamentary no-confidence votes sponsored by opposition parties over deepening poverty in Israel.


S. Arabia: Oil Prices will Drop \$10-15 Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali El-Naimi has said that the \$10-15  quot;fear premium quot; that has been present in oil prices will disappear as the problems of  quot;supply quot; and  quot;geographic tension quot; diminish.


Reliance Energy Asks Six Directors to Reconsider Resignations Reliance Energy Ltd., India #39;s second- biggest utility by market value, said it asked six directors who quit last week to withdraw their resignations.


Ryanair in 240m Shannon investment Low-cost carrier Ryanair is to invest 240 million to create its 12th major European base at Shannon Airport, Ireland, it emerged today.