Ukraine's Isolated PM Repeats Offer to Opposition (Reuters) Reuters - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, looking\increasingly isolated in Ukraine's deepening political crisis,\offered again on Tuesday to make his opposition rival premier\if allowed to take up the presidency.


Patriots Win in All Conditions (AP) AP - 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. New England just keeps winning.


NBA Today (AP) AP - Seattle at Portland (10 p.m. EST). The SuperSonics (13-2) have the NBA's top record and are off to their best start since going 14-1 in the 1993-94 season.


Mm02 dials up Japanese group to net deal for i-mode services MOBILE phone operator mmO2 has signed a deal with Japanese group NTT DoCoMo to provide i-mode internet phone services in the UK, Germany and Ireland.


MmO2, NTT DoCoMo agree i-mode Internet deal (AFP) AFP - British mobile telephone operator mmO2 announced the signing of a deal with NTT DoCoMo, Japan's leading mobile phone operator, to launch i-mode mobile Internet services in Britain, Germany and Ireland.


Scotland set to make Smith manager GLASGOW (AFP) - Former Everton and Rangers manager Walter Smith will be confirmed as the new manager of Scotland on Thursday, according to the BBC.


Ukraine's Isolated PM Repeats Offer to Opposition  KIEV (Reuters) - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, looking  increasingly isolated in Ukraine's deepening political crisis,  offered again on Tuesday to make his opposition rival premier  if allowed to take up the presidency.


Car Bomb Kills Seven, Wounds 20 in Iraq  BAIJI, Iraq (Reuters) - 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's severe  security problems with elections just two months away.


Israeli Coalition Crisis May Force Early Election  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's  shaky coalition Tuesday faced collapse in a row over the 2005  budget, raising the prospect of early elections that would  endanger his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.


Singapore's Economy Grows in 2004 (AP) AP - Singapore's economy expanded 5.4 percent in the fourth quarter from a year ago and grew by 8.1 percent for the full year in 2004, the city-state's Ministry of Trade said Monday.


UK ; Dollar Wins Reprieve, Data Weighs on Yen UK News, LONDON - The dollar won a reprieve against other major currencies on Tuesday, bouncing off last week #39;s record low versus the euro as markets grew cautious ahead of words from the European Central Bank chief and US data.


Federer Wins Easily to Begin 2005 Season (AP) AP - Roger Federer began his Australian Open preparation by beating David Ferrer of Spain 6-1, 6-1 Monday in the first round of the Qatar Open.


Lou Henson Will Resume Coaching Saturday (AP) AP - Lou Henson will return to coaching but will be in a wheelchair when New Mexico State plays North Texas on Saturday.


Bills RB Travis Henry Looking to Leave (AP) AP - Travis Henry wants out of Buffalo because he's unhappy with the prospect of spending another season as Willis McGahee's backup.


Piracy accusations fly as Kazaa trial begins THE firm behind leading file-swapping network Kazaa is being sued by the record industry in the latest round of a fight over copyright.


Services buy broadens Sun #39;s software support Sun Microsystems has acquired enterprise applications management company SevenSpace, allowing its managed services arm to support HP-UX and IBM #39;s AIX systems for the first time.


Gonzales Is Likely to Face Criticism in Hearings Alberto Gonzales, nominee for attorney general, may face vigorous interrogation during confirmation hearings about his role in the treatment of detainees.


Pinsent calls time on golden career Matthew Pinsent, the four-time Olympic gold medallist, confirmed today that he is to retire from the sport - as reported in The Times yesterday.


Leland task: find bright coach cheap STANFORD -- What they #39;re looking for again at Stanford is a football coach who #39;s worth keeping but also a football coach who isn #39;t worth more to someone else.


Philips Unveils DVD Burner That Plays CDs  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Philips Electronics unveiled an  optical disk drive on Monday for use in computers that can burn  and play CDs and DVDs in three formats, including the new  Blu-ray standard.


Pedro is a big mistake The more you hear about the Mets, their offer to Pedro Martinez and their curious pursuit of players like him this offseason, the more you should think about Tom Glavine.


Oil Off 4 Percent as U.S. Winter Stays Mild  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices slid 4 percent on Monday on  expectations that more mild U.S. weather at the start of the  New Year will limit heating oil demand.


Stocks to Watch Tuesday  The Web search company said it will commence its share  buyback offer today for the 23.4 million common shares it may  have issued improperly to previous and current employees and  consultants.


European Shares Drop, Weighed by Compass  LONDON (Reuters) - European equities retreated on Tuesday  as oil prices climbed to near \$50 a barrel and renewed fears of  a hit on earnings, while British services firm Rentokil  fell 6  percent after a disappointing update.


Chain Store Sales Slipped Latest Week  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. chain store retail sales slipped  during the Thanksgiving holiday week, as consumers took  advantage of discounted merchandise, a retail report said on  Tuesday.


Gazprom to bid for Yukos facility Russia #39;s state-controlled gas monopoly, Gazprom, announced today that it is planning to bid for the main production facility of troubled oil company Yukos.


Sony to pay \$40m to end patent dispute Sony and Ampex have agreed to end their dispute over a patent covering thumbnail images in digital image storage and retrieval devices.


Unprotected PCs can be hijacked in minutes (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Surfing the Web has never been more risky. Simply connecting to the Internet - and doing nothing else - exposes your PC to non-stop, automated break-in attempts by intruders looking to take control of your machine surreptitiously.


Fighting for file-swapping on Capitol Hill Philip Corwin has one of the least enviable jobs in Washington, DC: He defends file-swapping networks. That #39;s not a trivial task for Corwin, the lobbyist for Kazaa #39;s parent company.


3G rival i-Mode finally hits the UK Mobile network operator O2 has completed a deal with Japan #39;s NTT DoCoMo which will allow it to market 3G rival i-Mode services in the UK, Germany and Ireland.


Lycos #39; Make Love Not Spam gives chance for revenge LONDON - People hacked off with spammers who clog up their inbox with junk email can now get revenge in a new campaign by Lycos, urging the world to  #39;Make Love, Not Spam #39;.


Half-Life 2 maker wins legal case The creator of Half-Life 2, Valve, has won a legal fight to stop Vivendi distributing its titles to cyber cafes. The ruling bars Vivendi distributing games such as Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike to these pay-for-play venues.


Sony to launch its first MP3 hard-disk music player Sony is broadening support for the MP3 file format in its portable music player range. It will introduce a new hard disk-based MP3 player in December, and will produce


SP2 does not fully protect IE6 A variant of a bug that uses an Internet Explorer 6 vulnerability exposes Microsoft Windows systems patched with Service Pack 2. A security researcher claims to have crafted a simpler version of a bug first identified in late October.


Speedy computer chip for PlayStation near (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - A long-awaited microprocessor developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba will go into early production next year and start appearing in video game consoles, high-definition TVs and home servers in 2006, the companies said Monday.


Last chance saloon for Diouf El Hadji Diouf has always enjoyed courting controversy. Be it spitting, diving or being a general nuisance to all and sundry the Senegal international has a penchant for getting involved in the more unsavoury side of the game.


Mandaric and Redknapp Clear the Air Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric met former boss Harry Redknapp today to publicly clarify the transfer policy at Fratton Park. Redknapp stood down last week after weeks of uncertainty over his future at the Barclays Premiership club.


BCS sets table for crucial games College footballs 3 1/2-month regular season has come down to this: Three critical games. And a couple of critical votes. Unbeaten USC, Oklahoma and Auburn remain 1-2-3 in Mondays Bowl Championship Series


Chain Store Sales Slipped Latest Week (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. chain store retail sales slipped\during the Thanksgiving holiday week, as consumers took\advantage of discounted merchandise, a retail report said on\Tuesday.


CoTherix, Google Rise Before the Bell (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of CoTherix Inc.  rose\2.7 percent  before the bell on Tuesday after Piper Jaffray\initiated coverage of the biopharmaceutical company with an\"outperform" rating and a  #36;10 price target.


Iraq's Allawi to Meet With Jordan Exiles (AP) AP - Prime Minister Ayad Allawi will travel to Jordan on Tuesday to meet with Iraqis outside the country as part of attempts to get as many Iraqis as possible to participate in upcoming elections, diplomats and Iraqi officials said.


Red Cross Sees Problems at Guantanamo (AP) AP - The international Red Cross said Tuesday that U.S. officials have failed to address concerns about some significant problems in the treatment of terror suspects detained at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.


CoTherix, Google Rise Before the Bell  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of CoTherix Inc. CTRX.O rose  2.7 percent  before the bell on Tuesday after Piper Jaffray  initiated coverage of the biopharmaceutical company with an  "outperform" rating and a \$10 price target.


Oil Back at \$50 on Outages, Winter Fears  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed back to \$50 on  Tuesday, pushed higher by supply outages in the North Sea and  fears about low stocks of winter heating fuels.


Smithfield Foods Reports Higher Profit  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Smithfield Foods Inc. SFD.N, the  largest U.S. hog and pork producer, on Tuesday reported  higher  fiscal second-quarter profit due to strong hog prices and the  acquisition last year of Farmland Foods.


Arsenal 'may seek full listing' Arsenal may seek a full stock market listing as a means of funding itself after moving to its new stadium, its vice-chairman says.


Web Holiday Sales Off to Strong Start
\

 By Lisa Baertlein and Emily Chasan

 SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. online shoppers,\who set spending and traffic records on Thanksgiving Day and\the "Black Friday" that followed, were expected to break new\ground again as they returned to work on what some are calling\"Blue Monday."


Overstock.com Shares Hit All-Time High Shares of Overstock.com hit an all-time high Monday after the online retailer said it posted the largest sales in its history on the day after Thanksgiving.


Kazaa Launches Defense in Copyright Case 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.


Canadian Inventor Lets Everyone Be an Armchair Spy
\

 By Larissa Liepins

 TORONTO (Reuters) - New Internet-based technology could\soon turn regular computer users into armchair spies, a\Canadian inventor said on Monday.


Renault to invest \$573 million in Korea SEOUL The chairman of the French automaker Renault announced on Tuesday that it would invest 600 billion won in its South Korean operation, Renault Samsung Motors, to develop a sports utility vehicle and engine production facilities.


Charleston tourism brisk after busy hurricane season The busiest hurricane season in years chased tourists from the South Carolina coast last summer. But in recent weeks, as hurricane season passes, tourists are again returning.


South Korea expected to gain from Singapore service sectors Korea will have a lot to gain from closer ties with Singapore #39;s advanced service and financial sectors, while Singapore can capitalize on Korea #39;s efficient logistics system following the inking of the bilateral free-trade agreement, a Singaporean business


Health insurer grows as industry changes UnitedHealth Group, the largest US health insurance company, has said that it will spend \$300 million in cash to buy Definity Health, a smaller health technology company specializing in plans that allow consumers leeway in directing their medical spending


Rentokil shares drop on profit warning Rentokil warned investors to expect lower profits for 2005 after reported a fall in profits for most of the 2004 and revealed it was finally washing its hands of parts of its UK hygiene business.


Injured McNair Thinking of NFL Future (AP) AP - To be clear, Steve McNair never used the word retirement.


Utah Company to Develop Better Fuel (Nov 30, 2004) -- SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Ceramatec of Salt Lake City and the Idaho Natioal Engineering and Environmental Laboraty today announced they they have been selected to lead a \$2.5 million project to develop hydrogen by high temperature


Anti-virus firm warns of new mobile phone virus ANTI-VIRUS firm F-Secure has found a new variant of the Skulls Trojan horse that attacks mobile phones with the Symbian operating system and is warning phone owners not to


Athlete Milton Bradley has run-in with police Copley Township - Former Indians centerfielder Milton Bradley has run afoul of the law once again. Bradley, traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in April, was charged with disorderly conduct Thursday after he allegedly interfered with police Sgt.


Tsunami Victims Prey to Crime from Asia to Europe  By Patrick Lannin and Stephen Brown  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Thieves, rapists, kidnappers and hoaxers  are preying on tsunami survivors and families of victims in  Asian refugee camps and hospitals and in the home countries of  European tourists hit by the wave.


'Atom School' Stars in First Israeli Reactor Video (Reuters) Reuters - Israel has released the first video\footage of its Dimona nuclear plant, a television station said\on Monday, in an apparent attempt to promote a positive image\of what experts believe to be an atomic bomb factory.


At least 300 dead in Philippines #39; floods and landslides At least 300 people have died, and another 150 are missing, in floods and landslides unleashed by a storm which struck the northern Philippines.


US troops targeted in Iraq attacks A car bomb has exploded near a US military patrol in the town of Baiji, north of Baghdad, killing four Iraqi civilians and wounding 19 people, including two US soldiers.


115 whales, dolphins die after beaching on Australian islands Carcasses of dead dolphins and pilot whales strewn on a beach on Australia #39;s King Island, off Tasmania state on Sunday. A total of 80 whales and dolphins died after swimming onto a beach on the island where


Wal-Mart, Retailers #39; November Sales Slow as Gas Prices Rise Sales at US retailers including Wal- Mart Stores Inc. probably slowed in November, the start of the holiday shopping season, as rising energy prices curbed consumer spending.


Renault to invest \$573 million in South Korea, chairman says SEOUL - French carmaker Renault plans to invest 600 billion won (\$573.1 million) in South Korea over the next three years, its chairman said on Tuesday.


RUSSIA * ECONOMY * OIL * AUCTION MOSCOW, November 30 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom will bid in the Yuganskneftegaz auction, Gazpromneft chief executive officer (CEO) Sergei Bogdanchikov told the Russian Gas-2004 second international forum Tuesday.


Smithfield Foods Reports Higher Profit Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest US hog and pork producer, on Tuesday reported higher fiscal second-quarter profit due to strong hog prices and the acquisition last year of Farmland Foods.


Report: Bank of NY Seeks to Avert Charges NEW YORK - Bank of New York reportedly is negotiating with federal prosecutors to avert a potential criminal indictment. The Wall Street Journal reports that the bank is facing charges it failed to report suspicious activity at one of its branches.


Harmony hopes dented by low tender of Gold Fields shares The chance of Harmony succeeding in its hostile bid for Gold Fields was starting to fade, analysts said yesterday after Harmony received about a third of the shares it had hoped


Powerful chip to rev up home entertainment A long-awaited microprocessor developed by IBM Corp., Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. will go into early production next year and start appearing in video game consoles, high


Revenge of the spammed Lycos claims to have come up with a novel solution to spam by letting the public get their revenge on the spammers. The company has developed a downloadable screensaver which generates traffic on the websites of known spammers.


Valve wins case against Vivendi Half-Life 2 creator Valve Games has announced that a legal complaint filed against publisher Vivendi Universal Games in August 2002 has been upheld by a US court, but several other cases remain outstanding.


Gough takes helms of Livingston Former Scotland captain Richard Gough was named as Livingston coach on Tuesday. Gough, 42, who also captained Rangers and Everton and played for Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham


Nuggets win without Carmelo DENVER -- 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.


Second storm in a week hits eastern Philippines; more than 300 dead (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The death toll from landslides and flash floods in the eastern Philippines jumped to at least 348 with 150 others missing Tuesday, most in a region still reeling from a deadly typhoon.


Philips Unveils DVD Burner That Plays CDs (Reuters) Reuters - Philips Electronics unveiled an\optical disk drive on Monday for use in computers that can burn\and play CDs and DVDs in three formats, including the new\Blu-ray standard.


4 Iraqis killed, 2 US soldiers wounded in car bomb attack Four Iraqis were killed and 19 others wounded, including two US soldiers, Tuesday when a car bombhit a US military convoy in the Iraqi town of Baiji, 200 km north of Baghdad, the US military said.


Chilean groups condemn torture payout plan Human rights groups said the proposed compensation for those tortured under Chile #39;s former military regime isn #39;t enough, La Tercera reported Tuesday.


Dalai Lama hails Russian pilgrims Russian Buddhists brave snow and rain to see the Dalai Lama, who is visiting the republic of Kalmykia.


US ; Cuban-born Gutierrez transformed Kellogg US News, LOS ANGELES - Carlos Gutierrez, named as US secretary of commerce on Monday, left Cuba as a child when communists seized power and rose through the ranks of Kellogg Co.


Australian Record Industry action against operators of Kazaa  quot;We are very pleased to see the Australian music industry bringing the operators of Kazaa to court. The Australian case claims that Kazaa is violating copyright on a massive scale, misleading its users and


Olympic champion Pinsent retires Rower Matthew Pinsent, who has won four Olympic gold medals, has announced he is retiring from the sport. That means Pinsent won #39;t equal the five gold medals won in successive Olympics by another rower, Sir Steven Redgrave.


Harry fury at agent claim FURIOUS Harry Redknapp and Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric joined forces today in an astonishing bid to end slurs over Pompey #39;s transfer policy.


Linebacker Davis is latest Brown lost for year Andra Davis, second on the team with 89 tackles, will need more than five weeks to heal from the torn left medial collateral ligament he suffered in Cincinnati.


Button: I was wrong to seek Williams move Jenson Button has admitted he made a mistake in his attempts to leave BAR and engineer a move to drive for BMW Williams next year.


Paisley: It #39;s now or never The Democratic Unionist party leader, Ian Paisley, emerged from Downing Street talks today and said that republicans had a  quot;now or never quot; chance to disarm and do a deal with him on power sharing.


Diana tapes broadcast Recordings of the Princess of Wales containing intimate details of her sex life with Prince Charles have been aired in the US. The tapes were made by Diana #39;s voice coach Peter Settelen between 1992 and 1993


Soaring oil 'hits world economy' The soaring cost of oil hits global economic growth, although recovery is not a distant prospect, according to the OECD.


Kellogg chief to drive US commerce GEORGE W.Bush began supercharging his economic team yesterday, nominating as commerce secretary a Cuban refugee who worked his way up the corporate ladder to the top of cereal giant Kellogg.


Soaring oil  #39;hits world economy #39; The soaring cost of oil has hit global economic growth, although world #39;s major economies should weather the storm of price rises, according to the OECD.


Renault to invest \$573 million in South Korea LONDON, November 30 (newratings.com) - Renault SA (RNL.FSE) announced its plans today of investing \$573.1 million (600 billion won) over the next three years in Renault Samsung Motors, the companys South Korean affiliate.


Smithfield Profit Lifted by Hog Prices Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest US pork producer, on Tuesday posted a 61 percent rise in quarterly earnings due to strong hog prices and the purchase of Farmland Foods last year.


US Treasuries skid again, yields hit fresh highs US Treasury debt slid for a second session on Tuesday as data showed the US economy expanded at a slightly faster pace than first thought in the third quarter, though inflation remained subdued.


MMO2 signs Japanese internet deal Mobile phone giant MMO2 teams up with Japan's NTT DoCoMo to launch i-mode internet services in the UK, Germany and Ireland.


Lycos fights spam with screensaver Lycos is offering its customers a screensaver that helps to launch denial-of-service attacks on spammers #39; websites. The controversial move is designed to use the idle processing power of a computer to slow down the response times from spammers #39; websites.


MMO2 signs Japanese internet deal Mobile phone giant MMO2 is teaming up with Japanese group NTT DoCoMo to launch i-mode internet services in the UK, Germany and Ireland.


Japanese copyright violator is sentenced A Japanese man accused of using file-sharing software to release movies over the Internet received a suspended prison sentence Tuesday.


Microsoft files first authenticity certificate lawsuits (SEATTLE) - A Raleigh-based company is named in a lawsuit filed by Microsoft on claims of counterfeit and illicit certificates of authenticity, the labels on software and computers that are supposed to show the products are legitimate.


Browns Head Coach Butch Davis Resigns Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis watches from the sidelines with quarterback Kelly Holcomb (10) in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2004, in Cincinnati.


Australia clinches series sweep Australia completed an emphatic Test series sweep over New Zealand with a 213-run win Tuesday, prompting a caution from Black Caps skipper Stephen Fleming for other cricket captains around the globe.


Star British rower Matthew Pinsent retires after four Olympic gold HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England (CP) - British rower Matthew Pinsent is passing up a chance for a record-equalling fifth Olympic gold medal.


Gatlin and Hayes Win Jesse Owens Award Last summer, Justin Gatlin and Joanna Hayes thrilled us with their gold medal performances at the Olympics. Yesterday, these two American athletes were honored when the Olympic committee awarded them both the prestigious Jesse Owens award.


Pakistan coach looks to top batsmen Coach Bob Woolmer is looking to Pakistan #39;s top batsmen to play the tour-opening match against a Western Australia 2nd XI in Perth starting Wednesday in a bid to acclimatize quickly to Australian conditions.


Favre Leads Pack to Victory in 200th Straight Start For Brett Favre it was just another day at the office. In celebration of his record 200th straight start at quarterback, Favre threw three touchdown passes to help lead the Packers to a 45-17 win over the St.


UCI refuses license for Tyler Hamilton #39;s Phonak team Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton #39;s pro cycling team was refused a racing license Tuesday by the sport #39;s world governing body, prohibiting it from competing in the Tour de France and other elite events.


Portsmouth back Redknapp over agents #39; fees claim Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric said on Tuesday that Harry Redknapp, who resigned as manager last week, was innocent of any wrong-doing over agent or transfer fees.


Russia hails IAEA resolution not to refer Iran nuke dispute to UN Russia welcomed Tuesday the International Atomic Energy Agency #39;s (IAEA) resolution not to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council for a decision on Iran #39;s nuclear program


ASEAN sign free trade agreement The Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) and China have signed an agreement to create the world #39;s biggest free trade area by removing tariffs for their two billion people by the end of the decade.


Volunteers struggle to save whales SYDNEY A series of mass strandings left 168 whales and dolphins dead on Australian and New Zealand beaches, leaving scientists and wildlife officials searching for the cause Tuesday.


Paisley says now or never for Northern Ireland Northern Irish Protestant leader Ian Paisley has challenged his IRA foes to give up their weapons, saying it is  quot;now or never quot; for Catholic republicans to agree a lasting political settlement with his party.


Cosatu calls on ANC to end spat Johannesburg - The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Tuesday called on the African National Congress to organise an urgent meeting to discuss the tensions between the two organisations.


Israeli Coalition Crisis May Force Early Election Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s shaky coalition Tuesday faced collapse in a row over the 2005 budget, raising the prospect of early elections that would endanger his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.


Dalai #39;s admission to Russia  quot;incomprehensible quot;: FM A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tuesday described Russia #39;s allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the country as something  quot;incomprehensible, quot; and hoped Russia would strictly follow


Hopes fade for trapped miners THE death toll in a coal mine explosion in central China has risen to 63, with 103 miners still missing. The Government said yesterday an underground fire and toxic fumes from the blast hampered rescue work.


What #39;s The Biggest Challenge Carlos Gutierrez Would Face As US <b>...</b> President George W. Bush has tapped Kellogg Chairman and Chief Executive Carlos Gutierrez to become secretary of the US Commerce Department.


Two Halliburton Units Exit Bankruptcy (Reuters) Reuters - Oilfield services company Halliburton\Co.  on Monday said its subsidiaries Kellogg Brown  \Root and DII Industries have emerged from the year-long\bankruptcy proceedings it instigated to facilitate a  #36;4.2\billion asbestos settlement.


DVD format war heats up Three Hollywood studios have announced their support for the high definition DVD (HD DVD) standard, raising the likelihood of a tough standards war with Sony #39;s rival Blu-ray technology.


Australia in class of own, says Fleming VANQUISHED New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming fears that Australia #39;s domination of the world could continue unabated beyond this generation of champions.


Formation of East Asian Community Modeled After EU Comes One Step <b>...</b> The creation of an East Asian union has gained more support after the leaders of 13 countries in East Asia agreed to hold an East Asian Summit conference next year at the 8th Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Korea, China, Japan


UN chief reacts to son #39;s payments UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said he was  quot;disappointed quot; at news his son was receiving payment from a firm involved in Iraq #39;s oil-for-food programme.


Consumers Fuel Faster Economic Growth (Reuters) Reuters - Robust consumer spending on cars,\furniture and food helped the U.S. economy advance faster than\first thought in the third quarter, a government report showed,\while underlying inflation was the tamest in decades.


Treasuries Skid, Yields Hit Fresh Highs (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury debt slid for a second\session on Tuesday as data showed the U.S. economy expanded at\a slightly faster pace than first thought in the third quarter,\though inflation remained subdued.


German Recovery to Grow at Slower Pace (AP) AP - Germany's economic recovery will continue at a slower pace than expected, an economics institute said Tuesday as it lowered its 2005 growth forecast to 1.4 percent from 2.1 percent.


Japanese Internet Company Acquires Team (AP) AP - Japanese Internet service provider Softbank Corp. agreed Tuesday to pay troubled retailer Daiei Inc. 5 billion yen ( #36;48.5 million) for its baseball team, becoming the second Net company to snap up a Japanese baseball club this year.


Lawmakers Grill Citigroup Over Scandal  TOKYO (Reuters) - Citigroup's top executive in Japan  endured unprecedented questioning by lawmakers on Tuesday over  a scandal at the firm's private bank in the country, the latest  turn in a high-profile case that has embarrassed the world's  biggest financial company.


Stocks Open Lower; Oil Near \$50 a Barrel  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened lower on Tuesday  with oil prices holding near \$50 a barrel, while news that U.S.  gross domestic product grew at a stronger-than-expected pace in  the third quarter failed to create excitement on Wall Street.


Average Price of U.S. House Rises 8.5 Pct  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The October average U.S. house price  jumped 8.5 percent from a year ago, setting the stage for  mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to raise the limit  on mortgages they can buy, a Federal Housing Finance Board  survey showed on Tuesday.


Treasuries Skid, Yields Hit Fresh Highs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt slid for a second  session on Tuesday as data showed the U.S. economy expanded at  a slightly faster pace than first thought in the third quarter,  though inflation remained subdued.


Glaxo Defends Testing AIDS Drugs in Children  LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc Tuesday defended  trials of AIDS/HIV drugs in children in care homes, saying  clinical studies involving children were legal and not unusual.


Taser Hits Back at Amnesty International  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stun gun maker Taser International  Inc. TASR.O on Tuesday accused human rights group Amnesty  International of ignoring independent reports showing the  company's weapons to be safe and effective.


Market activity continues to slow, but  #39;soft landing #39; seen LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Activity in the UK housing market is continuing to slow, according to data from two major market participants, though a surprise 1 percent rise in house prices in November helped to offset immediate fears of a market crash.


Citigroup #39;s Peterson Tells Japan Lawmakers He #39;ll Fix Breaches Citigroup Inc. #39;s top Japan executive Douglas Peterson told lawmakers he will improve employee training to help fix compliance breaches that cost the company its private banking license in the country.


Lycos Screensaver Battles Spam Websites Internet portal Lycos has designed a new type of screensaver, one which constantly requests data from sites that sell items featured in spam emails.


Protect Your Personal Computer Redmond, Wash., /PRNewswire/ - As gifts for loved ones or tools for getting organized in the new year, personal computers (PCs) are always popular items during the holiday gift-giving season.


Accused Net File-Swapper Is Found Guilty TOKYO - A man arrested last year on copyright charges for disseminating films on the Internet was given a three-year suspended sentence Tuesday - averting a jail term in one of the first crackdowns on file-sharing in Japan.


Sources: Cleveland to fire head coach Butch Davis on Tuesday After spending most of Monday negotiating the terms of his departure after nearly four seasons with the team, the Cleveland Browns will fire head coach Butch Davis on Tuesday, league sources told SI.


Dravid labours hard to get India valuable lead against South <b>...</b> CALCUTTA, India (AFP) - Rahul Dravid #39;s patient knock of 80 helped India take a useful first innings lead against South Africa in the second and final Test at Eden Gardens.


Two-day ASEAN summit opens in Laos Leaders of 10 South East Asian nations have started a two-day summit in the Laos capital, Vientiane. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting will focus on deepening economic integration


Philippines storm kills 350 At least 350 people have died after a tropical storm triggered landslides and flash floods in the eastern Philippines, still reeling from last week #39;s typhoon, report agencies.


US Plane Presumed Crashed in Afghanistan An aircraft carrying three US military passengers and three American civilian crew is presumed to have crashed in mountains in central Afghanistan at the weekend, military and security sources said on Tuesday.


Sharon to tap Labor if Shinui quits govt Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said if senior coalition partner Shinui makes good on its threat to quit the government, he will immediately start negotiating with the


Airport Investment  #39;Two Fingers to Doom-Mongers #39; A 240 million US dollars (126.75 million) investment by budget airline Ryanair in the west of Ireland sticks two fingers up to the doom-mongers who said Shannon Airport would not work, it was claimed tonight.


U.S. Soccer Qualifying Schedule Set (AP) AP - The United States opens the final round of 2006 World Cup qualifying with games at Trinidad and Tobago in February and at Mexico in March.


Sony Unveils New MP3 Hard Disk Walkman Sony Corp. announced Tuesday a new 20 gigabyte digital music player with MP3 support that will be available in Great Britain and Japan before Christmas and elsewhere in Europe in early 2005.


Cleveland Browns fire their head coach Some say your college days are the best years of your life. Butch Davis isn #39;t likely to dissent. Davis #39; inglorious tenure as coach of the Cleveland Browns came to an end on Monday, one day after his team gave up 58 points to the Cincinnati Bengals.


AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING ODDS NEWS Queenslander Adam Scott is VC Bet #39;s heaviest liability ahead of this week #39;s Australian PGA Championship. Scott #39;s opening quote of 7/1 was quickly gobbled up by punters who fancy the golden boy of Aussie golf #39;s


Now or Never for N.Irish Deal, Says Paisley (Reuters) Reuters - Northern Irish Protestant leader Ian\Paisley challenged his IRA foes Tuesday to give up their\weapons, saying it was "now or never" for Catholic republicans\to agree a lasting political settlement with his party.


Iraq's Neighbors Prepare to Meet in Iran (AP) AP - Iran's capital is an unlikely place for Iraq's neighbors and Egypt to discuss the infiltration of terrorists into Iraq. Not only does the Persian country have a long history of conflict with Arabs, it is also accused by the United States of supporting the insurgency across the border.


Last-gasp defence as Air India terror trial winds down (AFP) AFP - Two men charged in the world's most lethal terror strike prior to September 11, 2001 get a last chance to defend themselves this week, in the trial over the 1985 bombing of an Air India jet.


Wal-Mart to Cut Prices After Poor Sales (Reuters) Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , the No.\1 U.S. retailer, on Tuesday signaled it will cut prices in the\weeks before Christmas after a strategy against deep discounts\backfired on the first weekend of the holiday shopping season.


Bush leaves for overnight trip to Canada in effort to force closer ties (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - WASHINGTON (CP) - President George W. Bush left early Tuesday for his first official visit to Canada since he was re-elected in an effort to forge friendlier ties.


Frost Said to Be Making Calls About DNC (AP) AP - Defeated Texas Congressman Martin Frost is among potential candidates for chairman of the Democratic National Committee who are telephoning members about the situation, a leading Democrat said Monday.


Stock Futures Rise After GDP Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures rose on Tuesday,  pointing to a flat market open, after preliminary third-quarter  gross domestic product data showed higher-than-expected growth.


Price of Average U.S. House Rises 8.5 Pct  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The October average U.S. house price  jumped 8.5 percent from a year ago, setting the stage for  mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to raise the limit  on mortgages they can buy, a Federal Housing Finance Board  survey showed on Tuesday.


Nearly a Month Later, Ohio Fight Goes On (AP) AP - Nearly a month after John Kerry conceded Ohio to President Bush, complaints and challenges about the balloting are mounting as activists including the Rev. Jesse Jackson demand closer scrutiny to ensure the votes are being counted on the up-and-up.


High Court Considers Medical Marijuana Case (Reuters) Reuters - Several U.S. Supreme Court justices\expressed reservations on Monday about allowing medical\marijuana for sick patients whose doctors have recommended they\smoke it for pain.


Car Bomb Kills Seven, Wounds 20 in Iraq  BAIJI, Iraq (Reuters) - A car bomb in a crowded market  north of Baghdad killed at least seven civilians and wounded 18  Tuesday as a U.S. military patrol passed by.


Lebanon march for Syrians to stay Large numbers of people are in the Lebanese capital Beirut for a march in support of Syria's role in the country.


Stress 'may speed up cell ageing' Scientists suggest stress is linked to faster cell ageing - which could lead to the early onset of age-related diseases.


Car Bomb Targets U.S. Convoy in Iraq A car bomb in a crowded market north of Baghdad killed at least seven civilians and wounded 18 on Tuesday as a U.S. military patrol passed by.


Brazil's Economy Expands 6.1 Percent in 3Q Brazil's economy expanded 6.1 percent in the third quarter compared to same period a year ago, lifted by exports and rising domestic consumer demand, the government said Tuesday.


OECD: Oil Prices Set Back Global Recovery The OECD cut its 2005 economic growth forecast for the euro zone and other major economies on Tuesday, blaming a  quot;surge in oil prices quot; and the slide in the dollar.


Japanese Internet Co. Acquires Daiei Hawks Japanese Internet service provider Softbank Corp. agreed Tuesday to pay troubled retailer Daiei Inc. 5 billion yen (US\$48.5 million; euro36.61 million) for its baseball team, the Daiei Hawks, becoming the


GMAC to sell \$2.7 bln ABS on Wednesday - source General Motors Acceptance Corp. plans to sell \$2.7 billion of securities backed by auto loans on Wednesday, a person familiar with the deal said on Tuesday.


Rentokil plummets on profits warning Shares in Rentokil Initial slumped today as the services company warned that profits had fallen and would suffer next year as it it continues to be hit by increased competition and shrinking margins.


Microsoft Cans Windows 2000 SP5 It plans instead to produce an  quot;update rollup quot; in the middle of next year as its last security patch for the operating system.


China Blocking Access to Google News Site - Watchdog China is blocking access to the Web site Google News, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday, and accused the US-based company of being complicit by filtering its Chinese-language site.


Olympic great Matthew has no regrets Matthew Pinsent today insisted he felt neither sadness nor regret as he brought the curtain down on one of the most illustrious sporting careers British sport has witnessed.


Burma #39;s Military Leaders Tell ASEAN Leaders They Will Move Toward <b>...</b> Thailand #39;s Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says Burma #39;s government intends to carry out democratic reforms, despite a leadership shakeup that strengthened the power of hard-line generals.


Winnie deaths hit 300 A tropical storm triggered landslides and flash floods in the Central and Southern Luzon, killing as many as 300 people in a region still reeling from last weeks deadly typhoon.


Now or never, Paisley tells IRA The IRA have been warned by Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley that  quot;it #39;s now or never quot; to do a deal on power sharing with his party.


Winn-Dixie: Paper or Drastic? The Southeastern grocer sinks to a new low as it bows out of the S P 500.


Global economy to hit headwinds next year: OECD (AFP) 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.


Wal-Mart to Cut Prices After Poor Sales  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, the No.  1 U.S. retailer, on Tuesday signaled it will cut prices in the  weeks before Christmas after a strategy against deep discounts  backfired on the first weekend of the holiday shopping season.


Wal-Mart to Cut Prices After Poor Sales Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the No. 1 US retailer, on Tuesday signaled it will cut prices in the weeks before Christmas after a strategy against deep discounts backfired on the first weekend of the holiday shopping season.


Smithfield 2nd-Qtr Net Soars 61 on Higher Hog Prices (Update3) Smithfield Foods Inc., the world #39;s largest pork producer, said profit in the fiscal second quarter rose 61 percent as the company sold more hogs at higher prices.


Winn-Dixie: Paper or Drastic? In a humiliating move that may only equal being tossed out of a supermarket express checkout line for trying to sneak through 11 items instead of 10 or less, Winn-Dixie (NYSE: WIN) is being heaved out of the popular Standard  amp; Poor #39;s 500 index.


Hurricane Season Comes to an End Nov. 30 - In under 24-hours one of the nation #39;s worst hurricane seasons will come to an end. The end of Tuesday day marks the end of the 2004 hurricane season.


New N.Ireland talks as leaders push for swift peace deal (AFP) AFP - British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern were meeting Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic leaders as efforts intensified to seal a comprehensive power-sharing deal in the province.


Leading Cuban Dissident Writer Freed Cuba #39;s communist government freed dissident writer Raul Rivero from prison Tuesday, the latest in a series of releases apparently aimed at cleaning up the island #39;s human rights record.


Ukraine Protesters Rush to Parliament  KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian opposition protesters  rushed to parliament and massed at its main door Tuesday after  the assembly failed to take any decision over a disputed  presidential election the opposition says was rigged.


Romania Opposition Demands Election Rerun, Alleges Fraud  BUCHAREST, Romania (Reuters) - Romania's centrist  opposition Tuesday demanded a rerun of Sunday's general  elections, alleging fraud in the electronic vote counting had  helped the ruling ex-communists, who held a slim lead.


Euro Rises to Record High Above \$1.3329  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The euro hit a fresh record high  against the dollar above \$1.3329 on Tuesday following the  release of weaker-than-expected U.S. consumer confidence data.


Euro Rises to Record High Above \$1.3329 The euro hit a fresh record high against the dollar above \$1.3329 on Tuesday following the release of weaker-than-expected US consumer confidence data.


Browns Head Coach Butch Davis Resigns (Reuters) Reuters - Cleveland Browns head\coach Butch Davis resigned Tuesday.


MmO2 teams up with Japan #39;s DoCoMo European cell phone group mmO2 has agreed to adopt the i-mode mobile Internet technology pioneered by Japan #39;s NTT DoCoMo and plans to bring


Beijing Backs Out Of Microsoft Contract An order for Microsoft software was cancelled by Beijing #39;s municipal government after complaints that local governments do not support software developed domestically.


HP ditches data centre service for new automation module HP is replacing its over-ambitious HP/UX utility data centre (UDC) service with a business automation module for OpenView, which it says will let companies be more flexible.


Philippines Landslides, Flash Floods Kill Hundreds In this photo released by the Philippine Air Force, shows uprooted trees littered near a swollen river after it was hit by a storm in Infanta town, Quezon province, eastern Philippines on Tuesday Nov. 30, 2004.


Indonesian plane skids off runway, 10 die An Indonesian airplane with 146 people aboard skidded off the runway on landing at central Java #39;s Solo airport, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens.


Italy #39;s General Strike Underway Much of Italy has been shut down Tuesday by a general strike called by unions to protest Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi #39;s economic policy.


Iraqi police, troops under insurgent fire Iraqi insurgents are targeting fellow Iraqis serving as police or national guardsmen and their families, the New York Times reported Tuesday.


Browns Head Coach Butch Davis Resigns  CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sports Network) - Cleveland Browns head  coach Butch Davis resigned Tuesday.


Hamilton Fired by Team Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton's pro cycling team fired him after he failed doping tests, the sport's world governing body said Tuesday.


US economy expands 3.9 percent in third quarter (AFP) AFP - The US economy grew at a faster-than-expected 3.9 percent annual pace in the third quarter of 2004, powered by robust consumer and business spending, the government revealed.


Brazil's Economy Expands in 3Q on Exports (AP) AP - Brazil's economy expanded 6.1 percent in the third quarter compared to same period a year ago, lifted by exports and rising domestic consumer demand, the government said Tuesday.


Ryanair Launches New Irish Hub, Eyes Italy Europe #39;s biggest budget airline Ryanair launched another European hub on Tuesday at Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland, and said it was also looking to expand in Italy.


Hollywood Steps Into DVD Format Fight (AP) AP - Three top Hollywood studios are throwing their considerable weight behind one of two competing formats for the next generation of DVDs, citing in part the need to stem piracy.


Priceline to Stop Offering Northwest Air (Reuters) Reuters - Online travel agency Priceline.com Inc.\ said on Tuesday it will no longer offer Northwest\Airlines Corp.  tickets due to a disagreement over the\terms of distribution.


Norwegian Rats Invade North Sweden Mining Town (Reuters) Reuters - Kiruna, a mining town in north\Sweden, has been invaded by thousands of rats thought to have\crossed the border from Norway with garbage shipments for the\local recycling center, officials said Tuesday.


Sony to launch its first MP3 hard-disk music player (MacCentral) MacCentral - Sony Corp. is broadening support for the MP3 file format in its portable music player range. It will introduce a new hard disk-based MP3 player in December, and will offer software upgrades for earlier players with hard disk storage so they can play MP3s too.


#39;Rollup #39; replaces SP5 for Windows 2000 Microsoft said it will deliver an  quot;update rollup quot; for Windows 2000 in mid-2005, rather than a final service pack for the operating system.


Play it differently, Sam: Jussi Jskelinen at Bolton Already last season Bolton Wanderers, a modern-day minnow even if they were one of the founder-members of the Football League in 1888, managed to cause a measure of astonishment in the English Premiership.


Browns Coach Butch Davis Resigns After Fifth Straight Loss Butch Davis resigned as coach of the Cleveland Browns after a five-game losing streak dropped the team into last place. Davis, 53, compiled a 24-36 record in almost four seasons with the Browns.


Baseball America As you may have heard, the Red Sox won the first World Series championship for the franchise since 1918. Making that championship even sweeter, they pulled off an unprecedented comeback against the team they and their fans love to hate, the Yankees.


At least 13 die as Indonesian jet crashes At least 13 people have been killed and the toll is expected to rise after a jet carrying 153 passengers and crew skidded off the runway while landing in heavy rain in Indonesia #39;s central Java, an airport official says.


Rwandan President Warns Forces Will Deal with Rebels in <b>...</b> Rwanda #39;s president on Tuesday warned he would send forces after rebels that have launched attacks from neighboring Congo -- and suggested he may already have -- if Congo and the United Nations don #39;t do more to disarm the fighters.


Bush arrives in Canada for first stage of world charm offensive (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - U.S. President George W. Bush swooped into town Tuesday for a whirlwind visit designed to begin mending international fences in the wake of the Iraq war.


Ukrainian Opposition Reportedly Pulls Out of Talks  KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) - A top Ukrainian opposition  leader, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency, said supporters  of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko had withdrawn from  talks on last week's disputed election.


Sony Cyber-shot DSC P150 Review Fast, inexpensive and highly pocketable


Pupils to get anti-piracy lessons Songwriter Guy Chambers helps schools introduce lessons on music piracy and copyright.


MMO2 signs Japanese net deal MMO2 gears up to launch i-mode internet services in the UK, Germany and Ireland.


Where to Look When You Need a Stand-In Sitter When parents need a babysitter this holiday season, they may find  their usual choices -- a local high school or college student, a relative or nearby friend -- are on vacation or unavailable. When those options don't work, an increasing number will turn to a different source: the Internet.


Consumer confidence falls NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The confidence of US consumers worsened in November, a research firm said Tuesday, with the number falling below Wall Street #39;s expectations.


FDA Reviewers Mixed Over Two New Cancer Drugs US Food and Drug Administration staff reviewers on Tuesday questioned clinical data for non-Hodgkin #39;s lymphoma drug Marqibo, made by Inex Pharmaceuticals Corp.


Hurricane Season Ends Good riddance! Tuesday #39;s the last day of the 2004 hurricane season -- a day of relief for millions of Florida residents battered by four punishing hurricanes.


Ukraine Unrest Worries Barcelona Soccer (AP) AP - FC Barcelona asked the European soccer body, UEFA, whether it will be safe for the team to play in a Champions League game in Ukraine next week.


Siemens to extend mobile network for Chinese province of Anhui Anhui Mobile Communications, a subsidiary of China Mobile, has commissioned the Siemens Communications Group to expand the GSM and GPRS mobile network in the province of Anhui.


Microsoft Sting Targets Resellers For Alleged Hard-Disk Loading Microsoft filed lawsuits late last week against eight resellers nationwide for allegedly buying and selling counterfeit and used Certificate of Authenticity labels.


Winny user #39;s 3-year sentence p2pnet.net News:- A man accused of using Japan #39;s Winny p2p file sharing application to release movies online has received a suspended sentence in Japan.


England can match Aussies - Fleming New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming says England will have to play extremely well to beat Australia in next year #39;s Ashes series, but they have the players to do it.


Gough gets Livi job Troubled Bank of Scotland Premier League side Livingston today appointed Richard Gough as their new manager. Gough emerged as the leading candidate for the post after captaining Rangers, Scotland and Everton


Alonso wants further improvement Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso wants his side to build on Sunday #39;s confidence-boosting win over Arsenal. The Spaniard, who scored his first goal at Anfield to open the scoring, said:  quot;The result was very good for our morale and to score was even better.


We #39;d like to set a 250-run target: Jennings Kolkata: Having managed to  quot;take the momentum away from India quot;, South Africa are now looking to set a target of 250 runs for the hosts in the fourth innings of the second and deciding cricket Test here.


PM Lee hopes ASEAN will be an Economic Community before 2020 VIENTIENE, Laos: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hopes ASEAN will be able to bring forward the deadline to become an Economic Community before 2020.


Weather Blamed for Whale, Dolphin Beachings Nov. 30, 2004 - Rescuers succeeded Tuesday in saving most of the whales stranded on beaches in Australia and New Zealand in the past days as scientists pinpointed cyclical weather patterns as a likely cause of the increased beachings.


LG Unveils Big, Pricey Plasma TV 71-inch HDTV comes with a home stereo system and components painted in 24-karat gold.


Dollar Crumbles Before Euro, New Low Hit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar sagged to a record low  against the euro on Tuesday after remarks on monetary policy by  European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet did not  detract from bullish euro sentiment.


United v Arsenal: Head to head WEDNESDAY #39;S Carling Cup clash between Manchester United and Arsenal pits together two of the fiercest rivals in the English game.


Blogs  Diamond in the Rough for your Marketing? Blogs  #8211; Diamond in the Rough for your Marketing?\\Blogs are a potential diamond in the rough for your website's marketing campaign.  They offer readers a goldmine of insights, provided by business leaders, market leaders, innovators, philosophers, marketers, political commentators, and many other opinion makers who never before have enjoyed ...


Kazaa Court Trial Brings File Swapping to the Judge Kazaa Court Trial Brings File Swapping to the Judge\\Kazaa has had a bumpy ride in the last couple of years. While Kazaa is dropping down users popularity ratings (because of the high rate of bad files), it is high on the potential list of companies to sue of big music ...


Content Management Systems and SEO - A Powerful Mix Content Management Systems and SEO - A Powerful Mix\\Search Engine Optimization revolves around providing useful, unique content on your website and making sure that search engines can find and understand it easily. 'Organic SEO' as it is called, puts emphasis on optimizing hundreds of keyword rich content pages as 'spider-bait' ...


Domain Hijacking - Major Issue for Search Engines and Optimizers Domain Hijacking - Major Issue for Search Engines and Optimizers\\I have yet to discuss the topic of domain hi-jacking through the use of redirects in detail. Please do not expect me to detail how to accomplish such a hi-jacking of a domain name, that will just make things worse. But ...


How's my coding? Dial: 0800 666 700 Cash'n'Carrion User feedback from TechnoDepot


Building disaster into the network: how UK.gov does IT Analysis Contracting out the blame...


Romania Opposition Sees Fraud, Demands Poll Rerun  BUCHAREST, Romania (Reuters) - Romania's centrist  opposition Tuesday demanded a rerun of Sunday's general  elections, claiming fraud in the electronic vote counting had  helped the ruling ex-communists win a slim lead.


Bush picks Cuban for Commerce WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush has nominated Kellogg chairman Carlos Gutierrez as commerce secretary, picking a Cuban refugee who rose to the top of the biggest US cereal maker as the chief advocate for American business.


Gold Fields #39; IAMGold bid cut by \$200 million JOHANNESBURG (Mineweb.com) -- Gold Fields has formally announced that its proposed merger terms with Toronto-listed IAMGold, due for the vote on December 7, are unchanged but that Gold Fields will contribute \$200 million (in US dollars) less in cash to


Dollar Crumbles Before Euro, New Low Hit The dollar sagged to a record low against the euro on Tuesday after remarks on monetary policy by European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet did not detract from bullish euro sentiment.


Scotiabank 4th-Qtr Profit Rises on Capital Markets (Update1) Bank of Nova Scotia, Canada #39;s third- largest bank, said profit climbed for a sixth consecutive quarter, driven by capital markets-related fees and international banking.


Gartner: Third Of Top PC Vendors Gone In Three Years Three of the top 10 PC vendors will be pushed out of the business by 2007, research firm Gartner predicted Monday. By Gregg Keizer.


Peach Bowl Picks No. 20 Florida Gators (AP) AP - The Peach Bowl wants Florida to play in the Dec. 31 game  #151; and hopes Ron Zook will hang around to coach the Gators for a few more weeks.


Georgia Tech Headed to Champs Sports Bowl (AP) AP - Georgia Tech finally will play in a bowl that's not too far from home.


DVD Format War Intensifies Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers have all thrown their weight behind high definition DVD, which was developed by Toshiba and NEC.


Sparring begins in Kazaa trial This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Microsoft Order Cancelled by Beijing The Chinese city of Beijing has cancelled an order for Microsoft software, apparently bowing to protectionist sentiment. The deal has come under fire in China, which is trying to build a domestic software industry.


Successful docking clears way for two spacewalks The crew of the International Space Station flew an emergency lifeboat from one docking port to another at the outpost Monday, clearing the way for two spacewalks planned for next year.


New Netscape embraces Firefox, IE com November 30, 2004, 8:00 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


HYDROGEN MILESTONE Turning water into hydrogen energy... A major R  amp; D milestone could help the nation advance toward a clean hydrogen economy. It #39;s a project the INEEL and a Salt Lake ceramics company are collaborating on, using


Cassini probe snaps Mimas The Cassini space probe has taken a stunning image of Saturn #39;s moon Mimas against the blue-grey backdrop of Saturn #39;s rings.


Man Gets Jail Term for Using Net File-Sharing Software Yoshihiro Inoue used the Winny program at his home in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan on September 24 and 25 last year and enabled general computer users to download the Hollywood film  quot;A Beautiful Mind quot; and another movie on the Internet, the ruling said


China 'blocks Google news site' China has been accused of blocking access to Google News by the media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders.


British rower Pinsent retires CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Four-time Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent announced his retirement from the sport on Tuesday. Pinsent, 34, captured his most recent gold medal by winning the coxless fours event in Athens this past August.


Irreparable harm Sonar teams were back on the Delaware River on Monday, seeking the cause of the worst oil spill there in a decade as experts fretted about the crude seeping into sensitive streams and tidal marshes along Delaware Bay.


Dein hails Thierry Henry Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein insisted Thierry Henry was the only realistic candidate to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award.


Rowhani: Iran to suspend uranium enrichment only for as long as <b>...</b> Tehran, Nov 30, IRNA -- Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) secretary Hassan Rowhani said on Tuesday that Tehran #39;s commitment to freeze its uranium enrichment activities would be good only for as long as it was engaged in talks with Europe.


Up to 31 dead in Indonesia jet crash Up to 31 people have been killed and many more injured after a jet carrying 153 passengers and crew crashed on landing in heavy rain in Indonesia #39;s central Java.


Paisley says it #39;s now or never for IRA after No 10 meeting Ian Paisley warned the IRA today that it was  quot;now or never quot; for Republicans if they wanted to conclude a deal on powersharing with his Democratic Unionist Party.


Rwandan troops enter Congo a Congolese minister has said, shortly after the Rwandan president said his forces may have launched an attack. region, where four million people have died in the past decade


Super Bowl Advertisers Still in the Game  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Advertisers may have been bitten once  by an indecency scandal at the 2004 Super Bowl, but they are  not shy about getting back into the game for the next U.S.  football championship.


Parliament, Court Yet to Defuse Ukraine Crisis A top Ukrainian opposition leader, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency, said supporters of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko had withdrawn from talks on last week's disputed election.


Kazaa challenged over kiddie porn control policy If it can boot off smut peddlers, it can boot off copyright infringers


Euro hits record high of 1.3336 dollars in European trade LONDON : The euro hit a new record high of 1.3336 dollars in European trading following publication of disappointing US consumer confidence data.


Gazprom to Bid for YUKOS Key Oil Unit Russia #39;s Gazprom said on Tuesday it will bid for embattled oil firm YUKOS #39; main unit next month, as the Kremlin seeks to turn the world #39;s biggest gas producer into a major oil player.


Brazil's Economy Expands in 3Q on Exports Brazil's economy expanded 6.1 percent in the third quarter compared to same period a year ago, lifted by exports and rising domestic consumer demand, the government said Tuesday.


The Orange Revolution Why Russia, the U.S. and Europe care so much about Ukraine's disputed presidential election


Olympic rowing champion Pinsent bows out A few months after winning his fourth Olympic Gold Medal Matthew Pinsent, one of Britain #39;s premier rowers in recent years has announced his retirement.


Swift Shoaib arrives in style Never one to do things by half, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar made a Hollywood-like arrival yesterday at his team #39;s first training session of their Australian tour.


Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue red card appeal rejected Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue was suspended for three matches Tuesday after losing his appeal of a red card. The Frenchman was sent off for a two-footed tackle on Noe Pamarot in Sunday #39;s 2-0 loss to Tottenham.


Rain in Spain Doesn #39;t Dampen Spirits It may have been raining outside in Seville today but it didn #39;t dampen the mood of either the Spanish or American teams, as they appeared before the world #39;s press.


Soccer Fans Out of Control In Europe Fan violence is worse -- and much more common -- at soccer \games in Europe


Analysis: Bush's Daunting Task in the Mideast and North Korea Support from allies becomes crucial in solving crises


Q amp;A: The Italian general strike Public services across part of Italy have been brought to a standstill as workers take to the streets to protest against the government #39;s economic policies.


Singulus, Sony Team Up on Blu-Ray Development  FRANKFURT/TOKYO (Reuters) - German compact disc and DVD  equipment company Singulus and Japan's Sony have teamed up to  develop a new technology for music and video discs, Singulus  said on Tuesday.


Philips Sees Flat Chip Market in 2005  EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (Reuters) - Philips Electronics said  on Tuesday it had trimmed its 2005 global chip market outlook  to zero growth from a previous 5 percent rate forecast.


Syneron Medical Shares Drop on Rejection Shares of Syneron Medical Ltd., a maker of cosmetic medical devices, plunged 20 percent Tuesday morning following regulators #39; rejection of its application for a cellulite-smoothing device.


Telecoms Tie-Up Mobile phone group mmO2 and giant Japanese telecoms giant NTT DoCoMo joined forces to launch the i-mode internet service in the UK, Germany and Ireland.


Services Buy Broadens Sun #39;s Software Support SevenSpace will be absorbed entirely into Sun #39;s Services operation.  quot;It is growing more evident by the day that  #39;one size fits all #39; outsourcing is history, quot; said Marissa Peterson, executive vice president at Sun Services.


China  #39;blocks Google news site #39; China has been accused of blocking access to Google News by the media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders. The Paris-based pressure group said the English-language news site had been unavailable for the past 10 days.


Sybase to make Big Blue databases Sybase said on Tuesday that it will partner with IBM to sell its Linux database software, potentially dealing a blow to Sun, another long-standing partner.


MS to end Win2K support without SP5 Microsoft announced on Monday that it will not release a fifth service pack for Windows 2000, a popular version of the company #39;s operating system.


US Davis Cup Brings 9-Year Title Drought to Final Versus Spain Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and the Bryan brothers hope to add to Davis Cup lore this weekend when they assume the monstrous underdog role, facing Spain on their home red dirt in front of an expected record-setting crowd in Seville.


FDA Reviewers Mixed Over Two New Cancer Drugs (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Food and Drug Administration\staff reviewers on Tuesday questioned clinical data for\non-Hodgkin's lymphoma drug Marqibo, made by Inex\Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc..


Economy Grows Faster Than Expected in 3Q (AP) AP - The economy  #151; helped out by more brisk consumer and business spending  #151; grew at an annual rate of 3.9 percent in the third quarter, a performance that was stronger than previously thought.


Beijing Calls Off Controversial Deal with Microsoft  quot;Procurement departments in some provinces and municipalities, regardless of national interests and information security, bought a lot of foreign software and did not procure, or procured only a little domestic software, quot; Li Wuqiang, deputy director of


Dollar Drops to New All-Time Low Vs. Euro The U.S. dollar dropped to a new all-time low Tuesday against the euro, which rose to \$1.3335 even as new figures showed that U.S. economic growth in the third quarter was stronger than previously thought.


Sony to launch its first MP3 hard-disk music player Sonyis broadening support for the MP3 file format in its portable music player range. It will introduce a new hard disk-based MP3 player in December, and will offer software upgrades for earlier players with hard disk storage so they can play MP3s too.


Sony to pay \$40 million to Ampex  Sonyand Ampexhave agreed to end their dispute over a patent covering thumbnail images in digital image storage and retrieval devices.
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DoCoMo, mmO2 confirm I-mode deal Mobile phone carrier mmO2 PLC will launch versions of NTT DoCoMo's I-mode mobile Internet service in the U.K. and Ireland in the second half of 2005 and in Germany in early 2006, the companies said in a statement on Tuesday.


Consumers Fuel Faster Economic Growth  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Robust consumer spending on cars,  furniture and food in the third quarter helped the U.S.   economy advance more quickly than first thought, a government  report showed on Tuesday, while underlying inflation was the  tamest in decades.


FDA Reviewers Mixed Over Two New Cancer Drugs  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Administration  staff reviewers on Tuesday questioned clinical data for  non-Hodgkin's lymphoma drug Marqibo, made by Inex  Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc..


Fannie, Freddie Loan Cap to Rise in 2005  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal regulators on Tuesday  allowed U.S. mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac  to buy larger individual mortgages next year following a jump  in home prices, a move that would lower borrowing costs for  buyers of more expensive homes.


Wal-Mart to Cut Prices After Poor Sales  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, the No.  1 U.S. retailer, on Tuesday signaled it will cut prices through  Christmas after holding back deep discounts on the first  weekend of the holiday shopping season.


Gazprom to Bid for YUKOS Key Oil Unit  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Gazprom said on Tuesday it will  bid for embattled oil firm YUKOS' main unit next month, as the  Kremlin seeks to turn the world's biggest gas producer into a  major oil player.


Where the Rubber Meets the (Virtual) Road In the second part of his car show-inspired hunt for investment ideas, Jeff Hwang tosses up three video game publishers and a tire maker.


Breaking Rules and Saving Lives Cord blood offers an ethical means of using stem cells to heal illness.


US consumer confidence slips in November On the same day that a report credited strong consumer spending for fuelling the US economy, a separate report found sentiment among those very consumers waned in November.


Philly Broadband Clash Pits City Against Telcos Philadelphia officials have laid the groundwork to provide wireless, high-speed Internet access anywhere in the city, but their plan could be scotched under a state bill that could be signed into law on Tuesday.


Singulus, Sony Team Up on Blu-Ray Development German compact disc and DVD equipment company Singulus and Japan #39;s Sony have teamed up to develop a new technology for music and video discs, Singulus said on Tuesday.


Lycos screensaver tackles spam websites Striking out against spammers (sounds good already!) Lycos have developed a screensaver that should help to put the nasty blighters out of business.


Cisco revamps Catalyst switch range Cisco today unveiled what it claimed is the world #39;s first Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) enabled IP phone, in addition to a raft of enhancements to its Catalyst switching range designed to boost security, availability and performance.


Tanker #39;s hull was pierced twice US Coast Guard officials still have not determined what caused a Greek-owned tanker to leak 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River Friday, but did reveal Monday


Ukraine Opposition Pulls Out of Talks  KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's opposition on Tuesday pulled out  of talks to try to end a confrontation over last week's  disputed presidential election and vowed to use "people power"  to secure victory.


Super Bowl Advertisers Still in Game After Scandal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Advertisers may have been bitten once  by an indecency scandal at the 2004 Super Bowl, but they are  not shy about getting back into the game for the next U.S.  football championship.


US 'hurting' anti-mine campaign Anti-landmine activists meeting in Nairobi say the US is setting a  bad example by not joining a worldwide ban.


Cropp Wants Changes D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp has filed an eleventh-hour proposal that would significantly alter a plan to build a baseball stadium.


Job cuts eat into RBC #39;s Q4 earnings TORONTO - Royal Bank said Tuesday the cost of eliminating 1,660 jobs pushed its fourth-quarter earnings down 31 per cent to \$518 million.


NHL Won't Consider Proposed Luxury Tax (AP) AP - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reiterated the league's position that it won't consider the players' proposed luxury tax.


MmO2 to bring i-mode to three European markets I-mode services are coming to the competitive UK market, in addition to Ireland and the second such service in Germany, through a new deal between UK-based MmO2 plc and Japan #39;s NTT DoCoMo Inc.


Games developer wins cyber caf copyright fight Games company Valve yesterday announced that it had won a court order prohibiting publisher Vivendi Universal Games from distributing Valves games, which include the Half-Life series, through cyber cafs.


New strain of Skulls Trojan hits smart phones NOVEMBER 30, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Mobile phones running Symbian Ltd. #39;s Series 60 operating system are the target of a new strain of the Skulls Trojan horse program.


A More Efficient Way to Produce Hydrogen Nov. 30 - So far they #39;ve done the recipe only on a small scale in an Idaho laboratory. The ingredients are water, electricity and extreme heat.


Belichick feels Daviss pain FOXBORO - Sundays upcoming matchup between the Browns and Patriots features a rare twist - two head coaches who know what its like being on the hot seat in Cleveland while presiding over a floundering team.


Michigan State DURHAM, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Two of the top coaches and programs square off when No. 9 Michigan State tangles with 10th-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.


High Hog Prices Boost Smithfield Foods  CHICAGO  (Reuters) - Smithfield Foods Inc. SFD.N, the  largest U.S. pork producer, on Tuesday reported quarterly  earnings jumped 61 percent on high hog prices, strong pork  exports and the acquisition of a pork processor.


Stocks Fall, Wal-Mart, Oil, Dollar Weigh  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as shares  of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N extended their losses, oil  prices held near \$50 a barrel and the dollar hit a record low  against the euro.


Audit Finds Hoy Overstated Circulation  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tribune Co.'s TRB.N Hoy newspaper,  one of several U.S. papers caught up in a circulation scandal,  overstated circulation at its New York edition by more than 46  percent last year, an industry monitoring group said on  Tuesday.


Glum US shoppers push dollar down An unexpectedly weak reading for US consumer confidence pushes the dollar to a fresh low against the euro.


Abbey cards in net security scare Abbey bank cancels about 1,000 credit and debit cards after receiving a security warning over an online merchant.


Kazaa launches file-swap defence Lawyers for file-swapping software firm Kazaa launch their defence in a landmark Australian internet music piracy case.


Yahoo Offers Real-Time Traffic Reports Largely overlooked during the holiday craziness last month, Yahoo introduced real-time traffic information for 70 major U.S. cities.


Consumer Confidence Drops In November _ Consumer confidence declined in November for a fourth consecutive month, a private research group reported Tuesday, reflecting doubts about the economy once the holidays are past.


Economy grows at a 3.9 percent pace in third quarter, faster than <b>...</b> The economy -- helped out by more brisk consumer and business spending -- grew at an annual rate of 3.9 percent in the third quarter, a performance that was stronger than previously thought.


High Hog Prices Boost Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD), the largest US pork producer, on Tuesday reported quarterly earnings jumped 61 percent on high hog prices, strong pork exports and the acquisition of a pork processor.


Scotiabank profits rise to \$708M, full-year earnings jump to \$2.9B TORONTO (CP) - Bank of Nova Scotia reported record annual profits Tuesday and raised its dividend after the bank benefited from solid gains in mortgage and consumer lending as well as international operations.


Philly Broadband Clash Pits City Against Telcos (Reuters) Reuters - Philadelphia officials have laid the\groundwork to provide wireless, high-speed Internet access\anywhere in the city, but their plan could be scotched under a\state bill that could be signed into law on Tuesday.


Novartis Withdraws Application for Prexige (AP) AP - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG said Tuesday it is temporarily withdrawing an application for European Union approval of its painkiller Prexige, but added that it will present new data this week to prove the safety and effectiveness of the drug.


Singulus, Sony Team Up on Blu-Ray Development (Reuters) Reuters - German compact disc and DVD\equipment company Singulus and Japan's Sony have teamed up to\develop a new technology for music and video discs, Singulus\said on Tuesday.


MmO2 Offered I-Mode Phones DoCoMo #39;s service allows users to send e-mails, chat, play games, download ring tones and access content from more than 70,000 Web sites.


HP Links Business Processes And IT Management Hewlett-Packard #39;s new OpenView software is designed to help companies automate IT responses to business events, such as a jump in order-processing transactions.


Cisco Retools Catalyst Switch Line Cisco today revamped its Catalyst Switch line with 10-gigabit speeds, enhanced security, and high availability, designed to bring high speed, security, and availability to the network edge.


Emulex Debuts 4-Gbps Fibre Channel Silicon Emulex Corp. unveiled Tuesday its new FibreSpy switch-on-a-chip SOC 804 family of embedded storage for OEM customers looking to build to the new 4-gigabit Fibre Channel standard.


US Scientists Claim Breakthrough in Hydrogen Fuel Research The conversion rate of water into hydrogen ranges between 45 and 50 percent in high temperatures, compared with about 30 percent in electrolysis, researchers said.


Congo Official: Rwanda Troops Attacking (AP) AP - A senior Congolese official said Tuesday his nation had been invaded by neighboring Rwanda, and U.N. officials said they were investigating claims of Rwandan forces clashing with militias in the east.


PluggedIn: Mobile Operators Seek Higher Sound Quality (Reuters) Reuters - Ring tones on mobile phones were once\considered cool if they simply sounded musical. Then phones\starting ringing to the tune of a pop song, giving way to "ring\songs."


EU Suspends Microsoft-ContentGuard Review (Reuters) Reuters - The European Commission has stopped\the clock on its review of Microsoft and Time Warner's purchase\of U.S. anti-piracy software maker ContentGuard, a spokesman\for the EU executive said on Tuesday.


Gough named new Livingston boss Livingston, Scotland (Sports Network) - Livingston hired former Scotland and Rangers defender Richard Gough to be its new head coach on Tuesday.


Sheffield United target keen to stay at Anfield Neil Mellor is prepared to play in the reserves in order to remain a Liverpool player despite interest from Sheffield United Football Club.


Bettman still holding his ground Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Speaking at a function in Edmonton on Tuesday, National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman held firm on his stance against the NHLPA #39;s luxury tax plan.


Let the Bidding Begin Wasting little time, Omar Minaya has reportedly offered Pedro Martinez a three-year, \$37.5 deal, with an option for a fourth season.


Ukraine Unrest Worries Barcelona Soccer FC Barcelona players Samuel Eto #39;o, center, from Cameroon and Ronaldinho, second left, from Brazil argue with Getafe players Vivar Dorade, left, from Spain and Mariano Pernia, right, from Argentina during their Spanish League soccer match in Getafe, Spain


Olympic Swimmer Phelps #39; DUI Trial Set SALISBURY, Md. Nov 30, 2004 - Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps #39; drunken driving trial was set for Dec. 29. Phelps, 19, was stopped by a state trooper on Nov. 4 for running a stop sign in Salisbury.


Argentine Protesters Want Mayor to Resign Argentines irate over perceived security lapses in a nightclub fire that killed 188 people, many of them teenagers, banged pots and pans in protest Monday and vowed to march against city officials.


Supercomputer for the Home (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - It's rare to hear the words "innovation" and "big company" in the same sentence. During the 1980s, IBM (NYSE: IBM - News) was a visionary in the PC revolution -- but gave away the profits to upstarts like Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC - News).


Study: Nuclear Medicine Can Trigger Security Alarms (Reuters) Reuters - Patients treated with radioactive\material face an increased risk of triggering security alarms\because more guards are being equipped with sensitive radiation\detectors, a report said Tuesday.


Iran Boasts of Victory Over US on Nuclear Case Iran boasted on Tuesday it had defeated US efforts to send its nuclear case to the UN Security Council while warning that its uranium enrichment freeze would only last for a few months.


10 dead, 50 hurt in Indonesian plane mishap Jakarta: At least 10 people were killed and almost 50 injured when a passenger plane skidded off a rain-slicked runway and seven crew aboard the plane operated by budget airline Lion Air, which was landing at Adisumarno airport in the city of Solo after a


Sudan Postpones Decision to Expel Oxfam and Save the Children Sudan has decided to postpone a decision to expel the heads of two British aid agencies - Oxfam and Save the Children - citing administrative difficulties and humanitarian grounds.


WVU Launches New Brain Surgery System (AP) AP - West Virginia University's neurosurgery department has launched a new system to help surgeons view brain disorders and diseases more precisely.


Vaccine for Food Poisoning Possible (AP) AP - Washington University researchers are the first to grow a common cause of diarrhea, vomiting and other stomach problems in a lab, a move that a North Carolina expert said could speed along development of a vaccine, the university said Monday.


Scientist Finds Moon Rock on Antarctica (AP) AP - University of New Mexico researcher Barbara Cohen now knows for certain that the rock she found while trolling the barren Antarctica landscape is special.


Skeleton in Mo. Came From Ancient Mammoth (AP) AP - Everything about the bones that turned up in a Grain Valley back yard last summer suggested to scientists that they came from a 50,000-year-old mastodon. But evidence yielded by additional digging has led the experts to conclude they were off-base. The remains are actually those of a mammoth that lived 500,000 to 1 million years ago, according to the scientists.


115 Whales, Dolphins Die After Beaching (AP) AP - A total of 115 whales and dolphins died after swimming onto beaches on two southern Australian islands, authorities said Tuesday as the search continued for more pods in danger.


Phelps' Trial Set 19-year-old Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps' drunken driving trial is set for Dec. 29.


Oligarchs still control Russia: Putin (AFP) AFP - Russian President Vladimir Putin conceded that oligarchs who made their billions in the first hectic days of post-Soviet reform still held a grip over the state despite his efforts to sideline them from power.


Colo. Wal-Mart Makes Effort to Unionize (AP) AP - In a move that has been unsuccessful elsewhere in the United States, 17 workers at a Wal-Mart Tire  amp; Lube Express have taken the first step to unionize at the world's largest retailer.


FDA Reviewers Mixed Over Two New Cancer Drugs  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Administration  staff reviewers on Tuesday questioned clinical data for  non-Hodgkin's lymphoma drug Marqibo, made by Inex  Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc. .


EU Suspends Microsoft-ContentGuard Review
\

 By David Lawsky

 BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has stopped\the clock on its review of Microsoft and Time Warner's purchase\of U.S. anti-piracy software maker ContentGuard, a spokesman\for the EU executive said on Tuesday.


Gold Offer Loses Shine South African gold miner Harmony Gold Mining Company (NYSE: HMY) officially made its much-anticipated  quot;tender offer, Part I quot; yesterday, and received a remarkably lukewarm response from shareholders of rival Gold Fields Limited (NYSE: GFI).


Consumers Fuel Faster Economic Growth Robust consumer spending on cars, furniture and food helped the US economy advance faster than first thought in the third quarter, a government report showed, while underlying inflation was the tamest in decades.


Reliance asks directors who quit to reconsider The board of Reliance Energy, a unit of Reliance Industries, said the six directors, all long-time employees of the group, would resume their normal duties and that it continued


Lycos Europe:  quot;Make love not spam quot; In a new take on fighting spam, Web portal Lycos Europe has launched a screensaver designed to bombard Web sites promoted in unsolicited e-mail.


Al Bello/Getty Images Let #39;s go straight to the latest hot stove news. The Daily Blog #39;s reviews of Allure #39;s new Chapter III album and Christmas with the Kranks will have to wait until next week.


EU eyes  #39;new chapter #39; in Iran ties, but tensions remain BRUSSELS (AFP) - The EU hailed a  quot;new chapter quot; in ties with Iran and confirmed plans to resume trade talks rapidly, after a UN-brokered deal under which Tehran pledged to freeze uranium enrichment activities.


Cuba releases leading dissident Cuba has freed one of the country #39;s best-known dissidents, the acclaimed poet and journalist Raul Rivero. The 59-year-old was among 75 people arrested in a huge government crackdown last year and given long prison terms.


S amp;P affirms rating on Pinault Printemps Redoute Standard  amp; Poor #39;s on Tuesday affirmed its ratings on French retailer Pinault Printemps Redoute SA (PRTP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) after the group entered exclusive talks to sell its Rexel(CDME.


Audit Finds Hoy Overstated Circulation by 46 Pct Tribune Co. #39;s Hoy newspaper, one of several US papers caught up in a circulation scandal, overstated circulation at its New York edition by more than 46 percent last


Another Upgrade Boosts Red Hat Red Hat (NOVL:Nasdaq - news - research) got its second upgrade in two week Tuesday, and promptly leaped northward. In recent trading, shares of the Linux Vendor were up \$1.42, or 10.6, to \$14.84 in heavy volume.


Tapes reveal more from Princess Diana Princess Diana continues to fascinate her fans around the world even seven years after her tragic death. In an NBC News exclusive, for the first time, revealing new tapes are coming to light.


Beware Confirmation Bias If your knee-jerk reaction to a negative opinion is to attack the source, your chance of investing success is reduced.


Update 1: Syneron Medical Shares Drop on Rejection Shares of Syneron Medical Ltd., a maker of cosmetic medical devices, plunged 20 percent Tuesday morning following regulators #39; rejection of its application for a cellulite-smoothing device.


Stocks sag on sub-par Canadian GDP and sliding US consumer <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Negative economic indicators helped send stock markets lower Tuesday while two more big Canadian banks reported quarterly profits.


Midway Games acquires Paradox Development CHICAGO Chicago-based Midway Games has acquired Paradox Development, which is developing the company #39;s upcoming  quot;Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks quot; videogame.


Pew study: Blogs busted out in 2004 Last year proved big for blogs and bloggers, according to data released from The Pew Internet   American Life Project. Blog readership jumped 58 percent between February and November, and comprised 32 million U.S. citizens in 2004. More than 8 million U.S. citizens have created a Web-based diary, and one in 10, or around 14 million U.S. Internet users, has contributed thoughts or comments to a blog.


Valve Wins Cyber Caf Case Valve announced recently that it had won the first round in the legal fight between it and publisher Vivendi Universal Games. The US Federal District Court in Seattle has upheld the complaint


Sorry, this information is currently unavailable Sophos virus experts have advised customers not to panic, following media reports of a new version of the Skulls Trojan horse for Symbian Smartphones.


Olympians Gatlin, Hayes Earn Jesse Owens Awards PORTLAND, Ore. -- Olympic medalists Justin Gatlin and Joanna Hayes Monday were named the winners of the 2004 Jesse Owens Awards by USA Track  amp; Field.


Trial Date Set For Michael Phelps SALISBURY, Md. -- A trial date has been set in Salisbury for Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. He #39;s scheduled to appear in District Court on Dec. 29.


Jackets bowling in Orlando Georgia Tech will play in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, two people familiar with the situation told the Journal-Constitution Monday.


US Open WCQ with Trinidad The United States will open its bid to qualify for its fifth consecutive World Cup finals in Trinidad  amp; Tobago on Feb. 9 as the final round draw for 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying was announced this morning from FIFA House in Zurich, Switzerland.


General strike cripples Italy to protest Berlusconi's economic policies (AFP) AFP - Italy ground to a halt as millions of workers observed a general strike in a show of force against the economic policies of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition government.


Bush Makes First Official Visit to Canada President Bush is on his way to Canada for a two-day trip that will mark his first official visit to America #39;s northern neighbor.


Analysis: Asian free trade vogue could heat up Free trade agreements are flying around East Asia these days, with even South Asian neighbor India, getting a piece of the action.


Embarrassment over Myanmar, pride at China trade deal as ASEAN wraps up (AFP) AFP - Southeast Asian leaders completed a series of meetings in Laos where renewed embarrassment over military-ruled Myanmar threatened to overshadow the signing of an historic trade deal with China.


Blunkett repays lover's rail fare David Blunkett repays Parliament for a train ticket he gave to his ex-lover  and apologises for a "genuine mistake".


US GDP rise fails to halt caution Increased spending by consumers and business helps US economic growth rise at a higher-than-predicted rate in the July to September period.


Midway Games Buys Videogame Company Midway Games Inc. said Tuesday that it acquired Paradox Development, the studio now developing Midway #39;s upcoming Mortal Kombat:Shaolin Monks videogame, for 333,334 Midway common shares.


DoCoMo looks overseas for handsets NTT DoCoMo, Japan #39;s dominant mobile operator, is to start selling mobile phones from Nokia and Motorola next year in a bid to reduce its reliance on local manufacturers.


Red Hat Preps Enterprise Linux 4 With the top two commercial Linux distributions based on the Linux 2.6 kernel, the open-source operating system could gain greater footing among enterprise apps.


Rescuers seek survivors as Phillipines storm leaves 300 dead, 150 <b>...</b> REAL, Philippines : Rescuers were desperately searching for survivors Tuesday after floods and landslides unleashed by a tropical storm in the Philippines killed more than 300 people and left at least 150 others missing, many buried alive under tonnes of


US Looks For Missing Plane In Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan -- The US military said a plane that took off from the main US base north of Kabul, Afghanistan, is missing. A search is under way for the three civilian crew members and three military passengers who were aboard the aircraft.


Union: At Least 100 Delta Pilots to Retire as Pay Cuts Start At least 100 Delta Air Lines pilots are expected to retire effective Wednesday, the start date for a 32.5 percent pay cut agreed to in a \$1 billion concessions package to help save the nation's third largest air carrier from bankruptcy.


Latino groups lauds Gutierrez pick A major Hispanic interests group praised US President George Bush Tuesday for picking Kellogg #39;s chief executive Carlos Gutierrez for commerce secretary.


Oil Prices Hover Near \$50 a Barrel Oil prices were up 12 cents to \$49.88 a barrel in electronic trading in Europe in advance of the opening on the New York Mercantile Exchange.


Dollar Weakens Against Euro But Off Lows The dollar was weaker against the euro on Tuesday but above record lows reached after remarks by European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet suggested the ECB was unlikely to intervene to stem the euro #39;s rise.


US Puts Hefty Duties on Imported Shrimp The United States has set final anti-dumping duties of up to 112.81 percent on shrimp from China and up to 25.76 percent on those from Vietnam to offset unfair pricing, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday.


Deutsche to Gazprom: Buy Yugansk Gazprom is considering a recommendation from Deutsche Bank that it buy Yuganskneftegaz, Yukos #39; main production unit, as part of a wider strategy to increase its presence in the oil sector, a company official said Monday.


American Military Relief Effort Picks Up Steam The American military relief operation picked up steam Monday, with U.S. helicopters dropping off cartons of food aid in Sumatra and warships with 2,200 Marines arriving in the Malacca Straits to ferry supplies to the tsunami-battered Indonesian island.


Syneron stock falls after approval delayed NEW YORK -- Syneron Medical Ltd. stock fell Tuesday after the US Food and Drug Administration delayed approval of the medical device maker #39;s cellulite product.


Gretzky Fears for NHL Wayne Gretzky fears the NHL could be shut down for as long as two years if a labor deal is not reached soon.


IBMs New Cell Chip To Power PlayStation, HDTVs Sony and IBM introduced Monday the first workstation based on the Cell processor, which they jointly developed in partnership with Toshiba.


Beijing Cancels Microsoft Deal The Beijing municipal government may be reconsidering its controversial decision to sign a sweeping deal with Microsoft. Microsoft beat domestic software developers out of a 3.6M dollar contract on November


Sony vs. Big Apple Sony (NYSE: SNE) is taking one more step toward making its Walkman a more formidable contender in the digital music wars. According to several news agencies, Sony is launching a new Walkman with a hard drive and support of the popular MP3 format.


Amazon #39;s Holiday Pi Leave it to Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN). Apparently, the holiday season could be a rich opportunity to addict more users to Amazon #39;s A9.


AOL Tests New Netscape Browser America Online Inc. on Tuesday started testing a prototype of the Netscape browser that lets users switch from the Mozilla rendering engine to Internet Explorer with the click of a button.


Cisco Revamps Catalyst Switch Range To extend 10GbE support to the network edge, the revamped 6500 Supervisor Engine 32 ships with a choice of two 10GbE XENPAK-based or eight one GbE Small Form Factor Pluggable based uplinks.


Microsoft files first authenticity certificate lawsuits SEATTLE A central Pennsylvania company is named in a lawsuit filed by Microsoft on claims of counterfeit and illicit certificates of authenticity.


IBM Unveils Latest  #39;On-Demand #39; Tech Center IBM on Monday unveiled a technology lab for customers looking to test the company #39;s products for managing computer resources based on business demands.


NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 30 November 2004 All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Crew rest day after yesterday s successful Soyuz TMA-5/9S relocation.


FA suspend Diouf Bolton striker El-Hadji Diouf has incurred a three-match ban after admitting a charge of improper conduct. The Senegal international was charged by the Football Association after television replays showed


Mandaric clears Redknapp of dodgy deals At a specially convened news conference today, Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric cleared former boss Harry Redknapp of any wrong doing in his transfer deals during his time at the club.


Report: Former Marlins closer Benitez reaches deal with Giants The San Francisco Giants have agreed to terms on a three-year, \$21 million contract with Marlins free agent closer Armando Benitez, according to several media reports.


Confirmed: Davis Out as Head Coach It has now been confirmed by the Browns that Butch Davis has resigned as head coach of the team. The Browns will be holding a press conference with Team President John Collins at 2PM today.


Dartmouth fires head football coach Lyons Hanover, NH (Sports Network) - Dartmouth University fired head football coach John Lyons on Tuesday. The Big Green finished just 1-9 this season, marking the worst record in school history.


FERRERO CHASING DAVIS CUP GLORY Juan Carlos Ferrero has targeted further Davis Cup glory when Spain take on the United States in Seville at the weekend. Ferrero is the only member of the Spain team to have won the event before after clinching


Police ID chair thrower Auburn Hills - (11/29/04)--Auburn Hills police say they have identified the chair thrower from the Pistons/Pacers brawl. The suspect who allegedly threw the chair is a 35-year-old man from Genesee County #39;s Mundy Township.


Angels Change Name The Angels are renaming themselves yet again, saying Monday it will be known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.


Bush, Martin pledge to improve trade relations but no promises on <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - George W. Bush said he understands Canadian ranchers #39; frustrations but the president suggested the lumbering US bureaucracy has to sign off before the border can re-open to Canadian cattle.


Rescued whales head out to sea as scientists blame weather for <b>...</b> HOBART, Australia : 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.


Sinn Fein voices delay concern Speaking after a meeting with the Irish Prime Minister in Dublin, party president Gerry Adams said:  quot;We are concerned that the time frame is stretching.


Minister: Rwandan Soldiers Have Entered Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo #39;s Minister for Regional Cooperation says Rwandan soldiers have entered Congo and attacked three villages in eastern Congo.


It #39;s nearly winter  why is gasoline so expensive? A. With history as a guide, it #39;s not unreasonable to expect gas to be cheaper in winter months. Instead, the average retail price nationwide is just below \$1.95 a gallon.


Local consumer confidence edges up going into Christmas Consumer confidence increased slightly across the region going into the Christmas shopping season, although it remains below its levels of a year before.


SEC hands AIG a \$126 million fine The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today the settlement of charges against American International Group revolving around the marketing of transactions that would remove possible volatile assets from the balance sheets of companies.