Japan Will Act on Yen Gains If Necessary #39;, Tanigaki Says Japan will take action if necessary #39; #39; to stem the yen #39;s gains against the dollar and is keeping a close watch on currency markets, Japan #39;s Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said.


Object database goes open source (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Startup company db4o #160;bjects next week is releasing its object database, db4o, under an open source format, with the product now available either under the GPL via open source or commercially as embeddable software.


Tokyo Stocks Advance in Early Trading (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks were higher early Friday as the U.S. dollar rebounded against the Japanese yen, following through its strength in New York where players reduced heavy dollar-bearish positions.


Apple releases December Security Update (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday released its December security update. The 12.7MB download consists of several updated components including Apache, AppKit, HIToolbox, Kerberos, Postfix, PSNormalizer, Safari and Terminal.


U.N. Reports Suspicious Activity in Congo (AP) AP - U.N. air and ground patrols have photographed freshly made encampments and unidentified well-equipped troops in east Congo, U.N. officials said Thursday, bolstering suspicions  #151; still unconfirmed  #151; that Rwanda is making good on its threat to send troops into its larger, weaker neighbor.


US leisure firm to buy Ebookers US hotels and car-hire firm Cendent is to buy UK internet-based holiday company Ebookers for \$404m (201.2m).


Falluja Data Said to Pressure Guerrillas Documents and computers found in Falluja are providing clues to the identity of home-grown opponents of the new Iraqi government.


NASA, Russians forging a deal for rides NASA officials have confirmed Russian reports about an outer-space swap worth an estimated \$60 million or more. If approved by the US government, the deal could put off a looming


US manufacturing expands Industrial output in the US has beaten forecasts in December, increasing for the 19th month in a row.


The Bambino strikes again Of the roughly 300 people who filled the large auction hall at Sotheby #39;s on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, only two had come to bid on the bat.


Nets guard Planinic has hand surgery New Jersey Nets guard Zoran Planinic had surgery on his broken left hand Thursday and will be out indefinitely. Planinic broke his hand in Wednesday #39;s game against the Washington Wizards.


Philippines battered by another typhoon after storm kills more <b>...</b> A powerful typhoon sliced through the Philippines Friday, forcing more than 160,000 people to flee their homes to higher ground even as rescuers struggled to find the missing from an earlier storm that killed more than 420 people.


Chirac considers early vote on EU after Socialist  #39;yes #39; President Jacques Chirac was considering bringing forward the date of France #39;s national referendum on the EU constitution yesterday after a resounding victory for the  quot;yes quot; camp


Top College Programs Focus on Bottom Line Maybe it's finally time for every college with a big-time football program - or big-time basketball program for that matter - to turn pro.


UPDATE 1-Strike ballots sent to UAL flight attendants-union The Association of Flight Attendants on Thursday mailed 21,000 strike authorization ballots to flight attendants at United Airlines, setting the stage for a work stoppage if the bankrupt airline repeals a collective bargaining


Update 1: EBay Shuffles Positions of 3 Executives EBay Inc. said Thursday that it shuffled the positions of three senior vice presidents, promoting each in title and creating new heads for PayPal, eBay International and eBay North America.


Wal-Mart Give Retailers Upbeat '05 Start
\

 By Belinda Goldsmith

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. <WMT.N>, the\world's biggest retailer, on Monday said December sales would\be at the top end of its outlook on better-than-expected\post-Christmas spending, sending its shares up 2 percent.


Marsh cleared of allegations on kickbacks Executives at the British operations of Marsh  amp; McLennan, the world #39;s largest insurance broker, breathed a sigh of relief yesterday after law firm


RFID Signal Strong in 2005 Radio Frequency Identification technology is going to ring in the new year in more ways than one.


Power.org Initiative to Advance Community of Electronics <b>...</b> In a step sure to spark major innovation in the design of consumer electronics, networking, automotive, and IT systems, 15 companies today announced their intention to form Power.


Nadal gets to play, Ferrero out SEVILLE: Mardy Fish will play Carlos Moya in todays opening singles of the Davis Cup final between Spain and the United States.


Bellion sounds United charge DAVID Bellion scored after 19 seconds as Manchester United #39;s back-up team edged out Arsenal #39;s youngsters 1-0 to reach the semi-final of the English League Cup at Old Trafford yesterday.


In court vs. in the dugout When Jason Giambi admitted to a federal grand jury in San Francisco in December 2003 that he had taken steroids and human growth hormone, he had been granted immunity from prosecution if he told the truth but faced a perjury charge if he did not.


5 Ways to Wreck Your Retirement In the retirement game, sometimes the best offense is a good defense.


US Construction Spending Down in Nov
\

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. construction spending fell\unexpectedly by 0.4 percent in November, as a cooling in\residential construction overpowered a small rise in public\spending, a government report showed on Monday.


Fratello Hired As Grizzlies #39; Coach Mike Fratello was hired as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, leaving the TV booth and replacing friend and mentor Hubie Brown, who retired last week for health reasons.


Manufacturing Activity Expands in December Manufacturing activity expanded for the 19th consecutive month in December, a new report said Monday, suggesting that the industrial sector entered the new year with solid strength behind it.


UPDATE 2-Fifth Third balance sheet fix to cut profit Fifth Third Bancorp, the ninth largest US bank, on Thursday said fourth-quarter profit will fall well short of analyst forecasts, as it takes \$340 million of


Firefoxs biggest obstacle is lazy programming The biggest obstacle facing widespread adoption of the Firefox browser is lazy programming - not from the Mozilla Foundation but from corporates that have not tested their applications with anything but IE.


Rwanda Urged to Show Restraint in Congo (AP) AP - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council urged Rwanda on Thursday to refrain from any military action in Congo after reports as many as eight battalions of Rwandan troops may be in Congo.


Jones was  #39;drug cheat #39; MARIO JONES received illegal performance-enhancing drugs before winning five medals at the Sydney Olympics, according to accused steroid distributor Victor Conte.


Dan Olsen leads PGA qualifying school Dan Olsen of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., shot a 7-under 65 Thursday to take a one-shot lead after two rounds of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament.


An angry Galloway wins 150,000 damages from the Telegraph GEORGE Galloway yesterday scored another major libel victory, winning 150,000 damages over a newspaper #39;s claims that he was in the pay of Saddam Hussein.


Bronner: US Airways To Seek Injunction If Unions Walk; UAL Flight <b>...</b> US Airways Group (otc: UAIRQ - news - people ) on Thursday said it #39;ll seek a court injunction to prohibit a strike by disaffected unions.


NHLPA requests meeting with NHL next week Not likely, but at least it looks like there might finally be some negotiations about ending the NHL lockout. The National Hockey League Players #39; Association confirmed that NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow


Bush Calls for Full UN Oil-For-Food Probe The Bush administration made clear on Thursday it would not take a position on whether UN Secretary General Kofi Annan should resign as it awaited the results of an investigation into the UN oil-for-food scandal.


Crude Oil Ekes Out Small Bounce (Reuters) Reuters - Battered oil prices struggled on\Friday to shake off this week's  #36;6 slump, edging up from a\12-week low after a massive round of selling triggered by\easing worries about winter supply.


At Citigroup, a Shifting in Strategy at a Core Unit The chief executive of Citigroup has taken a number of symbolic steps to address concerns by investors that his company is too immense to manage.


More Data Sought on Drug for Sex Drive An advisory panel said that the first drug to enhance the sex drive of women should not be approved because of a lack of information about its long-term safety.


Tokyo Stocks Climb to a Two-Week High (Reuters) Reuters - Tokyo stocks climbed to a two week high\on Friday after Tokyo Electron Ltd. and other chip-related\stocks were boosted by a bullish revenue outlook from industry\leader Intel Corp.


Music Industry Turns to Napster Creator for Help Major record corporations say that a licensed file-sharing system could bolster their position in their fight against piracy as well as increase digital music sales.


Intel Forecasts Greater Revenue for 4th Quarter Intel raised its revenue forecast for the fourth quarter, citing surprisingly strong demand across its line of chips for personal computers.


Tax talk not on Brown #39;s lips Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown has told parliament he is meeting his fiscal rules but analysts say he is cutting it too close with public finances to call his approach prudent.


Calpers begins its search for new leader By Sundeep Tucker in London and Scott Morrison in San Francisco. The board members of Calpers, the Californian state pension fund, will this morning start the process of choosing a new president following this week #39;s abrupt ousting of Sean Harrigan.


Steel crisis leaves Nissan output  #39;at risk #39; The steel crisis at Nissan Motor might force the carmaker to reduce production by a further 15,000 vehicles next March on top of the 25,000 that have been


Update 4: Intel Raises 4th-Quarter Sales Forecast Intel Corp. #39;s fourth-quarter sales are on track to break a company record as demand for the chips that power computers was stronger than originally expected in the weeks leading up to the holiday buying season.


Travel group widens horizons to compete online Coming out of the lift on the 37th floor of Cendant #39;s New York office, visitors are greeted with a breathtaking view of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.


8 Accused of Inflating Kmart Profit The Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday filed civil fraud charges against three former Kmart Corp. executives and five employees of companies that supplied the Troy, Mich.


British Insurers in Turmoil Over Incentive Fees The investigation of insurance practices by the New York attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, is causing wide ripples in the British market, the cradle of the industry.


UPS to take control of Sinotrans for \$100m United Parcel Service, the US delivery company, is to take direct control of its core international express operations in China, paying US\$100m to buy out its local partner, Hong Kong-listed Sinotrans.


The Times Company Lowers Its Forecast for 2004 Earnings The New York Times Company said yesterday that its profit for the year would fall short of what it had initially forecast, a casualty of higher costs and of advertising revenue that has


Salvation Army Seeks Online Holiday Donations SAN FRANCISCO -- The Salvation Army is counting on tech-savvy Bay Area residents to help the organization meet its holiday fundraising goals with as much clicking of the mouse as clinking of coins.


Dollar Holds Gains After U.S. Factory Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded on Monday after a  heavy selloff last week, but pared some gains after a U.S.  factory report showed employment was down in December.


KMart Same-Store Sales Fall 4.6 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. KMRT.O on Monday  said sales at stores open at least a year fell 4.6 percent in  the November-December period -- an improvement from declines  earlier in the year.


Dollar Builds on Gains Versus Yen  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged up against the yen on  Friday, building on a rebound from a five-year low ahead of  closely watched U.S. jobs data.


Microsoft Unveils Blog Service MSN Spaces debuted in its test form as Microsoft became the latest company to offer blogging to the masses. MSN Spaces, which allows users without highly technical skills to set up Web journals, is targeted


Water on Mars  #39;but not life #39; Scientists analysing data from the Mars exploration Rover missions believe water was involved in the formation of rocks on the planet.


Microsoft and Sun #39;s difficult dance news analysis Microsoft and Sun Microsystems may be going steady, but they aren #39;t quite sure where the relationship is headed.


Agencies Find What They #39;re Looking For When computer users hunt for information on the Internet, they typically turn to Google or Yahoo. When analysts working for US intelligence look for documents and data stored on computers


iPod: How Long Will It Reign? You don #39;t have to look around for long to see that Apple #39;s (AAPL ; S amp;P investment rank, 3 STARS, hold; recent price, \$67.21) iPod digital music player has made waves in pop culture.


AOL debuts voice conferencing for consumers The AIM Voice Conferencing service incorporates AIM Instant Messenger #39;s  quot;presence quot; technology, which allows people to see if friends and family are online and available to chat.


W3C focuses on future at 10th anniversary meeting Internet luminaries gathered in Boston Wednesday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), honor its founder, Director and Web inventor


Speculation Grows on Early Exit by Snow  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Expectations that U.S. Treasury  Secretary John Snow would survive President Bush's Cabinet  make-over for at least six months are rapidly yielding to a  belief he may make a hastier exit, people close to the Bush  administration said on Thursday.


Tampa #39;s Fish Gets First Shot At Spain The odds are long, but in a year that has seen the Lightning emerge from obscurity to drink from Lord Stanley #39;s Cup, who is to say the US team can #39;t


Spurs coach Jol: Arsenal have calmed Van Persie! Tottenham coach Martin Jol says Arsenal firebrand Robin van Persie is already a calmer player than he was at Feyenoord! Jol said:  quot;At 18, Robin was in the first team at Feyenoord.


Benfica, Alkmaar Reach Last 32 of UEFA Cup Soccer Tournament Benfica beat Beveren 3-0 and Alkmaar of the Netherlands defeated Rangers 1-0 to advance in European soccer #39;s UEFA Cup. Italy #39;s Lazio was eliminated.


Players lose in college coaching carousel College footballs annual parade of the dead is in full march, and look whos watching from the back row again without so much as a folding chair.


PGA overhauls system for Ryder Cup points With the US team coming off its worst loss in the 77-year history of the Ryder Cup, it was expected the PGA of America would make some significant changes to its point-selection system.


Shockey Gives the Giants a Blast From the Present Tight end Jeremy Shockey, as flustered as anyone with the Giants #39; four-game losing streak, said Thursday that he had made a magnanimous offer to any teammate who thinks the Giants cannot make the playoffs.


Gradkowski stars despite injuries DETROIT -- A broken hand and separated shoulder were not enough to stop Bruce Gradkowski from lifting Toledo to the Mid-American Conference championship.


Tokyo Stocks Climb to a Two-Week High  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks climbed to a two week high  on Friday after Tokyo Electron Ltd. and other chip-related  stocks were boosted by a bullish revenue outlook from industry  leader Intel Corp.


India, Russia aim to improve trade, military ties President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi early on Friday for talks with leaders of India #39;s new communist-backed government amid expectations that India and Russia will bolster trade and military ties.


Two Iranian sites pose headaches for IAEA VIENNA: Iran may be hiding the equipment its military bought and could be used to make nuclear-weapons-grade uranium, despite its agreement to freeze all such programmes and place them under UN supervision.


Mugabe calls for party unity amid suspensions President Robert Mugabe called for unity in his ruling Zanu-PF party yesterday despite suspending six senior party officials over who will succeed the 80-year-old leader.


CIVILIAN KILLED: Mortar barrage rocks Baghdad A barrage of mortar fire Thursday ended a brief period of relative calm in Baghdad, killing at least one civilian and wounding more than a dozen, while insurgents continued


A Rough Ride for Schwinn Bicycle The rise and fall of companies such as Schwinn help explain why the economy has become less forgiving of workers who lack higher education or specialized skills.


Oil Prices Take Another Deep Drop   Crude oil futures nose-dived for a second day in a row yesterday, briefly dipping below \$43 a barrel, as traders focused on rising fuel supplies and mild fall weather in the Northeast and Midwest.


Blair to back 'optimistic' Brown Tony Blair is set to back Gordon Brown's  pre-Budget report, amid concern over some of its forecasts.


Walgreen Profit Rises 30.5 Pct, Shares Up  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walgreen Co. WAG.N on Monday posted a  30.5 percent jump in quarterly profit, its largest increase in  four years, boosted by sales of generic drugs and digital photo  processing.


U.S. Embassy Bans Use of Airport Road Citing security concerns, the U.S. Embassy on Thursday banned its employees from using the highway linking the embassy area to the international airport, a 10-mile stretch of road plagued by frequent suicide car-bomb attacks.


Another Soldier From Md. Is Killed in Iraq  Erik W. Hayes told friends and family that he joined the U.S. Army to help save money for his future. And just last week, that future seemed more certain: He sent an e-mail from Iraq telling friends that he wanted to become an emergency medical technician when he returned to Maryland.


Distinct Men, Bound Now at Arlington  The medals and the American flag were almost too much for Kiona Bryant to hold as she sat yesterday at the grave of her high school sweetheart.


Microsoft Files Seven New Spam Lawsuits  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O filed seven  lawsuits against senders of spam, or unsolicited e-mail, for  transmitting messages without labeling them as sexually  explicit content, the world's largest software maker said on  Thursday.


Napster Creator Unveils Online Music Technology  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Shawn Fanning, once reviled by  record labels as the creator of renegade song-swap service  Napster, on Thursday launched a new service designed to turn  the threat of still popular peer-to-peer services into an  opportunity for music companies and artists.


Ukraine awaits court poll ruling Ukraine's Supreme Court is due to rule on whether to overturn the result of the disputed presidential poll.


Venezuela's Chavez Says Bush Knew of Coup President Hugo Chavez charged Thursday that the United States had been aware that dissident military officers were planning a coup in 2002.


Colombia Leader Pardons 23 Jailed Rebels President Alvaro Uribe pardoned 23 jailed Marxist rebels Thursday as a goodwill gesture and said he hoped guerrilla leaders will respond by freeing hostages, though the leaders previously have said they would not reciprocate.


New dinosaur uncovered in Brazil Scientists in Brazil find the bones of a new species of dinosaur that may be related to some found in Europe.


Landslide buries Chinese village A landslide engulfs a village in southern China, leaving 65 people missing, state media reports


Conte Accuses Jones Track star Marion Jones used a steroid and other banned drugs leading up to the 2000 Summer Games, according to BALCO founder Victor Conte, Jr.


Miami's Mama's Boy Miami's Devin Hester -- one of the most exciting and dangerous players in college football -- would not be where he is today without his mother's guidance and inspiration.


Meyer a Wanted Man Utah Coach Urban Meyer met with Notre Dame officials about the school's head coaching vacancy Thursday, and he is expected to meet with Florida's AD on Friday.


Agencies Find What They're Looking For While the high-profile battle between the major search engines that scour the Web rages on, Convera Corp. in Northern Virginia has quietly carved out a niche for itself: selling software that helps U.S. and foreign intelligence agents search their databases.-The Washington Post


D.C.'s Cogent  Expands in 23 Markets The business-internet firm plans to announce Friday the latest move in a recent buying spree, a deal the company said will give it 2,400 new business customers for its high-speed Internet service.-The Washington Post


Buffalo's Gamble Pays Buffalo's decision to draft running back Willis McGahee in the first round of the 2003 draft is finally paying dividends.


Williams Stays Retired Retired running back Ricky Williams has no immediate plans to resume his NFL career with the Dolphins, his attorney said.


'Future' Now for Hokies For Virginia Tech's corps of freshman wide receivers -- Josh Hyman, Eddie Royal, Josh Morgan and Justin Harper -- the future seems very much in the present.


Nowitzki Breaks Out Dirk Nowitzki sets a Mavericks franchise record with 53 points to lead host Dallas to a 113-106 overtime victory against Houston.


US Construction Spending Down in Nov  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. construction spending fell  unexpectedly by 0.4 percent in November, as a cooling in  residential construction overpowered a small rise in public  spending, a government report showed on Monday.


Bush Set to Name Ex-Chief of Police for Top Security Post Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, has been picked by President Bush to replace Tom Ridge.


Putin Backs Ukrainian Leader, Dismissing Call for New Runoff The Russian president rejected the idea of new Ukrainian elections and criticized European efforts to mediate.


The Lesson for Today Is in Spanish El Museo del Barrio's eye-opening survey of Latin American portraiture covers an exhausting tract of cultural ground.


Corzine to Run for Governor of New Jersey The announcement by Jon S. Corzine, whose riches helped make him a U.S. senator, was widely anticipated.


This lens sheds a tear According to an article on The Register, camera phones will soon have lenses made from nothing more than drops of oil and water.


Pace of U.S. Factory Growth Climbs in Dec  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The pace of growth at U.S. factories  picked up in December, boosted by an increase in new orders and  despite a decline in employment, a report showed on Monday.


Three  amp; Out Two out of 117, do you like those odds? Thats 1.7 percent. Im not going to preach about the lack of minority head coaches in Division IA, but I just think if you sit back and try to comprehend that number


US Airways gets cuts from union A union representing nearly 6,000 US Airways workers yesterday said it has struck a tentative concession deal with the airline, easing the likelihood


IBM reportedly puts PC business on the market IBM, whose first PC in 1981 moved personal computing out of the hobby shop and into the corporate and consumer mainstream, has put the business up for sale, people close to the negotiations said Thursday.


Oil Down \$2 as U.S. Winter Stays Mild  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices slid \$2 on Monday on  expectations that more mild U.S. weather at the start of the  New Year will limit heating oil demand.


Wal-Mart Give Retailers Upbeat '05 Start  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, the  world's biggest retailer, on Monday said December sales would  be at the top end of its outlook on better-than-expected  post-Christmas spending, sending its shares up 2 percent.


US Construction Spending Down in Nov (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. construction spending fell\unexpectedly by 0.4 percent in November, as a cooling in\residential construction overpowered a small rise in public\spending, a government report showed on Monday.


Says hundreds of thousands of e-mails sent illegally LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) - Microsoft Corp. on Thursday said it filed seven lawsuits against so-called spammers who allegedly sent hundreds of thousands of sexually explicit e-mails to Internet users in violation of federal laws.


Microsoft gets into blog role contest Microsoft Corp. #39;s MSN Internet division late Wednesday debuted a preliminary version of MSN Spaces, designed to bring blogs to the masses.


IBM launches Power chip alliance IBM has launched an alliance with 14 other companies to make Big Blue #39;s Power processor more adaptable and widely used. The partnership, called Power.


Bush: Fighting won #39;t stall Iraq vote President Bush said Thursday that the United States was committed to having elections take place as planned late next month in Iraq, despite reports that Iraqi security forces


US dollar tumbles against euro The US dollar yesterday dropped to a record low against the euro in Tokyo and fell to its lowest level in nearly five years against the Japanese yen.


NHL GMS HUDDLE Only Gary Bettman knows whether he in fact will be willing to in fact negotiate a CBA that does not contain absolute cost-certainty.


RedHawks Fall to Toledo, 35-27, in MAC Championship Game - The loss ended Miami #39;s six-game winning streak and prevented the Red and White from repeating as MAC Champions for the first time since 1973-75.


UN Denies Annan #39;s resignation The United Nations says its Secretary-General Kofi Annan is not to quit despite US charges of his involvement into possible fraud in the oil-for-food program.


Pace of U.S. Factory Growth Climbs in Dec (Reuters) Reuters - The pace of growth at U.S. factories\picked up in December, boosted by an increase in new orders and\despite a decline in employment, a report showed on Monday.


Sony Walkman takes on iPod Sony is finally out with their first direct assault on the famed Apple iPod digital music player. As reported earlier, Sony has gone ahead and released their first MP3 supported Walkman.


NCAA Game Summary - Toledo at Miami-Ohio This was the first MAC title game to be played at a neutral site...The Rockets captured the West Division while the RedHawks were the East Division champs in the regular season...Toledo #39;s four previous appearances in the MAC title game included three


Site still a disaster The legacy from environmental irresponsibility still hangs heavily over the city of Bhopal in India. Two decades after the world #39;s worst industrial disaster, the site still needs to be cleaned up.


Tokyo Stocks Climb to a Two-Week High  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks climbed to a two-week high  on Friday after Tokyo Electron Ltd. and other chip-related  stocks were boosted by a bullish revenue outlook from industry  leader Intel Corp.


Intel sunny about holiday sales The world's largest chipmaker, Intel, boosts its prediction of sales for the final three months of the year to \$9.3-9.5bn.


News: Berkeley Hack Sparks Legislative Backlash An intrusion into a university research computer housing information on 1.4 million people leads to a proposed law that would cut researchers off from sensitive data. Opponents say important work would be hobbled in the process.


Lycos Europe confronts strong resistance in spam war The online community/portal company #39;s offensive against spammers began this week, when it started distributing a screensaver that conducts a denial-of-service attack against sites that market products via spam.


US ambassador to UN resigns US Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth resigned on Thursday after serving in the post for less than six months. Danforth, 68, said in a letter released Thursday


Bank sees \$320M in losses as it girds for higher rates SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Fifth Third Bancorp cut profit forecasts late Thursday as the bank alters its balance sheet to prepare for higher interest rates.


4 Agree to Jail Sentences in Chip Price-Fixing Case Three German citizens and an American have agreed to serve jail time as part of an investigation into price fixing in the computer memory market.


Rwanda Denies Army in Congo, Threatens Only Rebels (Reuters) Reuters - Rwanda denied on Thursday it\had pushed troops into Democratic Republic of Congo even as\United Nations peacekeepers said they had found compelling\evidence of an infiltration into the vast country.


No. 15 Michigan St. Stuns No. 3 Notre Dame (AP) AP - Lindsay Bowen made a game-tying 3-pointer and scored five of her 23 points in overtime to lead No. 15 Michigan State to an 82-73 victory over third-ranked Notre Dame on Thursday night.


No. 10 Duke Upends No. 4 Tennessee 59-57 (AP) AP - Monique Currie scored six points in the final 1:41 and No. 10 Duke upset fourth-ranked Tennessee 59-57 on Thursday night, becoming only the seventh team in 17 years to beat the Lady Vols in Thompson-Boling Arena.


Venezuela's Chavez Says Bush Knew of Coup (AP) AP - President Hugo Chavez charged Thursday that the United States had been aware that dissident military officers were planning a coup in 2002.


Nowitzki's career-best 53 launches NBA Mavericks past Rockets (AFP) AFP - Germany's Dirk Nowitzki scored a career-high 53 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks past Houston 113-106 in over-time here in a National Basketball Association showdown.


College Basketball: Miss. State Beats South Alabama  STARKVILLE, Miss. (Sports Network) - Lawrence Roberts  scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead  15th-ranked Mississippi State to a 66-52 victory over South  Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum.


KC's Green Questionable for Sunday  KANSAS CITY, Mo., (Sports Network) - Kansas City Chiefs  quarterback Trent Green is listed as questionable for Sunday's  game against the Oakland Raiders with bruises to his ribs and  hip.


Yanks and Baseball Meet as Report Ties Giambi to Steroids The Yankees may try to take action against Jason Giambi in the wake of a damaging report that he illegally used steroids.


Knicks Could Face a True Test of Strength After a soft stretch in their schedule, the Knicks on Friday meet Orlando, their first opponent with a winning record since they beat Cleveland on Nov. 21.


Ganguly was not sure of a win KOLKATA, Nov 2: If Sourav Ganguly reacted the way he did when Daryl Harper ruled Jacques Kallis  #39;not out #39; on Wednesday, it probably had something to do with what he thought the match then!


Nets #39; Planinic has hand surgery CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Zoran Planinic of the New Jersey Nets underwent surgery on his broken left hand Thursday and is sidelined indefinitely.


UPS Eyes China Domestic Service  HONG KONG (Reuters) - United Parcel Service Inc. UPS.N,  the world's largest package delivery firm, said on Friday that  it is evaluating China's domestic express market but is  concerned about the country's proposed postal legislation.


IBM Puts Its PC Business Up for Sale -NYT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  has put its personal computing business up for sale in a deal  that could be worth as much as \$2 billion, the New York Times  reported on Friday.


OUTLOOK 05: Fiber Pact #39;s End May Mean China-US Trade War (This is the first in a feature series about the regional impact of the Dec. 31 expiry of the Multifiber Agreement.) By Phelim Kyne OF DOW JONES NEWSWIRES.


UPS to Take Over China Network United Parcel Service Inc., Atlanta, announced yesterday that it will pay \$100 million to take over most of the international express delivery operations of its Chinese partner, Sinotrans.


Napster Creator Touts Legal File Sharing (AP) AP - Shawn Fanning's Napster software enabled countless music fans to swap songs on the Internet for free, turning him into the recording industry's enemy No. 1 in the process.


Napster Creator Unveils Online Music Technology (Reuters) Reuters - Shawn Fanning, once reviled by\record labels as the creator of renegade song-swap service


Microsoft Files Seven New Spam Lawsuits (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp.  filed seven\lawsuits against senders of spam, or unsolicited e-mail, for\transmitting messages without labeling them as sexually\explicit content, the world's largest software maker said on\Thursday.


IBM Puts Its PC Business Up for Sale -NYT (Reuters) Reuters - International Business Machines Corp.\has put its personal computing business up for sale in a deal\that could be worth as much as  #36;2 billion, the New York Times\reported on Friday.


Irish are in Utah to talk to Meyer SALT LAKE CITY -- Notre Dame began its pursuit of Utah #39;s Urban Meyer, with school officials arriving here Thursday to meet with him about becoming head coach of college football #39;s most glamorous program.


PGA alters system for Ryder Cup points The PGA of America has radically altered the points system to determine future US Ryder Cup teams. Changes announced Thursday heavily weigh the points in favor of performances during a Ryder Cup year.


Iran #39;s Nuclear Issue Sometimes it helps just to open an atlas and stare for a few moments. I did so this morning, checking out the Southwestern Asia map (#98) of the National Geographic Atlas of the World (a handsome volume, by the way).


Schwarzenegger Aide Outlines Fuel Plans (AP) AP - A top aide to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger described the administration's plans to reduce California's oil dependence, calling Thursday for more conservation, fuel-efficient vehicles, and hydrogen power.


Feds to Consider Protection for Lamprey (AP) AP - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to review whether four species of lamprey found on the West Coast should be protected by the Endangered Species Act.


Researchers Develop Salmon Parasite Test (AP) AP - A new test could help scientists determine more quickly whether chinook salmon in the Klamath River are infected with a potentially deadly parasite.


Bhopal Marks Anniversary with Candlelight Vigil  BHOPAL, India (Reuters) - It was midnight when gas began to  leak from a Bhopal factory and killed thousands as they slept  in central India 20 years ago.


Dutch Hospital Practicing Infanticide In 2001, the Netherlands became the first (only?) country in the west to permit "mercy killings". The law only allows such killings in very particular circumstances - a doctor can terminate the life of a person who was in great pain and had no hope of recovery. In addition, the law requires the informed consent of the patient.   A hospital in the Netherlands has asked to dispense with that annoying part about consent - and the equally annoying part about pain.


China Landslide Leaves 65 Villagers Missing - Xinhua  BEIJING (Reuters) - A landslide destroyed 25 village houses  in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou on Friday and  65 villagers, asleep at the time, were missing, Xinhua news  agency said.


Wal-Mart Comes Back Swinging After being outmaneuvered by aggressive competitors at the start of the holiday shopping season, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT ) is returning fire.


Ex-Kmart execs charged in \$24 million fraud Federal regulators charged three former Kmart executives and five current and former managers of major vendors with accounting fraud, claiming they misrepresented


NHL, union agree to meet next week After going nearly three months without speaking, the NHL has accepted an invitation from its locked-out union to meet next Thursday and Friday in Toronto.


National Basketball Association Game Capsules Dallas, TX -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 10 of his career-high 53 points in overtime to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the Houston Rockets, 113-106, at AmericanAirlines Center.


Baseball notebook: Leiter, Marlins close to a deal While the Mets brain trust huddled in organizational meetings at a Westchester County resort for a second consecutive day, left-hander Al Leiter appears close to accepting a contract offer from the Florida Marlins.


Cavaliers 92, Nuggets 73 The LeBron-Carmelo matchup wasn #39;t much of a contest, and neither was the one between the Cavaliers and Nuggets. LeBron James had 17 points, eight rebounds and nine assists Thursday night to help Cleveland


Bush rejects Iraq vote delay President Bush rejected calls for a delay in next month #39;s Iraqi elections, insisting Thursday that the vote was too important to put off even though violence and chaos still grip the country.


IBM Puts Its PC Business Up for Sale -NYT International Business Machines Corp. has put its personal computing business up for sale in a deal that could be worth as much as \$2 billion, the New York Times reported on Friday.


eBay Goes Phishing The popular online auction site rolls out a new approach in tackling account hackers: cut bait.


Beaten Rangers on Uefa Cup tightrope Glasgow Rangers #39; hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Uefa Cup suffered a major setback on Thursday when they went down to a 1-0 defeat against AZ Alkmaar.


Superb display by Nowitzki Dirk Nowitzki netted 53 points - the top score in the NBA this season - as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 113-106 in overtime.


Attack on Baghdad Police Station Kills 11  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen killed 11 Iraqi policemen and  wounded six Friday when they stormed a police station in  southern Baghdad, survivors of the attack said.


Dollar Enjoys Solace Ahead of Jobs Report  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged up on Friday, building  on the previous day's rebound from multi-year lows on  speculation that a strong reading for upcoming U.S. jobs data  could highlight the long-forgotten attraction of U.S. assets.


Tokyo Stocks Climb to 2-Week Closing High  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks climbed to a two-week  closing high on Friday after Tokyo Electron Ltd. and other  chip-related stocks got a boost from a bullish revenue outlook  by global industry leader Intel Corp.


Pakistan suffer humiliating tour defeat  Cricket-India #39;s Laxman omitted for Bangladesh one-day series December 2, 2004 12:51:24 CALCUTTA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Middle-order batsman Vangipurappu Laxman has been left out of India #39;s 15-player squad named on Thursday for a one-day series in


Bhopal marks anniversary with candlelight vigil It was midnight when gas began to leak from a Bhopal factory and killed thousands as they slept in central India 20 years ago. At midnight on Thursday, some


Peres  amp; Sharon Seeking an Anchor (IsraelNN.com) The Labor opposition party has already hammered out a preliminary agreement with the prime minister that would call for Labor remaining in a Likud-led coalition until November 2006, the scheduled date for national elections.


Baer Understands Challenges of ND Coach (AP) AP - Kent Baer knows he has a difficult task as Notre Dame's interim head coach.


Nokia regains share of global mobile handset market NEW YORK, December 3 (newratings.com) - Nokia Corp (NOK.NYS) continued to regain lost market share in the global handset mobile segment for the second consecutive quarter in 3Q, driven by new models and price cuts, according to a study conducted by the


Calpers to begin search for new President NEW YORK, December 3 (newratings.com) - The Board members of the Californian state pension fund, Calpers (California Public Employees Retirement System), are scheduled to begin the process of selecting a new President today, after Sean Harrigan was


Lenovo Mulling Purchase of IBM PC Business Lenovo Group stayed silent Friday about reports it is talking with IBM Corp. about buying the US company #39;s personal computer business, but an executive hinted that the Chinese company is looking to expand its PC operations.


Pathmark may look for buyer Pathmark Stores, which owns 142 supermarkets in the city and throughout the northeast, hired Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein to advise it on options, including a possible sale of the company.


Californians still loving their SUVs LOS ANGELES -- California #39;s love affair with the SUV has deepened since the early 1990s, with one in eight motorists driving the soccer-mom standby and registrations soaring 250 percent, a US Census Bureau report released yesterday said.


Wolves to devour Burtonwood Pitcher and Piano owner Wolverhampton  amp; Dudley says it is buying smaller rival Burtonwood for 119 million pounds after meeting forecasts with higher annual profits.


US puts off Airbus case to next year The US government will wait until next year to argue its case before the World Trade Organization over European aid to aircraft maker Airbus, a US trade official said.


House prices fall further House prices fell for a second straight month in November, down 0.4 percent, mortgage lender Halifax says, predicting property prices will fall 2 percent in 2005 after nine years of gains.


Gordon Brown kicks awkward questions over touchline next May IT WAS a great kick; a wondrous kick; high and long - and executed with Eyes Wide Shut. Scotlands rugby selectors looking for an unshakeable kicker into touch while the opposing pack thunders towards him


Elder Bush, Clinton to Lead Relief Effort (AP) AP - President Bush has tapped former Presidents Clinton and Bush to lead a nationwide charitable fund-raising effort for victims of the Asian tsunamis, the White House announced Monday.


Out West? Get your free credit report Starting Wednesday, US residents in select states can begin claiming one free credit report per year under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.


World Muslims Begin Peace Prayers in Bangladesh (Reuters) Reuters - Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from\around the world on Friday began a three-day annual Islamic\prayer meeting outside the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, with\politics banned and sermons set to call for world peace.


Intel Sets Upbeat Tone on Wall Street (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. shares are set to open higher on\Friday, buoyed by Intel Corp.  after the world's\largest chip maker raised its quarterly revenue target due to\strong demand, but all eyes will be on jobs data before the\opening.


30 Killed in Pair of Major Attacks in Iraq (AP) AP - Insurgents launched two major attacks Friday against a Shiite mosque and a police station in Baghdad, killing 30 people, including at least 16 police officers, the deadliest insurgent attacks in weeks.


Microsoft files 7 new spam lawsuits Said the accused violated the  quot;CAN-SPAM quot; federal law requiring e-mail containing sexually explicit images to be clearly identified.


Canuck iTunes music to a fan #39;s ears Canadians are finally getting a taste of Apple #39;s iTunes. The legal music download service finally launched in Canada yesterday, bringing with it over 700,000 songs, exclusive tracks, celebrity playlists and multiple CD burning rights.


Mars Rovers Reports Published Both rovers were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on central Floridas Space Coast. Spirit ascended in daylight on June 10, 2003.


Berners-Lee takes professorial chair at Southampton University The man recognised as the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, is to begin work on the next version of the web at University of Southampton, where he has been appointed a professor.


Sharman counter attacks Sharman Networks launched its counter attack against the record labels in the Australian Federal court yesterday. The company attacked the labels for their anti peer-to-peer tactic of deluging such services with so-called  #39;spoof files #39;.


Netscape prototype An early version of Netscape #39;s much-anticipated browser kills two birds with one stone: it runs the recent and wildly successful Mozilla Firefox engine, but renders pages in Internet Explorer, too.


Blue-ray mass market move Singulus Technologies will begin selling machines for mass producing read-only Blu-ray Discs next year. German firm, Singulus, will supply machines that make the discs, called BD-ROMs, by


More trojan programs showing up for the Symbian smartphones In addition to the previously know Cabir, Skulls and a Skulls variant that incorporated Cabir, it is now known of a new threat industry experts are calling Cantimer.


Rwanda Entered Congo Briefly -- Diplomatic Sources (Reuters) Reuters - Rwanda troops pushed briefly into\Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to attack Hutu rebels early\this week but have since returned home, diplomatic sources in\Africa's Great Lakes region said on Friday.


Steroid details rock sports A simmering steroid scandal that has plagued baseball for nearly a year began to boil over Thursday, with the promise of more eruptions tonight.


Is Meyer the man to get Irish up? The timing of Notre Dame #39;s firing of Tyrone Willingham makes no sense . . . unless the board of trustees had a replacement not only in mind, but in hand.


DC is on  #39;very, very top #39; of Red Bull #39;s list Despite Red Bull Racing owner Dietrich Mateschitz #39;s comments earlier the season, David Coulthard could still be in a Formula One racing seat next season.


NHL UNION TO RESUME TALKS The NHL and NHL Players Association will meet next week to review a proposal being prepared by the players, in a bid to end the lockout that has wiped out the first two months of the season.


Retired Ricky to stay that way Ricky Williams has stuck it to the Dolphins one more time. By deciding once again he wants no part of playing football, he ruins any chance Miami had of trading him in the offseason for a No.


Marlins reeling Al back in Al Leiter #39;s heart may be in New York, but the southpaw #39;s paycheck will come from the Marlins. Agent Randy Hendricks acknowledged  quot;serious discussions quot; are underway to return Leiter to Florida


Roddick May Be Key to U.S. Davis Cup Win (AP) AP - Three months ago, Andy Roddick swept Rafael Nadal 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the U.S. Open. Don't expect it to be that easy when Roddick plays the 18-year-old Spaniard in the Davis Cup final Friday. This time, the match is on clay. And Nadal will be cheered by an expected record crowd of 26,600 at Olympic Stadium.


FDA Warns Cyberonics on Manufacturing (Reuters) Reuters - Medical devices maker Cyberonics Inc.\ on Monday said it received a warning letter from the\U.S. Food and Drug Administration saying the company's \response to issues involving manufacturing practices at its\Houston operations has been insufficient.


BCS Set to Forge Failure The Bowl Championship Series was created with the sole purpose of finally producing a true national championship game in college football.


Dow Accepts Responsibility for Bhopal -- Spokesman Dow Chemical Co, in a major policy reversal, is accepting full responsibility for the 1984 Bhopal disaster in India, a company spokesman said on Friday.


Danforth steps down from UN post WASHINGTON - UN Ambassador John Danforth submitted his resignation yesterday after six months in the position, an official said. Danforth, 68, had been mentioned as a successor to Secretary of State Colin


Oil price down on warm US weather The price of crude oil falls by more than a dollar in New York, as mild weather in northern US states eases demand for heating oil.


Philippines: 1,000 dead or missing REAL, Philippines -- Rescuers are battling to reach thousands of people left stranded in the Philippines, where storms have left 1,000 people dead or missing.


Bosnia peace troops swap insignia The European Union took on its biggest military mission yesterday, replacing Nato in charge of 7,000 peacekeeping troops in Bosnia.


US demands immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi WASHINGTON : The White House on Thursday demanded that Myanmar military authorities  quot;immediately and unconditionally quot; release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and condemned her extended house arrest.


Militants kill 12 policemen in southern Baghdad A group of militants raided two police stations in Baghdad on Friday, killing 12 policemen and wounding several others, police said.


Mortars hit Baghdad safe zone, killing one BAGHDAD At least five mortar rounds exploded in central Baghdad on Thursday, including two in the Green Zone, the enclave that houses Iraq #39;s interim administration and several foreign embassies.


VW Offers Insurance to Lure U.S. Buyers  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The U.S. unit of Volkswagen will  offer a year of free car insurance to customers in two states  as a way of attracting business, Europe's biggest automaker  said on Monday.


Britsh press sees good result in French Socialist vote LONDON, Dec 3 (AFP) - The vote by French Socialists to back the EU constitution bodes well for its ratification, even though the outcome of a referendum in 2005 is still uncertain, major British newspapers said Friday.


Roh: Korea needs to be vigilant on won #39;s strength LONDON - President Roh Moo-hyun said on Thursday the country must be ready to guard against excessive currency moves and that channels for more international cooperation on exchange rates should be kept open.


BALCO Head Says Helped Marion Jones Use Steroids  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The head of the BALCO lab at the  center of a global steroid scandal said in an interview to be  aired on Friday that he witnessed track star Marion Jones using  steroids in a drug program he devised.


Marwan Barghouti : sentenced to life by Sharons justice  and <b>...</b> Last June, at the very time Marwan Barghouti was sentenced to life emprisonment by Israeli justice, Franck Biancheri was writing an editorial saying that whatever Israeli judges were deciding, most probably Mr Barghouti will become the president of


Chissano coming GABORONE - Out-going Mozambican President Joachim Chissano is expected to arrive in Gaborone today to bid fare well to President Festus Mogae before he leaves office after the December 1 to 2 general election.


Dollar rallies, but continued weakness expected The dollar rallied after dropping to a record low yesterday against the euro amid uncertainty about whether officials would intervene to curb the currency #39;s slide.


Free online credit reports begin Wednesday Consumers in 13 Western states will be able to grab free online copies of their credit reports starting Wednesday, as a new federal law is phased in.


Target Stores Ban Salvation Army Bell The decision by Target Corp. to ban Salvation Army bell-ringers this year could take the jingle out of the collection bell, but the local Army operation hopes the community will rally so that doesn #39;t happen.


U.S. Suspects Iran Is Making New Missiles (AP) AP - Interception of several technology shipments to Iran has bolstered U.S. suspicions that Iran is secretly developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could threaten Europe and possibly the United States.


Summary: Senate GOP Set to Dump Filibuster (AP) AP - THE FILIBUSTER: The notion of talking a measure to death dates to the Founding Fathers. In the 1950s and '60s foes of racial progress used it to block civil-rights legislation and in 1957 Strom Thurmond launched the longest one-man filibuster in history. He spoke for more than 24 hours.


Rookie Nitties Grabs Halfway Lead in Australian PGA  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Rookie professional James Nitties shot a  flawless second round of 65 to snatch the outright lead in the  Australian PGA Championship Friday.


Howell Takes Lead in Hong Kong as Poulter Misses Cut  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Ryder Cup player Ian Poulter missed  the cut at the Hong Kong Open after stumbling to a  five-over-par 75 in the second round Friday.


Supreme Court Mulls Ruling on Ukraine Poll Crisis  KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's Supreme Court considered final  arguments on Friday from two rivals in a contested presidential  election that has plunged the country into turmoil and kindled  distrust between Russia and the West.


Smith Outlines Scotland Vision New Scotland boss Walter Smith has outlined his plans to improve the team - including approaching previously  #39;retired #39; experienced players, continuing Berti Vogts policy of selecting non-Scots born players and reducing the number of friendly matches.


NHL owners, union to meet next week Jocelyn Thibault and the handful of his Blackhawks teammates still in town waiting out the lockout have stepped up their workouts recently just in case there #39;s a season.


Violence in Baghdad Kills at Least 25 Iraqis  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber rammed into a  Shi'ite mosque in Baghdad during dawn prayers Friday, killing  14 people and stoking fears that sectarian divisions over when  to hold elections could unleash further bloodshed.


Rwanda Entered Congo Briefly -- Diplomatic Sources  NAIROBI (Reuters) - Rwanda troops pushed briefly into  Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to attack Hutu rebels early  this week but have since returned home, diplomatic sources in  Africa's Great Lakes region said on Friday.


Twelve Stabbed in Latest China School Attack  BEIJING (Reuters) - A man forced his way into a primary  school in northeast China Friday and stabbed and injured 12  grade-one pupils, the latest in a wave of recent school attacks  in China, Xinhua news agency said.


BBC Says Dow Interview Part of 'Elaborate Deception'  LONDON (Reuters) - BBC World television said on Friday that  an interview it ran with a man it identified as a spokesman for  Dow Chemical, accepting responsibility for India's Bhopal  disaster, was inaccurate.


Giambi testified about his steroid use Ripping the shroud further off one of baseball's dirty secrets, Yankees slugger Jason Giambi testified before a federal grand jury that he used performance-enhancing human growth hormone in 2003 and illegal steroids for at least three seasons, the San Francisco Chronicle reported yesterday, citing a transcript of the court proceedings.


Robiskie wants a fighting chance Terry Robiskie would like to do what Joe Morgan did for the 1988 Red Sox: rattle off a bunch of wins and shed his interim coach label with the Cleveland Browns.


NESN's Red Sox video world-class NESN's  quot;Faith Rewarded: The Historic Season of the 2004 Boston Red Sox quot; hits the retail stores today in both DVD and VHS formats.


A dirty job, but somebody has to do it Heloise shipped along copies of her book,  quot;A Year's Worth of Stain Removal Hints, quot; but that was not enough. The hintful heroine was summoned for personal assistance.


Williams to remain retired Ricky Williams, the 2002 NFL rushing champion, rejected a deal to serve a four-game drug suspension this season and return to the field next year.


Get Your Free Credit Report I #39;ve heard that some people will now have free access to their credit reports. How do I get mine? Whether or not you can get a free credit report depends on where you live.


Carrier, union OK tentative labor pact The union representing 6,000 reservation and customer service agents at US Airways yesterday reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract, just as attorneys for the airline were seeking


Is Meyer the man to get Irish up? The timing of Notre Dame's firing of Tyrone Willingham makes no sense . . . unless the board of trustees had a replacement not only in mind, but in hand. The only coach Notre Dame would have to go after with such urgency is Utah's Urban Meyer, who reportedly is also on the short list at Florida.


Judge deals blow to stent maker A federal judge yesterday ruled that Boston Scientific Corp. violated its agreements with an Israeli company when it set up a secret stent-making operation in Ireland in 1997, and he told the two companies to quickly reach a settlement or face a prompt trial he will hold to determine what damages, if any, Boston Scientific owes.


Key college games on TV VIRGINIA TECH (9-2) vs. MIAMI (8-2) When and where: Tomorrow, 1 p.m., at Miami. TV: Channels 5, 6, and 9. Last season: Virginia Tech won, 31-7. AP rankings: Miami is No. 9, Virginia Tech No. 10. At a glance: The Atlantic Coast Conference's BCS bid will likely go to the winner of this game. Should Virginia Tech win, the Hokies ...


After playing stopper, UNH keeps going The University of New Hampshire defense was under siege in the first half of last week's Division 1-AA playoff against high-octane Georgia Southern.


Looking for a sign With Bank of America Corp. giving up on putting its name on the home of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins, how would Liberty Center or CVS Forum sound?


Frozen assets BURLINGTON, Vt. -- A sensation of spectacular spaciousness greets you as you stand at the edge of Lake Champlain, your vision of life at that moment dominated by the Green Mountains on one horizon and the Adirondacks on the other. But if you meander up College Street, cross over a bustling Church Street with its shops and restaurants, stroll past ...


Crude futures tumble for second day in row Crude oil futures nose-dived for a second day in a row yesterday, briefly dipping below \$43 a barrel, as traders focused on rising fuel supplies and the lack of cold weather. The two-day drop of more than \$5 a barrel picked up momentum from technical and speculative trading.


A Ryder revamp for US The worst United States loss in Ryder Cup history led to a shake-up in the qualification process, a change geared toward making sure the Americans are on top of their game when the 2006 matches are played in Ireland.


Chelmsford (10-2) vs. A-B (12-0) What: MIAA Division 1A Super Bowl. Where: Bentley College in Waltham. When: Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Last meeting: Sept. 17 (a 21-7 A-B win).


Doing a deal, Boston-style There really ought to be a special place in heaven reserved for rich people who fight with each other, if only because of the great theater they provide for everyone else.


Department stores step back to electronic future Some of the biggest fashion trends at department stores this holiday season have more to do with MP3 players than cashmere ponchos or fur-trimmed sweaters.


North Shore (10-2) vs. East Boston (11-0) What: MIAA Division 3A Super Bowl. Where: Bentley College in Waltham. When: Saturday at 10 a.m. Last meeting: Schools have never met. .


Hyde Park learns to win Worst to first is one of the hardest things to do in sports, but how do you go from winless to a Super Bowl berth with a diverse group of kids from a variety of backgrounds and neighborhoods, many of whom have never played football before entering high school?


BRA gives go-ahead for three projects The Boston Redevelopment Authority approved projects that could add nearly 400 residences in the city, including an expansion in Charles River Park. The BRA gave the green light to developer Equity Residential to move forward with the West End Residences at Emerson Place. The residences plan 306 rental apartments, 15 percent of which will be affordable. Equity said the project ...


Howard meets Aboriginal star Aboriginal sports star Michael Long highlights discrimination and poverty during talks with Australia's PM John Howard.


Jefferies Group probed over gifts to mutual fund executives Jefferies Group Inc. , a New York-based brokerage, is under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission as part of a probe into whether brokers doled out gifts to mutual fund executives to win trading business, people familiar with the matter said.


South Shore goes out a winner It's not a Super Bowl, but South Shore Voke is not complaining. The Vikings, who won back-to-back Division 7 Super Bowls before moving up a division this season, capped their 2004 campaign by defeating Blackstone Valley, 16-6, last night in the Vocational Football Championship Series small school final at Chelsea High School.


Chissano suggests paying voters Mozambique's outgoing leader Joaquim Chissano says more people would vote if they were paid.


Bishop Feehan (10-1) vs. Hingham (11-1) What: MIAA Division 2A Super Bowl. Where: Curry College in Milton. When: Saturday at 4:15 p.m. Last meeting: Schools have never met.


SEC files civil charges in Kmart fraud case Federal regulators yesterday filed civil fraud charges against three former Kmart Corp. executives and five current and former managers of big vendor companies, saying they engineered a \$24 million accounting fraud by the retailing giant in 2000-2001.


New York Times Co. cuts earnings outlook The New York Times Co. told investors yesterday that its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings would miss Wall Street estimates on weaker-than-expected advertising in the fourth quarter and higher costs for promotion, printing, distribution, and newsprint.


Abp. Williams (10-1) vs. Westwood (10-2) What: MIAA Division 3 Super Bowl. Where: Curry College in Milton. When: Saturday at 10 a.m. Last meeting: 1988 Super Bowl (a 13-0 Westwood win).


Dollar rallies, but continued weakness expected The dollar rallied after dropping to a record low yesterday against the euro amid uncertainty about whether officials would intervene to curb the currency's slide.


UK #39;s Brown Says There Can Be No Guarantees #39; on Tax Increases UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown said it would be irresponsible #39; #39; to offer guarantees that there won #39;t be tax increases, while refuting accusations his spending plans aren #39;t affordable.


US Airways seeks order to prohibit walkouts US Airways Group Inc. will seek a court injunction to prohibit a strike by disaffected unions that have threatened a walkout if a bankruptcy judge grants the airline's request to cancel their labor contracts.


This weekend on TV, radio FRIDAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL/MEN 7:30 p.m. -- Memphis at Purdue, ESPN2 PRO BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. -- Celtics vs. Toronto at the FleetCenter, FSN, WWZN (1510) 8 p.m. -- Detroit at San Antonio, ESPN 10:30 p.m. -- Indiana at Sacramento, ESPN BOXING 9:30 p.m. -- Friday Night Fights at Atlantic City: Rocky Juarez vs. Guty Espadas Jr. (featherweights), ESPN2 GOLF 1:30 p.m. ...


Iraqi PM lobbies German leaders Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi visits Berlin to secure a German boost for his country's  reconstruction.


Will they again be dirt poor? Neither is a man of La Mancha, but the two wandering Americans named Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish may feel like Don Quixote going against malevolent windmills today. Tilting with tennis rackets while 27,000 Spaniards screamingly try to drive them as cuckoo as old D.Q. himself.


Today's schedule College basketball: Men -- Binghamton at Brown, 7 p.m.; Pioneer Valley Classic: Amherst at Westfield St., 8 p.m.


Transactions BASEBALL Cleveland (AL): Named Felix Fermin hitting coach for Buffalo (IL). Houston (NL): Named Dave Clark manager of Corpus Christi (Texas League), Ivan DeJesus manager and Chuck Carr coach for Salem (Carolina League), Tim Bogar manager and Rodney Linares coach for Lexington (South Atlantic League), Russ Nixon manager of Greenville (Rookie League), and Sean Berry minor league hitting coordinator. Pittsburgh ...


Blunkett wins right to seek access David Blunkett has won the first round of a High Court battle with his ex-lover over access to her son.


Fratello is Grizzlies' coach Mike Fratello was hired as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies yesterday, leaving the TV booth and replacing friend and mentor Hubie Brown, who retired last week for health reasons.


Web 'may fuel suicide pact rise' \\The internet may be fuelling a rise in suicide pacts, a leading psychiatrist has warned.


Pierce stands and delivers After a night to cool off and think about what he'd done, Paul Pierce showed up at Celtics practice yesterday and apologized to his coach and teammates for staging a very public hissy fit with coach Doc Rivers late in Wednesday's game. Rivers accepted the mea culpa, said the two would talk before tonight's game with Toronto, and both men ...


10 vying to lead the Palestinian Authority RAMALLAH, West Bank -- A former communist who runs a respected Palestinian human rights organization, a professor with ties to Islamic groups, and a lawmaker known for exposing government corruption are among the 10 candidates vying to lead the Palestinian Authority, in what analysts here say will be the first truly competitive presidential election in the Arab world.


Cold but resolute in Kiev  KIEV -- The weather plunges below freezing each night and the bitter winds swirl through the snow-lined streets, but the protesters filling the avenues and squares of Ukraine's capital have shown no sign of relenting.


Toll is 12 dead in latest spasm of violence in Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- United Nations peacekeepers patrolled the streets of Haiti's capital as gunfire rang out yesterday, a day after a prison riot and shootouts killed a dozen people and left scores injured during a visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell.


In Sudan, monitors find task daunting  KABKABIYAH, Sudan -- Hidden among scrub brush not far from this remote, sandy outpost, Ibrahim Ali Hassan, a rebel fighter in Sudan's western Darfur region, spots the slow-moving caravan of 18 camels and their riders. They look like specks on the horizon.


Mass. man is Mexican town's Pied Piper  ATASCADEROS, Mexico -- This remote farming town in northwestern Mexico has tried just about everything to rid itself of rats: cats, poison, and even cash rewards for killing the thousands of rodents infesting businesses and destroying the corn harvest.


WHO urges poor nations to offer women deworming pills  PRETORIA -- The World Health Organization urged poor countries yesterday to offer deworming pills to pregnant women after a recent study in Nepal showed a 41 percent drop in the deaths of infants of mothers who took the pills before giving birth.


Judge allows early statements in abuse case FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- A military judge ruled yesterday that prosecutors in the court-martial of Private First Class Lynndie England may use a pair of statements she gave describing the posing of naked Iraqi prisoners as ''joking around, having fun. quot;


Despite evidence, Rwanda denies incursion into Congo JOHANNESBURG -- Rwanda denied yesterday it had sent troops into neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, despite repeated threats from Rwandan President Paul Kagame to attack ethnic Hutu militias that have harassed his nation from the area.


Thousands seek justice 20 years after Bhopal BHOPAL, India -- Civil rights activists, survivors, and other protesters converged on Bhopal this week to mark the 20th anniversary of the world's worst industrial accident and demand justice for hundreds of thousands of people still suffering in the aftermath.


Venezuela appeals coup acquittals  CARACAS -- Venezuela's government asked the Supreme Court yesterday to overturn the acquittals of the military ringleaders of a 2002 coup against President Hugo Chavez to clear the way for fresh prosecutions.


Bonds Reportedly Testified He Had Unknowingly Taken Steroids Barry Bonds testified to a grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream given to him by a trainer, but said he didn't know they were steroids.


Will New Mayor Sweep Away Vice? You Could Bet on It For Jorge Hank Rhon - gambling tycoon, racetrack operator and Tijuana's new mayor - scandals seem to swirl like mosquitoes.


RETAIL TALES Sears Roebuck and Co. scored a surprising sales jump in November, but retail experts warned Thursday that disappointing sales at other merchants may foretell less-than-anticipated holiday gains.


Free Credit 101 A new federal law, entitled the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act, went into effect this week enabling millions of Americans to get a snapshot of their credit history for free.


Wal-Mart's December Sales Jump 3 Percent (AP) AP - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, announced Monday that it expects its December sales to have risen 3 percent at stores open at least a year, a figure that is at the top end of the company's sales estimate.


U.S. Stocks Higher; Wal-Mart, Oil Help (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks opened with an upbeat\start to 2005, rising on Monday as oil prices tumbled, Wal-Mart\Stores Inc.  brightened its outlook for December sales,\and Goldman Sachs raising fourth-quarter estimates for Google\Inc.  and Yahoo Inc. .


CWA Board Clears the Way for Possible Strike by US Airways <b>...</b> The Communications Workers of America #39;s national executive board voted unanimously to authorize strike action by 6,000 passenger service agents against US Airways, clearing


Eight is enough for upstart American team The last time the USA went more than eight years without a Davis Cup championship was more than half a century ago and spanned a period when the


UPDATE 1-Inspired Jimenez surges ahead in Hong Kong Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez fired a second-round 64 to grab the lead at the halfway stage of the Hong Kong Open on Friday. Jimenez claimed six birdies to open up a two-shot lead


Mission improbable, but strange things do happen Impossible. Inconceivable. A Southeastern Conference team is in position to go 12-0 and get locked out of the national championship game.


Microsoft unveils new blog tools Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled a new set of Web-based services allowing users of its MSN service to publish and track each other #39;s blogs.


Infineon execs face jail in DRAM case Four executives from Infineon Technologies have pleaded guilty to price fixing in the DRAM industry, according to the US Department of Justice.


Bhopal victims still awaiting justice Twenty years later, Union Carbide is still shortchanging the victims of the world #39;s worst industrial disaster. On Dec. 3, 1984, a toxic gas leak from Union Carbide #39;s pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, killed at least 7,000 people.


Danforth: Want to spend time with my wife US Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth wants to return to private life when President George W. Bush begins his second term.


Rwanda: UN  #39;feeling guilty #39; Dakar - Smaller but mightier than its neighbours, Rwanda #39;s greatest clout may come from its nightmare past: a sense across the world that the country was largely abandoned in 1994 to face Hutu extremists who slaughtered more than a half-million people.


Up to 25 killed in two attacks in Baghdad At least 14 people were killed and 19 were wounded when a car bomb went off in a Sunni area in the north of the city. The target of the attack is still not clear.


Top News ; 20 years on, they mourn Bhopal #39;s dead Top News News, Bhopal,Residents, activists and intellectuals alike Friday mourned the death of thousands in the world #39;s worst industrial disaster that hit this central Indian city 20 years ago.


Baghdad hit in two major attacks Iraqi capital Baghdad was the scene of two big attacks, which left at least 23 people dead, according to reports. A car bomb went off outside a mosque in an area called Adhamiya in the north of the city, killing 13 people.


Record labels cut deals with file-sharing companies The major record labels, which refused initially to deal with the emerging online song file-sharing technologies, have turned over a new leaf.


Jones will be next to feel heat Victor Conte, who founded the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, which is at the center of a federal investigation, says Marion Jones and Barry Bonds #39; trainer, Greg Anderson, received steroids produced by his lab.


Wenger Considers Petit Option Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he may consider re-signing former Gunners star Emmanuel Petit. The Frenchman is currently training with the Premiership champions as he bids to find a new club.


KMart Same-Store Sales Fall 4.6 Pct  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. KMRT.O on Monday  said sales at stores open at least a year fell 4.6 percent in  the November-December period -- an improvement from declines  earlier in the year.


Landslide leaves 65 missing in south China A landslide struck a village in southwest China early Friday, destroying 25 homes and leaving 65 people missing, Xinhua news agency reported.


National news briefs VIENNA, Austria - The UN nuclear agency agreed yesterday on a plan for policing Iran #39;s nuclear programs designed to avoid a showdown at the United Nations.


In Jamaica, Colin Powell #39;s departure viewed with sadness, regret When Colin Powell was named US Secretary of State nearly four years ago, Jamaicans celebrated the stature achieved by the son of humble Jamaican immigrants.


Abbas Says He Won't Confront Palestinian Militants  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said in a  presidential campaign speech Monday he would never take up arms  against militant groups whose dismantlement is part of a  U.S.-sponsored peace "road map."


Microsoft Sues 7 Spammers Microsoft indicated that the defendants used compromised computers around the world, using so-called zombie computers. By Thomas Claburn.


Chipmakers Pump Up European Stocks (Reuters) Reuters - European stock markets hit their highest\levels in nearly 2-1/2 years on Friday, pumped up by chipmakers\Infineon and ASML after industry bellwether Intel boosted its\quarterly revenue outlook.


Intel Sets Upbeat Tone on Wall Street  LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. shares are set to open higher on  Friday, buoyed by Intel Corp. INTC.O after the world's  largest chip maker raised its quarterly revenue target due to  strong demand, but all eyes will be on jobs data before the  opening.


Oil Still Smarting from \$6 Rout  LONDON (Reuters) - Battered oil prices stayed weak on  Friday after a \$6 slump spurred by easing worries about winter  supplies.


VW Considers Building Cars in U.S. -Paper  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Continued depreciation in the dollar  is forcing Europe's largest carmaker Volkswagen to consider  building VW and Audi brand cars in the United States, the  company's sales and marketing head said.


Argentina can wait, says IMF The IMF has said it will negotiate with Argentina after  the country's debt swap, that was delayed until 17 January.


Nokia loses top network executive Finnish mobile giant Nokia is losing the head of its networks division, the second senior executive to leave the unit in two weeks.


Halifax predicts house-price fall The Halifax bank, Britain's biggest mortgage lender, predicts a much-feared fall in the rampant UK property market.


Eurozone retail sales rise 0.7 percent in October (AFP) AFP - Eurozone retail sales rose 0.7 percent in October from September but were down 0.2 percent compared with October 2003, the European statistics agency Eurostat reported.


Mervyn #39;s reverses ban on kettles Bells will be ringing at Mervyn #39;s department stores this holiday season after all, store officials announced Thursday in a sudden reversal of a ban on Salvation Army collection kettles.


SEC names Pepsi executives in fraud lawsuit A Michigan-based executive for PepsiCo Inc. of Purchase and two former executives of PepsiCo #39;s Frito-Lay division were sued by federal regulators yesterday for allegedly helping Kmart falsify its earnings.


Report: Bonds Admitted to Using Substances (AP) AP - Baseball player Barry Bonds told a federal grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream given to him by a trainer who was indicted in a steroid-distribution ring but denied knowing they were steroids, according to a report published Friday.


Serb War Crimes Suspect Surrenders -- Del Ponte (Reuters) Reuters - A Serb officer indicted for war crimes\in the siege of Sarajevo during the 1992-95 Bosnian war was on\his way to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Friday,\chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said.


4 execs to plead guilty Four executives at Infineon Technologies AG, one of the world #39;s largest makers of memory chips, have agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges of price fixing in federal court, authorities said Thursday.


Broadband challenges TV viewing The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests.


Halo 2 global sales pass five million units Microsoft has released a swathe of new figures related to Bungie #39;s Xbox opus, Halo 2, revealing that the title has now sold over five million units worldwide and become the most popular game in the history of Xbox Live.


Decision on Collins next week A decision on the fate of sprinter Michelle Collins will be decided Dec. 10 by a three-person arbitration panel of the American Arbitration Association meeting in San Francisco.


Cleveland cruises to easy victory If Carmelo Anthony searched for a silver lining Thursday - and he could have used one - it was that the late start to the Nuggets #39; 92-73 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers forced Denver television viewers to choose between the game and the late local


Image is everything (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Box sets have always been a sound investment. Now visuals are plumping up the volume. Already a common component of standard CD releases, the bonus DVD is gradually making its way into pop music's grand artifact, the elaborately packaged, multi-CD career retrospective.


Head of networks division leaves Nokia (AFP) AFP - The mobile phone giant Nokia said that Sari Baldauf, head of its networks unit and long seen as a possible successor to company chief Jorma Ollila, will leave the group early next year.


Agencies Find What They're Looking For (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - When computer users hunt for information on the Internet, they typically turn to Google or Yahoo. When analysts working for U.S. intelligence look for documents and data stored on computers inside their own agencies, they often turn to software made by a little-known firm from Northern Virginia.


BBC story on Dow Chemical responsibility a hoax: report LONDON (CBS.MW) -- A source at the BBC told AFX News that their story alleging that Dow Chemical (DOW) has taken responsibility for the Bhopal disaster is a hoax, and Reuters reported that a spokesman for Dow #39;s Union Carbide denied the report.


U.S., China Count Down to Space Cooperation (Reuters) Reuters - Space cooperation between China and the\U.S. may finally be getting off the ground a year after China\put a man in orbit, with the two countries holding their first\talks and planning a series of exchanges.


Shawn Fanning's Snocap touts vision of P2P heaven Analysis Won't reach it without industry and download-service support


Intel sunny about holiday sales Chipmaker Intel boosts its prediction of sales for the final three months of the year to \$9.3-9.5bn.


Mobile Phone Cheats Mar S.Korean College Exam  SEOUL (Reuters) - Police questioned 350 South Korean  students Friday and more were under suspicion in a widening  probe into cheating that has uncovered a link between two  national obsessions -- education and mobile phones.


Mission cleared for Titan plunge The Huygens probe is on target and all set for its encounter with Titan, the mysterious large moon of Saturn.


Closures 'could benefit chemistry' The UK might be "better off" with fewer - but larger and better-funded - chemistry departments, a leading academic says.


Retail sales sluggish as holiday season opens The nations retailers had a disappointing start to the holiday season, reporting sluggish sales for November after a surge in Thanksgiving weekend business failed to materialize.


Microsoft Sues Spammers Microsoft announced today that is filing 7 lawsuits against spammers for failing to label sexually explicit messages. The lawsuits were filed in Washington State Superior Court, alleging that defendants violated


India, Russia sign joint declaration Indian and Russia signed Friday a Joint Declaration emphasizing strategic partnership between the two countries and taking note of the transformation in the global environment in recent years.


India-Russia sign joint declaration, accords New Delhi: India and Russia on Friday gave a new thrust to their relations when they signed a joint declaration and eleven agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in banking, energy, space exploration


Cuba frees another jailed dissident The Cuban government freed another jailed opponent yesterday, the sixth dissident released this week in a move widely seen as an attempt to repair relations with the European Union.


The Playlist: Sony and MP3, Together at Last The consumer electronics giant is finally ready to build MP3 players that play MP3s. What does that mean to the industry?


Man Pleads Guilty in Tsunami Death E-Mail Case (Reuters) Reuters - A British man admitted Monday to sending\hoax emails to friends and relatives of people missing since\the Asian tsunami.


Army Wages War on Modern Menaces New ways of protecting U.S. troops from RPGs, biological weapons and more take center stage at a military science conference. There's even a morphine substitute that emerged from the rave scene. Noah Shachtman reports from Orlando, Florida.


How Long Is Your Digital Trail? Relationships in the information age work best when you exercise restraint and courtesy. Especially after you break up. Commentary by Regina Lynn.


Daggers Sharp but Not Penetrating You're unlikely to find a martial arts movie as beautiful as Zhang Yimou's House of Flying Daggers, but you'll need to look elsewhere for passion. By Jason Silverman.


Flaws Don't Scuttle Pirate Game Pirates, the latest release by game developer Sid Meier, offers plenty of addictive play for those who want to virtually pillage the Caribbean. But repetitiveness and design flaws dampen the experience. Game review by Suneel Ratan.


Wired Tools 2004 The coolest geek shopping list ever: 129 of the best screens, cams, phones, games and gadgets of the year, from Wired magazine.


Not Tonight, I've Got an Advisory The FDA probably will not approve a patch for women suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder, as an advisory board believes more evidence is needed to prove the drug is safe. By Kristen Philipkoski.


Fight for Public Domain Goes On Archivists who want to digitize 'orphan works' -- books, movies and films that are no longer commercially viable but remain under copyright -- lose a court battle. But they vow to continue the war to rebalance copyright law. By Katie Dean.


Stocks Seen Higher Before Jobs Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures surged Friday  morning on the back of Intel Corp.'s INTC.O raised quarterly  sales forecast and lower oil prices, but strategists said the  market's early direction would be dictated by the monthly  employment data due out before the start of trading.


Apple iTunes 'overcharging in UK' The Office of Fair Trading refers Apple's iTunes service to the European Commission on the grounds that it over-charges UK customers.


BT takes control of Italy venture BT Group buys out its partners in loss-making Italian telecoms firm Albacom, as it continues its expansion into business services.


Unions in plea to Jaguar bosses Unions are locked in talks with Jaguar bosses in the hope of  persuading them not to stop car production at the Browns Lane factory in Coventry.


Oil Still Smarting from \$6 Rout Battered oil prices stayed weak on Friday after a \$6 slump spurred by easing worries about winter supplies. US crude oil futures (CLc1: Quote, Profile, Research) fell five cents to \$43.20


Ex-Rebel Leader Set to Become Kosovo PM (AP) AP - The former rebel leader who was set to become Kosovo's new prime minister on Friday was recently interviewed by U.N. war crimes investigators, raising fears among some western officials that he could be indicted for his role in the 1998-99 war in former Yugoslavia.


Slow Pace in Iraq Surprises NATO Commander (AP) AP - NATO commander Gen. James Jones on Friday expressed surprise at the slow pace of restoring security to Iraq, saying he had believed the insurgency here would have been brought under control faster than in Afghanistan.


Dow says no basis in BBC Bhopal report (Reuters) Reuters - Dow Chemical Co said on Friday that there was no basis whatsoever in a BBC World report saying that it had accepted responsibility for India's Bhopal disaster.


Mission cleared for Titan plunge The Huygens probe is on target and all set for its encounter with Titan, the mysterious large moon of Saturn. The 2.7m-wide robot lab has passed its final systems check-out and scientists


Petit may provide Arsenal with stop-gap solution - Wenger Arsenal may consider signing French midfielder Emmanuel Petit as a stop-gap solution to their midfield injury problems, manager Arsene Wenger says.


NBA Star Shows Up In Baltimore  #39;Snitching #39; DVD DENVER -- Denver Nuggets star and Baltimore native Carmelo Anthony said he doesn #39;t remember a conversation that has showed up on a homemade DVD.


Dow to Sell Stake in Venture to DuPont (Reuters) Reuters - Dow Chemical Co.  on Monday\said DuPont Co.  will buy its remaining equity stake in\DuPont Dow Elastomers LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between the\two companies, for  #36;87 million.


Storms leave more than 600 dead in Philippines REAL, Philippines - Flash floods and landslides triggered by back-to-back storms that lashed the northeastern Philippines had killed more than 600 people by Friday, with nearly 400 still missing, military officials said.


NTL banks on deal to sell masts for 1.27bn NTL, Britains largest cable firm, has struck an agreement with a consortium led by one of Australias top banks to sell its network of masts for 1.27 billion.


W amp;D brews up takeover WOLVERHAMPTON  amp; Dudley, Britains biggest regional brewer, said it was buying another beer-making company in a 119 million swoop as it posted improved profits for the year.


Water once present on Mars Evidence from the Mars exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity has led scientists to suggest that water was once present in large quantities on the red planet.


Mr World Wide Web gets new job THE INVENTOR of the World Wide Web has got a job as a professor at the University of Southampton. That #39;s according to the This is Southampton web site, which said Sir Tim Berners-Lee will become chair of computer


India to enjoy cut-price Windows Microsoft has confirmed that it is to start selling its cut-down, wallet-friendly, version of Windows in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia.


Fuming Fergie demands FA clear up disciplinary confusion MANCHESTER (AFP) - Fuming Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has demanded that the Football Association clarify their disciplinary guidelines.


Jimenez two clear in Hong Kong Hong Kong (Sports Network) - Miguel Angel Jimenez fired a six-under 64 Friday to surge into the lead after the second round of the Omega Hong Kong Open.


NHL season hinges on new talks By next Friday we should have a good idea as to whether the NHL will play this year or if we are to see the entire season lost. On Thursday the players association invited the NHL to meet next week for a bargaining session.


Security Council debate Rwanda-Congo The UN Security Council has met to discuss the alleged incursion of Rwandan troops into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).


China Aviation inquiry launched Singapore police launch a criminal investigation into the \$550m  trading scandal surrounding collapsed jet fuel supplier China Aviation Oil.


Mitsubishi gets pledge of support Japan's second-largest bank says it is committed to supporting struggling Mitsubishi Motors, despite denying it is preparing 100bn yen of fresh investment


Stocks Seen Higher Before Jobs Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures surged Friday  morning on the back of Intel Corp.'s raised quarterly sales  forecast and lower oil prices, but strategists said the  market's early direction would be dictated by the monthly  employment data due out before the start of trading.


Update 2: CalPERS Ousts Harrigan As Its President The nation #39;s largest public pension fund fired its president Wednesday following a tumultuous year in which he became an outspoken advocate for reform in the board rooms of corporate America.


Alcan in Talks to Sell Greek Firm Stake Canadian aluminum producing giant Alcan Inc. said Friday that it is in exclusive talks to sell the company #39;s stake in Aluminium de Grece SA to metals company Mytilineos Holdings SA of Greece.


Nowitzki's 53 Overshadows LeBron-Carmelo (AP) AP - Dirk Nowitzki scored 53 points  #151; the most ever by a Dallas player and tops in the NBA this season  #151; and was just as dominant in other parts of his game, carrying the Mavericks past the Houston Rockets 113-106 in overtime Thursday night.


Toledo Beats Miami (Ohio) to Win MAC Title (AP) AP - Bruce Gradkowski threw three of his four touchdown passes to Lance Moore, leading Toledo to a 35-27 win over Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference championship game Thursday night.


Nortel wins US\$5M contract for BT 10,000-worker virtual call <b>...</b> LONDON (CP) - BT Group PLC has awarded a contract worth \$5 million US to Nortel Networks for voice-over-Internet technology designed to link almost 10,000 agents into a so-called virtual contact centre.


FOOTBALL: REDS ARE SAVED BY THE BELL SIR ALEX FERGUSON was delighted to see Manchester United book a Carling Cup semi-final crack at Chelsea with a rapid-fire strike and no off-field dramas.


Valley resident tied for 20th DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Caryn Wilson of Rancho Mirage shot a 1-under-par 71 on Thursday and was tied for 20th place after two rounds of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School.


IOC chief calls on bidding cities stop  quot;Bickering quot; Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, has called for an end to the  quot;bickering quot; between the five cities seeking to host the 2012 Games.


Wenger ready to make Petit a Gunner again LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal are on the verge of handing former Highbury favourite Emmanuel Petit a short-term contract as Arsene Wenger bids to shore up the Gunners crumbling defence of their Premiership title.


Official: Tevez To Corinthians Goal.com had revealed earlier this week that the deal bringing Boca Juniors super-striker Tevez to Corinthians would be sealed by today, and this is precisely what happened.


Sharon to seek rival Labor #39;s aid on Gaza plan Fresh from a painful parliamentary defeat, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel said yesterday he will turn to his old rivals in the Labor


China Landslide Leaves 65 Villagers Missing - Xinhua A landslide destroyed 25 village houses in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou on Friday and 65 villagers, asleep at the time, were missing, Xinhua news agency said.


India, Pak to reopen 2nd rail link ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan on Friday agreed to begin the train service between Munnabao in Rajasthan and Kokhrapar in Pakistan #39;s Sindh province and lay down necessary infrastructure, but failed to reach an understanding on the time schedule to start


New EU finance chief slams call for budget cut (AFP) AFP - The EU's new budget chief criticised calls by the bloc's richest states to limit EU spending to one percent of gross national income (GNI), saying it would not amount to a freeze but a big funding cut.


Turkey Policy on Minorities Spark Debate (AP) AP - A furor in Turkey ignited by the title of a Christian spiritual leader on a U.S. embassy invitation has underscored concerns about the largely Muslim country's treatment of minorities two weeks before the European Union decides whether to open membership talks with Ankara.


Baghdad's Airport Road Symbol of U.S. Frustration  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - As U.S. forces bore down on Baghdad in  April last year, the first objective they took before the  assault on the capital itself was the airport.


Ex-Adviser Sees Rare Opportunity On Mideast Front    R   obert Malley , a former assistant to President    Bill Clinton  who rejects blaming only    Yasser Arafat  for the collapse of peace efforts four years ago, warns that a rare window of opportunity for engaging both sides "is not going to be eternally open."


Colombia to Free Rebels in Hostage Gesture

 BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombia on Thursday said itwould pardon 23 jailed rebels to encourage Marxist guerrillasto free 72 hostages, including three Americans.


Documents Show CIA Knew of Venezuela Coup The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency knew dissident military officers were planning a coup in 2002 against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, according to purported U.S. intelligence documents posted on the Internet.


CIA Documents: U.S. Knew of Venezuela Coup The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency knew dissident military officers were planning a coup in 2002 against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, according to purported U.S. intelligence documents posted on the Internet.


Dollar Set for Weekly Gains Against Euro, Yen Before Job Report The dollar headed for its first weekly gain in more than two months against the yen and halted a seven- week slide versus the euro before a government report expected to show US employers hired 200,000 workers last month.


Norilsk votes against IAMGOLD deal announced in a statement that, in accordance with its previously stated intentions, it had voted against the proposed IAMGOLD merger.


Dan Walters: Melodramatic spin aside, Harrigan #39;s CalPERS ouster <b>...</b> Bee Columnist. Sean Harrigan and his acolytes are spinning a melodramatic tale about his ouster from the governing board of the huge California Public Employees #39; Retirement System - that he


Report: IBM Exiting PC Business IBM (IBM:NYSE - news - research) is reportedly ready to exit the PC business, having long lost its dominance in the arena. The report said Lenovo Group, China #39;s top PC company, is among the interested bidders.


Former Executives Settle SEC Civil Charges in Kmart Fraud AccountingWEB.com - December 03, 2004 - Five former executives from Kmart and its vendor companies settled Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges this week stemming from a \$24 million accounting fraud they oversaw at the retail giant, the


Halifax forecasts 2 house price drop Banking giant Halifax today said that house prices would fall by 2 fall next year and that interest rates had peaked. Its negative outlook for the property market is in contrast to the 2 rise predicted by


Report: Bonds Admitted to Using Substances (AP) AP - Baseball star Barry Bonds testified to a grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream given to him by a trainer who was indicted in a steroid-distribution ring, but said he didn't know they were steroids, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.


BBC Says Deceived by Dow Impersonator on Bhopal (Reuters) Reuters - BBC World said on Friday it was duped in\an "elaborate deception" by a man who claimed to be a Dow\Chemical Co. spokesman and said in an interview the U.S.\company accepted responsibility for India's Bhopal disaster.


Napster creator reveals next step Napster creator Shawn Fanning has spoken publicly about his new project - a licensed file-sharing service with an almost unlimited selection of tracks.


Young Christian Pastors Fight Porn Youth ministers Mike Foster, left, and Craig Gross say they don #39;t want teens to get sucked into the world of online porm. (ABCNEWS.


BT switches its call centre network to VoIP BT plans to migrate its UK call centres to a new VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) system over the next two years, allowing around 9,700 call centre agents on 124 sites to work as one team in a single, virtual, customer contact centre.


Players feel they have solution Toronto Sun. They #39;re whistling a new tune in the lockout trenches, not quite the Hockey Night In Canada theme, but more pleasant to the ears than three months of bombast.


Kenya MPs rebel over constitution Some 80 Kenyan MPs storm out of parliament in the latest twist in a row over a new constitution.


Japan sounds alarm on birth rate \The Japanese government says urgent policy changes are needed to reverse the country's population decline.


Intel upgrades sales forecast After putting a dreary October spin on its prospects for the final three months of the year, Intel allowed Thursday that Christmas may come to techdom after all.


Brown defends budget optimism British Chancellor Gordon Brown has denied he was overly optimistic about the state of the British economy in Thursday #39;s pre-budget report.


Report: IBM #39;s PC business up for sale IBM Corp. has put its PC business up for sale, according to a story published on Friday on the Web site of The New York Times. IBM is discussing selling the business to


US, China Count Down to Space Cooperation Space cooperation between China and the US may finally be getting off the ground a year after China put a man in orbit, with the two countries holding their first talks and planning a series of exchanges.


Baseball legend Bonds testifies using BALCO substances: report SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Baseball star slugger Barry Bonds told a grand jury that he used a clear substance and cream from a firm embroiled in a doping scandal, but never thought they were steroids, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.


\$12bn hoax  #39;cruel #39; Bhopal - A hoax played on the BBC that US giant Dow Chemical was to pay \$12bn to those maimed in the world #39;s worst industrial disaster was slammed Friday as  quot;cruel quot; in this city where thousands died.


Insurgents claim responsibility for Baghdad raid MAXINE McKEW: In Iraq, the group led by the country #39;s most wanted insurgent has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a police station in western Baghdad.


Stocks Seen Opening Higher, Data Awaited (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stock futures rose on Friday,\spurred by lower oil prices and Intel Corp.'s   higher\sales forecast as Wall Street waited for monthly employment\data for clues about the economy's health.


Dollar Holds Above Lows as Data Looms  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar drifted near recent record  lows against the euro and five-year lows against the yen on  Friday ahead of key U.S. jobs figures.


Stocks Seen Opening Higher, Data Awaited  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures rose on Friday,  spurred by lower oil prices and Intel Corp.'s  INTC.O higher  sales forecast as Wall Street waited for monthly employment  data for clues about the economy's health.


IBM Puts PC Unit Up for Sale - NY Times  NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  has put its personal computing business up for sale in a deal  that could be worth as much as \$2 billion, the New York Times  reported on Friday.


Nov. Job Creation Number Lower Than Expected The Labor Department said Friday that U.S. employers added 112,000 new jobs overall in November as the unemployment rate dropped to 5.4 percent.


November Job Growth Unexpectedly Soft (Reuters) Reuters - A surprisingly soft 112,000 new U.S.\jobs were created in November, the Labor Department said on\Friday, casting a shadow across an already downbeat holiday\sales season with consumers apparently worried by scarce work\and high oil prices.


Before the Bell: Fifth Third Bancorp Off (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Fifth Third Bancorp \fell 7.6 percent before the bell on Friday the morning after\the ninth-largest U.S. bank said fourth-quarter profit will\fall well short of analysts' forecasts,