Telekom up 20 sen after winning Excelcomindo stake Share price of Telekom Malaysia Bhd rose more than 1.7 or 20 sen to RM11.80 on Dec 10 after winning the bid for Indonesia #39;s third-largest mobile phone operator PT Excelcomindo Pratama.


Foundation Coal cools; OccuLogix, Symmetry gain NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Foundation Coal failed to fire up Wall Street Thursday, as investors sold off shares in the energy company after early interest boosted the initial public offering #39;s price.


Hollywood sues over home theatre A FILM industry group has sued a high-end consumer electronics company, claiming its home theatre jukebox system makes illegal copies of movie DVDs.


The Waning Loyalists (IsraelNN.com) The Likud loyalist faction, which numbered close to twenty at its prime, has diminished to a mere nine Likud faction members voting against giving Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a mandate to bring the Labor Party into the government.


Latest China Mine Blast Kills 33 A gas explosion at a coal mine in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi killed 28 miners and five rescuers, the government said on Friday, in the latest in a grim series of similar disasters.


Venezuela Signs South American Integration Caracas, December 9, 2004Venezuelan President Hugo Chvez and heads of state and representatives from 11 other South American nations gathered in Cuzco, Peru yesterday and today, to formally inaugurate the South American Community of Nations (CSN).


GM management, unions reach agreement RUESSELSHEIM - General Motors, the world #39;s biggest car maker, said on Thursday that after months of negotiations it had finally reached a framework agreement with unions on a deep restructuring programme for its loss-making German unit Opel.


Hyatt to buy AmeriSuites in plan to develop hotel brand CHICAGO (AFP) - US hotel group Hyatt said it was buying the lodging chain AmeriSuites from the Blackstone investor group as part of its plan to expand the Hyatt brand name.


Ghana's President Wins Four More Years in Office (Reuters) Reuters - Ghana's President John Kufuor won a\second and final four-year mandate in the world's number two\cocoa grower on Thursday after taking more than half the votes\in the first round of a presidential poll.


OPEC Warns Oil Supply Cuts Needed for 2005 (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC oil producers said Thursday that\Friday's ministerial meeting would rein in oversupply to\bolster falling prices and that the cartel would have to reduce\output quotas early next year.


Yahoo to test desktop search com December 9, 2004, 9:00 PM PT. In a step to keep pace with chief rival Google, Yahoo plans to start testing a downloadable desktop search application in early January.


Deep Tremors Detected Along San Andreas Fault These tremors may signal an increased likelihood of earthquakes on the San Andreas fault. Scientists have long expected California #39;s next big earthquakeof magnitude 8 or higherto occur on the San Andreas fault.


No. 2 Kansas Hosts Horned Frogs LAWRENCE, Kan. (Ticker) -- Second-ranked Kansas looks to post its 12th straight win at Allen Fieldhouse when its host Texas Christian on Thursday.


Reinventing the Wheel (and the Tire, Too) Michelin engineers envision a future in which vehicles would ride on what they call the Tweel, a combined tire and wheel that could never go flat because it contains no air.


Players speak their minds to union leaders Don Fehr is always quick to say what #39;s said in baseball union meetings is confidential. That edict didn #39;t change this week when the executive board held what turns out to be a historic session on steroids.


74 American Kids Found in Mexico Schools (AP) AP - Mexican authorities took custody of 74 American youths who were attending two irregularly operated boarding schools and returned them to the United States on Thursday.


From Simple to Complex, Hedge Funds Gain Ground Hedge funds are gaining in popularity as they pursue a host of investment strategies.


Militant leader hurt in attack RAFAH: The wanted leader of a Palestinian militant group and two of his lieutenants survived an Israeli assassination bid yesterday after an air strike targeted their vehicle in the southern Gaza Strip.


Globally, Stocks Are Poised to Advance Further Despite the strongest global economic growth since the 1970's and outsized gains in corporate profits, 2004 was a decidedly ho-hum year for international stock markets.


Mugabe Says No to Western Election Observers Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe vowed today not to allow Western observers to monitor next years parliamentary elections, saying only fair-minded countries would be asked to monitor the key vote.


Players Offer to Slash Salaries to Save NHL Season  TORONTO (Reuters) - Hopes for an NHL season were left  hanging by a thread Thursday as players presented a proposal  that included a massive 24 percent rollback in salaries but did  not address owners' main demand for cost certainty.


Paris cuts stake in Air France-KLM PARIS: France shed almost half of its 44 per cent stake in Air France-KLM yesterday, kicking off a wider deal that could see its remaining stake cut to below 20pc and give staff shares in return for pay cuts.


Dollar Inches Up, Market Focus on Fed  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar climbed on Friday as investors  took advantage of the currency's recent weakness to take  profits and as the market took on more neutral positions in the  final stretch before the year-end.


Chinese Inflation Falls Sharply in Nov.  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's annual inflation rate dropped  sharply in November, heartening policy makers who have been  striving to cool the economy and reducing chances of a further  rise in interest rates in the near term.


Federal safety agency asks for recall of Durango, Dakota Federal safety regulators have asked DaimlerChrysler AG to recall 600,000 Dodge Durango and Dakota trucks because their wheels could fall off, a Chrysler spokesman confirmed Thursday.


Yahoo Adds Tool to Search Hard Drives (AP) AP - Yahoo Inc. is adding a tool to search computer hard drives as it scrambles to catch up with Google Inc. and stay a step ahead of Microsoft Corp. in the battle to help users sort through gobs of information on the Internet and the desktop.


Yahoo to Begin Testing Desktop Search in January Yahoo Inc. said on Thursday it will begin testing a free desktop search service in early January, following rivals hoping to extend the reach of wildly profitable search-related advertising.


Winning Isn #39;t Everything Two recent events have me thinking that maybe we put too much importance on winning in sports. First, there were reports that baseball superstars Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi took steroids, drugs that can help make players stronger.


NCAA Game Summary - TCU at Kansas Kansas shot 37-of-66 for 56 percent...TCU turned the ball over 23 times and had only 11 assists...Chinweze exited the game with 10 points.


Yahoo to Begin Testing Desktop Search in January (Reuters) Reuters - Yahoo Inc. said on Thursday it\will begin testing a free desktop search service in early\January, following rivals hoping to extend the reach of wildly\profitable search-related advertising.


Rockets Edge Spurs 81-80 (AP) AP - Tracy McGrady scooped up a loose ball and hit a running 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left, helping the Houston Rockets complete a rally from a 10-point deficit in the final minute for an 81-80 win over San Antonio on Thursday night.


Bogus E-Mail Worries Users Of Cell Phones (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The e-mails, often forwarded by friends, vary in wording, but the underlying message is always ominous: Soon, all cell phone numbers will be made public to telemarketing firms. That means, according to one version, that "your cell phone may start ringing off the hook with telemarketers" and your precious, limited cell phone minutes will be eaten up with calls you don't want.


First India-Pakistan joint film promotes peace process (AFP) AFP - With the competitive Bollywood movie industry making hundreds of films a year, new releases need a selling point -- and the people behind India and Pakistan's first co-production hope they're onto a winner.


W. Kentucky Upsets No. 14 Vanderbilt 85-77 (AP) AP - Tiffany Porter-Talbert scored 24 points, and Western Kentucky rallied to upset No. 14 Vanderbilt 85-77 Thursday night.


Pygmy Chimpanzees on Brink of Extinction -- WWF (Reuters) Reuters - Pygmy chimpanzees, one of\humanity's closest living relatives, have been pushed to the\brink of extinction in the war-battered Democratic Republic of\Congo, conservation group WWF International said on Thursday.


Md. Hepatitis C May Be From Medical Tests (AP) AP - A company that makes substances used in some common medical tests has suspended operations at a nuclear pharmacy in Maryland as state and federal health officials investigate several cases of hepatitis C in the Baltimore area, authorities said Thursday.


OPEC Warns Oil Supply Cuts Needed for 2005  CAIRO (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers said Thursday that  Friday's ministerial meeting would rein in oversupply to  bolster falling prices and that the cartel would have to reduce  output quotas early next year.


Latest China Mine Blast Kills 33  BEIJING (Reuters) - A gas explosion at a coal mine in the  northern Chinese province of Shanxi killed 28 miners and five  rescuers, the government said on Friday, in the latest in a  grim series of similar disasters.


1st US-Vietnam Flight in 30yrs Symbol of Closer Ties  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first U.S. passenger flight to  Vietnam since 1975 shows bilateral ties are "right on track"  between old battlefield foes who still spar over human rights  and trade, a Vietnamese spokeswoman said on Thursday.


Australia Terror Suspect Offered Prostitute -Papers  CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian terror suspect was  offered the services of a prostitute by the U.S. military if he  agreed to spy on other detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay  base in Cuba, according to court documents. In an affidavit  unsealed by a U.S. District Court and seen by Reuters on  Friday, David Hicks, a 29-year-old convert to Islam, said he  was also beaten while blindfolded and handcuffed, threatened  with weapons and had his head rammed into asphalt.


Howard Still Perfect The Lady Bison, off to their best start in 21 years, improve to 5-0 with a 59-53 victory over visiting Loyola on Thursday night.


SynXis to Be Bought for \$40 Million In buying the McLean firm, Sabre would get 6,000 small and medium-size hotels as customers, as well as the technology they use to track inventory, book guests online and connect to Internet reservation services, including Sabre's Travelocity.-The Washington Post


Lilly forecasting strong 2005 Eli Lilly and Co. said its strategy of staying independent and plowing money into research should pay off in 2005, with profits expected to jump 8 percent to 12 percent over 2004 and nine new drugs in advanced human testing.


Yahoo Adds Tool to Search Hard Drives SAN FRANCISCO Dec 10, 2004 - Yahoo Inc. is adding a tool to search computer hard drives as it scrambles to catch up with Google Inc.


Cisco Buys BCN Systems Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO - message board) announced late Thursday that it is buying routing software startup BCN Systems Inc.


Kazaa secret command unlocked by court A secret command that showed the number of connected users of the Kazaa file-sharing software was demonstrated to Federal Court on Thursday.


Williams seeking to cap Rocky rise to world title On Saturday, the 31-year-old can claim a piece of the world heavyweight crown with a win over Vitali Klitschko, capping a Rocky-like rise to the top.


India  #39;aiming for wins not records #39; DHAKA: India will focus on results and not records in the first Test against Bangladesh starting today, even though two of their players are on the verge of personal milestones, captain Saurav Ganguly said.


Weis attended ND but never played The New England Patriots offensive coordinator could be interviewed by the Irish as early as Friday, The Boston Globe reported on its Web site Thursday night.


Perth to host Super 14 franchise The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) announced on Friday that Perth will host the fourth Australian team in a Super 14 competition to begin in the 2006 season.


Shanahan says he intends to honour his deal with Broncos Trying to defuse rumours he might be leaving soon, Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Thursday night he intends to honour the final four years of his contract.


Baseball can #39;t hold out any longer on steroid issue We now know what it takes to break through the institutional indifference of Major League Baseball to the drug abuse among its players, including its biggest stars.


No. 1 Illinois takes control with 10-0 run late in first half It took a while for the top-ranked Illini basketball team to find a little traction Thursday night. But when the Fighting Illini dug in -t one point going


Kiwi opener retires New Zealand opening batsman Mark Richardson on Friday announced his retirement from cricket after returning home from his fruitless tour to Australia.


IRA links destruction of weapons to demand The Irish Republican Army declared yesterday that it is willing to get rid of all its weapons this month - but only if Protestants drop their demands for photographic proof.


Jangled jingle bells As traditional as fruitcake, and less palatable, are the perennial holiday season snowball fights over displays, music, school programs and other expressions of angst that disrupt what we long to remember as  quot;the most wonderful time of the year.


SunTrust shakes up management SunTrust Banks, the seventh-largest US bank, yesterday overhauled its management weeks after it restated earnings and fired three executives because of accounting errors.


Japan Eases Arms Export Ban for New Missile Shield (Reuters) Reuters - Japan eased a blanket ban on arms exports\on Friday to open the way for joint production of a new missile\shield with the United States, but said it would still refrain\from most other weapons exports.


White, Leinart split top honors If Thursday was supposed to sort out a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, Jason White and Matt Leinart both can take heart. Each won separate national player of the year honors, two highlights


Notre Dame must make right choice It seems you are having a problem finding a new coach for the legendary Notre Dame football team. After firing Tyrone Willingham you had your sights set on Utah coach Urban Meyer.


Iraqi troops beheaded Baghdad - Extremists killed 25 members of the Iraqi security forces, with several of the victims being beheaded, reports said on Thursday.


No. 13 Texas Tech Tops Oral Roberts 79-46 (AP) AP - Cisti Greenwalt had 18 points, 14 rebounds and blocked seven shots to lead No. 13 Texas Tech to a 79-46 victory over Oral Roberts on Thursday night.


20 injured in fight at Malaysian detention camp for terror suspects (AFP) AFP - Twelve inmates and eight warders have been injured in a fight at a Malaysian detention camp for terror suspects during a search which turned up a cache of home-made weapons.


Japan Eases Arms Export Ban for New Missile Shield  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan eased a blanket ban on arms exports  on Friday to open the way for joint production of a new missile  shield with the United States, but said it would still refrain  from most other weapons exports.


U.S. Marine Killed in Western Iraq  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents have killed a U.S. Marine in  western Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday.


Tokyo's Nikkei Average Edges Down  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average edged down by the  close on Friday with the market only slowly recovering from  disappointment over machinery orders data a day earlier.


OPEC Warns Oil Supply Cuts Needed for '05  CAIRO (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers said Thursday that  Friday's ministerial meeting would rein in oversupply to  bolster falling prices and that the cartel would have to reduce  output quotas early next year.


#39;Shrek 3 #39; release date delayed Dreamworks Studios said on Thursday it had delayed the release of its highly anticipated animated movie  #39;Shrek 3 #39; by six months as Hollywood frantically reshuffles its cartoon debuts.


Wall St. Journal says companies are in discussions SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of wireless carriers Nextel and Sprint rose Thursday after the Wall Street Journal reported that the companies are discussing a merger.


Amazon launching DVD rentals The UK website of Amazon.com is launching a DVD rental service, the online retailer #39;s first foray into a market pioneered by US- based Netflix.


Huawei pushes into Europe with 3G deal China #39;s largest telecoms equipment maker, Huawei Technologies, clinched its first European contract for a third-generation mobile network yesterday, underlining its threat to bigger international rivals.


Cyber Securitys Cassandra Syndrome A proposal to create a senior-level cyber security position at the Department of Homeland Security is killed at the eleventh hour.


Sonics dance in Dallas DALLAS -- Two games in two days in a pair of sold-out arenas and the Sonics are now two-for-Texas after they beat the Dallas Mavericks 107-102 last night at American Airlines Center.


After the Fall: Measured Moves Individual investors are struggling to find a balanced approach at an unreliable time for the market.


India, Pakistan discussing transit route to Afghanistan: Singh NEW DELHI (India): India is in touch with Pakistan on the issue of opening road route for transhipment of goods to Afghanistan through that country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Parliament on Thursday.


Militant chief wounded in Israeli strike in Gaza GAZA - A militant leader survived an Israeli missile strike on his car in Gaza on Thursday in Israel #39;s first assassination attempt in the Palestinian territories since Yasser Arafat died in a Paris hospital.


US mobile giants in merger talks Sprint and Nextel, two large US mobile companies, are discussing a possible \$70bn merger, according to newspaper reports.


The Fidelity watch Scott DeSano, Fidelity Investments' super-powerful head of stock trading, and his band of traders are suddenly under the gun.


Fund insiders: Lavish gifts abound Mutual fund companies in Boston say they have strict prohibitions against employees getting the kind of wining and dining and luxe entertainment that government regulators are investigating at Fidelity Investments, but industry officials and attorneys in the field contend such extravagance is nonetheless common in the investment world.


City shuts Back Bay Holiday Market The hard luck Back Bay Holiday Market at Prudential Center was shut down for about five hours yesterday by the Boston Public Health Commission, prompting one merchant to say she plans to leave.


Kuwaiti: OPEC will cut output OPEC will cut back on oil production early next year in a bid to stave off a further decline in the world price, Kuwait's oil minister said yesterday.


New IBM workers to get 401(k) Starting next year, International Business Machines Corp. will exclude new workers from its contested cash-balance pension plan and offer them only a 401(k) savings plan.


Malden Mills workers accept contract A union representing about 700 textile workers at Malden Mills Industries Inc. voted to accept a contract offer, averting a possible strike. Paul Coorey, president of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees Union, Local 311, said workers voted 301-136 to accept a three-year pact that included annual wage increases of 2 percent, 2 percent, and 3 percent. But ...


World has 1.5bn cellphone subscribers Cellphone subscribers around the globe totalled nearly 1.5 billion by the middle of this year, about 25 percent of the world #39;s population, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said yesterday.


CAO #39;s parent not expected to be implicated in scandal: report BEIJING : The parent firm of troubled Singapore-listed China Aviation Oil (CAO) does not expect itself or any of its other subsidiaries to be implicated in the scandal surrounding CAO #39;s trading losses, state media said on Friday.


US mobile giants in merger talks US mobile operators Sprint and Nextel are in talks about a \$70bn merger (36bn) according to newspaper reports. The deal would create the country #39;s third-biggest mobile operator which would have 38.5 million


AirTran, Southwest seek Midway gates AirTran and Southwest emerged Thursday as the leading airline bidders for valuable gates at Chicago #39;s Midway Airport, where troubled discounter ATA is selling assets for cash.


Web site compares drugs for  #39;best buys #39; The publisher of Consumer Reports launched a free Web site Thursday to do for prescription drugs what it has already done for cars, refrigerators and other gadgets: rate them on safety, effectiveness and cost.


Amazon launches DVD rentals in UK SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- It #39;s been widely speculated that e-tail giant Amazon would one day set its sights on Netflix #39;s business, and on Thursday it confirmed that prediction, launching a DVD rental service in the United Kingdom.


Reporter uses kettle, bell to collect funds; finds job satisfying Want to make \$27 per hour just to stand around and smile and wiggle your wrists? Plenty of seasonal opportunities exist through Dec. 24.


U.S. Marine Killed in Western Iraq (Reuters) Reuters - Insurgents have killed a U.S. Marine in\western Iraq, the U.S. military said on Friday.


Steelers Need Wins to Match Patriots (AP) AP - Heinz Field doesn't look very hospitable now that November has yielded to December, leaving the midsection of the playing field barren of grass and as rough and tumble as a North Side alleyway.


Belarus Opposition Streams to Kiev (AP) AP - "Today Ukraine, tomorrow Belarus!" read a banner strung up this week in a tent camp for opposition protesters.


Yahoo Details Desktop Search Plans; Ask Jeeves  amp; MSN Launch This <b>...</b> Yahoo has announced that it will release a desktop search product after the New Year, putting the search engine firmly in the desktop search race that Google kicked off earlier this year and that other major search engines have already declared that they


Space station crew cuts food intake, awaits Christmas resupply WASHINGTON--NASA officials said Thursday the international space station is running so low on food that its two crewmen have had to cut back on their eating and may have


Tremors rock earth deep beneath San Andreas Fault Mysterious tremors deep beneath the San Andreas Fault near the quake-prone town of Parkfield are shaking the earth #39;s brittle crust, far below the region where earthquakes normally strike -- and scientists say they can #39;t understand what #39;s happening or what


Using tools is monkey business in Brazil Researchers at a British university say they have seen monkeys in South America using stones to dig for food in the wild, a use of tools never previously seen in non-human species.


Sharman exec calls child porn unstoppable Sharman Networks #39; chief technology officer has refuted a claim on the Kazaa Web site that the company could  quot;permanently bar quot; users who are using its peer-to-peer software to distribute child pornography.


Samsung Doubles Memory Density According to a Samsung release, the device is the most advanced graphics double-data-rate synchronous DRAM available for graphics card makers, as well as game console manufacturers.


Summary: Faith in Democratic Iraq Slips (AP) AP - CONFIDENCE SLIPS  #151; Fewer than half of Americans, 47 percent, think it's likely Iraq will establish a stable, democratic government. In April, 55 percent said they believed such a government probably would be established.


Klitschko wanted Tyson, settles for Williams Vitali Klitschko #39;s dream was always to fight Mike Tyson. For now, he #39;ll have to settle for fighting the man who last beat Tyson.


Abdur-Rahim three beats Celtics at buzzer Coach Doc Rivers had to have liked what he saw in the first half of last night #39;s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Gary Payton scored


No. 1 Illinois 74, Georgetown 59 WASHINGTON - Chants of  quot;Overrated! Overrated! quot; bellowed from the Georgetown fans even before the opening whistle. Illinois needed about 14 minutes to shut them up.


ND, Weis are ready to talk By Nick Cafardo and Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff  December 10, 2004. Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, long rebuffed in his attempts to land a head coaching position in the NFL, has emerged as a


Dougherty makes return For the former Roy Williams assistant, who spent seven years at Kansas, the crowd stood and applauded. It was pretty much the same old Phog for TCU #39;s third-year coach.


Include party financing in corruption legislation - Munroe Government senator Professor Trevor Munroe, and a lobbyist for party financing regulation, yesterday described its omission from amended corruption legislation as  quot;a glaring gap quot;, saying it could serve to further the influence of big business and the drug


Shiite parties announce candidates for election A Sunni group that had called for a delay in voting quietly files its slate for balloting.  Seven Iraqis were killed Thursday in clashes in Baghdad and the volatile city of Ramadi.


For sale signs While keeping pitcher Pedro Martinez and catcher Jason Varitek remain the primary objective for the Red Sox as they head to baseball's winter meetings for the first time as World Series champions, a flurry of free agent signings this week would appear to foreshadow an active weekend of player movement.


Glaus goes to Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks moved quickly to get a righthanded power hitter with their first free agent signing in what they promise will be a busy offseason.


It's tough to trap these tigers The Patriots' defense is expecting a challenge Sunday from the Cincinnati Bengals, who have scored 85 points in their last two games.


NFL games on TV TAMPA BAY (5-7) vs. SAN DIEGO (9-3) When, where: Sunday, 4:15 p.m., at San Diego. TV: Ch. 25. Last season: Buccaneers won, 25-17, in 1996. Comments: The Chargers, sitting at the top of the NFL draft, wheeled and dealed back in April so they could land their quarterback of the future. Little did they know, they already had him. Drew ...


It's clear they know who to call for help  quot;Commissioner Tagliabue, it's Commissioner Stern on Line 1. quot;  quot;Who's Commissioner Stern? quot;


NBA snubs hearing with arbitrator Ron Artest took the witness stand in New York yesterday and described one of the worst brawls in NBA history. Indiana Pacers teammates Stephen Jackson , Jermaine O'Neal , and Anthony Johnson did the same, and a union attorney and one of O'Neal's bodyguards also testified. It went on for six hours, with none of the witnesses being cross-examined by ...


New Orleans Bowl Teams: North Texas (7-4) vs. Southern Mississippi (6-5) When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Where: New Orleans TV: ESPN At a glance: The Mean Green are really mean, and not green, other than freshman running back Jamario Thomas, who has rushed for 1,709 yards and scored 17 TDs. Thomas is worth watching and is the best running back not involved in the ...


O'Brien awaits offer Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo met yesterday morning with football coach Tom O'Brien, who returned to campus after an out-of-town meeting Wednesday with officials from the University of Washington about their head coaching vacancy. While neither party elaborated on what was discussed, all indications were that O'Brien informed DeFilippo that if the Washington job were offered to him, he ...


Opec states to press for oil cuts The oil producers' group is set to meet, with some members pressing for a reduction oil output.


Museum Puts Life, Truth and, It Hopes, Sales in a Wine A new museum in Italy features exhibits that show the link between wine and the place it comes from.


Hospitalized Reservist's AWOL Case to Proceed  An Army  reservist who checked himself into a civilian psychiatric hospital after being turned away from a military clinic should be court-martialed for being absent without leave, according to an Army report.


Security Checks to Greet Fallujah's Returning Residents   FALLUJAH, Iraq, Dec. 9 -- When the residents of Fallujah begin trickling back to their devastated city, they will be routed through sandbagged checkpoints where U.S. and Iraqi troops will take their fingerprints, issue ID cards and in some cases scan their irises, part of an elaborate plan to keep insurgents out of the former radical militant stronghold.


Dollar Extends Its Rebound Into Third Day  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar extended its rebound into a  third day on Friday as investors worried that the dollar's  two-month slide had been too rapid and sought more neutral  ground in the final stretch before the year-end.


Grocer Winn-Dixie to Name New CEO -- WSJ  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. WIN.N is  ousting its Chief Executive Frank Lazaran and replacing him  with Peter Lynch, a former executive at the Albertsons Inc.  ABS.N supermarket chain, the Wall Street Journal reported on  Friday.


PalmSource set to acquire China MobileSoft US-based software developer PalmSource Inc. said Wednesday it had entered agreement to acquire China MobileSoft Ltd. in a bid to extend its market as a software provider for cell phones and mobile devices.


OPEC Poised to Stamp Out Excess Supply (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC oil producers were poised on Friday\to stamp out excess supply that has lowered world prices from\record highs.


Ford Motor names Padilla president Ford Motor Co. Thursday named Chief Executive Officer Jim Padilla president to succeed Nick Scheele, who is retiring in February. Vice Chairman Allan Gilmour will also retire in February, the automaker announced.


Sprint, Nextel exploring merger; 40 million subscribers involved Nextel Communications and Sprint are negotiating a possible merger, according to a source familiar with the discussions. It was not clear how far the talks had progressed, and


Arrested CAO chief is released on bail Chen Jiulin, the chief executive of China Aviation Oil (Singapore), was arrested yesterday as Singaporean authorities step up investigations into the city state #39;s biggest trading scandal in nearly a decade.


Car Talk: Fire hazard on Honda CR-V is real Dear Tom and Ray: I was pretty freaked out recently to learn that more than 20 2003-04 Honda CR-Vs had caught fire after their first oil change.


Yahoo Adds Tool to Search Hard Drives SAN FRANCISCO - Yahoo Inc. is adding a tool to search computer hard drives as it scrambles to catch up with Google Inc. and stay a step ahead of Microsoft Corp.


Solar-system births witnessed Giant planets and broad bands of dust swirl around seven distant stars in new images captured by two NASA telescopes, both built partly in Colorado.


British Grand Prix is rescued thanks to Mirror BRITAIN #39;S Silverstone Grand Prix was yesterday saved for the next five years after a Daily Mirror campaign. Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone gave it a reprieve until 2009 by signing


Oh where, oh where will Kent get to play? It #39;s the call of an offseason in the making, the Dodgers finally on the move. Have a big free-agent signing to announce at the first day of the winter meetings.


USC #39;s leading man Los Angeles - If you think the freeways around Southern California are crowded, you should see the crowd in the Southern California locker room after a football game.


Collapse in judgment: C #39;s fall apart late in loss to Blazers The Celtics were playing their only national television game of the season last night, so the rest of the country now knows about your club #39;s late-game lapses.


National unity government expected within days Premier Sharon has already begun to initiate coalition negotiations with Labor, UTJ and Shas, following his significant victory at last nights Likud convention vote, which overturned a previous decision by the central committee nixing a coalition with


Peace talks on Darfur to resume A new round of peace talks between the Sudanese government and rebels from the Darfur region is set to re-open on Friday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.


NBA Wrap: McGrady Leads Rockets to Stunning Win  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tracy McGrady hit a running 3-pointer  with 1.7 seconds left on the clock to give the Houston Rockets  a dramatic 81-80 win over the San Antonio Spurs in National  Basketball Association play Thursday in Houston.


College Basketball: Illinois, Kansas Win  WASHINGTON (Sports Network) - Roger Powell Jr. netted 19  points on 8-of-11 shooting to lead top-ranked Illinois to a  74-59 victory over Georgetown at the MCI Center.


McDonough shocked he's not coming back His emotions alternating between his trademark humor and broken-voiced sadness, veteran broadcaster Sean McDonough confirmed yesterday that NESN informed him last Friday that he will not be part of the Red Sox broadcast team in 2005.


Barnicle has hill to climb Newton North cross-country star Chris Barnicle will escape the frigid temperatures of the Northeast for a weekend of sunshine and 75-degree weather in San Diego.


This weekend on TV, radio TODAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL/MEN 7 p.m. -- Harvard at Colgate, WRCA (1330) 10 p.m. -- Alabama-Birmingham at Oklahoma St., ESPN2 PRO BASKETBALL 8 p.m. -- Philadelphia at Chicago, ESPN 10:30 p.m. -- Portland at Utah, ESPN COLLEGE FOOTBALL 7 p.m. -- Division 1-AA Tournament semifinal: James Madison at William  amp; Mary, ESPN2 GOLF 9 a.m. -- PGA European Dunhill Championship (second ...


Transactions BASEBALL Arizona (NL): Signed 3B Troy Glaus to a four-year contract. Atlanta (NL): Signed 1B Julio Franco. Chicago (AL): Signed OF Jermaine Dye. Los Angeles (NL): Signed 2B Jeff Kent. New York (AL): Named Neil Allen bullpen coach and Rich Monteleone special pitching instructor. San Diego (NL): Signed OF Eric Young; designated P Mike Bynum for assignment.


Ukraine Candidates Start Campaigning (AP) AP - Ukraine's two presidential candidates mapped out campaign strategies with less than three weeks remaining before the repeat of last month's fraud-marred election runoff, and opposition protesters lifted their two-week siege of the Cabinet headquarters.


Gay Rights Activists Reassess Strategy (AP) AP - The ritual was replayed from Boston to San Francisco: Exuberant gay couples sharing marriage vows and slices of wedding cake.


Peace talks on Darfur to resume Peace talks addressing Sudan's troubled region of Darfur are set to resume in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.


Missile 'targets Gaza militant' An alleged militant in northern Gaza is unharmed in an Israeli missile attack, hours after a similar strike in the south.


Child cancers steadily increasing \The rate of childhood cancer has slowly increased over the last three decades, research has found.


Reporter Prompted Query to Rumsfeld Edward Lee Pitts of the Chattanooga Times Free Press told colleagues in an e-mail that he and members of the Tennessee Army National Guard now in Kuwait "worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor" and that Spec. Thomas Wilson posed the question at his request.


Vietnam prepares for arrival of first US passenger jet since war Vietnam is preparing for the arrival of the first passenger jet from the United States since the end of the war in 1975. The United Airlines flight from San Francisco, via Hong Kong, is scheduled to land in


Yahoo! takes a partner for desktop-search fray Yahoo! plans to launch software in coming weeks that allows users to search for e-mail and other files stored on their computers, but unlike rivals Google and Microsoft, it is turning to a partner for help with the technology.


Astronauts running low on food WASHINGTON - The two astronauts on board the international space station are cutting back on their food as supplies are running shorter than expected in advance of the planned arrival of a Russian supply ship on Christmas Day.


PSP  #39;rubbish #39;? Nintendo think so. (PSP, DS) At least, according to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata it isn #39;t. Whilst talking to journalists in Japan the boss let his feelings loose concerning Sony #39;s foray into the handheld market, stating that the PSP would simply alienate possible new gamers rather


New heavyweight record set Las Vegas - Vitali Klitschko #39;s fight with Danny Williams on Saturday will be the biggest heavyweight clash ever - at least in the ring.


Jordan welcomes Silverstone deal Silverstone owners the British Racing Drivers Club and Bernie Ecclestone #39;s FOA announced Thursday that they have signed a contractual and financial agreement to secure the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the next five years.


No moves for Rockies Anaheim, Calif. - By standing still, the Rockies seem to be falling in the National League West. The Rockies finished fourth in their five-team division in 2004, behind the San Diego Padres and ahead of the abysmal Arizona Diamondbacks.


KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF IT, LOWE HARRY REDKNAPP has warned Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe to keep his nose out of team affairs. Lowe has gained a reputation for offering advice to his managers, and appears regularly on the


ND aide shaves her head to support Willingham The assistant to Notre Dame #39;s president has shaved her head to protest Tyrone Willingham #39;s firing as football coach, saying she will remain bald until the Irish win a national championship.


Sharon, with Party Backing, Invites Labour Into Govt Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Friday invited the opposition Labour Party to begin talks to form a unity government, a move that would avoid early elections and pave the way for a withdrawal from Gaza.


China mine blast kills 33 Thirty-three workers have been killed after a gas explosion at a coal mine in China #39;s northern Shanxi province. Officials say 71 miners were in the shaft when the blast occurred at Nanlou township.


Yahoo set to launch desktop search tool Yahoo is preparing to stake its claim to a key part of the burgeoning search engine business with a desktop search tool that makes it easier to find information on the hard drives of personal computers.


Lakers Beat Nuggets, 99-91 (AP) AP - Kobe Bryant scored the Lakers' first 14 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 42, carrying Los Angeles to a 99-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night.


Diamondbacks clinch Glaus signing The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed former Anaheim Angel third-baseman Troy Glaus on a four-year deal. The 28-year-old free agent hit 18 home runs last season despite missing over three months through injury.


Caps' Ovechkin Shines With a 7-2 triumph over the United States, impact teens Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin place Russia in the World Juniors championship game against Canada.


Business ; HHG sells life insurance arm Business News, MELBOURNE, Financial group HHG has agreed to sell its life insurance business, including Pearl, National Provident Life and London Life, for 1.025 billion pounds to Life Company Investor Group, and plans to return 875 million pounds of the


Chinese Inflation Drops Sharply China #39;s annual inflation rate dropped sharply in November, providing further evidence that steps to cool the economy are working and reducing the chances in the near term of a fresh rise in interest rates.


China Crime Chief Urges End to 'Social Conflicts' (Reuters) Reuters - China's security chief has urged\officials to heed the grievances of their communities, state\media reported Friday, following a series of violent protests\that undermine efforts to maintain stability.


Khartoum, Darfur Rebels Split on Peace Chances (Reuters) Reuters - Sudan's government said on Thursday it\hoped to reach a deal in talks resuming Friday with rebels in\Darfur, which the United Nations says is descending into chaos.


Yahoo #39;s New Year #39;s Resolution: Desktop Search Yahoo Inc. will enter the desktop-search field in early January. According to the company #39;s top search executive, Yahoo expects to quickly integrate its various online services into the product.


Calhoun not fond of loss But Calhoun likes his players and his university and the fact that the Huskies are the defending national champions a lot more. Calhoun was livid with himself and the collective


Trail Blazers Edge Celtics 89-87 Portland Trail Blazers #39; Zach Randolph, right, loses the ball as Boston Celtics #39; Gary Payton looks on during the second quarter Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004, at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.


Thirty-three dead in latest China mine blast BEIJING : Thirty-three workers have been killed in the latest gas explosion at a Chinese coal mine, once again highlighting the appalling safety standards blighting the industry.


Singapore Crt OKs 6-Weeks Extension For China Aviation-2- SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Singapore #39;s High Court Friday threw a six-week lifeline to troubled China Aviation Oil Singapore Corp. (C47.


Sprint, Nextel consider lucrative deal Sprint (FON) and Nextel (NXTL) are in discussions to merge, with an eye to creating a wireless giant that could rival Cingular and Verizon Wireless in size and scope, according to two people with direct knowledge of the talks.


Hhg Offloads Pearl and London Life Financial group HHG today announced the 1.03 billion sale of its UK life insurance business, which includes the Pearl and London Life brands.


IBM #39;s cash-balance move could start trend IBM #39;s (IBM) decision to drop cash-balance plans for new hires could put pressure on other companies to close similar programs amid lawsuits and attacks from critics who say the plans hurt older workers.


Kings Stop Spurs Peja Stojakovic's long-range shooting and Mike Bibby's big second half catapults the Kings over the Spurs, 86-81, on Sunday night.


Miles to LSU? A source close to the negotiations says Oklahoma State football coach Les Miles will take over for Nick Saban in Baton Rouge.


Stoudemire Soars The Suns move their league-leading record to 26-4 behind 50 points from Amare Stoudemire to blow by the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday night, 117-98.


Jim Mora Jr., Tom O #39;Brien are top Washington candidates It looks like the Washington Huskies search for a new head football coach has picked up in the last several days. Reports from around the country have stated that Washington has met with or contacted former


Price rises prompt exodus from British Gas Shares in Centrica have fallen by 7 per cent after the energy company revealed that its British Gas business was to limit rises in bills after losing 900,000 this year.


Michoud cheers support for space shuttle NASA #39;s decision to reconsider using a space shuttle to repair the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope is potentially good news for the eastern New Orleans plant that makes external fuel tanks for the shuttle, a plant spokesman said Thursday.


Oracle Expands Beyond Databases Oracle announced the creation of Oracle Collaboration Suite, a real-time toolkit enabling enterprises to collaborate and manage content in whole new ways.


Klitschko has long climb to top When Vitali Klitschko lost to Lennox Lewis on cuts last year, it was a fumbling attempt at passing the heavyweight torch. Klitschko was ahead on the judges #39; cards when his face got


Finley moving down the freeway The Angels have reached agreement on a two-year contract with former Dodgers outfielder Steve Finley, who provides a more cost-efficient, shorter-term solution to their gap in center field than top free agent Carlos Beltran.


Napster Entering Ringtone Market (Reuters) Reuters - Online music service Napster on\Thursday said it reached a deal to enter the ringtone market\with mobile content publisher Dwango Wireless .


HP Rolls Out Ultra-Low Priced PC in China (Reuters) Reuters - Hewlett-Packard Co. , the\world's number-two PC maker, said on Friday it has launched a\3,999 yuan ( #36;483) computer in China, turning up the heat in the\intensely competitive market.


UK initiative on climate change Tony Blair is to host a major scientific conference on climate change in February as part of an attempt to create an international consensus on the science involved and so lock the US and the G8 group of industrial nations into action beyond the Kyoto


Israel readying to turn over northern Gaza security to <b>...</b> JERUSALEM Israeli security officials say the nation is preparing to hand over security in the northern Gaza Strip to Palestinians well before Israel withdraws from the area in mid-2005.


Red Hat, IBM Partner In ISV Certification (TechWeb) TechWeb - IBM and Red Hat will work together in helping independent software vendors get application certification on Red Hat's Linux server software.


IBM Updates TotalStorage SAN Software Suite (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - The company says the new version of its SAN virtualization manager can handle all of rival EMC's arrays.


IBM Product to Challenge Data Storage Leader EMC (Reuters) Reuters - IBM  on Friday will take\aim at the heart of data storage equipment leader EMC Corp.'s\ market with a product that will allow EMC buyers to\switch to IBM.


Whale Shark Finds New Friends in Indian Fishermen (Reuters) Reuters - A few weeks ago, the crew of an\Indian fishing boat in the Arabian Sea thought they had the\biggest catch of their lives.


Old News.... REALLY Old News! The video archives of Pathe News are online, covering the late 1890s through to the 1970s. Pathe News was one of the earliest video news services in Britain and one of the best remembered.


Java Java Java... and Coffee \\Great writeup from Tim Bray WRT Dynamic Java  ...\\Here's the funny part.  Whats up with all the damn coffee in these pictures?\\One can only come to the conclusion that caffeine makes you smart as hell!\\caption: Coffee\\caption: Coffee and Java\\caption: Java and Coffee\\


Metamorphosis of Narcissus \\Dali's Metamorphosis of Narcissus is one of my favorite paintings.  I actually\own a print in my bedroom.\\I was amazed at how well Google image search did on this query \\Literally 90 of the images are perfect captures of the painting...\\


Hi-tech posters guide commuters Interactive posters at 25 underground stations are helping Londoners travel safely over Christmas.


Robots rejected for Hubble rescue Shuttle astronauts would do a better job of upgrading the ailing Hubble Space Telescope than robots, say experts.


EU probes mobile phone call costs The amount consumers are charged for making mobile phone calls while abroad is to be investigated by EU regulators.


1st US Jet Since War to Land in Vietnam For the first time since the war ended nearly 30 years ago, a US passenger jet was on its way to Vietnam on Friday. United Flight 869 took off from San Francisco


Group to focus on fund management HONG KONG (CBS.MW) -- London-based financial services group HHG surged Friday after agreeing to sell its life insurance and pensions business to private equity investors for 1.025 billion pounds (\$1.96 billion) in cash.


Former Congresswoman Chisholm Dies at 80 (AP) AP - Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and an outspoken advocate for women and minorities during seven terms in the House, died Saturday near Daytona Beach, friends said. She was 80.


Eurostocks open higher PARIS: European shares opened higher on Friday, led by oil heavyweights such as BP ahead of an expected decision by Opec to trim its output.


Community Coffee to hike price Citing sharp increases in commodity costs, Community Coffee will increase prices on its trademaker Red Bag coffee for the first time in seven years, the company said.


Napster to enter ringtone market with Dwango MUMBAI: Napster today announced that it has forged an agreement with Dwango Wireless, a leading mobile developer and publisher of entertainment content to launch Napster Mobile across major North American carriers.


Panel recommends manned mission to repair Hubbble!: World News: Washington, Dec 10 : A National Academies #39; panel has ruled out sending a robotic mission to mend the Hubble Space Telescope, citing fears that a robot might crash into Hubble instead of fixing it.


Simians are experts too in the use of tools!: World News: London, Dec 10 : Cambridge University researchers have concluded that use of tools is habitual in monkeys after collecting the first hand evidence on this score.


Ninty boss slams PSP as DS shipment target raised Sony #39;s forthcoming PlayStation Portable handheld will fail to attract newcomers to gaming, according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, whose comments come as shipment targets for the DS are raised once again.


MSA welcome British GP deal. The Motor Sports Association, the governing body of motorsport in the UK, has welcomed yesterday #39;s announcement that a deal has been agreed to keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the next five years.


Artest testifies about basketball brawl NBA Indiana Pacers #39; Ron Artest and three teammates testified about the basketball brawl. Ron Artest took the witness stand and described, in his words, one of the worst brawls


NHL players offer 24 percent rollback of salaries As promised, the NHL Players Association on Thursday delivered its strongest proposal to end the lockout. In a move even NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow admitted


NZ coach launches pre-game tirade New Zealand coach John Bracewell did his best yesterday to create a siege mentality for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy decider in Brisbane today by accusing the media and the Gabba curator of skulduggery.


meetings start with bang Baseball officials streamed into the winter meetings hotel all day. Troy Glaus was done for \$45 million before most arrived, Jeff Kent after arrivals.


PEACE ON EARTH As the holiday season approaches, there is no greater hope for Peace on Earth and Goodwill to men than this months awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Kenyan conservationist Wangari Maathai, who has become a symbol of peace and harmony between Man and


Survey Says Political Parties Seen as Most Corrupt Institutions Political parties are seen as the institutions most afflicted by corruption, according to a survey released by a non-governmental organization that monitors corruption.


More than thirty miners killed in China blast At least 33 miners have been killed in a gas explosion at a Chinese coal mine northern Shanxi province. 71 miners were in the mine when the blast exploded, the officials said.


France backs Turkish EU talks for late-2005 BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (AFP) - France wants the European Union to open membership talks with Turkey at the end of next year or early 2006, Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said on Thursday.


Slip a Geek Book Under the Tree Tech gifts needn't be electronic. Geeks and non-geeks alike can enjoy the old-fashioned pleasure of curling up by the fire with a good read. Michelle Delio reviews a passel of new books just in time for the holiday season.


GM to cut jobs in Europe Automaker, unions agree to eliminate up to 12,000 workers to curb losses and save \$665 million a year. By Ed Garsten / The Detroit News.


Tough times for British Gas British Gas owner Centrica says that soaring energy prices will hit margins in some of its key businesses, sending its shares sharply lower.


Nextel, Sprint in talks Sprint, the No. 3 US mobile- phone company, and Nextel Communications are in early talks about a possible merger, people familiar with the matter said.


Losses rise at British Energy after nuclear shutdowns British Energy, the nuclear generator, said its first-half losse had tripled following the unexpected closure of two nuclear power plants.


Napster Entering Ringtone Market Online music service Napster on Thursday said it reached a deal to enter the ringtone market with mobile content publisher Dwango Wireless (DWGN.


Space Station Crew Forced to Cut Calories gollum123 writes  quot;CNN and others are reporting that food is running so low aboard the international space station that both the crew members have been asked to cut their calories, at least until a Russian supply ship arrives in a little over two weeks.


Oracle boosts enterprise content management Oracle has launched new content management software, offering file management, security and event-driven workflows. As expected, Oracle unveiled Files 10g at this week #39;s OpenWorld user conference in San Francisco.


Finley set to be an Angel The Angels have reached agreement on a two-year contract with former Dodger Steve Finley, who provides a more cost-efficient, shorter-term solution to their gap in center field than top free agent Carlos Beltran.


Bad sign? Meetings don #39;t make much sense ANAHEIM - The Los Angeles Dodgers last season had the best double-play combination in baseball, so naturally they went out yesterday and signed an All-Star second baseman who admits his glove is merely apparel.


Sprint, Nextel in merger talks: reports (AFP) AFP - US mobile telephone groups Sprint and Nextel are engaged in merger talks which could create the third-biggest US mobile operator worth some 30 billion dollars, according to reports.


Beijing urges rethink on protests \China's security chief tells officials to pay more attention to people's grievances, in the wake of increasing protests.


Iranian film wins Indian honour Iranian movie Beautiful City scoops the main prize at the International Film Festival of India.


EU probes mobile phone call costs The amount consumers are charged for making mobile calls while abroad is to be investigated by EU regulators.


Madrassas hit by sex abuse claims A Pakistani minister reveals hundreds of cases of alleged child sex abuse at religious seminaries, or madrassas.


US Flight Lands in Vietnam After 30 Years Late on Friday, an United Airlines plane will arrive in Vietnam #39;s Ho Chi Minh City, marking the first time that a commercial American airliner will be landing in the country since the Vietnam War.


Wall Street stocks end higher on strong company earnings Wall Street stocks rose Thursday as National Semiconductor Corp. #39;s strong earnings results soothed investors #39; worries over higher jobless rate and rising oil prices.


Sprint, Nextel in merger talks: reports WASHINGTON (AFP) - US mobile telephone groups Sprint and Nextel are engaged in merger talks which could create the third-biggest US mobile operator worth some 30 billion dollars, according to reports.


Napster eyes ring tone market Digital music provider Napster on Thursday teamed up with Dwango Wireless, hoping to corner a slice of the booming ring tone market.


Microsoft helps in bogus degrees case Some sleuthing by software giant Microsoft Corp. helped track down two brothers who authorities say sold bogus college degrees over the Internet, including an MBA that was issued to a housecat.


Sonics soar past Mavs, improve to 17-3 This is why the Seattle SuperSonics have become the team to beat in the NBA. One night after Ray Allen helped Seattle become the first team to win in San Antonio this season, Rashard Lewis did


Viewpoints: Tackling climate change If the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is right, our planet is heading for some big upheavals. By 2100, they predict, global sea levels will have risen by 9cm to 88cm, and average temperatures will be about 1.5 to 5.5C higher than now.


EU sure of deal on status of Cyprus The European Union presidency yesterday expressed optimism that a deal could be struck over Turkey #39;s refusal to recognize Cyprus in the lead-up to next weekend #39;s EU summit, which will decide whether to give Ankara a date for the start of accession talks.


NBA Wrap: McGrady Leads Rockets to Stunning Win Tracy McGrady hit a running 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left on the clock to give the Houston Rockets a dramatic 81-80 win over the San Antonio Spurs in National Basketball Association play Thursday in Houston.


Bush Administration Gives Annan Vote of Confidence The Bush administration has expressed confidence in United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, despite calls for his resignation from several US lawmakers over a scandal involving the UN-administered oil-for-food program for Iraq.


UN Agency Accused of Putting Children #39;s  #39;Rights #39; Above Their <b>...</b> The UN children #39;s agency has come under fire from critics who say it has prioritized children #39;s  quot;rights quot; over their survival.


PowerPoint Message Is the Medium A competition tries to elevate the dreaded PowerPoint presentation to an artful endeavor, but many participants poke fun at the program instead of exploiting its features. By Daniel Terdiman.


Handheld Gaming Goes Wireless After flocking to design games for the Nintendo DS, developers are eager to exploit the device's wireless capabilities. First up are local network multiplayer games; in the pipeline is wireless gameplay over the net. By Daniel Terdiman.


Keeping Love Connections Open When choosing a mate, we often look for financial, moral, physical and emotional compatibility. Add one more characteristic to the list: connectivity. Commentary by Regina Lynn.


The End of TV as We Know It Sit back on the sofa and get ready for packetized, on-demand, digital broadcasts. By Frank Rose from Wired magazine.


British Gas loses a million users British Gas has lost almost one million customers this year, its parent company Centrica has revealed. The gas and electricity provider, which has put up prices twice in 2004, lost 290,000 customers in the first half of the year and 630,000 in the second.


Philips halves stake in Atos Origin Royal Philips Electronics continued its withdrawal from non-core stakes on Friday by slashing its stake in Atos Origin by more than half.


Customer Service: The Hunt for a Human In the Internet age, making telephone contact with a human for customer service is a daunting task. Some companies no longer disclose phone numbers. But some consumers have found ways around the blockade.


Disney backs Sony in DVD format battle Disney announced yesterday that it would release its films on Sony #39;s Blu-ray DVD format - a week after three other Hollywood studios backed rival Toshiba #39;s HD-DVD.


Consoles in terribly short supply THIS YULE is all about console supply and there #39;s precious little units around, it has emerged. Nintendo has announced that it is going to ship another 400,000 units of its DS console to the United States to meet the shortfall there.


Man Builds 7 foot Grandfather Clock from Lego Grotius writes  quot;As reported in CNET, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (the court that hears patent appeals) heard oral argument in an appeal from a \$565 million award against Microsoft for infringing patent rights held by the


Owners plan Silverstone facelift The British Racing Drivers #39; Club plan to begin work towards improving Silverstone now they have the security of a five-year grand prix contract in place.


Hughes returns to lead in Melbourne Australian Bradley Hughes leads by four shots after round two of the Australian Masters in Melbourne. Hughes, who won here in 1993 and 1998, carded rounds of 64 and 66 for 14-under 130 to lead defending champion Robert Allenby.


Wenger: No Plans to Buy New Keeper Arsene Wenger moved to underline his faith in keepers Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia ahead of Sundays clash against Chelsea by pledging not to sign a replacement in the January transfer window.


Thursday #39;s NBA Roundup (CP) - With their depth and determination, there is little surprise the Seattle SuperSonics are the best team in the NBA. One night after Ray Allen helped Seattle become the first team to win in San Antonio


Colombia Paramilitary Fighters to Disarm (AP) AP - Crosses, burned vehicles and blown-up bridges mark the narrow road that runs from a provincial capital to this village near the Venezuelan border  #151; the scars of a protracted and bitter battle between a right-wing paramilitary group and Marxist rebels for control of the region's cocaine industry.


EU Invites UN #39;s Annan to Summit to Show Support The European Union has invited Kofi Annan as a special guest to its summit next Friday, a Dutch presidency spokesman said, demonstrating support for the UN secretary-general amid a campaign in the United States to


Rumsfeld Visits India, Delhi Frets on Arms Sales The United States will build stronger defense ties with India, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld vowed on Thursday, but New Delhi said proposed US arms sales to Pakistan could affect relations with Washington.


Philips slashes stake in Atos Origin by 50 per cent Amsterdam (pts) - Dutch electronics company Philips http://www.philips.com has announced today, Friday, that it has cut its stake in Atos Origin by more than a half.


Amazon.com enters UK DVD market Amazon.com made its anticipated entry into renting DVDs on the Internet on Thursday, launching a service in the United Kingdom that it says will charge as much as 30 percent less than its competitors.


For coffee drinkers, grind of rising prices Java lovers, hold onto your nickels and dimes. Months after retail coffee-shop chains such as Starbucks raised the cost of their caffeine concoctions, the price of coffee is still on the rise.


Yahoo! to launch desktop search in the New Year Internet portal Yahoo! says it will release a desktop search in the New Year some three months after Google. Desktop search is the latest battleground between the major search engines as they seek to gain


#39;Chatter #39; may predict quakes Los Angeles - Deep rumblings many kilometres below the San Andreas fault in California could offer a way to predict earthquakes, US scientists said in a study released on Thursday.


MS Eolas appeal begins Microsoft began its appeal yesterday against a \$565m judgment that it infringed on a patent held by Eolas, a University of California spin-off.


11am Market Update European stock markets rose in early trade this morning after a late chip-inspired rally on Wall Street nudged investors towards a positive frame of mind.


IBM closes pension Employees #39; chances of retiring with a guaranteed pension suffered another setback this week with IBM announcing it was closing its cash-balance pension plan to new employees - fueling concerns that other companies would follow suit.


Wall St. Expected to Open Slightly Lower (Reuters) Reuters - Wall Street was expected to open\slightly lower on Friday but United Technologies Corp. may\climb after its chief executive gave an upbeat outlook.


Hollywood split as Disney backs Blu-ray With the Blu-ray Disc Association securing non-exclusive backing from Disney, the major Hollywood studios are split down the middle over next-generation DVD.


Space Station Crew May Have to Return Home MOSCOW - Echoing what NASA (news - web sites) officials said a day earlier, a Russian space official on Friday said the two-man crew on the international space station could be forced to return to Earth if a planned resupply flight cannot reach them with


NHL finds hope After three months of darkness and silence, there seems to be a glimmer of hope for the NHL. In a meeting Thursday at the league #39;s Toronto offices, the players #39; union presented an in-depth proposal


Failed Road Test After winning 13 in a row and 21 of 22 in the series, many by lopsided margins, the seventh-ranked Huskies found themselves locked in a 40-minute struggle.


McGrady saves Houston Houston guard Tracy McGrady has scored 13 points in the final 35 second of the match against San Antonio, to hand his side an 81-80 victory.


No time to rest for 49ers #39; Quinn Quinn, the San Francisco 49ers #39; defensive line coach,helps devise the game plan, fine-tunes the starters, teaches the never-ending stream of new linemen the scheme, sneaks in a workout of his own, keeps his pate freshly shaved, checks in with his wife


Kenyan to collect Nobel prize Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai is to be presented with the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 at a ceremony in Oslo. Professor Maathai, also Kenya #39;s deputy environment minister, is the first African woman


Space Station Crew May Have to Return Home (AP) AP - Echoing what NASA officials said a day earlier, a Russian space official on Friday said the two-man crew on the international space station could be forced to return to Earth if a planned resupply flight cannot reach them with food supplies later this month.


Spam e-mails tempt net shoppers \Computer users continue to ignore warnings about spam and are being lured into buying goods, a report suggests.


Spam e-mails tempt net shoppers People continue to ignore warnings about spam and are being lured into buying goods, a report suggests.


IBM Product to Challenge Data Storage Leader EMC  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - IBM IBM.N on Friday will take  aim at the heart of data storage equipment leader EMC Corp.'s  EMC.N market with a product that will allow EMC buyers to  switch to IBM.


HP Rolls Out Ultra-Low Priced PC in China  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N, the  world's number-two PC maker, said on Friday it has launched a  3,999 yuan (\$483) computer in China, turning up the heat in the  intensely competitive market.


Yahoo to Begin Testing Desktop Search in January  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc. said on Thursday it  will begin testing a free desktop search service in early  January, following rivals hoping to extend the reach of wildly  profitable search-related advertising.


Atkins Gets Tech-Savvy to Reach More Dieters  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. dieters will soon be able to  count their carbs on mobile phones, the company behind the  Atkins Diet said on Thursday.


Bomb Blast Kills Six in Pakistan' Quetta -- Police (Reuters) Reuters - At least six people were\killed and nine wounded when a powerful bomb exploded near an\army truck in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta on Friday,\police said.


Opec 'ready to agree output cut' Opec looks set to agree a cut in the rampant quota-busting, which its members say has caused oil prices to fall in recent months.


Six die in Pakistan bomb blast At least six people die and a number of others are hurt in a bomb explosion in the Pakistani city of Quetta.


China #39;s Jet Fuel Supplier Gets Extension SINGAPORE - China Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corp., the company that supplies most of China #39;s jet fuel, was granted a six-week extension Friday for a restructuring plan following massive trading losses, a company lawyer said.


Home loans healthy The share of California homeowners behind on their mortgages in the third quarter slid to the lowest level in 25 years, according to a mortgage industry report.


Space crew cuts down food, awaits resupply Astronaut Leroy Chiao is instructed to return by the flight controllers because of a food shortage on the international space station.


Desktop search avalanche looming Microsoft, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves are all set to jump into the desktop search space, two months after internet search leader Google offered a test version


Most browser pop-ups open to hijack Security researchers have warned of a vulnerability in most web browsers that could let scammers launch phishing attacks from pop-up windows on trusted websites.


Edwards, Nugent earn awards LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Michigan #39;s Braylon Edwards took the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver, and Ohio State #39;s Mike Nugent won the Lou Groza Award for best kicker when college football #39;s top awards were announced last night.


Teenager Answers Charges in Turkey-Throwing Case Striding purposefully but with his head down, Ryan Cushing, the Huntington teenager accused of throwing a turkey that severely injured a passing driver last month, was


Planet under Attack, Says Nobel Peace Winner Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai was today set to warn that the planet is under attack from a litany of threats, ranging from disease, deforestation and war, and urge a shift in human thinking to save the earth.


SF accused of giving DUP veto over nationalist ministers The SDLP has accused Sinn Fin of giving the Democratic Unionist Party a veto over the decisions of nationalist ministers as part of the deal to restore power-sharing.


OPEC Agrees to Stamp Out Excess Supply
\

 By Edmund Blair and Barbara Lewis

 CAIRO (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers on Friday agreed to\stamp out excess supply that has lowered world prices from\record highs.


OECD Index Dips for U.S., Japan (Reuters) Reuters - The economic outlook for the United\States and Japan weakened slightly in October, but prospects\for the Eurozone improved slightly, according to an early\warning indicator issued by OECD on Friday.


Wall St. Expected to Open Slightly Lower  LONDON (Reuters) - Wall Street was expected to open  slightly lower on Friday but United Technologies Corp. may  climb after its chief executive gave an upbeat outlook.


OPEC Agrees to Stamp Out Excess Supply  CAIRO (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers on Friday agreed to  stamp out excess supply that has lowered world prices from  record highs.


Stocks to Watch on Friday, December 10  UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. UTX.N:


OECD Index Dips for U.S., Japan  PARIS (Reuters) - The economic outlook for the United  States and Japan weakened slightly in October, but prospects  for the Eurozone improved slightly, according to an early  warning indicator issued by OECD on Friday.


Pizza chief wants slice of insurance market The businessman, who has made his fortune through investing in pizzas and pubs, is at the head of a consortium buying four closed life insurance businesses, including Pearl Life, for 1 billion from HHG.


US wants Dodge SUV, pickup recall Federal safety regulators have told DaimlerChrysler to recall 600,000 of the most popular vehicles on the road -- the Dodge Durango SUV and the Dodge Dakota pickup truck -- due to problems with front-end ball joints.


Philips Raises EU550 Mln Selling Atos Origin Shares (Update3) Royal Philips Electronics NV, Europe #39;s largest maker of televisions, raised 550 million euros (\$729 million) by selling more than half of its stake in Atos Origin SA, France #39;s No.


Microsoft contests patent infringement decision An appeals court should throw out a \$500m (260m) patent infringement judgement against Microsoft because a lower court failed to recognise that the patent was not invented by the company awarded the money, a Microsoft lawyer claimed yesterday.


Sharon moves to form new coalition after crushing opponents of <b>...</b> JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon moved swiftly to forge a national unity government after winning approval to reshape his coalition and crushing internal opposition to his Gaza pullout plan.


Torture at Guantanamo Bay Described An Australian detainee held at the American base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba has provided a detailed account of torture in a sworn statement.


First US commercial flight in 30 years lands in Vietnam HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM - The first US passenger jet to fly to Vietnam since the war ended almost 30 years ago landed in Ho Chi Minh City Friday.


Sprint, Nextel Shares Up on Merger Talk Shares of Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. jumped again on Friday as the telephone companies continued negotiations on a merger that would combine the No.


Ford President and Vice-Chairman to retire in February NEW YORK, December 10 (newratings.com) - Ford Motor Company (FMC1.FSE) announced yesterday the resignation of its president, Sir Nicholas V Scheele, and Vice-Chairman, Allan Gilmour, early next year.


US Consumer Sentiment Up in December US consumer sentiment rose in early December, according to a survey released on Friday, as consumers reacted positively to lower prices at the gas pump.


Mobile Phone Users Double Since 2000 Worldwide mobile phone subscribers totalled nearly 1.5 billion by the middle of this year (about one quarter of the world #39;s population), according to the International Telecommunication Union.


No sequel to Shrek 2 until 2007 Ogre-sized fans of Shrek 3 will have to wait a bit longer as it #39;s been delayed for six months until 2007. The change of release was ordered by film bosses at the Dreamworks studio.


Winn-Dixie forces out president In a surprise shake-up, struggling supermarket chain Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. of Jacksonville forced out president and chief executive Frank Lazaran and named Peter L. Lynch, a former Albertsons Inc.


General Motors Europe to axe 12,000 jobs General Motors (GM) is following through with plans to axe 12,000 jobs in the loss-making European division as the car giant bids to trim operating costs by 350 million-a-year.


Southwest Air Outlines Bid Southwest Airlines (LUV:NYSE - news - research) Friday said it will offer more than \$100 for certain assets of ATA Holdings #39; (ATAHQ:Nasdaq - news - research)ATA Airlines in a forthcoming bankruptcy court auction.


Airbus to sell A350 as rival to Boeing Dreamliner Airbus has been given the go-ahead by its shareholders EADS and BAE Systems to market the A350, a new wide-body aircraft that will be a direct rival to Boeings 7E7 Dreamliner.


Ameritrade customer trading up 26 pct in Nov. Online brokerage Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday that customer stock trading activity surged 26 percent during November, and has risen


Agency seeks recall of 600,000 Dodge trucks WASHINGTON - Federal safety regulators want 600,000 Dodge Durangos and Dakota trucks recalled because their wheels could fall off, but the auto maker doesnt believe the defect is dangerous, a company spokesman said.


Introgen Sells Additional Shares Introgen Therapeutics Inc. reported Friday that it raised an additional \$7.8 million from the same European institutional investors with whom it placed shares Wednesday.


Disease risk stops Falluja return Sewage and rabid animals are hindering the return of refugees to the battered Iraqi city, the US military says.


Thomson to Back Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD Company, one of the core backers of Blu-ray, will also support its rival format. Thomson, one of the core backers of the Blu-ray Disc format for high-definition video discs, plans to offer players supporting


Napster and Dwango Sign Deal for Mobile Ringtones The Napster Mobile service will launch in the US and Canada in 2005 and will utilize a special Napster interface. Users will be able to download ringtones and earn credits redeemable on Napster PC-based service at the same time.


ISS Crew Counts Calories as Food Supply Runs Low With food stores running low, the two astronauts living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are cutting back their meal intake and awaiting a critical cargo delivery expected to arrive on Dec. 25.


Yahoo! Enters Desktop Search Realm December 10, 2004. Making clear its intention to stay a player in the search wars, Yahoo! announced plans this morning to introduce a free, high-speed desktop search tool after the first of the year.


NASA telescopes finds dust rings around planet-bearing stars For the first time, scientists have found rings of dust around planet-bearing stars an important confirmation of theories about how planets form, NASA has announced.


UC researchers discover deep tremors under San Andreas Fault BERKELEY, Calif. Scientists at UC Berkeley say tremors deep under the San Andreas Fault may help them predict future earthquakes. The head of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory says the tremors were detected


Sony Says All Systems Go for PSP Launch Handheld gaming device debuts in Japan this weekend, but won #39;t be available in US until next year. Sony Computer Entertainment is ready for the long-awaited launch of its PSP (PlayStation Portable) device


Monkeys stock their tool-kit MONKEYS use tools to dig up roots, crack seeds and dig insects from holes in trees, scientists have found, contradicting the traditional idea that humans are nature #39;s only tool-makers.


Cisco turns 20 When Cisco Systems unveiled its latest and greatest network router in May, it trumpeted the event as a watershed. Having grown from start-up to industry behemoth over the past two decades, the company claimed


-Posted by dan.farber  7:29 am (PDT) Ross Mayfield has an interesting take on the Lenovo/IBM deal and bringing open source to the desktop in his blog... I believe their commoditization strategy is more than hardware.


British GP: Good news for Silverstone, bad news for Goodwood In his infinite wisdom, Bernie Ecclestone has rescheduled the 2005 British Grand Prix in order that it does not clash with the Men #39;s Final at Wimbledon.


Els suffers home course humbling Tournament favourite Ernie Els endured a nightmare run on the back nine on Friday to slide down the leaderboard at the Dunhill Championship.


Wenger keeps Arsenals keepers, unsure about Ljungberg on Sunday Arsenals manager Arsene Wenger assured of his faith in both keepers Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia two days before Sunday #39;s match against Chelsea at Highbury.


Hughes still has master #39;s touch BRADLEY HUGHES returned to Huntingdale after a six-year hiatus to remind everyone why he was once considered the next big thing of Australian golf.


Battle for supremacy A coherent argument can usually be made in support of the view that the World Cup doesn #39;t really begin until the knock-out stages get going.


Major salary rollback offered by players union One professional hockey player says the NHL players #39; association offer to end a lockout is a lot of money out of a guy #39;s pocket to be giving up.


Pacer-turned-spinner Kumble betters Kapil #39;s 434-wkt tally (PROFILE <b>...</b> Sports India, Cricket: New Delhi, Dec 10 : For a person, who bowled fast before switching to leg-spin, Anil Kumble has travelled a long way to become India #39;s top wicket taker in Tests Friday taking his 435th scalp against Bangladesh.


Moyes insists nothing changed despite Everton revolution Few would have believed that Everton would enter Saturday #39;s 200th Merseyside derby with Liverpool seeking second place in the premier league.


O #39;Rourke more then stats and hairstyles Soccer is a sport with a field 80 yards wide by 120 yards long, and 22 players running for 90 minutes. Often times the only players that stand out are the ones that put up  #39;big #39; numbers, scoring goals and setting up others.


Taiwan poll to shape China ties Taiwan votes on Saturday to choose a new parliament in a ballot that could shape its future relations with China.


NATO will enlarge Iraq training mission BRUSSELS The North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreed to enlarge from 60 to 300 the number of personnel stationed in Baghdad to train Iraqi soldiers, but not before there was a contentious discussion with the foreign ministers of six countries that


Pakistan bomb kills at least 10 At least 10 people have been killed and at least 18 others wounded after a bomb exploded near an army truck in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, police and hospital sources say.


US changes course to back Annan THE US has switched direction on the future of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, announcing yesterday it supported his tenure and was not calling for his resignation.


Darfur talks to seek political deal amid fighting Sudanese officials and Darfur rebels arrived in Nigeria on Friday for talks on a political deal to end two years of conflict in the vast desert region which observers say is slipping deeper into chaos.


Erdogan Rebuffs EU Plea for Gesture on Cyprus Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rebuffed a European Commission plea on Friday to make a gesture toward recognition of Cyprus before EU leaders decide next week on opening membership talks with Ankara.


Taking the peace  #39;should #39;. This year they seem to have foundered on a photograph. In 2003, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said the Provisional


Iraqi kidnappers release South Asian hostages Kidnappers have released two truck drivers, one from Bangladesh and the other from Sri Lanka, after holding them hostage in Iraq for more than a month.


Israeli fire 'kills girl' in Gaza A Palestinian girl is reported killed by Israeli fire, hours after mortars aimed at a Jewish enclave hurt four.


Wholesale Prices Rise in November Wholesale prices climbed by 0.5 percent in November  --  an improvement compared with the previous month's surge, but still fresh evidence that inflation is picking up as the economy gains momentum.


Agency Seeks Recalls of Durango, Dakota Federal safety regulators want 600,000 Dodge Durangos and Dakota trucks recalled because their wheels could fall off, but the auto maker doesn't believe the defect is dangerous, a company spokesman said.


Delphi to Cut 8,500 Jobs Delphi Corp., the world's largest automotive supplier, said Friday it would cut 8,500 jobs next year.


BT board rejig follows Danon exit BT finance chief Ian Livingston will replace former  retail head Paul Danon at the UK telecoms giant, the company announces.


France to launch global TV news The French prime minister says a French-language satellite TV news channel will be launched next year.


2D Metal Slug offers retro fun Like some drill sergeant from the past, Metal Slug 3 is a wake-up call to today's gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings.


The Three Kings of Wireless One way or the other, the U.S. wireless phone industry is headed for further consolidation. Reports yesterday that Nextel and Sprint are in merger talks had Wall Street swooning and consumer advocates worrying. -washingtonpost.com


Illicit Cameraphone Clicks Could Mean Jail Camera phones may make great Christmas gifts, but people better not use them for peeping-Tom photos on federal property.


Microsoft Helps in Bogus Degrees Case Some sleuthing by software giant Microsoft Corp. helped track down two brothers who authorities say sold bogus college degrees over the Internet, including an MBA that was issued to a housecat.


Terrorists Explore Lasers as Weapons, U.S. Warns Federal officials are concerned that terrorists could try to down aircraft by blinding pilots with laser beams during landing approaches.


Kit Automates Holiday Lights It's a chore that can quickly chill the warmth of the holiday season: Trudging outside each winter night to unplug the lights, deflate the blowup snowman and shut off the rest of the outdoor extravaganza.


Plight of India's tribal peoples India's drive to adopt a western economic model is threatening those who make their living from the jungle.


Hockey labour talks to continue next week Toronto - Thursday #39;s meeting between the NHL and the NHL Players #39; Association wrapped up after nearly four hours with the two sides agreeing to meet again.


Philip Morris Hikes Cigarette Prices (Reuters) Reuters - Philip Morris USA cut wholesale\discounts on its best-selling Marlboro cigarettes and three\other brands, a spokeswoman said on Friday, effectively raising\prices for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years.


Blast kills 10 in southwestern Pakistan At least 10 people were killed and 21 others wounded in a powerful bomb blast Friday in Quetta, capital of Pakistan #39;s southwestern Baluchistan province, state-run Pakistan TV reported.


Legal Fight Menaces Aircraft Debt Ratings (Reuters) Reuters - Standard   Poor's on Friday said\ratings on about  #36;30 billion of aircraft-backed debt could be\threatened if creditors lost a legal dispute with bankrupt UAL\Corp.  unit United Airlines over the right to\repossess aircraft.


Southwest to enter bidding for bankrupt ATA DALLAS - Southwest Airlines Co. says it is bidding at least \$100 million for gates at Chicago #39;s Midway Airport and other assets of ATA Airlines Inc.


Thomson Hedges Bets, Supports HD-DVD and Blu-ray Media giant Thomson announced today that it is supporting both next-generation DVD formats, and will manufacture both HD DVD and Blu-ray DVD disks through its Camarillo-based Technicolor business.


Three firms to bid for Yukos unit Two little-known firms will join Russia gas monopoly Gazprom in the auction for the key unit of stricken oil giant Yukos, federal authorities say.


Sun executive reveals NAS strategy Sun Microsystems plans to beef up its NAS (network-attached storage) product line with support for utility computing and its new zettabyte file system (ZFS), according to an executive of the company's network storage products group.


In Brief: Cisco acquires startup BCN Systems Cisco Systems has finalized an agreement to purchase privately held BCN Systems, a provider of networking software design. Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will pay approximately \$34 million in cash for BCN. The price could increase by as much as \$122 million if BCN meets certain development and product milestones. BCN's architecture will be incorporated across Cisco's broad routing portfolio and will support Cisco's delivery of next-generation data, voice, and video services over a converged network.


Vodafone to link with Boeing in-flight Internet Vodafone Group will start Internet roaming trials this month with Connexion by Boeing, The Boeing Co.'s in-flight broadband Internet service, the companies said Thursday.


2005 to be the busiest season ever The FIA have confirmed an unprecedented 19-race schedule for the 2005 Formula One season. All of the 2004 races have been retained, with Turkey joining the calendar for the first time.


Kumble delight over record feat Anil Kumble was thrilled after becoming the leading Indian Test wicket-taker on the first day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka.


Indiana soccer coach tries to extend Yeagley #39;s legacy CARSON, Calif. Indiana University #39;s men #39;s soccer team goes up against third-seeded Maryland in a semifinal of the NCAA Men #39;s College Cup tonight in Carson, California.


Mainland inflation slows to 2.8pc easing rate rise fears Mainland inflation eased in November as food prices slowed their climb. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.8 per cent from November 2003, the smallest year-on-year increase since February #39;s 2.1 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics said.


Molson, Coors Set January Merger Vote, Hire BMO to Get Ballots Molson Inc. and Adolph Coors Co. plan to hold shareholders votes on their merger to create the world #39;s fifth-biggest brewer on Jan. 19 and hired Bank of Montreal #39;s securities arm to persuade investors to cast ballots.


Altria hikes cigarette prices Philip Morris USA, a division of Manhattan #39;s Altria Group and the largest US maker of cigarettes, announced Friday that it will cut discounts on its Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Basic and Parliament brands--the first time in two years the company has


To the beat of drums, African woman receives Nobel Peace Prize The first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, received her award Friday to the beat of drums and


Greeks grease palms, expect drop in graft The state health service, political parties, tax officials and the media top Greeks list of perceived corruption, according to a global survey published yesterday by the Transparency International graft watchdog.


EU chief backs Turkey #39;s bid, but warns over Cyprus The European Commission voiced support for Turkey #39;s bid to join the EU Friday and expressed hope for a  quot;positive outcome quot; at a summit next week, but warned that recognition of Cyprus is crucial to Ankara #39;s hopes.


Violence flares in Kashmir NEW DELHI - At least two Indian policemen have been killed and five wounded in a Muslim rebel attack on their camp in Kashmir. Two of the wounded are in critical condition, according to police.


Sony Says All Systems Go for PSP Launch Handheld gaming device debuts in Japan this weekend, but won't be available in U.S. until next year.


Thomson to Back Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD Company, one of the core backers of Blu-ray, will also support its rival format.


Microsoft Readies Windows Server 2003 Update R2, an interim release, will begin beta testing later this month.


Auburn Keeps Faith After being left out of the Orange Bowl, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville hopes a Sugar Bowl win over Virginia Tech can earn his Tigers a share of the national title.


Thomson to Support Next-Generation DVD Formats Short for high definition-DVD, a generic term for the technology of recording high-definition video on a DVD. In general, HD-DVD is capable of storing between two and four times as much data as standard DVD.


Napster Branches Into Ringtones Los Angeles-based Napster, the online music division of Roxio, announced that the company is making a foray into the downloadable ringtone market in a deal with Dwango Wireless, a publisher of mobile entertainment content.


Microsoft Preps Five Windows Patches Microsoft #39;s monthly patch day for December will produce security updates for five vulnerabilities affecting Windows users, the company said Thursday.


We #39;ll never let Gerrard leave FORGET any transfer bids for Steven Gerrard - that #39;s the cry from Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry. The midfielder fuelled speculation that a move was imminent when he stated earlier this week that the club must start winning things to keep him.


Going head to head at Williams Two drivers - Antonio Pizzonia and Nick Heidfeld -re chasing the final seat at the BMW Williams team and as everyone knows, two into one simply does not go.


It's Crunch Time for Biotech Companies Washington area biotech companies will face pivotal moments this year, finding out whether key products work before money dries up, fending off competition from bigger companies,  and, perhaps filing to go public.-The Washington Post


OPEC to Cut Production After Six-Week Price Decline (Update3) OPEC, producer of more than a third of the world #39;s oil, agreed to cut output by about 4 percent to end the biggest six-week drop in prices since demand collapsed after the September 2001 attacks on the US.


Foods tycoon buys assurance funds Food and drinks entrepreneur Hugh Osmond has bought four life assurance funds for 1bn (\$1.97bn). Mr Osmond has purchased the brands - Pearl Assurance, NPI, London Life and Provident Life - from financial services group HHG.


Napster #39;s mobile market plans The company has formed an agreement with mobile developer and publisher Dwango Wireless to launch the service - Napster Mobile - across the US and Canada in 2005.


Free Yahoo X1 desktop search p2pnet.net News:- Yahoo says it #39;ll enter the desktop search stakes in the New Year, joining Google, Ask Jeeves, Microsoft #39;s MSN and AOL.


Microsoft Readies Windows Server 2003 Update Microsoft has started recruiting testers for the first beta of Windows Server 2003 R2, an update to Windows Server that the vendor plans to ship in October next year.


Think Again? Maybe with its relative distance from Microsoft, Lenovo will feel free to do what domestic PC makers don #39;t: aggressively make and market Linux desktops and laptops.


Growth in Government Specialty Work Federal spending on contractors is expected to grow more quickly than it has historically in 2005, with contractors that specialize in technology services growing the most according to experts.
 -The Washington Post


Iraqi abductors release Bangladeshi truck driver Iraqi kidnappers have released a Bangladeshi truck driver after holding him hostage for more than a month, a foreign ministry official said on Friday.


Search Engine Forums Spotlight Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: SEO Thoughts on Google - Yahoo! Local Listings - New Program - User Reviews and Local Search Optimization - Data Providers: The Engine That Drives Local Search - Google Affiliates Update - Confessions of a White Hat Content Spammer: What I've Learned by Ignoring Google


Winn-Dixie Ousts CEO Frank Lazaran Struggling grocery giant Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. forced out president and chief executive Frank Lazaran on Friday and named Peter L. Lynch, a former Albertsons Inc.


Airbus shareholders approve launch of new A350 to rival Boeing 7E7 Shareholders in Airbus SAS have approved the launch of a new A350 passenger jet to rival Boeing Co. #39;s 7E7, a spokesman for Airbus parent EADS said Friday.


Can an Aging Mercenary Ever Go Home? My guess is that no relationship has made Bill Parcells, the quintessential North Jersey guy, as happy as the one he found next door, with the Giants.


Space station astronauts told to ration food Two astronauts face a not-so-merry Christmas after being told to ration their food and hope a cargo ship with extra supplies docks on December 26.


Despite All the Criticism, the B.C.S. Has Produced a Classic Matchup On Tuesday night, when No. 1 Southern California and No. 2 Oklahoma meet in the Orange Bowl, all the foibles about the B.C.S. will move to the background.


Auburn Trustee Boosts Everyone, Including the Chaplain Why would Bobby Lowder invest so much money into Auburn University and have so many ties to the football team's chaplain?


Reality of Steelers Puts a Quick End to the Bills' Dream Buffalo's offense, which had led the way to six straight victories, was inefficient in a defeat to Pittsburgh.


Q amp;A: Berlusconi trial Italy is awaiting the verdict in the long-running corruption trial of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. In this guide we examine what is at stake.


Iraqi militants free Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi hostages Iraqi militants have released a Sri Lankan truck driver and his Bangladeshi colleague after holding them hostage for 43 days, the foreign ministry said Friday.


Rams and Jets Find Playoff Berths Behind Door No. 1 The Jets are taking uncertainty - more than anything else - into the postseason. They will play the Chargers in an A.F.C. wild-card game on Saturday.


Gemstar-TV Guide Taps Fox Executive as CEO Television listings company Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. has named a Fox Entertainment Group vice president, Rich Battista, as chief executive, succeeding Jeff Shell, who resigned.


Ameritrade Posts November Client Trades Ameritrade Holding Corp., a provider of brokerage services for individual investors, said Friday that daily average client trades in November reached 183,000, with 29,000 new accounts opened during the month.


Philip Morris Eases Discounts, Ups Prices Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc. (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , told wholesalers on Thursday it would reduce its  quot;off-invoice quot; discounts to \$5.50 a carton from \$6.50, a move that


Putin: Iraq Still Too Dangerous for Russian Firms (Reuters) Reuters - Iraq is still too dangerous for Russian\companies to work there, President Vladimir Putin was quoted as\saying on Friday.


McGrady's Flurry Sends Rockets Past Spurs (AP) AP - Tracy McGrady let fly with a running 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left, capping a one-man rally in the final minute to send the Houston Rockets past the San Antonio Spurs 81-80 Thursday night.


Palestinian Girl Killed in Gaza Strip, Medics Say (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli troops shot dead a 7-year-old\Palestinian girl in a Gaza refugee camp on Friday, medics said,\after militants wounded four Israelis in a mortar attack on a\nearby Jewish settlement.


Bomb Kills 10, Injures 20 in Pakistani City (Reuters) Reuters - A powerful bomb exploded near\an army truck in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on\Friday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 20,\officials said.


Search Rushes to the Desktop Late Wednesday night, Yahoo (Quote, Chart) unveiled plans to debut a beta version of Yahoo Desktop Search in the coming weeks. At the same time, Ask Jeeves (Quote, Chart) confirmed to internetnews.


Oracle Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Oracle #39;s Tsunami hits the shore, but is it making waves? Today they have announced the launch of their new Enterprise Content Management (ECM) technology, Oracle(R) Files 10g.


South Korean soap opera boosting tourism from Japan, says thinktank (AFP) AFP - A South Korean soap opera called "Winter Sonata" -- whose leading actor Bae Yong-Joon is hugely popular with middle-aged Japanese women -- is generating 1.1 billion dollars for Seoul through increased tourism business, a thinktank said Friday.


Is The Tide Shifting On The Mersey? How bad were Everton last season? On the last day, with 39 points, they travelled to Manchester City, who had 38. Any other year this would have been a straight battle for survival, with the losers going down.


Spain coach faces investigation Spain #39;s Anti-Violence Commission have asked the country #39;s football federation to open a disciplinary case against national team coach Luis Aragones.


Sale nearly set for NBA Cavaliers (AFP) AFP - Cleveland Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund is involved in contract talks to sell the National Basketball Association team, which has become a top NBA contender behind second-year star LeBron James.


Mubarak Denies Israel Deal, Envoy's Return (AP) AP - President Hosni Mubarak said reports of a deal with Israel were exaggerated and denied that the Egyptian ambassador would soon return to Tel Aviv, a leading newspaper reported Friday.


Finley to Remain in Southern Calif., with Angels (Reuters) Reuters - The Anaheim Angels have\reportedly agreed to a contract with veteran free-agent\outfielder Steve Finley.


Egyptian police block solidarity group accompanying aid to Palestinians (AFP) AFP - Members of an international solidarity group trying accompanying humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip abandoned their trip after a standoff with security forces, a member of the group said.


BREAKDOWN: Dolphins vs. Broncos The Dolphins haven #39;t had a 100-yard rusher all season, but the odds of TB Travis Minor reaching that mark are improved now that impressive rookie RG Rex Hadnot has replaced Taylor Whitley in the starting lineup.


Police charge Toronto doctor with 46 counts of sexual assault (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - A Toronto doctor was been charged with 46 counts of sexual assault after some of his female patients alleged he touched them inappropriately during physical exams, police said Friday.


MSN Search Engine - Searching for ways to make Redmond rise again MSN Search Engine - Searching for ways to make Redmond rise again\\What would you do if you were tasked with designing a new search engine? You have all the resources the world can offer and the certain knowledge that your project is so important to your employer that mountains, molehills, ...


Laptop Usage Can Lead to Low Sperm Count and Infertility Laptop Usage Can Lead to Low Sperm Count and Infertility\\Laptops may be one of the most useful inventions in the world, even more useful than TiVo and Jiffy Pop. However, a quite frightening study was released yesterday that linked laptop usage to infertility in males. The study, released by the ...


Sentiment Strong in December Consumer attitudes showed more signs of improvement heading into the holidays as an early reading on consumer sentiment in December beat expectations.


Kenya to repossess illegal land Kenya says it  has started to repossess millions of hectares of land acquired illegally since independence in 1963.