Crude Oil, Heating Oil Fall as Mild U.S. Weather Curbs Fuel Use

Crude oil and heating oil fell as higher-than-normal temperatures inthe northern U.S. reduced demand for heating fuels.

"It all comes down to the weather,'' said Bill O'Grady, an analystwith A.G. Edwards & Sons in St. Louis. ``Mild weather is keeping a lidon prices. When we finally get cold weather we may see things turnaround.''

Home-heating demand in the U.S. Northeast, where 80 percent of thenation's heating oil is consumed, will be 22 percent below normalthrough Nov. 14, said Weather Derivatives, a forecaster in Belton,Missouri. Consumption in the north-central U.S. will be 36 percentbelow normal.

Crude oil for December delivery fell 67 cents, or 1.1 percent, to$59.91 a barrel at 10:01 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Futures have dropped 15 percent since reaching a record $70.85 on Aug.30. Prices are up 21 percent from a year ago.

Heating oil for December delivery declined 3.02 cents, or 1.7 percent,to $1.766 a gallon in New York. Futures reached a record $2.21 onSept. 1. Prices are up 29 percent from a year earlier.
``We're seeing range trading in all of the energy contracts,'' saidJason Schenker, an economist at Wachovia Corp. in Charlotte. ``The bigquestion is whether this is the bottom or if we will go lower. In theshort-term the inventory numbers and the weather will determine whatwe do.''

U.S. InventoriesU.S. crude-oil and gasoline inventories rose in the week ended Oct.28, according to the Energy Department. Supplies of distillate fuels,which include heating oil and diesel, were little changed.

The reportcovering last week is scheduled for release on Nov. 9.
Gasoline for December delivery fell 2.29 cents, or 1.4 percent, to$1.5851 a gallon in New York. Prices are down 46 percent from a record$2.92 touched on Aug. 31. Gasoline is up 24 percent from a year ago.

Regular gasoline at the pump, averaged nationwide, fell 1.5 cents to$2.383 a gallon on Nov. 4. Prices are down 22 percent from the record$3.057 a gallon on Sept. 2, according to the AAA, the nation's largestmotoring organization. Pump prices are 19 percent higher than a yearago.
Oil demand will grow about 1.4 percent a year for the next quartercentury, according to the International Energy Agency, adviser toindustrialized nations on energy policy.

To meet energy demand through 2030, investments of about $17 trillionare needed, including $3 trillion in each the oil and gas industriesand more than $10 trillion in power plants and transmission lines, theIEA said in its 2005 World Energy Outlook, published today. TheParis-based agency represents 26 oil-consuming countries.

Brent crude for December fell 65 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $58.60 abarrel on the London-based ICE Futures exchange, formerly theInternational Petroleum Exchange. Prices are down 15 percent from arecord $68.89 Aug. 30.


www.quote.bloomberg.com

Google launches downloadable mobile application

Google Inc. on Monday began offering a downloadable application that
extends its Google Local service to some mobile phone users.

Called Google Local for mobile, the application lets users search for
locations and then view them on a map. Users can also view the
location as a satellite image and get driving directions.

Also, when users find a listing through the service, they can click on
the phone number and automatically place a call to the number.

Users can shift their view of the map or zoom, just like they can drag
and zoom in on maps in Google Local on computers.

Users of mobile phones that can download Java applications can use the
service, which is now only available in the U.S.

That means Cingular Wireless LLC, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA
Inc. customers with certain phones can download the application but
Verizon Communications Inc., Alltel Corp. and U.S. Cellular customers
won't be able to use it. Nextel, BlackBerry and Palm devices are not
supported.

The application is free to download, but customers will be charged
data access fees by their operators to use it.

Google has already offered other mobile services. For example, mobile
phone users can send text messages to Google asking for the location
of a business or for driving directions.

Mobile users with Web-enabled phones can also search the Internet
using a mobile version of Google.

Yahoo also has a number of services optimized for mobile users, such
as search, downloadable games and photo-sharing services.

www.macworld.com

Animal health watchdog calls for stronger action ahead of bird flu meeting

The world's paramount agency for veterinary health has issued a
renewed appeal for countries to beef up efforts to combat avian
influenza on the farm, in the run up to a major conference on bird
flu.

'The avian influenza virus strain that appeared in Southeast Asia
about two years ago is currently circulating endemically in several
Asian countries that lack the tools and resources needed to implement
the appropriate eradication measures,' the World Organisation for
Animal Health (OIE) said here.

The OIE called for wealthy countries to help developing nations to
vaccinate all their poultry populations against the H5N1 strain.

It also advocated medium-term measures such as training farmers and
local veterinarians in spotting bird flu infections in order to
quickly contain outbreaks.

'If the international community does not help them in this way, there
is every likelihood of global crises associated with emerging and
re-emerging national diseases frequently occurring,' the OIE said.

The OIE and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have
estimated short-term needs for improving poultry surveillance and
other veterinary measures at 150 mln usd. Only 30 mln usd has been
committed so far, sources at those agencies say.

The OIE, the FAO and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are to stage
a meeting in Geneva next Monday to Wednesday on how to strengthen
cooperation against bird flu. Representatives from the World Bank and
national governments will also attend.

H5N1 at present is confined to migrating birds and poultry, with
backyard flocks of chickens, geese and ducks the most vulnerable. 'The
virus rarely occurs in commercial farms, which now know how to protect
themselves,' the OIE press release said.

The virus is a threat to humans who come into close proximity to
infected birds, notably by breathing virus-laden nasal secretions or
dried, pulverised faeces.

More than 60 people have died of the virus in Asia since 2003, roughly
half of the known cases of human infections. There have been several
suspected cases, but none of them confirmed, by which the pathogen has
spread from human to human.

The fear is that H5N1 could acquire these contagious genes by mixing
with a conventional human flu virus, emerging as a new virus against
which no one would would have immunity.

www.forbes.com

World business booms

The global private sector economy boomed at its fastest rate in 15
months in October, providing ample fuel for central banks to ratchet
up warnings of rising inflation and the need for higher interest
rates.

Monthly surveys of thousands of companies in the major economies of
North America, Europe and Asia indicated a sharp rebound in activity
last month.

Manufacturers steamed ahead at their fastest rate in 13 months.
Service sector firms signaled they were at full tilt again, aided by a
sharp recovery in the United States after a September stutter caused
by hurricanes and soaring fuel costs.

With activity at full blast and the cost of energy and raw materials
still high, the rising threat of inflation is holding the attention of
increasingly hawkish central banks worldwide.

"Policymakers cannot be complacent," Federal Reserve Vice Chairman
Roger Ferguson told a conference in Washington.

"Central bankers must reinforce their credibility and validate the
confidence of market participants by actively leaning against the
inflationary pressures long before inflation itself builds," he added.

The Fed announced its 12th quarter-percentage-point rate increase
since June last year on Tuesday, bringing its key lending rate up to 4
percent from a starting low of 1 percent.

Financial markets expect even tighter credit as the Fed warned of the
"cumulative" impact of energy price increases.

Earlier in Frankfurt, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude
Trichet also signaled the ECB was closer to raising its key short-term
rates from 2 percent, where they have been for more than two years.

"We can move at any time, and we have warned the market very clearly
of this," Trichet said. "Strong vigilance is of the essence in our
eyes, and we clearly see increased risks to price stability."

"As regards to a pre-emptive strike, any central bank would not
consider it advisable to wait for inflation to materialize," Trichet
added.

Financial futures markets are betting there is a 60 percent chance of
an ECB rate rise as soon as next month.

www.financialexpress.com

Workbrain Named One of North America's Fastest Growing Technology Companies

Workbrain today announced that it ranked 24th on the 2005 Deloitte
Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology
companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage revenue
growth over five years, from 2000-2004. Workbrain grew 13,570 percent
during this period.

Workbrain's President and CEO, David Ossip, credits the company's
growth to its product leadership and ongoing commitment to customer
satisfaction. "We are honored that Deloitte has recognized Workbrain
as one of the fastest growing technologies in North America," Ossip
said. "Our goal is to solidify our position as the recognized leader
in enterprise workforce management solutions and I feel confident that
we have what it takes to continue our tremendous success."

"Making the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 is commendable in today's
highly competitive technology industry," said Tony Kern, deputy
national managing principal of Deloitte's Technology, Media &
Telecommunications industry practice. "Attracting enough customers to
attain such fast growth over five years makes a strong statement about
the quality of a company's product and its leadership. Workbrain has
shown the right stuff for growth."

In addition to ranking on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, Workbrain
also placed second on the 2005 Canadian Technology Fast 50, which is a
ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology firms in Canada.

Overall, companies that ranked on the 2005 Technology Fast 500
experienced an average growth rate of 2,408 percent.

Fast 500 Selection and Qualifications

The Fast 500 list is compiled from Deloitte's 15 regional North
American Fast 50 lists, nominations submitted directly to the Fast
500, and public company database research. To qualify for the Fast
500, entrants must have had 2000 operating revenues of at least
$50,000 USD or $75,000 CD for the United States and Canada,
respectively, and 2004 operating revenues of at least $1 million USD
or CD.

Entrants must be headquartered in North America and must be a
"technology company," defined as a company that owns proprietary
technology that contributes to a significant portion of the company's
operating revenues; or devotes a significant proportion of revenues to
the research and development of technology. Using other companies'
technology in a unique way does not qualify.

About Workbrain

Workbrain develops, markets, implements and supports software that
helps large organizations optimally deploy and manage their
workforces. Customers such as British Airways, J.B. Hunt, Lowe's and
Weyerhaeuser have chosen Workbrain's industry-focused workforce
management solutions to automate workforce planning, labor
forecasting, employee schedule optimization, time and attendance, and
workforce analytics. For more information, please visit
www.workbrain.com.

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss
Verein, its member firms and their respective subsidiaries and
affiliates. As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each
other's acts or omissions.

Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity
operating under the names "Deloitte", "Deloitte & Touche", "Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu" or other related names. Services are provided by the
member firms or their subsidiaries or affiliates and not by the
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein.

Deloitte & Touche USA LLP is the US member firm of Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu. In the US, services are provided by the subsidiaries of
Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte & Touche LLP, Deloitte Consulting
LLP, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, Deloitte Tax LLP and
their subsidiaries), and not by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements which are not
historical facts, but are based on certain assumptions and reflect
Workbrain's current expectations.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ
materially from current expectations. Workbrain disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not
place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of
actual results.

Workbrain is a trademark of Workbrain, Inc. All other product or
company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

(c) Copyright 2005 Workbrain, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.biz.yahoo.com

Windows Live rooted in MSN's past

Of the eight or so services that Microsoft showed off Tuesday at the
launch of Windows Live, its new Web-based consumer tools, the vast
majority are reincarnations of products that the company had either
released or tested under the MSN brand.

"A lot of the Windows Live services are things that had already been
in development by MSN," Directions on Microsoft analyst Matt Rosoff
said.

The main Live.com Web page is similar to the Start.com page that has
been in testing since earlier this year. Windows Live Mail is a
long-planned update to Hotmail designed to make the service more like
desktop e-mail software. Other existing products, like Microsoft's MSN
Spaces and its OneCare security service, are also joining the Windows
Live party.

Windows Live is most certainly not an online version of Microsoft's
venerable operating system, as the name might imply. But the company
insists the move is more than a name change.

Indeed, some of the technology that Microsoft demonstrated goes beyond
not only what MSN has done, but also what Google and Yahoo have
covered in their personalization efforts.

The most striking examples were ways of tying Windows Live to the
desktop. On stage, Microsoft showed how people could share file
folders with instant-messaging buddies and use the Live.com page to
view not only Web content, but also things like recently opened
documents or a corporate SharePoint portal.

Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li said that some of what
Microsoft outlined represented an improvement over the personalization
features offered by Yahoo and Google's services. But she also chided
Microsoft over the Live.com site's complexity.

"I don't think my mom will be able to use it," Li said, pointing out
that those that want to use Windows Live have to start out with a
nearly blank page and build from there.

Moreover, adding small applications, known as "gadgets," is no easy
task. At the moment, people must go to microsoftgadgets.com, copy a
special URL, then go back to Live.com and follow a series of "advanced
options."

"Sorry for the inconvenience," Microsoft notes on its gadget site. "We
will provide a more seamless experience very soon."

Gadgets are important for Microsoft, because it plans to use them
throughout both Windows Vista (the upcoming update to its operating
system) and Windows Live. The same types of traffic maps and photo
viewers that can be dropped onto a Live.com page will also be able to
exist on a permanent sidebar within Vista.

Microsoft also plans to use gadgets as the way to add locally stored
information, such as recently opened documents, onto the Live.com Web
page.

Eventually, Microsoft hopes to make using gadgets as easy as dragging
and dropping the desired application onto either Live.com or the Vista
sidebar.

Bulked-up Messenger coming
Some of the biggest new things that Microsoft demonstrated as part of
Windows Live are coming in an update to Messenger. Although the
instant-messaging engine exists today, the Windows Live incarnation
will include a number of new features, including social networking and
Internet telephony.

In the demo on Tuesday, Microsoft showed how the service would let
someone call a contact's phone as easily as sending a text instant
message. That seemed to be a shot across the bow of companies like
Skype and Vonage, which provide voice over Internet Protocol calling.

However, Microsoft has now clarified the pricing of the Internet
calling service, saying PC-to-phone calling will be a paid service,
even during public beta testing. The company also said it will work
with a yet-unnamed partner to provide the VoIP calling, rather than
get in the telecommunications business itself.

Another feature of the new Messenger presented was the ability to
share folders with a buddy. The idea is that dragging a file on top of
a contact would allow you to create a shared folder. That folder would
exist on both members' desktop and stays up-to-date with any changes
to the file. While that capability was built in-house, Microsoft said
Thursday morning that it is buying another service, called
FolderShare, to assist in its Windows Live efforts.

Another service demonstrated, but is not yet available, is Windows
Live Local. In his presentation, MSN vice president Blake Irving
outlined a local search service that included elements of Microsoft's
Virtual Earth mapping. Eventually, the company could add tools that
enable members or their buddies to create annotations, creating a
personalized map of their favorite spots in the city.

Microsoft also showed off a preview of a mobile search tool as part of
a mobile version of Windows Live. With the service, Microsoft is
aiming to have a compact Web search page that can find a nearby
restaurant or gas station. It will be viewable via both Windows Mobile
devices and ordinary cell phones that have a Web browser. The tool is
not yet available, but should be in beta "soon," Microsoft said in a
posting on its Web site.

Channeling the spirit of Hailstorm
The whole point of launching Windows Live even with some rough edges,
Microsoft insisted, is to get a sense of what it is that people want.
The company is also banking on its ability to rapidly update and
improve its services, following the model of MSN, Google and Yahoo.

"A lot of people are characterizing this as a response to Google, and
in some ways, maybe it is," Rosoff said.

But the analyst also noted that the notion of delivering software as a
service is a company approach that predates Microsoft's rivalry with
Google.

"The idea of moving to online services has been kicking around
Microsoft for a long time," he said. Indeed, Microsoft had a
companywide meeting in the late 1990s at which top executives outlined
plans to deliver all manner of software as a service.

"Like many things around the Internet that were predicted to happen
quickly, they're not wrong, they're simply things that take more
time," Gates said in a March interview.

Previous Next Back in 2001, Microsoft developed what it called .Net
My Services, better known by its code name "Hailstorm," that was
intended to offer many services now on the agenda for Windows Live.
For instance, Hailstorm would have created a "myDocuments" service for
sharing files and personalization tools like "myProfile" and
"myDevices."

In all, Hailstorm, which Microsoft shelved in 2002 due to privacy
concerns and weak partner support, would have defined more than a
dozen such services, according to documentation distributed at the
time.

"Since then many, many things have happened," said Ray Ozzie, the
Microsoft Chief Technical Officer who has been put in charge of the
company's overall services push.

Rosoff said that Microsoft was, in many ways, ahead of the game when
it first considered the notion. "The business model wasn't there.
There were still some technology barriers as well."

www.news.com.com

Drug May Slow Intestinal Cancer

A new drug has been shown to dramatically delay the progression of a
rare type of intestinal cancer in patients who have run out of options
because their tumors have outsmarted even the latest high-tech drug.

Sutent belongs to a new class of cancer drugs that target multiple
tumor activities at once. Doctors are hopeful it will usher in a new
era of combinations of finely targeted drugs that can greatly improve
the prognosis of cancer patients, in much the same way that
triple-combination therapy has revolutionized HIV treatment.

Conventional chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, but they also
damage healthy tissue. The newer generation of drugs specifically
target tumor cells and leave the rest of the body alone. However, they
hone in on a single tumor function, don't work for everybody and can
stop working after a while.

Sutent, or sunitinib malate, seems to shrink tumors by simultaneously
starving them of blood, blocking signals that tell them to grow and
spread, and causing cancer cells to die. It is being tested in
patients for whom the latest targeted drugs have failed and has shown
promise in previous studies in kidney and breast cancer patients. It
is one of more than 10 multitasking drugs being studied in various
types of cancer.

The research, presented Thursday at the European Cancer Conference in
Paris, studied Sutent in 312 people in Europe, the United States,
Australia and Asia with a type of cancer called gastrointestinal
stromal tumor, or GIST.

The prognosis of this cancer had been dire until the targeted drug
Gleevec, or imatinib, came along about five years ago. However,
Gleevec stops working for most patients within two years as the tumor
develops resistance to it.

In the study, two-thirds of patients, who had all developed resistance
to Gleevec, got the new drug, while one-third received a fake
treatment.

Sutent delayed the time to progression of the tumor from 6.4 weeks to
27.3 weeks, the study found. It is too early to tell whether the
treatment is saving lives.

The study was paid for by Sutent's developer, Pfizer.

The findings are good news for GIST patients, said Dr. Gordon McVie of
the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, who was not
connected with the research.

"There was a fear when imatinib was so successful that when resistance
occurred, that was going to be it," said McVie. "What's really
exciting is that behind Gleevec came two more buses this one, and a
second drug. These drugs have lifted everybody's expectations all over
again."

But experts agree the promise of Sutent and other such drugs goes
beyond GIST, which is being used as a proving ground for other cancers
because scientists understand its simple circuitry.

"It has huge scientific implications, that's for sure," said Dr. Jose
Baselga, an oncologist at the Valla d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona,
Spain, who was not tied to the research.

The study's leader, Dr. George Demetri, associate professor of
medicine at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said the
findings will help scientists think more creatively about more
complicated cancers.

"We are trying to put together the rule book on cancer," he said.

The experience with HIV therapy, where huge leaps in survival were
seen after triple combination cocktails came along, has provided good
lessons for cancer, Demetri said. Testing of Sutent in combination
with other drugs is already under way, he said.

"The cells probably have a rather limited repertoire of tricks they
can fall back on. If you put pressure on one pathway, the cell finds a
different pathway to squeeze around. But if you block that pathway
too, the cell is stuck. They get trapped, they can't grow and they
die," Demetri said. "That's the theory."

www.cbsnews.com

Estonian Hackers Charged With Cracking Business Wire

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) went after two Estonian
men, charging them with hacking Business Wire, distributor of
corporate press releases. The SEC say they utilized information
gleaned to make profitable trades.

Lohmus, Haavel & Viisemann, an Estonian financial services firm and
more specifically, two of its employees, Oliver Peek and Kristjan
Lepik with a scheme involving electronic theft and trading of more
than 360 confidential press releases issued by more than 200 U.S.
companies. The SEC says since January 2005, the company has made at
least $7.8 million in illegal profits.

"Our action today demonstrates that we will seek out and stop
securities fraud wherever we find it. Whether in an old-fashioned
boiler room or, as in this case, in the high-tech environs of the
internet, such conduct will be met with a swift and vigorous
enforcement response," said Linda Chatman Thomsen, Director of the
Commission's Division of Enforcement.

The Commission's complaint alleges that, in June 2004, Lohmus became a
client of Business Wire for the sole purpose of gaining access to
Business Wire's secure client website.

Once defendants had access, they surreptitiously utilized a software
program, a so-called "spider" program, which provided unauthorized
access to confidential information contained in impending nonpublic
press releases of other Business Wire clients, including the expected
time of issuance.

The complaint further alleges that the information fraudulently stolen
by the defendants has allowed them to strategically time their trades
around the public release of news involving, among other things,
mergers, earnings, and regulatory actions.

Using several U.S. brokerage accounts, the defendants have bought long
or sold short the stocks of the companies whose confidential press
release information they have stolen, and purchased options to
increase their profits.

This is another dimension to hacking and cybercrime. These gentlemen
managed to garner access to the internal workings of a major press
release distribution network and used the information to their
advantage.

Many times the crimes are denials of service or phishing scams but
this is no less significant and one more area that could stand to be
watch a little more closely.

www.securitypronews.com

Gates Foundation Donates $258 Million to Fight Malaria

American billionaire Bill Gates is donating another $258 million to
the fight against malaria, which kills more than one million people
each year, mostly African children.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Sunday it is granting
the money to groups working on new drugs, a vaccine and better
mosquito control to stop malaria.

A new report by a the Malaria Research and Development Alliance says
the $258 million donation equals more than three-quarters of the
entire global spending on research into the disease last year.

Mr. Gates told reporters Sunday it is "a tragedy that the world has
done so little" to stop the disease that kills 2,000 African children
every day.

Mr. Gates, who founded computer software giant Microsoft, is the
world's wealthiest person.

www.voanews.com

Nokia's solution for managing DVB-H broadcast services

Mobile communications service provider Nokia has announced the world's
first commercial service management solution for DVB-H services, the
Nokia Mobile Broadcast Solution 3.0. The Nokia Mobile Broadcast
Solution (MBS) 3.0 supports the broadcasting of different types of
digital content such as live TV, radio and video clips over DVB-H
networks to mobile devices.

The key features of the MBS 3.0 include the Electronic Service Guide
(ESG), a consumer interface in the mobile device for searching
available services, setting alerts for upcoming programs and for the
viewing selection. Additionally, the MBS 3.0 offers service protecion,
flexible content pricing schemes and provides consumers with an easy
way to purchase viewing rights.

The MBS 3.0 is based on open standards such as DVB-H. It fully
implements the Open Air Interface (OAI) 1.0 implementation guidelines
which Nokia published in August 2005 on www.nokia.com/mobiletv. The
Open Air Interface specifies how mobile TV devices connect with the
DVB-H network and the servers of the overall mobile TV service
infrastructure. The OAI
specification was published to enable multivendor interoperability in
the mobile TV industry.

Nokia says that it has been an active participant in several mobile TV
pilots over the past two years, during which the consumer response has
been very encouraging.

The feedback collected from mobile and broadcast network operators and
media companies has proved invaluable, making it possible for Nokia to
create this solution. By offering a safe, secure and future proof
solution for managing mobile TV broadcasting Nokia says that it is
creating the momentum for the mobile TV market to take off during
2006.

The MBS 3.0 offers mobile broadcst service providers a single platform
which can serve several content providers. At the same time, it offers
content providers a protected distribution channel to mobile users.

Broadcasters get flexibility in defining the geographical distribution
coverage and service bundles consisting of free-to-air, subscription
based and pay-per-view services as well as setting pricing schemes.

The MBS 3.0 supports mobile service providers in offering broadcast
related e-commerce and interctive services. Furthermore, the MBS 3.0
solution provides invoicing for prepaid cellular subscribers.

The Nokia Mobile Broadcast Solution 3.0 will be available in the first
quarter of 2006.

Next year Nokia will bring the first mobile TV device to the market
with in-built DVB-H capabilities. The MBS 3.0 is the third
implementation of a DVB-H service management solution which has been
piloted globally already with several customers since 2003.

www.indiantelevision.com

Telefonica to buy O2 PLC in $31.4B deal

ET Telefonica SA, the Spanish telecommunications powerhouse that has
been expanding in Latin America and Eastern Europe, has agreed to buy
mobile phone company O2 PLC in a $31.4 billion deal that will help
expand in the United Kingdom and German markets.

The Spanish company said Monday it has agreed to pay 200 pence ($3.55)
per share in cash for O2 shares, a 22 percent premium over their
closing price on Friday. The O2 board recommended that shareholders
accept the offer.

Telefonica Chairman Cesar Alierta said the deal will boost the
company's capacity for growth and balance its exposure regionally,
giving it more assets in Europe after a recent expansion in Latin
America.

"It accelerates Telefonica's already beneficial growth prospects,
widening the gap with our peers," he said. "We are entering in the two
largest markets in Europe with critical mass."
The combined company will have 116 million mobile phone users and a 16
percent market share in terms of revenue in Europe's top five mobile
phone markets.

It will have 170 million customers globally including fixed-line
users, compared to Vodafone Group PLC which has over 165 million
mobile customers, France Telecom which has 70 million mobile
customers, and Deutsche Telekom -- which had previously shown interest
in O2 -- with over 80 million mobile customers.

Peter Erskine, chief executive of O2, said the geographic operating
differences between the two companies was a strong reason for
recommending the deal.

"It's ... good for customers. They have no overlapping territory, so
they will be able to offer our customers better roaming and better
services around the world," Erskine told British Broadcasting Corp.
radio.

Alierta said that the proposed acquisition will boost earnings from
year one. Earnings per share are expected to increase 3.5 percent next
year and 6 percent by 2007, he said on a conference call to analysts.

Shares of O2 surged 26 percent to 206 pence ($3.65) while Telefonica
shares fell 2.8 percent to 13.24 euros ($15.91).

Investec Securities said it was possible that former suitor Deutsche
Telekom could make a counterbid. Investec said the synergies available
to Deutsche Telekom within Britain are significantly higher than those
available to Telefonica and subsequently, the chances it will bid are
high. Deutsche Telekom has not commented.

Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein said that proposed annual synergies of
293 million euros ($353 million) "seems conservative" and that
Telefonica's flexibility will be affected. It said that,
strategically, it is a questionable deal but will help earnings per
share and cash flow.

"It is now up to Telefonica to prove that it can create value," Dresdner said.

The deal follows Telefonica's $3.32 billion acquisition of a majority
stake in Czech operator Cesky Telekom earlier this year. Last year it
acquired BellSouth Corp.'s Latin American assets for $5.9 billion.

O2 was created in 1971 from the mobile telephone operation of BT PLC,
Britain's largest telecommunications company. The company and its
subsidiaries now provide service to nearly 25 million customers in
Britain, Ireland and Germany, where it says it is the fastest-growing
mobile telephone operator.

Telefonica had around 145 million customers in June and 173,000 employees.

Alierta said he did not foresee any regulatory issues to impair the
transaction and would not comment on whether Telefonica would increase
its bid should a rival offer emerge, calling such a scenario purely
hypothetical.

He said the company expected to post the offer document formally in
November and close the deal in January.

Alierta said Telefonica is unlikely to make further acquisitions or
disposals, adding it is unlikely to pursue a formal bid for Tunisie
Telecom, the African operator it had previously considered buying.

www.businessweek.com

Abortion cuts risk of later blues

Proceeding with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy is more likely to
cause depression than having an abortion, a controversial new study
has found.

Researchers in the US questioned 1247 women who aborted or delivered
an unwanted first pregnancy between 1970 and 1992. The women were
interviewed over several years.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that going
ahead with an unwanted pregnancy was more likely to lead to
depression.

"We conclude that, under present conditions of legal access to
abortion, there is no credible evidence that choosing to terminate an
unwanted first pregnancy puts women at higher risk of subsequent
depression than does choosing to deliver an unwanted first pregnancy,"
said Nancy Russo and Sarah Schmiege from Arizona State University's
department of psychology. They said pre-existing mental health
problems were a better predictor of depression, regardless of how the
pregnancy was resolved.

Cait Calcutt, the co-ordinator of Queensland-based counselling service
Children by Choice, agreed. "Whether women are likely to suffer
depression depends on if they've had depression previously," Ms
Calcutt said. "Also, there is a greater risk of a woman not coping
well if it is a wanted pregnancy that is terminated on the basis of
fetal abnormalities.

"However, evidence over the past 30 years shows terminating a
pregnancy does not increase the risk of depression and this study
confirms that."

The researchers also found that the women in the study who had an
abortion had a significantly higher level of education, higher income
and lower total family size, all of which were associated with a lower
risk of depression.

www.theaustralian.news.com.au

US Economy Grew at a Strong 3.8% Rate in 3rd Quarter

The economy picked up speed in the third quarter, the government
reported this morning, as consumers encouraged by heavy discounts
splurged on cars and trucks and all manner of other goods.

The gross domestic product rose at an annual pace of 3.8 percent from
July to September, up from 3.3 percent in the second quarter.
Consumers and the government spent more than they did earlier this
year, making up for weaker investment by businesses.

Economists were expecting the economy to grow at a 3.6 percent pace,
according to a survey by Bloomberg News.

"This is actually fairly amazing given all the uncertainty engendered
by the effect of the hurricanes on September data that has yet to be
reported," Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist for MFR Inc.,
said in a research note to clients.

Personal consumption was up 3.9 percent and contributed about 2.73
percentage points of the GDP growth rate. Auto purchases contributed
0.62 percentage points and furniture and household equipment buying,
which appears to be fueled in part by the roaring housing market this
summer, chipped in 0.35 points.

The increases in spending came even as disposable personal income
growth slowed to 2.8 percent from 4.9 percent. Adjusted for inflation,
disposable income fell 0.9 percent after increasing 1.5 percent in the
second quarter. Some of the drop was attributable to lost rental and
business income on the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
lashed the region.

The GDP price index, a measure of inflation, rose 3.1 percent, up from
2.6 percent in the second quarter.

The personal saving rate fell into negative territory, minus 1.1
percent, from 0.1 percent. That indicates that people were paying for
their increased spending by borrowing more money.

As for businesses, fixed investments slowed to a 5.7 percent annual
growth rate, down from 9.5 percent in the second quarter. Export
growth also flattened out to 0.8 percent after a robust 10.7 percent
jump in the second quarter. Imports, which are a statistical drag on
the GDP, were unchanged in the quarter.

The strong GDP report and the rising inflation provide yet another
indication that the Federal Reserve will continue raising its
benchmark short-term interest rates, now at 3.75 percent, when it
meets again on Tuesday, economists said.

www.nytimes.com

Design, Ease Of Use Ring Up Cell Phone Sales

In a study measuring customer satisfaction, J.D. Power found that the
physical design of the wireless phone was most important, followed in
order by ease of use, features, durability, and battery life.

Look and feel is most important to mobile phone buyers, but the
ever-increasing complexity of the devices has made ease of operation a
close second, researcher J.D. Power and Associates said Thursday.

In a study measuring customer satisfaction, J.D. Power found that the
physical design of the wireless phone was most important, followed in
order by ease of operation, features, durability and battery life.

The results, based on responses of 17,701 U.S. households with people
who owned mobile phones for less than two years, showed a major shift
from 2003. Since then, the importance of design and operation has
increased dramatically.

Consumers are looking for phones that are easier to use because of the
growing complexity, as manufacturers add video and still cameras,
music players, and software to support various data and multimedia
services.

"There are so many more features and services now that (ease of
operation) is becoming much more important," Kirk Parsons, senior
director of J.D. Power's wireless services, said. "There'll be even
more features five years from now."

Consumer attraction to design is evident in how quickly sales of
clamshell-design phones have surpassed the candy bar-type handset. In
2002, 70 percent of mobile-phone users had the latter, and 7 percent
the former. This year, the numbers are 45 percent and 52 percent,
respectively.

"People are voting with their dollars," Parsons said.

Characteristics of the clamshell-design that consumers find attractive
are the smaller size, the sleeker look and lighter weight. As a
result, customer satisfaction is significantly higher with these
devices than with the candy bar-shaped phone.

Among the handset manufacturers, LG and Sanyo ranked highest in a tie
in overall customer satisfaction. LG performed particularly well in
physical design and battery life, J.D. Power said. Sanyo received the
highest ratings for operation, durability and features.

Other vendors that scored above the industry average were Samsung and
UTStarcom.

In other study findings, the average handset purchase price decreased
this year to $89 from $99 last year, and the average replacement cycle
for the typical handset was 18 months.

The feature on the phone used the most was the speakerphone, followed
in order by short-message services, gaming and cameras.

Half of all current wireless subscribers compared handset brands
before settling on one. Those who did their homework were more likely
to be satisfied overall with the product they bought.

In the future, Parson expects battery life to rank much higher with
consumers, who today have to trade features with more trips to the
re-charger.

"That's the main complaint that people have today," Parsons said.

www.informationweek.com

Taiwan plans trial production of anti-bird flu drug - health official

Taiwan is planning a trial production of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu
in December to prepare for a possible outbreak of bird flu here, a
health official said.

'We will continue efforts seeking a patent authorization from the
Swiss company Roche to mass manufacture Tamiflu but the trial
production will go ahead to meet emergency needs,' said Li Jih-heng
from the health department.

'The drug will be used to contain bird flu in the event of an
outbreak, not for commercial purposes,' Li told Agence France-Presse.

The health authorities have acquired enough material to begin trial
production for the treatment of 200,000 people in December, he said.

Taiwan is pushing for negotiations with Roche Holding AG and will also
discuss compensation if the drug is used prior to approval from the
firm, he said.

Health officials had earlier said Taiwan has acquired materials to
make enough Tamiflu to treat 2.3 mln people, or 10 pct of the
population.

Fears over a possible bird flu outbreak intensified here after eight
pet birds smuggled from China tested positive for the H5N1 virus last
week. All the smuggled birds had been destroyed.

www.forbes.com

Coach behind the wheel is best way to drive business

COACHING in business? Now we've all heard of a coach, in terms of a
football team, an athlete or even a swimmer, but for a business owner,
that's surely a new one.

But as business moves into the new millennium, and with the rapid
expansion of the communication and IT industry, it is becoming evident
that the world doesn't seem as big.

Markets are becoming global and competition is increasing as consumers
have greater choice. More and more business owners are looking for
that edge or the fine-tuning that can make the difference in their
businesses.

They are looking outside their normal resources for the information
and guidance they realise is needed for them to develop and educate
themselves and grow their own businesses.

In business, you're either growing or you're dying and a business will
only grow to the level of its owner's knowledge or beliefs. So the
business owners who succeed, are those who look to increase their own
knowledge and prepare to accept changes in the way they think.

To further emphasise this point, let's look at the different levels of
thinking in business.

Firstly, we have employees, thinking "how much do I get paid?", then
managers asking "how can I get more out of my staff?"

The next level is being "self" employed and their thinking is . . .
you guessed it "only I can do the job properly!" The next level is a
business owner who thinks "how can I get more money from this
business?" taking them from working "in" their business to working
"on" their business. This "leap" does involve a change in thinking and
in this process of change, having a coach or mentor is a valuable
ingredient.

The final level is the elusive entrepreneur, questioning "how can I
make more money with the money I have?"

These are of course general concepts, but it shows in business and in
life you can achieve much more by being open to learning, change and
the assistance of others.

What separates elite athletes from average athletes with great
potential? Only their thought processes, techniques, motivation and of
course a fantastic coach.

In business, it is the same. The business coach is not a consultant,
doing the work for the business owner. The coach teaches the owner how
to realise that potential, by giving the knowledge, the tools, the
vision, motivation and challenge to take the business and owner to the
next level, and to ultimately enjoy the financial and lifestyle
benefits that come with it.

How exactly? At Action International we have found most challenges in
business come down to just three areas - TIME, TEAM and MONEY.

Lets look at TIME first. A coach can help you work on the things to
get you out of your job and give you back your business and release
time to spend with your family, on your hobbies or take a holiday.

In order for you to have the time, you need to have the TEAM. Great
teams don't just happen. The coach can work on how to recruit, build
and motivate your team; on how to ensure they give the best customer
service - as good as you could give - every time, all the time. Then
the business can work without you.

What about MONEY - often the main reason for clients wanting to work
with a coach?

Action International has developed strategies that have been proven to
be effective in unlocking the potential within your business.

Focusing on sales, marketing and advertising, they provide the tools,
knowledge and systems for getting the business flying.

Business is simple, people are complicated and changing your business
can be the easy part - changing yourself and your team can be the
greatest hurdle.

The business coach will hold you to account for the goals you set and
will provide motivation, refine your skills, provide constructive
feedback and ensure that you attain the constant improvement and
success you deserve in your business.

Tony Hoskins, Action International business coach, is hosting a free
seminar next Wednesday evening at Edinburgh University's St Leonard's
Hall. For advance booking contact:
tonyhoskins@action-international.com.

www.business.scotsman.com

Japanese firm develops technology to transmit movie in 0.5 seconds

Kansai Electric has developed technology to transmit a two-hour movie
in 0.5 seconds, the world's fastest speed achieved with fibre-optic
cables in the field, it said.

A Japanese company has developed technology to transmit a two-hour
movie in 0.5 seconds, the world's fastest speed achieved with
fibre-optic cables in the field, it said.
.
Kansai Electric used fibre-optic cables on power-transmitting steel
towers to achieve the speed of one terabit per second, which is more
than 100 times faster than inter-city data transmissions currently in
use, a spokesman said.
.
The company, Japan's second-largest power supplier, has not decided
when to put the technology into practical use but said it was possible
that it would come in 2010 or later, he said.

www.todayonline.com

Motorola, Intel team on mobile WiMax

Motorola and Intel are teaming up to accelerate the development and
adoption of a broadband technology called WiMax for mobile devices,
the companies announced Thursday.

The two industry giants have been working side by side on the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.16e standard,
which provides specifications for both fixed and wireless broadband
applications.

But now Motorola and Intel, which has been a leader in WiMax
development, plan to collaborate and share testing results and design
information to ensure that the new products they are developing are
interoperable.

Motorola said this agreement in no way binds it to using only Intel
chips in its products. It plans to continue to work with other chip
manufacturers as well.

But getting two market leaders to work together to promote the new
technology is important in creating a market. The 802.11e standard is
expected to be finished within the next month. Even after the standard
is complete, it will take months for companies to make their products
compatible.

The collaboration makes sense, considering that the companies are each
working with cellular carrier Sprint Nextel, which is testing the
WiMax technology in its labs.

Motorola also said on Thursday that it will not develop products using
the 802.16d WiMax specification, which was ratified last year by the
IEEE and only supports fixed point-to-point links. Instead, the
company will put all of its development efforts into products
supporting 802.16e. Equipment built for 802.16e is not compatible with
802.16d.

WiMax is considered a promising next-generation wireless technology
because it supports high data rates and has a long transmission reach.

The technology supports data speeds from 1 megabit per second to
5mbps, and it can be transmitted over a 20-mile radius. This is much
farther than Wi-Fi technology based on 802.11 standards, which
typically transmits signals only up to 50 feet.

WiMax is also believed to be cheaper than comparable cellular
technology because it requires fewer network elements.

Motorola sees WiMax as a key piece of its mobility strategy and plans
to introduce an 802.16e WiMax phone in early 2007.

The company also plans to build a dual-mode phone that supports WiMax
and cellular to allow people to roam in and out of the two networks
for maximum wireless coverage. Motorola already sells a dual-mode
Wi-Fi and cellular phone.

"When you talk about mobility, you need dual-mode and multimode
devices for roaming," said Raghu Rau, senior vice president of global
marketing and strategy for Motorola. "WiMax networks won't be built
overnight.

All the wireless technologies--Wi-Fi, cellular and WiMax--will be
complimentary."
Intel plans to introduce WiMax chips into laptops in 2007 or 2008.

www.news.zdnet.com

Experimental drug promising for Alzheimer's

New York.- Bryostatin, a drug that has been studied as an anti-cancer
agent, enhances long-term memory in lab experiments, scientists
report.

"Bryostatin is a promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease, both for
the neurodegeneration -- the underlying cause of the disease -- and
for the symptoms," Dr. Daniel L. Alkon, from Blanchette Rockefeller
Neurosciences Institute in Rockville, Maryland said in a telephone
interview with Reuters Health.

In a previous study in mice, Alkon's team observed that bryostatin
effectively stops the Alzheimer's disease process. It reduces brain
levels of amyloid-beta protein -- characteristic of the disease --
helps prevent premature death, and improves behavior.

Bryostatin has also been shown to enhance learning and memory
retention of rats in a maze task, according to the team's report in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Now we've taken this drug and explored in great detail how it may
affect memory itself -- not just neurodegeneration," Alkon said.

To do this the researchers used the snail-like creature Hermissenda, a
biomedical model for learning and memory. Specifically, Alkon and
colleagues found that putting bryostatin in the water days before the
start of learning sessions led to the synthesis of proteins "necessary
and sufficient for subsequent long-term memory formation."

In cultured neurons, bryostatin increased overall protein synthesis by
up to 60 percent for more than 3 days.

"What our study shows is that bryostatin can induce the neurons to
make these proteins days in advance," Alkon said, "and it takes a
training trial or two that ordinarily would produce memory for a few
minutes and turns it into something that lasts for weeks. That was
totally unexpected."

He added, "The beauty of this drug is that it has already been used in
people for years to treat cancer -- although not successfully -- and
therefore we know it is nontoxic."

In addition to Alzheimer's disease, bryostatin may also have a role in
other dementias, Alkon said, "and maybe even for treating people who
need cognitive enhancement such as perhaps people with memory or
learning compromise or those recovering from stroke."

www.today.reuters.com

Exxon Mobil posts quarterly profit of $9.9 billion

Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted
a quarterly profit of $9.9 billion, its biggest ever and one of the
largest in U.S. corporate history, as it raked in a bonanza from
soaring oil and gas prices.

Record profits for Big Oil at a time when consumers are paying
sky-high prices for gasoline have brought calls for a windfall profits
tax or other penalties on oil companies. U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist on Tuesday called for hearings with oil companies on high
energy costs.

The companies have been enjoying an unusually rosy environment for
months. In the third quarter, oil prices and refining margins rose
sharply after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ripped through the Gulf of
Mexico, disrupting energy operations in the region.

While Exxon's quarterly profit was up 75 percent from a year earlier,
and revenue rose 32 percent to more than $100 billion, the results
fell short of Wall Street forecasts due to production outages caused
by the hurricanes and sharply lower profit at the company's chemicals
division.

"They were a bit disappointing, but this a temporary phenomenon," said
Paul Kuklinski, an analyst with Boston Energy Research/Soleil
Securities. "This is largely attributable to hurricane effects."

Exxon shares fell slightly in afternoon trade.
The world's largest publicly traded oil company said net income jumped
to $9.92 billion, or $1.58 a share, from $5.68 billion, or 88 cents a
share, a year earlier.

Excluding a gain of $1.62 billion from restructuring its stake in a
Dutch gas transportation business, earnings were $1.32 per share, 7
cents below the average forecast among analysts polled by Reuters
Estimates.

The record earnings topped the $9 billion net profit reported on
Thursday by Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research),
though it was smaller than some out-sized profits posted in past years
by companies with one-time items, like MediaOne's $26.62 billion
profit in the second quarter of 1998 or Ford Motor Co.'s $17.6 billion
profit in the first quarter of that year.

In addition to calls for a windfall profits tax or other penalties,
lawmakers and consumer advocates have been urging oil companies to
expand refining capacity and take other steps to help bring down
gasoline prices.

U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said on Thursday that oil firms have
a responsibility to boost refining capacity in times of record
profits. Marathon Oil (MRO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said it would
do just that, announcing a $2.2 billion expansion of its Garyville,
Louisiana, refinery.

"We're already seeing some companies yielding to pressure," said
Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Fadel Gheit. "But everybody is waiting for
the big lady to sing, which is Exxon."

Exxon said it did not see the point of a windfall profits tax.
"Frankly, if you're trying to encourage supply growth, it seems odd to
put in place disincentives," Henry Hubble, vice president of investor
relations for Exxon, said on a conference call with analysts.

PRODUCTION FALLS
Exxon's oil and gas production fell 4.7 percent in the third quarter
from a year earlier as outages caused by Katrina and Rita, maintenance
activities, and maturing fields more than offset higher production
from new fields in West Africa.

Excluding the impact of the hurricanes, divestments and entitlement
effects, output fell 1 percent.

Still, record crude oil prices -- which touched $70 a barrel in the
quarter -- pushed earnings at its exploration and production unit to
$5.73 billion, up $1.8 billion from a year earlier.

At its refining and marketing operations, profit rose to $2.13
billion, up $727 million from a year earlier. Stronger refining
margins outweighed weak marketing margins and lower petroleum product
sales.

Earnings at its chemicals division tumbled to $472 million, down $537
million from a year earlier, due to higher feedstock costs and lower
margins.

Exxon's capital expenditures jumped to $4.41 billion from $3.63
billion a year earlier.

Shares of of Exxon, the largest of the so-called "super-major" oil
companies, were down 33 cents to $55.87 in late-day trade on the New
York Stock Exchange. The shares rose more than 10 percent in the third
quarter but underperformed the broader Standard & Poor's integrated
oil and gas index, which climbed more than 13 percent. (Additional
reporting by Ben Berkowitz)

www.today.reuters.com

What the Health Bill will mean

Last year's Public Health White Paper outlined plans for a smoking ban
across workplaces in England after pressure from health professionals
and campaigners who argued second-hand smoke was harming workers.

Only private members clubs and pubs which do not serve food would be exempt.

But the subsequent consultation raised concerns pubs, especially in
poor areas, would stop serving food to avoid the ban - widening health
inequalities - and whether a one metre smoke-free exclusion zone
around bars was enough to protect workers in those pubs.

Weeks of discussion at cabinet level followed during the autumn of
this year in which various proposals were discussed.

In the end, the bill sticks largely to the original proposal, but
allows scope for another consultation on how to protect bar workers
which could lead to smoking only being allowed in pubs in sealed
rooms.

It also brings forward by 18 months the deadline for full
implementation to summer 2007. There will be a full review of the ban
within three years, the Department of Health has said.

The measures contrast with the full ban in place in the Republic of
Ireland, and the proposed bans for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

CONTROLLED DRUGS

Dame Janet Smith's inquiry into the Shipman murders found there was a
need for "modernisation and rationalisation" of the controlled drugs
systems, which covers drugs such as diamorphine (medical heroin) and
sedatives such as barbiturates.

She said there has been virtually no revision of legislation relating
to controlled drugs since the 1970s.

And this system had allowed the GP, who killed up to 275 people over a
23-year period, to obtain large amounts of diamorphine undetected.

The bill makes a number of proposals, including giving health managers
the right to enter GP premises, allowing closer scrutiny of doctors.

At the moment the law in the area is unclear, and means managers
cannot insist on entering surgeries.

The NHS is also being given a duty to work with other authorities such
as social services and police in cases where controlled drugs are
misused.

Primary care trusts, which are in charge of commissioning services
from GPs, should also have an officer with responsibility for
controlled drugs.

HOSPITAL INFECTIONS

Hospitals will have to adhere to tighter hygiene regulations

The bill will also tackle one of the most controversial problems
facing health services - hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA.

MRSA, which is linked to nearly 1,000 deaths a year, has dogged the
NHS in recent years with concerns about hospital cleanliness.

Included in the document is legislation binding hospitals, care homes
and other NHS services to a new hygiene code of conduct.

While hygiene standards are taken into account during hospital
inspections, NHS trusts do not have a statutory duty to ensure
standards are adhered to.

The bill gives the Healthcare Commission powers to issue improvement
notices, and if trusts fail to comply managers could lose their jobs
or face intervention from the government or Monitor, in the case of
foundation trusts.

The code, which will be constantly updated, sets certain standards for
things such as hand washing and cleaning wards.

PHARMACIES

Pharmacists are set to play an ever increasing role in health care in
coming years.

They are being encouraged to become involved in care traditionally
considered outside their remit such as blood pressure testing,
diabetes care and providing smoking cessation clinics.

The bill sets out changes to pharmacist training programmes to reflect this.

And it also reforms the requirements set out in the NHS Act 1977
regarding the supervision required by pharmacists.

At the moment they are effectively tied to the dispensing counter so
they can issue prescriptions.

But the bill proposes allowing other staff such as pharmacy
technicians to hand out drugs as long as the pharmacists ensures a
safe system is kept to.

www.news.bbc.co.uk

Entrepreneur's Guide Names Just For Small Business To Top 10 Blogs

Blogs aren't just for news anymore. They've become a critical
communication tool for small business owners. That's the approach
Small Business Expert Denise O'Berry took when she launched her small
business tips blog "Just for Small Business" --
http://www.justforsmallbusiness.com -- a year ago. This week, "Just
for Small Business" was named as one of the Top 10 Most Practical
Blogs for Entrepreneurs.

Just for Small Business is "Full of thought-provoking tips for small
business owners. The topics are often unexpected - not your usual
small business fare," said Scott Allen, Entrepreneur's Guide at
About.com.

WebLogReview.com agrees that the blog is an invaluable resource for
small business owners:

"The 'Just for Small Business' blog contains great information for
those in small business. Anyone running a business of any size could
benefit from the wisdom and examples in this blog. It takes just a few
minutes to read a month of entries. The information could potentially
make a major different in the success, or failure of one's business.

Each entry has some tidbit of useful information to share to help
business owners in various areas such as staffing, planning,
proposals, marketing, taxes, etc. The writing is straightforward and
accessible for all readers; even those outside of business may find
some benefit to reading this blog.

The solid content in 'Just for Small Business' makes it an impressive
resource for anyone interested in improving their bottom line. Even
the casual non-business reader may enjoy some of the examples O'Berry
provides. Bottom line: An accessible, easy to read resource that
should be mandatory reading for every small business owner.

The sheer volume of links to resource material makes it an invaluable
tool for anyone who owns or will possibly own a small business. If you
follow the advice O'Berry gives, perhaps your small business will not
fail. Spread the word to your small business friends to check out this
blog. I honestly don't believe you'll find a more comprehensive site
out there on this subject."

"I'm honored to have my blog included in the Top 10 Most Practical
Blogs for Entrepreneurs," says O'Berry. "My objective is to help other
small business owners succeed. I know they have only a short amount of
time each day to add one more thing to their list of things to do.
Just for Small Business provides meaty tips that can help them improve
without taking forever to digest."

For a complete look at the Top 10 Most Practical Blogs for
Entrepreneurs list, visit
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/b/a/213119.htm

About Denise O'Berry:

With more than two decades of operational and management experience,

Denise O'Berry has developed a sharp eye for how businesses get
bloated with inefficiencies, cross-purposes and miscommunication --
and how they can retool for a sleeker, smoother, strategically focused
organization. An entrepreneur who quickly built her own successful
consulting business, she helps other small business owners set
priorities, take action to grow their business and create the balance
they want between life and work. Her clients have ranged from
telecommunications giants like Verizon to Mom-and-Pop retail shops
with a primary focus on those having 10 or fewer employees and up to
$2.5 million in annual sales.

Denise frequently speaks to professional organizations, is the author
of three booklets, and several "how-to" manuals. She writes a weekly
small business column, hosts an online small business owner's forum
and is called upon regularly by publications such as Entrepreneur,
Bank Rate Small Business, Florida Trend, Inc., various newspapers,
radio and television to provide expert comments on small business
issues.

www.emediawire.com

Ibis Technology wins third i2000 order

Danvers-based Ibis Technology Corp. has received an order for an Ibis
i2000 oxygen implanter from SUMCO, a Japanese manufacturer of silicon
wafers, valued at approximately $7 million.

This is the second i2000 implanter purchased by SUMCO. In addition,
Ibis has completed a purchase agreement with SUMCO that will govern
the general contractual terms of all future SUMCO orders.

Ibis has received three orders to date from wafer manufacturers for an
i2000 implanter, the first having been placed last year by an unnamed
chipmaker in the United States. That deal was worth &8 million, and
the first SUMCO order was valued at $6 million.

Ibis officials say they expect to ship the system at the end of the
first quarter of 2006 depending on customer acceptance of the tool at
Ibis' facility.

The Ibis i2000 oxygen implanter is designed to be a high-throughput,
high-volume production tool for manufacturing 300-millimeter
Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) wafers. Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) is a
manufacturing technology where an insulating layer is created within a
silicon wafer, isolating the top layer of silicon where the active
transistors will be manufactured from the rest of the bulk silicon
wafer.

Ibis Technology stock was trading at mid-morning for $1.81, up 36
cents from its close yesterday.

www.masshightech.com

Cancer expo to emphasize early detection

Could a bowl of minestrone soup or Manhattan clam chowder lower a
man's risk for prostate cancer?

The American Journal of Epidemiology reports that lycopene, an
antioxidant found in cooked tomato products, may contribute to a
decreased risk for the disease.

"Italian-Americans and those with a Mediterranean diet, which has a
lot of tomato sauce in it, have a slightly lower incidence of prostate
cancer than other American men," said Dr. John Martin, a urologist
with offices in Poway and San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood.

Each year, about 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. There
are about 30,000 deaths from the disease annually.

Martin is one of several physicians who will discuss ways to detect
and prevent cancer during Palomar Pomerado Health's Collaborating
Against Cancer expo from 5 to 8:30 p.m. tomorrow at Carmel Mountain
Ranch Country Club.

The expo will include information about the risks of colon, breast,
prostate, skin, cervical, lung and other cancers. Exhibits, free
health screenings, a panel discussion and nutritional information will
be offered. The cost is $25 per person. A buffet dinner is included.

Japanese and Chinese men also have a significantly lower incidence of
prostate cancer than American men, Martin said. However,
Chinese-American and Japanese-American men are diagnosed with prostate
cancer at the same rate as American men.

Though the theory has not been proved, Martin said researchers believe
the reduction in prostate cancer among Asian men may be due to a diet
rich in soy and low in animal fat.

Regular screening and early detection of the disease have resulted in
an increased ability to treat it, he said.

"Early detection means having at least an annual blood test and a
digital rectal examination. We recommend that for every man over the
age of 50 and every man over the age of 40 who has a (family) history
of prostate cancer. ... If your father had prostate cancer, you have a
three times greater chance of developing it than someone who does
not."

Kay Kimball, manager of the cancer resource center at Palomar Medical
Center, said the conference is designed to provide the public with
information about preventing lesser-known cancers.

"October is breast cancer awareness month," Kimball said. "We wanted
to take advantage of the attention that's placed on breast cancer to
also provide information on other cancers that don't have a highly
publicized month of their own."

According to statistics published by the American Cancer Society, a
little fewer than one in two men and a little more than one in three
women will contract some form of cancer during their lifetime, Kimball
said.

"It's just imperative that people understand what the risk factors
are, the signs and symptoms, and become proactive in screening," she
said. "People need to learn what kind of screenings they need, because
they don't necessarily get them if they're not aware and asking for
them."

A registered dietitian at the expo will discuss the link between
nutrition and cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, about
a third of the 570,000 cancer deaths expected to occur this year will
be related to nutrition, obesity and physical inactivity.

Each paid admission to the expo will include a copy of "The New
American Plate: Recipes for Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life," by the
American Institute for Cancer Research. A blood cholesterol screening
is available for an additional $15.

www.signonsandiego.com

Juniper Launches VoIP Protection System

The hardware/software combo provides intrusion detection and
prevention, and allows enterprises to respond individually to
denial-of-service attacks.

Juniper Networks has announced a network security solution designed to
defend voice over IP (VoIP) systems from session initiation protocol
(SIP)-based attacks.

The Dynamic Threat Mitigation solution brings Juniper's routers and
intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) systems with its service
deployment system (SDX) to create a single unified security solution.
The solution mitigates SIP-based denial of service (DoS) attacks and
worms by allowing enterprises and providers to identify and respond to
them individually.

Juniper's IDP system identifies potential threats to the centralized
IDP Manager, which generates requests for action to the SDX. The SDX
invokes the appropriate response, applying rate limits and filters on
traffic flows. In the event that the IDP system detects an actual
infection, the SDX policy server can quarantine and notify the
affected user, redirecting him to a captive web portal

"With more services being pushed across the IP network, it is
essential to also maintain increased levels of security and control to
ensure services delivered to the enterprise or residential customer
are not compromised," Juniper Networks senior marketing manager of
voice solutions Scott Heinlein said.

"Juniper's combined use of intrusion detection and prevention with our
service deployment system is a natural and very useful progression
that provides threat protection to the edge without disrupting the
customer's environment or installing new equipment at the customer
location."

Juniper's Dynamic Threat Mitigation solution is being demonstrated
today and tomorrow at the Internet Telephony Conference and Expo in
Los Angeles. It requires Juniper's M-series or E-series router, IDP
and SDX products, and is available today.

www.informationweek.com

DaimlerChrysler bullish on U.S. prospects

A day after its Mercedes division helped it to forecast-beating
results, DaimlerChrysler

said on Wednesday that new products would help shield its U.S. arm
Chrysler from margin-eroding price wars.

Slugging it out with badgered U.S. rivals General Motors Corp and Ford
Motor Co while trying to fend off foreign competitors in the world's
biggest car market poses a major challenge for Chrysler, but one it
has mastered so far.

Chrysler's third-quarter operating profit gained 43 percent to 310
million euros ($374.5 million) million unit sales and revenues both up
12 percent despite the toughest market conditions in living memory. It
also maintained its operating margin, excluding one-off factors.

In a conference call with investors, group Chief Financial Officer
Bodo Uebber acknowledged Chrysler had faced slight downward pressure
on net prices in the third quarter, but added the pressure had been
worse in the first half of the year.

"Having all our new products out ... we can compete even better in the
fourth quarter" in terms of the prices Chrysler can command, he added.

Chrysler has outshone its U.S. rivals thanks to hot models like the
Chrysler 300 sedan, Jeep Grand Cherokee and minivans with stow-flat
seats.

It recently launched the "Mega Cab" version of its big Dodge Ram
pickup and the Jeep Commander with three rows of seats. Uebber said 10
new vehicles were due in 2006. These include the Dodge Caliber
mid-size car and the Dodge Nitro crossover.

Chrysler's performance and a rebound by the premium Mercedes Car Group
division helped the world's fifth-biggest carmaker report late on
Tuesday that third-quarter operating profit rose 38 percent to 1.84
billion euros, beating analysts' forecasts.

MERCEDES ON TRACK

Uebber said Mercedes was on track to reach the goal of boosting its
operating margin to 7 percent by 2007.

Mercedes was making progress with plans to reduce costs, boost
revenue, ensure quality and revamp the loss-making Smart small car
business, which Uebber reiterated was due to break even in 2007.

Long the group's cash machine, the division has been dogged this year
by the strong euro, model changeovers, spending to fix quality
problems at Mercedes-Benz and losses at Smart, which has responded by
cutting staff and its model line-up.

The quality offensive meant warranty costs would now start to decline,
Uebber said.

Mercedes' third-quarter operating profit increased 43 percent to 436
million euros as new models came onto the market and it wrung out
efficiency gains, cementing a rebound that began in the second quarter
after a rare first-quarter loss.

Slides on the company website also cited challenges "for 2005 and
ahead," including an "intensely competitive car market, especially in
the U.S.," a further rise in interest rates, high oil prices and
translation effects from foreign exchange rates.

DaimlerChrysler's foreign currency exposure for 2005 is "nearly fully"
hedged at 95 percent, Uebber said. It uses a three-year rolling plan
for hedging, and Daimler had already executed initial hedging
contracts for 2008, he said.

He thought the burden from higher raw material costs would rise
somewhat next year, but not nearly as much as in 2005 compared to
2004.

Shares in DaimlerChrysler gained as much as 3.1 percent on Wednesday
after the German-American group posted surprisingly strong
third-quarter results after the market closed on Tuesday.

The stock touched a peak of 42.07 euros before easing back to 41.88 by
1030 GMT, up 2.7 percent, ahead of a conference call with analysts and
the media at 1130 GMT.

DaimlerChrysler stock has risen more than 18 percent this year, now
narrowly outperforming the DJ Stoxx European car sector index, and
trades at around 11.9 times estimated 2006 earnings versus 10.6 times
for arch-rival BMW.

Italian carmaker Fiat beat forecasts for group third-quarter trading
profit on Wednesday, while France's Renault releases third-quarter
sales figures later in the day.

www.today.reuters.com

European health officials assess preparedness for possible avian flu pandemic

European health officials end a three-day review Wednesday of the
continent's readiness to contain an influenza pandemic with fears
growing that bird flu is closing in on Europe's heartland.

World Health Organization and EU experts have been meeting in
Copenhagen since Monday to analyze the threat of the bird flu virus
mutating into a type that can be spread between humans.

At the start of the meeting, experts said Europe was better prepared
to contain outbreaks of bird flu than Asia because of better resources
and communication between countries.

The deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, which has killed more than 60
people in Asia, has been detected in birds in Romania, Russia and
Turkey, raising fears it could spread to the rest of Europe.

There are 144 known strains of avian flu, most of them harmless.

On Tuesday, the EU said it will ban the import of exotic birds and
impose stricter rules on the private ownership of parrots and other
pet birds. Last weekend, a parrot imported from Suriname died in
quarantine in Britain after contracting the H5N1 strain.

In Germany, officials said that preliminary tests on wild geese found
dead there came back positive for bird flu. And even though the fowl
died of poisoning - not influenza - further tests would be carried to
see whether they carried H5N1.

Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary were also testing birds found dead for
signs of bird flu, underscoring the extreme sensitivity of the issue
even though officials have urged Europeans not to panic.

The virus is hard for humans to contract, and most of the 62 people in
Asia who have died from the disease since 2003 were poultry farmers
directly infected by sick birds.

www.cbc.ca

Bridging the business-IT divide - experts show how

The reality is this: accountability for IT success should fall not
only on IT managers but more importantly on business leaders, said
Frank Koelsch, executive vice-president, corporate strategy and
research for Info-Tech Research Group in London, Ont.

And by the same token, he said, CIOs must have an equally important
role in defining business strategy as the CEO.

Koelsch's views are echoed by Paul Williams, a trustee with the
Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based IT Governance Institute (ITGI) and author
of a book released earlier this month titled IT Alignment: Who is in
Charge? The book discusses strategies for business-IT alignment, and
provides guidance on the responsibilities of the CIO, CEO and board.

Research indicates that these are the issues being neglected by many
businesses. More than 50 per cent of organizations polled in a recent
ITGI survey lacked any formal structure to align IT investments with
business strategy. And fewer than 25 per cent engaged board members
directly in the IT strategy-setting process.

Business should actively involve IT to better understand the realities
of technology's capabilities and risks; and IT has to learn to think,
communicate and plan in business lingo, say both Koelsch and Williams.

"There are no IT projects; there are only business projects. That's a
baseline, so it's incumbent upon the business executive to include and
to drive IT initiatives as part of business initiatives, as part of
the business deployment process," said Koelsch.

He says business objectives and IT's ability to support these are
doomed if there is no business and IT alignment.

According to Koelsch, a common vision between both units is essential
to achieve agreement on issues such as: how much a project will cost,
how long it will take, what resources it will consume. "Often IT
managers are told they have to do something, at a certain cost, within
a certain time frame and deliver certain IT capabilities, all of which
are unrealistic."

Williams said companies should look at "buying IT" as akin to
embarking on a major business change initiative, in which IT plays a
significant, but not an isolated or discrete, part.

"One of the most common reasons for [IT] failure is a lack of
understanding of the way that the business [itself] needs to change or
adapt to benefit from the [IT] initiative," said Williams.

He said this business change component is rarely understood fully, and
is always more complex than anticipated. For this reason, he said,
business leaders need to be educated, not just on what IT can do, but
also on what it can't do -- and that includes bringing about [people
and business] change in itself.

IT managers have to be realistic and not have unreasonably high
expectations about the business benefits of a project. "Sometimes they
will have to downgrade business expectations."

Williams said businesses must work in full partnership with IT
departments (including third party outsourcers) to build reliable
metrics for project performance and ultimate success. These metrics
would consider things like active IT investment portfolio management
and the impact of risk on project performance and delivery.

"Business often sees IT as a 'magic box' solution in that all you need
to do is buy the [product], plug it in and miraculously it will give
you the [expected] benefits," said Williams. "We all know it cannot be
that simple. There needs to be a joint understanding that IT of itself
will never deliver benefit."

He said businesses must specify statements of value expectation that
are specific and measurable. "Too often the benefits are articulated
in soft terms such as improved staff morale or improved product or
service quality. These are too vague."

"Improved staff morale should lead to lower staff turnover and
therefore [support] quantifiable measures such as reduced costs for
recruitment or new staff training. Similarly, improved product quality
should lead to higher revenues and reduced costs for dealing with
returns.

"What needs to be understood, of course, is that all of this becomes
totally academic unless the value achieved is actually measured across
the life cycle of the solution. Without such measurement there can be
little accountability and minimal learning," Williams said.

John Sloan, senior research analyst at Info-Tech, says business
success comes from a combination of a CEO who wishes to "include and
drive IT" and a CIO who is an aggressive student of the business.
"It's equally important that the IT leader be able to speak the
language of business," said Sloan. "This needs to be a priority."

The focus should be on achieving a business strategy and creating
success measures. "IT and business can only see eye-to-eye on the
business value of IT if they both speak the same language. As this is
a business value discussion, that language should be a common set of
business value measures," Sloan said.

According to Sloan, IT governance has created the framework for
planning, measurement, control, execution and accountability. "Through
governance, the enterprise asserts its ownership of IT. The IT group
and business stakeholders start by agreeing on goals and how success
will be measured."

According to Sloan IT decision-makers should place a higher priority
on formal management systems that document a set of repeatable and
measurable procedures. "The biggest impact of formal systems is not so
much on the speed and efficiency of projects themselves, as on the
management of expectations. Repeatable and measurable procedures
provide benchmarks that everybody can understand and accept."

This process is often best led through a properly constituted and
representative investment committee, said Williams. One option is to
outsource this task to an independent investment office to avoid
internal bias and politics. "The outsourced service would not make the
final decisions, but would ensure proper, objective comparison of the
facts to enable an informed decision to be made.'

He said the CEO must ensure that decisions on IT-related investments
match the business priorities and -- through active involvement of the
CIO -- take into account skill and resource limitations.

"It needs to be made clear that IT is there to deliver the IT
component of key projects, but ultimately it is the business'
responsibility to deliver value from the total project. This needs to
be done in full partnership and shared accountability between the
business and IT," Williams said.

www.itworld.com

Cambridge Antibody Technology and Abbott Agree Regarding Royalties

England and ABBOTT PARK, Ill., October 26, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Cambridge Antibody Technology and Abbott today announce that they
have reached an agreement regarding royalties payable to CAT under a
licence agreement between the parties. Accordingly, the hearing
scheduled to start this week in the Court of Appeal will not take
place.

Paul Nicholson MD, Chairman, CAT, commented: "We are very pleased to
have reached resolution of this issue with Abbott. We can now
concentrate fully on CAT's business going forward. CAT is already
benefiting from Abbott's successful development and marketing of
HUMIRA(R) and we are hopeful of future success with ABT-874."

Jeffrey M Leiden MD PhD, president, Abbott Pharmaceutical Products
Group, said: "We are pleased to find a solution that benefits both
companies and resolves our differences."

Under the terms of the settlement agreement:

-- Abbott will pay CAT the sum of US$255 million, which CAT will pay to
its licensors, the Medical Research Council (MRC), Scripps Institute
and Stratagene, in lieu of their entitlement to royalties arising on
sales of HUMIRA from 1 January 2005 onwards.

-- Abbott will also pay to CAT five annual payments of US$9.375 million
commencing in January 2006, contingent on the continued sale of HUMIRA.
US$2 million from each of these payments will be payable to CAT's
licensors.

-- Abbott will pay CAT a reduced royalty of 2.688% from approximately 5.1%
on sales of HUMIRA from 1 January 2005. CAT will retain all of these
royalties. CAT will also retain royalties received from Abbott in
respect of sales of HUMIRA up to 31 December 2004, net of approximately
7.6 million pounds sterling which will be paid to its licensors. CAT
will refund to Abbott approximately 9.2 million pounds for royalties
paid from 1 January 2005 through 30 June 2005.

-- Abbott will also pay CAT a reduced royalty of 4.75% on any future sales
of ABT-874, from which CAT will pay a portion to the MRC and other
licensors (according to CAT's 1997 agreement with the MRC).

-- Abbott will capitalise and amortise the upfront payment, net of the
refund, and annual payments to CAT through the term of the agreement.
When this amortisation is combined with the revised royalty rate of
2.688%, the blended effective royalty rate is reduced from the
approximate 5.1% as previously instructed by the Court.

Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains statements about
Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc ("CAT") that are forward
looking statements.

All statements other than statements of historical facts included in
this press release may be forward looking statements within the
meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These
forward looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding
the company's present and future business strategies and the
environment in which the company will operate in the future.

Certain factors that could cause the company's actual results,
performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the
forward looking statements include: market conditions, CAT's ability
to enter into and maintain collaborative arrangements, success of
product candidates in clinical trials, regulatory developments and
competition. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the
forward looking statements contained in this press release. These
statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and we
undertake no obligation to update or revise the statements.

www.medadnews.com