Rapid Trade

For 2005, 30-year averages 5.87%; little change from 2004 - MarketWatch

A new year, and new message, for new AT&T - San Francisco Chronicle

USA Today

A new year, and new message, for new AT&T San Francisco Chronicle -40 minutes ago You'll see it plastered on a billboard at New York's Times Square behind the ball that drops to signal the arrival of 2006, and a television ad will premiere during several telecasts, including"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2006'' on ABC. The New AT&T Launches Unprecedented Brand CamHostReview.com Online Looms Large in New AT&T CampaignClickZ News Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (subscription) -MLive.com -Investor's Business Daily (subscription) -Crain's New York Business -all 130 related

US pleased with HK's resumption of beef import - Xinhua

The Standard

US pleased with HK's resumption of beef import Xinhua -4 hours ago The United States was pleased with the resumption of beef export to Hong Kong, according to a news release by the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong on Friday. US beef imports set as HK eases banThe Standard Hong Kong lifts ban on US beef importsCCTV Kansas.com -Grand Island Independent -CattleNetwork.com -United Press International -all 99 related

Plea deal expected for top ex-Enron accountant - MSNBC

News 14 Charlotte

Plea deal expected for top ex-Enron accountant MSNBC -Dec 28, 2005 The US government's case against top former Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling received a potential boost on Wednesday as the group's former chief accountant Richard… Enron on Trial: Causey and EffectBusinessWeek Enron's Causey Pleads Guilty, to Help Prosecutors (Update3)Bloomberg Salt Lake Tribune -ABC News -Telegraph.co.uk -MarketWatch -all 1,552 related

House prices gain just 3% in 2005 - Times Online

Telegraph.co.uk

House prices gain just 3% in 2005 Times Online -2 hours ago House prices rose by just 3 per cent in 2005, with growth rates failing to make it into double digits for the first time in five years, Nationwide, the building society, said today. House price growth at five-year lowGuardian Unlimited UK house prices have worst year in decade-NationwideReuters Bloomberg -Forbes -Reuters.uk -Manchester Evening News -all 28 related

Delta pilots approve 14 percent pay cut - BusinessWeek

AXcess News

Delta pilots approve 14 percent pay cut BusinessWeek -Dec 28, 2005 DEC. 28 6:23 PM ET Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots accepted a 14 percent pay cut in a deal their union negotiated with management to help the bankrupt carrier cope with an expected cash crunch. Delta pilots accept pay cutBoston Globe (PZ) Delta Pilots Ratify Interim AgreementHouston Chronicle USA Today -Cincinnati Post -CNN -MarketWatch -all 566 related

Worker who damaged plane won't face charges - Seattle Post Intelligencer

CTV.ca

Worker who damaged plane won't face charges Seattle Post Intelligencer -3 hours ago Despite concerns over an increase in safety and security incidents involving private contract baggage handlers, Port of Seattle authorities said Thursday that they will not press criminal charges against the worker who damaged an aircraft and then told no… Alaska Airlines accident blamed on cost cutsKING5.com (subscription) Passenger Recounts Emergency LandingABC News Houston Chronicle -Los Angeles Times -Scotsman -Times Online -all 344 related

Oil dips but near $60 on lower US fuel stocks - ABC News

AXcess News

Oil dips but near $60 on lower US fuel stocks ABC News -1 hour ago Oil prices eased on Friday but still headed toward the end of 2005 near $60, boosted this week by lower US fuel stocks and expectations that OPEC will cut output when it meets in January. Crude Oil Falls From Two-Week High Ahead of Holiday WeekendBloomberg Oil prices hold above $60 in Asian tradeINQ7.net New Ratings -Forbes -CNN -New Zealand Herald -all 771 related

UMC chairman will step down - Taipei Times

CNN International

UMC chairman will step down Taipei Times -7 hours ago United Microelectronics Corp chairman Robert Tsao ( ) is planning to leave his post next year in order to safeguard shareholders' interests from political influence, the… UMC Chairman Quits Amid ProbeRed Herring PRESS DIGEST-Taiwan newspapersReuters AlertNet Forbes -Infoworld -TheStreet.com -BusinessWeek -all 85 related

Judge upholds $230 million award against Nokia - Techworld.com

Financial Times

Judge upholds $230 million award against Nokia Techworld.com -21 hours ago Nokia has to pay InterDigital Communications over US$230 million, according to a ruling by a New York judge. The ruling confirms a decision made by a court of arbitration in June. InterDigital CEO'Hopeful' As Nokia Ruling UpheldForbes US court rules against Nokia in patent disputeFinancial Times InformationWeek -Reuters -MarketWatch -Philadelphia Business Journal -all 88 related

Ad blitz for AT&T set to start Saturday - Kansas.com

BBC News

Ad blitz for AT&T set to start Saturday Kansas.com -5 hours ago AT&T Corp. said Thursday that it will unleash the biggest ad campaign in the company's 120-year history to strengthen its brand name. Houston oil companies return to Libya in ventureHouston Chronicle ConocoPhillips, partners return to LibyaBusinessWeek Reuters -Forbes -News&Observer -TheStreet.com -all 68 related

US home sales hit eight-month low - Financial Times

Washington Post

US home sales hit eight-month low Financial Times -19 hours ago The National Association of Realtors said on Thursday that sales of existing homes dropped 1.7 per cent from the previous month to an annual rate of 6.97m, leaving the number of homes on the market at the highest level since 1986. A Mixed Picture for Home SalesBusinessWeek US existing-home sales decline, claims for unemployment aid riseCBC News Forbes -USA Today -Reuters -Monsters and Critics.com -all 348 related

Web holiday sales up 30% from last year - Chicago Tribune

KSBI 52

Web holiday sales up 30% from last year Chicago Tribune -51 minutes ago Holiday sales on the Internet increased 30 percent over last year as people shopped online for computers and electronic devices such as Apple Computer Inc. This year, Santa went cybershoppingCNET News.com Online Shopping SurgesMediapost.com National Business Review -Los Angeles Times -Fort Worth Star Telegram -Louisville Courier-Journal -all 25 related

India declares implementation of South Asia Free Trade Agreement - People's Daily Online

BBC News

India declares implementation of South Asia Free Trade Agreement People's Daily Online -5 hours ago The Indian Government said here on Thursday the implementation of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) with effect from January 1, 2006. Cabinet approves SaftaBusiness Standard Cabinet approves SAFTA; India to offer concessions to LDCsOutlook (subscription) BBC News -The Statesman -Newindpress -Economic Times -all 61 related

Iceland group orders 4 more 777s - Kansas.com

Spotlighting News

Iceland group orders 4 more 777s Kansas.com -5 hours ago Boeing Co. won an order from Iceland's Avion Group for four 777 freighter aircraft valued at about $1 billion. The planes, to be operated by Avion's Air Atlanta Icelandic aircraft-leasing unit, are in addition… Icelandic company orders four Boeing jetsMonsters and Critics.com Boeing: Avion Doubles Order for JetsMSN Money Los Angeles Times -Seattle Post Intelligencer -Flight International -TheStreet.com -all 66 related

Heart Device's Export Blocked
The Food and Drug Administration has told Guidant Corp., a maker of medical devices, that it will not approve new contracts to export heart-rhythm stabilizers made in its Minnesota plant until the company can prove that its products are being properly made.
Marc Kaufman

Bond Market Sparks Recession Fears Plunging Dow
Wall Street's December rally reversed course dramatically today after developments in the bond market heightened fears of a recession ahead. The Dow Jones industrial average suffered its worst loss in two months falling 105.5 points to 10,777.77.
Jerry Knight

German Firms' Success Isn't Trickling Down
HAMBURG — The view across the bustling port of this northern German city suggests that Europe's largest economy must be growing more prosperous. Cranes load and unload shipping containers, part of a flow of commerce that has made Germany the world's leading exporter, amassing a $200 billion trade…
Peter S. Goodman

With Satellite Launch, E.U. Positions Itself To Compete
PARIS, Dec. 28 — The European Union on Wednesday launched the first satellite in its $4.5 billion Galileo global positioning system, a bid to enhance the world's growing reliance on satellite navigation and break the U.S. monopoly on space-based networks.
Molly Moore

Life and Romance in 160 Characters or Less
Andrew Weigle can fully express himself in several dozen characters or less.
Yuki Noguchi

D.C. Spends Robustly on Official Travel
The District spends $5.5 million a year on travel for its employees, far more than other cities, and often with minimal records to justify the expense.
Dan Keating and David S. Fallis

Plea by Ex-Enron Accountant May Put Heat on Lay, Skilling
Enron Corp.'s former top accountant pleaded guilty yesterday to a single securities fraud charge in exchange for a prison sentence of five to seven years, setting the stage for potentially damaging testimony against onetime chief executives Kenneth L. Lay and Jeffrey K. Skilling.
Carrie Johnson

Home Sales Down for 2nd Consecutive Month
WASHINGTON — A cooling housing market may put buyers in the driver's seat while an improving job market could give workers and job-seekers more leverage, economists say.
JEANNINE AVERSA

Hope and Toil at India's Call Centers
GURGAON, India — As fireworks boomed across nearby New Delhi and families lit candles and incense and prayed late into the evening, thousands of call-center agents reported to work at a gleaming office tower here. Donning headsets and fake American names, they placed and fielded phone calls to and…

S. Mitra Kalita

Existing-Home Sales Take Slight Slide in November
In another sign of a cooling housing market, sales of existing homes dipped slightly in November, falling 1.7 percent compared with November 2004, according to a report released yesterday by the National Association of Realtors.
Kirstin Downey

Calculating Malpractice Claims
The insurance industry has long argued that huge losses from malpractice suits — now running more than $7 billion a year — have forced it to hike malpractice premiums, which more than doubled last year in some cities and for some specialties.
Dean Starkman

The Fast Rise and Steep Fall of Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff liked to slip into dialogue from "The Godfather" as he led his lobbying colleagues in planning their next conquest on Capitol Hill. In a favorite bit, he would mimic an ice-cold Michael Corleone facing down a crooked politician's demand for a cut of Mafia gambling profits:………

Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi

Fairfax's Point Man in India
BANGALORE, India — Most Indians have never heard of Fairfax County. Prasad Tagat aims to change that.
S. Mitra Kalita

Stores Try to Lure Customers in Year's Final Week
Retailers were pulling out all the stops yesterday to boost holiday sales before the year ends as shoppers streamed back into the malls to search for deep discounts and try out gift cards loaded with cash.
Ylan Q. Mui

Yahoo Showing Free CBS Sitcoms
CBS made two of its sitcoms available as free streaming downloads on a Yahoo Web site yesterday, marking the television network's entry into Web-based distribution under a model that differs from what its competitors are doing with their shows.
Yuki Noguchi

Last-Minute Gift Buying Boosts Retailers - Los Angeles Times

Buffalo News

Last-Minute Gift Buying Boosts Retailers Los Angeles Times -20 hours ago Sales at big chains rise 3.9% last week from a year earlier. Volume this week also may be good. By Leslie Earnest, Times Staff Writer. Last-minute holiday shoppers spur salesDetroit Free Press Online sales buoy retailersSan Jose Mercury News DetNews.com -Indianapolis Star -Miami Herald -Monsters and Critics.com -all 376 related

Update 4: Future of Pensions Concerns Delta Pilots - Forbes

ABCmoney.co.uk

Update 4: Future of Pensions Concerns Delta Pilots Forbes -6 hours ago 29.2005, 04:10 PM. The deep pay cuts pilots at bankrupt Delta Air Lines have accepted may be the least of their worries: their retirement benefits are in jeopardy as well. Delta pilots approve 14 percent pay cutBusinessWeek NATIONAL BRIEFINGWashington Post New York Times -Boston Herald -CBS News -USA Today -all 527 related

Collision on the tarmac leads to panic in mid-air - Times Online

CTV.ca

Collision on the tarmac leads to panic in mid-air Times Online -6 hours ago A BAGGAGE lorry driver who crashed into an airliner on the ground caused a mid-air emergency when the dent he created exploded into a gash in the side of the fuselage at 26,000ft. Blogger's aircraft emergency account draws praise, scornUSA Today 'Citizen journo' takes heat for telling allNational Business Review Seattle Times -TheNewsTribune.com (subscription) -KTVA -The Herald -all 342 related

Delta Pilots Approve 14 Percent Pay Cut
Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots have voted to approve a 14 percent pay cut in a deal their union worked out with management to help the bankrupt carrier cope with an expected cash crunch.

GREG BLUESTEIN

A Shared Uncertainty
NEW ORLEANS Joseph and Kesa Williams have come home once since Hurricane Katrina chased them off to Atlanta. Once was all they could bear.
Blaine Harden

With 1 Trading Day Left, Still No Holiday Rally
The Wall Street cheerleaders who had predicted a "Santa Claus rally" were saying today, "Wait 'til next year," as stock prices continued to retreat.
Jerry Knight

Traders Get Brief Respite From Bond Worries
The final tally on Christmas sales still isn't in, but investors bought retail stocks today after a report that consumer confidence has climbed back to where it was before the hurricanes.
Jerry Knight

Manassas Changes Definition Of Family
The inspector slid into his Crown Victoria, a police radio on his belt, addresses in hand. It was after 5 p.m., and he and his interpreter rolled into Manassas, down a street of benign ranch houses strung with lights. They parked, walked to a door and knocked.

Stephanie McCrummen

Women Narrow the Internet Gender Gap, Survey Finds
Traditionally, women have lagged behind men in adoption of Internet technologies, but a study released yesterday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that women under age 65 now outpace men in Internet usage, though only by a few percentage points. But the survey also noted that the…
Yuki Noguchi

A New Emphasis on Rail to Dulles
The effort by the Washington airports authority to speed construction of a rail line across Northern Virginia is a reminder to the region that the railroad's planners intended the train to serve air travelers as well as commuters.
Steven Ginsberg

Home Sales Down; Labor Market Stable
WASHINGTON — A cooling housing market may put buyers in the driver's seat while an improving job market could give workers and jobseekers more leverage, economists say.
JEANNINE AVERSA

Campaigning for the C-17
The C-17, a big-bellied Air Force jet that carries troops and cargo to global hot spots, is designed to navigate short, unpaved airstrips with ease. But navigating the next round of defense budget tightening could be much tougher.

Renae Merle

Marriott Discloses Missing Data Files
Marriott International Inc.'s time-share division said yesterday that it is missing backup computer tapes containing credit card account information and the Social Security numbers of about 206,000 time-share owners and customers, as well as employees of the company.

Michael S. Rosenwald

Homeland Security Is Faulted in Audit
Nearly three years after it was formed, the immense Department of Homeland Security remains hampered by severe management and financial problems that contributed to the flawed response to Hurricane Katrina, according to an independent audit released yesterday.
Dan Eggen

The Fast Rise and Steep Fall of Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff liked to slip into dialogue from "The Godfather" as he led his lobbying colleagues in planning their next conquest on Capitol Hill. In a favorite bit, he would mimic an ice-cold Michael Corleone facing down a crooked politician's demand for a cut of Mafia gambling profits:………
Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi

As Scrutiny Grows, Burma Moves Its Capital
RANGOON, Burma — Military trucks rumble up in front of Rangoon's ministries several times a week and workers lug ancient desks, chairs and filing cabinets to the waiting vehicles. The convoys depart at daybreak on a 12-hour journey along roads badly rutted and pocked, then return for another load.
Alan Sipress

Heart Device's Export Blocked
The Food and Drug Administration has told Guidant Corp., a maker of medical devices, that it will not approve new contracts to export heart-rhythm stabilizers made in its Minnesota plant until the company can prove that its products are being properly made.
Marc Kaufman

US Two-Year Treasury Yield Rises Above 10-Year Note Yield - Bloomberg

Financial Times

US Two-Year Treasury Yield Rises Above 10-Year Note Yield Bloomberg -2 hours ago US two-year Treasury yields rose above 10-year yields for the second time this week after a drop in existing home sales bolstered speculation the economy will slow in 2006. A Better Yield Spread to WatchBusinessWeek Bonds mixed, yield curve flatCNN MarketWatch -Motley Fool -Reuters -The News Journal -all 356 related

US jobless claims rose 3,000 last week - Reuters

Metro Toronto

US jobless claims rose 3,000 last week Reuters -6 hours ago New claims for US jobless pay rose by 3,000 last week while a separate gauge of longer-term unemployment posted a third successive weekly increase, the Labor Department reported on Thursday. US Initial Jobless Claims Rose 3,000 Last Week to 322,000Bloomberg US jobs picture brightensToronto Star Forbes -CNN International -MSN Money -Monsters and Critics.com -all 103 related

Gambling heavyweights spend millions on Pa. casino applications - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Business New Jersey (subscription)

Gambling heavyweights spend millions on Pa. casino applications Pittsburgh Post Gazette -14 hours ago It could take several months to issue the state's first gaming licenses, but would-be operators already have taken a big gamble. Philly gambling draws big casino ownersMonsters and Critics.com Companies scramble for Pennsylvania gaming licensesReuters BusinessWeek -Newsday -philly.com -Chicago Tribune -all 98 related

Premarket Movers: Quidel, Alkermes gain - BusinessWeek

New Age Media Concepts (press release)

Premarket Movers: Quidel, Alkermes gain BusinessWeek -6 hours ago DEC. 29 8:56 AM ET Quidel Corp. shares rallied ahead of Thursday's market open, after the company said it received regulatory approval to include new claims regarding the accuracy of its 10-minute flu test. Biotechs Get Alcohol Drug NodRed Herring Alkermes alcoholism drug wins tentative OKBoston Globe MarketWatch -Forbes -United Press International -Smartmoney.com -all 48 related

Delta pilots vote to OK 14 percent wage cut - Boston Herald

CNN

Delta pilots vote to OK 14 percent wage cut Boston Herald -14 hours ago Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots voted yesterday to approve a 14 percent pay cut in a deal their union worked out with management to help the bankrupt carrier cope with an expected cash crunch. Delta pilots ratify pay-cut dealMarketWatch Delta pilots ratify pay-cut dealForbes Houston Chronicle -New York Times -Washington Post -Cincinnati Post -all 479 related

US beef imports set as HK eases ban - The Standard

The Standard

US beef imports set as HK eases ban The Standard -2 hours ago Steak lovers can look forward to the return of US beef on Hong Kong menus following the lifting of a controversial two-year ban. Steak lovers can look forward to the return of US beef on Hong Kong menus following… HK to resume US beef importXinhua Hong Kong partially lifts ban on US beefSeattle Post Intelligencer Kansas.com -Brownfield -United Press International -TODAYonline -all 80 related

US home sales hit eight-month low - Financial Times

AXcess News

US home sales hit eight-month low Financial Times -3 hours ago The National Association of Realtors said on Thursday that sales of existing homes dropped 1.7 per cent from the previous month to an annual rate of 6.97m, leaving the number of homes on the market at the highest level since 1986. Existing Home Sales Slip in NovemberABC News Nov existing home sales fall, weekly claims upReuters Forbes -Bloomberg -USA Today -CNN International -all 177 related

Ex-Enron Exec. Pleads Guilty And Will Testify - New York Sun

CBC News

Ex-Enron Exec. Pleads Guilty And Will Testify New York Sun -11 hours ago Associated Press. HOUSTON - A former top accountant at Enron Corporation sealed his plea deal with prosecutors yesterday, becoming a key potential witness in the upcoming fraud trial of former CEOs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Enron`s former top accountant admits guiltMonsters and Critics.com Enron on Trial: Causey and EffectBusinessWeek Reuters -MSNBC -ABC News -Bloomberg -all 1,474 related

Crude Oil Rises Above $60 Amid US Gasoline Inventory Decline - Bloomberg

AXcess News

Crude Oil Rises Above $60 Amid US Gasoline Inventory Decline Bloomberg -1 hour ago Crude oil rose above $60 a barrel in New York amid concern that falling US gasoline inventories will leave stockpiles inadequate to meet demand. Slight rise in oil prices seen next yearTaipei Times Oil steadies near $60CNN Forbes -Los Angeles Times -BizNewOrleans.com -KLFY -all 642 related

UPDATE 2-Hilton Hotels to buy UK, European Hilton hotels - Reuters

ABCmoney.co.uk

UPDATE 2-Hilton Hotels to buy UK, European Hilton hotels Reuters -38 minutes ago Hilton Hotels Corp. (HLT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it would buy its British namesake's hotels for 3.3 billion pounds… Hilton sells hotels to US namesakeReuters.uk Hilton hotels businesses reunitedBBC News Financial Times -Bloomberg -Channel 4 News -RTE.ie -all 292 related

UPDATE 3-Ex-Qwest executive pleads guilty to wire fraud - Reuters

CNN

UPDATE 3-Ex-Qwest executive pleads guilty to wire fraud Reuters -20 hours ago A former Qwest Communications International Inc (QN: Quote, Profile, Research) executive on Wednesday pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a deal with prosecutors… Weisberg'guilty'Rocky Mountain News Ex-Qwest executive accepts plea dealBoston Globe Forbes -Seattle Post Intelligencer -Myrtle Beach Sun News -Light Reading -all 185 related

Baggage handler blamed for hole in jet - Houston Chronicle

CTV.ca

Baggage handler blamed for hole in jet Houston Chronicle -13 hours ago The Alaska Airlines jet was parked at its gate when a baggage handler bumped his loading cart into the plane. Just a minor bump, he later told investigators; so minor, he said… Jet forced to land after city firm worker dented planeScotsman Bump by Baggage Cart Leads to Emergency LandingLos Angeles Times Forbes -ABC News -Seattle Times -San Diego Union Tribune -all 331 related

Business news briefs: 12/29/05 - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Business News - Danmark.dk

Pennsylvania business news in brief - Penn Live

Business news - Ipswich Chronicle

Business news in brief - Philadelphia Inquirer

Business news briefs - Lansing State Journal

Business news in brief from around New Jersey - Newsday

Pennsylvania business news in brief - Penn Live

News 14 Charlotte

Pennsylvaniabusinessnewsin brief Penn Live, PA -Dec 27, 2005 HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Utility.com has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a claim that the electricity marketer did not provide… Pennsylvaniabusinessnewsin briefScranton Times all 20 related

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS - Battle Creek Enquirer

TV's Hot Properties: Real Estate Reality Shows
This, people, is how you know the fearsome bubble is finally bursting (as if the moss growing on your neighbor's For Sale sign weren't enough of a clue): We're finally left with nothing to do but watch. Indeed, this collective lust for landholding, this national pang for property, has morphed into…
Teresa Wiltz

The Fast Rise and Steep Fall of Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff liked to slip into dialogue from "The Godfather" as he led his lobbying colleagues in planning their next conquest on Capitol Hill. In a favorite bit, he would mimic an ice-cold Michael Corleone facing down a crooked politician's demand for a cut of Mafia gambling profits:………
Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi

Bond Market Sparks Recession Fears Plunging Dow
Wall Street's December rally reversed course dramatically today after developments in the bond market heightened fears of a recession ahead. The Dow Jones industrial average suffered its worst loss in two months falling 105.5 points to 10,777.77.

Jerry Knight

Post-9/11 Rush Mixed Politics With Security
As a small start-up company in Massachusetts sought to become a major player in the business of homeland security, it hired a lobbyist and attended a fundraiser for one of the most powerful members of Congress.

Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Scott Higham

Consumer Confidence Up As Gas Prices Dip
NEW YORK — Consumer confidence surged in December as declining gasoline prices and improving job opportunities buoyed spirits, boding well for spending in the new year.

EILEEN ALT POWELL

Ex-Qwest Exec Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
DENVER — Former Qwest Communications executive Marc Weisberg pleaded guilty Wednesday to wire fraud and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors trying to convict former Chief Executive Joseph Nacchio of illegally dumping more than $100 million in stock.
JON SARCHE

A Shared Uncertainty
NEW ORLEANS Joseph and Kesa Williams have come home once since Hurricane Katrina chased them off to Atlanta. Once was all they could bear.
Blaine Harden

Delta Pilots Approve 14 Percent Pay Cut
Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots have voted to approve a 14 percent pay cut in a deal their union worked out with management to help the bankrupt carrier cope with an expected cash crunch.
GREG BLUESTEIN

Cleaning Up After the Fall
Four years after Enron Corp. collapsed, the Houston energy trader clings to life as "the financial equivalent of a Superfund site," its chairman said.
Carrie Johnson

At Gas Stations in Iraq, Price Hike Fuels Outrage
BAGHDAD, Dec. 27 — Until recently, Ahmed Taha saw himself as providing a public service, his bustling Abu Qlam gas station dispensing dirt-cheap fuel to Baghdad's growing horde of motorists.

Jonathan Finer and Naseer Nouri

Traders Get Brief Respite From Bond Worries
The final tally on Christmas sales still isn't in, but investors bought retail stocks today after a report that consumer confidence has climbed back to where it was before the hurricanes.

Jerry Knight

A New Emphasis on Rail to Dulles
The effort by the Washington airports authority to speed construction of a rail line across Northern Virginia is a reminder to the region that the railroad's planners intended the train to serve air travelers as well as commuters.
Steven Ginsberg

Yahoo Showing Free CBS Sitcoms
CBS made two of its sitcoms available as free streaming downloads on a Yahoo Web site yesterday, marking the television network's entry into Web-based distribution under a model that differs from what its competitors are doing with their shows.
Yuki Noguchi

Hope and Toil at India's Call Centers
GURGAON, India — As fireworks boomed across nearby New Delhi and families lit candles and incense and prayed late into the evening, thousands of call-center agents reported to work at a gleaming office tower here. Donning headsets and fake American names, they placed and fielded phone calls to and…
S. Mitra Kalita

Delta Pilots Ratify Interim Agreement
ATLANTA, Dec. 28, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Delta Air Lines confirmed that its pilots ratified an interim agreement today that provides for a 14 percent hourly wage reduction and reductions in other pilot pay and cost items equivalent to approximately an additional 1 percent in pilot pay. The interim agreement will result in pilot cost reductions of approximately $143 million on an annualized basis. The agreement, crafted earlier this month by the company and the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the collective bargaining representative of the company's more than 6,000 pilots, is effective as of Dec. 15, 2005, and will remain in effect while the parties seek to reach a comprehensive agreement.

Sun New Media Announces Modification to Pooling Agreement
DIAMOND BAR, Calif., Dec. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Sun New Media, Inc. (OTCBB:SNMD) ("SNMI") and Capital Alliance Group, Inc. ("CAG") reported today that the parties had agreed to modify the terms of a share pooling agreement dated September 18, 2005.

Lars Thunell Leaving Statoil Board
OSLO, Norway, Dec. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Lars Thunell is to withdraw from Statoil's (OSE:STL) (NYSE:STO) board of directors with effect from 1 January. He is taking up a new position with the World Bank which means that he will be unable to maintain his directorship.

SeaDrill Ltd.: Offer to Purchase Remaining Shares in Mosvold Drilling Ltd.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Dec. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Reference is made to the press release dated 21 December 2005, in connection with SeaDrill Limited's ("SeaDrill") offer to purchase shares in Mosvold Drilling Ltd.

110 Media Group, Inc. Acquires Global Portals Online
PATCHOGUE, N.Y., Dec. 28, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — 110 Media Group, Inc. (OTCBB:ONTN) has completed the acquisition of pioneer software development company Global Portals Online in a stock swap deal designed to bolster 110's value.

HCC Announces 2006 Earnings Release Dates
HOUSTON, Dec. 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HCC) announced today that the Company's 2006 earnings announcements are expected to be released on the following dates:

Radiant Logistics Completes $4.4 Million Private Placement of Common Stock
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Radiant Logistics, Inc. (OTCBB:RLGT), a development stage company formed to build a global transportation and supply chain management company, today announced that it has completed a private placement of its common stock for gross proceeds of approximately $4.4 million.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Announces Management Changes
DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines today announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick J. Conway, stepped down from his position on December 22, 2005, and would be retiring from the bank on December 31, 2005. On December 22, 2005, the bank's Board of Directors appointed board member Neil N. Fruechte to serve as acting President and Chief Executive Officer.

Fox&Hound Restaurant Group Announces Newcastle Partners LP and Steel Partners II, LP Increase Offer Price to $15.50 Per Share
WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 28, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Fox&Hound Restaurant Group (Nasdaq:FOXX) announced that Newcastle Partners, LP and Steel Partners II, LP informed the Company that they have increased the price they are willing to pay to acquire the Company, pursuant to a negotiated tender offer/merger, to $15.50 per share in cash. On December 20, 2005, Newcastle, Steel and F&H Acquisition Corp. publicly announced that they had placed into escrow a merger agreement indicating their willingness to offer to acquire Fox&Hound by negotiated tender offer/merger for $14.50 per share in cash. The escrowed merger agreement has been amended to reflect the increased proposed purchase price. The Company further announced that, in accordance with the terms and conditions of that certain Letter of Intent dated October 4, 2005, between the Company and Levine Leichtman Capital Partners ("LLCP"), as amended (the"LLCP Letter of Intent"), the Company's Board of Directors has determined that the offer to enter into a negotiated tender offer/merger for $15.50 per share in cash is a superior offer to the existing offer of LLCP. Under the terms of the LLCP Letter of Intent, LLCP has five business days to match or propose an alternative transaction.

Rendell Deals Blow to Job Creation with Veto of Modest Tax Reduction Bill
HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell made a choice against job creation with a Christmas Eve veto of a business tax reduction bill (H.B. 515) that would have helped to create a stronger, more competitive business climate in the Commonwealth.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average at 11000: A Brief Overview
NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) — Although the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 59 points shy of closing at the 11000 mark in 2005, it would not have been the first time the most quoted and widely known blue-chip measure has crossed this milestone. Here is a brief overview of the Dow Jones Industrial Average at 11000.

Business news briefs - Lansing State Journal

Business News short takes - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (subscription)

Business news briefs: 12/28/05 - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Pennsylvania business news in brief - Penn Live

Pennsylvania business news in brief - Penn Live

News 14 Charlotte

Pennsylvaniabusinessnewsin brief Penn Live, PA -Dec 27, 2005 HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Utility.com has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a claim that the electricity marketer did not provide… Pennsylvaniabusinessnewsin briefScranton Times all 19 related