Thieves Net $16 Billion a Year With Returns Fraud

By ELISABETH LEAMY
Nov. 2, 2006

The biggest fraud you've never heard of, returns fraud, robs retailers of $16 billion a year and makes shopping more difficult and more expensive for all of us.

In one store surveillance video, a couple are seen trying to return a TV, but when the couple first entered the store, they came in empty-handed.

Videotape shows the man in the electronics aisle, loading a television into his cart. Then, he goes directly to guest services, and tries to return it. Police say this is an example of basic returns fraud.

"They're stealing merchandise in large quantities from stores across the country and then doing repeated returns for financial gain," said Joseph La Rocca, vice president of loss prevention at the National Retail Federation.

The first time many people even heard of returns fraud was earlier this year when police arrested White House Domestic Policy aide Claude Allen.

Police said Allen bought long lists of merchandise to get a legitimate receipt, then he returned to the store and loaded up on those same items, using his receipt to return them.


Allen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft.



A Case of More Than $1 Million Returns Fraud


Allen, experts say, was an amateur, as are many thieves who stuff stolen goods into store shopping bags to make it more convincing when they try to return them later. But there are professional thieves out there as well.

Some thieves buy something like an expensive suit and make multiple copies of the receipt. They send other people to steal dozens more of the same suit, and then they return them. One theft ring netted $250,000 this way.

The biggest case of returns fraud that ABC News found started in tiny Portland, Tenn.

Two couples, Dewey and Laura Howerton, and Michael and Julie Poore, raked in more than $1 million.

In a police interview, Laura Howerton described how the couples stuck bar codes from cheap products onto expensive ones, buying them at the low price, then returning them at the high.

"After you purchase it for the $4, you take the sticker off and you could take it back to Wal-Mart and get your money," she said.


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The Privilege of Being Beautiful

By JOHN STOSSEL and FRANK MASTROPOLO

Nov. 2, 2006 — All of us like to look at beautiful people, but does beauty really bring you privilege?

A few people say no, beauty is a curse!
ABC's "The Bachelor," the show where women compete to win the affection of a handsome man, often provides insights into the way these incredibly beautiful people think.

Last year, one jilted contestant tearfully complained that there were plenty of disadvantages to being beautiful.


Watch a special two-hour edition of "20/20" Friday at 9 p.m. ET
"People are mean to me because of the way I look. People hate me because I'm beautiful," she said. "It's a curse as much as it is a blessing to be pretty."

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Colorectal Cancer Appears More Common in Men

By JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN
Nov. 2, 2006

COLON CANCER MORE COMMON in MEN Colorectal cancer appears to be more common in men than women, according to a new study from Poland published in this week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors using colonoscopy on 50,000 patients found 73 percent more advanced cancerous lesions in males than in their female counterparts. Currently, recommendations say that both men and women go in for a colonoscopy at age 50 and follow up about every 10 years, with earlier and more frequent visits advised for people with a family history of colon or rectal cancers. The authors of this study predict that their findings may lead to the adjustment of screening recommendations for colorectal cancer based on sex, where men may need to be screened more often.

TREATING GUM DISEASE in PREGNANT WOMEN DOESN'T HELP BABIES There is plenty of evidence that women with gum disease are more likely to have premature and undersize babies, so doctors naturally thought that treating the gum disease in the moms would improve the babies' situation. The theory was that the gum disease allowed bacteria to get into the mother's bloodstream and cause problems in the pregnancy. Turns out it's not that simple. A new study from researchers at the University of Minnesota finds that treating pregnant women improves their gums, but does not change the likelihood of having a premature baby. Doctors are not sure whether treating the women during pregnancy is too late in the process to benefit the babies, or whether gum disease really has no role causal role in prematurity. These findings were published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

RELIGIOUS LIFE MAY LENGTHEN LUNG HEALTH Senior citizens who regularly attend religious services may experience lower levels of lung decline, report researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health. In a five-year study of 1,174 senior citizens ages 70 years to 79 years, scientists found that the lung function of people who attended religious services decreased at half the rate of those who never attended. Because the difference in lung health could not be explained by smoking or physical-activity levels, researchers suggest that spirituality may influence well-being. Attending regular religious services also provides emotional and physical benefits, such as reducing stress and providing people with a support system when they need it. These findings were published in the most recent issue of the Annals Behavioral Medicine.

STAT is a brief look at the latest medical research and is compiled by Joanna Schaffhausen, who holds a doctorate in behavioral neuroscience. She works in the ABC News Medical Unit, evaluating medical studies, abstracts and news releases.

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Wine Drinking Mice Stay Fat and Healthy

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer


Nov.1, 2006— WASHINGTON (AP) — Obese mice on a high-fat diet got the benefits of being thin — living healthier, longer lives — without the pain of dieting when they consumed huge doses of red wine extract, according to a landmark new study.

It's far too early to know if this would work in people, scientists said. But several were excited by the findings, calling it promising and even "spectacular."

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India, China Compared at BW CEO Forum

Two emerging economic powers, two very different machines. Will the future be an "arc of prosperity" or a jobs battleground?
by Brian Bremner

When it comes to both China and India, the superlatives come fast and furious. Each one is a fast-track developing economy with vast potential for the decades ahead.

India is the fabled back office and outsourcing hub of the global economy and a vibrant if sometimes dysfunctional democracy. China, meanwhile, is a manufacturing and export phenomenon with a command-and-control political culture. Together the countries represent about 40% of the global population, both are growing at or near double-digit levels and "thus are reshaping the global economy in their own images," suggests Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, an economic advisor with MasterCard International Asia Pacific.

Right now, companies from each of these economically ascendant 21st century societies travel in different realms of the global economy. That's starting to change, and one of the more intriguing questions bandied about at the BusinessWeek CEO Forum in Beijing that kicked off Nov. 1 is just how soon their economic rivalry will start to intensify.

Both societies have enormous populations and need to absorb 10 million to 15 million new workers each year. India's outsourcing sector, dominated by the likes of Infosys (INFY) and Wipro (WIP), probably can't carry that burden alone.

A New Hierarchy
So India is trying mightily to attract foreign direct investment in basic industries such as steel and auto manufacturing. And cash-rich companies such as Tata Steel (TATAFM), which just bagged British steelmaker Corus (CGA), are shopping for corporate assets abroad to build up global scale (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/9/06, "India Companies: Shopping Abroad").

In the years ahead, both countries "are going to be competing for manufacturing jobs," suggests Professor Fan Gang, director of the National Institute of Economic Research in China. While the economic competition will ultimately benefit both sides, he points out that "India's blue-collar wages are about one-half of China's." In other words, rapidly prospering China could ironically find itself being undercut by the low-wage environment of India.

Of course, one of the biggest raps against India has been its woefully underdeveloped infrastructure—airport capacity, highway networks, and rail—that make doing business in India somewhat of a struggle. Ajit Gulabchand, chairman and managing director of Hindustan Construction, thinks New Delhi is finally getting serious about closing the infrastructure gap with China.

In the last two years, the amount of infrastructure spending as a percentage of GDP has hit 4.5% (double decade-ago levels) and by the end of the decade it will be 9% to 10%. As a result, "You are going to get a surge in the manufacturing sector," he envisions.

Crossing an "Ideological Barrier"
One of the more interesting debates among global executives is which political model is best-suited to high-speed economic growth: India's freewheeling democracy or the top-down, authoritarian approach of China? Ronnie Chan, chairman of Hong Kong-based Hang Lung Properties, thinks China's embrace of market capitalism married to a focused, powerful and centralized government gives it an edge.

"The biggest problem for China during the last 26 years of development has been to cross an ideological barrier" from socialism to capitalism, albeit with unique Chinese characteristics, Chan argues. "The toughest part is over," he says, adding that "A democracy changes its mind all the time." Translation: Powerful vested interests in India could roll back economic reforms if they felt threatened enough. Hindustan's Gulabchand sharply disagrees with that assessment. "When you look at market economies, which are the richest?" he asks. "They are democracies."

Smaller economies in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore hope fervently that these two emerging giants remain on good diplomatic terms as their economic rivalry intensifies. Having two regional and powerful growth engines such as India and China in Asia will create an "arc of prosperity that will benefit all of us," says Surin Pitsuwan, a former Thailand Minister of Foreign Affairs.

That's the hope at least. Whether it turns out that way will be one of the more fascinating stories to watch in the decade ahead. This debate is far from over.

Bremner is Asia Regional Editor for BusinessWeek in Hong Kong.

'Tis the Season for Price Cuts

Wal-Mart and its rivals are going to get aggressive about discounting as they head into the crucial holiday season
by Pallavi Gogoi

On Nov. 2, a series of discount stores reported anemic sales for October, raising the prospect that lower-income consumers will have to be lured into stores with aggressive discounting. The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart (WMT), led off with a dismal 0.3% increase in same-store sales at its flagship stores in October. Even after adding in a 2% gain at its Sam's Club division, Wal-Mart's overall same-store sales climbed a mere 0.5%. Same-store, or comparable-store, sales is a closely watched retail barometer that measures the sales of units open at least a year.

Other discounters were in the same boat: Fred's (FRED) same-store sales declined 2.5%, while analysts were expecting growth of 4.6%. Family Dollar Stores' (FDO) same-store sales rose 1%, compared to forecasts of 2.9% growth. And Dollar General's (DG) comp-store sales rose 1.9%, while the Street expected growth of 2.9%. Even the chic discounter Target (TGT) fell short of analysts' forecasts, with a sales gain of 3.9%, instead of the anticipated 4.2%.

Planning the Offensive
As these discounters try to attract more shoppers, they likely will have to accelerate their markdowns. Experts expect Wal-Mart, typically the most aggressive of the pack, to lead the way. "The opportunities are too good to let the season get away, and I expect Wal-Mart to come out swinging with aggressive price promotions," says Darrell Rigby, head of global retail practice at consultancy Bain & Co.

Wal-Mart is already gearing up. In a statement to investors that accompanied the October results, Tom Schoewe, Wal-Mart's chief financial officer, said: "Price rollbacks on key toys that went into effect in mid-October generated significant lift in unit volume. In electronics, another dynamic category for the holiday season, we have several initiatives planned to drive holiday sales. We have expanded our brand offerings, improved our product presentations in the store, reinforced our value pricing, and doubled the assortment of accessories."

He added that Wal-Mart is planning aggressive "rollback" advertising and marketing programs that should put the company into the "price leadership position" in the fourth quarter.

Consumer Windfall?
What does this mean for Wal-Mart's rivals? A price war could blast the profits of competitors, particularly Target. "If Wal-Mart gets too promotional, then the pressure is on Target, Toys "R" Us, Kmart, and Sears (SHLD)," says Richard Hastings, senior retail analyst at researcher Bernard Sands.

For consumers, however, the deep discounting may be very good news. Consulting firms such as Bain and Ernst & Young have been predicting solid sales for the holidays, with increases of 5% to 7% (see BusinessWeek.com, 11/1/06, "Forecast: A Very Happy Consumer Holiday").

Discounting will be particularly welcome news for lower-income shoppers. They haven't seen the same kind of momentum from wage growth and jobs creation that well-heeled consumers have felt. The Labor Dept.'s latest numbers show that the industries that have been hiring are in services, education, and health, while the number of retail and manufacturing jobs has fallen. "Persistent gains in jobs and income are skewed toward the management and professional jobs held by higher-end consumers," says Frank Badillo, senior economist and vice-president at research firm Retail Forward.

Luxury Leads the Way
On the other end of the spectrum, higher-income consumers are feeling quite flush. They've had more job security and wage increases, at the same time they've benefited from lower prices at the pump.

Perhaps it's little wonder then that high-end retailers have been faring much better than their discount counterparts. Luxury chain Saks (SKS) posted a 9.2% gain in same-store sales, beating Wall Street projections of a 3.6% gain. In addition, Nordstrom (JWN) reported a strong 10.7% jump in sales, topping analyst estimates of 6.2% by a wide margin. "Even J.C. Penney (JCP) is doing well because it is moving away from middle income and is skewing upscale," noted Badillo of Retail Forward. Penney's same-store sales surged 8.1%, compared to forecasts of 6.2%.

So the high-end stores may not have to cut their prices as deeply as the discounters this holiday season. Wal-Mart is likely to lead the way in the price rollbacks, putting pressure on pretty much all of its rivals. For consumers, that means they can enjoy their shopping this year just a little bit more.

Gogoi is a reporter for BusinessWeek Online in New York.

Vietnam Admitted 150th Member of WTO

Vietnam will be admitted to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on November 7, 2006, becoming the 150th member of this organisation......

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Starting Smarter

Looking for an entry-level position? Take a tip from these recent hires at L’Oréal, JPMorgan, Lockheed, and elsewhere

Just what traits are different companies looking for in an ideal entry-level job applicant? And what can you expect on the job? Young employees at a handful of organizations recently ranked in "BusinessWeek's Best Places to Launch a Career" list —including L'Oréal, JPMorgan Investment Bank, Lockheed Martin, Pepsi Bottling Group, UPS, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency—explore these questions and offer advice to future applicants. (If you want to weigh in with advice about your own organization or just join the discussion, please feel free to share your feedback in the Reader Comments section below.)

Greg Hui, 23

Marketing Assistant, L'Oréal USA (LORLY)

In the recruiting process, they really want to see enthusiasm in the people they hire, that you're very natural and open to new ideas. L'Oréal is definitely looking for leaders. In order to be successful here, you're eventually going to have to manage people.

They're also looking for constant creativity—creative ways of approaching the problem—because we're such an innovation-driven company. At the same time, they're looking for strong analytics because there are always numbers behind every product.

A Wharton grad who majored in marketing and communications and joined L'Oréal's rotational Marketing Management Development program in August, 2005, completing a four-month rotation in sales and a three-month rotation in finance, followed by a three-month market research rotation. Currently doing a six- to eight-month rotation in marketing.

Tochucwu Aguoji, 24

Sales Account Manager, UPS (UPS)

I would say UPS is looking for someone who has motivation. Of course, we want people with business backgrounds, but do you have the work ethic? The competitiveness? The integrity? UPS strongly believes in promotion from within…if you work hard, good things will happen for you at this company.

Worked in operations as a package preloader and unloader while still in college. After graduating from West Virginia University in May, 2005, he joined the company full-time as a sales rep handling small accounts. He was promoted to account manager within a year.

Mallie Smith, 22

Eighth-Grade Math Teacher, Teach for America/JPMorgan Investment Bank Partnership (JPM)

The skills that I learned [during two summers as a JPMorgan analyst] have already helped me. One very concrete example is the sleep schedule. At JPMorgan a lot is expected of the summer analysts in terms of coming early and staying late, making a contribution to the team. Here, it's the same thing. It is every bit as important to stay on task and manage time efficiently.

It's different, but it's extremely challenging to be a teacher. There's a lot expected of us from Teach for America. We come from diverse academic backgrounds and most of us were not education majors. In five weeks, we're expected to gain all the information and bring it to the classroom in the fall. It's an incredible amount of pressure. Multitasking is very important, being able to concentrate on something fully and be receptive at any time.

Spent two summers during college as a JP Morgan analyst, graduated from Georgetown in May, 2006, and joined Teach for America for a two-year fellowship as the first-ever participant in a new JPMorgan/Teach for America partnership, in which students apply simultaneously to both programs.

If accepted to both, applicants may defer their JPMorgan offer to participate in Teach for America. Smith currently teaches eighth-grade math in the South Bronx at IS 162. Paired with a JPMorgan mentor to stay connected and is also eligible for a JPMorgan externship this summer.

-provided by businessweek.com

Mercedes Gets Back Up To Speed

A focus on quality and cost has the luxury maker humming again
by Gail Edmondson


DaimlerChrysler (DCX) Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche may be losing sleep over the woes of Daimler's U.S. unit, Chrysler Corp., but he's sure to be breathing easier about once-troubled Mercedes-Benz (DCX). On Oct. 25, when Chrysler reported a $1.5 billion loss for the third quarter, Mercedes posted a 127% jump in operating profit, to $1.2 billion. Sales are up 9.3% this year, and analysts expect the turnaround to stick. "The downward spiral," Zetsche says, "has changed direction."

Mercedes' improved fortunes couldn't have come soon enough. The prestigious automaker is finally emerging from the most painful stretch in its 127-year history: a three-year slump in which its once-hallowed reputation for quality and engineering took a beating even as rival BMW surpassed it in global sales. Mercedes' fall in recent years was so precipitous it helped spur the early departure of former CEO Jürgen Schrempp.

The troubles became apparent in 2003 when the world's No. 1 luxury brand landed near the bottom of J.D. Power's annual quality survey. Then, in 2004 and 2005, electronics snafus led to widespread recalls, further denting Mercedes' reputation and finances. And as Mercedes dragged its heels modernizing its manufacturing techniques, competitors made huge strides in improving the way they build cars. As a result, even today, "Mercedes is getting squeezed on all sides by very high-quality cars produced at half the price," says Jay Baron, head of manufacturing at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Enter Zetsche as top dog. After running Chrysler from 2000 to 2005, he took over DaimlerChrysler 14 months ago. Zetsche quickly set about slashing some 9,300 jobs by offering workers buyouts. More important, to shake up Mercedes' hidebound culture he kicked off a radical restructuring, organizing the company around functional elements of the car--motors, chassis, and electronics systems--instead of by model lines.

Other automakers have already gone down this path, but for Mercedes the shift marks a big departure. Suddenly, model overlords, once free to design cars from the wheels up, are required to choose from a common basket of modules and components. Mercedes is aiming to reduce 226 door handle variants to 71, 99 cooling systems to 25, and 171 antenna designs to 53. The list goes on and on. And with each new model, thousands of different parts will be shared instead of being engineered from the ground up.

But Mercedes still has a long way to go. Its costs per vehicle are as much as $3,800 higher than for comparable BMWs, says Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, director of the German Center for Automotive Research at the University of Gelsenkirchen. Much of that difference could be made up by standardizing design and manufacturing and sharing more parts, but Mercedes is a good five years behind the likes of BMW and Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) in this arena. Zetsche also aims to boost the flexibility of Mercedes' factories, which today build just one model per line. By 2010 that should rise to two per line, making it easier to adjust output to meet demand. Still, rivals now produce up to six models on each line.

MILLIONS OF TEST-DRIVE MILES. Fortunately for Zetsche, Mercedes already has tackled some of its thorniest problems. To address the electronics debacles, engineers begin testing systems up to a year earlier than in the past, and long before the start of production. Today five research and development labs at Mercedes' Stuttgart headquarters root out many of the problems that have savaged its reputation.

Lab workers put each new model's electronics system through a battery of 10,000 tests that run 24 hours a day and take three weeks to complete. One favorite tactic: Simulate what happens when a driver hits buttons all over the dashboard willy-nilly at the same time. "

-provided by businessweek.com

Linux Linkup for Microsoft, Novell

If you can't beat 'em… a cooperation pact between the rivals could engender enough customer goodwill to outweigh the risks
by Sonja Ryst

In a surprising development, Microsoft (MSFT) on Nov. 2 entered into a broad partnership with longtime rival Novell (NOVL) and agreed to provide some support to Linux, the open-source operating system that competes with its own Windows operating system. Linux, which is developed by a community of software developers who share their code, has long been viewed as one of the most serious threats to the lucrative Windows franchise.

Under the agreement, Microsoft will offer sales support for SUSE Linux, a version of the operating system sold by Novell. The two companies have also agreed to develop technologies to make it easier for users to run both SUSE Linux and Microsoft's Windows on their computers. "They said it couldn't be done," Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, said in a prepared statement. "This is a new model and a true evolution of our relationship that we think customers will immediately find compelling."

Adapting to Customers
Executives at both companies said that they were turning from competition to cooperation because corporate customers have made it clear they want to use a blend of technologies; Linux on some machines and Windows on others. Rather than frustrating customers with software that doesn't work well together, the two companies hope to make their technologies operate smoothly. "Too often technology companies ask their customers to adapt to them," said Ron Hovsepian, chief executive at Novell. "Today, we are adapting to our customers."

In the Nov. 2 announcement, the two companies said that they had signed three agreements, with a technical cooperation pact covering virtualization, Web-services management, and document-format compatibility. Virtualization is a technology that's becoming increasingly popular among corporations. Such software allows one computer to perform like several, so one server can handle multiple tasks at the same time. The Microsoft-Novell agreement would make it easier for Linux to run on top of virtualized Windows, or vice versa.

Another agreement between the two companies covers patent cooperation and calls for both sides to agree not to pursue patent infringement claims against the other's customers. Finally, the two companies inked a business cooperation agreement under which they will combine marketing and sales resources to provide joint offerings for customers' Linux needs.

Risks and Rewards
There's little downside for Novell in getting the cooperation of Microsoft. After the deal was initially reported by The Wall Street Journal Nov. 2, Novell's stock surged 16%, to close at $6.79 on the Nasdaq. Still, analysts at Citigroup questioned how much of a sales boost Novell will get. "Other than Microsoft upfront payments we see little meaningful revenue upside" for Novell, wrote Citigroup's Brent Thill and associates in a Nov. 2 note.

For Microsoft, however, there may be risks in providing support for an operating system that competes with what is arguably its most important franchise. Corporate customers, for example, may be more inclined to try Linux, or use it more broadly, now that Microsoft is providing its own vote of confidence. That could take away revenues from Microsoft, as it's pushing hard to keep up its growth rate.

The benefit from cooperation, though, may be customer goodwill. Microsoft has seen Linux take a growing share of the server market and even begin to encroach on the personal computer market. By acknowledging that the rival operating system will remain part of customers' computer operations and making its own software work smoothly with Linux, Microsoft may make customers more satisfied with its own products.

-provided by businessweek.com

Motorola Exec Sees $15 Phones by 2008

Ultra low-cost handsets for the developing world are possible given cheaper manufacturing, says the company's British chief. Next, luxury taxes must not apply
by Gemma Simpson

Mobile phones costing less than $15 will be available in developing countries by 2008, Motorola UK chairman Sir David Brown has predicted.

If handsets can be delivered that cheaply, it could lead to another 100 million people a year getting their first phones, he said.

The thrifty price tag on the ultra low-cost handsets is partly due to chip manufacturers committing to the supply of cheap silicon, Brown said.

Speaking at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Brown said: "It's beginning to look as if sub-$15 mobile devices might be achievable by around 2008."

Other projects aiming to bring high-tech hardware to the developing world have met with a mixed response, but Brown pointed out a study by the London School of Economics that "found a 10 per cent increase in mobile penetration creates a 0.6 per cent increase in gross domestic product."

Brown said: "In absolute terms that's a huge number. It's about a fifth of the average annual total global GDP growth."

Brown said developing countries' governments now need to be persuaded not to tax mobile devices as luxury goods.

He said in 14 out of the 50 developing countries the GSM Association surveyed, taxes represent more than 20 per cent of the total cost of owning and using a mobile device.

Brown said: "The association's economic experts believe that if ultra low-cost mobile devices could be exempted from import duties and sales taxes, up to 930 million additional ultra low-cost mobile devices could be connected in the 50 developing countries they studied, between now and 2010."

He added: "It's all too easy for those of us who live with seamless mobility every day to become blasé about it. Until we think about using seamless mobility to bridge the digital divide."

Provided by silicon.com—Driving Business Through Technology

A Cut in Corporate Tax Rates in Germany

By THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE
Published: November 3, 2006

The German government agreed on a plan to cut its average corporate tax rate in a bid to encourage investment in the country, which has Europe’s largest economy. The step will take Germany from having the highest tax in Europe to one that is broadly in line with the other rich countries of Western Europe. After months of negotiations, the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats — which form the coalition governing Germany — decided to reduce the average rate from 38.7 percent to about 29 percent, beginning Jan. 1, 2008. The measure radically lowers Germany’s nominal rate of taxation — a crucial factor in international perceptions of the business environment — but will ease the overall tax burden by only about $6.4 billion. To offset the rate reduction, the plan foresees broadening the tax base by restricting deductions of interest payments, licensing fees and other costs.

BMW Profit Is Short of Forecasts

By REUTERS
Published: November 3, 2006


BMW’s third-quarter profit fell short of expectations as accounting charges put the brakes on what should have been an easy comparison with the 2005 period, when it took a big hit from a derivative contract. Norbert Reithofer, who succeeded Helmut Panke as chief executive in September, also damped investor hopes that he might be more generous in returning cash to shareholders than was his predecessor, causing the stock price to drop. Pretax profit rose 9.4 percent, to 720 million euros ($919 million) in the quarter, below expectations of 742 million euros, despite in-line results at its core automotive business as write-downs on financial instruments again hurt earnings. A year ago, BMW had to book a 175 million euro noncash pretax expense for a bond option exchangeable into shares of the British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce, after the latter’s stock sharply appreciated in the third quarter. BMW reaffirmed its forecast for 4 billion euros in full-year pretax profit, which includes a one-time gain of 375 million euros from selling Rolls-Royce shares this year.

Earnings Decline at Unilever

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 3, 2006
AMSTERDAM, Nov. 2 (AP) — Unilever, the producer of food and household products including Lipton tea and Dove soap, said Thursday that it earned 737 million euros ($942 million) in the third quarter as revenue increased 1.6 percent.

Profit was down 48 percent from 1.42 billion euros in the third quarter of 2005, when it recorded a one-time gain to account for the $800 million sale of its cosmetics division.

Revenue totaled 10.1 billion euros ($12.9 billion), helped by price increases and increased ice cream sales in Europe. The figures were at the top end of market forecasts, said Julian Lakin, an analyst at Mirabaud Securities.

Unilever, based in London and Rotterdam, also increased the number of shares it plans to buy back from investors, and the share price rose 3.5 percent Thursday in Amsterdam trading.

Profit margins were weaker as a result of higher advertising and promotion costs, and operating profit fell to 1.50 billion euros from 1.55 billion euros.

Unilever said that product introductions in Europe, including new AdeZ health drinks, Knorr bouillon cubes and Axe deodorants, had helped sales increase 3.5 percent.

“The U.K. has returned to growth, and France and Germany also performed better,” the company said. “The Netherlands continues to move ahead strongly and Russia is growing well.”

In the United States, Unilever said sales were up 3 percent, helped by growth in Bertolli frozen meals and Country Crock side dishes.

Together, the two regions represent more than two-thirds of Unilever sales.

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NEW Option to install Alcohol with or without Virtual drive function.NEW Option to install Alcohol with or without Virtual drive function.
NEW EWSS (Enhanced Weak Sector Scanner).NEW EWSS (Enhanced Weak Sector Scanner).
NEW. Shell Context Menu support in all x64 platforms. (XP, Windows Server 2003 and Vista RC2).NEW. Shell Context Menu support in all x64 platforms. (XP. Windows Server 2003 and Vista RC2).

UPDATE Shell Context Menu to sort drive list by drive letter, and single menu item when only one virtual drive is installed.UPDATE Shell Context Menu list to sort drive by drive letter. and single menu item when only one virtual drive is installed.
UPDATE Alcohols Sector Viewer in CD/DVD Manger, now provides more detailed information for DVD.UPDATE Alcohols Sector Viewer in CD/DVD Manger. now provides more detailed information for DVD.
UPDATE Alcohol data type profiles.UPDATE Alcohol data type profiles.
UPDATE"Ignore Media Type" Function; to include DVD media.UPDATE "Ignore Media Type" Function; to include DVD media.
UPDATE. Alcohols help filesUPDATE. Alcohols help files
UPDATE Language TranslationsUPDATE Language Translations
UPDATE Alcohols Virtual Drive engine.UPDATE Alcohols Virtual Drive engine.
UPDATE Alcohols read engineUPDATE Alcohols read engine.

FIX Missing installed device drivers list in Alcohols system report for X64 platforms.FIX Missing installed device drivers list in Alcohols system report for X64 platforms.
FIX "Invalid User Buffer." Error, that affected some systems.FIX "Invalid User Buffer. "Error. that affected some systems.
FIX. Minor bugs reported by users.FIX. Minor bugs reported by users.
FIXProblem related to U3 USB if RMPS function was activeFIXProblem related to U3 USB if RMPS function was active
FIX Problem related to Acronis True Image issueAcronis True Image issue related to FIX Problem
FIX Problem related to Mac Drive issueFIX Problem issue related to Mac Drive

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Future Finance: How Technology Can Help Create a High-Performance Finance Function

Mastery of finance operations requires the use of technologies, organizational structures and process best practices to enable high-quality, effective operations. Technologies such as electronic data transfer, workflow tools and optical character recognition can significantly increase the efficiency and accuracy of finance operations by automating processes and enabling proactive management. To gauge what executives see as the main benefits of technology within finance functions and establish current levels of adoption, Accenture Finance Solutions commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit to conduct an online survey.

Topics: Business Process Outsourcing, High Performance Business, Quantitative Analysis

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Cisco Brings 'In-Person' Realism to Remote Communications

October 23, 2006

The picture for virtual communications has become much clearer, thanks to new technology from Cisco Systems. The Cisco TelePresence system uses ultra-high quality, two-way video and audio to revolutionize remote collaborations, in the process pioneering a new form of digital communications that rivals the effectiveness of in-person meetings. Cisco TelePresence, the handiwork of the recently formed Emerging Markets Technology Group, is ideal for global corporations and other far-flung organizations that need to stay in touch with employees, partners and customers.

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Windows Media Player 11 Final published! Enjoy your music world!

Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP offers great new ways to store and enjoy all your music, video, pictures, and recorded TV. Play it, view it, and sync it to a portable device for enjoying on the go or even share with devices around your home—all from one place.

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What do Microsoft advise you on Counterfeit Software

Learn the risks. Make sure your software is genuine. Reinforce your system.
It's a fact. Counterfeit software can threaten your personal data, and Web sites that offer counterfeit goods and licenses are often rife with threats. New research from international market-research firm IDC shows that acquiring and using counterfeit software can make it easier for online attackers to steal your identity or use your personal data for financial gain.

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HCM City welcomes US adoption agencies

(31-10-2006)

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Committee has allowed two American adoption organisations to set up representative offices in the city.

Children’s House International and the Lutheran Social Service will now be able to assist American people with adopting Vietnamese babies in HCM City.

The Children’s House International office is located at 166/5/8 Ly Thai To St., Distrist 3, and the Lutherance Social Service office at 32 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh St., Binh Thanh Distrist.

The US and Viet Nam signed a bilateral agreement on June 21 last year which laid the groundwork for adoptions between the two countries to resume after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus.

In January this year the US Embassy in Ha Noi issued the first orphan immigrant visa to a Vietnamese child adopted by an American family under the agreement. — VNS

Viet Nam tightens bird flu controls for rest of 2006

Breeders at a chicken farm in Dong Anh district, Ha Noi, use an anti-bird flu chemical. — VNA/VNS Photo Bui Tuong

(13-10-2006)

HA NOI — Viet Nam has been bird flu free over the first nine months of the year. But the country’s future successful control of the pandemic will depend largely on the country’s efforts over the remaining three months, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong.

Members of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Control have again urged caution as winter looms. Research has shown that cool air is a major contributor to the virus spreading quickly through poultry and water bird flocks.

Nguyen Dang Vang, director of the Animal Breeding Department, said that breeding was again on the increase as farmers try to match demand brought on by the upcoming wedding season and the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. The increased demand for poultry coupled with the recent foot and mouth outbreaks in cattle have driven the price for chicken products upward.

Vang said the price of one kilogram of processed chicken was between VND60,000-VND70,000 in Ha Noi. This is great news for poultry breeders but a challenge for those charged with epidemic control.

In Ha Tay Province, where the country’s leading poultry industry is located, animal health workers still maintain a 24 hour vigil at 322 communes out of the 14 towns and districts where poultry are raised.

The provincial authorities have been aggressive in their efforts to control the disease, having recently spent VND1 billion for developing quarantine systems. The province has also budgeted for another VND1 billion to be spent this year. The Animal Health Department has also continued it’s efforts by organising training courses on biological safety for poultry breeders and launching campaigns to vaccinate poultry and clear environment.

Nguyen Thi Lien, a breeder in Chuong My District, said her family members were very worried when a bird suddenly died at her farm. "We invited an animal health worker to our house to guide us on the best approach to deal with the virus. When we discover unusual symptoms in our herd, we have the training and knowledge to solve the problem," said Lien. — VNS

IGM Truong Son wins World Chess Bronze

(31-10-2006)

HA NOI — International Grand Master, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, came home with a bronze after falling only one point below the top score in the World Youth Chess Championship, which closed last Saturday in the Republic of Georgia’s coastal city of Batumi.

Son, who played in the boy’s U16 category, amassed eight points after 11 matches, one point less than champion Jacek Tomczak from Poland.

FIDE master Tomczak claimed the gold medal with a higher sub-index than runner-up IGM Vladimir Onischuk of Ukraine, who also pocketed nine points.

In his final defeat, the Vietnamese rival played black against host Luka Paichadze.

Tomczak, who needed only 0.5 point to triumph, was successful after drawing with Nabaty Tamir of Israel. Onischuk triumphed over Croatia’s Ivan Saric to secure his second place.

Truong Son has participated in the annual tournament four times, with this bronze as his second medal.

Six years ago he pushed Viet Nam onto chess’ global stage when he captured the U10 class. Four years later he became the second youngest IGM in history at the age of 14 years and nine months.

On the girl’s side, Nguyen Thi Mai Hung of U12 and Le Hoang Tran Chau of U14 earned only five points and ranked 18 and 14, respectively. — VNS

Free Windows XP Themes Screensaver

The Windows XP Themes Screensaver is not like common Windows XP Themes screensavers. High quality XP themes and excellent slideshow with fantastic combination. Screensaver has realistic sound . You can change the setting of this Screensaver yourself. Like you graphics sequential order or others and you can change position of Screensaver’’s graphics size and Slide show effects , sound and behavior . This is 100% Freeware product is a screensaverlife.com creation.

:: FEATURES :: - Full Windows XP environment - Adorable Slide Show. - Add your own Sound/Music/Play list in the background. - Control of effects of transition. - Control exit condition. - Full install/uninstall support.

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'AoDai' : Traditional Vietnamese Dress Part 2

'AoDai' : Traditional Vietnamese Dress Part 1

Funniest Animals: Story about cats

Funniest Animals : Unique Animals

Funny Babies

http://www.ttvnol.com/uploaded/skeletonnn/baby5.jpg

http://www.ttvnol.com/uploaded/skeletonnn/baby7.jpg

http://www.ttvnol.com/uploaded/skeletonnn/baby4.jpg

The Beauty or The Beast

Take a look on these ^^