Arafat in coma: Conflicting reports
Washington: Conflicting reports spread out on Thursday regarding the fragile health of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Israeli TV's Channel Two reported Arafat had died. But the report was later quashed by doctors at the French military hospital where the Palestinian leader has been treated since being airlifted to France last week.

Arafat's aides, however, acknowledged that his condition was very serious - and the gravely ill Palestinian leader had reportedly slipped into a coma.

Luxembourg's Prime Minister had earlier told reporters that Arafat had passed away.

Soon afterwards, a spokesperson for Luxembourg's government retracted the Prime Minister's statement.
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Crude prices drop
New York: Global crude oil futures fell below $49 a barrel on Thursday, for the first time since September 29. While December crude fell $2.06 to settle at $48.82 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent North Sea crude fell $1.55 to $46.01.
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US Markets: S&P 500 at highest close in two years
New York: US stocks extended their post-election rally on Thursday, pushing the S&P 500 Index to its highest close for more than two years.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 177.71 points, or 1.75 percent, to close at 10,314.76. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 18.47 points, or 1.62 per cent, to end at 1,161.67.

The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index gained 19.30 points, or 0.96 percent, to finish at 2,023.63, based on the latest data.

The S&P 500 closed at its highest level since March 2002, scoring its biggest gain since March 2004. The Dow closed higher for the seventh time out of the last eight sessions, posting its biggest rise in 13 months.

On Wednesday, the stock market surged, lifted by gains in the shares of companies in the health and defence sectors, which are likely to benefit from the re-election of President George W Bush.
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