Asian Stocks at two-week low
Asian stocks are at their lowest level in two years. This was after a report showed U.S. unemployment rates had fallen which removed speculation that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates in the region's largest export market.

The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific Index lost 0.7 percent to 131.62 as of 11 a.m. in Tokyo, set for the lowest close since Oct. 20. Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined 0.7 percent to 16,237, while the Topix index dropped 0.9 percent. South Korea's Kospi index slid 1.2 percent. Indexes fell around the region, except in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell last week, ending a five-week winning streak, after the government said the U.S. jobless rate dropped in October and companies added more workers in previous months than indicated.

Low unemployment suggests that inflation may increase and prevent the Fed from cutting rates in the world's largest economy. Policy makers kept their target rate at 5.25 per cent the past three meetings, after 17 straight increases. The central bank next set rates on Dec. 12.

Crude oil climbed 2.2 per cent to close at $59.14 a barrel in New York, the biggest gain since Oct. 25. Oil was recently at $58.95 in after-hours trading.
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Google to sell print advertisements
Google plans to start selling advertisements that will appear in the print editions of 50 major newspapers.

The plan will expand Google's computer system, which already auctions off advertisements on millions of Web sites, to take bids for newspaper ads as well. It may also help Google reach out to a new crop of customers like small businesses and online retailers.

Some big newspaper companies like Gannett, The Tribune Company, The New York Times Company, the Washington Post Company and Hearst, have agreed to try the system in a three-month test set to start later this month.

Google's long-term goal is to build a single computer system through which advertisers can promote their products in any medium. For the newspaper industry, reeling from the loss of both readers and advertisers, this new system offers a curious bargain: the publishers can get much-needed revenue but in doing so they may well make Google — which is already the biggest seller of online advertising — even stronger.

The new system will begin a test with 100 advertisers later this month. Google will not earn any revenue during the test, but when the system is formally introduced next year, it will take a cut of the advertising revenue. Google keeps about 20 per cent of revenue for internet ads it places.
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