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Financial News

Citigroup Board Said to Meet to Discuss Bank's Options After Stock Plunges Citigroup Inc.'s board meets today to discuss the bank's options after Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit's efforts to rebuild investor confidence failed to halt the stock's descent to a 15-year low, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

European Stocks Rise, Led by Banks; U.S. Index Futures, Asian Shares Gain Stocks in Europe and Asia and U.S. index futures rose as speculation Citigroup Inc. may be up for sale and the cheapest commodity shares on record spurred rallies in banks and raw-material producers.

BNP Paribas May Cut Investment-Bank Bonuses More Than 70% as Profit Slumps BNP Paribas SA, Europe's third- biggest bank, may cut bonuses by more than 70 percent at its corporate and investment bank after profit plunged in the first three quarters of the year.

Repsol Surges After Criteria Says It's in Talks Over Stake Sale to Lukoil Repsol YPF SA surged in Madrid trading after Criteria Caixacorp. SA said it's ``in negotiations'' over the possible sale of its stake in Spain's biggest oil company to OAO Lukoil.

S&P 500's Worst-Ever Year Leaves 63 Industries, 482 Companies With Losses The worst annual decline in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has dragged down every industry in the benchmark gauge and 97 percent of its stocks.

EU Countries Must Resist `Temptation' of Car Industry Bailout, Kroes Says Neelie Kroes, the European Union’s antitrust chief, said nations in the 27-member EU should resist the “temptation” of an automobile industry bailout, arguing that such aid would harm the bloc’s economy.

European Services, Manufacturing Shrink at the Fastest Pace for 10 Years Europe's manufacturing and service industries contracted in November at the fastest pace in at least a decade, extending a slump that has already pushed the economy into a recession.

General News

Pirates Say $25 Million Ransom for Saudi Supertanker Must Be Paid `Soon' Somali pirates demanded $25 million in ransom for an oil-laden Saudi supertanker seized off the East African coast, and called on its owners to pay up ``soon.''

U.S. Attorney General Mukasey Conscious, Alert in Hospital After Collapse U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed while giving a speech in Washington last night and was taken to a hospital, where a spokesman said he was ``conscious, conversant and alert.''

Colombia Toll From Land Mines Tops World as Insurgents Sow Them in Retreat From a helicopter over Colombia, Bajo Grande looks like a ghost town. It has roads, a soccer field, a school and 60 rusted-roof dwellings, but no people.

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