■ ForexDollar falls against yen

The dollar fell against the yen on concerns Secretary of State Colin Powell will use his appearance tomorrow before the UN Security Council to build a case for a war against Iraq. The dollar fell to ?120.11 at 4:07pm in Tokyo from ?120.29 late yesterday in New York. Earlier the dollar rose as high at ?120.57, its highest level in more than six weeks. Against the euro it was at US$1.0805, from US$1.0795. "There's just too much nervousness over what is going to happen in Iraq to keep buying the dollar," said Noriaki Masuda, a currency dealer at UFJ Bank Ltd. "Powell's speech at the UN is going to keep weighing on the dollar," which could fall to ?119.80 today, he said.

■ Electronics

Sony to focus on design

Sony Corp, the second-biggest consumer-electronics maker, is returning to emphasizing design in differentiating its products from others, as competition that forced it to lower prices remains, the New York Times said. Consumer electronics rivals, including No. 1 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, are also overhauling their design centers, further pressuring Sony, the paper said. Less than half of Sony's fiscal third-quarter profit comes from consumer electronics because it lowered prices to compete, the Times said. Sony's design centers in New York, Japan, Europe and elsewhere in Asia work on about 1,500 products a year, with about 20 percent being completely new, the paper said. The company is also figuring out how it can use MP3 technology, which makes files containing songs or other audio data, while keeping its Columbia Pictures and Columbia Records movies and recordings copyright protected.

■ Software

Microsoft wins delay

Microsoft Corp won't have to bundle Java into Windows while it appeals an order to include the Sun Microsystems Inc. software in the operating system that powers 95 percent of the world's personal computers. The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, granted Microsoft's request to suspend a judge's Jan. 21 order until the appellate panel decides the case. Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, argues that being forced to put Java in Windows is unjustified and would harm its business. Sun and Microsoft are skirmishing in court as they battle for the emerging market for Web services. The Internet applications link PCs with handheld devices such as mobile phones and allow consumers to buy airline tickets, book restaurant tables or make other purchases.

■ Crude oil

Prices start to stabilize

Crude oil was little changed after falling Monday for a second session as the weakening of a two-month strike in Venezuela signaled rising production from the world's fifth-biggest exporter. The strike ended at the weekend for all but the nation's oil workers. Venezuela's output has climbed to 1.8 million barrels, President Hugo Chavez said Sunday. That compares with about 3 million barrels a day, or about 4 percent of the world's total, before the strike began on Dec. 2. "My estimate would be for production to be up to 2 million barrels a day by the start of March, and to 80 percent of previous levels by the end of May," said Alan Viergutz, chairman of Venezuela oil services company Grupo Centec in Caracas.Agencies