Rome - After weeks of embarrassing results, Roma seem to be over one of their worst ever season starts, which practically cut them off from the race for the Serie A title.

The red-yellows from the capital were again expected to be among the toughest opponents for title holders Inter Milan after coming second in 2007 and 2008, but their reputation and hopes were badly dented by six defeats in the first nine games.

With a 16-point deficit from the leading champions after 13 games, Roma had to cut down their ambitions at home.

But they still have good hopes to do well in the Champions League.

Oslo - Citing the effects of the global financial turmoil, the fund that invests income from Norway's petroleum and gas riches for future pensions on Tuesday reported its lowest return to date.

The return on the fund during third-quarter 2008 fell 7.7 per cent measured in international currency, the central bank that manages the fund said.

The Norwegian Government Pension Fund - Global was worth 2.12 trillion kroner (299 billion dollars) at the end of the third quarter.

Madrid- A planned deal for the Russian oil giant Lukoil to become the biggest shareholder of Spain's top oil company Repsol YPF could collapse over lack of financing and Spanish political opposition, media reported Tuesday.

Lukoil is interested in buying nearly 30 per cent of Repsol in a deal estimated at up to 9.8 billion euros (12.5 billion dollars).

The purchase would include a 20-per-cent stake now held by the debt-ridden construction company Sacyr Vallehermoso and part of a 12.5-per-cent stake owned by Criteria, a holding of La Caixa bank.

Maputo - A consortium of South African and Mozambican energy companies have discovered two significant natural gas deposits off the coast of central Mozambique's Inhambane province, a local newspaper reported this week.

Minister of Natural Resources Esperanca Bias was quoted by the daily Noticias newspaper on Monday as saying that the reservoirs were found at a depth of 1.3 kilometres. The layers found were between seven and 15 meters in thickness and are believed to contain a considerable amount of gas.

London, Nov. 25 : The British Ministry of Defence has confirmed the loss of almost 200 memory sticks, desktop computers, laptops and hard drives this year.

The Scotsman quoted Junior Defence Minister Kevan Jones as saying last night that some 74 media storage devices were also stolen this year.

He said that from 1 January to 5 November 2008, losses included 59 memory sticks, 62 laptops, four desktop PCs and 72 hard drives. Stolen items listed for the same period were six memory sticks, 58 laptops, eight desktops and two hard drives.

The TDSAT has directed sports broadcaster ESPN India to supply its signals to Sun Direct at half the cable rates specified by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Headed by Justice Arun Kumar, the Telecom Disputes and Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) said, “The sports broadcaster will supply signals as per the directions to TRAI of its channels within one week from the date of the order passed on a la carte basis at 50 per cent of its declared Non-CAS cable rates."