Microsoft resumes its battle against antitrust charges in the United States this morning when it seeks to undermine the credibility of the government star witness, Netscape chief executive Mr James Barksdale. Mr Barksdale has already faced a daunting three days of cross-examination from Microsoft lawyers on the circumstances of a 1995 meeting between the companies at which it is alleged Microsoft suggested carving up the market for Internet browsing technology and threatened to deprive its rival of technical data if it demurred.
BSkyB: BSkyB's quarterly figures, to be announced on Friday, are bound to be overshadowed by questions about the company's current takeover attempt for Manchester United.
But analysts will also be wanting news about the success of its recently launched digital service, which is certain to have incurred major set-up and marketing costs.
Williams de Broe is expecting the digital launch to have sapped its bottom line and expects operating profits to be down by 10 per cent for the quarter to £72 million sterling on revenues up 8 per cent to £355 million.
Monday
Results: Allianz Life Insurance, Colt Telecom (Q3), Havelock Europa (H1), Primesight (H1), Scania (Q3), Skandia (Q3).
A.G.M.: Birkdale Group (e.g.m.), Capital Gearing Tst (e.g.m.), F&C Smaller Cos (e.g.m.), F&C UK Smaller Cos (e.g.m.), Fosters Brewing Group, Murray Income Trust (e.g.m.), Union, Worthington Group (e.g.m.).
Meetings: European Union foreign affairs ministers meet (Luxembourg).
Indicators: British trade in goods (Aug) and non-EU trade (Sep); US existing home sales (Sep) and federal budget (Sep); Japanese retail sales (Sep); French consumer prices (Sep).
Others: CGU announces life and savings new business figures for third-quarter.
Tuesday
Results: Allied Domecq, Debenhams (H1), Fortune Oil (H1), Gremlin, Ivernia West (H1), Robinson Bros (H1), British American Tobacco (Q3).
A.G.M.: Fleming Overseas Inv (also e.g.m.), Pacific Horizon Inv Tst, Photo-Me International, Rozspur, Rutland Trust (e.g.m.), Stentor.
Meetings: European Union summit on Russia (Vienna); EU foreign ministers meet representatives of Middle East/Gulf countries (Luxembourg).
Indicators: British CBI industrial trends survey (Oct); US consumer confidence (Oct); Japanese unemployment (Sep) and industrial production (Oct); Italian trade data (Aug/Sep); French housing starts (Sep).
Others: Social Democrat Mr Gerhard Schroder to be formally elected German chancellor.
Wednesday
Results: Akzo Nobel (Q3), CGU (Q3), Dana Petroleum (H1), HypoVereinsbank (Q3), Pilkington (H1), J Sainsbury (H1), Stena Line (Q3), Whitbread (H1), Wyndeham Press (H1).
A.G.M.: Brent International (e.g.m.), Cala, Charterhouse Comm, International Tool & Supply (e.g.m.), JOS Holdings, Mears Group (e.g.m.), Robert Walters (e.g.m.), FW Thorpe, Frank Usher.
Meetings: German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce lunch addressed by Mr Seamus Butler, chairman of ISME (Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin).
Indicators: US durable goods orders (Sep) and New York NAPM index (Oct); French industry survey (Oct).
Others: OECD releases Japan economic survey.
Thursday
Results: Air London International, Electrolux (Q3), Morgan Grenfell Eq Inc, Pharmacia & Upjohn (Q3), Rank (Q3).
A.G.M.: Dowding & Mills, McBride, Northern Leisure, Quayle Munro.
Indicators: Eurostat due to release EU and EMU-area inflation data (Sep); British M4 data (Sep); US employment cost and help wanted indices (Q3) and weekly jobless and monetary figures; French consumer spending (Sep).
Others: European Commission President Jacques Santer visits China to strengthen commercial and political dialogue, leading the highest-level European Union delegation to travel to China in a decade (to Nov 3rd).
Friday
Results: BSkyB (Q1), Ford Motor (Q3), Outokumpu (Q3).
A.G.M.: Adelaide Bank, Peter Black Holdings, British Fittings (e.g.m.), BSkyB, Invesco Property (e.g.m.), Linx, Powerscreen, Printing Tech, Syndicated Capital, Watson & Philip (e.g.m.).
Meetings: Cranfield University School of Management conference series in association with "The Irish Times" on Developing a Winning Marketing Strategy for the Euro-Zone" (Conrad Hotel, Dublin).
Indicators: US real GDP (Q3), implicit deflator (Q3); price index (Q3), new home sales (Sep) and Chicago purchasing managers index (Oct); Japanese consumer prices (Sep & Oct), housing starts (Sep), and construction orders (Sep); French unemployment (Sep).
