News In Brief

A $4.1 billion deal that would add flash and speed to Yahoo! Inc.'s Internet repertoire could be announced within days, sources close to the company said. The Wall Street Journal and Business Week reported in their online editions that Yahoo! was negotiating to buy Dallas-based Broadcast.com, a provider of audio/video clips that range from news to concerts to lingerie fashion shows. But NBC and America Online also reportedly were interested in acquiring the money-losing Broadcast.com, and the sources said the large price tag could cause Yahoo! to back off in the end.

Conoco, the eighth-largest US oil company, filed plans with the Securities and Exchange Commission to become fully independent of its corporate parent, DuPont. The move fulfills DuPont's announced intention to cut loose its last remaining energy business in order to focus on other product areas. Last fall, the Wilmington, Del., chemical giant sold its first 30 percent interest in Conoco for $4.4 billion. It also sold its half-interest in the coal company Consol Energy Inc. last year.