SetFit/ag_news · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Gill breaks foot in US loss Defenseman Hal Gill is the latest veteran to drop off the Bruins roster after breaking his left foot during the US team's 3-1 World Cup of Hockey exhibition loss to Canada in Ottawa Wednesday night.	1	Sports
NU coach's credentials rock-solid The people at Northeastern did their homework when they named Rocky Hager the 10th head coach in school history March 10. He takes over a program that has known both success and frustration -- and both during the last year. Hager was one of the cornerstones of a North Dakota State powerhouse that won four national championships from 1985-90 -- ...	1	Sports
This year, the computers can be outvoted It's over. For now. At least that's the hope of the people who have tried to make the Bowl Championship Series run the right way the past few years. Six BCS title games have been played, and three times they matched up the wrong teams. Last season was the ultimate fiasco when Southern Cal, ranked No. 1 in both the ...	1	Sports
Sky's the limit for Falcons This season will likely be the most successful yet for the Northeast-10 Conference, thanks to a change in the Division 2 playoff format.The NCAA tournament expands from 16 to 24 teams, adding two to each of the four regionals. Even better for the NE-10, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference -- home of last year's Division 2 national champion, Grand Valley ...	1	Sports
Harvard boasts big-time talent Clifton Dawson had been on the Harvard campus exactly one day before preseason practice began for the 2003 season. There was little time to introduce himself to his teammates. quot;I wondered what was expected of me and I felt I had something to prove, quot; said Dawson, who had withdrawn from Northwestern -- where he was on a football scholarship -- ...	1	Sports
He's in position to help UMass AMHERST -- University of Massachusetts wide receiver Nathanael Hasselbeck did his best to make the high-degree-of-difficulty catch, but the ball slipped from his hands and fell to the grass. For the next few moments of practice, the Boston College transfer gave himself a harsh tongue-lashing that continued even as teammates patted him on the back. You wouldn't think this was ...	1	Sports
Sweeping giants: US dominates 200 ATHENS -- A disruptive Greek chorus of whistles, chanting, and catcalls could not derail a crowd-silencing American sweep in the men's 200-meter dash at the Olympic Games last night.	1	Sports
Champs will take their show on the road ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The US women's soccer team will begin its 10-game Olympic gold medal celebration tour Sept. 25 at Frontier Field against Ireland.	1	Sports
Semi heat breeze for Jones, US ATHENS -- Marion Jones returned to the Olympic track last night to do what she does best -- sprint.	1	Sports
Cayard's hopes stalled; Tornado duo eyes medal ATHENS -- A disappointed Paul Cayard embraced the Star Class gold medalist, Brazil's Torben Grael, yesterday as they came off the water and assessed his own chances to leave Athens with a medal.	1	Sports
Numbers of poor, uninsured rise The US poverty rate rose, incomes stagnated, and more Americans went without health insurance last year, even though economic growth surged, according to Census Bureau data released yesterday.	2	Business
Greeks under fire for drug policing ATHENS -- On the day the world track federation (IAAF) opened an investigation into alleged drug violations by two Greek sprinters and their coach, IAAF Doping Commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said the organization had long been unhappy with Greece's approach to anti-doping rules.	1	Sports
Bank of America details Conn. jobs Connecticut's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, said yesterday that Bank of America Corp. told him it would cut 100 jobs in Connecticut but add about the same number, marking the first time the bank has given any state an account of how many employees would be affected by its merger with FleetBoston Financial Corp.	2	Business
Not enough room Despite a new study indicating nearly 16,000 dormitory beds have been created over the past 14 years, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday that colleges and universities will have to consider freezing enrollments to avoid adding to Boston's housing shortage.	2	Business
N.Y. nervous? Fugedaboutit NEW YORK -- In a city where terror attacks and a massive blackout have come, gone, and failed to stop business as usual, a few thousand Republicans are unlikely to slow things down.	2	Business
A far cry from smoke-filled reporters' havens of past Reporters who tire of searching for real news at New York's Republican National Convention next week -- or who just want a safe haven from their editors -- can look forward to some downtime in a private hideaway just for them.	2	Business
Guo tucks away gold for China China's Guo Jingjing easily won the women's 3-meter springboard last night, and Wu Minxia made it a 1-2 finish for the world's diving superpower, taking the silver.	1	Sports
Fleet's turn Back in the days when Fleet Financial was riding high, rolling up the New England banking industry, Michael Zucchini was the man CEO Terry Murray turned to right after he was done with his latest press conference regarding his latest acquisition.	2	Business
Cypher market share climbs Guidant Corp. said yesterday that the Cypher cardiac stent regained some market share after rival Boston Scientific Corp. conducted three recalls of its competing device.	2	Business
Problems found in auditing industry WASHINGTON -- The first inspections of the Big Four accounting firms by the board overseeing the industry turned up significant problems in their audits of companies' books and quality control, but the findings don't constitute a quot;broad negative assessment, quot; an official said yesterday. .	2	Business
State Street Research acquired A historic name in mutual funds will soon vanish from Boston's investing scene, with BlackRock Inc.'s agreement yesterday to acquire State Street Research amp; Management Co., an 80-year-old money manager with Brahmin roots, for \$375 million.	2	Business
US success will hinge on philosophy change ATHENS -- Unfortunately for the United States, the Olympic boxing tournament has gone just about as expected.	1	Sports
Club titles on the line in Newton Don't expect to see Lance Armstong or Tyler Hamilton at Wells Avenue in Newton Sunday; just expect to see a lot of cyclists who aspire to be like the Tour de France veterans.	1	Sports
TD acquires Banknorth stake Banknorth branches across New England will become TD Banknorth under an agreement yesterday that gives Canada's TD Bank Financial Group a controlling stake in New England's largest independent bank.	2	Business
Quite a stable SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Trainer Nick Zito has hit the trifecta before tomorrow's Travers Stakes at Saratoga is even run. The personable conditioner has such a deep team of 3-year-olds that he will send out three of the seven competitors in the \$1 million event, led by Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone.	1	Sports
Kuwait kidnap firm to leave Iraq A Kuwaiti company bows to demands of kidnappers in Iraq holding seven of its employees, saying it will halt operations there.	0	World
Torre's filly packs a Punch' in win Sugar Punch, a 3-year-old filly owned in part by New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, held off Beautiful America by a neck yesterday afternoon to win the inaugural running of the \$66,500 Union Avenue for New York-bred fillies and mares at 6 furlongs.	1	Sports
There's no beating three of a kind ATHENS -- Hey, world, BALCO this . There were, shall we say, somewhat lowered expectations for the US in the sprints, were there not? Guess again. Justin Gatlin won the 100-meter dash Sunday, but that was just the appetizer for last night's main course, when America went 1-2-3 in the 200.	1	Sports
Kobe Trial Begins EAGLE, Colo. (CBS) Justice, a woman #39;s honor, and an NBA superstar #39;s career and freedom. There is much at stake as jury selection begins Friday in the rape trial of Kobe Bryant.	1	Sports
Council apology over phone mast Sheffield City Council apologises to residents after giving permission for a mobile phone mast by mistake.	3	Sci/Tech
Rebel cleric orders his men to lay down arms Guns were largely silent in Najaf today for the first time in weeks, after Iraq #39;s top Shiite cleric made a dramatic return to the holy city and swiftly won agreement from a rebel cleric and the government to end three weeks of fighting between his militia	0	World
Ghost towns bear witness to Sudanese violence Ahmed Arajah can #39;t help coming down from the hills to his crumbled house to rummage through its charred remains, the cracked plates, the girls #39; shoes and broken oil	0	World
ConAgra Recalls Chicken Breast Strips Across US ConAgra Foods Inc. is recalling voluntarily 85,600 pounds of chicken breast strips that may contain pieces of metal, the US Food Safety and Inspection Service said on Thursday.	2	Business
Feds snare 103 in Internet crime fight WASHINGTON - A summerlong effort targeting Internet crime has resulted in 103 arrests and 53 convictions on charges including use of quot;spam quot; e-mail to steal credit card numbers, computer hacking and online fraud, Justice Department officials said Thursday.	3	Sci/Tech
Big Blue Absorbs Venetica in Move To Strengthen Information <b>...</b> CHARLOTTE - In a move it says will strengthen its bid to dominate information integration markets, IBM announced Thursday that it was acquiring Venetica, a Charlotte-based developer of database integration tools.	3	Sci/Tech
Shearer: Toon have to go out and sign Rooney ALAN SHEARER last night stepped into the ward of words between Craig Bellamy and Newcastle over Wayne Rooney by saying, quot;Let #39;s go out and sign him.	1	Sports
DAVE BARRY: Thanks, Athens, for great Games I #39;m leaving the Olympics and heading home, assuming the plane can lift me. This is a concern because I #39;ve gained many kilometers of mass from eating Greek food, especially quot;baklava	1	Sports
Kobe Bryant Jury Selection Begins Today About 500 prospective jurors will be in an Eagle, Colorado, courtroom Friday, answering an 82-item questionnaire in preparation for the Kobe Bryant sexual assault trial.	1	Sports
Car bomb blasts near US convoy in Mosul A car bomb blasted near a US military convoy in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Friday, wounding at least 10 civilians, Qatar-based al-Jazeera television reported.	0	World
Why we enjoy telling people off Telling people off activates a part of the brain linked to enjoyment and satisfaction, researchers report in Science magazine.	3	Sci/Tech
Free Agent: Where the Geeks Are Taking Us LinuxWorld Expo came to San Francisco, and our columnist managed to ignore most of the show. Read on to see what did catch his eye.	3	Sci/Tech
HP moving deeper into consumer electronics arena Personal computer giant Hewlett-Packard is stepping deeper than ever into the consumer electronics arena with its fall product lineup -o don #39;t be surprised if you hear	2	Business
Howell maintains Cup bid Ryder Cup hopeful David Howell picked up where he left off when the BMW International Open - the final qualifying event for Europes side -esumed in Munich today.	1	Sports
Everton stand firm over striker bids EVERTON showed they would not be bullied into selling Wayne Rooney last night by rejecting a 23.5million bid from Newcastle - as Manchester United gamble on Goodison #39;s resolve to keep the striker.	1	Sports
ROCHELLE RILEY: Whining is worst call at the Olympics You know the line. If you saw quot;A League of Their Own, quot; the film about the first women #39;s baseball league, you can still hear Tom Hanks saying it.	1	Sports
Baseball Today * Abraham Nunez, Royals, hit his second grand slam in two weeks to lead Kansas City over Seattle 7-3. * Aaron Harang, Reds, limited St.	1	Sports
A peace deal is reached in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq -- Iraq #39;s top Shi #39;ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, made a dramatic return to Najaf on Thursday and won agreement from a rebel cleric and the government to end three weeks of fighting between his militia and US-Iraqi forces.	0	World
NASA Notes Some Progress in Making Shuttles Safer NASA officials said Thursday that they had made significant progress in making shuttles safer and changing the way they do business.	3	Sci/Tech
M.I.T. Makes Yale Provost First Woman to Be Its Chief Susan Hockfield, a 53-year-old neuroscientist, is the first woman and the first person from the life sciences to achieve the presidency.	3	Sci/Tech
Sport Anglers Said to Catch More Fish Than Thought Casual fishermen reel in nearly a quarter of the catch of overfished saltwater species, a much higher share than previously thought, researchers report in a new study.	3	Sci/Tech
U.S. Report Turns Focus to Greenhouse Gases Previously, the Bush administration stressed uncertainties in understanding the causes and consequences of global warming.	3	Sci/Tech
Oil Losses Ease on Iraq Pipeline Attack LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Friday, stemming five days of heavy losses as fresh sabotage attacks on Iraqi oil infrastructure renewed concern over the country's supplies, despite a peace deal in Najaf	2	Business
Russia Prices Its Lukoil Stake; Conoco Is Expected Top Bidder The Russian government set a starting price of \$1.93 billion (1.6 billion euros) for its 7.6 stake in oil giant OAO Lukoil at an auction set for next month at which ConocoPhillips Corp.	2	Business
Industry report Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire launched a voluntary safety campaign Thursday to replace 27,000 tires, the same model as those involved in accidents that injured more than a dozen people and killed one.	2	Business
Ofcom publishes proposals for local loop unbundling Converged communications watchdog Ofcom is proposing BT more than halve its prices for making its last-mile copper telephone network available to competing broadband providers.	3	Sci/Tech
Spanish coach bitter after team #39;s only loss ATHENS -- Spain did not go quietly in basketball. At least, its basketball coach, Mario Pesquera, did not. Pesquera was upset and outspoken following the 102-94 loss to the Americans that took the previously	1	Sports
Sports briefs for August 26, 2004 Arsenal beat Blackburn 3-0 for its 43rd consecutive English Premiership match without a loss, breaking a record for England #39;s top soccer league set in 1978 by Nottingham Forest, which went without a loss from November 1977 to December the following year.	1	Sports
Chile court strips Pinochet of immunity The Supreme Court of Chile stripped former dictator Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution yesterday, a landmark ruling in the decades-long effort by human-rights activists to bring him to justice for the killing of civilians during his rule.	0	World
BA boss to work in departures as airline battles staff shortages Rod Eddington, the head of British Airways, and his boardroom colleagues will work alongside terminal employees at Heathrow this weekend as the airline pulls out all the stops to cope with a chronic shortage of ground staff.	2	Business
Feds launches new offensive against Internet crime More than 100 people have been arrested following the US law enforcement agencies #39; latest offensive against Internet related crime.	3	Sci/Tech
American Phillips wins men #39;s long jump gold (with results) Dwight Phillips of the United States proved he is the best long jumper in the world this year, winning the men #39;s final tonight with a massive first leap of 8.59 meters at the Olympic Games here on Thursday.	1	Sports
All That Secrecy Is Expensive Not only is the U.S. government keeping too many secrets, it's spending too much money to do it. That's the conclusion of a government watchdog group, which estimates more than \$6.5 billion was spent last year keeping data under wraps. By Noah Shachtman.	3	Sci/Tech
New Nukes at U.S. Border U.S. agents next week will start scanning trucks crossing the Mexico border with a device that shoots neutrons to detect what exactly is hidden in the cargo. By Ryan Singel.	3	Sci/Tech
Tech and Art Mix at RNC Protest Artist Natalie Jeremijenko is unleashing a series of unique works at the Republican National Convention that combine art, engineering and old-fashioned protesting. Noah Shachtman reports from New York.	3	Sci/Tech
Exhibit Features Viruses as Art Computer viruses aren't just for wreaking havoc on global networks. They're also an art form. That's the take of an upcoming exhibit that focuses on malicious scripts, hacker films and the aesthetic charms of programming code. By Michelle Delio.	3	Sci/Tech
Loser Delivers Laughs Don't be fooled by the title. Dear Valued Customer, You Are a Loser is not just hilarious. The book also brings up an interesting question about the relationship between humans and technology. A review by Amit Asaravala.	3	Sci/Tech
The Dean Machine Marches On The doctor is out, but his tactics drive campaigns from Florida to Alaska. By Samantha M. Shapiro from Wired magazine.	3	Sci/Tech
Feds Wrap Up Online-Crime Dragnet The Department of Justice says dozens of people have been arrested or convicted for online crimes this summer, as part of its effort to show that the internet is not 'off-base for law enforcement,' according to Attorney General John Ashcroft.	3	Sci/Tech
'Secure Flight' Replaces CAPPS II The Transportation Security Administration shifts responsibility for screening travelers from the airlines to the government. The new system, dubbed Secure Flight, seeks to target fewer people and to do so more accurately.	3	Sci/Tech
Baseball Today (AP) AP - San Francisco at Atlanta (7:35 p.m. EDT). Kirk Rueter faces Jaret Wright and the Braves.	1	Sports
U.S., Militants Battle in Central Baghdad (AP) AP - A gunbattle between U.S. forces and militants erupted in central Baghdad on Friday, witnesses said.	0	World
Donkeys and satellite phones pave the way for Afghan elections (AFP) AFP - Organising the first presidential election in Afghanistan, a country largely without power, roads or literacy, has required a leap of imagination that has encompassed everything from donkeys to satellite phones.	0	World
Oil Steadies, Investors Wary Ahead of GDP LONDON (Reuters) - European equities clung to three-week highs on Friday as oil steadied around the \$43 a barrel mark.	2	Business
'Distressed' Thatcher flies home Baroness Thatcher returns home as it emerges her son Sir Mark could face extradition proceedings.	0	World
Bank Holiday Pledge as BA Cancels More Flights British Airways had to cancel six more flights today but promised to cope with the Bank Holiday rush over the weekend. The airline, which has suffered with plane	2	Business
Dairy creams off Tesco milk deal East Kilbride-based dairy group Robert Wiseman is celebrating its second major milk contract after sealing a new deal with supermarket giant Tesco.	2	Business
GUS seeks partial Lewis IPO Retailer GUS will float part of its South African business, the Lewis Group, it says, against a backdrop of investor pressure to release more cash through demergers.	2	Business
Sears Canada fires top exec -- parent #39;s CFO takes over as chair Sears Canada fired its top executive Thursday over what it characterized as #39; #39;strategic differences #39; #39; and enlisted the chief financial officer of parent company Sears, Roebuck Co.	2	Business
HP iPod launches today The announcement will be made at a news conference led by company CEO Carly Fiorina in Miami. The company will also unveil a range of products aimed at the consumer markets, including a 42-inch	3	Sci/Tech
China #39;s consumer electronic industry to hit \$94 billion HONG KONG - China #39;s consumer electronics industry is projected to reach \$49.6 billion in sales this year, growing by more than 20 percent annually to reach \$94 billion in 2007, according to a report from Global Sources Ltd.	3	Sci/Tech
Marbury #39;s groove puts Americans on track ATHENS, Greece -- It took one innocent 30-second comment from Stephon Marbury to sum up the American basketball problem and show how easy it would be to fix it.	1	Sports
Radcliffe confirms bid for 10,000m World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe will run in Friday evening #39;s women #39;s 10,000 meters final. British athletics team spokeswoman Emily Lewis said Radcliffe had confirmed	1	Sports
Down To Business For Kobe Case You are going to hear a lot over the next few days from jury consultants who are going to opine about what sort of jurors each side wants to select in the Kobe Bryant rape case.	1	Sports
NHL blasts players #39; union for contract talks stalemate OTTAWAThe NHL turned up the heat in its ongoing stalemate with its players #39; association counterparts here yesterday. And as the two parties - two solitudes, actually -xited the latest round of inertia	1	Sports
Supreme Court confirms decision to strip Pinochet of immunity The Chilean Supreme Court yesterday confirmed the decision taken last May by the Appeal Court to strip Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution.	0	World
Oil Losses Ease on Iraq Pipeline Attack (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices rose on Friday, stemming five\days of heavy losses as fresh sabotage attacks on Iraqi oil\infrastructure renewed concern over the country's supplies,\despite a peace deal in Najaf	2	Business
Mass grave unearthed in DR Congo A grave containing "numerous" bodies is found in north-eastern DR Congo, UN peacekeepers say.	0	World
Tarantino to star in Muppets film Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino is to appear in a Muppets film based on The Wizard of Oz.	0	World
Investors in Google search for strategy (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Google's stock has now traded for its first full week, inviting stock jocks to start handicapping whether or not it will hold onto its early gains or get the goo knocked out of it.	3	Sci/Tech
TiVo puts a brave face on subscription numbers (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Digital video recorder pioneer TiVo sent mixed signals Thursday about the progress of its ambitious effort to win new subscribers and become profitable.	3	Sci/Tech
Does your tech stuff need extra protection? (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Every day, consumers plunk down millions of dollars for cell phones, computers and high-end electronics that are supposed to make their lives better. And every night, they lie awake worrying that their new PCs or plasma TVs will spontaneously combust the day their warranty expires.	3	Sci/Tech
Kuwaiti firm bows to kidnappers' demands, stops work in Iraq (AFP) AFP - The Kuwaiti firm which has seven truck drivers held hostage in Iraq has decided to halt operations in the troubled country, bowing to the kidnappers' condition for their release, it said.	0	World
Oil Rebounds After Iraq Pipeline Attack LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Friday, stemming five days of heavy losses as fresh sabotage attacks on Iraqi oil infrastructure despite a peace deal in Najaf renewed concern over the country's supplies.	2	Business
Croatia Removes Nazi-Era Leaders' Plaques ZAGREB (Reuters) - Under heavy police security, Croatia removed two plaques commemorating Nazi-era officials on Friday in the first such action since independence in 1991.	0	World
Director pay deals 'surge 12.8' UK director pay rose 12.8 to an average of almost 600,000 during 2003 - three times faster than average staff earnings, a survey says.	2	Business
US Presley festival under threat Poor ticket sales are threatening the future of the annual Elvis Presley Festival in the late star's home town.	0	World
Players prepare for Half-Life 2 Gamers are getting their hands on encrypted copies of the eagerly awaited Half-Life 2 game.	3	Sci/Tech
Contractors and the Law Details of the role civilian contractors played in the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq sparked fresh debate yesterday about the effectiveness of laws and rules meant to govern workers hired to support the military. <FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2"\ color="#666666"><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>	3	Sci/Tech
U.S. Technologies Stock Delisted After Fraud U.S. Technologies Inc., a once high-flying Washington firm, ceased to exist as a publicly traded company when its stock was de-registered yesterday, four months after chief executive C. Gregory Earls was convicted of defrauding investors of \$13.8 million. <FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2"\ color="#666666"><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>	3	Sci/Tech
Glaxo settles fraud suit The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to settle consumer fraud charges by posting online both negative and positive results from its clinical drug trials, a practice that New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said should have been made	2	Business

Gill breaks foot in US loss Defenseman Hal Gill is the latest veteran to drop off the Bruins roster after breaking his left foot during the US team's 3-1 World Cup of Hockey exhibition loss to Canada in Ottawa Wednesday night.

1

Sports

NU coach's credentials rock-solid The people at Northeastern did their homework when they named Rocky Hager the 10th head coach in school history March 10. He takes over a program that has known both success and frustration -- and both during the last year. Hager was one of the cornerstones of a North Dakota State powerhouse that won four national championships from 1985-90 -- ...

1

Sports

This year, the computers can be outvoted It's over. For now. At least that's the hope of the people who have tried to make the Bowl Championship Series run the right way the past few years. Six BCS title games have been played, and three times they matched up the wrong teams. Last season was the ultimate fiasco when Southern Cal, ranked No. 1 in both the ...

1

Sports

Sky's the limit for Falcons This season will likely be the most successful yet for the Northeast-10 Conference, thanks to a change in the Division 2 playoff format.The NCAA tournament expands from 16 to 24 teams, adding two to each of the four regionals. Even better for the NE-10, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference -- home of last year's Division 2 national champion, Grand Valley ...

1

Sports

Harvard boasts big-time talent Clifton Dawson had been on the Harvard campus exactly one day before preseason practice began for the 2003 season. There was little time to introduce himself to his teammates. quot;I wondered what was expected of me and I felt I had something to prove, quot; said Dawson, who had withdrawn from Northwestern -- where he was on a football scholarship -- ...

1

Sports

He's in position to help UMass AMHERST -- University of Massachusetts wide receiver Nathanael Hasselbeck did his best to make the high-degree-of-difficulty catch, but the ball slipped from his hands and fell to the grass. For the next few moments of practice, the Boston College transfer gave himself a harsh tongue-lashing that continued even as teammates patted him on the back. You wouldn't think this was ...

1

Sports

Sweeping giants: US dominates 200 ATHENS -- A disruptive Greek chorus of whistles, chanting, and catcalls could not derail a crowd-silencing American sweep in the men's 200-meter dash at the Olympic Games last night.

1

Sports

Champs will take their show on the road ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The US women's soccer team will begin its 10-game Olympic gold medal celebration tour Sept. 25 at Frontier Field against Ireland.

1

Sports

Semi heat breeze for Jones, US ATHENS -- Marion Jones returned to the Olympic track last night to do what she does best -- sprint.

1

Sports

Cayard's hopes stalled; Tornado duo eyes medal ATHENS -- A disappointed Paul Cayard embraced the Star Class gold medalist, Brazil's Torben Grael, yesterday as they came off the water and assessed his own chances to leave Athens with a medal.

1

Sports

Numbers of poor, uninsured rise The US poverty rate rose, incomes stagnated, and more Americans went without health insurance last year, even though economic growth surged, according to Census Bureau data released yesterday.

2

Business

Greeks under fire for drug policing ATHENS -- On the day the world track federation (IAAF) opened an investigation into alleged drug violations by two Greek sprinters and their coach, IAAF Doping Commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said the organization had long been unhappy with Greece's approach to anti-doping rules.

1

Sports

Bank of America details Conn. jobs Connecticut's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, said yesterday that Bank of America Corp. told him it would cut 100 jobs in Connecticut but add about the same number, marking the first time the bank has given any state an account of how many employees would be affected by its merger with FleetBoston Financial Corp.

2

Business

Not enough room Despite a new study indicating nearly 16,000 dormitory beds have been created over the past 14 years, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday that colleges and universities will have to consider freezing enrollments to avoid adding to Boston's housing shortage.

2

Business

N.Y. nervous? Fugedaboutit NEW YORK -- In a city where terror attacks and a massive blackout have come, gone, and failed to stop business as usual, a few thousand Republicans are unlikely to slow things down.

2

Business

A far cry from smoke-filled reporters' havens of past Reporters who tire of searching for real news at New York's Republican National Convention next week -- or who just want a safe haven from their editors -- can look forward to some downtime in a private hideaway just for them.

2

Business

Guo tucks away gold for China China's Guo Jingjing easily won the women's 3-meter springboard last night, and Wu Minxia made it a 1-2 finish for the world's diving superpower, taking the silver.

1

Sports

Fleet's turn Back in the days when Fleet Financial was riding high, rolling up the New England banking industry, Michael Zucchini was the man CEO Terry Murray turned to right after he was done with his latest press conference regarding his latest acquisition.

2

Business

Cypher market share climbs Guidant Corp. said yesterday that the Cypher cardiac stent regained some market share after rival Boston Scientific Corp. conducted three recalls of its competing device.

2

Business

Problems found in auditing industry WASHINGTON -- The first inspections of the Big Four accounting firms by the board overseeing the industry turned up significant problems in their audits of companies' books and quality control, but the findings don't constitute a quot;broad negative assessment, quot; an official said yesterday. .

2

Business

State Street Research acquired A historic name in mutual funds will soon vanish from Boston's investing scene, with BlackRock Inc.'s agreement yesterday to acquire State Street Research amp; Management Co., an 80-year-old money manager with Brahmin roots, for \$375 million.

2

Business

US success will hinge on philosophy change ATHENS -- Unfortunately for the United States, the Olympic boxing tournament has gone just about as expected.

1

Sports

Club titles on the line in Newton Don't expect to see Lance Armstong or Tyler Hamilton at Wells Avenue in Newton Sunday; just expect to see a lot of cyclists who aspire to be like the Tour de France veterans.

1

Sports

TD acquires Banknorth stake Banknorth branches across New England will become TD Banknorth under an agreement yesterday that gives Canada's TD Bank Financial Group a controlling stake in New England's largest independent bank.

2

Business

Quite a stable SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Trainer Nick Zito has hit the trifecta before tomorrow's Travers Stakes at Saratoga is even run. The personable conditioner has such a deep team of 3-year-olds that he will send out three of the seven competitors in the \$1 million event, led by Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone.

1

Sports

Kuwait kidnap firm to leave Iraq A Kuwaiti company bows to demands of kidnappers in Iraq holding seven of its employees, saying it will halt operations there.

0

World

Torre's filly packs a Punch' in win Sugar Punch, a 3-year-old filly owned in part by New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, held off Beautiful America by a neck yesterday afternoon to win the inaugural running of the \$66,500 Union Avenue for New York-bred fillies and mares at 6 furlongs.

1

Sports

There's no beating three of a kind ATHENS -- Hey, world, BALCO this . There were, shall we say, somewhat lowered expectations for the US in the sprints, were there not? Guess again. Justin Gatlin won the 100-meter dash Sunday, but that was just the appetizer for last night's main course, when America went 1-2-3 in the 200.

1

Sports

Kobe Trial Begins EAGLE, Colo. (CBS) Justice, a woman #39;s honor, and an NBA superstar #39;s career and freedom. There is much at stake as jury selection begins Friday in the rape trial of Kobe Bryant.

1

Sports

Council apology over phone mast Sheffield City Council apologises to residents after giving permission for a mobile phone mast by mistake.

3

Sci/Tech

Rebel cleric orders his men to lay down arms Guns were largely silent in Najaf today for the first time in weeks, after Iraq #39;s top Shiite cleric made a dramatic return to the holy city and swiftly won agreement from a rebel cleric and the government to end three weeks of fighting between his militia

0

World

Ghost towns bear witness to Sudanese violence Ahmed Arajah can #39;t help coming down from the hills to his crumbled house to rummage through its charred remains, the cracked plates, the girls #39; shoes and broken oil

0

World

ConAgra Recalls Chicken Breast Strips Across US ConAgra Foods Inc. is recalling voluntarily 85,600 pounds of chicken breast strips that may contain pieces of metal, the US Food Safety and Inspection Service said on Thursday.

2

Business

Feds snare 103 in Internet crime fight WASHINGTON - A summerlong effort targeting Internet crime has resulted in 103 arrests and 53 convictions on charges including use of quot;spam quot; e-mail to steal credit card numbers, computer hacking and online fraud, Justice Department officials said Thursday.

3

Sci/Tech

Big Blue Absorbs Venetica in Move To Strengthen Information ... CHARLOTTE - In a move it says will strengthen its bid to dominate information integration markets, IBM announced Thursday that it was acquiring Venetica, a Charlotte-based developer of database integration tools.

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Sci/Tech

Shearer: Toon have to go out and sign Rooney ALAN SHEARER last night stepped into the ward of words between Craig Bellamy and Newcastle over Wayne Rooney by saying, quot;Let #39;s go out and sign him.

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Sports

DAVE BARRY: Thanks, Athens, for great Games I #39;m leaving the Olympics and heading home, assuming the plane can lift me. This is a concern because I #39;ve gained many kilometers of mass from eating Greek food, especially quot;baklava

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Sports

Kobe Bryant Jury Selection Begins Today About 500 prospective jurors will be in an Eagle, Colorado, courtroom Friday, answering an 82-item questionnaire in preparation for the Kobe Bryant sexual assault trial.

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Sports

Car bomb blasts near US convoy in Mosul A car bomb blasted near a US military convoy in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Friday, wounding at least 10 civilians, Qatar-based al-Jazeera television reported.

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World

Why we enjoy telling people off Telling people off activates a part of the brain linked to enjoyment and satisfaction, researchers report in Science magazine.

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Sci/Tech

Free Agent: Where the Geeks Are Taking Us LinuxWorld Expo came to San Francisco, and our columnist managed to ignore most of the show. Read on to see what did catch his eye.

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Sci/Tech

HP moving deeper into consumer electronics arena Personal computer giant Hewlett-Packard is stepping deeper than ever into the consumer electronics arena with its fall product lineup -o don #39;t be surprised if you hear

2

Business

Howell maintains Cup bid Ryder Cup hopeful David Howell picked up where he left off when the BMW International Open - the final qualifying event for Europes side -esumed in Munich today.

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Sports

Everton stand firm over striker bids EVERTON showed they would not be bullied into selling Wayne Rooney last night by rejecting a 23.5million bid from Newcastle - as Manchester United gamble on Goodison #39;s resolve to keep the striker.

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Sports

ROCHELLE RILEY: Whining is worst call at the Olympics You know the line. If you saw quot;A League of Their Own, quot; the film about the first women #39;s baseball league, you can still hear Tom Hanks saying it.

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Sports

Baseball Today * Abraham Nunez, Royals, hit his second grand slam in two weeks to lead Kansas City over Seattle 7-3. * Aaron Harang, Reds, limited St.

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Sports

A peace deal is reached in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq -- Iraq #39;s top Shi #39;ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, made a dramatic return to Najaf on Thursday and won agreement from a rebel cleric and the government to end three weeks of fighting between his militia and US-Iraqi forces.

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World

NASA Notes Some Progress in Making Shuttles Safer NASA officials said Thursday that they had made significant progress in making shuttles safer and changing the way they do business.

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Sci/Tech

M.I.T. Makes Yale Provost First Woman to Be Its Chief Susan Hockfield, a 53-year-old neuroscientist, is the first woman and the first person from the life sciences to achieve the presidency.

3

Sci/Tech

Sport Anglers Said to Catch More Fish Than Thought Casual fishermen reel in nearly a quarter of the catch of overfished saltwater species, a much higher share than previously thought, researchers report in a new study.

3

Sci/Tech

U.S. Report Turns Focus to Greenhouse Gases Previously, the Bush administration stressed uncertainties in understanding the causes and consequences of global warming.

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Sci/Tech

Oil Losses Ease on Iraq Pipeline Attack LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Friday, stemming five days of heavy losses as fresh sabotage attacks on Iraqi oil infrastructure renewed concern over the country's supplies, despite a peace deal in Najaf

2

Business

Russia Prices Its Lukoil Stake; Conoco Is Expected Top Bidder The Russian government set a starting price of \$1.93 billion (1.6 billion euros) for its 7.6 stake in oil giant OAO Lukoil at an auction set for next month at which ConocoPhillips Corp.

2

Business

Industry report Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire launched a voluntary safety campaign Thursday to replace 27,000 tires, the same model as those involved in accidents that injured more than a dozen people and killed one.

2

Business

Ofcom publishes proposals for local loop unbundling Converged communications watchdog Ofcom is proposing BT more than halve its prices for making its last-mile copper telephone network available to competing broadband providers.

3

Sci/Tech

Spanish coach bitter after team #39;s only loss ATHENS -- Spain did not go quietly in basketball. At least, its basketball coach, Mario Pesquera, did not. Pesquera was upset and outspoken following the 102-94 loss to the Americans that took the previously

1

Sports

Sports briefs for August 26, 2004 Arsenal beat Blackburn 3-0 for its 43rd consecutive English Premiership match without a loss, breaking a record for England #39;s top soccer league set in 1978 by Nottingham Forest, which went without a loss from November 1977 to December the following year.

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Sports

Chile court strips Pinochet of immunity The Supreme Court of Chile stripped former dictator Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution yesterday, a landmark ruling in the decades-long effort by human-rights activists to bring him to justice for the killing of civilians during his rule.

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World

BA boss to work in departures as airline battles staff shortages Rod Eddington, the head of British Airways, and his boardroom colleagues will work alongside terminal employees at Heathrow this weekend as the airline pulls out all the stops to cope with a chronic shortage of ground staff.

2

Business

Feds launches new offensive against Internet crime More than 100 people have been arrested following the US law enforcement agencies #39; latest offensive against Internet related crime.

3

Sci/Tech

American Phillips wins men #39;s long jump gold (with results) Dwight Phillips of the United States proved he is the best long jumper in the world this year, winning the men #39;s final tonight with a massive first leap of 8.59 meters at the Olympic Games here on Thursday.

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Sports

All That Secrecy Is Expensive Not only is the U.S. government keeping too many secrets, it's spending too much money to do it. That's the conclusion of a government watchdog group, which estimates more than \$6.5 billion was spent last year keeping data under wraps. By Noah Shachtman.

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Sci/Tech

New Nukes at U.S. Border U.S. agents next week will start scanning trucks crossing the Mexico border with a device that shoots neutrons to detect what exactly is hidden in the cargo. By Ryan Singel.

3

Sci/Tech

Tech and Art Mix at RNC Protest Artist Natalie Jeremijenko is unleashing a series of unique works at the Republican National Convention that combine art, engineering and old-fashioned protesting. Noah Shachtman reports from New York.

3

Sci/Tech

Exhibit Features Viruses as Art Computer viruses aren't just for wreaking havoc on global networks. They're also an art form. That's the take of an upcoming exhibit that focuses on malicious scripts, hacker films and the aesthetic charms of programming code. By Michelle Delio.

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Sci/Tech

Loser Delivers Laughs Don't be fooled by the title. Dear Valued Customer, You Are a Loser is not just hilarious. The book also brings up an interesting question about the relationship between humans and technology. A review by Amit Asaravala.

3

Sci/Tech

The Dean Machine Marches On The doctor is out, but his tactics drive campaigns from Florida to Alaska. By Samantha M. Shapiro from Wired magazine.

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Sci/Tech

Feds Wrap Up Online-Crime Dragnet The Department of Justice says dozens of people have been arrested or convicted for online crimes this summer, as part of its effort to show that the internet is not 'off-base for law enforcement,' according to Attorney General John Ashcroft.

3

Sci/Tech

'Secure Flight' Replaces CAPPS II The Transportation Security Administration shifts responsibility for screening travelers from the airlines to the government. The new system, dubbed Secure Flight, seeks to target fewer people and to do so more accurately.

3

Sci/Tech

Baseball Today (AP) AP - San Francisco at Atlanta (7:35 p.m. EDT). Kirk Rueter faces Jaret Wright and the Braves.

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Sports

U.S., Militants Battle in Central Baghdad (AP) AP - A gunbattle between U.S. forces and militants erupted in central Baghdad on Friday, witnesses said.

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World

Donkeys and satellite phones pave the way for Afghan elections (AFP) AFP - Organising the first presidential election in Afghanistan, a country largely without power, roads or literacy, has required a leap of imagination that has encompassed everything from donkeys to satellite phones.

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World

Oil Steadies, Investors Wary Ahead of GDP LONDON (Reuters) - European equities clung to three-week highs on Friday as oil steadied around the \$43 a barrel mark.

2

Business

'Distressed' Thatcher flies home Baroness Thatcher returns home as it emerges her son Sir Mark could face extradition proceedings.

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World

Bank Holiday Pledge as BA Cancels More Flights British Airways had to cancel six more flights today but promised to cope with the Bank Holiday rush over the weekend. The airline, which has suffered with plane

2

Business

Dairy creams off Tesco milk deal East Kilbride-based dairy group Robert Wiseman is celebrating its second major milk contract after sealing a new deal with supermarket giant Tesco.

2

Business

GUS seeks partial Lewis IPO Retailer GUS will float part of its South African business, the Lewis Group, it says, against a backdrop of investor pressure to release more cash through demergers.

2

Business

Sears Canada fires top exec -- parent #39;s CFO takes over as chair Sears Canada fired its top executive Thursday over what it characterized as #39; #39;strategic differences #39; #39; and enlisted the chief financial officer of parent company Sears, Roebuck Co.

2

Business

HP iPod launches today The announcement will be made at a news conference led by company CEO Carly Fiorina in Miami. The company will also unveil a range of products aimed at the consumer markets, including a 42-inch

3

Sci/Tech

China #39;s consumer electronic industry to hit \$94 billion HONG KONG - China #39;s consumer electronics industry is projected to reach \$49.6 billion in sales this year, growing by more than 20 percent annually to reach \$94 billion in 2007, according to a report from Global Sources Ltd.

3

Sci/Tech

Marbury #39;s groove puts Americans on track ATHENS, Greece -- It took one innocent 30-second comment from Stephon Marbury to sum up the American basketball problem and show how easy it would be to fix it.

1

Sports

Radcliffe confirms bid for 10,000m World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe will run in Friday evening #39;s women #39;s 10,000 meters final. British athletics team spokeswoman Emily Lewis said Radcliffe had confirmed

1

Sports

Down To Business For Kobe Case You are going to hear a lot over the next few days from jury consultants who are going to opine about what sort of jurors each side wants to select in the Kobe Bryant rape case.

1

Sports

NHL blasts players #39; union for contract talks stalemate OTTAWAThe NHL turned up the heat in its ongoing stalemate with its players #39; association counterparts here yesterday. And as the two parties - two solitudes, actually -xited the latest round of inertia

1

Sports

Supreme Court confirms decision to strip Pinochet of immunity The Chilean Supreme Court yesterday confirmed the decision taken last May by the Appeal Court to strip Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution.

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World

Oil Losses Ease on Iraq Pipeline Attack (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices rose on Friday, stemming five\days of heavy losses as fresh sabotage attacks on Iraqi oil\infrastructure renewed concern over the country's supplies,\despite a peace deal in Najaf

2

Business

Mass grave unearthed in DR Congo A grave containing "numerous" bodies is found in north-eastern DR Congo, UN peacekeepers say.

0

World

Tarantino to star in Muppets film Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino is to appear in a Muppets film based on The Wizard of Oz.

0

World

Investors in Google search for strategy (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Google's stock has now traded for its first full week, inviting stock jocks to start handicapping whether or not it will hold onto its early gains or get the goo knocked out of it.

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Sci/Tech

TiVo puts a brave face on subscription numbers (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Digital video recorder pioneer TiVo sent mixed signals Thursday about the progress of its ambitious effort to win new subscribers and become profitable.

3

Sci/Tech

Does your tech stuff need extra protection? (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Every day, consumers plunk down millions of dollars for cell phones, computers and high-end electronics that are supposed to make their lives better. And every night, they lie awake worrying that their new PCs or plasma TVs will spontaneously combust the day their warranty expires.

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Sci/Tech

Kuwaiti firm bows to kidnappers' demands, stops work in Iraq (AFP) AFP - The Kuwaiti firm which has seven truck drivers held hostage in Iraq has decided to halt operations in the troubled country, bowing to the kidnappers' condition for their release, it said.

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World

Oil Rebounds After Iraq Pipeline Attack LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Friday, stemming five days of heavy losses as fresh sabotage attacks on Iraqi oil infrastructure despite a peace deal in Najaf renewed concern over the country's supplies.

2

Business

Croatia Removes Nazi-Era Leaders' Plaques ZAGREB (Reuters) - Under heavy police security, Croatia removed two plaques commemorating Nazi-era officials on Friday in the first such action since independence in 1991.

0

World

Director pay deals 'surge 12.8' UK director pay rose 12.8 to an average of almost 600,000 during 2003 - three times faster than average staff earnings, a survey says.

2

Business

US Presley festival under threat Poor ticket sales are threatening the future of the annual Elvis Presley Festival in the late star's home town.

0

World

Players prepare for Half-Life 2 Gamers are getting their hands on encrypted copies of the eagerly awaited Half-Life 2 game.

3

Sci/Tech

Contractors and the Law Details of the role civilian contractors played in the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq sparked fresh debate yesterday about the effectiveness of laws and rules meant to govern workers hired to support the military. -The Washington Post

3

Sci/Tech

U.S. Technologies Stock Delisted After Fraud U.S. Technologies Inc., a once high-flying Washington firm, ceased to exist as a publicly traded company when its stock was de-registered yesterday, four months after chief executive C. Gregory Earls was convicted of defrauding investors of \$13.8 million. -The Washington Post

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Sci/Tech

Glaxo settles fraud suit The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to settle consumer fraud charges by posting online both negative and positive results from its clinical drug trials, a practice that New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said should have been made

2

Business