SetFit/ag_news · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Paris reiterates its support for Turkey #39;s entry into EU French President Jacques Chirac reiterated Friday its support for Turkish membership for the European Union (EU). Chirac noted that quot;in any case, we should take all the necessary	0	World
California sues Microsoft for antitrust--again Five California counties and two cities sue the software giant under state antitrust laws, for taking advantage of government buyers.	3	Sci/Tech
HP cues iPod in big product push Hewlett-Packard brands its own version of Apple's music player and introduces a line of consumer products.	3	Sci/Tech
Study finds Korean students best at solving problems Korean students topped a problem-solving literacy among 40 countries, breaking a traditional image that they focus on memorizing and lack reasoning capabilities, a major international survey released yesterday showed.	0	World
Fed chief warns of #39;painful #39; decisions WASHINGTON - The nation will face quot;abrupt and painful quot; consequences unless the government moves quickly to fix the finances of Social Security and Medicare, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday.	2	Business
Arkansas Could Receive \$337,500 in Securities Settlement The state #39;s securities commissioner says a settlement between securities regulators and two firms likely means \$337,500 for Arkansas.	2	Business
BELGIUM/BRAZIL: #39;InBev #39; gets shareholder support Shareholders of Interbrew and AmBev today voted in favour of the two companies merger. AmBevs shareholders also voted in favour of a capital increase and the incorporation of Canadian brewer Labatt at	2	Business
HP to start selling its iPod Hewlett-Packard said Friday that it would start selling its version of the iPod digital music player next month and would unveil flat-panel televisions, media-enhanced computers and photo printers.	3	Sci/Tech
UN report on N.Korea environment says outlook tough North Korea #39;s environment faces a stark future unless urgent action is taken, the United Nations said on Friday in a first report on the communist state #39;s environment compiled with unprecedented help from Pyongyang.	3	Sci/Tech
Thousands of Call Center Jobs To Go Overseas Once thriving, call centers now are shrinking, a trend that could threaten thousands of jobs. Because of lower wages overseas, technological advances and new do-not-call regulations, call	3	Sci/Tech
Men #39;s Tennis: 4 Seeded Players Advance at TD Waterhouse Cup <b>...</b> Four seeded players came out winners as first round play continued at the TD Waterhouse Cup men #39;s tennis tournament in New York Tuesday.	1	Sports
Argentina Completes Dream Team's Downfall (AP) AP - Bronze is the best the American men can do in basketball, and the reason is simple: A hastily assembled assortment of NBA stars couldn't beat a better team #151; Argentina. Manu Ginobili scored 29 points to lead his nation to another victory over the country that used to dominate the sport, an 89-81 win in the Olympic semifinals Friday night.	1	Sports
Microsoft Sets 2006 Target for Next Windows Version (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) said on Friday\it will ship the next version of Windows in 2006, but scaled\back plans to include a new system for finding and storing\information in its flagship operating system.	3	Sci/Tech
FBI Suspects Israeli Spy at Pentagon -- Govt Sources (Reuters) Reuters - The FBI is investigating whether\Israel had a spy at the highest level at the Pentagon who\obtained classified documents about Iran for the Jewish state,\U.S. government sources told Reuters on Friday.	0	World
Russia Blames Terrorism for Downed Plane (AP) AP - Russian officials said Friday they detected traces of a high explosive in the wreckage of one of two crashed jetliners, branding it the work of terrorists, while an Islamic group claimed its suicide attackers brought down both planes because of the war in Chechnya.	0	World
Palmeiro Not Bitter Back in Texas (AP) AP - Rafael Palmeiro didn't return to Texas a bitter man. There are too many good memories at the place he called home the past five seasons, and where he hit his 500th homer last year.	1	Sports
Iraq Militants Leave Shrine in Peace Deal (AP) AP - Militants filed out of the Imam Ali Shrine, closed the doors behind them and turned over the keys to Iraq's top Shiite cleric Friday, symbolizing their acceptance of a peace deal to end three weeks of devastating fighting in this holy city.	0	World
Serena Says She's 90 to 95 Percent Back (AP) AP - The first thing you notice is the scar. It's a jagged 2-inch line running just above Serena Williams' left knee, a reminder of the surgery that sidelined her for the last half of 2003 and the start of this season.	1	Sports
Troops capture 34 Iraqis; three Iraqi Guardsmen killed by roadside <b>...</b> US troops have captured 34 Iraqis, including 10 wanted for making explosive devices to attack coalition forces, the military said Tuesday.	0	World
GOP Wants Bush to Draw Attention Off Iraq NEW YORK - Nervous Republicans are urging President Bush to unveil a robust second-term agenda at his convention next week to shift voters' focus from the unpopular war in Iraq and other issues that are a distraction to his re-election drive. Some contend the party should ditch the GOP-fueled controversy over rival John Kerry's combat record in Vietnam...	0	World
Microsoft Sets 2006 Target for Next Windows Version SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. <A HREF="http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=MSFT.O qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news">MSFT.O</A> said on Friday it will ship the next version of Windows in 2006, but scaled back plans to include a new system for finding and storing information in its flagship operating system.	3	Sci/Tech
Northwest charges for in-person, phone ticket bookings CHICAGO : Controversial new Northwest Airlines fees for tickets booked by telephone or in person at airport counters went into force.	2	Business
Also from this section When four years ago Ian Schrager opened the Sanderson, his latest venture in ultra-hip hotels with chic interiors, eye-watering prices and a clientele to match, he declared: quot;London is hot right now.	2	Business
Sounds Like (Real) Desperation It #39;s hard to have sympathy for RealNetworks (Quote, Chart), and believe me, as a paying customer, I #39;m really trying. The company is spending -- and losing -- a lot of money to spruce up its image with consumers.	3	Sci/Tech
HP brand to inject new life into ink Hewlett-Packard #39;s new quot;Vivera quot; brand name for ink products could make a good impression in customers #39; minds, according to analysts.	3	Sci/Tech
Explosives found in Russian crash MOSCOW Russia #39;s security service announced Friday that investigators had found traces of explosives in the wreckage of one of the two passenger airliners that crashed almost simultaneously on Tuesday, and declared its downing a terrorist act.	0	World
Spotlight fails to focus on Palestine hunger strike BETHLEHEM Several thousand Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails were on their 13th day of a hunger strike on Friday, but the Israeli government has provided few concessions and there has been relatively little interest from the outside world.	0	World
Singapore #39;s moment Singapore is rich, but seldom envied. Outsiders have long viewed the gleaming city-state that attained its independence in 1965 as a tidy but soulless place, the nanny state that banned chewing gum.	0	World
Microsoft tackles AMD conflict in SP2 Microsoft says SP2 may not work on computers powered by chipmaker's 64-bit processors under certain circumstances.	3	Sci/Tech
Trilog eases Domino to Java transition Trilog Group this week rolled out an integrated J2EE development framework designed to let IBM Lotus Notes developers use their existing skills for J2EE development projects.	3	Sci/Tech
US Air, Pilots to Reopen Concession Talks US Airways Group Inc. (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and its pilots union agreed late on Friday to reopen concession talks after leaders of the labor group declined	2	Business
Panel Supportive of Pfizer, Eyetech Eye Drug An experimental drug developed by Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Pfizer Inc. for preserving vision in the elderly received a generally positive review from a US advisory panel on Friday.	2	Business
A dynasty shattered ATHENS Larry Brown, the US coach, leaned back against the scorer #39;s table, searching for support on a sinking ship. His best player, Tim Duncan, had just fouled out, and the options for an American team that	1	Sports
Harland leaves 11 rivals trailing to clinch bronze medal There is no sport like modern pentathlon for encouraging speculative hindsight. What might have happened if Georgina Harland had shot a little more accurately?	1	Sports
Italy Hostage Death in Iraq Stuns Nation (AP) AP - Recalling the horror the nation felt when its first hostage was killed in Iraq, word that a second Italian hostage was slain brought condemnation from the pope Friday and fueled debate over Italy's role in the war-torn country.	0	World
Pakistan Parliament Elects Prime Minister (AP) AP - Pakistan's parliament elected former finance minister Shaukat Aziz, a close ally of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, as prime minister on Friday after the opposition boycotted the vote, saying it was undemocratic.	0	World
Montreal stepfather charged with sexually assaulting 10-year-old girl (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - A 37-year-old man was formally charged Friday with sexually assaulting his new wife's 10-year-old daughter.	0	World
Jones Fails to Win Medal in Long Jump or Relay ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A botched relay handoff doomed Marion Jones' chances of winning even a single medal at the Athens Olympics, a disastrous ending to her summer of turmoil and disappointment. Hoping to win a pair of golds Friday, Jones was shut out instead. An hour after she finished fifth in the long jump, Jones was unable to make the handoff in the 400-meter relay when Lauryn Williams left too early.	0	World
Potential Bryant Jurors Arrive at Trial (AP) AP - Kobe Bryant's trial began Friday with 300 prospective jurors arriving at the county courthouse to fill out questionnaires, the first step toward choosing 12 people who will decide whether the NBA star is guilty of rape.	1	Sports
Microsoft to Release Next Windows in '06 (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. will drop a much-touted new technology for organizing and storing data when it releases the next version of its Windows operating system as expected in 2006.	3	Sci/Tech
Mets Sign Cuban Defector Alay Soler (AP) AP - The New York Mets signed Cuban defector Alay Soler on Friday, giving the pitcher a three-year deal worth #36;2.8 million.	1	Sports
Calif. Revives Marine Sanctuary Proposal (AP) AP - State wildlife officials announced plans Friday to revive a program to create marine reserves along California's 1,100-mile coast.	3	Sci/Tech
Scientists: Salmon Hatchery Policy Flawed (AP) AP - The proposed new federal policy for salmon hatcheries is based on a flawed reading of the Endangered Species Act, hindering efforts to restore wild salmon runs with hatchery fish, scientists say.	3	Sci/Tech
A Shorter Longhorn for Microsoft The signs of trouble surrounding Microsoft #39;s massive Longhorn development project have been building for months. But on Aug. 27 the software giant bowed to the inevitable.	3	Sci/Tech
Just let it drop You know your sport #39;s federation has some problems when it makes figure skating look fair and impartial. The International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG), unable to recognize	1	Sports
Prandelli Cedes Roma Reins Cesare Prandelli has become the second manager to leave a major European side this summer without coaching a single competitive match, quitting his new AS Roma post to care for his ailing wife.	1	Sports
McGill breaks records in Kutztown Kutztown, PA (Sports Network) - Jill McGill fired an eight-under 64 on Friday to post a 14-under-par 130 and take a four-shot lead midway through the Wachovia LPGA Classic.	1	Sports
HP iPod clone: out today p2pnet.net News:- In the ludicrous war for a share of the insignificant corporate online music business, HP is firmly in the Apple trenches.	3	Sci/Tech
Kenteris was disrespectful to athletes Thursday night #39;s 200 metres final started with a disgraceful display by some of the Greek fans in the stadium in response to the absence of their local favourite and defending champion, Kostas Kenteris.	1	Sports
Sharapova signals intent for US Open If Maria Sharapova wins the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadows on Monday, she will at least be assured of having a mobile phone that works.	1	Sports
Friday #39;s Golf Capsules Fred Funk and tour rookie Zach Johnson had near perfect outings Friday to share a one-stroke lead in the Buick Championship after two rounds.	1	Sports
Economy More Sluggish Than First Thought (AP) AP - Weighed down by high energy prices, the economy was even more sluggish than initially believed during the second quarter. But Federal Reserve policy-makers believe the pace will pick up in coming months, something President Bush is counting on as the election approaches.	2	Business
Gwynn's No. 19 to Be Retired by Padres (AP) AP - Tony Gwynn will have his number retired by the San Diego Padres on Sept. 4.	1	Sports
HP-Apple Partnership Yields New IPod (AP) AP - Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled its own version of the iPod portable music player Friday, showing the fruits of a groundbreaking partnership it had previously announced with Apple Computer Inc.	3	Sci/Tech
Employers Kicking In More To 401(k)s (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - Fueled by the ongoing economic rally, businesses are boosting their contributions to 401(k) plans.	2	Business
Olympics Wrap: Bad Day for U.S., New Dawn for China ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States suffered their worst day of the Athens Olympics on Friday when a tearful Marion Jones flopped, their basketball "Dream Team" were humiliated and they captured only one of the 20 golds on offer.	1	Sports
Sponsors to Return to Masters Next Year Augusta National Golf Club will restore commercials to the Masters next year, lifting the ban on advertising it imposed in 2003.	1	Sports
Oil prices climb as fears over Iraq turmoil loom LONDON: World oil prices rose yesterday on concerns over the possibility of further unrest in major producer Iraq despite a ceasefire in Najaf, where fighting has raged for weeks, traders said.	2	Business
No gold for US after 89-81 loss to Argentina This would be the loss to finally confirm -fter considerable evidence had strongly suggested it -t the best American players just can #39;t cut it worldwide on their ability to dunk anymore.	1	Sports
Focus brings US vaulters gold and silver quot;When I vault, I don #39;t think about winning and I don #39;t think about losing, quot; Mack said. quot;I just think about two things: the bar and using my arms.	1	Sports
McGill takes 4-shot lead in Wachovia Jill McGill fired an eight-under 64 Friday for a tournament record 14-under 130 and a four-shot lead midway through the Wachovia LPGA Classic.	1	Sports
Payments for retirees #39;will strain US economy #39; WASHINGTON: An ageing US population will strain public finances and hurt the economy without swift fixes to the social safety net, such as raising the age for full retirement benefits, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said yesterday.	2	Business
Longhorn Due in 2006 - It #39;s Official Microsoft has set 2006 for the official launch of its Longhorn operating system, which will debut without several of the features originally planned.	3	Sci/Tech
Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft A group of California cities and counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against Microsoft Corp.(MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , saying that the world #39;s largest software maker overcharged government agencies for	3	Sci/Tech
Hewitt in form ahead of US Open LONG ISLAND, New York -- Lleyton Hewitt continued his US Open preparations with a 6-1 6-4 win over Michael Llodra en route to the quarterfinals of the ATP Long Island Cup.	1	Sports
MLB: Houston 15, Chicago Cubs 7 Carlos Beltran hit a pair of homers and drove in four to lead Houston to an easy 15-7 win over the Chicago Cubs in a slugfest Friday.	1	Sports
Powell warning WASHINGTON: Militia fighters loyal to radical Shi #39;ite Moqtada Al Sadr have left the Imam Ali shrine and the United States does not want them to recover their strength, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said last night.	0	World
Siemens Says Cellphone Flaw May Hurt Users and Its Profit Siemens, the world's fourth-largest maker of mobile phones, said that a flaw that can create a piercing ring in its newest phone models might hurt earnings.	3	Sci/Tech
Bush Signs Orders for Intelligence Reform (AP) AP - President Bush on Friday signed executive orders designed to strengthen the CIA director's power over the nation's intelligence agencies and create a national counterterrorism center, responding to election-year pressures to enact changes called for by the Sept. 11 commission.	0	World
Warning Anew About Retiree Expectations The chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, warned that the government might have to scale back programs like Social Security and Medicare.	2	Business
U.S. Growth Pace for 2nd Quarter Is Revised Downward, to 2.8 The economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate from April through June, as oil prices limited consumer spending and contributed to a record trade deficit.	2	Business
Consumers fuel growth The country #39;s economy has accelerated, carried by strong household and government spending, to reach its fastest annual pace in nearly four years, official figures show.	2	Business
Piercing tone may dent Siemens sales FRANKFURT: German phone maker Siemens could see a dent in its mobile handset sales and may post a loss in the unit after it halted sales of faulty models that have a sharp ringtone sparking fears of hearing damage, it said yesterday.	2	Business
Truckers decide to withdraw strike New Delhi: The truck operators tonight decided to call off their seven-day-old strike from Saturday after reaching an agreement with the government on the vexed service tax issue.	2	Business
Next Version of Windows for PC #39;s to Ship in 2006 icrosoft laid out its plan yesterday for shipping the next version of its Windows operating system for personal computers in 2006, but to meet its timetable the company has scaled back its technological ambitions for the product.	3	Sci/Tech
MOTOR RACING: I #39;LL BE SIMPLY SECOND BEST JENSON BUTTON last night admitted he #39;d give up chasing personal glory in tomorrow #39;s Belgian Grand Prix for the sake of his team.	1	Sports
Hewitt, Paradorn reach Long Island second round Lleyton Hewitt has defeated Olivier Mutis at the \$US380,000 ATP Long Island event to move within one victory of reaching 50 match wins for the fourth time in five years.	1	Sports
Ratings Win Gold for NBC BC should be FedExing thank you notes to Michael Phelps, Carly Patterson, Natalie Coughlin, Paul Hamm and other American Olympians who have lifted it to the type of strong prime-time ratings	1	Sports
Sudan accused of sharing bases with militia A human rights group yesterday published a detailed list of the locations of what it claimed were 16 bases in Sudan being used by the Janjaweed militia that is largely responsible for the Darfur crisis.	0	World
Hamza police granted more time Detectives have been granted more time to question cleric Abu Hamza on suspicion of being involved in terrorist offences. The Muslim cleric was arrested at Belmarsh prison under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion	0	World
Court Tosses VeriSign Suit Vs. Overseers (AP) AP - A federal judge dismissed an antitrust complaint against a key Internet oversight group brought by a company that controls directories for guiding Internet users worldwide.	3	Sci/Tech
Survey: Linux Has Long Way to Go in Retail (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - A new study by VDC finds Linux in barely 2 percent of retailers' point-of-sale systems; it also indicates more strength for bar-code systems and more stumbling blocks for RFID.	3	Sci/Tech
Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft (Reuters) Reuters - A group of California cities and\counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against\Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O), saying the world's largest software\maker overcharged them for software.	3	Sci/Tech
Bovina, Dechy to Meet in Pilot Pen Finals (AP) AP - Nathalie Dechy advanced to the final of the Pilot Pen tournament, using quick, accurate play to beat Lisa Raymond 6-4, 6-0 Friday.	1	Sports
Second Seed Dementieva Hammered in New Haven NEW YORK (Reuters) - Second seed Elena Dementieva's hopes of a first title in 2004 ended in double-quick time when she was hammered 6-1, 6-1 by fellow Russian Elena Bovina in the semi-finals of the \$585,000 New Haven Open on Friday.	1	Sports
Suit by Cities Says Microsoft Overcharged icrosoft, which has agreed to pay \$1.8 billion to settle consumer antitrust suits, has been sued by California munciplaties, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, over claims that the company overcharged them for its Windows software.	3	Sci/Tech
Red Sox Trip Tigers 5-3 (AP) AP - Manny Ramirez singled and scored before leaving with a bruised knee, and the streaking Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 Friday night for their 10th victory in 11 games.	1	Sports
Mets Thump Dodgers 9-2 (AP) AP - Gerald Williams singled twice in a six-run first inning and the New York Mets broke out of their offensive funk in a big way, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2 Friday night to end a five-game losing streak.	1	Sports
Greenspan Cautions on Baby Boomer Benefits (AP) AP - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday the country will face "abrupt and painful" choices unless Congress acts quickly to trim Social Security and Medicare benefits for the baby boom generation. He said the government has promised more than it can deliver.	2	Business
US Airways Pilots' Union Decides to Resume Talks The US Airways pilots' union said it would resume talks with the airline, which is urging its unions to grant \$800 million in cuts to save it from a bankruptcy filing.	2	Business
Insurgents Quit Mosque in Najaf After Peace Deal Guerrillas loyal to Moktada al-Sadr ceded control of the holy site to the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, but did not give up their guns.	0	World
Bush to tout economic trend in NYC WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Through thick and thin, President Bush has consistently extolled the virtues of lowering taxes to make the economy stronger.	2	Business
US Needs Pro Boxers for Fighting Chance He was showered again with boos as he approached the ring for his semifinal light-heavyweight bout. Once inside the ropes, he was tossed around by Utkirbek Haydarov of Uzbekistan.	1	Sports
Venezuela Withdraws Ambassador From Panama (AP) AP - Venezuela withdrew its ambassador from Panama on Friday to protest outgoing President Mireya Moscoso's argument that she pardoned four Cuban emigres for fear they might be sent to Venezuela and executed.	0	World
Team USA Beats Russia 2-0 in Exhibition (AP) AP - Now that the preliminaries are over, Team USA appears ready for the World Cup of Hockey.	1	Sports
Airplanes Vulnerable to Bombers, Experts Say Despite urgings from Congress and the Sept. 11 commission, U.S. commercial jets remain vulnerable to suicide bombers, aviation security experts said.	2	Business
Winners With Wallets Economic size wields major influence over how well a nation does at the Olympics.	2	Business
Federation Requests Hamm Give Up Gold The letter from the International Gymnastics Federation arrived hand-delivered on Thursday night, more than a week after Paul Hamm won the men #39;s all-around gymnastics event	1	Sports
TRACK AND FIELD A Bungled Pass Costs US in Relay The ending was so sudden on the crowded back curve, so unexpectedly futile, that it seemed only fitting to Marion Jones after the year she has had.	1	Sports
Bullpen keeps up good work With all the firepower the Red Sox have been displaying lately, its good to know the pitching staff isnt taking anything for granted.	1	Sports

Paris reiterates its support for Turkey #39;s entry into EU French President Jacques Chirac reiterated Friday its support for Turkish membership for the European Union (EU). Chirac noted that quot;in any case, we should take all the necessary

0

World

California sues Microsoft for antitrust--again Five California counties and two cities sue the software giant under state antitrust laws, for taking advantage of government buyers.

3

Sci/Tech

HP cues iPod in big product push Hewlett-Packard brands its own version of Apple's music player and introduces a line of consumer products.

3

Sci/Tech

Study finds Korean students best at solving problems Korean students topped a problem-solving literacy among 40 countries, breaking a traditional image that they focus on memorizing and lack reasoning capabilities, a major international survey released yesterday showed.

0

World

Fed chief warns of #39;painful #39; decisions WASHINGTON - The nation will face quot;abrupt and painful quot; consequences unless the government moves quickly to fix the finances of Social Security and Medicare, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday.

2

Business

Arkansas Could Receive \$337,500 in Securities Settlement The state #39;s securities commissioner says a settlement between securities regulators and two firms likely means \$337,500 for Arkansas.

2

Business

BELGIUM/BRAZIL: #39;InBev #39; gets shareholder support Shareholders of Interbrew and AmBev today voted in favour of the two companies merger. AmBevs shareholders also voted in favour of a capital increase and the incorporation of Canadian brewer Labatt at

2

Business

HP to start selling its iPod Hewlett-Packard said Friday that it would start selling its version of the iPod digital music player next month and would unveil flat-panel televisions, media-enhanced computers and photo printers.

3

Sci/Tech

UN report on N.Korea environment says outlook tough North Korea #39;s environment faces a stark future unless urgent action is taken, the United Nations said on Friday in a first report on the communist state #39;s environment compiled with unprecedented help from Pyongyang.

3

Sci/Tech

Thousands of Call Center Jobs To Go Overseas Once thriving, call centers now are shrinking, a trend that could threaten thousands of jobs. Because of lower wages overseas, technological advances and new do-not-call regulations, call

3

Sci/Tech

Men #39;s Tennis: 4 Seeded Players Advance at TD Waterhouse Cup <b>...</b> Four seeded players came out winners as first round play continued at the TD Waterhouse Cup men #39;s tennis tournament in New York Tuesday.

1

Sports

Argentina Completes Dream Team's Downfall (AP) AP - Bronze is the best the American men can do in basketball, and the reason is simple: A hastily assembled assortment of NBA stars couldn't beat a better team #151; Argentina. Manu Ginobili scored 29 points to lead his nation to another victory over the country that used to dominate the sport, an 89-81 win in the Olympic semifinals Friday night.

1

Sports

Microsoft Sets 2006 Target for Next Windows Version (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) said on Friday\it will ship the next version of Windows in 2006, but scaled\back plans to include a new system for finding and storing\information in its flagship operating system.

3

Sci/Tech

FBI Suspects Israeli Spy at Pentagon -- Govt Sources (Reuters) Reuters - The FBI is investigating whether\Israel had a spy at the highest level at the Pentagon who\obtained classified documents about Iran for the Jewish state,\U.S. government sources told Reuters on Friday.

0

World

Russia Blames Terrorism for Downed Plane (AP) AP - Russian officials said Friday they detected traces of a high explosive in the wreckage of one of two crashed jetliners, branding it the work of terrorists, while an Islamic group claimed its suicide attackers brought down both planes because of the war in Chechnya.

0

World

Palmeiro Not Bitter Back in Texas (AP) AP - Rafael Palmeiro didn't return to Texas a bitter man. There are too many good memories at the place he called home the past five seasons, and where he hit his 500th homer last year.

1

Sports

Iraq Militants Leave Shrine in Peace Deal (AP) AP - Militants filed out of the Imam Ali Shrine, closed the doors behind them and turned over the keys to Iraq's top Shiite cleric Friday, symbolizing their acceptance of a peace deal to end three weeks of devastating fighting in this holy city.

0

World

Serena Says She's 90 to 95 Percent Back (AP) AP - The first thing you notice is the scar. It's a jagged 2-inch line running just above Serena Williams' left knee, a reminder of the surgery that sidelined her for the last half of 2003 and the start of this season.

1

Sports

Troops capture 34 Iraqis; three Iraqi Guardsmen killed by roadside <b>...</b> US troops have captured 34 Iraqis, including 10 wanted for making explosive devices to attack coalition forces, the military said Tuesday.

0

World

GOP Wants Bush to Draw Attention Off Iraq NEW YORK - Nervous Republicans are urging President Bush to unveil a robust second-term agenda at his convention next week to shift voters' focus from the unpopular war in Iraq and other issues that are a distraction to his re-election drive. Some contend the party should ditch the GOP-fueled controversy over rival John Kerry's combat record in Vietnam...

0

World

Microsoft Sets 2006 Target for Next Windows Version SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. <A HREF="http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=MSFT.O qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news">MSFT.O</A> said on Friday it will ship the next version of Windows in 2006, but scaled back plans to include a new system for finding and storing information in its flagship operating system.

3

Sci/Tech

Northwest charges for in-person, phone ticket bookings CHICAGO : Controversial new Northwest Airlines fees for tickets booked by telephone or in person at airport counters went into force.

2

Business

Also from this section When four years ago Ian Schrager opened the Sanderson, his latest venture in ultra-hip hotels with chic interiors, eye-watering prices and a clientele to match, he declared: quot;London is hot right now.

2

Business

Sounds Like (Real) Desperation It #39;s hard to have sympathy for RealNetworks (Quote, Chart), and believe me, as a paying customer, I #39;m really trying. The company is spending -- and losing -- a lot of money to spruce up its image with consumers.

3

Sci/Tech

HP brand to inject new life into ink Hewlett-Packard #39;s new quot;Vivera quot; brand name for ink products could make a good impression in customers #39; minds, according to analysts.

3

Sci/Tech

Explosives found in Russian crash MOSCOW Russia #39;s security service announced Friday that investigators had found traces of explosives in the wreckage of one of the two passenger airliners that crashed almost simultaneously on Tuesday, and declared its downing a terrorist act.

0

World

Spotlight fails to focus on Palestine hunger strike BETHLEHEM Several thousand Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails were on their 13th day of a hunger strike on Friday, but the Israeli government has provided few concessions and there has been relatively little interest from the outside world.

0

World

Singapore #39;s moment Singapore is rich, but seldom envied. Outsiders have long viewed the gleaming city-state that attained its independence in 1965 as a tidy but soulless place, the nanny state that banned chewing gum.

0

World

Microsoft tackles AMD conflict in SP2 Microsoft says SP2 may not work on computers powered by chipmaker's 64-bit processors under certain circumstances.

3

Sci/Tech

Trilog eases Domino to Java transition Trilog Group this week rolled out an integrated J2EE development framework designed to let IBM Lotus Notes developers use their existing skills for J2EE development projects.

3

Sci/Tech

US Air, Pilots to Reopen Concession Talks US Airways Group Inc. (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and its pilots union agreed late on Friday to reopen concession talks after leaders of the labor group declined

2

Business

Panel Supportive of Pfizer, Eyetech Eye Drug An experimental drug developed by Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Pfizer Inc. for preserving vision in the elderly received a generally positive review from a US advisory panel on Friday.

2

Business

A dynasty shattered ATHENS Larry Brown, the US coach, leaned back against the scorer #39;s table, searching for support on a sinking ship. His best player, Tim Duncan, had just fouled out, and the options for an American team that

1

Sports

Harland leaves 11 rivals trailing to clinch bronze medal There is no sport like modern pentathlon for encouraging speculative hindsight. What might have happened if Georgina Harland had shot a little more accurately?

1

Sports

Italy Hostage Death in Iraq Stuns Nation (AP) AP - Recalling the horror the nation felt when its first hostage was killed in Iraq, word that a second Italian hostage was slain brought condemnation from the pope Friday and fueled debate over Italy's role in the war-torn country.

0

World

Pakistan Parliament Elects Prime Minister (AP) AP - Pakistan's parliament elected former finance minister Shaukat Aziz, a close ally of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, as prime minister on Friday after the opposition boycotted the vote, saying it was undemocratic.

0

World

Montreal stepfather charged with sexually assaulting 10-year-old girl (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - A 37-year-old man was formally charged Friday with sexually assaulting his new wife's 10-year-old daughter.

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World

Jones Fails to Win Medal in Long Jump or Relay ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A botched relay handoff doomed Marion Jones' chances of winning even a single medal at the Athens Olympics, a disastrous ending to her summer of turmoil and disappointment. Hoping to win a pair of golds Friday, Jones was shut out instead. An hour after she finished fifth in the long jump, Jones was unable to make the handoff in the 400-meter relay when Lauryn Williams left too early.

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World

Potential Bryant Jurors Arrive at Trial (AP) AP - Kobe Bryant's trial began Friday with 300 prospective jurors arriving at the county courthouse to fill out questionnaires, the first step toward choosing 12 people who will decide whether the NBA star is guilty of rape.

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Sports

Microsoft to Release Next Windows in '06 (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. will drop a much-touted new technology for organizing and storing data when it releases the next version of its Windows operating system as expected in 2006.

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Sci/Tech

Mets Sign Cuban Defector Alay Soler (AP) AP - The New York Mets signed Cuban defector Alay Soler on Friday, giving the pitcher a three-year deal worth #36;2.8 million.

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Sports

Calif. Revives Marine Sanctuary Proposal (AP) AP - State wildlife officials announced plans Friday to revive a program to create marine reserves along California's 1,100-mile coast.

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Sci/Tech

Scientists: Salmon Hatchery Policy Flawed (AP) AP - The proposed new federal policy for salmon hatcheries is based on a flawed reading of the Endangered Species Act, hindering efforts to restore wild salmon runs with hatchery fish, scientists say.

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Sci/Tech

A Shorter Longhorn for Microsoft The signs of trouble surrounding Microsoft #39;s massive Longhorn development project have been building for months. But on Aug. 27 the software giant bowed to the inevitable.

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Sci/Tech

Just let it drop You know your sport #39;s federation has some problems when it makes figure skating look fair and impartial. The International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG), unable to recognize

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Sports

Prandelli Cedes Roma Reins Cesare Prandelli has become the second manager to leave a major European side this summer without coaching a single competitive match, quitting his new AS Roma post to care for his ailing wife.

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Sports

McGill breaks records in Kutztown Kutztown, PA (Sports Network) - Jill McGill fired an eight-under 64 on Friday to post a 14-under-par 130 and take a four-shot lead midway through the Wachovia LPGA Classic.

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Sports

HP iPod clone: out today p2pnet.net News:- In the ludicrous war for a share of the insignificant corporate online music business, HP is firmly in the Apple trenches.

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Sci/Tech

Kenteris was disrespectful to athletes Thursday night #39;s 200 metres final started with a disgraceful display by some of the Greek fans in the stadium in response to the absence of their local favourite and defending champion, Kostas Kenteris.

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Sports

Sharapova signals intent for US Open If Maria Sharapova wins the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadows on Monday, she will at least be assured of having a mobile phone that works.

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Sports

Friday #39;s Golf Capsules Fred Funk and tour rookie Zach Johnson had near perfect outings Friday to share a one-stroke lead in the Buick Championship after two rounds.

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Sports

Economy More Sluggish Than First Thought (AP) AP - Weighed down by high energy prices, the economy was even more sluggish than initially believed during the second quarter. But Federal Reserve policy-makers believe the pace will pick up in coming months, something President Bush is counting on as the election approaches.

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Business

Gwynn's No. 19 to Be Retired by Padres (AP) AP - Tony Gwynn will have his number retired by the San Diego Padres on Sept. 4.

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Sports

HP-Apple Partnership Yields New IPod (AP) AP - Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled its own version of the iPod portable music player Friday, showing the fruits of a groundbreaking partnership it had previously announced with Apple Computer Inc.

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Sci/Tech

Employers Kicking In More To 401(k)s (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - Fueled by the ongoing economic rally, businesses are boosting their contributions to 401(k) plans.

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Business

Olympics Wrap: Bad Day for U.S., New Dawn for China ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States suffered their worst day of the Athens Olympics on Friday when a tearful Marion Jones flopped, their basketball "Dream Team" were humiliated and they captured only one of the 20 golds on offer.

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Sports

Sponsors to Return to Masters Next Year Augusta National Golf Club will restore commercials to the Masters next year, lifting the ban on advertising it imposed in 2003.

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Sports

Oil prices climb as fears over Iraq turmoil loom LONDON: World oil prices rose yesterday on concerns over the possibility of further unrest in major producer Iraq despite a ceasefire in Najaf, where fighting has raged for weeks, traders said.

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Business

No gold for US after 89-81 loss to Argentina This would be the loss to finally confirm -fter considerable evidence had strongly suggested it -t the best American players just can #39;t cut it worldwide on their ability to dunk anymore.

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Sports

Focus brings US vaulters gold and silver quot;When I vault, I don #39;t think about winning and I don #39;t think about losing, quot; Mack said. quot;I just think about two things: the bar and using my arms.

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Sports

McGill takes 4-shot lead in Wachovia Jill McGill fired an eight-under 64 Friday for a tournament record 14-under 130 and a four-shot lead midway through the Wachovia LPGA Classic.

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Sports

Payments for retirees #39;will strain US economy #39; WASHINGTON: An ageing US population will strain public finances and hurt the economy without swift fixes to the social safety net, such as raising the age for full retirement benefits, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said yesterday.

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Business

Longhorn Due in 2006 - It #39;s Official Microsoft has set 2006 for the official launch of its Longhorn operating system, which will debut without several of the features originally planned.

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Sci/Tech

Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft A group of California cities and counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against Microsoft Corp.(MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , saying that the world #39;s largest software maker overcharged government agencies for

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Sci/Tech

Hewitt in form ahead of US Open LONG ISLAND, New York -- Lleyton Hewitt continued his US Open preparations with a 6-1 6-4 win over Michael Llodra en route to the quarterfinals of the ATP Long Island Cup.

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Sports

MLB: Houston 15, Chicago Cubs 7 Carlos Beltran hit a pair of homers and drove in four to lead Houston to an easy 15-7 win over the Chicago Cubs in a slugfest Friday.

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Powell warning WASHINGTON: Militia fighters loyal to radical Shi #39;ite Moqtada Al Sadr have left the Imam Ali shrine and the United States does not want them to recover their strength, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said last night.

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World

Siemens Says Cellphone Flaw May Hurt Users and Its Profit Siemens, the world's fourth-largest maker of mobile phones, said that a flaw that can create a piercing ring in its newest phone models might hurt earnings.

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Sci/Tech

Bush Signs Orders for Intelligence Reform (AP) AP - President Bush on Friday signed executive orders designed to strengthen the CIA director's power over the nation's intelligence agencies and create a national counterterrorism center, responding to election-year pressures to enact changes called for by the Sept. 11 commission.

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World

Warning Anew About Retiree Expectations The chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, warned that the government might have to scale back programs like Social Security and Medicare.

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Business

U.S. Growth Pace for 2nd Quarter Is Revised Downward, to 2.8 The economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate from April through June, as oil prices limited consumer spending and contributed to a record trade deficit.

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Business

Consumers fuel growth The country #39;s economy has accelerated, carried by strong household and government spending, to reach its fastest annual pace in nearly four years, official figures show.

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Business

Piercing tone may dent Siemens sales FRANKFURT: German phone maker Siemens could see a dent in its mobile handset sales and may post a loss in the unit after it halted sales of faulty models that have a sharp ringtone sparking fears of hearing damage, it said yesterday.

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Business

Truckers decide to withdraw strike New Delhi: The truck operators tonight decided to call off their seven-day-old strike from Saturday after reaching an agreement with the government on the vexed service tax issue.

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Business

Next Version of Windows for PC #39;s to Ship in 2006 icrosoft laid out its plan yesterday for shipping the next version of its Windows operating system for personal computers in 2006, but to meet its timetable the company has scaled back its technological ambitions for the product.

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Sci/Tech

MOTOR RACING: I #39;LL BE SIMPLY SECOND BEST JENSON BUTTON last night admitted he #39;d give up chasing personal glory in tomorrow #39;s Belgian Grand Prix for the sake of his team.

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Sports

Hewitt, Paradorn reach Long Island second round Lleyton Hewitt has defeated Olivier Mutis at the \$US380,000 ATP Long Island event to move within one victory of reaching 50 match wins for the fourth time in five years.

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Sports

Ratings Win Gold for NBC BC should be FedExing thank you notes to Michael Phelps, Carly Patterson, Natalie Coughlin, Paul Hamm and other American Olympians who have lifted it to the type of strong prime-time ratings

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Sports

Sudan accused of sharing bases with militia A human rights group yesterday published a detailed list of the locations of what it claimed were 16 bases in Sudan being used by the Janjaweed militia that is largely responsible for the Darfur crisis.

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World

Hamza police granted more time Detectives have been granted more time to question cleric Abu Hamza on suspicion of being involved in terrorist offences. The Muslim cleric was arrested at Belmarsh prison under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion

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World

Court Tosses VeriSign Suit Vs. Overseers (AP) AP - A federal judge dismissed an antitrust complaint against a key Internet oversight group brought by a company that controls directories for guiding Internet users worldwide.

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Sci/Tech

Survey: Linux Has Long Way to Go in Retail (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - A new study by VDC finds Linux in barely 2 percent of retailers' point-of-sale systems; it also indicates more strength for bar-code systems and more stumbling blocks for RFID.

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Sci/Tech

Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft (Reuters) Reuters - A group of California cities and\counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against\Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O), saying the world's largest software\maker overcharged them for software.

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Sci/Tech

Bovina, Dechy to Meet in Pilot Pen Finals (AP) AP - Nathalie Dechy advanced to the final of the Pilot Pen tournament, using quick, accurate play to beat Lisa Raymond 6-4, 6-0 Friday.

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Sports

Second Seed Dementieva Hammered in New Haven NEW YORK (Reuters) - Second seed Elena Dementieva's hopes of a first title in 2004 ended in double-quick time when she was hammered 6-1, 6-1 by fellow Russian Elena Bovina in the semi-finals of the \$585,000 New Haven Open on Friday.

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Sports

Suit by Cities Says Microsoft Overcharged icrosoft, which has agreed to pay \$1.8 billion to settle consumer antitrust suits, has been sued by California munciplaties, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, over claims that the company overcharged them for its Windows software.

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Sci/Tech

Red Sox Trip Tigers 5-3 (AP) AP - Manny Ramirez singled and scored before leaving with a bruised knee, and the streaking Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 Friday night for their 10th victory in 11 games.

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Sports

Mets Thump Dodgers 9-2 (AP) AP - Gerald Williams singled twice in a six-run first inning and the New York Mets broke out of their offensive funk in a big way, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2 Friday night to end a five-game losing streak.

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Sports

Greenspan Cautions on Baby Boomer Benefits (AP) AP - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday the country will face "abrupt and painful" choices unless Congress acts quickly to trim Social Security and Medicare benefits for the baby boom generation. He said the government has promised more than it can deliver.

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Business

US Airways Pilots' Union Decides to Resume Talks The US Airways pilots' union said it would resume talks with the airline, which is urging its unions to grant \$800 million in cuts to save it from a bankruptcy filing.

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Business

Insurgents Quit Mosque in Najaf After Peace Deal Guerrillas loyal to Moktada al-Sadr ceded control of the holy site to the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, but did not give up their guns.

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World

Bush to tout economic trend in NYC WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Through thick and thin, President Bush has consistently extolled the virtues of lowering taxes to make the economy stronger.

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Business

US Needs Pro Boxers for Fighting Chance He was showered again with boos as he approached the ring for his semifinal light-heavyweight bout. Once inside the ropes, he was tossed around by Utkirbek Haydarov of Uzbekistan.

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Sports

Venezuela Withdraws Ambassador From Panama (AP) AP - Venezuela withdrew its ambassador from Panama on Friday to protest outgoing President Mireya Moscoso's argument that she pardoned four Cuban emigres for fear they might be sent to Venezuela and executed.

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World

Team USA Beats Russia 2-0 in Exhibition (AP) AP - Now that the preliminaries are over, Team USA appears ready for the World Cup of Hockey.

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Sports

Airplanes Vulnerable to Bombers, Experts Say Despite urgings from Congress and the Sept. 11 commission, U.S. commercial jets remain vulnerable to suicide bombers, aviation security experts said.

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Business

Winners With Wallets Economic size wields major influence over how well a nation does at the Olympics.

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Business

Federation Requests Hamm Give Up Gold The letter from the International Gymnastics Federation arrived hand-delivered on Thursday night, more than a week after Paul Hamm won the men #39;s all-around gymnastics event

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Sports

TRACK AND FIELD A Bungled Pass Costs US in Relay The ending was so sudden on the crowded back curve, so unexpectedly futile, that it seemed only fitting to Marion Jones after the year she has had.

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Sports

Bullpen keeps up good work With all the firepower the Red Sox have been displaying lately, its good to know the pitching staff isnt taking anything for granted.

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Sports