SetFit/ag_news · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Doom 3 unleashes hell Doom 3 combines hectic gameplay with genuine shocks to deliver a deliciously uncomfortable gaming experience.	3	Sci/Tech
Lindows Postpones IPO Its legal battles over, the software vendor will focus on sales until the market ripens.	3	Sci/Tech
Pakistan minister poised to become PM after by-election wins (AFP) AFP - The way was clear for Pakistan's Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to become prime minister after unofficial results showed he had secured a seat in parliament's lower house by winning two by-elections.	0	World
Israeli PM defies party rebellion Israel's Ariel Sharon says he will push ahead with plans for Gaza disengagement, despite a rebuke from his Likud party.	0	World
Google Overcomes Regulatory, Marketing Gaffes to Do IPO Its Way Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The founders of Google Inc. did it their way, and then they paid the price. Sergey Brin, 30, and Larry Page, 31, completed an initial public offering of the largest Internet search firm yesterday using an unorthodox Dutch auction ...	2	Business
Logan may benefit from fewer O #39;Hare flights WASHINGTON -- Flight reductions by 16 major airlines serving O #39;Hare International Airport -- the result of two weeks of talks with the Transportation Department to alleviate traffic at the ...	2	Business
More Mars secrets uncovered The hills of Mars have yielded fresh clues about how water shaped the Red Planet. Scientists at NASA #39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, revealed that the robotic explorers Spirit and Opportunity each made discoveries which indicate that water has ...	3	Sci/Tech
Sprint stars create new Greek tragedy ATHENS, Greece -- It was just after 8 am Wednesday, and across the street from the downtown Hilton, hundreds of media waited for the ultimate Greek tragedy to reach its sad conclusion.	1	Sports
American fouls out OLYMPIA, Greece - When this whole Olympic thing started, the winner of its single event, a 210-yard sprint, would have his name used to identify the Games rather than the year. For instance, 776 BC was the Coroibos Games because ...	1	Sports
England 3, Ukraine 0 David Beckham and Michael Owen went about making their peace with England #39;s deflated supporters last night with a goal apiece to help launch England to victory against Ukraine.	1	Sports
Singh has put PGA to rest AKRON -- As the \$7 million NEC Invitational begins today on Firestone County Club #39;s South Course, there is bad news for the 75 players in the field who aren #39;t Vijay Singh.	1	Sports
Buses defy rebel blockade of Nepal #39;s capital KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - A heavily guarded convoy of six buses snaked its way out of Nepal #39;s capital Thursday, the first vehicles to defy Maoist rebels who blockaded Katmandu this week with threats alone and without setting up a single roadblock.	0	World
Australian Foreign Minister Upbeat on North Korea Nuclear Talks Australia #39;s foreign minister says North Korea shows few signs of compromise but insists a negotiated settlement can still resolve the dispute over Pyongyang #39;s nuclear weapons.	0	World
Typhoon Megi kills 12 TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Heavy rain from typhoon Megi has lashed South Korea and Japan, prompting the evacuation of some 3,000 people and leaving at least 12 dead. Some 165 Japanese children were trapped at a nature centre.	0	World
Baghdad bombs still haunt UN GENEVAUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday met survivors and families of the 22 workers killed in a suicide bombing that shattered United Nations offices in Baghdad last year an attack many employees refer to as quot;our Sept. 11. quot; ...	0	World
Virtual gaming worlds overtake Namibia Inhabitants of virtual worlds are giving the games they play real economic power, a study has found.	3	Sci/Tech
Kerry Blames Rising Health Costs for Job Losses (Reuters) Reuters - Democrat John Kerry, citing a newly\commissioned study, said on Thursday that rising health care\expenses have cost American jobs and President Bush has done\nothing to solve the problem.	0	World
Bankrupt Commerce One Patents Fetch \$15.5M Bankrupt Internet software maker Commerce One Inc. auctioned off dozens of prized online patents for \$15.5 million in a sale that could provoke a legal scuffle over whether the new owner is entitled to collect royalties from a long list of technology heavyweights.	3	Sci/Tech
Amazon.com Experiences Sporadic Outage Some customers had trouble reaching Amazon.com's Web site on Monday in what analysts described as probable technical difficulties for the world's largest online retailer during the crucial holiday selling season.	3	Sci/Tech
EU backs Lamy for trade position The European Commission is backing its former trade commissioner Pascal Lamy to become the next head of the World Trade Organisation.	2	Business
Tokyo Stocks Close Up for Third Day (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese shares rose for a third straight\day on Thursday, advancing over one percent as a rally on Wall\Street encouraged buying of technology issues such as Toshiba\Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical	2	Business
Tokyo Stocks Close Up for Third Day TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese shares rose for a third straight day on Thursday, advancing over one percent as a rally on Wall Street encouraged buying of technology issues such as Toshiba Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical	2	Business
Lindows Postpones IPO (PC World) PC World - Its legal battles over, the software vendor will focus on sales until the market ripens.	3	Sci/Tech
Israel's Top Court Upholds Dropping of Sharon Case (Reuters) Reuters - Israel's High Court said on Thursday\it was upholding a decision by the country's attorney-general\to drop a bribery case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.	0	World
Israel's Top Court Upholds Dropping of Sharon Case JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's High Court said on Thursday it was upholding a decision by the country's attorney-general to drop a bribery case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.	0	World
New Fingerprint Scans Expand to Borders Foreigners entering the United States zipped through the lines at the main port here and several other locations in Arizona and California as a new digital screening program went into effect.	3	Sci/Tech
Clashes Erupt in Najaf Despite Peace Plan NAJAF, Iraq - Sporadic gunfire and explosions boomed through Najaf on Thursday despite a peace deal in which radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr agreed to disarm his militiamen and pull them out of a revered Shiite shrine they've been taking refuge in. As clashes in Najaf continued, Arab television station Al-Jazeera aired a video Thursday showing a militant group that called itself the Martyrs Brigade vowing to kill a missing Western journalist if U.S...	0	World
Debit Cards Give Plastic Edge Over Paper 2003 was the first time plastic and other electronic payment methods beat out checks, according to a survey released yesterday by the Federal Reserve.	3	Sci/Tech
More Web Shopping Is What's in Store The retail sector overall may be reporting a sluggish start to the season, but holiday shoppers are scooping up tech goods at a brisk pace -- and they're scouring the Web for bargains more than ever. <FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2" color="#666666"><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>	3	Sci/Tech
NY Atty General Spitzer to Run for Gov. NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will announce on Tuesday he will run for governor of the state in 2006, a spokeswoman said.	2	Business
Treasury Prices Falter Before Auctions NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasuries faltered on Tuesday after a blistering two-session rally ran out of steam, though analysts still saw room to the upside given the large short-base in the market.	2	Business
Dollar Awaits Data, Yen Down from Peak LONDON (Reuters) - The yen held close to the previous session's four-week high against the dollar on Thursday while the dollar held steady on the euro as investors awaited U.S. labor and manufacturing data due later. The Japanese currency rose to a high of 109.28 per dollar late on Wednesday, as cross currents in the market, mainly from a steep sterling fall, forced yen sellers to buy the Japanese currency back, pushing it higher against the dollar.	2	Business
Maoist rebel blockade begins to pinch Nepal capital (Reuters) Reuters - Maoist rebels kept vehicles off roads leading to Nepal's capital for a second day on Thursday and residents said fuel was being rationed and food prices had begun to rise.	0	World
China Bans Video Game for Breach of Sovereignty BEIJING (Reuters) - China, sensitive about issues of national sovereignty, has banned a computer sports game that classifies Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet as countries and has threatened to fine Web sites that supply the game and net cafes that let patrons download it.	3	Sci/Tech
After Wait, Google Set for Market Debut NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. will make their Nasdaq stock market debut on Thursday after the year #39;s most anticipated initial public offering priced far below initial estimates, raising \$1.67 billion.	2	Business
Qantas posts record annual profit SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Qantas profits soared to a record 648.8 million Australian dollars (US\$463.8 million, euro 376 million) in the past fiscal year, thanks to rising passenger numbers despite fears of Iraq war-related terrorism and the aftermath of ...	2	Business
Pentagon backs off threat to withhold Halliburton fees WASHINGTON - The Army has abruptly reversed itself and decided to pay all of Halliburton Co. #39;s fees to house and feed US troops in Iraq and Kuwait after the company threatened to legally challenge the effort to penalize it.	2	Business
A Long Goodbye at Equifax Give them credit, they #39;re starting the CEO search with plenty of lead time. Early in the day on Aug. 18, Thomas F. Chapman, chairman and CEO of Equifax, stated his intention to retire sometime in late 2005, according to a company statement. While such an ...	2	Business
Real slashes Music Prices RealNetworks has slashed the price for downloading music taking the online music market competition a step further.	3	Sci/Tech
Texas Firm Targets Teens With Package Of Digital Features Teenagers tend to like instant messaging, TV watching, net surfing, music listening, and shopping, so an Austin, Texas, company has decided to package digital features coveted by teenagers in a PC targeted specifically at teenaged ...	3	Sci/Tech
Hamm gold by a sliver ATHENS - Paul Hamm feared he had blown a shot for a medal when he stumbled at the end of his performance in the vault, his fourth event in the six-event men #39;s individual all-around final. But the freckle-faced gymnast from Wisconsin ...	1	Sports
Hamilton Wins Olympic Time Trial Tyler Hamilton (United States) is the Olympic time trial champion. The man from Marblehead, who crashed out of the 2004 Tour de France, rode away his disappointment by drawing away from defending champion Vyatcheslav Ekimov (Russia) in ...	1	Sports
Singh closes in on Tiger AKRON, Ohio - Having closed the gap to a mere one-tenth of a point, Vijay Singh needs only to finish ahead of Tiger Woods at the NEC Invitational, starting today, to end Woods #39; record run as the No. 1-ranked player in the world.	1	Sports
Hewitt drives home his return point WASHINGTON - It #39;s night, under the lights at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, and No. 2 seed Lleyton Hewitt is still wearing his white cap backward, the bill of it running down the back of his sweating neck.	1	Sports
Wright-Phillips left wanting more Shaun Wright-Phillips has set his sights on being picked for England #39;s World Cup qualifiers after scoring on a scintillating debut for his country.	1	Sports
US wings it in Caribbean For the bulk of the 89 minutes that the US National Team went without a goal against an inspired Jamaican side, chances were created -- some of the golden opportunity nature -- but none were converted. And it nearly put the Americans behind the proverbial ...	1	Sports
Poles killed after Iraq ambush WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Two Polish troops have been killed and five injured when their vehicles crashed as they were trying to escape an ambush in the central Iraqi city of Hillah, a military spokesman said.	0	World
Terror suspect killed during interrogation in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A Pakistani religious leader, allegedly linked with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, has died here in police custody, local media reported Thursday.	0	World
Italy in Hot Seat on Possible Misreporting (AP) AP - The European Union head office said Tuesday it had concerns over Italian budget deficit figures, only a week after Greece was challenged over alleged sloppy bookkeeping and possible underreporting of deficit figures.	0	World
Virgin plans China mobile service Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson says the firm is in talks with a Chinese company over starting a mobile phone service in mainland China.	3	Sci/Tech
Is IBM PC sell off preparation for a Power chip attack? <strong>Opinion</strong> A chip on the shoulder?	3	Sci/Tech
Leadtek WinFast PX6600TD GeForce 6600 card <strong>Review</strong> Mid-range features, performance for under 100?	3	Sci/Tech
Massive game advertising startup to aid desperate brands <strong>Analysis</strong> Product placement in computer and console games	3	Sci/Tech
Dollar Awaits Data, Yen Down from Peak LONDON (Reuters) - The yen held close to the previous session's four-week high against the dollar on Thursday while the dollar held steady on the euro as investors awaited U.S. labor and manufacturing data due later.	2	Business
Giddens earns US silver in kayaking Rebecca Giddens made a final charge that nearly landed her a gold medal, but in the end the American settled for silver in yesterday's kayaking single slalom.	1	Sports
Estrada gets in some light work Jason Estrada had the perfect opponent last night. An inexperienced one. The Pan Am Games gold medalist had not fought in two months because of a thumb injury and a case of plantar fasciitis that curtailed both his training and his aerobic workouts, and that layoff had his coaches concerned. Unable to run until recently, the Providence, R.I., ...	1	Sports
Withdrawal for Greek sprinters Two of Greece's most famous athletes and their coach made their first public appearance here yesterday only to withdraw from the Olympic Games rather than face a panel charged with looking into a possible doping violation.	1	Sports
Rhode targets a final gold for US Kim Rhode earned the United States a gold medal in double trap shooting yesterday, staking a unique claim as the first and last winner of the Olympic event.	1	Sports
Transactions BASEBALL Arizona (NL): Placed C Koyie Hill on the 15-day DL; purchased contract of C Chris Snyder from El Paso (Texas League). Baltimore (AL): Placed OF Larry Bigbie and 2B-OF Jerry Hairston on the 15-day DL; recalled OF Darnell McDonald from Ottawa (IL); purchased contract of OF Val Majewski from Bowie (EL). Houston (NL): Placed P Andy Pettitte on the ...	1	Sports
Silver lining melts foul mood US shot-putter Adam Nelson stood outside the throwing circle, his hands on the back of his head, his hopes just dashed by a foul on a throw that would have won the gold medal.	1	Sports
Pair of US squads advance to finals By just two ticks of the clock yesterday morning, the US rowing team squeezed two entries into this weekend's Olympic finals on an otherwise empty day.	1	Sports
Dominicans shock US women In an early morning match before a handful of fans, the US women's volleyball team, ranked first in the world, lost to the Dominican Republic, 26-24, 22-25, 27-25, 23-25, 19-17. The US had not lost to the Dominicans, ranked 13th, since 1999 and did not try to dress up one of the biggest upsets of the Games, a loss arguably ...	1	Sports
Israeli Court Upholds Decision on Sharon (AP) AP - Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the attorney general's decision to clear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a corruption case, Israel Radio reported.	0	World
US denies Ukraine interference US Secretary of State Colin Powell rejects Russian claims that the West wants more influence in Ukraine.	0	World
Octopus Doesn't Give Up on Motherhood (AP) AP - It was a May-December romance that really had legs: Young Aurora, a female giant octopus and her aging cephalopod suitor J-1 were thrown together for a blind date seven months ago by aquarists who hoped the two would mate.	3	Sci/Tech
Karzai Sworn in as Afghanistan President KABUL (Reuters) - Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president Tuesday, promising to bring peace to the war-torn nation and end the economy's dependence on narcotics.	0	World
Megawati's party seals deal with Golkar to dominate Indonesia's parliament (AFP) AFP - President Megawati Sukarnoputri forged a pact with Indonesia's largest political group Golkar to form a bloc that will dominate parliament but is seen as unlikely to ensure her reelection.	0	World
Lenovo May Be in Acquisition Talks With IBM (AP) AP - China's biggest computer maker said Tuesday it is in acquisition talks with a major international technology company, a disclosure which comes amid reports it might buy IBM Corp.'s personal computer business.	3	Sci/Tech
Merger may axe Fleet jobs BOSTON -- Although published reports yesterday claimed that Bank of America Corp. plans to layoff hundreds of employees at Fleet Banks throughout Massachusetts, Fall River area branches had not received official word by closing time Wednesday, according ...	2	Business
JJB Shares Drop: Profit May Be 20 Less Than Forecast (Update2) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of JJB Sports Plc, Britain #39;s largest sporting-goods retailer, had their biggest decline in at least two years after the company said profit this fiscal year may be about 20 percent less than forecast amid declining sales.	2	Business
Workplace beware THE LABOR Department #39;s trumpeting of its new regulations governing overtime, which go into effect next week, sounds a little tinny.	2	Business
Saturn in Red This Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera view shows a half-lit Saturn, with two dark storms rolling through its southern hemisphere. The image was taken in visible red light on July 19, 2004, at a distance of 6.2 million kilometers (3.9 million miles) ...	3	Sci/Tech
Microsoft rolls out fresh Windows XP 64 beta WHILE MICROSOFT and AMD are suggesting it will be well into next year before the final version of WinXP 64 is released, yesterday it started offering a fresh preview edition of its up-and-coming software which now supports both Intel and AMD 64-bit ...	3	Sci/Tech
Athletes positive coach is to blame ATHENS - They weren #39;t our own tarnished heroes this time, they were bad actors in an overwritten Greek tragedy. But outside the Athens Hilton yesterday morning off the downtown boulevard called Vasillias Sofia, the scene was all too familiar. So were the ...	1	Sports
Nelson #39;s day left in ruins He was leading a procession of Olympic shot-putters, thick-bodied, thick-necked men who were about to enter a dirt-floored den of antiquity, and be immersed in history that was as palpable as the crumbling columns and fading marble slabs.	1	Sports
Pedal to the medals Vouliagmeni, Greece - The second-fastest move Tyler Hamilton made Wednesday was hopping off the gold-medal platform and running - hobbling, really - to his wife, Haven.	1	Sports
Tennis: Australia #39;s Hewitt reaches quarter-finals at Washington tennis WASHINGTON : Lleyton Hewitt further polished his form on hardcourt with the US Open drawing near, earning a 6-3, 6-2 second-round win against Colombian Alejandro Falla at the 500,000-dollar Washington Open.	1	Sports
Sharon presses on with Gaza plan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to press ahead with his Gaza pullout plan despite a humiliating rebuff from his own party of his bid to forge a coalition with the pro-withdrawal Labour Party.	0	World
Maoist Rebel Blockade Begins to Pinch Nepal Capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Maoist rebels kept vehicles off roads leading to Nepal #39;s capital for a second day on Thursday and residents said fuel was being rationed and food prices had begun to rise.	0	World
One dead, four missing as Typhoon Megi hits S.Korea SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- One died and four others went missing as Typhoon Megi hit South Korea #39;s southern provinces with strong winds and heavy rains, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.	0	World
First Look: MusicMatch Jukebox's Impressive Version 10 (PC World) PC World - Free software helps organize large music collections.	3	Sci/Tech
In Brief: Sleepycat releases Berkeley DB XML 2.0 (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Sleepycat Software this week announced the general availability of Berkeley DB XML 2.0, a major upgrade to its open source database for telecommunication infrastructure and enterprise data centers. This release adds support for XQuery 1.0, an emerging standard for XML data access, as well as improvements in performance and usability. Other enhancements include support for XPath 2.0, which allows the selection of a portion of an XML document, and support for the PHP API, which enables developers using the PHP scripting languages to work with XML documents.	3	Sci/Tech
Garrison Gets New Contract; King Retires (AP) AP - Zina Garrison was given a one-year contract to stay on as U.S. Fed Cup captain, while Billie Jean King retired Tuesday as a coach for the team.	1	Sports
Netanyahu backs Sharon #39;s plan for coalition with Labor Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his support Tuesday to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on his plan to invite the Labor Party into a unity government, Ha #39;aretz reported, citing an aide of Sharon.	0	World
Weightlifters Test Positive for Drugs Before Games ATHENS (Reuters) - Five weightlifters tested positive for drugs before the Athens Olympics and were banned from the Games.	1	Sports
Internet patents sold at S.F. auction (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - A group called JGR Acquisition made the winning, #36;15.5 million bid Monday for a batch of obscure but potentially important patents covering technologies for Internet business transactions.	3	Sci/Tech
Tributes paid to Belgium #39;s #39;magic #39; football coach The Belgian press paid tribute to Raymond Goethals on Tuesday, describing him as the magician and looking back on his teams many victories.	1	Sports
Williams #39;Hungary #39; for success British heavyweight hope Danny Williams believes the key to beating WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and becoming the heavyweight champion of the world in Las Vegas on December 11 is his hunger and desire to succeed.	1	Sports
'E-Junk' Recycling Still in Its Infancy (AP) AP - When Office Depot, Inc. stores ran an electronics recycling drive last summer that accepted everything from cell phones to televisions, some stores were overwhelmed by the amount of e-trash they received.	3	Sci/Tech
IBM triples transistor performance with germanium IBM has successfully demonstrated a new technique for improving transistor performance that will help the company build smaller, more powerful chips in the next decade, company researchers said yesterday.	3	Sci/Tech
Outsourcing growth predicted at 5.9 a year IT job exports are forecast to increase by a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 between 2002 and the end of 2004, said Frost amp; Sullivan.	3	Sci/Tech
AMD to switch on better Opteron power management Computers with AMD #39;s Opteron processor will soon be able to take advantage of the same power management technology the company has already built into its laptop and desktop microchips.	3	Sci/Tech
Update 1: Toshiba, Memory-Tech Develop New DVD Two Japanese companies said Tuesday they have developed a DVD that can play on both existing machines and the upcoming high-definition players, raising hopes for a smooth transition as more people dump old TV sets for better screens.	3	Sci/Tech
Putin Opines on Iraq Election Date (AP) AP - President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday he could not imagine how Iraqi elections scheduled for Jan. 30 could be held under current conditions.	0	World
U.S. Crude Sets New Record: \$47.52/Barrel LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. crude prices rose to another new record on Thursday, rising 25 cents to \$47.52 a barrel on evidence that high prices are not hurting world oil demand growth.	2	Business
UK mortgage lending breaks record Home loan borrowing continued to surge in July, the Council of Mortgage Lenders says.	2	Business
Google IPO priced at \$85 a share NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -- Internet search engine Google has announced it will go public at \$85 a share, paving the way for the widely awaited but troubled stock offering to finally stumble to market on Thursday.	2	Business
After the IPO, Google may need to invest in itself SAN FRANCISCO Google #39;s star-crossed stock offering is making high-tech history. But will its cash windfall help make it a permanent part of Silicon Valley lore despite mounting competition and a tepid market? ...	2	Business
Microsoft tries to clear confusion over SP2 A week after releasing Windows XP Service Pack 2 to enterprises, Microsoft is trying to quell confusion over an apparent security flaw and applications that won #39;t work without adjustments.	3	Sci/Tech
Microsoft Unveils 64-Bit Windows Beta Microsoft has made available the latest builds of its 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, which each features a handful of new improvements including the Luna user interface, Windows Messenger, Windows Media ...	3	Sci/Tech

Doom 3 unleashes hell Doom 3 combines hectic gameplay with genuine shocks to deliver a deliciously uncomfortable gaming experience.

3

Sci/Tech

Lindows Postpones IPO Its legal battles over, the software vendor will focus on sales until the market ripens.

3

Sci/Tech

Pakistan minister poised to become PM after by-election wins (AFP) AFP - The way was clear for Pakistan's Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to become prime minister after unofficial results showed he had secured a seat in parliament's lower house by winning two by-elections.

0

World

Israeli PM defies party rebellion Israel's Ariel Sharon says he will push ahead with plans for Gaza disengagement, despite a rebuke from his Likud party.

0

World

Google Overcomes Regulatory, Marketing Gaffes to Do IPO Its Way Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The founders of Google Inc. did it their way, and then they paid the price. Sergey Brin, 30, and Larry Page, 31, completed an initial public offering of the largest Internet search firm yesterday using an unorthodox Dutch auction ...

2

Business

Logan may benefit from fewer O #39;Hare flights WASHINGTON -- Flight reductions by 16 major airlines serving O #39;Hare International Airport -- the result of two weeks of talks with the Transportation Department to alleviate traffic at the ...

2

Business

More Mars secrets uncovered The hills of Mars have yielded fresh clues about how water shaped the Red Planet. Scientists at NASA #39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, revealed that the robotic explorers Spirit and Opportunity each made discoveries which indicate that water has ...

3

Sci/Tech

Sprint stars create new Greek tragedy ATHENS, Greece -- It was just after 8 am Wednesday, and across the street from the downtown Hilton, hundreds of media waited for the ultimate Greek tragedy to reach its sad conclusion.

1

Sports

American fouls out OLYMPIA, Greece - When this whole Olympic thing started, the winner of its single event, a 210-yard sprint, would have his name used to identify the Games rather than the year. For instance, 776 BC was the Coroibos Games because ...

1

Sports

England 3, Ukraine 0 David Beckham and Michael Owen went about making their peace with England #39;s deflated supporters last night with a goal apiece to help launch England to victory against Ukraine.

1

Sports

Singh has put PGA to rest AKRON -- As the \$7 million NEC Invitational begins today on Firestone County Club #39;s South Course, there is bad news for the 75 players in the field who aren #39;t Vijay Singh.

1

Sports

Buses defy rebel blockade of Nepal #39;s capital KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - A heavily guarded convoy of six buses snaked its way out of Nepal #39;s capital Thursday, the first vehicles to defy Maoist rebels who blockaded Katmandu this week with threats alone and without setting up a single roadblock.

0

World

Australian Foreign Minister Upbeat on North Korea Nuclear Talks Australia #39;s foreign minister says North Korea shows few signs of compromise but insists a negotiated settlement can still resolve the dispute over Pyongyang #39;s nuclear weapons.

0

World

Typhoon Megi kills 12 TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Heavy rain from typhoon Megi has lashed South Korea and Japan, prompting the evacuation of some 3,000 people and leaving at least 12 dead. Some 165 Japanese children were trapped at a nature centre.

0

World

Baghdad bombs still haunt UN GENEVAUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday met survivors and families of the 22 workers killed in a suicide bombing that shattered United Nations offices in Baghdad last year an attack many employees refer to as quot;our Sept. 11. quot; ...

0

World

Virtual gaming worlds overtake Namibia Inhabitants of virtual worlds are giving the games they play real economic power, a study has found.

3

Sci/Tech

Kerry Blames Rising Health Costs for Job Losses (Reuters) Reuters - Democrat John Kerry, citing a newly\commissioned study, said on Thursday that rising health care\expenses have cost American jobs and President Bush has done\nothing to solve the problem.

0

World

Bankrupt Commerce One Patents Fetch \$15.5M Bankrupt Internet software maker Commerce One Inc. auctioned off dozens of prized online patents for \$15.5 million in a sale that could provoke a legal scuffle over whether the new owner is entitled to collect royalties from a long list of technology heavyweights.

3

Sci/Tech

Amazon.com Experiences Sporadic Outage Some customers had trouble reaching Amazon.com's Web site on Monday in what analysts described as probable technical difficulties for the world's largest online retailer during the crucial holiday selling season.

3

Sci/Tech

EU backs Lamy for trade position The European Commission is backing its former trade commissioner Pascal Lamy to become the next head of the World Trade Organisation.

2

Business

Tokyo Stocks Close Up for Third Day (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese shares rose for a third straight\day on Thursday, advancing over one percent as a rally on Wall\Street encouraged buying of technology issues such as Toshiba\Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical

2

Business

Tokyo Stocks Close Up for Third Day TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese shares rose for a third straight day on Thursday, advancing over one percent as a rally on Wall Street encouraged buying of technology issues such as Toshiba Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical

2

Business

Lindows Postpones IPO (PC World) PC World - Its legal battles over, the software vendor will focus on sales until the market ripens.

3

Sci/Tech

Israel's Top Court Upholds Dropping of Sharon Case (Reuters) Reuters - Israel's High Court said on Thursday\it was upholding a decision by the country's attorney-general\to drop a bribery case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

0

World

Israel's Top Court Upholds Dropping of Sharon Case JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's High Court said on Thursday it was upholding a decision by the country's attorney-general to drop a bribery case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

0

World

New Fingerprint Scans Expand to Borders Foreigners entering the United States zipped through the lines at the main port here and several other locations in Arizona and California as a new digital screening program went into effect.

3

Sci/Tech

Clashes Erupt in Najaf Despite Peace Plan NAJAF, Iraq - Sporadic gunfire and explosions boomed through Najaf on Thursday despite a peace deal in which radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr agreed to disarm his militiamen and pull them out of a revered Shiite shrine they've been taking refuge in. As clashes in Najaf continued, Arab television station Al-Jazeera aired a video Thursday showing a militant group that called itself the Martyrs Brigade vowing to kill a missing Western journalist if U.S...

0

World

Debit Cards Give Plastic Edge Over Paper 2003 was the first time plastic and other electronic payment methods beat out checks, according to a survey released yesterday by the Federal Reserve.

3

Sci/Tech

More Web Shopping Is What's in Store The retail sector overall may be reporting a sluggish start to the season, but holiday shoppers are scooping up tech goods at a brisk pace -- and they're scouring the Web for bargains more than ever. -washingtonpost.com

3

Sci/Tech

NY Atty General Spitzer to Run for Gov. NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will announce on Tuesday he will run for governor of the state in 2006, a spokeswoman said.

2

Business

Treasury Prices Falter Before Auctions NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasuries faltered on Tuesday after a blistering two-session rally ran out of steam, though analysts still saw room to the upside given the large short-base in the market.

2

Business

Dollar Awaits Data, Yen Down from Peak LONDON (Reuters) - The yen held close to the previous session's four-week high against the dollar on Thursday while the dollar held steady on the euro as investors awaited U.S. labor and manufacturing data due later. The Japanese currency rose to a high of 109.28 per dollar late on Wednesday, as cross currents in the market, mainly from a steep sterling fall, forced yen sellers to buy the Japanese currency back, pushing it higher against the dollar.

2

Business

Maoist rebel blockade begins to pinch Nepal capital (Reuters) Reuters - Maoist rebels kept vehicles off roads leading to Nepal's capital for a second day on Thursday and residents said fuel was being rationed and food prices had begun to rise.

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World

China Bans Video Game for Breach of Sovereignty BEIJING (Reuters) - China, sensitive about issues of national sovereignty, has banned a computer sports game that classifies Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet as countries and has threatened to fine Web sites that supply the game and net cafes that let patrons download it.

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Sci/Tech

After Wait, Google Set for Market Debut NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. will make their Nasdaq stock market debut on Thursday after the year #39;s most anticipated initial public offering priced far below initial estimates, raising \$1.67 billion.

2

Business

Qantas posts record annual profit SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Qantas profits soared to a record 648.8 million Australian dollars (US\$463.8 million, euro 376 million) in the past fiscal year, thanks to rising passenger numbers despite fears of Iraq war-related terrorism and the aftermath of ...

2

Business

Pentagon backs off threat to withhold Halliburton fees WASHINGTON - The Army has abruptly reversed itself and decided to pay all of Halliburton Co. #39;s fees to house and feed US troops in Iraq and Kuwait after the company threatened to legally challenge the effort to penalize it.

2

Business

A Long Goodbye at Equifax Give them credit, they #39;re starting the CEO search with plenty of lead time. Early in the day on Aug. 18, Thomas F. Chapman, chairman and CEO of Equifax, stated his intention to retire sometime in late 2005, according to a company statement. While such an ...

2

Business

Real slashes Music Prices RealNetworks has slashed the price for downloading music taking the online music market competition a step further.

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Sci/Tech

Texas Firm Targets Teens With Package Of Digital Features Teenagers tend to like instant messaging, TV watching, net surfing, music listening, and shopping, so an Austin, Texas, company has decided to package digital features coveted by teenagers in a PC targeted specifically at teenaged ...

3

Sci/Tech

Hamm gold by a sliver ATHENS - Paul Hamm feared he had blown a shot for a medal when he stumbled at the end of his performance in the vault, his fourth event in the six-event men #39;s individual all-around final. But the freckle-faced gymnast from Wisconsin ...

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Sports

Hamilton Wins Olympic Time Trial Tyler Hamilton (United States) is the Olympic time trial champion. The man from Marblehead, who crashed out of the 2004 Tour de France, rode away his disappointment by drawing away from defending champion Vyatcheslav Ekimov (Russia) in ...

1

Sports

Singh closes in on Tiger AKRON, Ohio - Having closed the gap to a mere one-tenth of a point, Vijay Singh needs only to finish ahead of Tiger Woods at the NEC Invitational, starting today, to end Woods #39; record run as the No. 1-ranked player in the world.

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Sports

Hewitt drives home his return point WASHINGTON - It #39;s night, under the lights at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, and No. 2 seed Lleyton Hewitt is still wearing his white cap backward, the bill of it running down the back of his sweating neck.

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Sports

Wright-Phillips left wanting more Shaun Wright-Phillips has set his sights on being picked for England #39;s World Cup qualifiers after scoring on a scintillating debut for his country.

1

Sports

US wings it in Caribbean For the bulk of the 89 minutes that the US National Team went without a goal against an inspired Jamaican side, chances were created -- some of the golden opportunity nature -- but none were converted. And it nearly put the Americans behind the proverbial ...

1

Sports

Poles killed after Iraq ambush WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Two Polish troops have been killed and five injured when their vehicles crashed as they were trying to escape an ambush in the central Iraqi city of Hillah, a military spokesman said.

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World

Terror suspect killed during interrogation in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A Pakistani religious leader, allegedly linked with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, has died here in police custody, local media reported Thursday.

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World

Italy in Hot Seat on Possible Misreporting (AP) AP - The European Union head office said Tuesday it had concerns over Italian budget deficit figures, only a week after Greece was challenged over alleged sloppy bookkeeping and possible underreporting of deficit figures.

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World

Virgin plans China mobile service Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson says the firm is in talks with a Chinese company over starting a mobile phone service in mainland China.

3

Sci/Tech

Is IBM PC sell off preparation for a Power chip attack? Opinion A chip on the shoulder?

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Sci/Tech

Leadtek WinFast PX6600TD GeForce 6600 card Review Mid-range features, performance for under 100?

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Sci/Tech

Massive game advertising startup to aid desperate brands Analysis Product placement in computer and console games

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Sci/Tech

Dollar Awaits Data, Yen Down from Peak LONDON (Reuters) - The yen held close to the previous session's four-week high against the dollar on Thursday while the dollar held steady on the euro as investors awaited U.S. labor and manufacturing data due later.

2

Business

Giddens earns US silver in kayaking Rebecca Giddens made a final charge that nearly landed her a gold medal, but in the end the American settled for silver in yesterday's kayaking single slalom.

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Sports

Estrada gets in some light work Jason Estrada had the perfect opponent last night. An inexperienced one. The Pan Am Games gold medalist had not fought in two months because of a thumb injury and a case of plantar fasciitis that curtailed both his training and his aerobic workouts, and that layoff had his coaches concerned. Unable to run until recently, the Providence, R.I., ...

1

Sports

Withdrawal for Greek sprinters Two of Greece's most famous athletes and their coach made their first public appearance here yesterday only to withdraw from the Olympic Games rather than face a panel charged with looking into a possible doping violation.

1

Sports

Rhode targets a final gold for US Kim Rhode earned the United States a gold medal in double trap shooting yesterday, staking a unique claim as the first and last winner of the Olympic event.

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Sports

Transactions BASEBALL Arizona (NL): Placed C Koyie Hill on the 15-day DL; purchased contract of C Chris Snyder from El Paso (Texas League). Baltimore (AL): Placed OF Larry Bigbie and 2B-OF Jerry Hairston on the 15-day DL; recalled OF Darnell McDonald from Ottawa (IL); purchased contract of OF Val Majewski from Bowie (EL). Houston (NL): Placed P Andy Pettitte on the ...

1

Sports

Silver lining melts foul mood US shot-putter Adam Nelson stood outside the throwing circle, his hands on the back of his head, his hopes just dashed by a foul on a throw that would have won the gold medal.

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Sports

Pair of US squads advance to finals By just two ticks of the clock yesterday morning, the US rowing team squeezed two entries into this weekend's Olympic finals on an otherwise empty day.

1

Sports

Dominicans shock US women In an early morning match before a handful of fans, the US women's volleyball team, ranked first in the world, lost to the Dominican Republic, 26-24, 22-25, 27-25, 23-25, 19-17. The US had not lost to the Dominicans, ranked 13th, since 1999 and did not try to dress up one of the biggest upsets of the Games, a loss arguably ...

1

Sports

Israeli Court Upholds Decision on Sharon (AP) AP - Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the attorney general's decision to clear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a corruption case, Israel Radio reported.

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World

US denies Ukraine interference US Secretary of State Colin Powell rejects Russian claims that the West wants more influence in Ukraine.

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World

Octopus Doesn't Give Up on Motherhood (AP) AP - It was a May-December romance that really had legs: Young Aurora, a female giant octopus and her aging cephalopod suitor J-1 were thrown together for a blind date seven months ago by aquarists who hoped the two would mate.

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Sci/Tech

Karzai Sworn in as Afghanistan President KABUL (Reuters) - Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president Tuesday, promising to bring peace to the war-torn nation and end the economy's dependence on narcotics.

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World

Megawati's party seals deal with Golkar to dominate Indonesia's parliament (AFP) AFP - President Megawati Sukarnoputri forged a pact with Indonesia's largest political group Golkar to form a bloc that will dominate parliament but is seen as unlikely to ensure her reelection.

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World

Lenovo May Be in Acquisition Talks With IBM (AP) AP - China's biggest computer maker said Tuesday it is in acquisition talks with a major international technology company, a disclosure which comes amid reports it might buy IBM Corp.'s personal computer business.

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Sci/Tech

Merger may axe Fleet jobs BOSTON -- Although published reports yesterday claimed that Bank of America Corp. plans to layoff hundreds of employees at Fleet Banks throughout Massachusetts, Fall River area branches had not received official word by closing time Wednesday, according ...

2

Business

JJB Shares Drop: Profit May Be 20 Less Than Forecast (Update2) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of JJB Sports Plc, Britain #39;s largest sporting-goods retailer, had their biggest decline in at least two years after the company said profit this fiscal year may be about 20 percent less than forecast amid declining sales.

2

Business

Workplace beware THE LABOR Department #39;s trumpeting of its new regulations governing overtime, which go into effect next week, sounds a little tinny.

2

Business

Saturn in Red This Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera view shows a half-lit Saturn, with two dark storms rolling through its southern hemisphere. The image was taken in visible red light on July 19, 2004, at a distance of 6.2 million kilometers (3.9 million miles) ...

3

Sci/Tech

Microsoft rolls out fresh Windows XP 64 beta WHILE MICROSOFT and AMD are suggesting it will be well into next year before the final version of WinXP 64 is released, yesterday it started offering a fresh preview edition of its up-and-coming software which now supports both Intel and AMD 64-bit ...

3

Sci/Tech

Athletes positive coach is to blame ATHENS - They weren #39;t our own tarnished heroes this time, they were bad actors in an overwritten Greek tragedy. But outside the Athens Hilton yesterday morning off the downtown boulevard called Vasillias Sofia, the scene was all too familiar. So were the ...

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Sports

Nelson #39;s day left in ruins He was leading a procession of Olympic shot-putters, thick-bodied, thick-necked men who were about to enter a dirt-floored den of antiquity, and be immersed in history that was as palpable as the crumbling columns and fading marble slabs.

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Sports

Pedal to the medals Vouliagmeni, Greece - The second-fastest move Tyler Hamilton made Wednesday was hopping off the gold-medal platform and running - hobbling, really - to his wife, Haven.

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Sports

Tennis: Australia #39;s Hewitt reaches quarter-finals at Washington tennis WASHINGTON : Lleyton Hewitt further polished his form on hardcourt with the US Open drawing near, earning a 6-3, 6-2 second-round win against Colombian Alejandro Falla at the 500,000-dollar Washington Open.

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Sports

Sharon presses on with Gaza plan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to press ahead with his Gaza pullout plan despite a humiliating rebuff from his own party of his bid to forge a coalition with the pro-withdrawal Labour Party.

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World

Maoist Rebel Blockade Begins to Pinch Nepal Capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Maoist rebels kept vehicles off roads leading to Nepal #39;s capital for a second day on Thursday and residents said fuel was being rationed and food prices had begun to rise.

0

World

One dead, four missing as Typhoon Megi hits S.Korea SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- One died and four others went missing as Typhoon Megi hit South Korea #39;s southern provinces with strong winds and heavy rains, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.

0

World

First Look: MusicMatch Jukebox's Impressive Version 10 (PC World) PC World - Free software helps organize large music collections.

3

Sci/Tech

In Brief: Sleepycat releases Berkeley DB XML 2.0 (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Sleepycat Software this week announced the general availability of Berkeley DB XML 2.0, a major upgrade to its open source database for telecommunication infrastructure and enterprise data centers. This release adds support for XQuery 1.0, an emerging standard for XML data access, as well as improvements in performance and usability. Other enhancements include support for XPath 2.0, which allows the selection of a portion of an XML document, and support for the PHP API, which enables developers using the PHP scripting languages to work with XML documents.

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Sci/Tech

Garrison Gets New Contract; King Retires (AP) AP - Zina Garrison was given a one-year contract to stay on as U.S. Fed Cup captain, while Billie Jean King retired Tuesday as a coach for the team.

1

Sports

Netanyahu backs Sharon #39;s plan for coalition with Labor Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his support Tuesday to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on his plan to invite the Labor Party into a unity government, Ha #39;aretz reported, citing an aide of Sharon.

0

World

Weightlifters Test Positive for Drugs Before Games ATHENS (Reuters) - Five weightlifters tested positive for drugs before the Athens Olympics and were banned from the Games.

1

Sports

Internet patents sold at S.F. auction (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - A group called JGR Acquisition made the winning, #36;15.5 million bid Monday for a batch of obscure but potentially important patents covering technologies for Internet business transactions.

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Sci/Tech

Tributes paid to Belgium #39;s #39;magic #39; football coach The Belgian press paid tribute to Raymond Goethals on Tuesday, describing him as the magician and looking back on his teams many victories.

1

Sports

Williams #39;Hungary #39; for success British heavyweight hope Danny Williams believes the key to beating WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and becoming the heavyweight champion of the world in Las Vegas on December 11 is his hunger and desire to succeed.

1

Sports

'E-Junk' Recycling Still in Its Infancy (AP) AP - When Office Depot, Inc. stores ran an electronics recycling drive last summer that accepted everything from cell phones to televisions, some stores were overwhelmed by the amount of e-trash they received.

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Sci/Tech

IBM triples transistor performance with germanium IBM has successfully demonstrated a new technique for improving transistor performance that will help the company build smaller, more powerful chips in the next decade, company researchers said yesterday.

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Sci/Tech

Outsourcing growth predicted at 5.9 a year IT job exports are forecast to increase by a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 between 2002 and the end of 2004, said Frost amp; Sullivan.

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Sci/Tech

AMD to switch on better Opteron power management Computers with AMD #39;s Opteron processor will soon be able to take advantage of the same power management technology the company has already built into its laptop and desktop microchips.

3

Sci/Tech

Update 1: Toshiba, Memory-Tech Develop New DVD Two Japanese companies said Tuesday they have developed a DVD that can play on both existing machines and the upcoming high-definition players, raising hopes for a smooth transition as more people dump old TV sets for better screens.

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Sci/Tech

Putin Opines on Iraq Election Date (AP) AP - President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday he could not imagine how Iraqi elections scheduled for Jan. 30 could be held under current conditions.

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World

U.S. Crude Sets New Record: \$47.52/Barrel LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. crude prices rose to another new record on Thursday, rising 25 cents to \$47.52 a barrel on evidence that high prices are not hurting world oil demand growth.

2

Business

UK mortgage lending breaks record Home loan borrowing continued to surge in July, the Council of Mortgage Lenders says.

2

Business

Google IPO priced at \$85 a share NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -- Internet search engine Google has announced it will go public at \$85 a share, paving the way for the widely awaited but troubled stock offering to finally stumble to market on Thursday.

2

Business

After the IPO, Google may need to invest in itself SAN FRANCISCO Google #39;s star-crossed stock offering is making high-tech history. But will its cash windfall help make it a permanent part of Silicon Valley lore despite mounting competition and a tepid market? ...

2

Business

Microsoft tries to clear confusion over SP2 A week after releasing Windows XP Service Pack 2 to enterprises, Microsoft is trying to quell confusion over an apparent security flaw and applications that won #39;t work without adjustments.

3

Sci/Tech

Microsoft Unveils 64-Bit Windows Beta Microsoft has made available the latest builds of its 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, which each features a handful of new improvements including the Luna user interface, Windows Messenger, Windows Media ...

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Sci/Tech