SetFit/ag_news · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Nesterenko Takes Gold Yuliya Nesterenko ends two decades of American dominance in the 100 meters with a closing surge to catch Lauryn Williams.	1	Sports
Stocks Look to Nudge Higher; Oil Dips NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked to open a touch higher on Tuesday, with Wall Street welcoming a slip in oil prices and a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">GDT.N</A> by Johnson Johnson <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">JNJ.N</A>.	2	Business
Hungarian Socialists choose alternatives as new prime minister (AFP) AFP - Hungary's ruling Socialist Party approved two alternative candidates to replace outgoing prime minister Peter Medgyessy who resigned after a row with his liberal coalition partners.	0	World
Officials Forecast Hope for Victims of Hurricane State officials say the statewide slowdown caused by Hurricane Charley, with estimated losses of \$20 billion, will probably last no more than a month or two.	2	Business
Mixed response to truckers strike NEW DELHI, Aug. 21. - The indefinite nationwide strike by truck operators against imposition of service tax evoked a mixed response on the first day of the stir today even as government appeared unwilling	2	Business
Saturday Night #39;s Alright for Blighty Matthew Pinsents coxless four team, sailor Ben Ainslie and cyclist Bradley Wiggins all struck gold on a day to remember for Team GB at the Olympics in Athens.	1	Sports
Sudan: confident in convincing the UN Security Council of progress <b>...</b> Sudan #39;s foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael stressed yesterday that his country #39;s government is confident it will convince the UN Security Council of the progress it had attained in Darfur.	0	World
Bomb attack on Hasina Over a dozen people were killed and nearly 300 injured in a bomb and grenade attack on a public rally in the heart of the city that was being addressed by Awami League leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.	0	World
Airways pilots extend talks Pilots for US Airways are continuing to negotiate this weekend over the Arlington airline #39;s demand for a 16.5 percent pay cut, despite a warning from management that negotiations should have concluded yesterday.	2	Business
Viacom panel to look at video-game arena NEW YORK -- Given that its chairman owns a large stake of a video-game company, media giant Viacom Inc. has appointed a three-person committee to evaluate dealings in the video-game arena and protect against potential conflicts of interest.	2	Business
Microsoft Sends XP SP2 Home Microsoft this week began distributing its latest update to the Windows XP operating system to home users through its Automatic Updates feature.	3	Sci/Tech
Mars Rover Sniffs Out Signs of Water After a tedious crawl across the desert floor and a slow, energy-strapped hike up hills, the Mars rover Spirit has finally rewarded scientists with tantalizing	3	Sci/Tech
Online retail sales continue to surge Online retail sales continue to show significant growth, according to the latest figures released by the US Department of Commerce.	3	Sci/Tech
Bekele keeps 10,000m gold in Ethiopia Kenenisa Bekele used a breathtaking final 400 meters late Friday to claim the Olympic 10,000-meter throne previously occupied by his Ethiopian countryman, Haile Gebrselassie.	1	Sports
Hewitt Survives Saulnier; Agassi Rolls Past Mathieu After sweeping through his first two opponents, Lleyton Hewitt finally found a challenge at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. And it almost took the No.	1	Sports
Greece 88, Angola 56 Greece avoided any suspense about whether it would advance by taking an 18-point halftime lead on the way to an 88-56 victory over Angola on Saturday night.	1	Sports
Nesterenko Wins Sprint Gold for Belarus Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus sped to an unexpected victory in the women #39;s 100 meter final at the Athens Olympics Saturday. The high-striding Belarussian clocked 10.	1	Sports
Clean sweep by England LONDON, Aug. 21. - England beat the West Indies by 10 wickets on the third day of the fourth and final Test at the Oval, here today giving them a 4-0 sweep.	1	Sports
Blast outside Bangladesh opposition HQ kills 6 DHAKA - At least six people were killed and more than 200 injured in a series of bomb blasts at a meeting of the main opposition Awami League in the capital on Saturday, witnesses and news reports said.	0	World
Veteran Backs Kerry on Silver Star Account (AP) AP - A Chicago Tribune editor who was on the Vietnam mission for which John Kerry received the Silver Star is backing up Kerry's account of the incident.	0	World
Olympic Basketball: Lithuania Guard Shoots Down U.S. ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men's basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.	1	Sports
Absent Phelps Gets Eighth Medal ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps got his eighth medal at the Athens Olympics Saturday without even getting wet when the United States broke the world record in the men's 4x100 meters medley relay.	1	Sports
Murder victim 'missed her stop' A 22-year-old French woman was killed while walking home after missing her bus stop, police believe.	0	World
Battle on Secret Evidence in Jackson Case SANTA MARIA, Calif. - In a high-stakes drama of legal gamesmanship, prosecutors and defense lawyers in the Michael Jackson child molestation case are battling over still-secret evidence that might make or break the case against the pop star...	0	World
Bush Pressing Case for 'Ownership Society' WASHINGTON - Amid signs that the economy is cooling, President Bush is showcasing initiatives for a second term under the banner of an "ownership society" in hopes of bolstering his economic stewardship credentials. His platform includes initiatives to help people buy homes, start businesses, hone job skills and set up tax-free retirement and health care accounts - plus a still unspecified tax-code overhaul...	0	World
Dream Team Loses Again, but Still Advances ATHENS, Greece - The U.S. men's basketball team endured another brutal loss...	0	World
Open Source, Performance, and Innovation \\At work we're mostly an OSS shop. Partly because I have a strong bias towards\OSS but cost, reliability, security, etc are all leading factors.\\For the last several months now I've been in an interesting position to prove\the benefits of OSS in a real-world environment.\\We've had to extend a number of OSS tools to fit into our production\environment. These are significant additions and non-trivial.\\Open Source allows you to STAND on the shoulders of gods. For example we've\been having a problem with the Jakarta DBCP connection pool. It was running\out of connections in highly threaded environments and is slow. Certainly\slower than would be necessary.\\Long story short. Last night ...\\	3	Sci/Tech
Audit Confirms Chvez Victory in Recall An audit of Venezuela #39;s recall referendum has confirmed that President Hugo Chvez won fairly and found no evidence to support fraud charges, observers and electoral council officials said Saturday.	2	Business
Governor Promises Help Reopening Schools Affected By Charley One week after Hurricane Charley chewed a path from Punta Gorda to Daytona Beach, Gov. Jeb Bush promises to to use state resources to help schools damaged or destroyed by the storm to reopen quickly.	2	Business
India #39;s 3 Million Truckers Strike Over Planned Tax Increase India #39;s three million truck drivers started a strike today to protest a planned tax on cargo transportation by road, prompting local units of Honda Motor Co.	2	Business
Boom! Big kickoff for #39;Madden 2005 #39; EA #39;s newest version of top title sells 1.3 million copies in first week, holding off competition. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc.	3	Sci/Tech
Disposable Digital Camera Debuts At 1,000 CVS Pharmacies Digital disposable cameras are debuting in about 1,000 CVS stores across the nation, the retail chain said Thursday. The one-time-use cameras, which feature a color preview screen, have 25 pictures and are priced at \$19.	3	Sci/Tech
Cink holds lead at NEC Invitational Stewart Cink leads the NEC Invitational World Golf Championships as he nears the end of the third round. Cink is 10 under after 16 holes, just two shots clear of David Toms, eight under after 17 holes.	1	Sports
Explosions at Protest Rally in Bangladesh Kill 9 Several explosions ripped through a Bangladeshi opposition party rally here on Saturday, killing at least 9 people and wounding as	0	World
Sudan #39;s quest for peace Conflict seems to have become a way of life for Sudan that has struggled to find peace and stability since its independence in 1956.	0	World
Peres facing attack from Labor MKs over continued talks with Likud Labor Party Chair Shimon Peres is facing growing opposition from his party over his decision to continue coalition talks with Likud despite the Likud convention #39;s resolution last week against bringing Labor into the government.	0	World
Up to seven killed in Chechnya shootout: report (AFP) AFP - Up to seven people were killed in an attack on a police station in Grozny, the capital of the Russian breakaway republic of Chechnya, a report quoting officials said.	0	World
Jasikevicius makes most of second chance to stun US NBA stars (AFP) AFP - Lithuanian sharpshooter Sarunas Jasikevicius, snubbed by the National Basketball Association, made the most of his second chance to deliver a dagger into the hearts of a United States Olympic team of NBA talent.	1	Sports
Fleisher Takes Lead at Hickory Classic (AP) AP - Bruce Fleisher parlayed eight birdies into a tournament-low 65 Saturday and cruised to a 3-shot lead after the second round of the Greater Hickory Classic.	1	Sports
Olympic Basketball: United States Stunned Again ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men's basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.	1	Sports
U.S. Forces Keep Sh'ite Militants Guessing NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces appeared to keep Sh'ite militants guessing in the city of Najaf overnight, firing off sporadic rounds as a military aircraft flew overhead.	0	World
Chile Asks Pinochet to Explain \$8 Million US Bank Accounts Chile #39;s former dictator Augusto Pinochet reportedly is the target of an investigation in his homeland probing up US bank accounts controlled by the ex-president.	2	Business
Solar power bill supported Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday threw his support behind a bill to dramatically increase the number of California homes using solar power, reviving a legislative effort that seemed all but dead last week.	2	Business
World marks go in the pool ATHENS - The Australian women and American men ended the swimming competition at the Athens 2004 Olympics Games in style Saturday, both breaking world records in the 4x100 meter medley relays.	1	Sports
Dolphins on verge of trading Ogunleye to Bears The Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade defensive end Adewale Ogunleye to the Chicago Bears for wide receiver Marty Booker and a 2005 third-round pick, if agent Drew Rosenhaus can work out a new contract for Ogunleye by 7 pm Saturday, according to a	1	Sports
Najaf Fighting Flares; Sadr Forces Hold Shrine Description: US forces clash again in Najaf with fighters loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Efforts by the Iraqi government to reach a disarmament deal with Sadr are at an impasse, and his forces continue to hold the Imam Ali shrine.	0	World
Police killed in pre-poll Chechnya attacks -agency Gunmen attacked a police station and voting centres in Russia #39;s war-torn Chechnya, killing at least 11 people, Interfax news agency said on Saturday.	0	World
Nesterenko Speeds to Win in Women's 100-Meter Final ATHENS (Reuters) - Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus sped to an unexpected victory in the women's 100 meter final at the Athens Olympics Saturday.	1	Sports
Graphic Designer Fired After Heckling Bush CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A man who heckled President Bush at a political rally was fired from his job at an advertising and design company for offending a client who provided tickets to the event...	0	World
Also from this section Innovative Solutions quot;, promises the Riggs Bank slogan emblazoned across the home page of its website. quot;For over 165 years we #39;ve been developing innovative, custom-tailored solutions to improve the lives of our customers.	2	Business
Two golds again in new judging debacle? Not this time A grand judging goof at the Athens Olympics cheapened American gymnast Paul Hamm #39;s historic gold and gave South Korea another good reason to cry robbery at the games.	1	Sports
British sport #39;s new superhero revives the Olympic spirit Matthew Pinsent was hailed as the new superman of British sport yesterday, after winning gold at his fourth consecutive Olympic Games.	1	Sports
Malaysia testing 3 people for bird flu; says outbreak isolated Malaysian officials on Saturday were testing three people who fell ill in a village hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, after international health officials warned that the virus appeared to be entrenched in parts of	0	World
Kroger's Profit Climbs, Misses Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - Kroger Co. , the top U.S.\grocer, on Tuesday said quarterly profit rose 29 percent as it\kept a tight rein on expenses and sales rebounded.	2	Business
Blasts Shake Najaf as U.S. Planes Attack Rebels NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Strong blasts were heard in the besieged city of Najaf early Sunday as U.S. military planes unleashed cannon and howitzer fire and a heavy firefight erupted.	0	World
Ramirez, Red Sox Batter White Sox Manny Ramirez homered and drove in five runs as the Red Sox earned their fifth straight victory.	1	Sports
Somalia to get new parliament Somalia's first parliament for 13 years is expected to be sworn in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Sunday.	0	World
Audit of Venezuelan vote confirms Chavez victory CARACAS, VENEZUELA - An audit of ballots from 150 voting stations has confirmed that President Hugo Chavez won last week #39;s recall referendum, reported the Organization of American States Saturday.	2	Business
Beware! Bugs can attack Net phones THEY are becoming increasingly popular because they are cheap. However, before you rush off to buy an Internet phone or Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, you should know that they are	3	Sci/Tech
Stunt pilots to hook falling stardust sample A piece of the Sun is set to fall to Earth and be captured by Hollywood stunt pilots in a tricky mid-air manoeuvre, NASA announced on Thursday.	3	Sci/Tech
World record in sights of 100-meter field quot;We #39;re going to have a party, quot; Maurice Greene said Saturday, looking forward to Sunday #39;s final in the Olympic men #39;s 100-meter dash.	1	Sports
Hewitt calls on fighting spirit SECOND-seed Lleyton Hewitt needed all of his famed tenacity to overcome feisty Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) and reach the semi-finals of the Washington Open.	1	Sports
Deng #39;s name used to pressure Jiang THE 100th birth anniversary of China #39;s late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, which falls today, has been used by influential party elders to put pressure on former president Jiang Zemin to fully relinquish authority to his successor Hu Jintao.	0	World
US Boxer Dirrell Powers Into Quarters Ron Siler had just taken a beating, and now it seemed like the whole US boxing team was down for the count. Fighters weren #39;t following directions, medal hopes were slipping	1	Sports
False report of Swedish king's assassination on faked BBC website (AFP) AFP - Hoaxers imitated the BBC news website on the Internet, including a fake announcement that King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden had been assassinated in Athens while attending the Olympic Games, according to reports.	0	World
Treasury Prices Take a Breather Today (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury prices paused for breath\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
Cink Takes Commanding Lead Over Woods at NEC AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Stewart Cink was on the verge of his fourth career win after shooting a two-under-par 68 for a five-shot lead in the third round of the \$7 million NEC Invitational Saturday.	1	Sports
Four Immigrants Die Trying to Reach Spanish Shore MADRID (Reuters) - Four sub-Saharan Africans trying to immigrate illegally drowned 20 feet from shore Saturday at the same Spanish beach where 33 would-be immigrants died last week, state radio said.	0	World
Unfriendly airline grounds its pension plans Fly the friendly skies may be United Airlines slogan. But employees of Americas largest carrier wont be so convinced this weekend, on the heels of it filing court documents saying it is likely to scrap its pension plans.	2	Business
US Airways Chairman: Liquidation Possible US Airways Group Inc. #39;s (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) chairman said employees must agree to \$800 million in new wage and benefit cuts within 30 days or the airline might be liquidated, the New York Times said on Thursday, citing	2	Business
HBOS in talks to fund 8bn Abbey bid HBOS is said to be in talks with potential financial backers over how to fund an 8bn takeover bid for Abbey National in a move to break up a takeover plan from Spain #39;s Banco Santander Central Hispano.	2	Business
Update 4: Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works their users swap online.	3	Sci/Tech
Google Goes Public at \$85/share adpowers writes quot;It is official. Google will have its IPO debut at \$85 per share. To quote the article, #39;At that price, the low end of its recently revised range, Google raised \$1.	3	Sci/Tech
High-Speed Internet Shouldn #39;t Be Delayed Back in the go-go days of the tech boom, there was a lot of talk about fast Internet connections enabling consumers to do all manner of useful and fun things, from online banking to viewing movies online.	3	Sci/Tech
Hidayat fulfills potential with badminton gold ATHENS: Taufik Hidayat couldnt stop the tears after winning Indonesias first gold medal of the Athens Olympics. The unheralded Hidayat won the mens badminton title Saturday, beating seventh-seeded	1	Sports
Bush's Nephew Rips Armed Border Guards (AP) AP - President Bush's nephew, campaigning for overseas votes in Mexico on Saturday, called the federal policy of arming U.S. Border Patrol agents with plastic pellet guns "reprehensible."	0	World
U.S. Launches Fresh Assault on Sadr Forces in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday after talks on transferring control of the mosque at the center of a two-week siege ran into difficulties.	0	World
'Tax super-rich at 50' proposal Hit the super-rich with a 50 inheritance tax and allow cuts for the middle class, says a leading think tank.	0	World
Shiites Hold Najaf Shrine; Clashes Flare NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday, raising fears that a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders. An unofficial mediator pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...	0	World
Spectator Phelps' 8th Medal Ties Record ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps won another gold medal, this time wearing khaki shorts and flip-flops. From a front-row seat at the Olympic pool, Phelps watched his teammates do all the work in the 400-meter medley relay Saturday night...	0	World
Dream Team Loses Again, but Still Advances ATHENS, Greece - The United States men's basketball team endured another brutal loss Saturday night. But because Angola is playing even worse than the Americans, the Dream Team is in the quarterfinals of the Athens Games...	0	World
Woman Chows 38 Lobsters in Eating Contest KENNEBUNK, Maine - America's top speed-eater wolfed down 38 lobsters in 12 minutes Saturday to win the World Lobster Eating Contest. Sonya Thomas, of Alexandria, Va., won \$500 and a trophy belt for her efforts, consuming 9.76 pounds of lobster meat...	0	World
US Airways asks pilots for 16.5 cut in pay Struggling US Airways (UAIR) has asked its pilots to accept a 16.5 pay cut while giving them the chance to recoup some of the money by flying more.	2	Business
Competition probe would see Santander turn its back on Abbey Banco Santander would walk away from its 8.2bn offer for Abbey National, the mortgage bank, if a rival bid from one or more UK banks led to a lengthy investigation by the competition authorities.	2	Business
Google Shares Gain in Market Debut Shares of Google Inc. made their market debut on Thursday and quickly traded up 19 percent at \$101.28. The Web search company #39;s initial public offering priced at \$85	3	Sci/Tech
Springboks beat Australia in tr-nations rugby South Africa has defeated Australia in the final match of the rugby Tri Nations series. Africa correspondent Sally Sara reports, the Springboks won 23 to 19 in front of a home crowd in Durban.	1	Sports
Johnson probably out for season with broken cheekbone Montreal Expos first baseman Nick Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a broken right cheekbone and is probably out for the rest of the season.	1	Sports
Moore versus List in US Amateur final Mamaroneck, NY (Sports Network) - Ryan Moore, the medalist in stroke play, dispatched Jeff Overton, 3 amp; 2 in one of Saturday #39;s semifinal matches to reach Sunday #39;s 36-hole final at the US Amateur Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club.	1	Sports
Praying for Sistani #39;s Good Health ast week, the Iraqi city of Najaf teetered between hopes for a truce and threats of an all-out government assault to rout the rebel Islamic cleric Moktada al-Sadr.	0	World
Hasina escapes unhurt as Dhaka blast kills 14 DHAKA: Bangladesh opposition leader and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina had a narrow escape as a powerful blast at a rally of her Awami League party killed 14 people and injured 200 here on Saturday.	0	World
Pakistan Says It Has Foiled Terror Plots Pakistan has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy, officials announced Saturday.	0	World
Rebels attack Chechen police station, several people killed Several people were killed and a few others wounded when rebels attacked a police station in the capital of Russia #39;s breakaway Chechen republic on Saturday, Russian news agencies reported, citing officials.	0	World
British military to get first Muslim chaplain: report (AFP) AFP - Britain's army forces are to get their first Muslim chaplain, a defense ministry source was quoted as saying.	0	World
Indian mother swims home from Sri Lanka (AFP) AFP - A 34-year-old Indian mother of one has fulfilled her dream to swim seven seas after crossing the Palk Strait dividing India and Sri Lanka in a marathon 14-hour feat, officials said.	0	World
Airport workers strike BA pay deal More than 10,000 British Airways staff will be balloted by their unions this week over a last-ditch pay deal that has lifted the threat of bank holiday travel chaos at Heathrow.	2	Business
Nobody is neutral about the great Google gamble The initial public offering of Google brings to mind one of the great one-liners offered by Clint Eastwood in one of his Dirty Harry films: quot;Opinions are like a**holes, quot; Harry says.	2	Business
Gloves are off as Abbey war turns dirty ANYONE who thought the battle for Marks amp; Spencer had plumbed the depths of City depravity with its stories of fisticuffs in Baker Street and allegations of interference with mobile phone records may have to draw breath as the banking battle gets serious.	2	Business
Online hits climb the charts as radio embraces the internet age THE online music generation will become the legitimate test of the top 20 chart toppers next week when Virgin and BBC Radio One launch shows featuring tracks downloaded from the internet.	3	Sci/Tech
Epson develops worlds lightest flying robot The micro-robot weighs a mere 8.6 grams without battery, or 12.3 grams with the battery attached. It measures 13.6 centimeters in diameter and 8.5 centimeters in height.	3	Sci/Tech
Pieces of eight for Phelps How far do you have to go to win an Olympic title? How about eight titles? If you #39;re Michael Phelps, you would have to go a long way, 70 kilometres in fact, because that is how far the American golden boy of the pool has swum at these Games.	1	Sports

Nesterenko Takes Gold Yuliya Nesterenko ends two decades of American dominance in the 100 meters with a closing surge to catch Lauryn Williams.

1

Sports

Stocks Look to Nudge Higher; Oil Dips NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked to open a touch higher on Tuesday, with Wall Street welcoming a slip in oil prices and a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">GDT.N</A> by Johnson Johnson <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">JNJ.N</A>.

2

Business

Hungarian Socialists choose alternatives as new prime minister (AFP) AFP - Hungary's ruling Socialist Party approved two alternative candidates to replace outgoing prime minister Peter Medgyessy who resigned after a row with his liberal coalition partners.

0

World

Officials Forecast Hope for Victims of Hurricane State officials say the statewide slowdown caused by Hurricane Charley, with estimated losses of \$20 billion, will probably last no more than a month or two.

2

Business

Mixed response to truckers strike NEW DELHI, Aug. 21. - The indefinite nationwide strike by truck operators against imposition of service tax evoked a mixed response on the first day of the stir today even as government appeared unwilling

2

Business

Saturday Night #39;s Alright for Blighty Matthew Pinsents coxless four team, sailor Ben Ainslie and cyclist Bradley Wiggins all struck gold on a day to remember for Team GB at the Olympics in Athens.

1

Sports

Sudan: confident in convincing the UN Security Council of progress <b>...</b> Sudan #39;s foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael stressed yesterday that his country #39;s government is confident it will convince the UN Security Council of the progress it had attained in Darfur.

0

World

Bomb attack on Hasina Over a dozen people were killed and nearly 300 injured in a bomb and grenade attack on a public rally in the heart of the city that was being addressed by Awami League leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

0

World

Airways pilots extend talks Pilots for US Airways are continuing to negotiate this weekend over the Arlington airline #39;s demand for a 16.5 percent pay cut, despite a warning from management that negotiations should have concluded yesterday.

2

Business

Viacom panel to look at video-game arena NEW YORK -- Given that its chairman owns a large stake of a video-game company, media giant Viacom Inc. has appointed a three-person committee to evaluate dealings in the video-game arena and protect against potential conflicts of interest.

2

Business

Microsoft Sends XP SP2 Home Microsoft this week began distributing its latest update to the Windows XP operating system to home users through its Automatic Updates feature.

3

Sci/Tech

Mars Rover Sniffs Out Signs of Water After a tedious crawl across the desert floor and a slow, energy-strapped hike up hills, the Mars rover Spirit has finally rewarded scientists with tantalizing

3

Sci/Tech

Online retail sales continue to surge Online retail sales continue to show significant growth, according to the latest figures released by the US Department of Commerce.

3

Sci/Tech

Bekele keeps 10,000m gold in Ethiopia Kenenisa Bekele used a breathtaking final 400 meters late Friday to claim the Olympic 10,000-meter throne previously occupied by his Ethiopian countryman, Haile Gebrselassie.

1

Sports

Hewitt Survives Saulnier; Agassi Rolls Past Mathieu After sweeping through his first two opponents, Lleyton Hewitt finally found a challenge at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. And it almost took the No.

1

Sports

Greece 88, Angola 56 Greece avoided any suspense about whether it would advance by taking an 18-point halftime lead on the way to an 88-56 victory over Angola on Saturday night.

1

Sports

Nesterenko Wins Sprint Gold for Belarus Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus sped to an unexpected victory in the women #39;s 100 meter final at the Athens Olympics Saturday. The high-striding Belarussian clocked 10.

1

Sports

Clean sweep by England LONDON, Aug. 21. - England beat the West Indies by 10 wickets on the third day of the fourth and final Test at the Oval, here today giving them a 4-0 sweep.

1

Sports

Blast outside Bangladesh opposition HQ kills 6 DHAKA - At least six people were killed and more than 200 injured in a series of bomb blasts at a meeting of the main opposition Awami League in the capital on Saturday, witnesses and news reports said.

0

World

Veteran Backs Kerry on Silver Star Account (AP) AP - A Chicago Tribune editor who was on the Vietnam mission for which John Kerry received the Silver Star is backing up Kerry's account of the incident.

0

World

Olympic Basketball: Lithuania Guard Shoots Down U.S. ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men's basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.

1

Sports

Absent Phelps Gets Eighth Medal ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps got his eighth medal at the Athens Olympics Saturday without even getting wet when the United States broke the world record in the men's 4x100 meters medley relay.

1

Sports

Murder victim 'missed her stop' A 22-year-old French woman was killed while walking home after missing her bus stop, police believe.

0

World

Battle on Secret Evidence in Jackson Case SANTA MARIA, Calif. - In a high-stakes drama of legal gamesmanship, prosecutors and defense lawyers in the Michael Jackson child molestation case are battling over still-secret evidence that might make or break the case against the pop star...

0

World

Bush Pressing Case for 'Ownership Society' WASHINGTON - Amid signs that the economy is cooling, President Bush is showcasing initiatives for a second term under the banner of an "ownership society" in hopes of bolstering his economic stewardship credentials. His platform includes initiatives to help people buy homes, start businesses, hone job skills and set up tax-free retirement and health care accounts - plus a still unspecified tax-code overhaul...

0

World

Dream Team Loses Again, but Still Advances ATHENS, Greece - The U.S. men's basketball team endured another brutal loss...

0

World

Open Source, Performance, and Innovation \\At work we're mostly an OSS shop. Partly because I have a strong bias towards\OSS but cost, reliability, security, etc are all leading factors.\\For the last several months now I've been in an interesting position to prove\the benefits of OSS in a real-world environment.\\We've had to extend a number of OSS tools to fit into our production\environment. These are significant additions and non-trivial.\\Open Source allows you to STAND on the shoulders of gods. For example we've\been having a problem with the Jakarta DBCP connection pool. It was running\out of connections in highly threaded environments and is slow. Certainly\slower than would be necessary.\\Long story short. Last night ...\\

3

Sci/Tech

Audit Confirms Chvez Victory in Recall An audit of Venezuela #39;s recall referendum has confirmed that President Hugo Chvez won fairly and found no evidence to support fraud charges, observers and electoral council officials said Saturday.

2

Business

Governor Promises Help Reopening Schools Affected By Charley One week after Hurricane Charley chewed a path from Punta Gorda to Daytona Beach, Gov. Jeb Bush promises to to use state resources to help schools damaged or destroyed by the storm to reopen quickly.

2

Business

India #39;s 3 Million Truckers Strike Over Planned Tax Increase India #39;s three million truck drivers started a strike today to protest a planned tax on cargo transportation by road, prompting local units of Honda Motor Co.

2

Business

Boom! Big kickoff for #39;Madden 2005 #39; EA #39;s newest version of top title sells 1.3 million copies in first week, holding off competition. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc.

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Sci/Tech

Disposable Digital Camera Debuts At 1,000 CVS Pharmacies Digital disposable cameras are debuting in about 1,000 CVS stores across the nation, the retail chain said Thursday. The one-time-use cameras, which feature a color preview screen, have 25 pictures and are priced at \$19.

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Sci/Tech

Cink holds lead at NEC Invitational Stewart Cink leads the NEC Invitational World Golf Championships as he nears the end of the third round. Cink is 10 under after 16 holes, just two shots clear of David Toms, eight under after 17 holes.

1

Sports

Explosions at Protest Rally in Bangladesh Kill 9 Several explosions ripped through a Bangladeshi opposition party rally here on Saturday, killing at least 9 people and wounding as

0

World

Sudan #39;s quest for peace Conflict seems to have become a way of life for Sudan that has struggled to find peace and stability since its independence in 1956.

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World

Peres facing attack from Labor MKs over continued talks with Likud Labor Party Chair Shimon Peres is facing growing opposition from his party over his decision to continue coalition talks with Likud despite the Likud convention #39;s resolution last week against bringing Labor into the government.

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World

Up to seven killed in Chechnya shootout: report (AFP) AFP - Up to seven people were killed in an attack on a police station in Grozny, the capital of the Russian breakaway republic of Chechnya, a report quoting officials said.

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World

Jasikevicius makes most of second chance to stun US NBA stars (AFP) AFP - Lithuanian sharpshooter Sarunas Jasikevicius, snubbed by the National Basketball Association, made the most of his second chance to deliver a dagger into the hearts of a United States Olympic team of NBA talent.

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Sports

Fleisher Takes Lead at Hickory Classic (AP) AP - Bruce Fleisher parlayed eight birdies into a tournament-low 65 Saturday and cruised to a 3-shot lead after the second round of the Greater Hickory Classic.

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Sports

Olympic Basketball: United States Stunned Again ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men's basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.

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Sports

U.S. Forces Keep Sh'ite Militants Guessing NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces appeared to keep Sh'ite militants guessing in the city of Najaf overnight, firing off sporadic rounds as a military aircraft flew overhead.

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World

Chile Asks Pinochet to Explain \$8 Million US Bank Accounts Chile #39;s former dictator Augusto Pinochet reportedly is the target of an investigation in his homeland probing up US bank accounts controlled by the ex-president.

2

Business

Solar power bill supported Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday threw his support behind a bill to dramatically increase the number of California homes using solar power, reviving a legislative effort that seemed all but dead last week.

2

Business

World marks go in the pool ATHENS - The Australian women and American men ended the swimming competition at the Athens 2004 Olympics Games in style Saturday, both breaking world records in the 4x100 meter medley relays.

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Sports

Dolphins on verge of trading Ogunleye to Bears The Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade defensive end Adewale Ogunleye to the Chicago Bears for wide receiver Marty Booker and a 2005 third-round pick, if agent Drew Rosenhaus can work out a new contract for Ogunleye by 7 pm Saturday, according to a

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Sports

Najaf Fighting Flares; Sadr Forces Hold Shrine Description: US forces clash again in Najaf with fighters loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Efforts by the Iraqi government to reach a disarmament deal with Sadr are at an impasse, and his forces continue to hold the Imam Ali shrine.

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World

Police killed in pre-poll Chechnya attacks -agency Gunmen attacked a police station and voting centres in Russia #39;s war-torn Chechnya, killing at least 11 people, Interfax news agency said on Saturday.

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World

Nesterenko Speeds to Win in Women's 100-Meter Final ATHENS (Reuters) - Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus sped to an unexpected victory in the women's 100 meter final at the Athens Olympics Saturday.

1

Sports

Graphic Designer Fired After Heckling Bush CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A man who heckled President Bush at a political rally was fired from his job at an advertising and design company for offending a client who provided tickets to the event...

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World

Also from this section Innovative Solutions quot;, promises the Riggs Bank slogan emblazoned across the home page of its website. quot;For over 165 years we #39;ve been developing innovative, custom-tailored solutions to improve the lives of our customers.

2

Business

Two golds again in new judging debacle? Not this time A grand judging goof at the Athens Olympics cheapened American gymnast Paul Hamm #39;s historic gold and gave South Korea another good reason to cry robbery at the games.

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Sports

British sport #39;s new superhero revives the Olympic spirit Matthew Pinsent was hailed as the new superman of British sport yesterday, after winning gold at his fourth consecutive Olympic Games.

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Sports

Malaysia testing 3 people for bird flu; says outbreak isolated Malaysian officials on Saturday were testing three people who fell ill in a village hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, after international health officials warned that the virus appeared to be entrenched in parts of

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World

Kroger's Profit Climbs, Misses Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - Kroger Co. , the top U.S.\grocer, on Tuesday said quarterly profit rose 29 percent as it\kept a tight rein on expenses and sales rebounded.

2

Business

Blasts Shake Najaf as U.S. Planes Attack Rebels NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Strong blasts were heard in the besieged city of Najaf early Sunday as U.S. military planes unleashed cannon and howitzer fire and a heavy firefight erupted.

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World

Ramirez, Red Sox Batter White Sox Manny Ramirez homered and drove in five runs as the Red Sox earned their fifth straight victory.

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Sports

Somalia to get new parliament Somalia's first parliament for 13 years is expected to be sworn in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Sunday.

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World

Audit of Venezuelan vote confirms Chavez victory CARACAS, VENEZUELA - An audit of ballots from 150 voting stations has confirmed that President Hugo Chavez won last week #39;s recall referendum, reported the Organization of American States Saturday.

2

Business

Beware! Bugs can attack Net phones THEY are becoming increasingly popular because they are cheap. However, before you rush off to buy an Internet phone or Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, you should know that they are

3

Sci/Tech

Stunt pilots to hook falling stardust sample A piece of the Sun is set to fall to Earth and be captured by Hollywood stunt pilots in a tricky mid-air manoeuvre, NASA announced on Thursday.

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Sci/Tech

World record in sights of 100-meter field quot;We #39;re going to have a party, quot; Maurice Greene said Saturday, looking forward to Sunday #39;s final in the Olympic men #39;s 100-meter dash.

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Sports

Hewitt calls on fighting spirit SECOND-seed Lleyton Hewitt needed all of his famed tenacity to overcome feisty Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) and reach the semi-finals of the Washington Open.

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Sports

Deng #39;s name used to pressure Jiang THE 100th birth anniversary of China #39;s late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, which falls today, has been used by influential party elders to put pressure on former president Jiang Zemin to fully relinquish authority to his successor Hu Jintao.

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World

US Boxer Dirrell Powers Into Quarters Ron Siler had just taken a beating, and now it seemed like the whole US boxing team was down for the count. Fighters weren #39;t following directions, medal hopes were slipping

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Sports

False report of Swedish king's assassination on faked BBC website (AFP) AFP - Hoaxers imitated the BBC news website on the Internet, including a fake announcement that King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden had been assassinated in Athens while attending the Olympic Games, according to reports.

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World

Treasury Prices Take a Breather Today (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury prices paused for breath\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.

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Business

Cink Takes Commanding Lead Over Woods at NEC AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Stewart Cink was on the verge of his fourth career win after shooting a two-under-par 68 for a five-shot lead in the third round of the \$7 million NEC Invitational Saturday.

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Sports

Four Immigrants Die Trying to Reach Spanish Shore MADRID (Reuters) - Four sub-Saharan Africans trying to immigrate illegally drowned 20 feet from shore Saturday at the same Spanish beach where 33 would-be immigrants died last week, state radio said.

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World

Unfriendly airline grounds its pension plans Fly the friendly skies may be United Airlines slogan. But employees of Americas largest carrier wont be so convinced this weekend, on the heels of it filing court documents saying it is likely to scrap its pension plans.

2

Business

US Airways Chairman: Liquidation Possible US Airways Group Inc. #39;s (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) chairman said employees must agree to \$800 million in new wage and benefit cuts within 30 days or the airline might be liquidated, the New York Times said on Thursday, citing

2

Business

HBOS in talks to fund 8bn Abbey bid HBOS is said to be in talks with potential financial backers over how to fund an 8bn takeover bid for Abbey National in a move to break up a takeover plan from Spain #39;s Banco Santander Central Hispano.

2

Business

Update 4: Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works their users swap online.

3

Sci/Tech

Google Goes Public at \$85/share adpowers writes quot;It is official. Google will have its IPO debut at \$85 per share. To quote the article, #39;At that price, the low end of its recently revised range, Google raised \$1.

3

Sci/Tech

High-Speed Internet Shouldn #39;t Be Delayed Back in the go-go days of the tech boom, there was a lot of talk about fast Internet connections enabling consumers to do all manner of useful and fun things, from online banking to viewing movies online.

3

Sci/Tech

Hidayat fulfills potential with badminton gold ATHENS: Taufik Hidayat couldnt stop the tears after winning Indonesias first gold medal of the Athens Olympics. The unheralded Hidayat won the mens badminton title Saturday, beating seventh-seeded

1

Sports

Bush's Nephew Rips Armed Border Guards (AP) AP - President Bush's nephew, campaigning for overseas votes in Mexico on Saturday, called the federal policy of arming U.S. Border Patrol agents with plastic pellet guns "reprehensible."

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World

U.S. Launches Fresh Assault on Sadr Forces in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday after talks on transferring control of the mosque at the center of a two-week siege ran into difficulties.

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World

'Tax super-rich at 50' proposal Hit the super-rich with a 50 inheritance tax and allow cuts for the middle class, says a leading think tank.

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World

Shiites Hold Najaf Shrine; Clashes Flare NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday, raising fears that a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders. An unofficial mediator pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...

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World

Spectator Phelps' 8th Medal Ties Record ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps won another gold medal, this time wearing khaki shorts and flip-flops. From a front-row seat at the Olympic pool, Phelps watched his teammates do all the work in the 400-meter medley relay Saturday night...

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World

Dream Team Loses Again, but Still Advances ATHENS, Greece - The United States men's basketball team endured another brutal loss Saturday night. But because Angola is playing even worse than the Americans, the Dream Team is in the quarterfinals of the Athens Games...

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World

Woman Chows 38 Lobsters in Eating Contest KENNEBUNK, Maine - America's top speed-eater wolfed down 38 lobsters in 12 minutes Saturday to win the World Lobster Eating Contest. Sonya Thomas, of Alexandria, Va., won \$500 and a trophy belt for her efforts, consuming 9.76 pounds of lobster meat...

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World

US Airways asks pilots for 16.5 cut in pay Struggling US Airways (UAIR) has asked its pilots to accept a 16.5 pay cut while giving them the chance to recoup some of the money by flying more.

2

Business

Competition probe would see Santander turn its back on Abbey Banco Santander would walk away from its 8.2bn offer for Abbey National, the mortgage bank, if a rival bid from one or more UK banks led to a lengthy investigation by the competition authorities.

2

Business

Google Shares Gain in Market Debut Shares of Google Inc. made their market debut on Thursday and quickly traded up 19 percent at \$101.28. The Web search company #39;s initial public offering priced at \$85

3

Sci/Tech

Springboks beat Australia in tr-nations rugby South Africa has defeated Australia in the final match of the rugby Tri Nations series. Africa correspondent Sally Sara reports, the Springboks won 23 to 19 in front of a home crowd in Durban.

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Sports

Johnson probably out for season with broken cheekbone Montreal Expos first baseman Nick Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a broken right cheekbone and is probably out for the rest of the season.

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Sports

Moore versus List in US Amateur final Mamaroneck, NY (Sports Network) - Ryan Moore, the medalist in stroke play, dispatched Jeff Overton, 3 amp; 2 in one of Saturday #39;s semifinal matches to reach Sunday #39;s 36-hole final at the US Amateur Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club.

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Sports

Praying for Sistani #39;s Good Health ast week, the Iraqi city of Najaf teetered between hopes for a truce and threats of an all-out government assault to rout the rebel Islamic cleric Moktada al-Sadr.

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World

Hasina escapes unhurt as Dhaka blast kills 14 DHAKA: Bangladesh opposition leader and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina had a narrow escape as a powerful blast at a rally of her Awami League party killed 14 people and injured 200 here on Saturday.

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World

Pakistan Says It Has Foiled Terror Plots Pakistan has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy, officials announced Saturday.

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World

Rebels attack Chechen police station, several people killed Several people were killed and a few others wounded when rebels attacked a police station in the capital of Russia #39;s breakaway Chechen republic on Saturday, Russian news agencies reported, citing officials.

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World

British military to get first Muslim chaplain: report (AFP) AFP - Britain's army forces are to get their first Muslim chaplain, a defense ministry source was quoted as saying.

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World

Indian mother swims home from Sri Lanka (AFP) AFP - A 34-year-old Indian mother of one has fulfilled her dream to swim seven seas after crossing the Palk Strait dividing India and Sri Lanka in a marathon 14-hour feat, officials said.

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World

Airport workers strike BA pay deal More than 10,000 British Airways staff will be balloted by their unions this week over a last-ditch pay deal that has lifted the threat of bank holiday travel chaos at Heathrow.

2

Business

Nobody is neutral about the great Google gamble The initial public offering of Google brings to mind one of the great one-liners offered by Clint Eastwood in one of his Dirty Harry films: quot;Opinions are like a**holes, quot; Harry says.

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Business

Gloves are off as Abbey war turns dirty ANYONE who thought the battle for Marks amp; Spencer had plumbed the depths of City depravity with its stories of fisticuffs in Baker Street and allegations of interference with mobile phone records may have to draw breath as the banking battle gets serious.

2

Business

Online hits climb the charts as radio embraces the internet age THE online music generation will become the legitimate test of the top 20 chart toppers next week when Virgin and BBC Radio One launch shows featuring tracks downloaded from the internet.

3

Sci/Tech

Epson develops worlds lightest flying robot The micro-robot weighs a mere 8.6 grams without battery, or 12.3 grams with the battery attached. It measures 13.6 centimeters in diameter and 8.5 centimeters in height.

3

Sci/Tech

Pieces of eight for Phelps How far do you have to go to win an Olympic title? How about eight titles? If you #39;re Michael Phelps, you would have to go a long way, 70 kilometres in fact, because that is how far the American golden boy of the pool has swum at these Games.

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Sports