SetFit/ag_news · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Surviving the IPO From Hell Months ago, when the idea of Google #39;s inevitable IPO could be discussed by its leaders only in hypothetical terms, cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were trying to explain	2	Business
Overtime law clarification is hard to figure Depending on who is doing the analysis, either an additional 1.3 million American workers will be eligible for overtime beginning tomorrow, or 6 million will be stripped of that right.	2	Business
World #39;s lightest flying micro-robot unveiled The world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot has been developed by Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corporation. The 12-gram robot resembles a small helicopter and is about 136 millimetres wide	3	Sci/Tech
IOC Bans Greek Medallist From Games The Olympics are less than a week away and organizers are pulling the pieces together for the Aug. 13 opening. Dana Vollmer will be one of those tales of courage that come up during the Olympics.	1	Sports
Bangladesh paralysed by strikes Opposition activists have brought many towns and cities in Bangladesh to a halt, the day after 18 people died in explosions at a political rally.	0	World
India withdraws patronage to EU visits in J amp;K Furious with a quot;biased quot; and interventionist report by a European parliamentary delegation, whose leader called Jammu and Kashmir quot;the world #39;s most beautiful prison, quot; India has withdrawn official patronage to such visits.	0	World
Zito Silences D-Rays' Bats in A's 5-0 Win (AP) AP - Barry Zito scattered four hits over eight shutout innings, leading the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics past the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5-0 on Saturday night.	1	Sports
U.S. Aircraft Make New Attack on Rebels in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the Iraqi city of Najaf early on Sunday after talks on surrendering control of the gold-domed mosque at the center of an 18-day siege ran into trouble.	0	World
Tigers Edge Mariners in 11 Wild Innings DETROIT - Craig Monroe hit an RBI single with one out in the 11th inning, leading the Detroit Tigers to a wild 11-10 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night. The teams combined for a Comerica Park-record 36 hits, including 21 by Seattle...	0	World
Militants Hold Najaf Shrine; Bombing Heard NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine as clashes flared in Najaf on Sunday, raising fears a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders. An unofficial mediator and distant relative of the cleric pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...	0	World
U.S. Men End 40-Year Rowing Drought ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States stormed to their first Olympic men's eights title in 40 years on Sunday.	1	Sports
Greece Shamed Again at Their Own Games ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greeks were shamed again at their own Olympics on Sunday when bronze medal weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis was kicked out after failing a dope test.	1	Sports
Venezuela Audit Results Support Vote Count (AP) AP - The results of an audit support the official vote count showing that President Hugo Chavez won this month's recall referendum in Venezuela, the head of the Organization of American States said Saturday.	0	World
China Executes Man for Killing Rapists (Reuters) Reuters - China has executed a 25-year-old\university dropout for killing six men, four of whom had raped\him after getting him drunk, the Beijing Youth Daily said on\Sunday.	0	World
Nepal Seeks to Break Rebel Siege with Air Patrols KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Military helicopters provided air cover to vehicles ferrying crucial supplies to the Nepali capital on Sunday, a senior army officer said, as a blockade called by Maoist rebels stretched into its fifth day.	0	World
N.Korea Dubs South 'Wicked Terrorist' Over Refugees SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has denounced South Korean authorities as "wicked terrorists" who orchestrated the airlift of 468 North Korean refugees as part of a plot to bring down the communist system.	0	World
Residents Return to Darfur After Fleeing Attack SANI DELAIBA, Sudan (Reuters) - "Only God saved us when the Janjaweed attacked. We had to walk to safety and 12 men were killed," said Khultoum Eissa Abdallah, now back in her hometown in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.	0	World
Palestinians Denounce U.S. Over Settlement Shift RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians accused the United States on Sunday of destroying hopes of negotiations with Israel for a Palestinian state, after Washington signaled it could accept some growth of settlements in the West Bank.	0	World
Charley hurts Disney workers Walt Disney World escaped serious storm damage from Hurricane Charley last weekend, but many central Florida residents, including employees of the Magic Kingdom and other Orlando theme parks, weren #39;t so lucky.	2	Business
Tooele grapples with Wal-Mart Wal-Mart didn #39;t completely kill downtown Tooele - but it came pretty darn close. Today, 14 years after the giant retailer opened one of its first Utah stores here, Tooele #39;s old	2	Business
Utah a Clean Air Act offender, study says A new national study identifies Utah as one of at least 29 states that have loopholes in their laws allowing for quot;accidental quot; pollution emissions beyond the limits of the federal Clean Air Act.	3	Sci/Tech
Apple Recalls 28,000 Faulty Batteries Sold with 15-inch PowerBook Apple has had to recall up to 28,000 notebook batteries that were sold for use with their 15-inch PowerBook. Apple reports that faulty batteries sold between January 2004 and August 2004 can overheat and pose a fire hazard.	3	Sci/Tech
Sampanis confirmed positive The IOC executive board met early on Sunday to rule on the case, which shocked the host nation days after its top sprint pair withdrew after missing an eve-of-Games dope test.	1	Sports
Olympic Soccer: Euphoric Iraq Reaches Semifinals Iraq #39;s footballers beat Australia 1-0 Saturday to reach the semifinals of the Olympic men #39;s tournament, triggering celebratory gunfire in their violence-racked country.	1	Sports
Roundup: Chelsea #39;s tactics yield another shutout win Chelsea beat Birmingham 1-0 yesterday on Joe Cole #39;s 68th-minute goal for its second straight shutout in the English Premier League.	1	Sports
Maoist rebels bomb government buildings Police in Nepal say more than 1,000 Maoist rebels have stormed a district headquarters in the country #39;s northwest, bombing government buildings and killing at least one soldier.	0	World
Police: Car Bomb Expodes North of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq - A car bomb exploded north of the Iraqi capital on Sunday, killing two people and injuring four others, including a deputy provincial governor, police said.	0	World
Preparing your business for the unexpected That #39;s the estimate of how much damage Hurricane Charley has wracked upon Florida. Much of that has been done to small businesses.	2	Business
Phelps simply a cut above Michael Phelps has proven he is the best swimmer ever -- in and out of the pool. Yesterday, the 6-ft. 5-in. 19-year-old from Baltimore won his sixth gold medal to add to his two bronze, making him the swimmer	1	Sports
South Korea to File Petition With CAS on Gymnast #39;s Case The South Korean delegation to the Athens Olympics will file a petition on the case of Yang Tae-young, bronze medallist in gymnastics mens individual all-around event, with the Court of	1	Sports
One gamble Bears really had to take The Bears traded Marty Booker to Miami for Adewale Ogunleye because they had no choice but to do so. Talent levels being equal, a defensive end is more valuable than a wide receiver.	1	Sports
Five terrorists arrested in Pak. Islamabad, Aug. 22. (PTI): Pakistan #39;s security agencies have arrested five al Qaeda-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on senior leaders and key installations in the country, including the	0	World
Shell shuts 30,000 bpd more due to Nigeria protest Royal Dutch/Shell has shut in another 30,000 barrels per day of oil output in Nigeria due to a protest by villagers over jobs, bringing its total cut to 100,000 bpd, a spokesman said on Tuesday.	2	Business
He's running with it When NBC first called Bob Neumeier, he was asked if he'd be willing to work on Olympics wrestling and rowing coverage in Athens. quot;I was flattered and grateful for the opportunity, quot; he said. He was willing to learn the nuances of those sports at the Olympic level and start mastering the pronunciation of hundreds of new names.	1	Sports
Today's schedule Pro baseball: Eastern League -- Trenton vs. Portland (2) at Hadlock Field, Portland, Maine, 1 p.m.; New Hampshire vs. New Britain at New Britain (Conn.) Stadium, 1:30 p.m.; Northeast League -- North Shore vs. New Haven at Yale Field, New Haven, 2 p.m.; Elmira vs. Brockton (2) at Campanelli Stadium, Brockton, 5 p.m.	1	Sports
Santana exception to rule The next time you're inclined to dismiss baseball's Rule 5 draft in December as an exercise of little consequence, remember that Johan Santana, the pitcher Pedro Martinez said reminded him of a younger version of himself, only with better stuff, was a Rule 5 pick five years ago.	1	Sports
Transactions BASEBALL Kansas City (AL): Activated P Jeremy Affeldt from the 15-day DL; optioned P Jorge Vasquez to Wichita (Texas League).	1	Sports
Notables The Twins were 3 for 4 on stolen bases and lead the majors with 39 steals in 49 attempts since the All-Star break.	1	Sports
Green lifts Dodgers past Braves Shawn Green hit a grand slam and a solo homer to lead the host Los Angeles Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves, 7-4, yesterday, snapping Mike Hampton's string of seven straight wins.	1	Sports
The Missing Shoppers Something odd happened on the way to global recovery. The shoppers are not turning out the way they normally do when things start to look up.	2	Business
Greek weightlifter stripped of medal for drugs Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis, Greece #39;s first medal winner at the Athens Olympics, was stripped of his bronze medal and excluded from the Games Sunday for a doping offense, another big blow for the host nation which is welcoming the homecoming	1	Sports
DAVENPORT HANDED FINAL PLACE Lindsay Davenport will face Vera Zvonareva in the final of the Cincinnati Open, after Marion Bartoli was forced to withdraw with a hand injury.	1	Sports
Three tested for bird flu discharged from Malaysian hospital KUALA LUMPUR : Three Malaysians who fell ill in a village hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain have been discharged from a hospital after tests showed no sign of the virus, a senior official said.	0	World
Rate hikes by Fed work in two ways If you #39;ve noticed that the price of everything from milk to gasoline to automobiles seems to be going up, you #39;re as observant as Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.	2	Business
Santander May Drop Abbey on Competition Inquiry, Telegraph Says Santander Central Hispano SA, the biggest bank in Spain and Latin America, may drop its 8.2 billion (\$14.9 billion) offer to buy Abbey National Plc if rival bids lead to a long competition	2	Business
Smart little suckers A new generation of robotic vacuums is ready to do battle with dirt, dust and dog hair with more cleaning power and cunning than their ancestors could muster.	3	Sci/Tech
Relaxed atmosphere lifts Moore, List into final At the US Amateur, players wear shorts and spectators get to walk right down the fairways. So compared with the US Open, which is run by the same outfit, everything about this championship is decidedly relaxed.	1	Sports
Pakistan cuffs Al-Qaida-linked terrorists ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Military forces arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists plotting to launch suicide attacks on the US Embassy and Pakistani leaders, the government said yesterday.	0	World
Law: No feud with coach CINCINNATI -- Ty Law responded last night to reports published last week that he and coach Bill Belichick were feuding over a bonus for showing up at training camp in shape.	1	Sports
Cleaning up Washington #39;s #39;Iraqi problem #39;: invest authority in <b>...</b> Is there a quot;Sunni problem quot; in Iraq, as the United States would like us to believe? If there is, it is entirely of Washington #39;s making.	0	World
French victim's family come to UK The family of a French woman murdered in south-west London are travelling to the UK to meet detectives.	0	World
Pinsent considers future British rower Matthew Pinsent is undecided whether to go for a fifth gold medal in Beijing.	1	Sports
Volkswagen #39;s Mexican Workers Accept Pay Increase, Reforma Says Mexican union workers for Volkswagen AG, Europe #39;s largest carmaker, accepted the company #39;s offer for a 6.1 percent pay increase and will return to work today after going on strike Wednesday, Reforma newspaper said.	2	Business
Bad news? It #39;s good news for Bush It is now official: The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Last week #39;s Congressional Budget Office tax-burden study confirms what the eye can see: John Edwards #39; quot;two Americas quot; continues to grow.	2	Business
US men hot-foot it in heats On target and on fire, the US men #39;s 100-meter sprinters scorched the Olympic Stadium #39;s fast track through two rounds yesterday to advance to today #39;s	1	Sports
Agassi knocked out in surprising semifinal The top-seeded Agassi was eliminated in the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on Saturday in Washington by unseeded Gilles Muller.	1	Sports
Spain #39;s win puts Serbia on brink Spain clinched first place in Group A with a 76-68 victory yesterday in Athens, leaving Serbia-Montenegro in danger of failing to reach the quarterfinals.	1	Sports
Canada losing swagger In 1904 at the St. Louis Olympic Games, Canada won gold in soccer. In 1936 in Berlin, our nation won silver in basketball. That #39;s it for traditional team sports.	1	Sports
People flee storm-ravaged Philippine towns as rescuers search for <b>...</b> Panicked residents scrambled to flee three storm-ravaged coastal Philippine towns on Sunday while rescuers made last-ditch attempts to find survivors of the powerful storm that left more than 1,100 dead and missing.	0	World
In Mars rock, telltale ripples and mysteries NEW YORK With one Mars rover climbing into the hills and the other descending deep into a crater, scientists reported the discovery of several mysterious rock structures, along with yet more signs that Mars was once awash in water.	3	Sci/Tech
PINSENT WEIGHS UP FUTURE British rowing hero Matthew Pinsent is in no hurry make a decision over whether he will compete at the next Olympics in Beijing. Pinsent guided Britain to first place in the coxless fours at the Athens games	1	Sports
Some 50 rebels killed in Chechnya: spokesman Russian troops killed some 50 rebels in a recent operation in Russia #39;s breakaway republic of Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported Sunday, quoting.	0	World
Sporadic Violence in Bangladesh After Rally Attack DHAKA (Reuters) - Angry mobs ransacked a railway station and burned train coaches in Bangladesh on Sunday, officials said, as sporadic violence erupted after grenade attacks on an opposition party rally killed at least 17 people.	0	World
Nesterenko of Belarus wins women #39;s 100m Olympic gold Belarus #39; Yuliya Nesterenko became the fastest woman in the world, winning the 100m gold medal at the Olympic Games here Saturday evening.	1	Sports
News Briefs Stewart Cink seized control of the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio, with six straight one-putt greens and a chip-in from 50 feet for birdie on the 18th hole Saturday for a 2-under 68, giving him a five-shot lead over a trio of Ryder Cup teammates.	1	Sports
HK wins first Olympic medal since 1997 Table tennis players Li Ching and Ko Lai Chak won here Saturday the first Olympic medal for Chinese Hong Kong since the former British-occupied territory returned to China on July 1, 1997.	1	Sports
Young French woman murdered in London park LONDON, Aug 21 (AFP) - A young Frenchwoman has been bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument in a park on the outskirts of London and police do not rule out that she was the victim of an unknown serial killer, they said Saturday.	0	World
Three more Malaysians face bird flu checks Three children of a Malaysian vet have joined her in hospital for checks to see if they have bird flu, state media reported on Sunday.	0	World
Israel Bus Blast Said Mechanical Problem (AP) AP - An Israeli bus exploded in a Jerusalem neighborhood early Sunday, but officials said the blast had been caused by a mechanical problem. There were no injuries.	0	World
China's President Hails Deng Xiaoping (AP) AP - Speaking to hundreds of top leaders and ordinary citizens, China's President Hu Jintao hailed Deng Xiaoping as the architect of China's economic reforms on Sunday, the 100-year anniversary of the late supreme leader's birth.	0	World
Rivals: Cisco's tactics unfair (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - Cisco Systems' substantial influence over the #36;8 million technology plan for San Jose's new City Hall reflects a deliberate strategy by the networking giant: get involved in the planning process early to win more business down the road.	3	Sci/Tech
Workplace beware THE Labor Department #39;s trumpeting of its new regulations governing overtime, which go into effect this week, sounds a little tinny.	2	Business
Metro briefs A Bolingbrook firm is recalling 406,000 pounds of frozen beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli, officials said. The Quantum Foods beef, including frozen patties and steaks, were produced June 23 and 24 and distributed nationwide.	2	Business
The world is Borders #39; oyster Borders Group Inc. made \$120 million in profits in 2003, hauling in most of that money from its 450 Borders superstores in the United States.	2	Business
Competition Probe Threatens Abbey Deal The Spanish bank poised to take over Abbey National will walk away if the 8.2 billion deal is stalled by competition concerns, it was reported today.	2	Business
Greek weightlifter stripped of bronze Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis on Sunday was stripped of the bronze medal he won last week and banished from the Athens Games for failing an antidoping test.	1	Sports
Baffling day in baffling race It was another glorious opportunity for the Giants to provide an answer to the burning question of the day, namely, quot;How the hell are these guys in the wild-card race?	1	Sports
WOMENS POLE VAULT A huge comedown for defending champ Dragila Athens -- Stacy Dragila, the first great woman pole vaulter and 2000 Olympic champion, will not be defending her gold medal in Athens.	1	Sports
US military launches attack outside Najaf shrine US troops and warplanes pounded Mehdi Army positions outside the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf early Sunday, US military officials said.	0	World
Prime Minister says he #39;s satisfied Guantanamo Bay offers <b>...</b> Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday he remains satisfied that the US military trial awaiting Australian terror suspect David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be consistent with Australian criminal justice.	0	World
EA game #39;Madden #39; tops 1.3 million first week quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts #39; pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said Thursday, citing internal figures.	3	Sci/Tech
Germany #39;s Schumann wins pistol gold : Germany #39;s Ralf Schumann Saturday claimed his third Olympic gold when he won the men #39;s 25 metres rapid pistol event scoring 694.	1	Sports
Critical penalty costs Raiders quot;There have been a lot of BS calls, just like that one, quot; Scott said, referring to the new interpretation of the 5-yard rule.	1	Sports
World News gt; US launches fresh offensive against Iraqi rebels: US aircrafts Sunday pounded positions held by militants loyal to Iraq #39;s radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the besieged sacred city of Najaf, Xinhua reports.	0	World
BA staff call off holiday strikes A planned strike by British Airways staff that threatened to disrupt the travel plans of half a million people was halted yesterday after management and workers reached an agreement.	0	World
Taking stock During the salad days of the Internet frenzy, it was common to hear murmurings like this in Silicon Valley: quot;That house on the corner was listed for \$1.	2	Business
Hamid Karzai to arrive Islamabad on Monday ISLAMABAD : Afghan President Hamid Karzai is arriving in Islamabad on Monday on a two day visit to Pakistan. He will have talks with President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Ch.	2	Business
Gary airport development vital to entire state The US government made this clear in recent weeks as the Federal Aviation Administration held meetings to get the big airlines to reduce the number of flights they put through O #39;Hare.	2	Business
Seiko Epson Develops Micro Flying Robot Seiko Epson Corp. is developing a flying robot that looks like a miniature helicopter and is about the size of a giant bug. The company hopes it #39;ll prove handy for security, disaster rescue and space exploration.	3	Sci/Tech
Phelps watches and wins Phelps tied the record for most medals by an athlete at a single Olympics, matching the achievement of Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin in the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.	1	Sports
Williams happy with silver in 100 Nesterenko, a Belarusian who had never broken 11 seconds before the Olympics but did it in all four rounds here, won gold in 10.93 seconds.	1	Sports
Raiders #39; revamped defense still needs tinkering An online scouting service recently rated the Dallas Cowboys in a tie with the 49ers as the second least-talented offense in the NFL.	1	Sports
Everton to meet on Monday to discuss new funding Everton #39;s board of directors will meet on Monday to discuss new investment in the hard-up English Premier League side, the club said on Sunday.	1	Sports
Ten al-Qaeda suspects arrested in Pakistan for planned attacks Islamabad, Aug 22 (DPA) Pakistan #39;s Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said today that the security agencies have arrested at least ten suspected al-Qaeda operatives who were planning to attack important government and US targets in Islamabad last week.	0	World
Greenspan in Focus This Week LONDON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan will hog the limelight in financial markets this week as investors seek clues on how quickly U.S. interest rates will rise as soaring oil prices start to affect economic activity.	2	Business
Google Roadshows Left Small Investors Out NEW YORK (Reuters) - The initial public offering of Internet search engine Google Inc. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">GOOG.O</A> was billed as a bonanza for millions of U.S. investors -- but the little guy, with check in hand, was left out of the party.	2	Business
U.S. OKs Status of 10 Guantanamo Prisoners GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - U.S. military review panels have decided not to release 10 Guantanamo Bay detainees, concluding they were properly classified as "enemy combatants," a military official said Saturday...	0	World
Oil Falls from Highs After Missing \$50 Oil prices eased from new highs on Friday as dealers pocketed profits from a long record-breaking run after escalating violence in Iraq took US crude close to \$50 a barrel.	2	Business
Business View: It #39;s looking like Madrid or bust for Abbey No Mates Are cracks appearing in the Abbey-Santander romance? Certainly, the engaged couple do not seem as close as they were a few days ago.	2	Business
Judges rule file-sharing software legal update A federal appeals court has upheld a controversial court decision that said file-sharing software programs such as Grokster or Morpheus are legal.	3	Sci/Tech

Surviving the IPO From Hell Months ago, when the idea of Google #39;s inevitable IPO could be discussed by its leaders only in hypothetical terms, cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were trying to explain

2

Business

Overtime law clarification is hard to figure Depending on who is doing the analysis, either an additional 1.3 million American workers will be eligible for overtime beginning tomorrow, or 6 million will be stripped of that right.

2

Business

World #39;s lightest flying micro-robot unveiled The world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot has been developed by Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corporation. The 12-gram robot resembles a small helicopter and is about 136 millimetres wide

3

Sci/Tech

IOC Bans Greek Medallist From Games The Olympics are less than a week away and organizers are pulling the pieces together for the Aug. 13 opening. Dana Vollmer will be one of those tales of courage that come up during the Olympics.

1

Sports

Bangladesh paralysed by strikes Opposition activists have brought many towns and cities in Bangladesh to a halt, the day after 18 people died in explosions at a political rally.

0

World

India withdraws patronage to EU visits in J amp;K Furious with a quot;biased quot; and interventionist report by a European parliamentary delegation, whose leader called Jammu and Kashmir quot;the world #39;s most beautiful prison, quot; India has withdrawn official patronage to such visits.

0

World

Zito Silences D-Rays' Bats in A's 5-0 Win (AP) AP - Barry Zito scattered four hits over eight shutout innings, leading the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics past the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5-0 on Saturday night.

1

Sports

U.S. Aircraft Make New Attack on Rebels in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the Iraqi city of Najaf early on Sunday after talks on surrendering control of the gold-domed mosque at the center of an 18-day siege ran into trouble.

0

World

Tigers Edge Mariners in 11 Wild Innings DETROIT - Craig Monroe hit an RBI single with one out in the 11th inning, leading the Detroit Tigers to a wild 11-10 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night. The teams combined for a Comerica Park-record 36 hits, including 21 by Seattle...

0

World

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

0

World

U.S. Men End 40-Year Rowing Drought ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States stormed to their first Olympic men's eights title in 40 years on Sunday.

1

Sports

Greece Shamed Again at Their Own Games ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greeks were shamed again at their own Olympics on Sunday when bronze medal weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis was kicked out after failing a dope test.

1

Sports

Venezuela Audit Results Support Vote Count (AP) AP - The results of an audit support the official vote count showing that President Hugo Chavez won this month's recall referendum in Venezuela, the head of the Organization of American States said Saturday.

0

World

China Executes Man for Killing Rapists (Reuters) Reuters - China has executed a 25-year-old\university dropout for killing six men, four of whom had raped\him after getting him drunk, the Beijing Youth Daily said on\Sunday.

0

World

Nepal Seeks to Break Rebel Siege with Air Patrols KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Military helicopters provided air cover to vehicles ferrying crucial supplies to the Nepali capital on Sunday, a senior army officer said, as a blockade called by Maoist rebels stretched into its fifth day.

0

World

N.Korea Dubs South 'Wicked Terrorist' Over Refugees SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has denounced South Korean authorities as "wicked terrorists" who orchestrated the airlift of 468 North Korean refugees as part of a plot to bring down the communist system.

0

World

Residents Return to Darfur After Fleeing Attack SANI DELAIBA, Sudan (Reuters) - "Only God saved us when the Janjaweed attacked. We had to walk to safety and 12 men were killed," said Khultoum Eissa Abdallah, now back in her hometown in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

0

World

Palestinians Denounce U.S. Over Settlement Shift RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians accused the United States on Sunday of destroying hopes of negotiations with Israel for a Palestinian state, after Washington signaled it could accept some growth of settlements in the West Bank.

0

World

Charley hurts Disney workers Walt Disney World escaped serious storm damage from Hurricane Charley last weekend, but many central Florida residents, including employees of the Magic Kingdom and other Orlando theme parks, weren #39;t so lucky.

2

Business

Tooele grapples with Wal-Mart Wal-Mart didn #39;t completely kill downtown Tooele - but it came pretty darn close. Today, 14 years after the giant retailer opened one of its first Utah stores here, Tooele #39;s old

2

Business

Utah a Clean Air Act offender, study says A new national study identifies Utah as one of at least 29 states that have loopholes in their laws allowing for quot;accidental quot; pollution emissions beyond the limits of the federal Clean Air Act.

3

Sci/Tech

Apple Recalls 28,000 Faulty Batteries Sold with 15-inch PowerBook Apple has had to recall up to 28,000 notebook batteries that were sold for use with their 15-inch PowerBook. Apple reports that faulty batteries sold between January 2004 and August 2004 can overheat and pose a fire hazard.

3

Sci/Tech

Sampanis confirmed positive The IOC executive board met early on Sunday to rule on the case, which shocked the host nation days after its top sprint pair withdrew after missing an eve-of-Games dope test.

1

Sports

Olympic Soccer: Euphoric Iraq Reaches Semifinals Iraq #39;s footballers beat Australia 1-0 Saturday to reach the semifinals of the Olympic men #39;s tournament, triggering celebratory gunfire in their violence-racked country.

1

Sports

Roundup: Chelsea #39;s tactics yield another shutout win Chelsea beat Birmingham 1-0 yesterday on Joe Cole #39;s 68th-minute goal for its second straight shutout in the English Premier League.

1

Sports

Maoist rebels bomb government buildings Police in Nepal say more than 1,000 Maoist rebels have stormed a district headquarters in the country #39;s northwest, bombing government buildings and killing at least one soldier.

0

World

Police: Car Bomb Expodes North of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq - A car bomb exploded north of the Iraqi capital on Sunday, killing two people and injuring four others, including a deputy provincial governor, police said.

0

World

Preparing your business for the unexpected That #39;s the estimate of how much damage Hurricane Charley has wracked upon Florida. Much of that has been done to small businesses.

2

Business

Phelps simply a cut above Michael Phelps has proven he is the best swimmer ever -- in and out of the pool. Yesterday, the 6-ft. 5-in. 19-year-old from Baltimore won his sixth gold medal to add to his two bronze, making him the swimmer

1

Sports

South Korea to File Petition With CAS on Gymnast #39;s Case The South Korean delegation to the Athens Olympics will file a petition on the case of Yang Tae-young, bronze medallist in gymnastics mens individual all-around event, with the Court of

1

Sports

One gamble Bears really had to take The Bears traded Marty Booker to Miami for Adewale Ogunleye because they had no choice but to do so. Talent levels being equal, a defensive end is more valuable than a wide receiver.

1

Sports

Five terrorists arrested in Pak. Islamabad, Aug. 22. (PTI): Pakistan #39;s security agencies have arrested five al Qaeda-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on senior leaders and key installations in the country, including the

0

World

Shell shuts 30,000 bpd more due to Nigeria protest Royal Dutch/Shell has shut in another 30,000 barrels per day of oil output in Nigeria due to a protest by villagers over jobs, bringing its total cut to 100,000 bpd, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

2

Business

He's running with it When NBC first called Bob Neumeier, he was asked if he'd be willing to work on Olympics wrestling and rowing coverage in Athens. quot;I was flattered and grateful for the opportunity, quot; he said. He was willing to learn the nuances of those sports at the Olympic level and start mastering the pronunciation of hundreds of new names.

1

Sports

Today's schedule Pro baseball: Eastern League -- Trenton vs. Portland (2) at Hadlock Field, Portland, Maine, 1 p.m.; New Hampshire vs. New Britain at New Britain (Conn.) Stadium, 1:30 p.m.; Northeast League -- North Shore vs. New Haven at Yale Field, New Haven, 2 p.m.; Elmira vs. Brockton (2) at Campanelli Stadium, Brockton, 5 p.m.

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Sports

Santana exception to rule The next time you're inclined to dismiss baseball's Rule 5 draft in December as an exercise of little consequence, remember that Johan Santana, the pitcher Pedro Martinez said reminded him of a younger version of himself, only with better stuff, was a Rule 5 pick five years ago.

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Sports

Transactions BASEBALL Kansas City (AL): Activated P Jeremy Affeldt from the 15-day DL; optioned P Jorge Vasquez to Wichita (Texas League).

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Notables The Twins were 3 for 4 on stolen bases and lead the majors with 39 steals in 49 attempts since the All-Star break.

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Green lifts Dodgers past Braves Shawn Green hit a grand slam and a solo homer to lead the host Los Angeles Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves, 7-4, yesterday, snapping Mike Hampton's string of seven straight wins.

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Sports

The Missing Shoppers Something odd happened on the way to global recovery. The shoppers are not turning out the way they normally do when things start to look up.

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Business

Greek weightlifter stripped of medal for drugs Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis, Greece #39;s first medal winner at the Athens Olympics, was stripped of his bronze medal and excluded from the Games Sunday for a doping offense, another big blow for the host nation which is welcoming the homecoming

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DAVENPORT HANDED FINAL PLACE Lindsay Davenport will face Vera Zvonareva in the final of the Cincinnati Open, after Marion Bartoli was forced to withdraw with a hand injury.

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Sports

Three tested for bird flu discharged from Malaysian hospital KUALA LUMPUR : Three Malaysians who fell ill in a village hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain have been discharged from a hospital after tests showed no sign of the virus, a senior official said.

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World

Rate hikes by Fed work in two ways If you #39;ve noticed that the price of everything from milk to gasoline to automobiles seems to be going up, you #39;re as observant as Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.

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Business

Santander May Drop Abbey on Competition Inquiry, Telegraph Says Santander Central Hispano SA, the biggest bank in Spain and Latin America, may drop its 8.2 billion (\$14.9 billion) offer to buy Abbey National Plc if rival bids lead to a long competition

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Business

Smart little suckers A new generation of robotic vacuums is ready to do battle with dirt, dust and dog hair with more cleaning power and cunning than their ancestors could muster.

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Sci/Tech

Relaxed atmosphere lifts Moore, List into final At the US Amateur, players wear shorts and spectators get to walk right down the fairways. So compared with the US Open, which is run by the same outfit, everything about this championship is decidedly relaxed.

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Sports

Pakistan cuffs Al-Qaida-linked terrorists ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Military forces arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists plotting to launch suicide attacks on the US Embassy and Pakistani leaders, the government said yesterday.

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World

Law: No feud with coach CINCINNATI -- Ty Law responded last night to reports published last week that he and coach Bill Belichick were feuding over a bonus for showing up at training camp in shape.

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Sports

Cleaning up Washington #39;s #39;Iraqi problem #39;: invest authority in ... Is there a quot;Sunni problem quot; in Iraq, as the United States would like us to believe? If there is, it is entirely of Washington #39;s making.

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World

French victim's family come to UK The family of a French woman murdered in south-west London are travelling to the UK to meet detectives.

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World

Pinsent considers future British rower Matthew Pinsent is undecided whether to go for a fifth gold medal in Beijing.

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Sports

Volkswagen #39;s Mexican Workers Accept Pay Increase, Reforma Says Mexican union workers for Volkswagen AG, Europe #39;s largest carmaker, accepted the company #39;s offer for a 6.1 percent pay increase and will return to work today after going on strike Wednesday, Reforma newspaper said.

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Business

Bad news? It #39;s good news for Bush It is now official: The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Last week #39;s Congressional Budget Office tax-burden study confirms what the eye can see: John Edwards #39; quot;two Americas quot; continues to grow.

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Business

US men hot-foot it in heats On target and on fire, the US men #39;s 100-meter sprinters scorched the Olympic Stadium #39;s fast track through two rounds yesterday to advance to today #39;s

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Sports

Agassi knocked out in surprising semifinal The top-seeded Agassi was eliminated in the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on Saturday in Washington by unseeded Gilles Muller.

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Sports

Spain #39;s win puts Serbia on brink Spain clinched first place in Group A with a 76-68 victory yesterday in Athens, leaving Serbia-Montenegro in danger of failing to reach the quarterfinals.

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Sports

Canada losing swagger In 1904 at the St. Louis Olympic Games, Canada won gold in soccer. In 1936 in Berlin, our nation won silver in basketball. That #39;s it for traditional team sports.

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Sports

People flee storm-ravaged Philippine towns as rescuers search for ... Panicked residents scrambled to flee three storm-ravaged coastal Philippine towns on Sunday while rescuers made last-ditch attempts to find survivors of the powerful storm that left more than 1,100 dead and missing.

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World

In Mars rock, telltale ripples and mysteries NEW YORK With one Mars rover climbing into the hills and the other descending deep into a crater, scientists reported the discovery of several mysterious rock structures, along with yet more signs that Mars was once awash in water.

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Sci/Tech

PINSENT WEIGHS UP FUTURE British rowing hero Matthew Pinsent is in no hurry make a decision over whether he will compete at the next Olympics in Beijing. Pinsent guided Britain to first place in the coxless fours at the Athens games

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Sports

Some 50 rebels killed in Chechnya: spokesman Russian troops killed some 50 rebels in a recent operation in Russia #39;s breakaway republic of Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported Sunday, quoting.

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World

Sporadic Violence in Bangladesh After Rally Attack DHAKA (Reuters) - Angry mobs ransacked a railway station and burned train coaches in Bangladesh on Sunday, officials said, as sporadic violence erupted after grenade attacks on an opposition party rally killed at least 17 people.

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World

Nesterenko of Belarus wins women #39;s 100m Olympic gold Belarus #39; Yuliya Nesterenko became the fastest woman in the world, winning the 100m gold medal at the Olympic Games here Saturday evening.

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News Briefs Stewart Cink seized control of the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio, with six straight one-putt greens and a chip-in from 50 feet for birdie on the 18th hole Saturday for a 2-under 68, giving him a five-shot lead over a trio of Ryder Cup teammates.

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HK wins first Olympic medal since 1997 Table tennis players Li Ching and Ko Lai Chak won here Saturday the first Olympic medal for Chinese Hong Kong since the former British-occupied territory returned to China on July 1, 1997.

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Sports

Young French woman murdered in London park LONDON, Aug 21 (AFP) - A young Frenchwoman has been bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument in a park on the outskirts of London and police do not rule out that she was the victim of an unknown serial killer, they said Saturday.

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World

Three more Malaysians face bird flu checks Three children of a Malaysian vet have joined her in hospital for checks to see if they have bird flu, state media reported on Sunday.

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World

Israel Bus Blast Said Mechanical Problem (AP) AP - An Israeli bus exploded in a Jerusalem neighborhood early Sunday, but officials said the blast had been caused by a mechanical problem. There were no injuries.

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World

China's President Hails Deng Xiaoping (AP) AP - Speaking to hundreds of top leaders and ordinary citizens, China's President Hu Jintao hailed Deng Xiaoping as the architect of China's economic reforms on Sunday, the 100-year anniversary of the late supreme leader's birth.

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Rivals: Cisco's tactics unfair (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - Cisco Systems' substantial influence over the #36;8 million technology plan for San Jose's new City Hall reflects a deliberate strategy by the networking giant: get involved in the planning process early to win more business down the road.

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Sci/Tech

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

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Business

Metro briefs A Bolingbrook firm is recalling 406,000 pounds of frozen beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli, officials said. The Quantum Foods beef, including frozen patties and steaks, were produced June 23 and 24 and distributed nationwide.

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Business

The world is Borders #39; oyster Borders Group Inc. made \$120 million in profits in 2003, hauling in most of that money from its 450 Borders superstores in the United States.

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Business

Competition Probe Threatens Abbey Deal The Spanish bank poised to take over Abbey National will walk away if the 8.2 billion deal is stalled by competition concerns, it was reported today.

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Business

Greek weightlifter stripped of bronze Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis on Sunday was stripped of the bronze medal he won last week and banished from the Athens Games for failing an antidoping test.

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Sports

Baffling day in baffling race It was another glorious opportunity for the Giants to provide an answer to the burning question of the day, namely, quot;How the hell are these guys in the wild-card race?

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Sports

WOMENS POLE VAULT A huge comedown for defending champ Dragila Athens -- Stacy Dragila, the first great woman pole vaulter and 2000 Olympic champion, will not be defending her gold medal in Athens.

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Sports

US military launches attack outside Najaf shrine US troops and warplanes pounded Mehdi Army positions outside the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf early Sunday, US military officials said.

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Prime Minister says he #39;s satisfied Guantanamo Bay offers ... Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday he remains satisfied that the US military trial awaiting Australian terror suspect David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be consistent with Australian criminal justice.

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World

EA game #39;Madden #39; tops 1.3 million first week quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts #39; pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said Thursday, citing internal figures.

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Sci/Tech

Germany #39;s Schumann wins pistol gold : Germany #39;s Ralf Schumann Saturday claimed his third Olympic gold when he won the men #39;s 25 metres rapid pistol event scoring 694.

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Sports

Critical penalty costs Raiders quot;There have been a lot of BS calls, just like that one, quot; Scott said, referring to the new interpretation of the 5-yard rule.

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Sports

World News gt; US launches fresh offensive against Iraqi rebels: US aircrafts Sunday pounded positions held by militants loyal to Iraq #39;s radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the besieged sacred city of Najaf, Xinhua reports.

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World

BA staff call off holiday strikes A planned strike by British Airways staff that threatened to disrupt the travel plans of half a million people was halted yesterday after management and workers reached an agreement.

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World

Taking stock During the salad days of the Internet frenzy, it was common to hear murmurings like this in Silicon Valley: quot;That house on the corner was listed for \$1.

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Business

Hamid Karzai to arrive Islamabad on Monday ISLAMABAD : Afghan President Hamid Karzai is arriving in Islamabad on Monday on a two day visit to Pakistan. He will have talks with President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Ch.

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Business

Gary airport development vital to entire state The US government made this clear in recent weeks as the Federal Aviation Administration held meetings to get the big airlines to reduce the number of flights they put through O #39;Hare.

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Business

Seiko Epson Develops Micro Flying Robot Seiko Epson Corp. is developing a flying robot that looks like a miniature helicopter and is about the size of a giant bug. The company hopes it #39;ll prove handy for security, disaster rescue and space exploration.

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Sci/Tech

Phelps watches and wins Phelps tied the record for most medals by an athlete at a single Olympics, matching the achievement of Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin in the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.

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Williams happy with silver in 100 Nesterenko, a Belarusian who had never broken 11 seconds before the Olympics but did it in all four rounds here, won gold in 10.93 seconds.

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Sports

Raiders #39; revamped defense still needs tinkering An online scouting service recently rated the Dallas Cowboys in a tie with the 49ers as the second least-talented offense in the NFL.

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Sports

Everton to meet on Monday to discuss new funding Everton #39;s board of directors will meet on Monday to discuss new investment in the hard-up English Premier League side, the club said on Sunday.

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Sports

Ten al-Qaeda suspects arrested in Pakistan for planned attacks Islamabad, Aug 22 (DPA) Pakistan #39;s Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said today that the security agencies have arrested at least ten suspected al-Qaeda operatives who were planning to attack important government and US targets in Islamabad last week.

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World

Greenspan in Focus This Week LONDON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan will hog the limelight in financial markets this week as investors seek clues on how quickly U.S. interest rates will rise as soaring oil prices start to affect economic activity.

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Business

Google Roadshows Left Small Investors Out NEW YORK (Reuters) - The initial public offering of Internet search engine Google Inc. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">GOOG.O</A> was billed as a bonanza for millions of U.S. investors -- but the little guy, with check in hand, was left out of the party.

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Business

U.S. OKs Status of 10 Guantanamo Prisoners GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - U.S. military review panels have decided not to release 10 Guantanamo Bay detainees, concluding they were properly classified as "enemy combatants," a military official said Saturday...

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World

Oil Falls from Highs After Missing \$50 Oil prices eased from new highs on Friday as dealers pocketed profits from a long record-breaking run after escalating violence in Iraq took US crude close to \$50 a barrel.

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Business

Business View: It #39;s looking like Madrid or bust for Abbey No Mates Are cracks appearing in the Abbey-Santander romance? Certainly, the engaged couple do not seem as close as they were a few days ago.

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Business

Judges rule file-sharing software legal update A federal appeals court has upheld a controversial court decision that said file-sharing software programs such as Grokster or Morpheus are legal.

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Sci/Tech