SetFit/ag_news · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Shell Settles Corporate Fraud Charges for \$120 Million Royal Dutch/Shell, one of the world #39;s largest oil companies, agreed yesterday to pay \$120 million in penalties to settle charges of corporate fraud with the Securities and Exchange Commission for overstating its oil reserves.	2	Business
TD, Banknorth in Talks on Possible Deal Canada #39;s Toronto Dominion Bank (TD.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday that it is in talks with US-based Banknorth Group (BNK.	2	Business
Update 4: Kuwait Foreign Minister Discusses Oil Kuwait #39;s foreign minister said Wednesday that Middle East oil exporters are producing at maximum capacity to stabilize prices that are being driven up by speculators from outside the region.	2	Business
Japan #39;s banking revival starts with a cleanup quot;Revival starts with a cleanup, quot; said post-World War II finance minister Juichi Tsushima on August 17, 1945. And a convoluted cleanup in Japan #39;s banking business is what is under way today.	2	Business
EU will probe Microsoft, Time Warner buy European antitrust regulators have announced they will conduct an in-depth investigation into a plan by Microsoft and Time Warner to acquire digital rights management company ContentGuard, a move that #39;s seen as a setback for the deal.	2	Business
Toll Brothers profit jumps 56 percent NEW YORK - Toll Brothers Inc., a US builder of luxury homes, said on Wednesday third-quarter profit rose 56 percent, easily beating analysts forecasts, helped by record home-building revenue.	2	Business
Durable Goods Orders Rise on Plane Demand Orders for US durable goods -- items meant to last at least three years -- posted a larger-than-expected rise in July, boosted by an increase in demand for passenger	2	Business
HHG buoyed by return to profits British insurer and fund manager HHG was back in the black at the half-year stage today as it recovered from losses of 902m (1.	2	Business
ATA says its not leaving Midway Airport INDIANAPOLIS ATA Airlines is denying reports that it wants to sell its gates at Chicago #39;s Midway Airport. The Indianapolis-based airline released a brief statement from chairman J-George Mikelsons, saying	2	Business
Stocks to Open Higher, Oil Still Focus US stocks are expected to open modestly higher Wednesday, as oil prices remain center stage but thin summer volumes are likely to continue.	2	Business
Microsoft announces SP2 support for Singapore users The days of piece-meal patching and shipped updates are over as Microsoft Singapore urged users to take advantage of the Automatic Updates feature in Windows XP to upgrade to Service Pack 2 (SP2).	3	Sci/Tech
UT club has dreams of a mission to the red planet and a small but determined group of engineering graduate students is organizing to get the word out. Members of the campus chapter of	3	Sci/Tech
NTT DoCoMo, Motorola Strike Phone Deal NTT DoCoMo, Japan #39;s top mobile-phone carrier, and Motorola Inc., the world #39;s No. 2 cell-phone maker, plan to develop a next-generation mobile phone that subscribers in Japan can also use while traveling in	3	Sci/Tech
Semiconductor sales booming in 2004 Worldwide semiconductor sales will reach \$226bn in 2004, a 27.4 per cent increase from 2003, according to the latest prediction from Gartner.	3	Sci/Tech
New RealPlayer Software Manages Media From Different Stores <b>...</b> Harmony, which is incorporated in version 10.5 (and will also be in the next version of the RealRhapsody music service), allows the player to manage Digital Rights Management (DRM)-protected	3	Sci/Tech
Aussie teacher quits after web threats AN AUSSIE teacher has quit after 35 years after his students threatened him on a web page. Greg Frawley was one of about 10 teachers threatened on the page set up by students at Hurlstone Agricultural High School.	3	Sci/Tech
Yahoo! loses US appeal over French ruling on Nazi auctions Yahoo! has lost an appeal against a US district courts ruling which said that the company does not have to obey a French courts decision requiring it to block French citizens from accessing internet auctions of Nazi memorabilia at Yahoo!	3	Sci/Tech
Cisco boosts carrier offerings with P-Cube buy Cisco Systems has confirmed that it is to spend \$200m to acquire privately held P-Cube, a California-based developer of internet protocol (IP) service control platforms.	3	Sci/Tech
Microsoft pulls out of standards group over intellectual property <b>...</b> Microsoft has pulled out of an international standards body because of concerns over control of intellectual property contributed to the group.	3	Sci/Tech
US tops the spam league The US is the originator of over 42 of the worlds unsolicited commercial e-mail, making it the worst offender in a league table of the top 12 spam producing countries published yesterday by anti-virus firm Sophos.	3	Sci/Tech
SMIC to challenge latest TSMC infringement claims Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) said Wednesday it will defend itself against the latest allegations of patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation	3	Sci/Tech
UN organizes open-source software day across Asia The United Nations, through its International Open Source Network (IOSN) will organize the first annual Software Freedom Day on Saturday in an effort to educate Asian users	3	Sci/Tech
Hollywood sues DVD-chip makers The Motion Picture Ass. of America (MPAA) yesterday confirmed the organisation has begun legal proceedings against two makers of DVD chip alleging that the pair #39;s willingness to offer their products more widely than they should.	3	Sci/Tech
Actuate Joins Eclipse; Starts Open Source BI Project Actuate Corp. announced that it has joined the Eclipse Foundation, the organization focused on delivering an open source development environment, and has launched a new Eclipse project to focus on open-source business intelligence and reporting tools.	3	Sci/Tech
SAP Delivers for the Mailman Neither rain nor sleet nor gloom of night can keep the US Postal Service from its appointed rounds, but a 25-year-old Human Resources software system is apparently stopping the mailman in his tracks.	3	Sci/Tech
NASA Picks Swede Launch Site for Balloons STOCKHOLM, Sweden Aug. 24, 2004 - NASA has agreed to launch its largest scientific balloons from a site in northern Sweden, a spokesman said Tuesday.	3	Sci/Tech
Google #39;s Real Rivals: Yahoo, MSN, And Amazon A customer-satisfaction study of E-business Web sites says Google has a huge lead among search-engine sites but will face still challenges from portals.	3	Sci/Tech
3rd time proves golden charm for El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj was likening the meaning of his daughter #39;s name to the precious gold he had earned, but the Moroccan might as well have been describing the last half of the men #39;s 1,500 meters at Olympic Stadium last night.	1	Sports
Olympic Results: Wednesday, August 25 The first of 18 gold medals to be awarded Wednesday, on the 12th day of the summer Olympics in Athens goes to Kate Allen of Austria.	1	Sports
Greek judo star dies after leap ATHENS A member of Greeces Olympic judo squad who leaped from a third-story apartment after an argument with her boyfriend just days before the Athens Games has died, a hospital source said Tuesday.	1	Sports
Isinbayeva aims to be female Bubka Yelena Isinbayeva beat her own world record to clinch the Olympic women #39;s pole vault gold on Tuesday coming one step closer to matching the performances of her idol, Sergei Bubka.	1	Sports
Olympic diary: Day 12 Brazilian fans got a little bit too excited during the final of the women #39;s beach volleyball competition. Seeing that their team of Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar was struggling	1	Sports
Moorcroft Would Back Radcliffe Bid David Moorcroft believes Paula Radcliffe is capable of making the impossible possible by competing in the Olympic 10,000metres in Athens.	1	Sports
Foudy Improves, Remains Game-Time Decision ATHENS, Greece - US soccer captain Julie Foudy #39;s sprained right ankle showed signs of improvement Wednesday, although she remains a game-time decision for Thursday #39;s gold-medal game against Brazil.	1	Sports
US boxer topples the Russian giant He saw the looks and he heard the snickers and he guessed that the joke was at his expense. Boxing has never been the subtlest of sports, and Ward has never been the largest of light heavyweights.	1	Sports
Danish player strike is called off Danish league players suspended their weeklong strike on Wednesday, allowing the Brondby and Aalborg clubs to field their full squads for Thursday #39;s UEFA Cup matches.	1	Sports
Sudan accepts deployment of more AU peacekeepers: official Sudan is to accept the deployment of more African peacekeepers for the cantonment of the rebels in Darfur, Sudanese Agriculture Minister Majzoub al-Khalifa said Wednesday, as	0	World
Settling Israeli Settlements Palestinian officials have called on the Bush administration to clarify its position on the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.	0	World
Polio threatening to reach epidemic proportions in Africa The crippling Polio disease has spread to at least one dozen countries in West and Central Africa and is threatening to become an epidemic, the United Nations has said.	0	World
Palestinian intelligence chief shot Gunmen ambushed the head of the Palestinian intelligence service in Gaza City today, seriously wounding him in the chest and killing two bodyguards after opening fire on his convoy, Palestinian officials said.	0	World
BA cancels four more flights British Airways has cancelled four domestic flights but says other services have returned to normal at Heathrow Airport after severe disruptions earlier this week.	0	World
Pakistan #39;s Caretaker Prime Minister Steps Down Pakistan #39;s caretaker prime minister has stepped down, clearing the way for Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to take control of the country #39;s Parliament.	0	World
Hopes for peace talks as Nepal rebels lift blockade Nepal #39;s ruling coalition has expressed hopes for peace talks with Maoist rebels, as the capital, Kathmandu, returned to normal after the rebels lifted a week-long blockade.	0	World
Japan #39;s NTT DoCoMo, Motorola strike deal to develop mobile phone TOKYO Schaumburg(Illinois)-based Motorola and Japan #39;s top mobile-phone carrier plan to develop a more sophisticated mobile phone that subscribers in Japan can use while traveling to other parts of Asia and to Europe.	3	Sci/Tech
Rulon Gardner Loses Bid for Repeat Gold (AP) AP - Rulon Gardner was in another Olympic wrestling upset #151; his own. One of the biggest stars of the 2000 Summer Games, Gardner was thrown to the mat in overtime Wednesday by Kazakhstan's Georgi Tsurtsumia and lost 4-1 in his Greco-Roman semifinal match.	1	Sports
Durable Goods Orders Rise on Plane Demand (Reuters) Reuters - Orders for U.S. durable goods --\items meant to last at least three years -- posted a\larger-than-expected rise in July, boosted by an increase in\demand for passenger aircraft, a Commerce Department report on\Wednesday showed.	2	Business
Oil Prices Halt Three-Day Losing Streak (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices rose modestly on Wednesday,\halting a three-day losing streak on profit-taking from record\highs near #36;50 a barrel.	2	Business
Two Russian Planes Crash, Cause Unclear (Reuters) Reuters - Two Russian passenger planes crashed\almost simultaneously, killing all 89 people on board in what\investigators said on Wednesday was probably a freak\coincidence but might have been a terrorist attack.	0	World
Beltre Hits 40th in Dodgers' Win (AP) AP - Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam to become the first player to reach 40 home runs this season, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 10-2 victory over the Montreal Expos on Tuesday night. His previous career high for homers was 23, set last season.	1	Sports
TD, Banknorth in Talks on Possible Deal (Reuters) Reuters - Canada's Toronto Dominion Bank (TD.TO)\said on Wednesday that it is in talks with U.S.-based Banknorth\Group (BNK.N) about a possible deal.	2	Business
DoubleClick Signs on MSN to Use Its Rich Media Ads (Reuters) Reuters - A top executive for Web marketing\company DoubleClick (DCLK.O) on Tuesday said Microsoft Corp's\(MSFT.O) MSN Web portal will use its rich media ads online,\paving the way for wider use of a key DoubleClick product.	3	Sci/Tech
EU Probes Microsoft/Time Warner Venture (Reuters) Reuters - The European Commission on Wednesday\launched an in-depth investigation of plans by Microsoft Corp.\and Time Warner Inc. to acquire joint control of U.S.\ContentGuard Holdings Inc.	2	Business
Jeter Helps Yankees Steal One in Cleveland (AP) AP - A night after he was hit on the left elbow by a pitch, Derek Jeter stole two bases in the ninth inning and scored on Hideki Matsui's two-out single to lead the visiting New York Yankees past Cleveland 5-4 Tuesday night, handing the Indians their ninth straight loss.	1	Sports
Typhoon Aere Pounds Taiwan, Heads Into China (Reuters) Reuters - A powerful typhoon triggered landslides\and flash floods in northern Taiwan on Wednesday before plowing\into China where hundreds of thousands of people have been\evacuated.	0	World
Justice Dept. to Announce Cyber-Crime Crackdown (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The Justice Department is set to announce a major crackdown on cyber-crime that will include arrests, subpoenas and property seizures of alleged e-mail spammers and online scam artists, according to law enforcement and industry sources.	3	Sci/Tech
Redefining Swedishness (and causing a stir in the literary world) (AFP) AFP - In once uniform Sweden, a book being hailed as the ultimate generational novel serves as a reminder that you no longer need to be a blond, blue-eyed, beer-guzzling giant, or even speak the language correctly, to be considered truly Swedish.	0	World
NTT DoCoMo, Motorola Strike Phone Deal (AP) AP - NTT DoCoMo, Japan's top mobile-phone carrier, and Motorola Inc., the world's No. 2 cell-phone maker, plan to develop a more sophisticated mobile phone that subscribers in Japan can also use while traveling to other parts of Asia as well as Europe, the companies said Wednesday.	3	Sci/Tech
Gunmen Attack Senior Palestinian Officer (AP) AP - Gunmen opened fire at a convoy carrying the deputy Palestinian intelligence chief on Wednesday, seriously wounding him in the chest and killing two bodyguards, Palestinian officials said.	0	World
Jets Sign Quarterback Quincy Carter (AP) AP - Herman Edwards believes not giving Quincy Carter a second chance would be a crime.	1	Sports
Canada Picks Same-Sex Advocates As Judges (AP) AP - Two judges known for supporting same-sex unions were nominated Tuesday to fill vacancies on Canada's Supreme Court, and they will be assessed in the country's first-ever public screening of such appointments.	0	World
Mortgage Applications Off in Aug. 20 Week (Reuters) Reuters - New applications for U.S. home loans\fell last week after a brief bounce, as 30-year mortgage\interest rates edged up, an industry group said on Wednesday.	2	Business
NTT DoCoMo, Motorola to develop 3G mobile handset for business users (AFP) AFP - Japan's top cellphone operator NTT DoCoMo and US telecoms giant Motorola announced a deal to jointly develop a third-generation handset for business users, marking the American company's first major foray into the lucrative Japanese mobile phone market.	3	Sci/Tech
Zimbabwe Opposition to Boycott Elections (AP) AP - Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change said Wednesday that it would boycott future elections until the government reforms election laws, ends what the movement calls state-sponsored political violence and repeals what it terms repressive media and security laws.	0	World
Bryant Judge Restricts Courtroom Cameras (AP) AP - The judge in the Kobe Bryant rape case on Tuesday sharply restricted how the news media may cover the trial using television and still cameras, saying he was worried too much exposure could threaten the fairness of the proceedings.	1	Sports
Actuate Joins Eclipse, Starts Open-Source BI Project (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - After joining the Eclipse Foundation, the company launches a project to create open-source business intelligence and reporting tools.	3	Sci/Tech
Baseball Today (AP) AP - San Francisco at Florida (7:05 p.m. EDT). Giants rookie Noah Lowry (3-0) starts against Dontrelle Willis (9-9).	1	Sports
Fact and Comment (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - The news from Iran is grim. This Islamic dictatorship--the biggest source of terrorist training and financing in the world and the nation that's doing all it can to stir up trouble in already combustible Iraq--is clearly on the cusp of becoming a nuclear power. The clerical fascists running the country have dropped just about all pretense of their atomic programs being energy-related only. Tehran announced in July that it had resumed making the centrifuges needed to produce highly enriched uranium, a key ingredient for nuclear bombs. ...	2	Business
Toronto hostage-taker holds woman at gunpoint, shot dead by police: reports (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - An armed hostage-taking at the height of morning rush-hour in front of Toronto's busy Union Station on Monday morning ended with a police sharpshooter killing a male suspect, broadcast reports said.	0	World
EU Extends Review of Microsoft Deal (AP) AP - Software giant Microsoft Corp. and the media and entertainment powerhouse Time Warner Inc. ran into fresh trouble with the European Union on Wednesday as antitrust regulators ordered an in-depth probe of their deal to collaborate in making anti-piracy software.	3	Sci/Tech
Critical Netscape Flaw Found (PC World) PC World - Web servers may be vulnerable to attack, security company warns.	3	Sci/Tech
Sharapova Loses to Wild Card in Conn. (AP) AP - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova was upset in three sets by wild card Mashona Washington Tuesday in the Pilot Pen tennis tournament. Sharapova had 12 double-faults in the match. Three of them occurred in the two games that Washington broke the fourth-seeded Russian in the deciding set of her 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win.	1	Sports
Els Reflects on Season of Heartache (AP) AP - "To be No. 1 in the world is one thing, but to win a major, that's what we all strive for. That's what we all want." #151; Ernie Els, three weeks before the Masters.	1	Sports
Humpback Whale Trapped at Power Plant (AP) AP - A hydroelectric plant in Nova Scotia remained closed Tuesday after a wayward humpback whale swam through the underwater gates connecting the facility with the Atlantic Ocean.	3	Sci/Tech
Trading Privacy for Convenience A test project, now in use at Reagan National Airport, aims to give frequent fliers a quicker pass through security checkpoints by using the latest biometric technologies -- such as eye scans -- to verify a passenger's identity.	2	Business
NASA Picks Swede Launch Site for Balloons (AP) AP - NASA has agreed to launch its largest scientific balloons from a site in northern Sweden, a spokesman said Tuesday.	3	Sci/Tech
Project Shows Promise for Grape Growers (AP) AP - Since the discovery five years ago that a ravenous insect was spreading grape-killing Pierce's Disease in California, grape growers have contributed millions of dollars to fund research projects they hope can end the scourge.	3	Sci/Tech
Skilled Labor in High Demand, Low Supply Some contend that low-cost labor in India, China and elsewhere is far from the only thing inhibiting job growth in the United States -- skilled workers just aren't out there. American adults rank 12th in literacy among those of 20 high-income, industrialized countries, according to a study.	2	Business
Blueberry Compound Fights Cholesterol, Study Finds (Reuters) Reuters - A compound used by blueberries and\grapes to fight off fungal infections could help lower\cholesterol, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.	3	Sci/Tech
Fishing Warnings Up Due to Mercury Pollution-EPA (Reuters) Reuters - Americans were cautioned about\eating fish from more than one-third of U.S. lakes and nearly\one-fourth of its rivers last year due to pollution from\mercury and other chemicals, the U.S. Environmental Protection\Agency said on Tuesday.	3	Sci/Tech
Weak El Nino Forecast in Pacific by End August-NOAA (Reuters) Reuters - A weak El Nino, a weather pattern\that distorts wind and rainfall patterns worldwide, is expected\to develop in the central Pacific by the end of this month,\U.S. government forecasters said on Tuesday.	3	Sci/Tech
Molineux joy at Hoddle deal Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has been unveiled as the new boss of Championship strugglers Wolves. Hoddles appointment was announced at a Molineux press conference this morning, and he will take charge of the side for an initial six-month period.	1	Sports
Inhaled Anthrax Vaccine Protects in Animals-Report (Reuters) Reuters - A powdered anthrax vaccine that\people potentially could take by themselves protects rabbits\against the deadliest form of the bacteria, researchers said on\Tuesday.	3	Sci/Tech
Durable Goods Orders Rise in July America's factories saw orders for costly manufactured goods in July post the biggest gain in four months, an encouraging sign that the economy is emerging from an early summer funk.	2	Business
China raises domestic fuel prices China is planning to raise domestic petrol and diesel retail prices by about 6 as crude oil prices stay near record highs.	2	Business
Cigarette firm acts in tax row One of Canada's biggest cigarette firms seeks creditor protection after a C\$1.4bn(US\$1bn) tax claim over alleged smuggling.	2	Business
US house sales fall in July Sales of non-new houses in the US fell last month but still exceeded analyst forecasts.	2	Business
Famous film maker put up for sale Ilford Imaging, the world's largest producer of black and white camera film, is up for sale after going into administration.	2	Business
State discloses venture results Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill yesterday released results for the 103 venture capital funds the state pension plan invested in from 1986 through 1998, which ranged from a searing 127 percent annual gain to a dismal 46 percent annual decline.	2	Business
Funeral director suspended for 5 years A state regulatory board yesterday handed a five-year suspension to a Lawrence funeral director accused of unprofessional conduct and deceptive practices, including one case where he refused to complete funeral arrangements for a client because she had purchased a lower-priced casket elsewhere.	2	Business
Putnam as pariah The flagship George Putnam fund has managed to beat the Dow Jones industrial average by four percentage points in this year's trying market.	2	Business
Shakedown street Whether you live in Brookline or Scituate or Framingham, it is a good day when the town finally gets around to doing something about your beaten-up street. The potholes get filled, and the street gets repaved. New sidewalks and lighting go in. Trees and even some flowers are planted.	2	Business
Jeter Walks, Runs and Pulls Yanks to Victory Derek Jeter, who suffered a bone bruise on his left elbow when he was plunked by a pitch Monday, not only played Tuesday, but he turned out to be the star.	1	Sports
In place of dollars, a cool change Cash has never been so cool. Usher Raymond IV, the 25-year-old R amp;B singer who has been dubbed the king of pop, launched the Usher Debit MasterCard late last month. The sleek black card, which features the artist's face, has been passed out to concertgoers during his nationwide ''The Truth Tour. quot; The card is also available through a website, ushermc.com.	2	Business
Jets Turn to Carter to Back Up Pennington Dissatisfied by the performance of three backups who have never taken a regular-season snap in the N.F.L., the Jets signed Quincy Carter.	1	Sports
July home sales strong An expected spike in mortgage rates was supposed to cool off the red-hot housing market, but that spike failed to happen, and real estate sales remained strong in July both locally and nationally, according to reports released yesterday.	2	Business
Prices for oil fall for 3d day WASHINGTON -- Oil prices tumbled for a third consecutive day yesterday, briefly falling below \$45 a barrel, as geopolitical concerns that had brought the market to a boil in recent weeks appeared to cool off.	2	Business
Yukos suffers another setback MOSCOW -- Russian oil company Yukos suffered a fresh setback yesterday in its survival struggle against multibillion-dollar tax bills when one of its appeals was thrown out and another adjourned by a Moscow court.	2	Business
Royal Dutch/Shell fined \$120m WASHINGTON -- A \$120 million fine levied on Royal Dutch/Shell Group by the Securities and Exchange Commission resolves the company's part in the SEC inquiry into the overstatement of oil and gas reserves, but the role of individuals is still under investigation, regulators said yesterday..	2	Business
A young monk opens a rare window of candor in Tibet He confirms Chinese are diluting traditional Buddhist culture and the monks' role.	0	World
Fresh face lift ATHENS -- In a race of attrition that resembled a demolition derby as much as an Olympic final, Joanna Hayes of the United States captured gold in the 100-meter hurdles last night because she managed to keep her feet while others were losing theirs.	1	Sports

Shell Settles Corporate Fraud Charges for \$120 Million Royal Dutch/Shell, one of the world #39;s largest oil companies, agreed yesterday to pay \$120 million in penalties to settle charges of corporate fraud with the Securities and Exchange Commission for overstating its oil reserves.

2

Business

TD, Banknorth in Talks on Possible Deal Canada #39;s Toronto Dominion Bank (TD.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday that it is in talks with US-based Banknorth Group (BNK.

2

Business

Update 4: Kuwait Foreign Minister Discusses Oil Kuwait #39;s foreign minister said Wednesday that Middle East oil exporters are producing at maximum capacity to stabilize prices that are being driven up by speculators from outside the region.

2

Business

Japan #39;s banking revival starts with a cleanup quot;Revival starts with a cleanup, quot; said post-World War II finance minister Juichi Tsushima on August 17, 1945. And a convoluted cleanup in Japan #39;s banking business is what is under way today.

2

Business

EU will probe Microsoft, Time Warner buy European antitrust regulators have announced they will conduct an in-depth investigation into a plan by Microsoft and Time Warner to acquire digital rights management company ContentGuard, a move that #39;s seen as a setback for the deal.

2

Business

Toll Brothers profit jumps 56 percent NEW YORK - Toll Brothers Inc., a US builder of luxury homes, said on Wednesday third-quarter profit rose 56 percent, easily beating analysts forecasts, helped by record home-building revenue.

2

Business

Durable Goods Orders Rise on Plane Demand Orders for US durable goods -- items meant to last at least three years -- posted a larger-than-expected rise in July, boosted by an increase in demand for passenger

2

Business

HHG buoyed by return to profits British insurer and fund manager HHG was back in the black at the half-year stage today as it recovered from losses of 902m (1.

2

Business

ATA says its not leaving Midway Airport INDIANAPOLIS ATA Airlines is denying reports that it wants to sell its gates at Chicago #39;s Midway Airport. The Indianapolis-based airline released a brief statement from chairman J-George Mikelsons, saying

2

Business

Stocks to Open Higher, Oil Still Focus US stocks are expected to open modestly higher Wednesday, as oil prices remain center stage but thin summer volumes are likely to continue.

2

Business

Microsoft announces SP2 support for Singapore users The days of piece-meal patching and shipped updates are over as Microsoft Singapore urged users to take advantage of the Automatic Updates feature in Windows XP to upgrade to Service Pack 2 (SP2).

3

Sci/Tech

UT club has dreams of a mission to the red planet and a small but determined group of engineering graduate students is organizing to get the word out. Members of the campus chapter of

3

Sci/Tech

NTT DoCoMo, Motorola Strike Phone Deal NTT DoCoMo, Japan #39;s top mobile-phone carrier, and Motorola Inc., the world #39;s No. 2 cell-phone maker, plan to develop a next-generation mobile phone that subscribers in Japan can also use while traveling in

3

Sci/Tech

Semiconductor sales booming in 2004 Worldwide semiconductor sales will reach \$226bn in 2004, a 27.4 per cent increase from 2003, according to the latest prediction from Gartner.

3

Sci/Tech

New RealPlayer Software Manages Media From Different Stores <b>...</b> Harmony, which is incorporated in version 10.5 (and will also be in the next version of the RealRhapsody music service), allows the player to manage Digital Rights Management (DRM)-protected

3

Sci/Tech

Aussie teacher quits after web threats AN AUSSIE teacher has quit after 35 years after his students threatened him on a web page. Greg Frawley was one of about 10 teachers threatened on the page set up by students at Hurlstone Agricultural High School.

3

Sci/Tech

Yahoo! loses US appeal over French ruling on Nazi auctions Yahoo! has lost an appeal against a US district courts ruling which said that the company does not have to obey a French courts decision requiring it to block French citizens from accessing internet auctions of Nazi memorabilia at Yahoo!

3

Sci/Tech

Cisco boosts carrier offerings with P-Cube buy Cisco Systems has confirmed that it is to spend \$200m to acquire privately held P-Cube, a California-based developer of internet protocol (IP) service control platforms.

3

Sci/Tech

Microsoft pulls out of standards group over intellectual property <b>...</b> Microsoft has pulled out of an international standards body because of concerns over control of intellectual property contributed to the group.

3

Sci/Tech

US tops the spam league The US is the originator of over 42 of the worlds unsolicited commercial e-mail, making it the worst offender in a league table of the top 12 spam producing countries published yesterday by anti-virus firm Sophos.

3

Sci/Tech

SMIC to challenge latest TSMC infringement claims Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) said Wednesday it will defend itself against the latest allegations of patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation

3

Sci/Tech

UN organizes open-source software day across Asia The United Nations, through its International Open Source Network (IOSN) will organize the first annual Software Freedom Day on Saturday in an effort to educate Asian users

3

Sci/Tech

Hollywood sues DVD-chip makers The Motion Picture Ass. of America (MPAA) yesterday confirmed the organisation has begun legal proceedings against two makers of DVD chip alleging that the pair #39;s willingness to offer their products more widely than they should.

3

Sci/Tech

Actuate Joins Eclipse; Starts Open Source BI Project Actuate Corp. announced that it has joined the Eclipse Foundation, the organization focused on delivering an open source development environment, and has launched a new Eclipse project to focus on open-source business intelligence and reporting tools.

3

Sci/Tech

SAP Delivers for the Mailman Neither rain nor sleet nor gloom of night can keep the US Postal Service from its appointed rounds, but a 25-year-old Human Resources software system is apparently stopping the mailman in his tracks.

3

Sci/Tech

NASA Picks Swede Launch Site for Balloons STOCKHOLM, Sweden Aug. 24, 2004 - NASA has agreed to launch its largest scientific balloons from a site in northern Sweden, a spokesman said Tuesday.

3

Sci/Tech

Google #39;s Real Rivals: Yahoo, MSN, And Amazon A customer-satisfaction study of E-business Web sites says Google has a huge lead among search-engine sites but will face still challenges from portals.

3

Sci/Tech

3rd time proves golden charm for El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj was likening the meaning of his daughter #39;s name to the precious gold he had earned, but the Moroccan might as well have been describing the last half of the men #39;s 1,500 meters at Olympic Stadium last night.

1

Sports

Olympic Results: Wednesday, August 25 The first of 18 gold medals to be awarded Wednesday, on the 12th day of the summer Olympics in Athens goes to Kate Allen of Austria.

1

Sports

Greek judo star dies after leap ATHENS A member of Greeces Olympic judo squad who leaped from a third-story apartment after an argument with her boyfriend just days before the Athens Games has died, a hospital source said Tuesday.

1

Sports

Isinbayeva aims to be female Bubka Yelena Isinbayeva beat her own world record to clinch the Olympic women #39;s pole vault gold on Tuesday coming one step closer to matching the performances of her idol, Sergei Bubka.

1

Sports

Olympic diary: Day 12 Brazilian fans got a little bit too excited during the final of the women #39;s beach volleyball competition. Seeing that their team of Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar was struggling

1

Sports

Moorcroft Would Back Radcliffe Bid David Moorcroft believes Paula Radcliffe is capable of making the impossible possible by competing in the Olympic 10,000metres in Athens.

1

Sports

Foudy Improves, Remains Game-Time Decision ATHENS, Greece - US soccer captain Julie Foudy #39;s sprained right ankle showed signs of improvement Wednesday, although she remains a game-time decision for Thursday #39;s gold-medal game against Brazil.

1

Sports

US boxer topples the Russian giant He saw the looks and he heard the snickers and he guessed that the joke was at his expense. Boxing has never been the subtlest of sports, and Ward has never been the largest of light heavyweights.

1

Sports

Danish player strike is called off Danish league players suspended their weeklong strike on Wednesday, allowing the Brondby and Aalborg clubs to field their full squads for Thursday #39;s UEFA Cup matches.

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Sports

Sudan accepts deployment of more AU peacekeepers: official Sudan is to accept the deployment of more African peacekeepers for the cantonment of the rebels in Darfur, Sudanese Agriculture Minister Majzoub al-Khalifa said Wednesday, as

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Settling Israeli Settlements Palestinian officials have called on the Bush administration to clarify its position on the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

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Polio threatening to reach epidemic proportions in Africa The crippling Polio disease has spread to at least one dozen countries in West and Central Africa and is threatening to become an epidemic, the United Nations has said.

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Palestinian intelligence chief shot Gunmen ambushed the head of the Palestinian intelligence service in Gaza City today, seriously wounding him in the chest and killing two bodyguards after opening fire on his convoy, Palestinian officials said.

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BA cancels four more flights British Airways has cancelled four domestic flights but says other services have returned to normal at Heathrow Airport after severe disruptions earlier this week.

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Pakistan #39;s Caretaker Prime Minister Steps Down Pakistan #39;s caretaker prime minister has stepped down, clearing the way for Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to take control of the country #39;s Parliament.

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Hopes for peace talks as Nepal rebels lift blockade Nepal #39;s ruling coalition has expressed hopes for peace talks with Maoist rebels, as the capital, Kathmandu, returned to normal after the rebels lifted a week-long blockade.

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Japan #39;s NTT DoCoMo, Motorola strike deal to develop mobile phone TOKYO Schaumburg(Illinois)-based Motorola and Japan #39;s top mobile-phone carrier plan to develop a more sophisticated mobile phone that subscribers in Japan can use while traveling to other parts of Asia and to Europe.

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Rulon Gardner Loses Bid for Repeat Gold (AP) AP - Rulon Gardner was in another Olympic wrestling upset #151; his own. One of the biggest stars of the 2000 Summer Games, Gardner was thrown to the mat in overtime Wednesday by Kazakhstan's Georgi Tsurtsumia and lost 4-1 in his Greco-Roman semifinal match.

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Durable Goods Orders Rise on Plane Demand (Reuters) Reuters - Orders for U.S. durable goods --\items meant to last at least three years -- posted a\larger-than-expected rise in July, boosted by an increase in\demand for passenger aircraft, a Commerce Department report on\Wednesday showed.

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Oil Prices Halt Three-Day Losing Streak (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices rose modestly on Wednesday,\halting a three-day losing streak on profit-taking from record\highs near #36;50 a barrel.

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Two Russian Planes Crash, Cause Unclear (Reuters) Reuters - Two Russian passenger planes crashed\almost simultaneously, killing all 89 people on board in what\investigators said on Wednesday was probably a freak\coincidence but might have been a terrorist attack.

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Beltre Hits 40th in Dodgers' Win (AP) AP - Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam to become the first player to reach 40 home runs this season, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 10-2 victory over the Montreal Expos on Tuesday night. His previous career high for homers was 23, set last season.

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TD, Banknorth in Talks on Possible Deal (Reuters) Reuters - Canada's Toronto Dominion Bank (TD.TO)\said on Wednesday that it is in talks with U.S.-based Banknorth\Group (BNK.N) about a possible deal.

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DoubleClick Signs on MSN to Use Its Rich Media Ads (Reuters) Reuters - A top executive for Web marketing\company DoubleClick (DCLK.O) on Tuesday said Microsoft Corp's\(MSFT.O) MSN Web portal will use its rich media ads online,\paving the way for wider use of a key DoubleClick product.

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EU Probes Microsoft/Time Warner Venture (Reuters) Reuters - The European Commission on Wednesday\launched an in-depth investigation of plans by Microsoft Corp.\and Time Warner Inc. to acquire joint control of U.S.\ContentGuard Holdings Inc.

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Jeter Helps Yankees Steal One in Cleveland (AP) AP - A night after he was hit on the left elbow by a pitch, Derek Jeter stole two bases in the ninth inning and scored on Hideki Matsui's two-out single to lead the visiting New York Yankees past Cleveland 5-4 Tuesday night, handing the Indians their ninth straight loss.

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Typhoon Aere Pounds Taiwan, Heads Into China (Reuters) Reuters - A powerful typhoon triggered landslides\and flash floods in northern Taiwan on Wednesday before plowing\into China where hundreds of thousands of people have been\evacuated.

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Justice Dept. to Announce Cyber-Crime Crackdown (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The Justice Department is set to announce a major crackdown on cyber-crime that will include arrests, subpoenas and property seizures of alleged e-mail spammers and online scam artists, according to law enforcement and industry sources.

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Redefining Swedishness (and causing a stir in the literary world) (AFP) AFP - In once uniform Sweden, a book being hailed as the ultimate generational novel serves as a reminder that you no longer need to be a blond, blue-eyed, beer-guzzling giant, or even speak the language correctly, to be considered truly Swedish.

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NTT DoCoMo, Motorola Strike Phone Deal (AP) AP - NTT DoCoMo, Japan's top mobile-phone carrier, and Motorola Inc., the world's No. 2 cell-phone maker, plan to develop a more sophisticated mobile phone that subscribers in Japan can also use while traveling to other parts of Asia as well as Europe, the companies said Wednesday.

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Gunmen Attack Senior Palestinian Officer (AP) AP - Gunmen opened fire at a convoy carrying the deputy Palestinian intelligence chief on Wednesday, seriously wounding him in the chest and killing two bodyguards, Palestinian officials said.

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Jets Sign Quarterback Quincy Carter (AP) AP - Herman Edwards believes not giving Quincy Carter a second chance would be a crime.

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Canada Picks Same-Sex Advocates As Judges (AP) AP - Two judges known for supporting same-sex unions were nominated Tuesday to fill vacancies on Canada's Supreme Court, and they will be assessed in the country's first-ever public screening of such appointments.

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Mortgage Applications Off in Aug. 20 Week (Reuters) Reuters - New applications for U.S. home loans\fell last week after a brief bounce, as 30-year mortgage\interest rates edged up, an industry group said on Wednesday.

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NTT DoCoMo, Motorola to develop 3G mobile handset for business users (AFP) AFP - Japan's top cellphone operator NTT DoCoMo and US telecoms giant Motorola announced a deal to jointly develop a third-generation handset for business users, marking the American company's first major foray into the lucrative Japanese mobile phone market.

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Zimbabwe Opposition to Boycott Elections (AP) AP - Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change said Wednesday that it would boycott future elections until the government reforms election laws, ends what the movement calls state-sponsored political violence and repeals what it terms repressive media and security laws.

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Bryant Judge Restricts Courtroom Cameras (AP) AP - The judge in the Kobe Bryant rape case on Tuesday sharply restricted how the news media may cover the trial using television and still cameras, saying he was worried too much exposure could threaten the fairness of the proceedings.

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Actuate Joins Eclipse, Starts Open-Source BI Project (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - After joining the Eclipse Foundation, the company launches a project to create open-source business intelligence and reporting tools.

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Baseball Today (AP) AP - San Francisco at Florida (7:05 p.m. EDT). Giants rookie Noah Lowry (3-0) starts against Dontrelle Willis (9-9).

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Fact and Comment (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - The news from Iran is grim. This Islamic dictatorship--the biggest source of terrorist training and financing in the world and the nation that's doing all it can to stir up trouble in already combustible Iraq--is clearly on the cusp of becoming a nuclear power. The clerical fascists running the country have dropped just about all pretense of their atomic programs being energy-related only. Tehran announced in July that it had resumed making the centrifuges needed to produce highly enriched uranium, a key ingredient for nuclear bombs. ...

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Toronto hostage-taker holds woman at gunpoint, shot dead by police: reports (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - An armed hostage-taking at the height of morning rush-hour in front of Toronto's busy Union Station on Monday morning ended with a police sharpshooter killing a male suspect, broadcast reports said.

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EU Extends Review of Microsoft Deal (AP) AP - Software giant Microsoft Corp. and the media and entertainment powerhouse Time Warner Inc. ran into fresh trouble with the European Union on Wednesday as antitrust regulators ordered an in-depth probe of their deal to collaborate in making anti-piracy software.

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Critical Netscape Flaw Found (PC World) PC World - Web servers may be vulnerable to attack, security company warns.

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Sharapova Loses to Wild Card in Conn. (AP) AP - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova was upset in three sets by wild card Mashona Washington Tuesday in the Pilot Pen tennis tournament. Sharapova had 12 double-faults in the match. Three of them occurred in the two games that Washington broke the fourth-seeded Russian in the deciding set of her 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win.

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Els Reflects on Season of Heartache (AP) AP - "To be No. 1 in the world is one thing, but to win a major, that's what we all strive for. That's what we all want." #151; Ernie Els, three weeks before the Masters.

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Humpback Whale Trapped at Power Plant (AP) AP - A hydroelectric plant in Nova Scotia remained closed Tuesday after a wayward humpback whale swam through the underwater gates connecting the facility with the Atlantic Ocean.

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Trading Privacy for Convenience A test project, now in use at Reagan National Airport, aims to give frequent fliers a quicker pass through security checkpoints by using the latest biometric technologies -- such as eye scans -- to verify a passenger's identity.

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NASA Picks Swede Launch Site for Balloons (AP) AP - NASA has agreed to launch its largest scientific balloons from a site in northern Sweden, a spokesman said Tuesday.

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Project Shows Promise for Grape Growers (AP) AP - Since the discovery five years ago that a ravenous insect was spreading grape-killing Pierce's Disease in California, grape growers have contributed millions of dollars to fund research projects they hope can end the scourge.

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Skilled Labor in High Demand, Low Supply Some contend that low-cost labor in India, China and elsewhere is far from the only thing inhibiting job growth in the United States -- skilled workers just aren't out there. American adults rank 12th in literacy among those of 20 high-income, industrialized countries, according to a study.

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Blueberry Compound Fights Cholesterol, Study Finds (Reuters) Reuters - A compound used by blueberries and\grapes to fight off fungal infections could help lower\cholesterol, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

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Fishing Warnings Up Due to Mercury Pollution-EPA (Reuters) Reuters - Americans were cautioned about\eating fish from more than one-third of U.S. lakes and nearly\one-fourth of its rivers last year due to pollution from\mercury and other chemicals, the U.S. Environmental Protection\Agency said on Tuesday.

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Weak El Nino Forecast in Pacific by End August-NOAA (Reuters) Reuters - A weak El Nino, a weather pattern\that distorts wind and rainfall patterns worldwide, is expected\to develop in the central Pacific by the end of this month,\U.S. government forecasters said on Tuesday.

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Molineux joy at Hoddle deal Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has been unveiled as the new boss of Championship strugglers Wolves. Hoddles appointment was announced at a Molineux press conference this morning, and he will take charge of the side for an initial six-month period.

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Inhaled Anthrax Vaccine Protects in Animals-Report (Reuters) Reuters - A powdered anthrax vaccine that\people potentially could take by themselves protects rabbits\against the deadliest form of the bacteria, researchers said on\Tuesday.

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Durable Goods Orders Rise in July America's factories saw orders for costly manufactured goods in July post the biggest gain in four months, an encouraging sign that the economy is emerging from an early summer funk.

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China raises domestic fuel prices China is planning to raise domestic petrol and diesel retail prices by about 6 as crude oil prices stay near record highs.

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Cigarette firm acts in tax row One of Canada's biggest cigarette firms seeks creditor protection after a C\$1.4bn(US\$1bn) tax claim over alleged smuggling.

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US house sales fall in July Sales of non-new houses in the US fell last month but still exceeded analyst forecasts.

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Famous film maker put up for sale Ilford Imaging, the world's largest producer of black and white camera film, is up for sale after going into administration.

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State discloses venture results Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill yesterday released results for the 103 venture capital funds the state pension plan invested in from 1986 through 1998, which ranged from a searing 127 percent annual gain to a dismal 46 percent annual decline.

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Funeral director suspended for 5 years A state regulatory board yesterday handed a five-year suspension to a Lawrence funeral director accused of unprofessional conduct and deceptive practices, including one case where he refused to complete funeral arrangements for a client because she had purchased a lower-priced casket elsewhere.

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Putnam as pariah The flagship George Putnam fund has managed to beat the Dow Jones industrial average by four percentage points in this year's trying market.

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Shakedown street Whether you live in Brookline or Scituate or Framingham, it is a good day when the town finally gets around to doing something about your beaten-up street. The potholes get filled, and the street gets repaved. New sidewalks and lighting go in. Trees and even some flowers are planted.

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Jeter Walks, Runs and Pulls Yanks to Victory Derek Jeter, who suffered a bone bruise on his left elbow when he was plunked by a pitch Monday, not only played Tuesday, but he turned out to be the star.

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In place of dollars, a cool change Cash has never been so cool. Usher Raymond IV, the 25-year-old R amp;B singer who has been dubbed the king of pop, launched the Usher Debit MasterCard late last month. The sleek black card, which features the artist's face, has been passed out to concertgoers during his nationwide ''The Truth Tour. quot; The card is also available through a website, ushermc.com.

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Jets Turn to Carter to Back Up Pennington Dissatisfied by the performance of three backups who have never taken a regular-season snap in the N.F.L., the Jets signed Quincy Carter.

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July home sales strong An expected spike in mortgage rates was supposed to cool off the red-hot housing market, but that spike failed to happen, and real estate sales remained strong in July both locally and nationally, according to reports released yesterday.

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Prices for oil fall for 3d day WASHINGTON -- Oil prices tumbled for a third consecutive day yesterday, briefly falling below \$45 a barrel, as geopolitical concerns that had brought the market to a boil in recent weeks appeared to cool off.

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Yukos suffers another setback MOSCOW -- Russian oil company Yukos suffered a fresh setback yesterday in its survival struggle against multibillion-dollar tax bills when one of its appeals was thrown out and another adjourned by a Moscow court.

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Royal Dutch/Shell fined \$120m WASHINGTON -- A \$120 million fine levied on Royal Dutch/Shell Group by the Securities and Exchange Commission resolves the company's part in the SEC inquiry into the overstatement of oil and gas reserves, but the role of individuals is still under investigation, regulators said yesterday..

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A young monk opens a rare window of candor in Tibet He confirms Chinese are diluting traditional Buddhist culture and the monks' role.

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Fresh face lift ATHENS -- In a race of attrition that resembled a demolition derby as much as an Olympic final, Joanna Hayes of the United States captured gold in the 100-meter hurdles last night because she managed to keep her feet while others were losing theirs.

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