SetFit/ag_news · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Toronto-Dominion seeks Banknorth stake Toronto-Dominion Bank is in the final stages of negotiations to take a controlling interest in New England regional bank Banknorth Group Inc. in a transaction worth as much as \$3.5 billion, according to executives involved in the talks.	2	Business
Give handball a sporting chance ATHENS -- I saw a game that featured, with only the slightest expansion of our basic concepts, fast breaks, fouled in the act of shooting, sneakaways, pivotmen, turnovers, weaves, give-and-gos, lookaway passes, backward bounce passes, skip passes, a penalty shot, a backdoor play, and great shot blocking worthy of a Russell or a Roy.	1	Sports
Hunt for clues to Russia crashes Russian investigators refuse to rule out sabotage after two airliners crash minutes apart, killing 89 people.	0	World
Middle management TORONTO -- The life of the setup reliever, lived to the fullest here last night by Mike Timlin, is rarely rewarded in the box score with the capital S' (as in save, or seal of approval).	1	Sports
Another one-run game won? This is too good TORONTO -- Maybe the capricious forces that rule the baseball universe, the ones that so far this summer have dictated that 26 of the 30 teams in the major leagues would have won more one-run games than the Red Sox, finally are tilting in the Sox' favor. After last night's 5-4 escape over the Toronto Blue Jays, the one in ...	1	Sports
On tap: aluminum bottles PITTSBURGH -- How much would you pay for a bottle of beer that stays cold nearly an hour longer?	2	Business
Top Shia leader returns to Iraq Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, seen by many as crucial to ending the Najaf crisis, is back in Iraq from the UK.	0	World
July Durable Good Orders Rise 1.7 Percent America's factories saw orders for costly manufactured goods post the biggest gain in four months, a sign that the economy is emerging from an early summer funk.	2	Business
Cheney rejects gay marriage ban US Vice-President Dick Cheney opposes a federal ban on gay marriage - seemingly contradicting George Bush.	0	World
A Bank Takeover in Japan Breaks Tradition The biggest takeover battle in Japanese history got even bigger as the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group sought to disrupt a rival's expansion plans with a \$29 billion hostile bid for UFJ Holdings.	2	Business
Carter signs with Jets Quarterback Quincy Carter signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets yesterday, three weeks after his surprising release by Dallas.	1	Sports
BC freshmen forced to stand on own feet Kicker Ryan Ohliger of Newark, Del., and punter Johnny Ayers of Oakton, Va., will have the huge responsibility of being the only freshman starters on the Boston College football team this season. Pressure? What pressure?	1	Sports
Dozens Charged in Crackdown on Spam and Scams Federal and state law enforcement agencies have quietly arrested or charged dozens of people with crimes related to junk e-mail, identity theft and other online scams.	2	Business
Clearing the hurdle of doping scandals ATHENS -- Evita Agiasoteli has been counting Greece's Olympic medals. Each one comes with a celebration from the boy next door, who likes to run through their neighborhood in the northern Athenian suburb of Nea Ionia yelling quot;Hellas! quot; with each gold. Other neighbors often leave their evening yogurts unfinished so they can join the boy's victory cheer.	1	Sports
Some Light Shed on Panel Decision to Deny Aid to United Members of a federal loan board said they felt United Airlines bid for \$1.6 billion in assistance was based on a faulty business plan.	2	Business
After comeback, comedown for US Playing from behind finally doomed the US women's volleyball team. After struggling just to get out of the preliminary round, the Americans were eliminated from the Olympics yesterday in Athens when a late rally fizzled against Brazil in a quarterfinal defeat, 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 25-27, 15-6.	1	Sports
Zimbabwe opposition poll boycott Zimbabwe's main opposition party say they will not take part in elections unless major reforms are made.	0	World
No finishing kick left for Pappas ATHENS -- Tom Pappas, a US gold medal favorite in the decathlon, saw his quest for an Olympic crown dashed yesterday by a serious foot injury that forced him to withdraw from the pole vault portion of the 10-event competition.	1	Sports
Europe helps tackle Morocco fires France, Spain and Italy are sending water-bomber planes to Morocco to fight a major forest fire .	0	World
Ward: No size too great ATHENS -- As the deeply religious Andre Ward, the 20-year-old from Oakland, Calif., waited through the day for last night's match with two-time world champion Evgeny Makarenko, he pondered his predicament. Not only was he facing the pre-Olympic gold medal favorite in the quarterfinals of the light heavyweight division, but he was stepping in against a 6-foot-6-inch opponent who towered ...	1	Sports
Aussies face Cuba in final Brendan Kingman's sixth-inning RBI single sent Australia to a stunning 1-0 victory yesterday over Japan, putting the Aussies in today's gold medal game against Cuba.	1	Sports
Lincoln's summer run comes to end Sidearm curveballs, regular fastballs, and even some knuckleballs. No matter the direction or the spin, Jordan Brower was nearly unhittable.	1	Sports
Hmong ordered from Thai camp Soldiers order about 1,500 ethnic Hmong people to leave a refugee camp in central Thailand.	0	World
US sailors lose guessing game In the course of an hour, the notorious Meltemi wind yesterday cost American sailors Tim Wadlow of Marblehead and Pete Spaulding their chance to win a medal in their first Olympics.	1	Sports
NL notables Braves right fielder J.D. Drew cut his head when he hit it on the dugout railing following batting practice and was removed from the starting lineup against Colorado. Drew was taken to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where he received two staples to close the wound. He returned to Turner Field and was in uniform by the fourth inning but did ...	1	Sports
Beltre's slam lifts Dodgers Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam to become the first player to reach 40 home runs this year, and Alex Cora homered and had five RBIs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 10-2 rout of the Expos in Montreal.	1	Sports
Israel wins first Olympic gold Israeli windsurfer Gal Fridman makes sporting history by winning his country's first gold medal in the men's Mistral.	0	World
Thousands at Bangladesh funeral Up to 30,000 people attend the funeral of a Bangladeshi opposition politician killed in a grenade attack in Dhaka.	0	World
AL notables The Yankees posted their 48th come-from-behind victory, most in the majors. Chris Young -- the Rangers' 16th starter this season -- became the first pitcher from Princeton to start a major league game since Dave Sisler of the 1961 Washington Senators.	1	Sports
Indian politician sent to prison Top Hindu nationalist politician Uma Bharti is remanded in an Indian jail over charges of inciting religious violence 10 years ago.	0	World
Software Seeks Online Bargains Consumers in the United States are already spending record amounts of money online. One e-commerce company has a novel way to help Net shoppers hunt for bargains this holiday season.	2	Business
Controversy mishandled all around ATHENS -- For a while, if the Olympic repo men were to come looking for his gold medal, it seemed as if Paul Hamm would have to do the old twin spin that used to work so well back home in Wisconsin. quot;Sorry, I'm his brother Morgan, quot; Paul would say. quot;Paul's down at the Parthenon. Or maybe the Plaka. No, ...	1	Sports
Dominant US women's squad a true dream team ATHENS -- Through five games, the US women are outscoring opponents by 29 points a game. They've been dominant to the point of ennui. They crush their opponents on the glass, hand out twice as many assists per game, and, generally, have it their way, every game. They lead the Olympics in nine statistical categories.	1	Sports
Barents Sea 'faces major threats' The pristine Arctic waters of the Barents Sea are overfished and face serious pollution problems, the UN says.	0	World
Going deep -- for memories TORONTO -- Last night, Doug Mientkiewicz was on call as the Red Sox' emergency catcher in case calamity befell Doug Mirabelli , raising the uncomfortable specter of the one-time minor league catcher trying to corral Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. He escaped that duty, serving only as a pinch runner and defensive replacement at first base for Kevin Millar in last night's ...	1	Sports
They're quick to impress ATHENS -- Another night, another strong showing for America's sprinters. Allyson Felix , at 18 years old the youngest of the young lions, cruised to victory in her 200-meter heat, and then easily won her semifinal heat (22.36) to advance to the finals.	1	Sports
'DNA analysis' spots e-mail spam Computational biologists at IBM develop an anti-spam filter that works in the same way scientists analyse DNA.	0	World
Coach still fighting mad at Estrada ATHENS -- It had been 24 hours since Providence super heavyweight Jason Estrada not only lost a boxing match but also his dignity, and US boxing coach Basheer Abdullah still wasn't over it.	1	Sports
Band 'dumps sewage on tourists' The Dave Matthews Band is sued for allegedly dumping human waste from a bus onto a boat in the Chicago River.	0	World
Efforts to eradicate polio falter JOHANNESBURG -- The global effort to eradicate polio will not meet its deadline to stop transmission of the virus by the end of the year, a World Health Organization official acknowledged yesterday, citing the spread of cases from northern Nigeria.	0	World
Magazine offers reward for return of paintings OSLO -- The weekly magazine Se og Hoer offered a \$14,800 reward yesterday for information leading to the return of two priceless Edvard Munch masterpieces stolen from an Oslo museum over the weekend. The city-owned Munch Museum reopened yesterday, two days after three masked robbers, including at least one with a pistol, snatched ''The Scream quot; and ''Madonna quot; and fled in ...	0	World
Naples police in huge mafia swoop Hundreds of carabinieri police are taking part in an operation to crush a wave of mafia killings in Naples.	0	World
Afghan leader vows to release 400 Pakistani prisoners ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai promised yesterday to repatriate 400 Pakistani prisoners who fought with the former ruling Taliban regime and have been held in Afghan jails since 2001, a Pakistani official said.	0	World
A Trail of 'Major Failures' Leads to Defense Secretary's Office In tracing responsibility for the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison, a panel drew a line that extended to Donald H. Rumsfeld.	0	World
Bush Campaign's Top Outside Lawyer Advised Veterans Group Benjamin L. Ginsberg said the veterans attacking John Kerry's Vietnam War record asked for his help and that he agreed.	0	World
Outsourcing issue flares up at chip conference STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - On Monday, the same day the California Senate passed a bill that would ban state agencies from contracting services out to companies that use overseas labor, opponents and proponents of offshore outsourcing clashed during a conference at Stanford University.	2	Business
Actuate moves to take enterprise reporting to open source Business intelligence software vendor Actuate Corp. is hitching its wagon to the open-source movement in the hope of seeing its applications get even broader acceptance in the marketplace.	2	Business
Top Cleric Looks to Broker Deal in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric returned to the country from Britain on Wednesday and his aides called for a nationwide march to Najaf to end nearly three weeks of fierce fighting between U.S. forces and Shiite militants in this holy city...	0	World
Israel Wins First-Ever Olympic Gold ATHENS, Greece - A windsurfer whose first name means "wave" in Hebrew gave Israel its first Olympic gold medal ever Wednesday, taking a plunge in the Saronic Gulf to celebrate. Gal Fridman sailed a remarkably consistent regatta, never finishing worse than eighth in the 11-race series...	0	World
Stocks to Watch Tuesday NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks to watch on Tuesday: JOHNSON JOHNSON <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">JNJ.N</A>, GUIDANT CORP. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">GDT.N</A>	2	Business
Preston Bows Out Matt Daniels had a homer and four RBIs, and tossed a two-hitter to lead Richmond, Texas, to a 13-1 win over Preston, Md., at the Little League World Series on Tuesday.	1	Sports
Top Cleric Looks to Broker Deal in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric returned home from Britain on Wednesday to help broker an end to nearly three weeks of fighting in Najaf and is calling on his followers to join him in a march to reclaim the holy city, his spokesmen and witnesses said. Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani return came as heavy fighting persisted in Najaf's Old City...	0	World
Adrian Beltre Hits His 40th Home Run Adrian Beltre's first five full seasons in the majors were marked by stretches of inconsistency and only flashes of power potential. This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers' third baseman has become one of baseball's most prolific sluggers...	0	World
Midfield Now Strength Not so long ago, D.C. United was throwing inexperienced players into the starting lineup and calling up minor leaguers to fill the roster.	1	Sports
Russian Jet Crashes Kill at Least 135 BUCHALKI, Russia - A Russian airliner crashed and another apparently broke up in the air almost simultaneously after taking off from the same airport, officials said, killing all 89 people aboard and raising fears of a terrorist attack. Authorities said rescuers found wreckage from a Tu-154 jet with at least 46 on board, about nine hours after it issued a distress signal and disappeared from radar screens over the Rostov region some 600 miles south of Moscow...	0	World
Unit's Report Supports Kerry's Version WASHINGTON - The Navy task force overseeing John Kerry's swift boat squadron in Vietnam reported that his group of boats came under enemy fire during a March 13, 1969, incident that three decades later is being challenged by the Democratic presidential nominee's critics. The March 18, 1969, weekly report from Task Force 115, which was located by The Associated Press during a search of Navy archives, is the latest document to surface that supports Kerry's description of an event for which he won a Bronze Star and a third Purple Heart...	0	World
Mitch Decides to Stay Ryan Mitch, a backup quarterback who had missed two practices and a team meeting, returned Tuesday and pledged to remain with the Maryland program the next four years.	1	Sports
Prison Abuse Report Cites Top Commanders WASHINGTON - Inattention to prisoner issues by senior U.S. military leaders in Iraq and at the Pentagon was a key factor in the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison, but there is no evidence they ordered any mistreatment, an independent panel concluded...	0	World
Wide-Open Receiving The wide receivers position is the one truly unsettled position for the Virginia Cavaliers as they begin a season of great expectations.	1	Sports
2 Russian Jets Crash Within Minutes Officials made no immediate statements about the possible causes of the twin crashes but the timing raised suspicions of a terrorist attack.	0	World
MLB, D.C. Talk Major League Baseball negotiators held day-long sessions with District officials Tuesday and toured RFK Stadium as part of efforts to find a new home for the Montreal Expos.	1	Sports
A Push for More Power At Iraq Plant The story of Baiji power station, which can produce more electricity than any plant in Iraq, helps explain why power generation remains one of the most vexing reconstruction challenges in the country.	0	World
Money Is Driving Moscow Makeover For decades, pilgrims to Red Square have first passed in the shadow of the stolid Moskva hotel and the elegant Manezh exhibition hall. Once they made it across the square's cobblestoned expanse, they found their view obscured by the modernist concrete hulk known as the Hotel Rossiya.	0	World
From Coal to Culture This old mining town in the northeast of England used to be a grimy industrial wasteland. Now it's becoming a gleaming cultural center and -- who would have thought it? -- tourist destination	0	World
Slopes Only for Bloom Two-sport star Jeremy Bloom lost an appeal to an NCAA panel on Tuesday to keep his college eligibility as a football player at Colorado while still being allowed to receive endorsements as a professional skier.	1	Sports
On the Road to Greatness Based on Che Guevara's early days, <I>The Motorcycle Diaries</i> is a tender tribute to the young man, not the myth	0	World
Nice Witch of the North Comedienne Shabana Rehman's Pakistani roots and Norwegian lifestyle make a provocative comic brew	0	World
Justice to Announce Cyber-Crime Crackdown 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. <BR><FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2"\ color="#666666"><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>	3	Sci/Tech
Verizon, Qwest to Fight FCC Rate Freeze Verizon Communications Inc. and other parties have asked a federal court to throw out a set of temporary regulations banning giant regional phone companies from raising the wholesale rates they charge competitors for at least six months. <FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2"\ color="#666666"><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>	3	Sci/Tech
Northwest Ticket Fees Urge Web Use Beginning Friday, travelers on Northwest Airlines will have to pay as much as \$10 extra to buy tickets by phone or in person, rather than through Northwest's Web site. <BR>\<FONT face="verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica" size="-2"\ color="#666666"><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>	3	Sci/Tech
Report Says Air Force's Space Programs Improved The Air Force's management of its space programs has improved during the past year but some systems, including an early warning missile contract, will continue to need special attention, according to an advisory panel review released yesterday.	3	Sci/Tech
Md. Machines Seek Vote Of Confidence Critics say the state has been too quick to embrace electronic voting and could be headed for a fiasco in November elections.	3	Sci/Tech
EU Extends Review of Microsoft-Time Warner Deal 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
'NFL 2K5' Edges Out 'Madden NF' The virtual football championship matchup this year pits "Madden NFL 2005" against "ESPN NFL 2K5" from Sega's ESPN Videogames division. Both E-rated titles excel at delivering the National Football League experience to your living room through a combination of excellent controls, online gameplay and improved defensive features.	3	Sci/Tech
Museum welcomes flesh-eating bugs London museum takes charge of 100 flesh-eating beetles used to strip animal carcasses down to bare bones.	3	Sci/Tech
Fear and Loathing in #133; Lobsterland When lobsters flirt or fight they first signal their intention by urinating in one another's faces. Strange facts like this are published in a new book about the little-known life of these familiar crustaceans.	3	Sci/Tech
Secret Sex Lives Of High-flying Finch Uncovered In The Rockies To shed light on the secretive sex lives of rosy-finches, birds that nest high in the Rocky Mountains, researchers clip on crampons and get climbing.	3	Sci/Tech
Textile Fragments Provide Details of Ancient Lives Charred and brittle bits of fabric are providing new insights into the lives of prehistoric people, thanks to advances in chemical analysis of textiles.	3	Sci/Tech
Who Knew? U.S. Presidential Trivia Just 11 weeks remain in the race for the White House. Getting into the campaign spirit, National Geographic News reviews presidential trivia.	3	Sci/Tech
US deserter reunited with family arrived on a remote island in northern Japan to start a new life with his Japanese wife and their two daughters. court-martial last month after saying he deserted from South Korea because he was frightened.	0	World
Grains Found in Georgia Traced to Huge Asteroid Impact ATLANTA (AP) -- A layer of quartz grains found in an east Georgia kaolin mine have been traced to the impact of a giant asteroid that crashed near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay 35 million years ago. The 54-mile-wide crater left by the meteor, the sixth-largest in the world, has previously been identified as the source of a rare mineral called Georgiaite...	3	Sci/Tech
NASA Picks Swede Launch Site for Giant Balloons By TOMMY GRANDELL STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- NASA has agreed to launch its largest scientific balloons from a site in northern Sweden, a spokesman said Tuesday. To launch them, the Swedish Space Corp., which owns Esrange, has signed a \$1.32 million contract with the Swedish construction company NCC to double the size of the present launch pad...	3	Sci/Tech
Space Radiation May Harm Astronauts' Blood Cells In the time it takes you to read this sentence, more than 10 million red blood cells in your body will die. Don't be alarmed; it's natural, and stem cells in your bone marrow are constantly making enough new cells to replace the dying ones. But what if those blood-making cells stopped working? This could be a concern for astronauts taking long trips beyond Earth orbit.	3	Sci/Tech
Meteorites Supplied Earth Life with Phosphorus University of Arizona -- University of Arizona scientists have discovered that meteorites, particularly iron meteorites, may have been critical to the evolution of life on Earth. Their research shows that meteorites easily could have provided more phosphorus than naturally occurs on Earth -- enough phosphorus to give rise to biomolecules which eventually assembled into living, replicating organisms...	3	Sci/Tech
Health Highlights: Aug. 24, 2004 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: ----- Contaminated Fish in Many U.S. Lakes and Rivers Fish that may be contaminated with dioxin, mercury, PCBs and pesticides are swimming in more than one-third of the United States' lakes and nearly one-quarter of its rivers, according to a list of advisories released by the Environmental Protection Agency...	3	Sci/Tech
EU will probe Microsoft, Time Warner buy The decision is a setback for the two companies and their plan to acquire ContentGuard, a digital rights management firm.	3	Sci/Tech
Briefly: Microsoft IPTV to woo Swiss test group roundup Plus: Sony speeds up Memory Stick cards...Real touts one week, 1 million songs...Chipmaker Fujitsu prepares WiMax chip.	3	Sci/Tech
SP2: Bad for your blood pressure? That's what some IT managers say, a survey finds. Even more believe it'll be the toughest Windows update ever.	3	Sci/Tech
Report: companies expect fast IT spending growth But IDC researchers voice a more cautious view, based on factors including high oil prices.	3	Sci/Tech
Actuate pushes open-source data reporting The software maker proposes open-source Java-based reporting tools for consideration by the Eclipse open-source foundation.	3	Sci/Tech
IBM lays claim to extension of server reign Says new research shows that it remains the top server computer vendor. But HP trumpets leadership in "high growth" segments.	3	Sci/Tech
Japan designers shoot for supercomputer on a chip The MDGrape 3 chip will calculate faster than most supercomputers in existence, its creators say.\	3	Sci/Tech
Nanotech will tap nature's potential, investor says Venture capitalist says a revolution is at hand, despite a setback like Nanosys' canceled IPO.	3	Sci/Tech
Latest International news on mobile: sms INT to 7333 Hamid Karzai was sworn in on Tuesday as Afghanistan #39;s first elected president in a ceremony attended by several foreign dignitaries, including US Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Minister Donald Rumsfeld, report agencies.	0	World
Verizon blames federal rules for broadband holdup Company is holding back high-speed fiber service out of fear that it will have to lease the links to rivals at below its own cost.	3	Sci/Tech
CompactFlash card takes licking, keeps ticking Bridge demolition destroys digital camera, but CompactFlash card hangs on to bridge's final moments.	3	Sci/Tech
Sony speeds up Memory Stick cards Starting in October, the company will begin selling higher-speed cards that transfer data at rates of up to 80mbps.	3	Sci/Tech
ISS: Critical Netscape flaw could be widespread Security company Internet Security Systems is warning of a critical security hole in a commonly used technology from the Mozilla Foundation called the Netscape Network Security Services library that could leave Web servers vulnerable to remote attack.	3	Sci/Tech
Washington State Ferries expands ferryboat Wi-Fi service Washington State Ferries expects to provide passengers on its high-traffic Puget Sound routes with free Wi-Fi service it will begin rolling out next month.	3	Sci/Tech
Tight security as Karzai is sworn in AFGHANISTANS capital Kabul was placed under tight security today for the historic inauguration of Hamid Karzai as the countrys first popularly elected president.	0	World

Toronto-Dominion seeks Banknorth stake Toronto-Dominion Bank is in the final stages of negotiations to take a controlling interest in New England regional bank Banknorth Group Inc. in a transaction worth as much as \$3.5 billion, according to executives involved in the talks.

2

Business

Give handball a sporting chance ATHENS -- I saw a game that featured, with only the slightest expansion of our basic concepts, fast breaks, fouled in the act of shooting, sneakaways, pivotmen, turnovers, weaves, give-and-gos, lookaway passes, backward bounce passes, skip passes, a penalty shot, a backdoor play, and great shot blocking worthy of a Russell or a Roy.

1

Sports

Hunt for clues to Russia crashes Russian investigators refuse to rule out sabotage after two airliners crash minutes apart, killing 89 people.

0

World

Middle management TORONTO -- The life of the setup reliever, lived to the fullest here last night by Mike Timlin, is rarely rewarded in the box score with the capital S' (as in save, or seal of approval).

1

Sports

Another one-run game won? This is too good TORONTO -- Maybe the capricious forces that rule the baseball universe, the ones that so far this summer have dictated that 26 of the 30 teams in the major leagues would have won more one-run games than the Red Sox, finally are tilting in the Sox' favor. After last night's 5-4 escape over the Toronto Blue Jays, the one in ...

1

Sports

On tap: aluminum bottles PITTSBURGH -- How much would you pay for a bottle of beer that stays cold nearly an hour longer?

2

Business

Top Shia leader returns to Iraq Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, seen by many as crucial to ending the Najaf crisis, is back in Iraq from the UK.

0

World

July Durable Good Orders Rise 1.7 Percent America's factories saw orders for costly manufactured goods post the biggest gain in four months, a sign that the economy is emerging from an early summer funk.

2

Business

Cheney rejects gay marriage ban US Vice-President Dick Cheney opposes a federal ban on gay marriage - seemingly contradicting George Bush.

0

World

A Bank Takeover in Japan Breaks Tradition The biggest takeover battle in Japanese history got even bigger as the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group sought to disrupt a rival's expansion plans with a \$29 billion hostile bid for UFJ Holdings.

2

Business

Carter signs with Jets Quarterback Quincy Carter signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets yesterday, three weeks after his surprising release by Dallas.

1

Sports

BC freshmen forced to stand on own feet Kicker Ryan Ohliger of Newark, Del., and punter Johnny Ayers of Oakton, Va., will have the huge responsibility of being the only freshman starters on the Boston College football team this season. Pressure? What pressure?

1

Sports

Dozens Charged in Crackdown on Spam and Scams Federal and state law enforcement agencies have quietly arrested or charged dozens of people with crimes related to junk e-mail, identity theft and other online scams.

2

Business

Clearing the hurdle of doping scandals ATHENS -- Evita Agiasoteli has been counting Greece's Olympic medals. Each one comes with a celebration from the boy next door, who likes to run through their neighborhood in the northern Athenian suburb of Nea Ionia yelling quot;Hellas! quot; with each gold. Other neighbors often leave their evening yogurts unfinished so they can join the boy's victory cheer.

1

Sports

Some Light Shed on Panel Decision to Deny Aid to United Members of a federal loan board said they felt United Airlines bid for \$1.6 billion in assistance was based on a faulty business plan.

2

Business

After comeback, comedown for US Playing from behind finally doomed the US women's volleyball team. After struggling just to get out of the preliminary round, the Americans were eliminated from the Olympics yesterday in Athens when a late rally fizzled against Brazil in a quarterfinal defeat, 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 25-27, 15-6.

1

Sports

Zimbabwe opposition poll boycott Zimbabwe's main opposition party say they will not take part in elections unless major reforms are made.

0

World

No finishing kick left for Pappas ATHENS -- Tom Pappas, a US gold medal favorite in the decathlon, saw his quest for an Olympic crown dashed yesterday by a serious foot injury that forced him to withdraw from the pole vault portion of the 10-event competition.

1

Sports

Europe helps tackle Morocco fires France, Spain and Italy are sending water-bomber planes to Morocco to fight a major forest fire .

0

World

Ward: No size too great ATHENS -- As the deeply religious Andre Ward, the 20-year-old from Oakland, Calif., waited through the day for last night's match with two-time world champion Evgeny Makarenko, he pondered his predicament. Not only was he facing the pre-Olympic gold medal favorite in the quarterfinals of the light heavyweight division, but he was stepping in against a 6-foot-6-inch opponent who towered ...

1

Sports

Aussies face Cuba in final Brendan Kingman's sixth-inning RBI single sent Australia to a stunning 1-0 victory yesterday over Japan, putting the Aussies in today's gold medal game against Cuba.

1

Sports

Lincoln's summer run comes to end Sidearm curveballs, regular fastballs, and even some knuckleballs. No matter the direction or the spin, Jordan Brower was nearly unhittable.

1

Sports

Hmong ordered from Thai camp Soldiers order about 1,500 ethnic Hmong people to leave a refugee camp in central Thailand.

0

World

US sailors lose guessing game In the course of an hour, the notorious Meltemi wind yesterday cost American sailors Tim Wadlow of Marblehead and Pete Spaulding their chance to win a medal in their first Olympics.

1

Sports

NL notables Braves right fielder J.D. Drew cut his head when he hit it on the dugout railing following batting practice and was removed from the starting lineup against Colorado. Drew was taken to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where he received two staples to close the wound. He returned to Turner Field and was in uniform by the fourth inning but did ...

1

Sports

Beltre's slam lifts Dodgers Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam to become the first player to reach 40 home runs this year, and Alex Cora homered and had five RBIs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 10-2 rout of the Expos in Montreal.

1

Sports

Israel wins first Olympic gold Israeli windsurfer Gal Fridman makes sporting history by winning his country's first gold medal in the men's Mistral.

0

World

Thousands at Bangladesh funeral Up to 30,000 people attend the funeral of a Bangladeshi opposition politician killed in a grenade attack in Dhaka.

0

World

AL notables The Yankees posted their 48th come-from-behind victory, most in the majors. Chris Young -- the Rangers' 16th starter this season -- became the first pitcher from Princeton to start a major league game since Dave Sisler of the 1961 Washington Senators.

1

Sports

Indian politician sent to prison Top Hindu nationalist politician Uma Bharti is remanded in an Indian jail over charges of inciting religious violence 10 years ago.

0

World

Software Seeks Online Bargains Consumers in the United States are already spending record amounts of money online. One e-commerce company has a novel way to help Net shoppers hunt for bargains this holiday season.

2

Business

Controversy mishandled all around ATHENS -- For a while, if the Olympic repo men were to come looking for his gold medal, it seemed as if Paul Hamm would have to do the old twin spin that used to work so well back home in Wisconsin. quot;Sorry, I'm his brother Morgan, quot; Paul would say. quot;Paul's down at the Parthenon. Or maybe the Plaka. No, ...

1

Sports

Dominant US women's squad a true dream team ATHENS -- Through five games, the US women are outscoring opponents by 29 points a game. They've been dominant to the point of ennui. They crush their opponents on the glass, hand out twice as many assists per game, and, generally, have it their way, every game. They lead the Olympics in nine statistical categories.

1

Sports

Barents Sea 'faces major threats' The pristine Arctic waters of the Barents Sea are overfished and face serious pollution problems, the UN says.

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Going deep -- for memories TORONTO -- Last night, Doug Mientkiewicz was on call as the Red Sox' emergency catcher in case calamity befell Doug Mirabelli , raising the uncomfortable specter of the one-time minor league catcher trying to corral Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. He escaped that duty, serving only as a pinch runner and defensive replacement at first base for Kevin Millar in last night's ...

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They're quick to impress ATHENS -- Another night, another strong showing for America's sprinters. Allyson Felix , at 18 years old the youngest of the young lions, cruised to victory in her 200-meter heat, and then easily won her semifinal heat (22.36) to advance to the finals.

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'DNA analysis' spots e-mail spam Computational biologists at IBM develop an anti-spam filter that works in the same way scientists analyse DNA.

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Coach still fighting mad at Estrada ATHENS -- It had been 24 hours since Providence super heavyweight Jason Estrada not only lost a boxing match but also his dignity, and US boxing coach Basheer Abdullah still wasn't over it.

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Band 'dumps sewage on tourists' The Dave Matthews Band is sued for allegedly dumping human waste from a bus onto a boat in the Chicago River.

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Efforts to eradicate polio falter JOHANNESBURG -- The global effort to eradicate polio will not meet its deadline to stop transmission of the virus by the end of the year, a World Health Organization official acknowledged yesterday, citing the spread of cases from northern Nigeria.

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Magazine offers reward for return of paintings OSLO -- The weekly magazine Se og Hoer offered a \$14,800 reward yesterday for information leading to the return of two priceless Edvard Munch masterpieces stolen from an Oslo museum over the weekend. The city-owned Munch Museum reopened yesterday, two days after three masked robbers, including at least one with a pistol, snatched ''The Scream quot; and ''Madonna quot; and fled in ...

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Naples police in huge mafia swoop Hundreds of carabinieri police are taking part in an operation to crush a wave of mafia killings in Naples.

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Afghan leader vows to release 400 Pakistani prisoners ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai promised yesterday to repatriate 400 Pakistani prisoners who fought with the former ruling Taliban regime and have been held in Afghan jails since 2001, a Pakistani official said.

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A Trail of 'Major Failures' Leads to Defense Secretary's Office In tracing responsibility for the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison, a panel drew a line that extended to Donald H. Rumsfeld.

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Bush Campaign's Top Outside Lawyer Advised Veterans Group Benjamin L. Ginsberg said the veterans attacking John Kerry's Vietnam War record asked for his help and that he agreed.

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Outsourcing issue flares up at chip conference STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - On Monday, the same day the California Senate passed a bill that would ban state agencies from contracting services out to companies that use overseas labor, opponents and proponents of offshore outsourcing clashed during a conference at Stanford University.

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Actuate moves to take enterprise reporting to open source Business intelligence software vendor Actuate Corp. is hitching its wagon to the open-source movement in the hope of seeing its applications get even broader acceptance in the marketplace.

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Top Cleric Looks to Broker Deal in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric returned to the country from Britain on Wednesday and his aides called for a nationwide march to Najaf to end nearly three weeks of fierce fighting between U.S. forces and Shiite militants in this holy city...

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Israel Wins First-Ever Olympic Gold ATHENS, Greece - A windsurfer whose first name means "wave" in Hebrew gave Israel its first Olympic gold medal ever Wednesday, taking a plunge in the Saronic Gulf to celebrate. Gal Fridman sailed a remarkably consistent regatta, never finishing worse than eighth in the 11-race series...

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Stocks to Watch Tuesday NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks to watch on Tuesday: JOHNSON JOHNSON <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">JNJ.N</A>, GUIDANT CORP. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">GDT.N</A>

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Preston Bows Out Matt Daniels had a homer and four RBIs, and tossed a two-hitter to lead Richmond, Texas, to a 13-1 win over Preston, Md., at the Little League World Series on Tuesday.

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Top Cleric Looks to Broker Deal in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric returned home from Britain on Wednesday to help broker an end to nearly three weeks of fighting in Najaf and is calling on his followers to join him in a march to reclaim the holy city, his spokesmen and witnesses said. Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani return came as heavy fighting persisted in Najaf's Old City...

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Adrian Beltre Hits His 40th Home Run Adrian Beltre's first five full seasons in the majors were marked by stretches of inconsistency and only flashes of power potential. This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers' third baseman has become one of baseball's most prolific sluggers...

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Midfield Now Strength Not so long ago, D.C. United was throwing inexperienced players into the starting lineup and calling up minor leaguers to fill the roster.

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Russian Jet Crashes Kill at Least 135 BUCHALKI, Russia - A Russian airliner crashed and another apparently broke up in the air almost simultaneously after taking off from the same airport, officials said, killing all 89 people aboard and raising fears of a terrorist attack. Authorities said rescuers found wreckage from a Tu-154 jet with at least 46 on board, about nine hours after it issued a distress signal and disappeared from radar screens over the Rostov region some 600 miles south of Moscow...

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Unit's Report Supports Kerry's Version WASHINGTON - The Navy task force overseeing John Kerry's swift boat squadron in Vietnam reported that his group of boats came under enemy fire during a March 13, 1969, incident that three decades later is being challenged by the Democratic presidential nominee's critics. The March 18, 1969, weekly report from Task Force 115, which was located by The Associated Press during a search of Navy archives, is the latest document to surface that supports Kerry's description of an event for which he won a Bronze Star and a third Purple Heart...

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Mitch Decides to Stay Ryan Mitch, a backup quarterback who had missed two practices and a team meeting, returned Tuesday and pledged to remain with the Maryland program the next four years.

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Prison Abuse Report Cites Top Commanders WASHINGTON - Inattention to prisoner issues by senior U.S. military leaders in Iraq and at the Pentagon was a key factor in the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison, but there is no evidence they ordered any mistreatment, an independent panel concluded...

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Wide-Open Receiving The wide receivers position is the one truly unsettled position for the Virginia Cavaliers as they begin a season of great expectations.

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2 Russian Jets Crash Within Minutes Officials made no immediate statements about the possible causes of the twin crashes but the timing raised suspicions of a terrorist attack.

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MLB, D.C. Talk Major League Baseball negotiators held day-long sessions with District officials Tuesday and toured RFK Stadium as part of efforts to find a new home for the Montreal Expos.

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A Push for More Power At Iraq Plant The story of Baiji power station, which can produce more electricity than any plant in Iraq, helps explain why power generation remains one of the most vexing reconstruction challenges in the country.

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Money Is Driving Moscow Makeover For decades, pilgrims to Red Square have first passed in the shadow of the stolid Moskva hotel and the elegant Manezh exhibition hall. Once they made it across the square's cobblestoned expanse, they found their view obscured by the modernist concrete hulk known as the Hotel Rossiya.

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From Coal to Culture This old mining town in the northeast of England used to be a grimy industrial wasteland. Now it's becoming a gleaming cultural center and -- who would have thought it? -- tourist destination

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Slopes Only for Bloom Two-sport star Jeremy Bloom lost an appeal to an NCAA panel on Tuesday to keep his college eligibility as a football player at Colorado while still being allowed to receive endorsements as a professional skier.

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On the Road to Greatness Based on Che Guevara's early days, The Motorcycle Diaries is a tender tribute to the young man, not the myth

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Nice Witch of the North Comedienne Shabana Rehman's Pakistani roots and Norwegian lifestyle make a provocative comic brew

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Justice to Announce Cyber-Crime Crackdown 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. -The Washington Post

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Verizon, Qwest to Fight FCC Rate Freeze Verizon Communications Inc. and other parties have asked a federal court to throw out a set of temporary regulations banning giant regional phone companies from raising the wholesale rates they charge competitors for at least six months. -The Washington Post

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Northwest Ticket Fees Urge Web Use Beginning Friday, travelers on Northwest Airlines will have to pay as much as \$10 extra to buy tickets by phone or in person, rather than through Northwest's Web site. \-The Washington Post

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Report Says Air Force's Space Programs Improved The Air Force's management of its space programs has improved during the past year but some systems, including an early warning missile contract, will continue to need special attention, according to an advisory panel review released yesterday.

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Md. Machines Seek Vote Of Confidence Critics say the state has been too quick to embrace electronic voting and could be headed for a fiasco in November elections.

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EU Extends Review of Microsoft-Time Warner Deal 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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'NFL 2K5' Edges Out 'Madden NF' The virtual football championship matchup this year pits "Madden NFL 2005" against "ESPN NFL 2K5" from Sega's ESPN Videogames division. Both E-rated titles excel at delivering the National Football League experience to your living room through a combination of excellent controls, online gameplay and improved defensive features.

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Museum welcomes flesh-eating bugs London museum takes charge of 100 flesh-eating beetles used to strip animal carcasses down to bare bones.

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Fear and Loathing in #133; Lobsterland When lobsters flirt or fight they first signal their intention by urinating in one another's faces. Strange facts like this are published in a new book about the little-known life of these familiar crustaceans.

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Secret Sex Lives Of High-flying Finch Uncovered In The Rockies To shed light on the secretive sex lives of rosy-finches, birds that nest high in the Rocky Mountains, researchers clip on crampons and get climbing.

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Textile Fragments Provide Details of Ancient Lives Charred and brittle bits of fabric are providing new insights into the lives of prehistoric people, thanks to advances in chemical analysis of textiles.

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Who Knew? U.S. Presidential Trivia Just 11 weeks remain in the race for the White House. Getting into the campaign spirit, National Geographic News reviews presidential trivia.

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US deserter reunited with family arrived on a remote island in northern Japan to start a new life with his Japanese wife and their two daughters. court-martial last month after saying he deserted from South Korea because he was frightened.

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Grains Found in Georgia Traced to Huge Asteroid Impact ATLANTA (AP) -- A layer of quartz grains found in an east Georgia kaolin mine have been traced to the impact of a giant asteroid that crashed near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay 35 million years ago. The 54-mile-wide crater left by the meteor, the sixth-largest in the world, has previously been identified as the source of a rare mineral called Georgiaite...

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NASA Picks Swede Launch Site for Giant Balloons By TOMMY GRANDELL STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- NASA has agreed to launch its largest scientific balloons from a site in northern Sweden, a spokesman said Tuesday. To launch them, the Swedish Space Corp., which owns Esrange, has signed a \$1.32 million contract with the Swedish construction company NCC to double the size of the present launch pad...

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Space Radiation May Harm Astronauts' Blood Cells In the time it takes you to read this sentence, more than 10 million red blood cells in your body will die. Don't be alarmed; it's natural, and stem cells in your bone marrow are constantly making enough new cells to replace the dying ones. But what if those blood-making cells stopped working? This could be a concern for astronauts taking long trips beyond Earth orbit.

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Meteorites Supplied Earth Life with Phosphorus University of Arizona -- University of Arizona scientists have discovered that meteorites, particularly iron meteorites, may have been critical to the evolution of life on Earth. Their research shows that meteorites easily could have provided more phosphorus than naturally occurs on Earth -- enough phosphorus to give rise to biomolecules which eventually assembled into living, replicating organisms...

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Health Highlights: Aug. 24, 2004 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: ----- Contaminated Fish in Many U.S. Lakes and Rivers Fish that may be contaminated with dioxin, mercury, PCBs and pesticides are swimming in more than one-third of the United States' lakes and nearly one-quarter of its rivers, according to a list of advisories released by the Environmental Protection Agency...

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EU will probe Microsoft, Time Warner buy The decision is a setback for the two companies and their plan to acquire ContentGuard, a digital rights management firm.

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Briefly: Microsoft IPTV to woo Swiss test group roundup Plus: Sony speeds up Memory Stick cards...Real touts one week, 1 million songs...Chipmaker Fujitsu prepares WiMax chip.

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SP2: Bad for your blood pressure? That's what some IT managers say, a survey finds. Even more believe it'll be the toughest Windows update ever.

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Report: companies expect fast IT spending growth But IDC researchers voice a more cautious view, based on factors including high oil prices.

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Actuate pushes open-source data reporting The software maker proposes open-source Java-based reporting tools for consideration by the Eclipse open-source foundation.

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IBM lays claim to extension of server reign Says new research shows that it remains the top server computer vendor. But HP trumpets leadership in "high growth" segments.

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Japan designers shoot for supercomputer on a chip The MDGrape 3 chip will calculate faster than most supercomputers in existence, its creators say.\

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Nanotech will tap nature's potential, investor says Venture capitalist says a revolution is at hand, despite a setback like Nanosys' canceled IPO.

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Latest International news on mobile: sms INT to 7333 Hamid Karzai was sworn in on Tuesday as Afghanistan #39;s first elected president in a ceremony attended by several foreign dignitaries, including US Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Minister Donald Rumsfeld, report agencies.

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Verizon blames federal rules for broadband holdup Company is holding back high-speed fiber service out of fear that it will have to lease the links to rivals at below its own cost.

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CompactFlash card takes licking, keeps ticking Bridge demolition destroys digital camera, but CompactFlash card hangs on to bridge's final moments.

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Sony speeds up Memory Stick cards Starting in October, the company will begin selling higher-speed cards that transfer data at rates of up to 80mbps.

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ISS: Critical Netscape flaw could be widespread Security company Internet Security Systems is warning of a critical security hole in a commonly used technology from the Mozilla Foundation called the Netscape Network Security Services library that could leave Web servers vulnerable to remote attack.

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Washington State Ferries expands ferryboat Wi-Fi service Washington State Ferries expects to provide passengers on its high-traffic Puget Sound routes with free Wi-Fi service it will begin rolling out next month.

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Tight security as Karzai is sworn in AFGHANISTANS capital Kabul was placed under tight security today for the historic inauguration of Hamid Karzai as the countrys first popularly elected president.

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