diff --git "a/text_defense/204.AGNews10K/AGNews10K.train.dat" "b/text_defense/204.AGNews10K/AGNews10K.train.dat" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/text_defense/204.AGNews10K/AGNews10K.train.dat" @@ -0,0 +1,7000 @@ +Wall St. Bears Claw Back Into the Black (Reuters) Reuters - Short-sellers, Wall Street's dwindling\band of ultra-cynics, are seeing green again.$LABEL$2 +Carlyle Looks Toward Commercial Aerospace (Reuters) Reuters - Private investment firm Carlyle Group,\which has a reputation for making well-timed and occasionally\controversial plays in the defense industry, has quietly placed\its bets on another part of the market.$LABEL$2 +Oil and Economy Cloud Stocks' Outlook (Reuters) Reuters - Soaring crude prices plus worries\about the economy and the outlook for earnings are expected to\hang over the stock market next week during the depth of the\summer doldrums.$LABEL$2 +Iraq Halts Oil Exports from Main Southern Pipeline (Reuters) Reuters - Authorities have halted oil export\flows from the main pipeline in southern Iraq after\intelligence showed a rebel militia could strike\infrastructure, an oil official said on Saturday.$LABEL$2 +Oil prices soar to all-time record, posing new menace to US economy (AFP) AFP - Tearaway world oil prices, toppling records and straining wallets, present a new economic menace barely three months before the US presidential elections.$LABEL$2 +Stocks End Up, But Near Year Lows (Reuters) Reuters - Stocks ended slightly higher on Friday\but stayed near lows for the year as oil prices surged past #36;46\a barrel, offsetting a positive outlook from computer maker\Dell Inc. (DELL.O)$LABEL$2 +Money Funds Fell in Latest Week (AP) AP - Assets of the nation's retail money market mutual funds fell by #36;1.17 billion in the latest week to #36;849.98 trillion, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.$LABEL$2 +Fed minutes show dissent over inflation (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Retail sales bounced back a bit in July, and new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, the government said Thursday, indicating the economy is improving from a midsummer slump.$LABEL$2 +Safety Net (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - After earning a PH.D. in Sociology, Danny Bazil Riley started to work as the general manager at a commercial real estate firm at an annual base salary of #36;70,000. Soon after, a financial planner stopped by his desk to drop off brochures about insurance benefits available through his employer. But, at 32, ""buying insurance was the furthest thing from my mind,"" says Riley.$LABEL$2 +Wall St. Bears Claw Back Into the Black NEW YORK (Reuters) - Short-sellers, Wall Street's dwindling band of ultra-cynics, are seeing green again.$LABEL$2 +Oil and Economy Cloud Stocks' Outlook NEW YORK (Reuters) - Soaring crude prices plus worries about the economy and the outlook for earnings are expected to hang over the stock market next week during the depth of the summer doldrums.$LABEL$2 +No Need for OPEC to Pump More-Iran Gov TEHRAN (Reuters) - OPEC can do nothing to douse scorching oil prices when markets are already oversupplied by 2.8 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, Iran's OPEC governor said Saturday, warning that prices could fall sharply.$LABEL$2 +Non-OPEC Nations Should Up Output-Purnomo JAKARTA (Reuters) - Non-OPEC oil exporters should consider increasing output to cool record crude prices, OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Sunday.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO Auction Off to Rocky Start WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The auction for Google Inc.'s highly anticipated initial public offering got off to a rocky start on Friday after the Web search company sidestepped a bullet from U.S. securities regulators.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Falls Broadly on Record Trade Gap NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar tumbled broadly on Friday after data showing a record U.S. trade deficit in June cast fresh doubts on the economy's recovery and its ability to draw foreign capital to fund the growing gap.$LABEL$2 +Rescuing an Old Saver If you think you may need to help your elderly relatives with their finances, don't be shy about having the money talk -- soon.$LABEL$2 +Kids Rule for Back-to-School The purchasing power of kids is a big part of why the back-to-school season has become such a huge marketing phenomenon.$LABEL$2 +In a Down Market, Head Toward Value Funds There is little cause for celebration in the stock market these days, but investors in value-focused mutual funds have reason to feel a bit smug -- if only because they've lost less than the folks who stuck with growth.$LABEL$2 +US trade deficit swells in June The US trade deficit has exploded 19 to a record \$55.8bn as oil costs drove imports higher, according to a latest figures.$LABEL$2 +Shell 'could be target for Total' Oil giant Shell could be bracing itself for a takeover attempt, possibly from French rival Total, a press report claims.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO faces Playboy slip-up The bidding gets underway for Google's public offering, despite last-minute worries over an interview with its bosses in Playboy magazine.$LABEL$2 +Eurozone economy keeps growing Official figures show the 12-nation eurozone economy continues to grow, but there are warnings it may slow down later in the year.$LABEL$2 +Expansion slows in Japan Economic growth in Japan slows down as the country experiences a drop in domestic and corporate spending.$LABEL$2 +Rand falls on shock SA rate cut Interest rates are trimmed to 7.5 by the South African central bank, but the lack of warning hits the rand and surprises markets.$LABEL$2 +Car prices down across the board The cost of buying both new and second hand cars fell sharply over the past five years, a new survey has found.$LABEL$2 +South Korea lowers interest rates South Korea's central bank cuts interest rates by a quarter percentage point to 3.5 in a bid to drive growth in the economy.$LABEL$2 +Google auction begins on Friday An auction of shares in Google, the web search engine which could be floated for as much as \$36bn, takes place on Friday.$LABEL$2 +HP shares tumble on profit news Hewlett-Packard shares fall after disappointing third-quarter profits, while the firm warns the final quarter will also fall short of expectations.$LABEL$2 +Mauritian textile firm cuts jobs One of the oldest textile operators on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius last week shut seven factories and cut 900 jobs.$LABEL$2 +Chad seeks refugee aid from IMF Chad asks the IMF for a loan to pay for looking after more than 100,000 refugees from conflict-torn Darfur in western Sudan.$LABEL$2 +Japan nuclear firm shuts plants The company running the Japanese nuclear plant hit by a fatal accident is to close its reactors for safety checks.$LABEL$2 +Veteran inventor in market float Trevor Baylis, the veteran inventor famous for creating the Freeplay clockwork radio, is planning to float his company on the stock market.$LABEL$2 +Saudi Arabia to open up oil taps Saudi Arabia says it is ready to push an extra 1.3 million barrels a day of oil into the market, to help reverse surging prices.$LABEL$2 +Saudi phone sector gets \$1bn lift A group led by the UAE's Etisalat plans to spend \$1bn (544m) on expansion after winning two mobile phone licences in Saudi Arabia.$LABEL$2 +Indians fill rail skills shortage Network Rail flies in specialist Indian engineers to work on the West Coast Mainline because of a UK skills shortage.$LABEL$2 +Steady as they go BEDFORD -- Scientists at NitroMed Inc. hope their experimental drugs will cure heart disease someday. But lately their focus has been on more mundane matters.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO: Type in 'confusing,' 'secrecy' I've submitted my bid to buy shares of Google Inc. in the computer search company's giant auction-style initial public offering. That could turn out to be the good news or the bad news.$LABEL$2 +A bargain hunter's paradise Massachusetts bargain hunters showed up in droves and shopped hard on yesterday's sales tax holiday, buying everything from treadmills and snow blowers to candles and chandeliers, and crediting the 5-percent tax break with bringing them into the stores.$LABEL$2 +Researchers seek to untangle the e-mail thread E-mail is a victim of its own success. That's the conclusion of IBM Corp. researchers in Cambridge, who have spent nearly a decade conducting field tests at IBM and other companies about how employees work and use electronic mail. It's clear to them that e-mail has become the Internet's killer application.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft Corp. 2.0: a kinder corporate culture Even a genius can mess up. Bill Gates was a brilliant technologist when he cofounded Microsoft , but as he guided it to greatness in both size and historical consequence, he blundered. He terrorized underlings with his temper and parceled out praise like Scrooge gave to charity. Only the lash inspired the necessary aggressiveness to beat the competition, he thought.$LABEL$2 +Letters Target the abusers of legal weapons We can all share the outrage, expressed by columnist Steve Bailey (''Summer Sizzler, quot; Aug. 11), at the killings in the city's poor neighborhoods. But there's no need to share his ignorance. He argues for renewal of the so-called assault weapon ban, claiming that otherwise, ''UZIs and AK-47s could again be flooding the streets. quot; His ...$LABEL$2 +Somewhere between gleam and gloom President Bush has been saying that the US economy has ''turned the corner. quot; Democratic presidential candidate Senator John F. Kerry, in the wake of this month's poor jobs report, quipped that it was more like a U-turn.$LABEL$2 +Technology company sues five ex-employees A Marlborough-based technology company is suing five former employees, including three senior managers, for allegedly conspiring against their employer while working on opening a competing business.$LABEL$2 +Grant to aid Lynn Central Square Central Square in Lynn should be looking a bit brighter. New sidewalks, curbs, fences, lights, landscaping, and road improvements are planned for the Gateway Artisan Block, a key area of the square, with \$830,000 in state grant money given to Lynn last week.$LABEL$2 +State grant to aid Lynn; Bank gives Salem \$10k Central Square in Lynn should be looking a bit brighter. New sidewalks, curbs, fences, lights, landscaping, and road improvements are planned for the Gateway Artisan Block, a key area of the square, with \$830,000 in state grant money given to Lynn last week.$LABEL$2 +A New Legal Chapter for a 90's Flameout A lawsuit against Gary Winnick, the former chief of Global Crossing, refocuses attention on what Mr. Winnick knew about his company's finances as it imploded.$LABEL$2 +Will Russia, the Oil Superpower, Flex Its Muscles? Russia is again emerging as a superpower - but the reason has less to do with nuclear weapons than with oil.$LABEL$2 +Switching Titles, if Not Gears, at Dell Kevin B. Rollins, the new chief executive of Dell, talks about Dell's transitory slip in customer service, and why he sees a broader technology recovery taking place.$LABEL$2 +For Sale: The Ultimate Status Symbol With the country in need of cash and rich people dying to show off their wealth, Mr. Stein proposes a unique solution: having the government sell titles of nobility.$LABEL$2 +Quality Gets Swept Away Quality Distribution is hammered after reporting a large loss for the second quarter.$LABEL$2 +Making Your Insurer Pay If Hurricane Charley blows your house down, how can you make your insurance company pay?$LABEL$2 +Delightful Dell The company's results show that it's not grim all over tech world. Just all of it that isn't Dell.$LABEL$2 +Chrysler's Bling King After a tough year, Detroit's troubled carmaker is back -- thanks to a maverick designer and a car that is dazzling the hip-hop crowd$LABEL$2 +What's Cool In the Pool ... ... And Hot On the Deck Americans are spending more on tricking out the places where they swim. Here's a look at the new wave of accessories$LABEL$2 +The Age of Doom In 1993 six geeks had a digital nightmare that changed the culture. It's about to get far creepier$LABEL$2 +Hip Hop's Online Shop Celebrity fashion is booming. These webpreneurs are bringing it to main street$LABEL$2 +Stoking the Steamroller No other recording artist can channel American middle-class tastes quite like Chip Davis and his best-selling band$LABEL$2 +Coming to The Rescue Got a unique problem? Not to worry: you can find a financial planner for every specialized need$LABEL$2 +The New Customers Are In Town Today's customers are increasingly demanding, in Asia as elsewhere in the world. Henry Astorga describes the complex reality faced by today's marketers, which includes much higher expectations than we have been used to. Today's customers want performance, and they want it now! $LABEL$2 +Barrel of Monkeys, 2004 Edition: Notes on Philippine Elections Well, it's election time in the Republic of the Philippines, and that means the monkeys are rolling around in those political barrels, having as much fun as they can while laughing their heads off at the strange goings-on that characterize a democratic process loosely based on the American model but that de facto looks more like a Fellini movie crossed with a Tom and Jerry cartoon - column includes a useful election-year glossary!$LABEL$2 +Oldsmobile: The final parking lot Why General Motors dropped the Oldsmobile. The four brand paradoxes GM had to face - the name, the product, image re-positioning, and the consumer - all added up to a brand that had little hope of rebranding.$LABEL$2 +Not All Jobs Belong To The White Man: Asian Minorities, Affirmative Action, And The Quest For Parity At Work Although a smattering of Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Indians, Thais, and others may crow about seeing their kind sitting in prominent positions in corporations and organizations in the USA, these accomplishments become mere cultural high-fives and ritualistic chest-thumping goaded and impishly patronized by 'mainstream society' - the milder and gentler term for the white-dominated populace.$LABEL$2 +Downhome Pinoy Blues, Intersecting Life Paths, and Heartbreak Songs The Blues is alive and well in the Philippines, as evidenced by this appreciation of the Pinoy Blues band 'Lampano Alley', penned by columnist Clarence Henderson as a counterpoint to his usual economics, business, and culture fare.$LABEL$2 +The Real Time Modern Manila Blues: Bill Monroe Meets Muddy Waters in the Orient Globalization does strange things to people. A day in the life of a Manila Philippines based business consultant - proving that you really CAN talk about Muddy Walters, bluegrass and work all on the same page...$LABEL$2 +Best Asian Tourism Destinations The new APMF survey of the best Asian tourism destinations has just kicked off, but it's crowded at the top, with Chiang Mai in Thailand just leading from perennial favourites Hong Kong, Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, and Bali in Indonesia. Be one of the first to vote and let us know your reasons.$LABEL$2 +What are the best cities for business in Asia? One of our new categories in the APMF Sense of Place survey is for best Asian business city. After a couple of days, Singapore leads the pack, followed by Bangkok, Thailand and Hong Kong. Enter your vote and comments and make your views count. More new categories include best city for livability, and best tourism destinations.$LABEL$2 +IT alligator tales I grew up in New York, where giant alligators -- sometimes more ornately described as albino alligators -- were rumored to roam the citys sewer systems. According to legend, vacationers picked up the tiny crocodilians in Florida, brought them home to New York, and eventually flushed the little buggers when they grew too big for the local concrete jungle.$LABEL$2 +IT Myth 5: Most IT projects fail Do most IT projects fail? Some point to the number of giant consultancies such as IBM Global Services, Capgemini, and Sapient, who feed off bad experiences encountered by enterprises. Sapient is a company founded on the realization that IT projects are not successful, says Sapient CTO Ben Gaucherin.$LABEL$2 +BEA grabs CA exec to head product group BEA Systems Inc. has hired the Computer Associates International Inc. executive responsible for CA's Unicenter line of enterprise management software to head BEA's product development group.$LABEL$2 +Autodesk tackles project collaboration Autodesk this week unwrapped an updated version of its hosted project collaboration service targeted at the construction and manufacturing industries. Autodesk Buzzsaw lets multiple, dispersed project participants -- including building owners, developers, architects, construction teams, and facility managers -- share and manage data throughout the life of a project, according to Autodesk officials.$LABEL$2 +U.K.'s NHS taps Gartner to help plan \$9B IT overhaul LONDON -- The U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) has tapped IT researcher Gartner Inc. to provide market intelligence services as the health organization forges ahead with a mammoth, 5 billion (\$9.2 billion) project to upgrade its information technology infrastructure.$LABEL$2 +Play Boys: Google IPO a Go Anyway Even though Google's two founders gave an interview to Playboy magazine in the midst of its IPO filing, the SEC allowed the company's offering to go ahead. The boys filed the interview with the SEC and corrected mistakes in it.$LABEL$2 +More Big Boobs in Playboy An interview with Google's co-founders due out in the current issue of Playboy may delay the company's IPO. Securities regulations restrict what executives can say while preparing to sell stock for the first time.$LABEL$2 +Dutch Firm Beats Apple to Punch A music retailer from the Netherlands beats Apple by launching a download service in Europe's latest market battleground. Also: Movie industry wrests agreement from defunct company.... Microsoft challenges Photoshop hellip;. and more.$LABEL$2 +HP to Buy Synstar Hewlett-Packard will pay \$297 million for the British company. Also: TiVo goes all out to attract customers hellip;. Sprint offers service guarantees for business wireless subscribers hellip;. and more.$LABEL$2 +A Personal Operator From Verizon Verizon plans to offer a service that would act as a virtual switchboard operator, letting customers stay in touch at all times. The program would send phone calls, voicemails and e-mails wherever customers designate. By Elisa Batista.$LABEL$2 +Paid Search Growth May Slow A new Internet advertising forecast shows a slowdown in paid search listings in the next five years. Will the projection affect Google's prospects when it goes public?$LABEL$2 +Fark Sells Out. France Surrenders Blogs are the hottest thing on the Net, but are they messing with traditional publishing principles? One of the most popular, Fark.com, is allegedly selling links. Is it the wave of the future? By Daniel Terdiman.$LABEL$2 +'Madden,' 'ESPN' Football Score in Different Ways (Reuters) Reuters - Was absenteeism a little high\on Tuesday among the guys at the office? EA Sports would like\to think it was because ""Madden NFL 2005"" came out that day,\and some fans of the football simulation are rabid enough to\take a sick day to play it.$LABEL$3 +Group to Propose New High-Speed Wireless Format (Reuters) Reuters - A group of technology companies\including Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN.N), STMicroelectronics\(STM.PA) and Broadcom Corp. (BRCM.O), on Thursday said they\will propose a new wireless networking standard up to 10 times\the speed of the current generation.$LABEL$3 +AOL to Sell Cheap PCs to Minorities and Seniors (Reuters) Reuters - America Online on Thursday said it\plans to sell a low-priced PC targeting low-income and minority\households who agree to sign up for a year of dialup Internet\service.$LABEL$3 +Companies Approve New High-Capacity Disc Format (Reuters) Reuters - A group of consumer electronics\makers said on Wednesday they approved the format for a new\generation of discs that can store five times the data of DVDs\at the same cost -- enough to put a full season of ""The\Sopranos"" on one disc.$LABEL$3 +Missing June Deals Slow to Return for Software Cos. (Reuters) Reuters - The mystery of what went wrong for the\software industry in late June when sales stalled at more than\20 brand-name companies is not even close to being solved\although the third quarter is nearly halfway over.$LABEL$3 +Hacker Cracks Apple's Streaming Technology (AP) AP - The Norwegian hacker famed for developing DVD encryption-cracking software has apparently struck again #151; this time breaking the locks on Apple Computer Inc.'s wireless music streaming technology.$LABEL$3 +European Download Services Go Mobile (Reuters) Reuters - The ability to download complete\tracks directly over cell-phone networks to mobile phones is\becoming a reality in Europe.$LABEL$3 +Open Source Apps Developer SugarCRM Releases Sugar.Sales 1.1 (TechWeb) TechWeb - News - August 13, 2004$LABEL$3 +Oracle Sales Data Seen Being Released (Reuters) Reuters - Oracle Corp. sales documents\detailing highly confidential information, such as which\companies receive discounts on Oracle's business software\products and the size of the discounts, are likely to be made\public, a federal judge said on Friday.$LABEL$3 +Sun's Looking Glass Provides 3D View (PC World) PC World - Developers get early code for new operating system 'skin' still being crafted.$LABEL$3 +Apple to open second Japanese retail store this month (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple Computer Inc. will open its second Japanese retail store later this month in the western Japanese city of Osaka, it said Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Charley's Force Took Experts by Surprise (AP) AP - Hurricane Charley's 145-mph force took forecasters by surprise and showed just how shaky a science it still is to predict a storm's intensity #151; even with all the latest satellite and radar technology.$LABEL$3 +Science, Politics Collide in Election Year (AP) AP - With more than 4,000 scientists, including 48 Nobel Prize winners, having signed a statement opposing the Bush administration's use of scientific advice, this election year is seeing a new development in the uneasy relationship between science and politics.$LABEL$3 +Building Dedicated to Columbia Astronauts (AP) AP - A former dormitory converted to classrooms at the Pensacola Naval Air Station was dedicated Friday to two Columbia astronauts who were among the seven who died in the shuttle disaster Feb. 1, 2003.$LABEL$3 +Russian Cargo Craft Docks at Space Station (AP) AP - A Russian cargo ship docked with the international space station Saturday, bringing food, water, fuel and other items to the two-man Russian-American crew, a space official said.$LABEL$3 +Bangkok's Canals Losing to Urban Sprawl (AP) AP - Along the banks of the canal, women in rowboats grill fish and sell fresh bananas. Families eat on floating pavilions, rocked gently by waves from passing boats.$LABEL$3 +T. Rex Had Teen Growth Spurt, Scientists Say (Reuters) Reuters - Tyrannosaurus Rex grew incredibly fast\during a teenaged growth spurt that saw the dinosaur expand its\bulk by six times, but the fearsome beasts ""lived fast and died\young,"" researchers said on Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Gene Blocker Turns Monkeys Into Workaholics - Study (Reuters) Reuters - Procrastinating monkeys were turned\into workaholics using a gene treatment to block a key brain\compound, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Dolphins Too Have Born Socialites (Reuters) Reuters - Some people are born to be the life and\soul of the party -- and so it seems are some dolphins.$LABEL$3 +What's in a Name? Well, Matt Is Sexier Than Paul (Reuters) Reuters - As Shakespeare said, a rose by any other\name would smell as sweet. Right?$LABEL$3 +UK Scientists Allowed to Clone Human Embryos (Reuters) Reuters - British scientists said on Wednesday\they had received permission to clone human embryos for medical\research, in what they believe to be the first such license to\be granted in Europe.$LABEL$3 +Russian Alien Spaceship Claims Raise Eyebrows, Skepticism (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - An expedition of Russian researchers claims to have found evidence that an \ alien spaceship had something to do with a huge explosion over Siberia in 1908. \ Experts in asteroids and comets have long said the massive blast was caused \ by a space rock.$LABEL$3 +Comets, Asteroids and Planets around a Nearby Star (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A nearby star thought to harbor comets and asteroids now appears to be home to planets, too. The presumed worlds are smaller than Jupiter and could be as tiny as Pluto, new observations suggest.$LABEL$3 +Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Overnight (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A fine display of shooting stars is underway and peaks overnight Wednesday into early Thursday morning. Astronomers expect the 2004 Perseid meteor shower to be one of the best versions of the annual event in several years.$LABEL$3 +Redesigning Rockets: NASA Space Propulsion Finds a New Home (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - While the exploration of the Moon and other planets in our solar system is nbsp;exciting, the first task for astronauts and robots alike is to actually nbsp;get to those destinations.$LABEL$3 +Studies Find Rats Can Get Hooked on Drugs (AP) AP - Rats can become drug addicts. That's important to know, scientists say, and has taken a long time to prove. Now two studies by French and British researchers show the animals exhibit the same compulsive drive for cocaine as people do once they're truly hooked.$LABEL$3 +NASA Chief: 'Let's Go Save the Hubble' (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Amid uncertainty over the fate of the Hubble Space Telescope and with a key instrument not working, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe gave the go-ahead Monday for planning a robotic servicing mission.$LABEL$3 +Armadillo Aerospaces X Prize Prototype Crashes (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Armadillo Aerospace of Mesquite, Texas has reported a \crash last weekend of their prototype X Prize rocket.$LABEL$3 +Prairie Dog Won't Be on Endangered List (AP) AP - The black-tailed prairie dog has been dropped from a list of candidates for the federal endangered species list because scientists have concluded the rodents are no longer threatened.$LABEL$3 +Hubble Trouble: One of Four Instruments Stops Working (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - One of the four astronomical instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope shut down earlier this week and engineers are trying to pin down the problem. The other three instruments continue to operate normally.$LABEL$3 +Invasive Purple Weed May Meet Its Match (AP) AP - They burned it, mowed it, sprayed it and flooded it. But nothing killed the purple loosestrife weed, which has become a regional plague, until officials at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge set a European beetle loose on it.$LABEL$3 +New NASA Supercomputer to Aid Theorists and Shuttle Engineers (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - NASA researchers have teamed up with a pair of Silicon Valley firms to build \ a supercomputer that ranks alongside the world's largest Linux-based systems.$LABEL$3 +Ants Form Supercolony Spanning 60 Miles (AP) AP - Normally clannish and agressive Argentine ants have become so laid back since arriving in Australia decades ago that they no longer fight neighboring nests and have formed a supercolony here that spans 60 miles, scientists say.$LABEL$3 +Viewer's Guide: Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Aug. 11-12 (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Every August, when many \ people are vacationing in the country where skies are dark, the best-known meteor \ shower makes its appearance. The annual Perseid meteor shower, as it is called, \ promised to put on an above average display this year.$LABEL$3 +Rescuers Free Beached Whale in Brazil (AP) AP - Rescuers succeeded in freeing a minke whale that washed up on a beach in southeastern Brazil, the fire department said Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Red-Footed Falcon Sighted in Mass. (AP) AP - A red-footed falcon spotted for the first time in North America is enticing birdwatchers to Martha's Vineyard.$LABEL$3 +Weak Version of Most Powerful Explosions Found (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful events in the universe, temporary outshining several galaxies and likely signaling the birth of a black hole.$LABEL$3 +Simultaneous Tropical Storms a Rarity (AP) AP - The prospect that a tropical storm and a hurricane #151; or possibly two hurricanes #151; could strike Florida on the same day is something meteorologists say they have never seen.$LABEL$3 +NASA's Genesis Spacecraft Adjusts Course (AP) AP - NASA's Genesis spacecraft successfully adjusted its course this week as it heads back toward Earth with a sample of solar wind particles, the space agency said Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Earth is Rare, New Study Suggests (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Flip a coin. Heads, Earth is a common sort of planet. Tails, and ours is as unusual as a coin landing on edge. That's about the state of knowledge for scientists who ponder the question of our planet's rarity.$LABEL$3 +Scientists Probe Pacific for Dead Zone (AP) AP - His hand on a toggle switch and his eyes on a computer screen, Oregon State University graduate student Anthony Kirincich uses an array of scientific instruments to probe the vibrant waters of the Pacific. He is searching for the absence of life.$LABEL$3 +Life on Mars Likely, Scientist Claims (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - DENVER, COLORADO -- Those twin robots hard at work on Mars have transmitted teasing views that reinforce the prospect that microbial life may exist on the red planet.$LABEL$3 +India Rethinks Plan to Send Man to Moon (AP) AP - India is rethinking its plan to send a man to the moon by 2015, as the mission would cost a lot of money and yield very little in return, the national space agency said Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Natural Sunblock: Sun Dims in Strange Ways (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - When Venus crossed the Sun June 8, showing up as a clear black dot to the delight of millions of skywatchers around the world, astronomers noted something less obvious: The amount of sunlight reaching Earth dipped by 0.1 percent for a few hours.$LABEL$3 +Website Lets Users Scout the Red Planet from Home (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - For those who want to explore Mars but cant wait for a spacecraft to take them there, NASA scientists have reformulated a website that lets the general public search data and images from previous missions.$LABEL$3 +Appeal Rejected in Trout Restoration Plan (AP) AP - The U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday rejected environmentalists' appeal of a plan to poison a stream south of Lake Tahoe to aid what wildlife officials call ""the rarest trout in America.$LABEL$3 +Explore the Many Colors of Stars (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - One of the pleasures of \ stargazing is noticing and enjoying the various colors that stars display in \ dark skies. These hues offer direct visual evidence of how stellar temperatures \ vary.$LABEL$3 +Britain Grants Human Cloning License (AP) AP - Britain granted its first license for human cloning Wednesday, joining South Korea on the leading edge of stem cell research, which is restricted by the Bush administration and which many scientists believe may lead to new treatments for a range of diseases.$LABEL$3 +The Next Great Space Race: SpaceShipOne and Wild Fire to Go For the Gold (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A piloted rocket ship race to claim a #36;10 million Ansari X Prize purse for privately financed flight to the edge of space is heating up.$LABEL$3 +Growth, Mortality of T. Rex Gets Clearer (AP) AP - Here's a dinosaur finding that parents can appreciate: The teenage Tyrannosaurus rex typically went through an explosive growth spurt, gaining nearly 5 pounds a day.$LABEL$3 +Space Science Pioneer Van Allen Questions Human Spaceflight (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A leading space scientist has called to question the validity of human spaceflight, suggesting that sending astronauts outward from Earth is outdated, too costly, and the science returned is trivial.$LABEL$3 +China Begins Manned Space Flight Countdown (AP) AP - Chinese astronauts are in the final stages of preparing for a manned space mission that will orbit the globe 14 times before returning to Earth, a state-run newspaper reported Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Sunspot Grows to 20 Times Size of Earth (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A sunspot group aimed squarely \ at Earth has grown to 20 times the size of our planet and has the potential \ to unleash a major solar storm.$LABEL$3 +Japanese Lunar Probe Facing Delays (AP) AP - A lunar orbiter that Japan had planned to launch this year could face further delays, possibly until next year or later, because of a funding shortfall and problems developing the probe's information-gathering capabilities, Japan's space agency said Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Pollutants From Asia Appear on East Coast (AP) AP - Scientists looking into air quality and climate change have found pollutants from as far as Asia over New England and the Atlantic.$LABEL$3 +Vietnam's Citadel Vulnerable to Weather (AP) AP - Experts from Europe and Asia surveyed 1,400-year-old relics of an ancient citadel in Hanoi Tuesday and said they were concerned the priceless antiquities were at risk from exposure to the elements.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Barred From Weakening Dolphin Rules (AP) AP - In a victory for environmentalists, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Bush administration cannot change the standards commercial fisheries must meet before the tuna they catch can carry the ""dolphin-safe"" label.$LABEL$3 +Canadian Robot a Candidate to Save Hubble (AP) AP - NASA said Tuesday it is moving ahead with plans to send a robot to the rescue of the aging Hubble Space Telescope.$LABEL$3 +Cave Explorers Discover Pit in Croatia (AP) AP - Cave explorers discovered a pit inside a mountain range in central Croatia believed to have the world's deepest subterranean vertical drop, at nearly 1,700 feet, a scientific institute reported Monday.$LABEL$3 +Aquarium Reviews Death of Dolphin (AP) AP - The chief scientist at the National Aquarium in Baltimore has launched a review of the dolphin breeding program after the death of a 4-month-old dolphin.$LABEL$3 +Scientists Seek Better Way to Measure Rain (AP) AP - Meteorologists at North Carolina State University are working on a way to more accurately measure rainfall in small areas.$LABEL$3 +Wash. State Team's Private Rocket Explodes (AP) AP - A team taking a low-budget stab at the #36;10 million Ansari X Prize for private manned spaceflight suffered a setback Sunday, when their rocket malfunctioned and exploded after shooting less than 1,000 feet in the air.$LABEL$3 +Nevada Ponders Superfund Status for Mine (AP) AP - Pressured by a ranking senator from Nevada and the Environmental Protection Agency, Gov. Kenny Guinn says he might reconsider his opposition to a federal Superfund cleanup declaration for a huge abandoned mine contaminated with toxic waste and uranium.$LABEL$3 +Indictments Using DNA on Rise Nationally (AP) AP - Authorities once had no choice but to drop rape cases if they weren't able to catch a suspect before the statute of limitations expired. But prosecutors across the country increasingly are buying themselves time, keeping cold cases alive by indicting unidentified rapists using their DNA profiles.$LABEL$3 +Southeast Coast Sees Fewer Turtle Nests (AP) AP - About half the usual number of loggerhead turtles have nested between North Carolina and Florida this season, and scientists have no explanation for the drop.$LABEL$3 +Company Said to Be Ready to Clone Pets (AP) AP - A company that unveiled the world's first cloned cat nearly three years ago now says it is ready to start filling orders for cloned pets, a newspaper reported Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Deep-Sea Vessel Puts Ocean Floor in Reach (AP) AP - A new deep-sea research vessel will be able to carry people to 99 percent of the ocean floor, diving deeper than the famed Alvin that pioneered the study of seafloor vents, plate tectonics and deep ocean creatures over the past 40 years.$LABEL$3 +Chorus Frog Found Croaking in Virginia (AP) AP - The Southern chorus frog has been found in southeastern Virginia, far outside its previously known range. The animal had never before been reported north of Beaufort County, N.C., about 125 miles to the south.$LABEL$3 +Expedition to Probe Gulf of Mexico (AP) AP - Scientists will use advanced technology never before deployed beneath the sea as they try to discover new creatures, behaviors and phenomena in a 10-day expedition to the Gulf of Mexico's deepest reaches.$LABEL$3 +Feds Accused of Exaggerating Fire Impact (AP) AP - The Forest Service exaggerated the effect of wildfires on California spotted owls in justifying a planned increase in logging in the Sierra Nevada, according to a longtime agency expert who worked on the plan.$LABEL$3 +New Method May Predict Quakes Weeks Ahead (AP) AP - Swedish geologists may have found a way to predict earthquakes weeks before they happen by monitoring the amount of metals like zinc and copper in subsoil water near earthquake sites, scientists said Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Marine Expedition Finds New Species (AP) AP - Norwegian scientists who explored the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean said Thursday their findings #151; including what appear to be new species of fish and squid #151; could be used to protect marine ecosystems worldwide.$LABEL$3 +Annual Study Finds Rise in Beach Closures (AP) AP - The number of days that beaches closed or posted warnings because of pollution rose sharply in 2003 due to more rainfall, increased monitoring and tougher standards, an environmental group said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Pacific May Be Seeing New El Nino (AP) AP - Warming water temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific last month may indicate the start of a new El Nino.$LABEL$3 +Cassini Spacecraft Sees Saturn Lightning (AP) AP - The Cassini spacecraft's mission to Saturn has revealed a new radiation belt around the ringed planet and found that lightning in its atmosphere is occurring in different patterns than it did when NASA's Voyagers flew by in the early 1980s, scientists said.$LABEL$3 +Poachers Putting Endangered Rhinos at Risk (AP) AP - Gangs of poachers in Congo have been slaughtering the world's minuscule population of northern white rhinos, reducing the population by about one-half in just more than a year, a key conservation organization said Friday.$LABEL$3 +Experts Downplay Texas Shark Attacks (AP) AP - Three shark attacks off the Texas coast in the past two months are unusual but don't mean there are more sharks than normal along the beach or that they are getting bolder, marine biologists and other experts say.$LABEL$3 +Study Says Birds Feed Other Birds' Young (AP) AP - It's a lesson many little humans could learn from baby birds: Sometimes, being nice to other youngsters pays off. Brown-headed cowbirds, like several other bird species, leave their eggs in the nests of other birds, who then feed and raise the cowbird chicks.$LABEL$3 +Canadian Team Joins Rocket Launch Contest (AP) AP - The #36;10 million competition to send a private manned rocket into space started looking more like a race Thursday, when a Canadian team announced plans to launch its rocket three days after an American group intends to begin qualifying for the Ansari X prize.$LABEL$3 +Universities to Build Largest Telescope (AP) AP - The University of Texas and Texas A amp;M University are planning to construct what they call the world's largest telescope with the help of a Houston businessman's #36;1.25 million gift.$LABEL$3 +Mauritanian Capital Battles Locust Swarm (AP) AP - Residents burned tires and trash in the streets Thursday trying to drive off swarms of locusts descending on the region in what a U.N. agency called the worst sub-Saharan invasion in more than a decade.$LABEL$3 +Customers of Telco Companies Face Privacy Breach A security advisory posted on Bugtraq demonstrates how hackers can compromise customers of T-mobile wireless and Verizon (landline) voicemail boxes. The advisory talks about the use of Caller-ID spoofing the customers number, allowing a bypass of the PIN code since the voicemail thinks that the customer is calling to check their own voicemail. According to Secure Science Corporation, there has been no response from the vendors. Comments have been posted that T-Mobile has optional PIN code protection off by default. Better turn it on. $LABEL$3 +Mozilla To Add Support For XForms, World Yawns It's ironic that Microsoft could help further cement its dominance in the browser market by joining its largest rival in an effort to support web standards. nbsp;At the same time, that act would go a long way towards improving the web in general for developers and users alike.$LABEL$3 +Junk faxes to be legalized as quot;opt-out? quot; The Register ran a story on August 6th called 'Phone spam misery looms stateside.' It seems that there's legislative nastiness underway in Washington, DC to essentially gut the existing junk fax law, and replace it with a marketer's wet dream.$LABEL$3 +Biased Against Whom? Liberal bias versus right-wing conspiracy is a wonderful distraction. There is evidence enough on both sides. How can opposite claims be true? Confront a physicist with evidence supporting contradictory hypotheses and she will go looking for a more basic cause. Let's try that.$LABEL$3 +The Visual World of Michel Gondry A month ago I was introduced to the works of Michel Gondry. In short, I was amazed and tantalized by his short films and music videos. Even if you haven't heard of him, you've probably seen his many works in Gap commercials, various music videos, and the recent movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Many of his works explode with visual elements that, when taken alone, are simple and mundane. However, under his masterful guidance, these elements come together to form a highly mesmerizing visual experience. He never ceases to push visual technologies and challenge our ideas about the visual medium.$LABEL$3 +The Austral-Asian Strike Fighter The Australian Defence Force must defend and project across an air-sea gap. This requires long range autonomous strike weaponry. The Joint Strike Fighter does not solve this issue and detrimentally places added pressure on Australia's limited force of aerial refuelling assets. The world's defence manufacturers are not creating strike platforms that solve Australian needs. For this reason, Australia needs to look to other nations with similar defence needs. In this case, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all face defending an air-sea gap. Australia should enter a partnership with these nations to create a strike fighter that satisfies the strategic needs of defending an air-sea gap. The benefits of such a partnership will be many.$LABEL$3 +Insecurity: (Or Why Americans Aren't Feeling The Recovery) The New Republic's website is currently carrying an interesting piece which tries to explain the anomaly that although the US economy is growing, a lot of its citizens are still feeling worse off. The article explains the results of a 40 year panel study which has shown that although mean incomes have increased, income variability has increased massively, causing many Americans to feel less well off, despite the growing economy. $LABEL$3 +The Great K5 Limerick Contest Queue submissions being scarce, I suggest we all submit limericks for consideration. Mod up your favorites. I'm no poet, so I'll submit a favorite of my childhood: There was a young woman named Bright, Who traveled much faster than light She set out one day In a relative way And returned on the previous night. I'm afraid I don't remember the author.$LABEL$3 +RuntimeProperties... Reflection from System Properties \\Java developers often load system properties to customize the runtime behavior\of their applications.\\For example a develoepr could define a 'max_connections' system property to\define the maximum number of TCP connections that their application server can\support. While nice, this prevents all other applications from using this\variable name.\\The first reaction to this would be to namespace your variable names. Instead\of using max_connections you would now use\'my.application.Server.MAX_CONNECTIONS' as your property name. This works of\course but now you have to load this property on startup.\\public static int MAX_CONNECTIONS = Integer.parseInt( System.getProperty(\""my.application.Se ...\\$LABEL$3 +Thank You IBM! \\I just wanted to say thanks to IBM for Open Sourcing Cloudscape .\\You guys really have your act together. Keep up the good work!\\$LABEL$3 +LinuxWorld, IDs, and Privacy \\Today Jonathan Moore and I headed over to LinuxWorld after lunch to see what\kind of cool hardware and Linux hacks they had on the expo floor.\\Only \$15 to get in the door so I figure why not.\\I'm a bit of a privacy freak. When you're trading some security for liberty\there are situations where it *might* be worth it. In situations of extreme\violence having the police by your side might be a good idea. \\I think we can all agree that trading liberty for *nothing* isn't worth it.\This country was *founded* on liberty after the British were abusing their\colonial powers. Every true American should cherish their liberty and think\long and hard about just turning them over for no reason.\ ...\\$LABEL$3 +My Blog as a Time Machine \\I'm starting to realize that my blog is a bit of a time machine. For example I\can create a blog entry to warn myself about something that WILL happen in the\future. \\My current NTP blog entry is a good example. I wrote this for myself as\much as for the people who read my blog (or find me via Google).\\I know for sure that NTP on Debian is going to bite me sometime in the future\and I'm going to forget WHY. Then I'm going to (of course) go to Google or my\aggregator and search for NTP and then find my blog post. \\I've done this about a dozen times now and its saved me a TON of time!\\$LABEL$3 +NTP in Debian \\The Network Time Daemon (NTP Daemon) implementation within Debian leaves a\lot to be desired.\\First off they don't include it with a working config. You have to create your\own /etc/ntpd.conf. To make matters worse the configuration doesn't accept DNS\names so you have to manually enter IPs. Fun. I can understand that they might\not want to provide ONE configuration and overwhelm one or two NTP servers but\they can provide a dynamic config that balances load among all available\servers. There is of course the public serves list but you have to Google\for it.\\All you really need to do here is enter a list of servers:\\server time.nist.gov\\server 192.43.244.18\$LABEL$3 +Pretty Log4J \\I've been a big fan of Log4J for a while now but haven't migrated any code\over for one central reason. The following line of code:\\ final static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger( ""some.name"" );\\... is amazingly ugly and difficult to work with.\\Most people use Log4J with a logger based on the classname:\\So we would probably see:\\ static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger( ""org.apache.commons.feedparser.locate.FeedLocator"" );\\Which is amazingly verbose. A lot of developers shorten this to:\\ static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger( FeedLocator.class );\\But this still leaves us with cut and paste errors.\\What if we could just reduce it to:\\ static Logger logger = Logger.g ...\\$LABEL$3 +Saudis: Bin Laden associate surrenders \\""(CNN) -- A longtime associate of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden surrendered to\Saudi Arabian officials Tuesday, a Saudi Interior Ministry official said.""\\""But it is unclear what role, if any, Khaled al-Harbi may have had in any terror\attacks because no public charges have been filed against him.""\\""The Saudi government -- in a statement released by its embassy in Washington --\called al-Harbi's surrender ""the latest direct result"" of its limited, one-month\offer of leniency to terror suspects.""\\This is great! I hope this really starts to pay off. Creative solutions to\terrorism that don't involve violence. \\How refreshing! \\Are you paying attention Bush administration?\\$LABEL$3 +Mozilla Exceptions (mexception) \\For some reason I never released this code.\\I developed it while working on NewsMonster and just forgot I think\\It's an extension for Mozilla that allows you to see all runtime exceptions\(with full stack traces) that are unhandled by Mozilla. \\Just install it and if your code generates an unhandled exception it will show\up in the logs and on the console.\\Very handy for doing any hardcore Mozilla development.\\$LABEL$3 +Ron Regan Jr is My Kinda Guy \\""Now that the country is awash in Reagan nostalgia, some observers are predicting\that you will enter politics. Would you like to be president of the United\States?""\\""I would be unelectable. I'm an atheist. As we all know, that is something\people won't accept.""\\""What would you do if Senator Kerry asked you to be his vice president?""\\""I would question his sanity.""\\""Do you ever go to church?""\\""No. I visit my wife's sangha.""\\""So you sometimes practice Buddhism?""\\""I don't claim anything. But my sympathies would be in that direction. I admire\the fact that the central core of Buddhist teaching involves mindfulness and\loving kindness and compassion.""\\So lets get this straight. He's an a ...\\$LABEL$3 +Al Qaeda member surrenders \\""RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- One of Saudi Arabia's most wanted militants has\turned himself into the authorities, the first senior suspect to surrender under\a one-month government amnesty announced last week.""\\""Othman Al-Omari, number 19 on Saudi Arabia's most wanted list of 26, accepted\King Fahd's offer of amnesty, which was made last week, according to Saudi\sources Monday.""\\""Al-Omari, who turned himself in on Sunday night, was a business partner of\Shaban Al Shihri -- the first al Qaeda member to accept the offer when he turned\himself in Friday.""\\When I first saw this I was really upset. I thought that it would certainly\lead to more violence if they just let terrorists off the ...\\$LABEL$3 +Mission Accomplished! \\""BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Members of Iraq's interim government took an oath of\office Monday just hours after the United States returned the nation's\sovereignty, two days ahead of schedule.""\\""Led by Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, each member of the new\government placed a hand on the Koran and promised to serve with sincerity and\impartiality. Iraqi flags lined the wall behind them.""\\Iraq! Now with 100 less Coalition Provisional Authority! Act now and get a\free Weapon of Mass Destruction (offer only available in Syria, Jordan, Saudi\Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and Iran).\\Also check out our new Puppet Government! Keeps the kids occupied for hours!\\$LABEL$3 +Java3D - Half Right \\SUN has announced that Java3D will be released in a different manner than any\other SUN project in existence.\\""We announce the availability of the source code for the Java 3D API on\java.net. We are involving developers in the evolution of the Java 3D API.\Come join the Java 3D projects on java.net, and download the source code for\the core Java 3D API, vecmath, the Java 3D core utilities, and the Java 3D\program examples.""\\The key thing here is that they have provided the core utils under a BSD license\and even have the CVS available .\\Good job SUN! You're headed in the right direction!\\Here's the only problem:\\""We are releasing the source code for the j3d-core and vecmath projects u ...\\$LABEL$3 +Reverse Psychology \\I really hope SUN doesn't Open Source Java at JavaOne this year. It would be a\terrible decision and seriously hurt the tech industry. Also, it would hurt SUN\and I'm sure their responsible enough to realize this.\\(Lets hope that works!)\\$LABEL$3 +Kerry's Disgusting Ad \\A few days ago Kerry sent around this ad:\\""Yesterday, the Bush-Cheney campaign, losing any last sense of decency, placed\a disgusting ad called ""The Faces of John Kerry's Democratic Party"" as the\main feature on its website. Bizarrely, and without explanation, the ad places\Adolf Hitler among those faces.""\\""The Bush-Cheney campaign must pull this ad off of its website. The use of\Adolf Hitler by any campaign, politician or party is simply wrong.""\\Which of course is a mistake. I went and downloaded the video (which is just\stupid btw. Not a masterpiece by any means.) and there are shots of Hitler in\there, but only from the MoveOn contest from a few months back.\\Here's the problem. The ...\\$LABEL$3 +What would Baby Jesus Think? \\""On Tuesday, Cheney, serving in his role as president of the Senate, appeared in\the chamber for a photo session. A chance meeting with Sen. Patrick J. Leahy\(Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, became an argument about\Cheney's ties to Halliburton Co., an international energy services corporation,\and President Bush's judicial nominees. The exchange ended when Cheney offered\some crass advice.\\'Fuck yourself,' said the man who is a heartbeat from the presidency.""\\Wonder what the moral majority has to say about this?\\It isn't profanity! Its a freedom praise!\\$LABEL$3 +Americans and Freedom \\""When we Americans first began, our biggest danger was clearly in view: we knew\from the bitter experience with King George III that the most serious threat to\democracy is usually the accumulation of too much power in the hands of an\Executive, whether he be a King or a president. Our ingrained American distrust\of concentrated power has very little to do with the character or persona of the\individual who wields that power. It is the power itself that must be\constrained, checked, dispersed and carefully balanced, in order to ensure the\survival of freedom. In addition, our founders taught us that public fear is the\most dangerous enemy of democracy because under the right circumstances it ...\\$LABEL$3 +Why Windows isn't Unix \\""I first heard about this from one of the developers of the hit game SimCity, who\told me that there was a critical bug in his application: it used memory right\after freeing it, a major no-no that happened to work OK on DOS but would not\work under Windows where memory that is freed is likely to be snatched up by\another running application right away. The testers on the Windows team were\going through various popular applications, testing them to make sure they\worked OK, but SimCity kept crashing. They reported this to the Windows\developers, who disassembled SimCity, stepped through it in a debugger, found\the bug, and added special code that checked if SimCity was running, and if it\did ...\\$LABEL$3 +Microsoft, IE and Bloat \\Zawodny threads off of Scoble on the IE issue:\\""I have to say, when I first read that I nearly fell off my chair laughing. I was\thinking ""how stupid ARE these IE guys?!?!?!"" But we all know that Microsoft is\full of smart people who care about what they're doing. So something really\doesn't compute here.""\\""Last time I checked, IE wasn't even close to feature parity with Mozilla's\browsers. No popup blocking, no tabbed browsing, etc.""\\""Does the IE team really not know what their product is missing?""\\Perhaps. It's highly likely that they just don't know.\\The bigger issue here is that Microsoft products can't fail and they can't\succeed. Microsoft has 40-50 billion in the bank. There ...\\$LABEL$3 +DRM is doubleplus good for business, Congress advised The Budget Office and the case of the disappearing public interest$LABEL$3 +HP: The Adaptive Enterprise that can't adapt <strong>Opinion</strong> SAP hardly to blame$LABEL$3 +Buffy the Censor Slayer <strong>Letters</strong> Readers drive stake through parents' group$LABEL$3 +Ashlee Vance: the readers have spoken <strong>Poll results</strong> Bright news for resident <em>Reg</em> ladyboy$LABEL$3 +<em>El Reg</em> pledges to name BSA antipiracy weasel <strong>Competition</strong> Get those suggestions in$LABEL$3 +Wireless net to get speed boost Wireless computer networks could soon be running 10 times faster than they do now.$LABEL$3 +Watchdog rules over broadband The UK's ad watchdog rules over which net connections can be described as full speed broadband.$LABEL$3 +GameBoy mini-games win prize A set of GameBoy micro-games is named as the most innovative game of the year at a festival in Scotland.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft takes down SP2 sharers Microsoft is stopping people getting hold of a key security update via net-based file- sharing systems.$LABEL$3 +Long-awaited Doom 3 hits the UK Doom 3 goes on sale in the UK at a time of renewed concerns over violence in video games.$LABEL$3 +Britons embrace digital lifestyle People in the UK are spending more time and money going digital, says communications watchdog Ofcom.$LABEL$3 +PlayStation potential to learning The PlayStation games console could be developed into a learning tool for children, says a Northumberland head teacher.$LABEL$3 +'Invisible' technology for Olympics Getting the technology in place for Athens 2004 is an Olympic task in itself.$LABEL$3 +Satellite boosts Olympic security An enhanced satellite location system aims to help Olympic security guards react more quickly to emergencies.$LABEL$3 +3D holograms to crack forgeries A 3D hologram technique could transform how experts spot forged signatures and other handwritten documents.$LABEL$3 +Video games 'good for children' Computer games can promote problem-solving and team-building in children, say games industry experts.$LABEL$3 +Fake goods tempting young adults Young people are increasingly happy to buy pirated goods or illegal download content from the net, a survey shows.$LABEL$3 +Catwoman far from perfect The Catwoman game is a major disappointment that feels like a pointless tie-in with the film.$LABEL$3 +'Madden,' 'ESPN' Football Score in Different Ways PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - Was absenteeism a little high on Tuesday among the guys at the office? EA Sports would like to think it was because ""Madden NFL 2005"" came out that day, and some fans of the football simulation are rabid enough to take a sick day to play it.$LABEL$3 +AOL to Sell Cheap PCs to Minorities and Seniors NEW YORK (Reuters) - America Online on Thursday said it plans to sell a low-priced PC targeting low-income and minority households who agree to sign up for a year of dialup Internet service.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft to Introduce Cheaper Version of Windows SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. <MSFT.O> said it will begin selling a stripped-down, low-cost version of its Windows XP operating system in the emerging markets of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in order to spread the use of computing and develop technology markets.$LABEL$3 +Companies Approve New High-Capacity Disc Format LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A group of consumer electronics makers said on Wednesday they approved the format for a new generation of discs that can store five times the data of DVDs at the same cost -- enough to put a full season of ""The Sopranos"" on one disc.$LABEL$3 +Missing June Deals Slow to Return for Software Cos. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The mystery of what went wrong for the software industry in late June when sales stalled at more than 20 brand-name companies is not even close to being solved although the third quarter is nearly halfway over.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Upgrades Software for Digital Pictures SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. <MSFT.O> released on Tuesday the latest version of its software for editing and organizing digital photographs and images to tap into widespread demand for digital cameras and photography.$LABEL$3 +Google to Pay Yahoo to Settle Patent Dispute SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. <GOOG.O> on Monday again boosted the number of shares it plans to sell in its initial public offering, saying it will issue 2.7 million shares to Yahoo Inc. <YHOO.O> to settle a lawsuit over technology used to display ads.$LABEL$3 +A Digital Doctor Treats Computer Contamination Unfortunately for users, computer equipment manufacturers and resellers don't adequately inform Windows users of the risks involved in accessing the Internet without proper security measures.<br><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</b></font>$LABEL$3 +'SP2' a Must With XP Use Service Pack 2, ""SP2"" for short, aims to stop viruses, worms, browser hijackings and worse by including security features that people have to add and adjust on their own. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-Rob Pegoraro</b></font>$LABEL$3 +Putting Your Own Stamp On All Your Parcels Fido the Stamp is here. Well, he could be -- all it takes is for one dog owner to snap a digital photo of his beloved pooch, submit it to the Stamps.com Web site and order personalized postage. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-Leslie Walker</b></font>$LABEL$3 +Internet Challenges Face-to-Face Mingling At Bungalow Billiards in Chantilly on Wednesday, about a dozen single parents from Northern Virginia gathered at happy hour to mingle, eat and drink. All were divorced or widowed members of the Fairfax chapter of Parents Without Partners.$LABEL$3 +Forecast: Plenty of Activity On the Weather Blog Front If it's possible to love something just because it could visit torrents upon the Washington region, fling hail from the skies and swell streams into rivers, then Jason Samenow is smitten.$LABEL$3 +Google Starts Auction Company launched the biggest electronic auction of stock in Wall Street history Friday but warned that it could face legal liability from a Playboy magazine interview in which some aspects of the Internet search engine's performance were overstated. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</b></font>$LABEL$3 +Bids Placed Despite Mixed News Umesh Patel, a 36-year old software engineer from California, debated until the last minute.$LABEL$3 +Antitrust Lawyer Takes Helm at FTC As Deborah P. Majoras takes over the Federal Trade Commission on Monday, she's expected to build on the broad agenda set by her predecessor, Timothy J. Muris.$LABEL$3 +GAO Calls Stryker Too Heavy for Transport The Army's new medium-weight armored vehicle, the Stryker, weighs so much that it curtails the range of C-130 military cargo aircraft that carry it and under certain conditions make it impossible for the planes to take off, a new report for Congress found.$LABEL$3 +BioVeris Settles 2 Lawsuits Against Chief Executive's Son BioVeris Corp. announced yesterday that it settled two lawsuits against Jacob N. Wohlstadter, its chief executive's son, whom the company had accused of spending millions of dollars on cars and real estate to sabotage a joint venture he ran so he could purchase it for a bargain price.$LABEL$3 +Google: Now Playboy's Latest Bunny Investors in the company that's trying to come off as cute as a bunny could find themselves holding a fistful of vipers if the founders of Google Inc. continue to do things like show up in Playboy magazine around the same time their company is going public. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +EBay Buys Stake in Craigslist Internet auctioneer eBay Inc. said Friday it acquired a 25 percent stake in craigslist, an online community of classified ads and forums. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-Associated Press</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Blog Interrupted The instant message blinked on the computer at Jessica Cutler's desk in the Russell Senate Office Building. ""Oh my God, you're famous.$LABEL$3 +Hungry world 'must eat less meat' People will need to eat more vegetables and less meat because of dwindling water supplies, scientists say.$LABEL$3 +Hopes soar for solo record plane Richard Branson says the Virgin Global Flyer is looking good for its solo trip around the world without refuelling.$LABEL$3 +Arctic team reaches destination A team of British explorers, who are retracing the steps of a Victorian pioneer, have reached Thom Bay.$LABEL$3 +Shuttle camera to watch fuel tank The space shuttle's external fuel tank, implicated in the 2003 Columbia disaster, is to get its own camera.$LABEL$3 +Hubble peers at celestial bubble The Hubble Space Telescope has looked into a bubble of gas and dust being inflated by a young star's particles.$LABEL$3 +Bacteria gives coral orange glow Orange coral common to the Caribbean has bacteria to thank for its hue, say US marine scientists.$LABEL$3 +Honey bees close museum A Worcestershire museum is forced to close for several weeks while a swarm of honey bees is removed.$LABEL$3 +Clouds dash Perseids show The annual Perseid meteor shower could provide a ""spectacular"" show, despite a disappointing start.$LABEL$3 +Worms may slow Parkinson's A protein which helps increase lifespan in worms offers hope for new Parkinson's and Alzheimer's treatments.$LABEL$3 +Nasa help for stem cell study UK tissue engineering experts are teaming up with NASA to find treatments for diseases back on Earth.$LABEL$3 +TB test to slash infection rates A rapid and accurate test for TB could cut infection rates around the world, say experts.$LABEL$3 +Scientists given cloning go-ahead The first request by British scientists to clone human embryos has been granted by experts.$LABEL$3 +Vandals damage bird reserve A disturbance free zone for nesting birds is put at risk by vandals who cut down the boundary fence.$LABEL$3 +Heat waves set to become 'brutal' Heat waves in the 21st Century will be more intense, more frequent and longer, US experts say.$LABEL$3 +Monkeys test 'hardworking gene' Scientists in the United States find a way to turn lazy monkeys into workaholics using gene therapy.$LABEL$3 +Hearing clue to whale evolution The evolution of whales from four-legged land dwellers into streamlined swimmers has been traced in fossilised ears, Nature reports.$LABEL$3 +News: NASA Extends TRMM Operations Through 2004 Hurricane Season NASA will extend operation of the Tropical Rainfall\Measuring Mission (TRMM) through the end of 2004, in light of a\recent request from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric\Administration (NOAA).$LABEL$3 +News: Climate Change Could Doom Alaska's Tundra In the next 100 years, Alaska will experience a massive loss of its historic tundra, as global warming allows these vast regions of cold, dry, lands to support forests and other vegetation that will dramatically alter native ecosystems. (Oregon State University press release)$LABEL$3 +News: How Strongly Does the Sun Influence the Climate? Researchers have shown that the Sun can be responsible for, at most, only a small part of the warming over the last 20-30 years. (Max Planck Society press release)$LABEL$3 +News: New England Forests at Greater Risk from Air Pollution When it comes to forests, air pollution is not an equal opportunity hazard. While dirty air spreads across large areas of the New England region, it's more scattered in the southeastern part of the United States. (University of Wisconsin-Madison press release)$LABEL$3 +News: Warmer Weather, Human Disturbances Interact to Change Forests While a rapidly changing climate may alter the composition of northern Wisconsin's forests, disturbances such as logging also will play a critical role in how these sylvan ecosystems change over time. (University of Wisconsin-Madison press release)$LABEL$3 +News: Duke Study Disputes Idea that Trees Can 'Relocate' Quickly in Response to Climate Change In a study with implications for how North American trees might respond to a changing climate, molecular information collected by Duke University researchers refutes a widely accepted theory that many of the continent's tree species migrated rapidly from the deep South as glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age. (Duke University press release)$LABEL$3 +News: Droughts Like 1930s Dust Bowl May Have Been Unexceptional in Prehistoric Times, New Study Suggests Events like the great Dust Bowl of the 1930s, immortalized in ""The Grapes of Wrath"" and remembered as a transforming event for millions of Americans, were regular parts of much-earlier cycles of droughts followed by recoveries in the region, according to new studies by a multi-institutional research team led by Duke University. (Duke University press release)$LABEL$3 +News: New Study to Investigate Demise of Coral Reef Ecosystems Scientists are embarking on a project which will explore how global warming is devastating one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, coral reefs. (University of Newcastle press release)$LABEL$3 +Natural Hazards: Typhoon Rananim The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Typhoon Rananim on August 12 at 2:40 UTC.$LABEL$3 +Horseflies and Meteors Like bugs streaking colorfully down the side window of a moving car, Earthgrazing Perseid meteors could put on a pleasing show after sunset on August 11th.$LABEL$3 +Spinning Brains One day, astronauts could zip across the solar system in spinning spaceships. How will their brains adapt to life onboard a twirling home where strange quot;Coriolis forces quot; rule?$LABEL$3 +What Neil Buzz Left on the Moon A cutting-edge Apollo 11 science experiment left behind in the Sea of Tranquility is still running today.$LABEL$3 +Voyager 1, Prepare for Action At the outer limits of our solar system, a solar shock wave is about to overtake NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft.$LABEL$3 +Saturn Hailstorm When Cassini reached Saturn On June 30th, it dashed through a gap in Saturn's rings, twice. One of onboard science instruments recorded a flurry of ring-dust harmlessly striking the spacecraft.\\$LABEL$3 +Dino-Size Spurt: T. Rex Teens Gained 5 Pounds a Day New analysis of fossil bones indicates that adolescent <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> dinosaurs grew extremely rapidly, quickly reaching gigantic size.$LABEL$3 +Fossils Show How Whales Evolved to Hear Underwater Whale fossils found with tiny ear bones reveal for the first time how the ancestors of whales and dolphins developed their acute underwater hearing.$LABEL$3 +Real ""Danny Deckchairs"" Soar With Just a Seat and Some Balloons In the new movie <i>Danny Deckchair,</i> a truck driver ties party balloons to a chair and flies away. It's called cluster ballooning, and believe it or not, it's a real sport.$LABEL$3 +Unusually Good"" Meteor Shower Expected Tonight Tonight's annual Perseid meteor shower is likely to be a spectacular show of shooting stars zipping across the night sky, according to astronomers.$LABEL$3 +Monster"" Waves Suprisingly Common, Satellites Show Rogue waves #151;eight or more stories or higher #151;are freaks of the ocean once thought to be tall tales told by sailors. But now scientists have satellite evidence that the massive upwellings are not only real but also fairly common.$LABEL$3 +Ancient Olympians Followed ""Atkins"" Diet, Scholar Says What did the first Olympians eat? Food historians are scouring ancient texts to find out.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Warrior Arms Africans to Hunt Sudanese Poachers Armed poachers from Sudan have been raiding and destroying neighboring Central African Republic's wildlife resources for years. Now, with the help of a militant U.S. conservationist, the CAR populace is arming and training itself to fight back.$LABEL$3 +Ancient Olympics Mixed Naked Sports, Pagan Partying Nude athletes, performance-enhancing lizard meat, and animal sacrifices are just a few of the things that separate the ancient Olympics from the modern games, says the author of <i>The Naked Olympics.</i>$LABEL$3 +Travel Column: Offsetting Air Travel's Greenhouse Impact Global warming is threatening travel destinations worldwide. What's more, travelers themselves are contributing to it. Find out what you can do about it.$LABEL$3 +Magma Surge Moves Nevada Mountain, Study Says Why did a Lake Tahoe-area peak move dramatically late last year? A new report says magma deep below surged upward, forcing the mountain to rise.$LABEL$3 +266 Chimps From Lab Adopted by Florida Refuge With an influx of chimps previously used as laboratory animals, Florida's Center for Captive Chimpanzee Care is transforming into the largest chimp sanctuary in the world #151;almost overnight.$LABEL$3 +Locusts Inspire Technology That May Prevent Car Crashes Locusts are commonly associated with plagues, food shortages, and death. But they are also inspiring what may be the next wave in lifesaving collision-avoidance systems.$LABEL$3 +Progress Supply Ship Docks with Space Station NASA -- An unpiloted Russian cargo ship linked up the International Space Station this morning to deliver almost three tons of food, fuel, oxygen, water and supplies to the residents onboard. The ISS Progress 15 craft automatically docked to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module at 12:01 a.m...$LABEL$3 +Building Dedicated to Space Shuttle Columbia Astronauts By BILL KACZOR PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) -- A former dormitory converted to classrooms at the Pensacola Naval Air Station was dedicated Friday to two Columbia astronauts who were among the seven who died in the shuttle disaster Feb...$LABEL$3 +Undersea Habitat Becomes Experimental Space Hospital NASA -- The days of doctors making house calls may seem like ancient history for most patients in North America, but in October, three astronauts and a Canadian doctor will test the latest concepts in long-distance house calls using a unique underwater laboratory. The ability to conduct long-distance health care such as telemonitoring and telerobotic surgery could be key to maintaining the wellness of future spacefarers and responding to medical emergencies on the International Space Station, the moon or Mars...$LABEL$3 +How Mars Fooled the World The famous Orson Welles' radio broadcast of ""The War of the Worlds"" is about to hit the big screen, as film moguls Spielberg and Cruise bring the H.G. Wells' classic back into the popular imagination. Are we so clever today not be duped?$LABEL$3 +Chandra Catches Early Phase of Cosmic Assembly Chandra X-Ray Observatory -- A NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory image has revealed a complex of several intergalactic hot gas clouds in the process of merging. The superb Chandra spatial resolution made it possible to distinguish individual galaxies from the massive clouds of hot gas...$LABEL$3 +Hubble Peers Inside a Celestial Geode Hubble Space Telescope -- In this unusual image, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures a rare view of the celestial equivalent of a geode a gas cavity carved by the stellar wind and intense ultraviolet radiation from a hot young star. Real geodes are baseball-sized, hollow rocks that start out as bubbles in volcanic or sedimentary rock...$LABEL$3 +Saturn's Moon Titan: Prebiotic Laboratory by Harry Bortman In this second and final part of the interview, Lunine explains how Huygens may help scientists understand the origin of life on Earth, even if it doesn't detect life on Titan. Astrobiology Magazine -- Titan is the only moon in our solar system with an atmosphere, and it is the organic chemistry that has been detected in that atmosphere that has sparked the imagination of planetary scientists like Lunine...$LABEL$3 +Sharpest Image Ever Obtained of a Circumstellar Disk Reveals Signs of Young Planets MAUNA KEA, Hawaii -- The sharpest image ever taken of a dust disk around another star has revealed structures in the disk which are signs of unseen planets. Dr...$LABEL$3 +Chandra Celebrates Five Years of Scientific Breakthroughs Marshall Space Flight Center -- On August 12, 1999, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory opened its sunshade doors for the first time, allowing celestial X-ray light to reach the observatory's mirrors. This one small step for the observatory proved to be a giant leap for science as Chandra began its mission to shed new light on a violent, mysterious universe invisible to the human eye...$LABEL$3 +Some Globular Clusters May Be Leftovers From Snacking Galaxies Globular star clusters are like spherical cathedrals of light -- collections of millions of stars lumped into a space only a few dozen light-years across. If the Earth resided within a globular cluster, our night sky would be alight with thousands of stars more brilliant than Sirius.$LABEL$3 +India Rethinks Plan for Manned Moon Mission By S. SRINIVASAN BANGALORE, India (AP) -- India is rethinking its plan to send a man to the moon by 2015, as the mission would cost a lot of money and yield very little in return, the national space agency said Thursday...$LABEL$3 +Cluster Finds Giant Gas Vortices at the Edge of Earths Magnetic Bubble European Space Agency -- ESAs quartet of space-weather watchers, Cluster, has discovered vortices of ejected solar material high above the Earth. The superheated gases trapped in these structures are probably tunnelling their way into the Earths magnetic bubble, the magnetosphere...$LABEL$3 +Saturn's Moon Titan: Planet Wannabe by Henry Bortman Jonathan Lunine, professor of planetary science and physics at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, has long been fascinated by Saturn's largest moon, Titan. In this first part of the interview, Lunine explains what scientists hope to learn from Huygens...$LABEL$3 +Knocking on Heaven's Door The Milky Way is a vast, diverse neighborhood. If you're hoping to find Earthlike planets that may harbor life, you'll need to narrow the search. Stars are a good place to start, because the dusty discs around stars spawn young planets.$LABEL$3 +China Begins Countdown for Next Manned Space Flight By ELAINE KURTENBACH SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Chinese astronauts are in the final stages of preparing for a manned space mission that will orbit the globe 14 times before returning to Earth, a state-run newspaper reported Thursday. The launch, expected sometime this month, will initially send a manned craft, the Shenzhou 5, into an oval orbit that at its closest will be 125 miles from Earth, the Liberation Daily reported, citing ""relevant channels."" After circling the earth several times, the ship will enter an orbit at about 220 miles from earth, the report said...$LABEL$3 +Trajectory Maneuver Brings Genesis Spacecraft Closer to Home Jet Propulsion Lab -- Thirty days before its historic return to Earth with NASA's first samples from space since the Apollo missions, the Genesis spacecraft successfully completed its twentieth trajectory maneuver. At 12:00 Universal Time (5:00 a.m...$LABEL$3 +Japanese Lunar Probe Mission Facing Delays TOKYO (AP) -- A lunar orbiter that Japan had planned to launch this year could face further delays, possibly until next year or later, because of a funding shortfall and problems developing the probe's information-gathering capabilities, Japan's space agency said Wednesday. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, released a report to a government-run commission explaining expected delays to the launch of the \$135 million Lunar-A probe...$LABEL$3 +Progress Cargo Ship for ISS Launched From Russia MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian cargo ship loaded with supplies and equipment blasted off from the Baikonour cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday headed for the international space station, a Russian space official said. The Progress M-50 ship took off at 1:03 a.m...$LABEL$3 +The Annual Perseid Meteor Shower The annual Perseid meteor shower is coming, and forecasters say it could be unusually good. Like bugs streaking down the side window of a moving car, colorful Perseid Earthgrazers could put on a pleasing show after sunset this week.$LABEL$3 +NASA Approves Robotic Hubble Repair Mission (AP) -- NASA's chief is urging his Hubble Space Telescope team to press ahead with plans for a robotic repair mission to the aging observatory, saying, ""Let's go save the Hubble."" Administrator Sean O'Keefe says he will ask Congress for money to accomplish the job. He estimates it will take about \$1 billion to \$1.6 billion to develop and launch a robot to make the needed upgrades to keep the popular telescope running and to get it out of orbit once its work is through...$LABEL$3 +What Is a Comet Made Of? UC Davis -- A new method for looking at the composition of comets using ground-based telescopes has been developed by chemists at UC Davis. Remnants from the formation of our solar system, the makeup of comets gives clues about how the Earth and other planets formed...$LABEL$3 +Dying Star Goes Out With a Ring A new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the shimmering embers of a dying star, and in their midst a mysterious doughnut-shaped ring. The dying star is part of a ""planetary nebula"" called NGC 246. When a star like our own Sun begins to run out of fuel, its core shrinks and heats up, boiling off the star's outer layers.$LABEL$3 +Lost Sleep Leads to Health Problems Advice on how to get a good night's slumber and avoid future heart trouble HealthDayNews -- Lack of sleep can cause more than drowsiness; it can contribute to a number of health problems. Short-term effects of lack of sleep include increases in blood pressure and levels of stress hormones, according to an article in the August issue of the Harvard Heart Letter...$LABEL$3 +Which Diet is Best? The One That Works for You By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- Gather together some diners who are trying to lose weight, then sit back and listen to the debate. Almost anyone who's on a diet -- or at least one that's working -- is convinced his or her plan is the best...$LABEL$3 +Clouds are Cooler than Smoke Clouds help regulate the Earths climate by reflecting sunlight into space, thus cooling the surface. When cloud patterns change, they modify the Earths energy balance in turn, and temperatures on the Earths surface.$LABEL$3 +Last Year's Flu Shot Imperfect But Effective By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- Last year's influenza vaccine was far from a perfect match against the virus that sickened people, but it offered more protection from the illness than experts had previously thought. In very young children, the shot was found to be 25 percent to 49 percent effective in preventing influenza-like illness, which is a suspected case of flu that wasn't confirmed in a laboratory...$LABEL$3 +Olympics Could Call Out the Couch Potatoes As the 2004 Summer Olympics officially get underway Friday with an international broadcast of the opening ceremonies, health experts expect the Athens games to inspire couch potatoes to become more active. But, experts caution, amateurs, particularly sedentary ones, should not jump into a new sports activity without sufficient preparation.$LABEL$3 +Skateboarding Offers a Tough Workout By KRISTA LARSON SAYREVILLE, N.J. (AP) -- While the tennis courts at Kennedy Park are bare on a hot afternoon, parents keep dropping off teenagers at the skate park, home to all the day's action...$LABEL$3 +Rats May Help Unravel Human Drug Addiction Mysteries By LAURAN NEERGAARD WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rats can become drug addicts. That's important to know, scientists say, and has taken a long time to prove...$LABEL$3 +Sting of Bug Bites Can Linger Into Adulthood By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- Contrary to popular belief, not all kids who are allergic to insect stings outgrow their sensitivity. Some people whose allergies left them in fear of bees, wasps, and the like as children still react to their stings as adults, but a new study offers relief: Allergy shots given in childhood can protect them for up to 20 years...$LABEL$3 +FDA Warns of Terrorist Prescription Drug Tampering By DIEDTRA HENDERSON WASHINGTON (AP) -- ""Cues from chatter"" gathered around the world are raising concerns that terrorists might try to attack the domestic food and drug supply, particularly illegally imported prescription drugs, acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester M. Crawford says...$LABEL$3 +Scientists Probe Pacific Ocean for Dead Zones His hand on a toggle switch and his eyes on a computer screen, Oregon State University graduate student Anthony Kirincich uses an array of scientific instruments to probe the vibrant waters of the Pacific. He is searching for the absence of life.$LABEL$3 +Simultaneous Tropical Storms are Very Rare The prospect that a tropical storm and a hurricane - or possibly two hurricanes - could strike Florida on the same day is something meteorologists say they have never seen. ""It's almost unheard of,"" state meteorologist Ben Nelson said.$LABEL$3 +Deaths Raise Fears Over Stomach Stapling Surgery By LINDA A. JOHNSON (AP) -- An obese Massachusetts woman and her 8-month-old fetus died of complications 18 months after stomach-stapling surgery, an apparent first that is leading to warnings about the risks of pregancy soon after the surgery...$LABEL$3 +Growth and Mortality Details of T. Rex Get Clearer T. rex was one of the largest meat-eaters ever to walk the land when it died out some 65 million years ago. At an elephant-like 6 tons, it stretched about 40 feet to 45 feet long and measured about 13 feet tall at the hip. The adult skull alone was 5 feet long, with teeth up to a foot long.$LABEL$3 +Britain Approves Human Cloning By EMMA ROSS LONDON (AP) -- Britain granted its first license for human cloning Wednesday, more than three years after becoming the first nation to authorize the technique to produce stem cells for medical research. A team of researchers at Newcastle University hope eventually to create insulin-producing cells that could be transplanted into diabetic patients...$LABEL$3 +New Clot Preventer Saves Lives and Money By Ed Edelson, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- A new anti-clotting drug for people having artery-opening procedures lowers the rate of complications, gets patients out of the hospital faster, and probably saves lives, a study finds. And it saves money to boot, says Dr...$LABEL$3 +The Eyes Are the Window to Hypertension The tiniest blood vessels of the eye can provide a glimpse that may warn of future high blood pressure, Australian researchers report. That finding comes from a computerized analysis of special camera images of the retina, an experimental technique.$LABEL$3 +Progress Is Made Battling Strep Germ By LINDSEY TANNER CHICAGO (AP) -- Scientists say they are making headway in developing a vaccine against a common strep germ, the cause of millions of sore throats as well as a deadly but uncommon flesh-eating disease. A test of an experimental vaccine in just 28 people prompted an immune response with no serious side effects, but it's still not known if the shot would keep people from catching the strep germ...$LABEL$3 +Fake Drug Sales Problematic in Mexico By MARK STEVENSON MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexican authorities are investigating the sale of fake or substandard medicine in a border town so popular among Americans seeking cheap medications that it has more pharmacies than streets. U.S...$LABEL$3 +New Allergy Vaccine Shows Promise In the first trial of its kind, Austrian researchers have achieved success with an allergy vaccine using genetically engineered pollen. The findings are reported in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.$LABEL$3 +First Lady Bashes John Kerry's Pro Stem Cell Stance By RON FOURNIER LANGHORNE, Pa. (AP) -- First lady Laura Bush defended her husband's policy on embryonic stem cell research Monday, calling Democratic rival John Kerry's criticism ""ridiculous"" and accusing proponents of overstating the potential for medical breakthroughs...$LABEL$3 +Doctors Place Hope in Baby Pacemaker Devices By LAURAN NEERGAARD WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four-month-old Damaris Ochoa was near death, born with an enlarged heart that was quickly giving out. Obtaining a transplant in time was a long shot...$LABEL$3 +Vending Machines Making Room for Healthy Products By IRA DREYFUSS WASHINGTON (AP) -- The typical vending machine fare consists of chocolate bars and potato chips, leaving few options for people seeking low-calorie or low-salt snacks. That is changing now as companies develop markets for products they expect to satisfy both nutritionists and consumers...$LABEL$3 +Getting beyond the next big thing McKinsey says a post-boom tech industry can profit mightily by taking stock in the operations of many slower-growth industries.$LABEL$3 +If this is a tech rebound, pinch me KnowledgeWharton goes inside the IT conundrum to examine why capital spending--and corporate confidence--remains low.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: HP partners with 3G gear maker roundup Plus: AMD starts shipping 90-nanometer chips...ABC.com to air on Real's SuperPass...Lenovo revenue grows, but problems persist.$LABEL$3 +Judge moves to unseal documents in Oracle case Says certain documents, which Oracle and others want to keep from eyes of rivals, may be necessary to decide case.$LABEL$3 +Study: IT workers more optimistic IT workers' confidence in the employment market kept growing in July, but techies are less happy with actual jobs than workers overall.$LABEL$3 +California urged to use open source, VoIP Authors of a performance review tell the beleaguered state government it could save millions of dollars by adopting open-source software and Internet-based phone calling.$LABEL$3 +Gartner: 'Steer away' from cheap Windows XP That's the research firm's verdict on Microsoft's stripped-down Starter Edition for developing countries.$LABEL$3 +Oracle expands midmarket ambitions Company looks to juice its application server business with a version tuned for smaller organizations.$LABEL$3 +Taking the Microsoft Rorschach test CNET News.com's Charles Cooper asks what it is about Microsoft that pushes so many people straight over the edge?$LABEL$3 +Earnings alert: BEA revenue rises amid turmoil Plus: Dell meets expectations...Storage, servers bruise HP earnings...Healthy sales lift Cisco's profit.$LABEL$3 +AMD starts shipping 90-nanometer chips The chipmaker appears to have met its most recent deadline for production of the smaller-featured chips.$LABEL$3 +Lenovo revenue grows, but problems persist China's largest PC maker sees surge in profits but loses market share to multinational companies.$LABEL$3 +Dell's second-quarter earnings meet expectations CEO says firm saw no sales slowdown. Could results help calm waters after bad news from HP and Cisco?$LABEL$3 +Tech market indeed soft, but HP woes one of a kind HP and Cisco spooked investors with recent comments about sales, but analysts say the overall tech market is still inching along.$LABEL$3 +HP replaces three senior executives Company follows up on promise of ""immediate management changes"" after disappointing earnings report, CNET News.com has learned.$LABEL$3 +Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? When heir apparent Paul Otellini takes the reins, what will the chipmaker look like?$LABEL$3 +IBM's mainframe momentum continues Big Blue's ""dinosaur"" mainframe business gets a boost with a European customer consolidating SAP applications using Linux.$LABEL$3 +Gateway alumnus resurfaces at HP Former Gateway executive to lead consumer marketing efforts at Hewlett-Packard.$LABEL$3 +Security pro: Windows easier to 'own' Windows beats Linux in total cost of 'ownership.' Hold on, that's not a good thing.$LABEL$3 +Securing the gold in Athens Despite age-old Olympic truce known as the ekecheiria, or ""holding of hands,"" security experts aren't taking any chances.\$LABEL$3 +Hacker takes bite out of Apple's iTunes The Norwegian hacker famous for cracking DVD encryption reveals the public key for AirPort Express.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft touts 'Sender ID' to fight spam, scams Proposed tech standard would verify senders' IP addresses to cut malicious phishing and annoying Viagra pitches.$LABEL$3 +Begging for trouble on security Securify founder Taher Elgamal says a patchwork mentality has effectively turned network security into an IT budget black hole.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft's blast from the past A year after the MSBlast worm, the software giant releases SP2 for Windows XP. Would it have stopped the fast-spreading virus?$LABEL$3 +MSBlast suspect pleads guilty The 19-year-old faces up to 37 months in prison after admitting to creating the ""MSBlast.B"" variant.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft plugs hole in Exchange The patch fixes a flaw in the e-mail server software that could be used to get access to in-boxes and information.$LABEL$3 +PC security under fire A vulnerability in AOL's instant messenger could allow attacks. Also: A new Bagle variant rumbles across the Net.$LABEL$3 +Flaw opens AOL chat software to intruders Attackers could bombard PCs using instant messenger's ""away"" feature. AOL says a fix is imminent.$LABEL$3 +HP partners with 3G gear maker Major cell phone infrastructure provider plans to use HP's telecom software in 3G mobile network gear.$LABEL$3 +Cox speed boost leaves some members behind Not all of the cable company's broadband subscribers got a recent hike in bandwidth.$LABEL$3 +Nortel wins Indian wireless contract Nortel scores its first major wireless deal with an Indian service provider.$LABEL$3 +Mosquito software bites smart phones A possible Trojan horse hidden in an illegal cell-phone game hits smart phones using the Symbian operating system.$LABEL$3 +Vonage hangs up on some callers VoIP company suffers ""delays,"" the second glitch in two weeks. Those affected are told to reboot their adaptors.$LABEL$3 +Group proposes faster Wi-Fi specification Networking consortium submits proposal for faster Wi-Fi, as battle lines are drawn between rival groups.$LABEL$3 +Some VoIP calls being blocked Some Net phone users who are also broadband subscribers aren't receiving incoming calls. AT #38;T plans to release patch.$LABEL$3 +Covad tries an end run In a tough scrimmage against resurgent Baby Bells, the broadband pioneer flips open the VoIP playbook.$LABEL$3 +FCC certifies Freescale ultrawideband technology Freescale Semiconductor starts shipping its XS110 chip, which will help consumers to connect devices wirelessly.$LABEL$3 +'Push to talk' meets Wi-Fi FCC says cellular carriers are working on extending the walkie-talkie feature to Wi-Fi networks--which could mean to VoIP phones.$LABEL$3 +PalmSource chairman to step down The separation of PalmOne and PalmSource will be complete with Eric Benhamou's resignation as the latter's chairman.$LABEL$3 +Blu-ray Disc spec approved Next-generation DVD specification approved, clearing way for manufacturers to produce read-only disks.$LABEL$3 +iPod chipmaker plans stock offering PortalPlayer, whose chip powers Apple's MP3 player, files for IPO. Paperwork gives glimpse of potential evolution of iPod.$LABEL$3 +Sony zooms in with new TV tech Electronics giant develops new television technology to attack core business from a new angle.$LABEL$3 +PalmOne to turn off wireless service Handheld maker says it will close down its Palm.Net wireless e-mail and Web service soon.$LABEL$3 +Apple puts edit tools in one basket Bundle of professional video editing applications includes new Motion special-effects software.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft wants to improve your image New imaging software is making eyes at those squinty camera-phone pictures.$LABEL$3 +DVD player profits down to \$1 Want to get into the market for DVD players? Intense competition and standardization mean that you might make more as a mime.$LABEL$3 +Sharp brings 3D to PCs, without the funny specs Firm brings tech already used in phones and laptops to desktops. Screen creates different pixel images for each eye.$LABEL$3 +Report: Los Alamos lab needs better hardware inventory In a report this week, the U.S. Department of Energy said inventory controls at the Los Alamos National Laboratory were not robust enough, and some computers were never entered into the lab's inventory database.$LABEL$3 +Circuit City chooses Linux for cash registers in 600 stores Circuit City this week bucked the trend of retailers opting for Windows-based point-of-sale systems by announcing plans to migrate to Linux-based IBM cash registers at its 600 stores.$LABEL$3 +Training seen as way to counter offshoring Edward Yourdon, a co-founder of the Cutter Consortium, says in an upcoming book that the threat of offshore outsourcing isn't restricted to U.S. software development jobs but to all kinds of knowledge work.$LABEL$3 +Missing June deals slow to return for software companies Software company executives at a CIBC World Markets conference this week cited a variety of reasons for why June sales slowed, from record oil prices to steep software discounting and regulatory distractions on accounting deadlines.$LABEL$3 +VoIP gaining ground, despite cost concerns The voice-over-IP market is growing, and by next year, 50 of all lines installed in the U.S. are expected to rely on VoIP technology -- despite continuing concerns that installations can be costly.$LABEL$3 +Olympic IT security requires advance planning If there's one thing the Atos Origin SA team understands as lead contractor for the Olympic IT infrastructure, it's that you must learn from your mistakes.$LABEL$3 +BEA meets lowered expectations for Q2 Though BEA Systems signed 18 licensing deals worth \$1 million and added 488 new customers during the quarter, licensing revenue dropped to \$116.3 million.$LABEL$3 +Hunt for XP SP2 flaws seen in full swing Security experts said that while the new Service Pack 2 for Windows XP will bolster the operating system's security, hackers will still find a way to exploit any flaws.$LABEL$3 +Tools wrap: Sun, Javalobby, Infravio make moves Officials at Sun Microsystems, Javalobby, and Infravio this week revealed initiatives positioned as advances in either Java development or Web services consumption.$LABEL$3 +Sender ID gains traction Leading ISPs, anti-spam vendors, and e-mail software companies are moving quickly to add support for the Microsoft-backed anti-spam technology standard Sender ID, even as some e-mail experts raise doubts that the technology will work.$LABEL$3 +Storage, servers brings down HP results Hewlett-Packard blindsided analysts with news that its third- and fourth-quarter earnings would badly miss estimates primarily because of problems in its server and storage division.$LABEL$3 +EBay takes stake in Craigslist SAN FRANCISCO - Online auction giant eBay Inc. has acquired a 25 percent stake in San Francisco classified advertisements Web site Craigslist, the companies said Friday.$LABEL$3 +AMD starts shipping 90-nanometer chips to customers Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s (AMD Inc.'s) 90-nanometer notebook processors are on their way to customers, according to a research note published by Goldman Sachs Co. Thursday.<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p><p><img src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.ifw.general/ibmpseries;sz=1x1;ord=200301151450?"" width=""1"" height=""1"" border=""0""/><a href=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;9824455;9690404;u?http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;9473681;9688522;d?http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/pseries/campaigns/boardroom/index.html?ca=pSeries met=boardroom me=E P_Creative=P_InfoW_RSS"">Introducing IBM eServer p5 systems.</a><br/>Powered by IBMs most advanced 64-bit microprocessor (POWER5(tm)), p5 systems can run UNIX and Linux simultaneously. Learn more about eServer p5 systems.</p>$LABEL$3 +FCC mobile spam rule doesn't cover some SMS A rule prohibiting mobile-phone spam adopted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) earlier this month doesn't prohibit phone-to-phone text messaging, but FCC officials believe the new rule, combined with a 13-year-old law, should protect U.S. mobile phone customers against unsolicited commercial e-mail.$LABEL$3 +Benhamou will resign as chairman of PalmSource Eric Benhamou will resign as chairman of PalmSource Inc. on Oct. 28, the company announced Friday. The company said it expects he will continue in his role as chairman of sister company PalmOne Inc.$LABEL$3 +Update: Google raises gavel for IPO auction Friday Google Inc. is opening the auction for its much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) on Friday, with plans to announce the pricing of its stock next week.$LABEL$3 +Olympic-size security demands advance planning ATHENS -- If there's one thing the Atos Origin SA team understands as lead contractor for the Olympic IT infrastructure, it's that you must learn from your mistakes.$LABEL$3 +EBay Buys into Craigslist Auction company is apparently drawn to the classifieds model pioneered by community resource site.$LABEL$3 +Is Microsoft's Firewall Secure? Some say Win XP SP2 enhancements cause conflicts, don't protect as claimed.$LABEL$3 +Newest Ad-Aware Exposes Some Users Earliest adopters of updated program should download again to ensure full security.$LABEL$3 +Trojan Bites Symbian Phones Mobile phones are target of virus traveling through illegal version of the game Mosquitos.$LABEL$3 +ATI Brings Digital TV to Your PC HDTV Wonder snags free high-definition transmissions for budget viewing.$LABEL$3 +MSN Adds Movie Downloads and Rentals Microsoft partners with Blockbuster Online, CinemaNow, and MovieTickets.com on one-stop entertainment portal.$LABEL$3 +Win XP Update: A Quiet Start Little fallout reported from service pack, but maybe it's because everyone's being cautious.$LABEL$3 +AOL Launches PC Line AOL courts novices, Spanish-speakers with budget PC that includes a year of AOL service.$LABEL$3 +Caregivers Carry Virtual Clipboard Students design mobile data-access system for health-care workers.$LABEL$3 +Blaster Author Pleads Guilty Teen faces prison for unleashing malicious variant of MS Blaster worm last year.$LABEL$3 +International Group Teams Against Spam Task force plans antispam campaign, from education to cross-border legal efforts.$LABEL$3 +Copiers Need Security, Too Networked multifunction devices share PC vulnerabilities to worms, hackers.$LABEL$3 +Intel Shows Wireless Transceiver Prototype 90-nanometer radio chip promises more power than current CMOS technology.$LABEL$3 +AOL, Yahoo Add New Antispam Tools Services try different approaches to sender authentication to halt spam.$LABEL$3 +Most Spam is Domestic, Study Says Spammers aren't ducking antispam laws by operating offshore, they're just ignoring it.$LABEL$3 +BlackBerries Play Politics Wireless devices slip past anti-gadget policies to open a new communications channel to lawmakers.$LABEL$3 +First Look at Quicken 2005 Intuit tweaks personal finance tool's usability, but update isn't essential if you're running a recent version.$LABEL$3 +Dell Unveils Inexpensive Projector New 2300MP digital model offers high brightness and resolution, at a low price.$LABEL$3 +'Insider' Information Puts City Blogs on the Map Locally focused group ""metro"" blogs -- compilations of events, reflections, recommendations, news and complaints -- are emerging to put a number of big cities in intimate, street-level relief.$LABEL$3 +Judge Says Amazon, Toys 'R' Us Must Work Together By Jeffrey Gold PATERSON, N.J.(AP) - A state judge ordered Toys ""R"" Us and Amazon.com to work together so the online retailer can abide by her order requiring Amazon to keep sellers on its Web site from listing products to which Toys ""R"" Us, which also markets through Amazon, has exclusive rights. Superior Court Judge Margaret M...$LABEL$3 +Google IPO Moves Ahead Despite Playboy Interview Google Inc. (GOOG) forged ahead with its IPO auction Friday, even as the online search engine leader acknowledged a newly published magazine interview with its founders contained misleading information.$LABEL$3 +EBay Buys 25 Percent Stake in Craigslist Network By MAY WONG SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Online auctioneer eBay Inc...$LABEL$3 +Biometrics Creeping Into Everyday Life for Americans Stuffing something in a public locker usually isn't a memorable experience. You drop a coin, take the key and move on. But at the Statue of Liberty, recently reopened after a two-year closure, stashing a package offers a glimpse into the future. To rent, close and reopen lockers, visitors touch an electronic reader that scans fingerprints.$LABEL$3 +Dell Posts Another Quarter of Nice Earnings By MATT SLAGLE DALLAS (AP) -- Offering a stark counterpoint to rival Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc. (DELL) reported a nearly 30 percent jump in net income as strong sales of printers, servers and notched double-digit gains in overseas markets...$LABEL$3 +Playboy Article May Raise Concerns for Google By MICHAEL LIEDTKE SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Google Inc. (GOOG)'s highly anticipated IPO faced a possible stumbling block Thursday with the release of a Playboy interview that the online search engine leader's co-founders gave just before the company filed its plans raise \$3 billion with its stock offering...$LABEL$3 +Hacker Cracks Apple's Music Streaming Technology SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- The Norwegian hacker famed for developing DVD encryption-cracking software has apparently struck again - this time breaking the locks on Apple Computer Inc...$LABEL$3 +Athens Wrestles to Avoid Cell Phone Outages By MATT MOORE ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Amid the roar of the crowd, the silence of the phones can be deafening. As thousands of athletes, spectators, journalists, officials and more descend on the Greek capital ahead of the Aug...$LABEL$3 +Battling Robots in Japan's Pop-Culture Tech The ring sits in the spotlight of a tense, packed auditorium and the jittery fighters await the bell at their red and blue corners. Like any fight, there's always the danger of a punishing uppercut or left hook. But these boxers have even more worries like battery failure and software bugs.$LABEL$3 +Minnesota Teen Pleads Guilty in Web Worm Hack Attack By GENE JOHNSON SEATTLE (AP) -- A Minnesota high school senior pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to unleashing a variant of the ""Blaster"" Internet worm, which crippled more than a million computers last summer. Jeffrey Lee Parson, 19, of Hopkins, Minn., is likely to face 18 months to three years behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of intentionally causing or attempting to cause damage to a protected computer...$LABEL$3 +REVIEW: Windows XP Battens Down Hatches in Latest Patch By MATTHEW FORDAHL (AP) -- With the latest update to Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Windows XP operating system, personal computers will soon join parents, bosses, teachers and spouses as a source of nagging in your life...$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Unveils Windows XP 'Starter Edition' Microsoft announced Wednesday it would offer a low-cost starter edition of its Windows XP operating system in Asia starting in October, as it strives to hold onto market share facing erosion from the open-source Linux system and software piracy.$LABEL$3 +Google Sets Date for IPO Google Inc. (GOOG) will close the registration process for its IPO auction Thursday, setting the stage for the online search engine leader's hotly anticipated stock market debut. Google plans to launch an unusual auction to sell 25.7 million shares shortly after closing the registration.$LABEL$3 +321 Studios Reaches Settlement in DVD Copying Dispute By JIM SALTER ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A company driven out of business by Hollywood and the video game industry over its DVD- and computer game-copying software has reached a settlement with the motion picture industry...$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Says Battle in Japan Hurting Image By YURI KAGEYAMA TOKYO (AP) -- The head of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Japan unit acknowledged Tuesday that the U.S...$LABEL$3 +Sharp Introduces 3-Dimensional Computer Display By MAY WONG SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Hoping to spur a 3-D revolution, Sharp Systems of America introduced Monday a new flat-panel computer display designed to deliver eye-popping images without the need for special glasses...$LABEL$3 +Google to Give Yahoo More Stock to Settle Dispute Online search engine leader Google Inc. (GOOG) will surrender more than \$300 million of its stock to Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) in a settlement that removes a legal threat hanging over its IPO at the expense of enriching a nettlesome rival.$LABEL$3 +Unprecedented Electronic Digital Net for Olympics By MIRON VAROUHAKIS ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- If you're planning on attending this month's Olympic Games, you'd best be careful what you say and do in public. Software will be watching and listening...$LABEL$3 +Heat Turned Up on Streaming Video Patents By JUSTIN POPE (AP) -- After a recent legal setback, a California company that claims its patents cover the streaming video technology used by adult Web sites is boosting efforts to collect money from a very different group of streaming video users: colleges and universities. Newport Beach, Calif.-based Acacia Media Technologies Corp...$LABEL$3 +Help's on the Way for Bad Dates Via Cell Phone The peak time for dates from hell in New York City is Friday at 8 p.m. - judging by the cell phone calls delivering emergency excuses to bolt. Truth is, they're fake ""rescue"" calls - now being offered by two cell phone providers, Cingular Wireless and Virgin Mobile USA.$LABEL$3 +Reading the Prospectus Critical to IPO Decisions By MICHAEL J. MARTINEZ NEW YORK (AP) -- Ever read a company's Security and Exchange Commission filings? No? Consider yourself lucky...$LABEL$3 +Search Engine Forums Spotlight Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: SEMPO Next Steps Mike Grehan's Second SEMPO Article - Overture Bidding Cap - PPC Question for Merchants - SEO Firm Ordered to Refund Fees, Pay Fine - Tracking Past Links Traffic? - Google Settles Overture Patent Dispute - Advice on Site Structure$LABEL$3 +Another Expanded Whois Service Doing in-depth investigation of a web site? Whois.sc offers a wealth of detail about the people and technology behind just about any web site on the planet.$LABEL$3 +Capturing Your Personal Web Forget bookmarks: Web content managers allow you to create your own personal, searchable cache of web pages.$LABEL$3 +Yahoo Offers Anti-Spyware App Tired of those unwelcome pests that invade your computer without permission? Banish intrusive spyware and tracking cookies with Yahoo's newly upgraded toolbar.$LABEL$3 +Google, Yahoo Settle Patent and Share Disputes Google and Yahoo announced today that they have resolved two contentious issues between the companies. $LABEL$3 +Search Engine Forums Spotlight Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Live Reports from Search Engine Strategies San Jose 2004 - PPC Bounce Rate - Google AdWords Myths - After SEMPO: Should We Start a Trade Association? - Search Inventory vs. Conversion - Terra Sells Lycos at Yard Sale Price$LABEL$3 +eBay Buys 25 of CraigList eBay Buys 25 of craiglist\\eBay Inc. today purchased a 25 percent pre-existing minority stake in San Francisco-based craigslist, a popular online network of classified ads and forums. The 25 stake was purchased from a former craigslist employee who first contacted eBay with the proposed sale, according to craigslist officials.\\With dedicated ...$LABEL$3 +Getting Around Search Engine Optimization Roadblocks Getting Around Search Engine Optimization Roadblocks\\Today, I will cover the most difficult technologies and techniques to work with. While each of these technologies, techniques and designs have a useful purpose for web-designers, webmasters and general office staff tasked with keeping the site up to date, they each also present problems ...$LABEL$3 +Search Engine Marketing Mistakes Retailers Need to Avoid Search Engine Marketing Mistakes Retailers Need to Avoid\\According to a recent survey conducted by Shop.org and Forrester, in 2003, online retail sales jumped 51 to reach \$114 billion with 79 of all online retailers (etailers) were profitable. Online sales are expected to reach 6.6 percent of total retail sales in ...$LABEL$3 +Does Playboy Interview Violate Google IPO? Does Playboy Interview Violate Google IPO?\\On the day of the IPO comes more Google controversy - Google rsquo;s founders will appear in an upcoming issue of Playboy magazine. Although the interview was apparently held before the IPO hype, the Playboy interview may have broken US Securities laws over pre-IPO #8220;quiet ...$LABEL$3 +Google IPO Bidding Opens Google IPO Bidding Opens\\Google's IPO bidding is officially open. Google and its underwriters expect to open the auction for the shares of Google rsquo;s Class A common stock at 9:00 a.m. EST (press time) on Friday, August 13, 2004. Google bidders must have obtained a bidder ID from ipo.google.com if you ...$LABEL$3 +Claria Cancels \$150 million IPO Claria Cancels \$150 million IPO\Contextual advertising and pop up company Claria Corp. has canceled plans for a \$150 million initial public offering due to ""current market conditions,"" it said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.\\Claria, which filed its original prospectus in April of this year, had not disclosed the number ...$LABEL$3 +Google IPO Registration Ends Today Google IPO Registration Ends Today\\Google has set their IPO registration deadline at today for investors to register for the Google initial public offering.\\Investors wishing to participate in Google's initial public offering have until 5 pm today to register for the auction at ipo.google.com, according to a statement issued Tuesday on ...$LABEL$3 +Thoughts on the Google IPO About the Google IPO\\For the past nine months the financial and Internet world has been watching Google in anticipation of what could be the largest Initial Public Offering of stock in history. If you are reading this column and have not been living on Mars for the past year, you ...$LABEL$3 +Avoid Search Engine Blacklisting Avoid Search Engine Blacklisting\\The best way to avoid being blacklisted by the search engines is to avoid using some questionable techniques that were once popular to gain high rankings. Even if your website is not blacklisted by using some of the techniques below, it may be penalized (buried in the ...$LABEL$3 +Google Index Database to be Archived? Google Index Database to be Archived?\\TechDirt reports that the San Jose Mercury News is running an article about Brewster Kahle's Internet Archive - Archive.org. While he's been profiled many times before, the one interesting tidbit to slip out this time is that Kahle has asked Google to donate their database ...$LABEL$3 +News: U.S. tackles Emergency Alert System insecurity The FCC acknowledges that the government-mandated network that lets officials interrupt radio and television broadcasts in an emergency is vulnerable to electronic tampering.\$LABEL$3 +News: UK police issue 'vicious' Trojan alert Britain's top cybercrime fighters have joined up with the banking industry today in warning of the latest attempt to defraud online banking customers.\$LABEL$3 +News: UK scientists roll out Wi-Fi proof wallpaper British boffins have developed wallpaper that blocks Wi-Fi traffic but still allows other wireless transmissions to pass through in a bid to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data via the WLAN.\$LABEL$3 +Infocus: Examining a Public Exploit, Part 1 The purpose of this article is to analyze a public exploit in a lab environment, see the alerts generated by an intrusion detection system, and then do some packet analysis of the malicious binary in order to better understand it.$LABEL$3 +Infocus: Deploying Network Access Quarantine Control, Part 1 This article discusses Network Access Quarantine Control with Windows Server 2003, which allows administrators to quarantine mobile users before giving them full network access, by first ensuring these machines are up-to-date according to a baseline security model.$LABEL$3 +Infocus: Data Driven Attacks Using HTTP Tunneling In this article we will look at a means to bypass the access control restrictions of a company's router or firewall. This information is intended to provide help for those who are legitimately testing the security of a network (whether they are in-house expertise or outside consultants).$LABEL$3 +Infocus: Wireless Attacks and Penetration Testing (part 3 of 3) This third and final part of the wireless pen-test series looks at how to mitigate the security risks outlined in the previous articles, and then looks at some proposed solutions currently in front of the IETF.$LABEL$3 +Columnists: The Panacea of Information Security Step away from all the vendor hype. The one device that will always be the best tool for information security is a competent security professional.$LABEL$3 +Columnists: Redmond's Salvation Service Pack 2 for XP represents a sea change in Microsoft's security posture. Here's why you should ignore the naysayers and start planning your upgrade.\$LABEL$3 +Elsewhere: Blaster B Virus Creator Pleads Guilty A 19-year-old man has pleaded guilty to infecting thousands of businesses and U.S. government computers with the Blaster B virus.\\Jeffrey Lee Parson of Hopkins, Minnesot...$LABEL$3 +Animating for the Super Bowl Against an impossible deadline, a small team at Sony Cinematics Solutions Group created a two-minute animated promo to prove that a tech-savvy group could do dazzling broadcast work. Aug 13$LABEL$3 +Apple Ships Motion Apple has begun shipping Motion, which delivers high-performance, real-time motion graphics design and integration with Final Cut Pro HD and DVD Studio Pro 3, at a breakthrough price of \$299. Aug 10$LABEL$3 +Apple Introduces Production Suite Production Suite, essential software suite for film and video that delivers real-time production tools in one comprehensive and integrated package, combines Final Cut Pro HD, Motion and DVD Studio Pro 3. Production Suite is available now for a suggested retail price of \$1,299. Aug 10$LABEL$3 +iTunes Music Store Catalog Tops One Million Songs The iTunes Music Store now has more than one million songs available for download in the US, the first online digital music service to offer consumers a million-song catalog. Aug 10$LABEL$3 +Technology as Fashion Analyzing the success of the iPod mini in Japan, JapanConsuming writes, #147;The iPod mini is in fact one of those all too rare examples of an ideal product for the Japanese market. It is a product that does something useful, does it really well, and looks terrific too. None of these factors on their own is enough to make the iPod mini a success; their combination, through deft and creative implementation of function, is what makes the difference. Add in some tried and tested limited supply marketing, a store that looks as good as Louis Vuitton and a high impact award winning advertising campaign that has covered Tokyo in pink, green and yellow for weeks, and some of the reasons for the iPod mini phenomenon can be understood. #148; Aug 10$LABEL$3 +Creating Stunning DVDs #147;No other DVD authoring program in the \$500 price class is capable of creating such stunning, highly creative DVDs as Apple #146;s DVD Studio Pro 3, #148; writes PC Magazine. #147;For video pros looking to take their productions to the next level, it #146;s worth a serious look. #148; Aug 4$LABEL$3 +Revolutionizing Flow Cytometry Dr. Mario Roederer and Adam Treister at Stanford University wrote FlowJo, Mac OS X analysis software for flow cytometers, high-speed, automated microscopes. Today, some 15,000 to 20,000 cytometers in use are Mac based. Aug 3$LABEL$3 +PowerSchool University Attendees at this year #146;s PowerSchool University ramped up their student information system skills with the new PowerSchool 4.0 and augmented their development activities through peer networking. Aug 3$LABEL$3 +Guitar Player Honors GarageBand Guitar Player magazine announced during the summer NAMM show in Nashville that it has awarded GarageBand the magazine #146;s reader #146;s choice for Best Software of 2004. Jul 29$LABEL$3 +Phelps, Thorpe Advance in 200 Freestyle (AP) AP - Michael Phelps took care of qualifying for the Olympic 200-meter freestyle semifinals Sunday, and then found out he had been added to the American team for the evening's 400 freestyle relay final. Phelps' rivals Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband and teammate Klete Keller were faster than the teenager in the 200 free preliminaries.$LABEL$1 +Reds Knock Padres Out of Wild-Card Lead (AP) AP - Wily Mo Pena homered twice and drove in four runs, helping the Cincinnati Reds beat the San Diego Padres 11-5 on Saturday night. San Diego was knocked out of a share of the NL wild-card lead with the loss and Chicago's victory over Los Angeles earlier in the day.$LABEL$1 +Dreaming done, NBA stars awaken to harsh Olympic reality (AFP) AFP - National Basketball Association players trying to win a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal for the United States have gotten the wake-up call that the ""Dream Team"" days are done even if supporters have not.$LABEL$1 +Indians Beat Twins 7-1, Nearing AL Lead (AP) AP - The Cleveland Indians pulled within one game of the AL Central lead, scoring four runs in the first inning and beating the Minnesota Twins 7-1 Saturday night behind home runs by Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez.$LABEL$1 +Galaxy, Crew Play to 0-0 Tie (AP) AP - Kevin Hartman made seven saves for Los Angeles, and Jon Busch had two saves for Columbus as the Galaxy and Crew played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +USC Begins Season Where It Ended, at No. 1 (AP) AP - Southern California will begin defense of its first national title in 31 years as the No. 1 team in the nation. The Trojans earned the top spot in the preseason Associated Press poll released Saturday by receiving 48 of 65 first-place votes and 1,603 points.$LABEL$1 +Italy's Pennetta Wins Idea Prokom Open (AP) AP - Italy's Flavia Pennetta won the Idea Prokom Open for her first WTA Tour title, beating Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 Saturday after French Open champion Anastasia Myskina withdrew before the semifinals because of a rib injury.$LABEL$1 +Tough Race Ahead for Swimmer Phelps ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps, his first gold medal safely gathered in, eased through the next phase of his monumental Olympic challenge in the heats of the 200 meters freestyle Sunday but the immensity of the task ahead was clear.$LABEL$1 +Iranian Will Not Meet Israeli in Olympics Due to Weight ATHENS (Reuters) - A diplomatic wrangle of Olympic proportions was avoided Sunday when Iranian world judo champion Arash Miresmaeili failed to make the weight for his clash with an Israeli opponent.$LABEL$1 +Tiger Runs Out of Steam After Storming Start KOHLER, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Tiger Woods failed to make the most of a red-hot start in the U.S. PGA Championship third round on Saturday, having to settle for a three-under-par 69.$LABEL$1 +Colander Misses Chance to Emulate Jones ATHENS (Reuters) - But for a decision that enraged her coach, LaTasha Colander might have been the Marion Jones of the Athens Olympics.$LABEL$1 +AL Wrap: Olerud Cheers Yankees by Sinking Ex-Team NEW YORK (Reuters) - John Olerud sunk his former team by recording a two-run single in the eighth inning to drive in the go-ahead runs which earned the New York Yankees a 6-4 win over the host Seattle Mariners in the American League Saturday. $LABEL$1 +NL Wrap: Jones Homers Twice as Braves Down Cards NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chipper Jones cracked two homers and Julio Franco's two-run double in the seventh inning drove in the winning runs as the streaking Atlanta Braves downed the St. Louis Cardinals 9-7 in the National League Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Olympics-Doping-Greek Media Put Country's Honor Above Athletes ATHENS (Reuters) - The honor of Greece lies above individual athletes and no backstage antics should compromise it, Greek media said Sunday, after the country's top athletes were suspended from the team under a cloud of doping suspicion.$LABEL$1 +Olympics-Rowing-U.S. Eight Beats Canada to Set World Best Time ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States beat Canada in a world best time to qualify for the final of the men's Olympic eights race Sunday, as the two crews renewed their fierce rivalry in front of a raucous crowd at Schinias.$LABEL$1 +Singh Leads, but Leonard Is Following Avoiding the late trouble that knocked other contenders off track, Vijay Singh held a one-stroke lead over Justin Leonard heading into the final round of the P.G.A. Championship.$LABEL$1 +Olerud Bails Out Loaiza in His Latest Bungled Audition John Olerud reveled in his return to Safeco Field by slapping a two-run single that lifted the Yankees and saved Esteban Loaiza from a defeat.$LABEL$1 +Family circle Family Day in the Fens means fun and games to most folks. Players toddle around the bases with wide-eyed kids. Mothers beam. Children smile. All is bliss on the sun-splashed emerald lawn.$LABEL$1 +Notables The Yankees' Alex Rodriguez , who missed Friday night's game with the flu and stayed back at the team hotel yesterday, dropped his appeal of a four-game suspension issued for his involvement in the July 24 brawl at Boston and began serving the penalty. He won't be eligible to play until Thursday at Minnesota.$LABEL$1 +Cubs get delivery from Wood Kerry Wood homered and allowed four hits in eight innings, leading the Chicago Cubs over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-0, yesterday.$LABEL$1 +Leskanic winning arms race With Scott Williamson bracing for a potentially grim diagnosis of his latest elbow injury, the Red Sox last night appeared poised to move on without him as Curtis Leskanic inched closer to rejoining the club. The Sox initially indicated they would make an announcement last night on Williamson's injury but changed their position during the first inning of the game ...$LABEL$1 +Rehabbing his career Player introductions at the final Citizens Bank Summer Caravan stop produced an awkward moment. Walter McCarty and Raef LaFrentz were the featured guests for the free basketball clinic at the Cambridge Family YMCA late last week. McCarty's presence yielded chants of quot;Walter, Walter quot; from the crowd of 125 kids. LaFrentz left the young fans wondering, quot;Who is he? quot; The projected ...$LABEL$1 +Warmer and wilder HAVEN, Wis. -- Perched high on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan, Whistling Straits is a massive, windswept landscape, as large a golf course as \$40 million can buy. It is complete with sand dunes that could double as ski slopes and deep bunkers that should require elevators.$LABEL$1 +Greek runners are suspended ATHENS -- Star sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were suspended yesterday from the Greek Olympic team for missing drug tests, but their fate was left in the hands of the International Olympic Committee.$LABEL$1 +Throwbacks: Gannon, Collins in good form Rich Gannon , the 2002 NFL MVP who was knocked out of the Raiders' loss to Kansas City last Oct. 20 and had shoulder surgery in November, was 9 for 15 for 69 yards in visiting Oakland's 33-30 exhibition win over the San Francisco 49ers last night.$LABEL$1 +Enough to make you flip Friday night came as close to an old-time local battle for viewers among Channels 4, 5, and 7 as we're likely to see. It was a throwback to pre-cable, pre-dish, and even pre-UHF days as the three local quot;originals quot; served up a special night of sports programming. Although Red Sox-White Sox was on Channel 4's quot;sister quot; station, Channel 38, it ...$LABEL$1 +For Revolution, this tie looks good WASHINGTON -- Rookie Andy Dorman didn't even have time to get his white, long-sleeved jersey smudged on the sloppy RFK Stadium field last night before salvaging a 2-2 tie for the Revolution against D.C. United. Fifty-five seconds after entering the game as a late substitute, Dorman buried a low shot from inside the penalty area and extended his team's unbeaten ...$LABEL$1 +Sing Me Back Home matches track mark OCEANPORT, N.J. -- Sing Me Back Home pulled away in the stretch to win the \$60,000 Decathalon Handicap at Monmouth Park yesterday, equaling the track record for 5 furlongs.$LABEL$1 +Haas in fine form HAVEN, Wis. -- If he were acting his age, Jay Haas would have had the weekend off, resting on his laurels and reaping the benefits of the nice-and-easy Champions Tour.$LABEL$1 +USC starts at the top Southern California greeted news of its first preseason No. 1 ranking since 1979 with ambivalence.$LABEL$1 +'Gardening' costs Appleby -- in spades HAVEN, Wis. -- For 18 holes, Stuart Appleby played flawless golf in yesterday's third round, four birdies and 14 pars. It wasn't until he was done playing that he discovered that it wasn't as good a day as he had thought, that he had made a quadruple bogey.$LABEL$1 +Hungarian GP, Qualifying Fifth and ninth for Fernando and Jarno following qualifying for tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix.$LABEL$1 +Budapest, Free Practice 3 and 4: A tight battle in store The teams have just finished their final preparations for the race and qualifying, in much lower temperatures than yesterday.$LABEL$1 +Overtaking at Budapest? Its possible The Renault F1 Team drivers explain how you can make up positions at the Hungarian circuit.$LABEL$1 +Budapest, Day 1: everythings on track The Renault F1 Team ran through its programme without worrying about the timesheets or its rivals. The focus has been on Sundays race, not Fridays glory.$LABEL$1 +Hungarian GP, Friday Round-Up Fernando tenth and Jarno seventeenth but no cause for concern, while Pat Symonds explains the challenges of Fridays at the race.$LABEL$1 +Redskins Get the Boot A fourth-quarter lead proves fleeting for the Redskins as John Kasay hits a 52-yard field goal Saturday to give the Panthers a 23-20 overtime win.$LABEL$1 +Trojans Open Up No. 1 Defending national champion USC begins the 2004 season right where it left off the year before - as the top ranked team in the AP Top 25 poll.$LABEL$1 +Offense Needs Work There were few offensive highlights during Virginia Tech's first scrimmage of fall practice on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Huey Exits Early Treat Huey, the two-time All-Met Player of the year, suffered a 6-2, 6-0 loss to 29-year-old journeyman Mashiska Washington, the younger brother of former pro and 1996 Wimbledon finalist Malivai.$LABEL$1 +True Sensation Wins A Wet One at Pimlico BALTIMORE, Aug. 14 -- Even before Hurricane Charley ranged up the East Coast and began to drop its drizzle on Pimlico Race Course, the \$75,000 All Brandy Stakes for Maryland-bred fillies and mares had been taken off the track's beat-up turf course.$LABEL$1 +Lynx Infielder Fontenot Has 'Pretty Good Pop for His Size' At 5 feet 8, 160 pounds, second baseman Mike Fontenot looks more like the Class AAA Ottawa Lynx's batboy than one of the Baltimore Orioles' top prospects.$LABEL$1 +Australia, U.S. Set Record The U.S. women's and men's eights team both set world bests in the Olympic rowing competition Sunday along with Australian pair Sally Newmarch and Amber Halliday.$LABEL$1 +Phelps On Relay Team Michael Phelps is named to the 4x100-meter freestyle relay team that will compete in Sunday's final, keeping alive his quest for a possible eight Olympic gold medals.$LABEL$1 +Venezuelans Vote Early in Referendum on Chavez Rule (Reuters) Reuters - Venezuelans turned out early\and in large numbers on Sunday to vote in a historic referendum\that will either remove left-wing President Hugo Chavez from\office or give him a new mandate to govern for the next two\years.$LABEL$0 +S.Koreans Clash with Police on Iraq Troop Dispatch (Reuters) Reuters - South Korean police used water cannon in\central Seoul Sunday to disperse at least 7,000 protesters\urging the government to reverse a controversial decision to\send more troops to Iraq.$LABEL$0 +Palestinians in Israeli Jails Start Hunger Strike (Reuters) Reuters - Thousands of Palestinian\prisoners in Israeli jails began a hunger strike for better\conditions Sunday, but Israel's security minister said he\didn't care if they starved to death.$LABEL$0 +Seven Georgian soldiers wounded as South Ossetia ceasefire violated (AFP) AFP - Sporadic gunfire and shelling took place overnight in the disputed Georgian region of South Ossetia in violation of a fragile ceasefire, wounding seven Georgian servicemen.$LABEL$0 +Rwandan Troops Arrive in Darfur (AP) AP - Dozens of Rwandan soldiers flew into Sudan's troubled Darfur region Sunday, the first foreign armed force deployed in the area since Arab militiamen began a rampage against black African farmers, killing thousands.$LABEL$0 +Rwanda Troops Airlifted to Start AU Mission in Darfur (Reuters) Reuters - Rwandan troops were airlifted on Sunday\to Sudan's Darfur as the first foreign force there, mandated to\protect observers monitoring a cease-fire between the Sudanese\government and rebels in the troubled western region.$LABEL$0 +Bomb at India Independence Parade Kills 15 (AP) AP - A bomb exploded during an Independence Day parade in India's remote northeast Sunday, killing at least 15 people, including schoolchildren, while a rocket attack during a celebration at a school in the separatist region of Kashmir injured 17, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Australian FM to visit North Korea for talks on nuclear crisis (AFP) AFP - Australia's foreign minister will pay a rare visit to North Korea this week for talks on its nuclear programme after creating a stir here by warning a North Korean missile would be able to hit Sydney.$LABEL$0 +Kerry Campaign Helping With Fla. Recovery (AP) AP - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry does not plan to visit Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley because he's concerned his campaign entourage could distract from recovery efforts, he said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Edwards Calls for Changes to Drug Plans (AP) AP - Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards called for changes to prescription drug programs and praised running mate John Kerry's military and government service at an outdoor campaign rally here Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Kerry leading Bush in key swing states (AFP) AFP - Although polls show the US presidential race a virtual dead heat, Democrat John Kerry appears to be gaining an edge over George W. Bush among the key states that could decide the outcome.$LABEL$0 +Democratic Senator Urges Energy Reform (AP) AP - Congress must pass legislation to protect the nation's electricity grid if it wants to avoid repeats of the devastating outages that rolled across eight states last year, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Missouri Attorney General Sues EPA (AP) AP - Missouri's attorney general sued the federal environmental agency on Friday, saying it is behind on testing the state's air for lead as required by law.$LABEL$0 +Mortars Mark Opening of Iraqi Political Conference BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents fired mortars at a meeting where Iraqi leaders met to pick an interim national assembly Sunday, killing at least two people in a grim reminder of the country's tortured path toward democracy.$LABEL$0 +Japan Ministers Pay Homage at Shrine for War Dead TOKYO (Reuters) - Three Japanese ministers paid homage at a controversial shrine for war dead Sunday, the 59th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender, a move that drew anger from Asian neighbors.$LABEL$0 +Najaf battle a crucial test for Allawi Clashes between US troops and Sadr militiamen escalated Thursday, as the US surrounded Najaf for possible siege.$LABEL$0 +Who are Ch #225;vez's opponents? On Sunday, Venezuelans will decide whether to cut short the president's term, which is due to end in 2006.$LABEL$0 +Eye on Athens, China stresses a 'frugal' 2008 Olympics Amid a reevaluation, officials this week pushed the completion date for venues back to 2007.$LABEL$0 +Tense Iraq debates new assembly Talks on setting up an Iraqi assembly continue despite fresh violence in Baghdad and the Shia stronghold of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelans vote on Chavez rule A referendum is under way in Venezuela to decide if President Hugo Chavez should remain in office.$LABEL$0 +Pope celebrates Mass in Lourdes An ailing Pope John Paul II says Mass at Lourdes, the French shrine revered by Roman Catholics.$LABEL$0 +Rwandan soldiers arrive in Sudan Rwandan troops arrive in Sudan to help protect ceasefire monitors in the war-ravaged Darfur region.$LABEL$0 +Thorpe leads big guns Ian Thorpe sets the fastest time in the 200m freestyle as swimming's top names cruise into the semi-finals.$LABEL$0 +Mystery over judo 'protest' Iran's Arash Miresmaili withdraws from the Olympics amid confusion over his reasons.$LABEL$0 +Jackson probe 'should be public' Santa Barbara's sheriff asks a judge if he can release the results of an inquiry into Michael Jackson's treatment by police.$LABEL$0 +Rumsfeld warning for Iraq's Sadr The Iraq crisis and differences over Nato loom over the US Defence Secretary's meeting with his Russian counterpart.$LABEL$0 +South Ossetia ceasefire discussed Georgia and South Ossetia negotiate the details of a truce they forged, despite reports of a village attack.$LABEL$0 +'Mock executions' for UK hostage The British journalist who was kidnapped in Iraq says he faced mock executions and tried to escape his captors.$LABEL$0 +India carries out rare execution A man convicted of raping and killing a schoolgirl is hanged in India's first execution in nine years.$LABEL$0 +Rowling reads to gathered fans Harry Potter author JK Rowling delights a small group of fans by giving her first public reading in Scotland for four years.$LABEL$0 +President's fate is on the line in Venezuela CARACAS -- Partisans on both sides are calling it the most polarized and important election in Venezuela's history, a presidential recall referendum today that will determine the course of democracy here and could buffet world oil prices. Both campaigns are also utterly convinced they will win.$LABEL$0 +Lamenting London's double-deckers Up-to-date buses supplant symbol LONDON -- On a sweltering August afternoon, George Watson wedged himself, his briefcase, his sports jacket, and his raincoat into a narrow seat aboard the profoundly un-air-conditioned No. 38 bus, as it resumed its rumble down High Holborn, in London's bustling city center.$LABEL$0 +Clash among warlords casts doubt on Afghanistan's security KABUL, Afghanistan -- Rival militias clashed in western Afghanistan yesterday, reportedly killing 21 people and ramping up concern about security as the country prepares for landmark elections.$LABEL$0 +Options running out as Najaf talks collapse BAGHDAD -- After more than a week of fighting between the Mahdi Army and the combined US and Iraqi forces in Najaf, Baghdad's Sadr City, and a half-dozen other cities, analysts say neither interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi nor radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had any good options left other than to talk.$LABEL$0 +Japanese youths' rage fuels wave of violent crime SASEBO, Japan -- On a cloudless afternoon in this sleepy port city, an 11-year-old girl drenched in blood and clutching a box cutter walked into the lunchroom at her elementary school. Teachers and students froze, assuming the sixth-grader known for her lighthearted nature had gravely hurt herself -- but she quickly dispelled that impression, witnesses said, by uttering a few ...$LABEL$0 +NATO proclaims victory in Bosnia SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- When NATO forces first came to Bosnia nearly a decade ago, they lived in heavily guarded compounds, patrolled the streets in tanks, and often wore full body armor.$LABEL$0 +Koreans of mixed race tackle a prejudice SEOUL -- For years, Lee Yu Jin kept her secret. Whenever anybody asked -- and they did all the time as her celebrity as an actress and model spread -- she simply denied the rumors. No, she was not a foreigner. She was Korean.$LABEL$0 +Venezuela Holds Referendum on President CARACAS, Venezuela - The opposition's long and bitter campaign to oust Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez finally came down to a recall referendum Sunday, with the leftist leader hoping a huge turnout among the poor will keep him in power. Activists on both sides set off fireworks and blared recordings of bugle music to wake voters hours before dawn, hoping for a flood of early votes in their favor...$LABEL$0 +Floridians Return to Storm-Ravaged Homes PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - After getting a first look at the widespread damage left behind by Hurricane Charley, Florida residents were faced with the arduous task of sorting through the wreckage, and for some, starting over again...$LABEL$0 +Charley May Not Spike Insurance Premiums MIAMI - Hurricane Charley probably will not cause Floridians' insurance premiums to skyrocket like 1992's Andrew, and fewer insurers should go bankrupt from paying out damages expected to reach the billions of dollars, state and industry officials said Saturday. They say previous premium increases and overhauls made because of Andrew, the most expensive natural disaster in U.S...$LABEL$0 +Florida Residents Face Hurricane Wreckage PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - After getting a first look at the widespread damage left behind by Hurricane Charley, Florida residents were faced with the arduous task of sorting through the wreckage, and for some, starting over again...$LABEL$0 +Phelps, Thorpe Advance in 200 Freestyle ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps took care of qualifying for the Olympic 200-meter freestyle semifinals Sunday, and then found out he had been added to the American team for the evening's 400 freestyle relay final. Phelps' rivals Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband and teammate Klete Keller were faster than the teenager in the 200 free preliminaries...$LABEL$0 +Venezuela Opposition Holds Recall Vote CARACAS, Venezuela - The opposition's long and bitter campaign to oust Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez finally came down to a recall referendum Sunday, with the leftist leader hoping a huge turnout among the poor will keep him in power. Officials from around the world - including Pope John Paul II and U.S...$LABEL$0 +Bomb at India Independence Parade Kills 15 NEW DELHI - A bomb exploded during an Independence Day parade in India's remote northeast on Sunday, killing at least 15 people, officials said, just an hour after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to fight terrorism. The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom was suspected of being behind the attack in Assam state and a second one later in the area, said Assam Inspector General of Police Khagen Sharma...$LABEL$0 +Memorial Service Held for Lori Hacking OREM, Utah - Family and friends of Lori Hacking gathered Saturday for a memorial service to remember the woman whom authorities believe was slain by her husband while she slept. About 600 people attended the service, including the parents of both Lori Hacking and her husband, Mark, who has been charged with her murder...$LABEL$0 +Phelps, Thorpe Advance in 200 Freestyle ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps took care of qualifying for the Olympic 200-meter freestyle semifinals Sunday, and then found out he had been added to the American team for the evening's 400 freestyle relay final. Phelps' rivals Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband and teammate Klete Keller were faster than the teenager in the 200 free preliminaries...$LABEL$0 +Pilgrims Crowd Field for Mass With Pope LOURDES, France - A frail Pope John Paul II celebrated an open-air Mass on Sunday as several hundred thousand pilgrims, many in wheelchairs, crowded onto a field near a French shrine to the Virgin Mary that is associated with miraculous cures of the sick. The Mass was a highlight of the Pope's two-day visit to Lourdes, a town in the Pyrenees where Roman Catholic tradition says St...$LABEL$0 +Iraqi Troops to Take Lead in Fighting Militia Iraq will send troops to Najaf to battle a Shiite Muslim militia after peace talks collapsed between the government and Moqtada Sadr.$LABEL$0 +High Stakes Showdown in Najaf The fallout from Shiites fighting U.S. Marines in a holy city could weaken Iraq's new government$LABEL$0 +Strategies for a Sideways Market (Reuters) Reuters - The bulls and the bears are in this\together, scratching their heads and wondering what's going to\happen next.$LABEL$2 +Art Looks Like Fine Investment for Funds (Reuters) Reuters - Some mutual funds invest in stocks;\others invest in bonds. Now a new breed of funds is offering\the chance to own fine art.$LABEL$2 +Oil and Economy Cloud Stocks' Outlook (Reuters) Reuters - Soaring crude prices plus worries\about the economy and the outlook for earnings are expected to\hang over the stock market this week during the depth of the\summer doldrums.$LABEL$2 +Strategies for a Sideways Market WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The bulls and the bears are in this together, scratching their heads and wondering what's going to happen next.$LABEL$2 +Art Looks Like Fine Investment for Funds NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some mutual funds invest in stocks; others invest in bonds. Now a new breed of funds is offering the chance to own fine art.$LABEL$2 +Oil and Economy Cloud Stocks' Outlook NEW YORK (Reuters) - Soaring crude prices plus worries about the economy and the outlook for earnings are expected to hang over the stock market this week during the depth of the summer doldrums.$LABEL$2 +A Digital Doctor Treats Computer Contamination (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Before me lies the patient, a Gateway computer running Windows 98. It is suffering from extremely clogged Internet arteries, unable to reach the Web. As one of The Washington Post's digital doctors, my task is to nurse the machine back to health so my colleague Kathleen Day can access her e-mail and file stories from home.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Lists Apps Affected by XP SP2 (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Microsoft has published a list of nearly 50 software programs that require tweaking in order to work with its most recent Windows update.$LABEL$3 +Europe's Eel Population Collapsing (AP) AP - When a poacher with a baseball bat mugged Willem Dekker for his baby eels, it was further confirmation for the Dutch biologist that the species is in trouble.$LABEL$3 +Genetic Material May Help Make Nano-Devices: Study (Reuters) Reuters - The genetic building blocks that\form the basis for life may also be used to build the tiny\machines of nanotechnology, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Progress Cargo Ship Launched From Russia (AP) AP - A Russian cargo ship loaded with supplies and equipment blasted off from the Baikonour cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday headed for the international space station, a Russian space official said.$LABEL$3 +Computer Naivete Costs A Bundle The meltdown of my home computer was my fault, the result of having switched to a high-speed Internet connection without installing a firewall or heeding those pesky warnings to download critical updates for Windows and anti-virus software. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</b></font>$LABEL$3 +NASA Develops Robust Artificial Intelligence for Planetary Rovers NASA is planning to add a strong dose of artificial intelligence (AI) to planetary rovers to make them much more self-reliant, capable of making basic decisions during a mission. Scientists are developing very complex AI software that enables a higher level of robotic intelligence.$LABEL$3 +Science and President Bush Collide in Election Year With more than 4,000 scientists, including 48 Nobel Prize winners, having signed a statement opposing the Bush administration's use of scientific advice, this election year is seeing a new development in the uneasy relationship between science and politics.$LABEL$3 +Hurricane Charley's Force Took Experts by Surprise By MARCIA DUNN (AP) -- Hurricane Charley's 145-mph force took forecasters by surprise and showed just how shaky a science it still is to predict a storm's intensity - even with all the latest satellite and radar technology. ""Most major hurricanes become major by going through a rapid intensification...$LABEL$3 +New Computer Games Teach Nutrition to Needy In an effort to educate the nation's neediest children on nutrition, a new project uses the familiar medium of video games to broadcast its message. The Fantastic Food Challenge, a package of four computer games, is designed to teach people who get nutrition aid such as federal food stamps how to make better use of their food.$LABEL$3 +Sprint Set to Debut Video-Streaming Cell Phone OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) -- Channel surfing is moving off the couch as Sprint Corp...$LABEL$3 +Kobe Bryant Due Back in Court Monday (AP) AP - With Kobe Bryant's sexual assault trial scheduled to begin in less than two weeks, speculation is mounting that prosecutors are looking for a way to dismiss the charge after a series of setbacks.$LABEL$1 +Rangers Designate Bacsik for Assignment (AP) AP - Pitcher Mike Bacsik was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers on Sunday after going 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA in three starts.$LABEL$1 +Arsenal Beats Everton to Extend Streak (AP) AP - Arsenal opened its defense of its English title with a 4-1 win at Everton on Sunday, making it 41 straight games without a loss in the Premier League.$LABEL$1 +Nadal Wins in Poland for First ATP Title (AP) AP - Spain's Rafael Nadal won his first ATP singles title Sunday, beating Argentina's Jose Acasuso 6-3, 6-4 in the final at the Idea Prokom Open.$LABEL$1 +Zahringer Leads Field at U.S. Amateur (AP) AP - George Zahringer III is back for another shot at the U.S. Amateur. The New Yorker is one of three returning quarterfinalists for the tournament, which begins Monday at the Winged Foot Golf Club. Lee Williams of Alexander City, Ala., and Patrick Carter of Lesage, W.Va., complete the trio from last year's championship that was won by Nick Flanagan of Australia.$LABEL$1 +Pau Edges Yao in Clash of the Giants ATHENS (Reuters) - Spain's Pau Gasol got the better of China's Yao Ming in Olympic basketball's own clash of the giants Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Hamilton Sets Early Pace as Woods Struggles KOHLER, Wis. (Reuters) - British Open champion Todd Hamilton made the first significant move in the U.S. PGA Championship final round Sunday as overnight pacesetter Vijay Singh prepared for an afternoon tee-off.$LABEL$1 +Iran Defies Olympic Spirit by Shunning Israel ATHENS (Reuters) - Iran's world judo champion Arash Miresmaeili refused to compete against an Israeli Sunday, triggering a fresh crisis at the Olympic Games where race, creed or color are barred from interfering in sport.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Softball Team Puts Australia in Its Place ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States kept itself firmly on course for a third straight Olympic softball gold medal when it thrashed Australia 10-0 Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Schumacher Triumphs as Ferrari Clinches Title BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Michael Schumacher cruised to a record 12th win of the season in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday to hand his Ferrari team a sixth successive constructors' title.$LABEL$1 +Nearly 10 Million Afghans to Embrace Democracy (Reuters) Reuters - Thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan\may have failed to catch Osama bin Laden but they are credited\with encouraging millions of Afghans to register for the\country's historic election in October.$LABEL$0 +Mortars Mark Opening of Iraqi Political Conference (Reuters) Reuters - Insurgents fired mortars at a meeting\where Iraqi leaders met to pick an interim national assembly\Sunday, killing at least two people in a grim reminder of the\country's tortuous path toward democracy.$LABEL$0 +Conference Gives Iraq Democracy First Test (AP) AP - Despite the steady clang of mortar shells outside and persistent violence in the country, many delegates at the opening on Sunday of Iraq's National Conference held out hope that this first fragile taste of democracy would succeed.$LABEL$0 +Countries Run Drills for Panana Attack (AP) AP - The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the ship in the choppy Caribbean waters and began counting crew members, but the numbers did not match those given earlier.$LABEL$0 +Police push for surveillance fee on customers' phone, Internet bills (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's police chiefs propose a surcharge of about 25 cents on monthly telephone and Internet bills to cover the cost of tapping into the communications of terrorists and other criminals.$LABEL$0 +Bush should have tackled reform before naming CIA boss: lawmaker (AFP) AFP - The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee urged fellow lawmakers not to allow confirmation hearings on a new CIA director to derail efforts to overhaul US spy agencies.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelans Rush to Vote in Referendum on Chavez CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelans crowded polling stations on Sunday to vote on whether to recall left-wing President Hugo Chavez or back his mandate to govern the world's No. 5 oil exporter for the next two years.$LABEL$0 +TV: Iraqi Kidnappers of Iran Envoy Want POWs Freed TEHRAN (Reuters) - Kidnappers holding an Iranian diplomat in Iraq will ""punish"" him within 48 hours if Iran does not release 500 prisoners captured in its 1980-1988 war with Iraq, Iranian state television said Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Nearly 10 Million Afghans to Embrace Democracy KABUL (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan may have failed to catch Osama bin Laden but they are credited with encouraging millions of Afghans to register for the country's historic election in October.$LABEL$0 +Rebranded Liechtenstein Welcomes Fresh Prince VADUZ, Liechtenstein (Reuters) - The people of Liechtenstein ushered in a new era Sunday as the tiny Alpine principality welcomed a new ruler and sought to shed its image as a haven for money launderers.$LABEL$0 +France marks the 'other D-Day' Two days of celebrations to honour the Allied veterans who liberated southern France near a climax.$LABEL$0 +Phish farewell attracts thousands Jam band"" Phish play their last gigs together at a special festival in the US which has attracted thousands of fans.$LABEL$0 +Iraq troops move angers S Koreans Clashes with riot police erupt as thousands protest in Seoul against plans to send troops to help US-led forces in Iraq.$LABEL$0 +Bush Surveys Damage in Florida as Toll Is Expected to Mount Hurricane Charley - one of the most powerful storms in the nation's history - caused at least \$20 billion in damage in Florida alone.$LABEL$0 +Phelps, Rival Thorpe in 200M-Free Semis ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps took care of qualifying for the Olympic 200-meter freestyle semifinals Sunday, and then found out he had been added to the American team for the evening's 400 freestyle relay final. Phelps' rivals Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband and teammate Klete Keller were faster than the teenager in the 200 free preliminaries...$LABEL$0 +Pope Struggles Through Mass at Lourdes LOURDES, France - A sick man among the sick, Pope John Paul II struggled through Sunday Mass at a French shrine that draws desperate people seeking miracle cures. The 84-year-old pontiff gasped, trembled and asked aides for help during the 2 1/2 hour service in sizzling heat...$LABEL$0 +Singh, Leonard in Final Pairing at PGA HAVEN, Wis. - Whistling Straits is suddenly the least of anyone's worries...$LABEL$0 +Venezuela Voters Turn Out in Huge Numbers CARACAS, Venezuela - Voters turned out in huge numbers Sunday to decide whether to keep populist President Hugo Chavez in power or oust him and his social revolution that critics say has sidelined the middle class and fueled tensions between rich and poor. Activists on both sides set off huge firecrackers and played recorded bugle songs to wake voters hours before dawn...$LABEL$0 +Reservists Say War Makes Them Lose Jobs WASHINGTON - Increasing numbers of National Guard and Reserve troops who have returned from war in Iraq and Afghanistan are encountering new battles with their civilian employers at home. Jobs were eliminated, benefits reduced and promotions forgotten...$LABEL$0 +Wildfire Sweeps by Old Calif. Mining Town REDDING, Calif. - A wind-fueled wildfire roared through an old mining town near Redding on Sunday, destroying 20 homes and forcing nearly 125 residents to flee, officials said...$LABEL$0 +Charley Damage Estimated at \$11 Billion PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - As Florida residents began sweeping up the wreckage left behind by Hurricane Charley, officials on Sunday estimated damages as high as \$11 billion for insured homes alone...$LABEL$0 +Entertainment World Wary of Microsoft (AP) AP - CinemaNow Inc., the Internet-based movie service, is a rarity in Hollywood #151; a company that eagerly embraces Microsoft Corp. technology and relies on it exclusively to transmit, protect and display the movies it rents to customers. Then again, Microsoft is a major investor in the company, which is also owned by independent studio Lions Gate.$LABEL$3 +Cat Clones \\From CNN (which didn't permalink this article so no PageRank for you!):\\""Baba Ganoush and Tabouli, the first cats cloned by chromatin transfer, tackle a\cat toy in San Francisco Thursday. The technology was developed by Genetic\Savings Clone, a company that produces cat clones.""\\$LABEL$3 +US NBA players become the Nightmare Team after epic loss (AFP) AFP - Call them the ""Nightmare Team"".$LABEL$1 +Report: Roenick Paid for Betting Tips (AP) AP - Flyers star Jeremy Roenick paid more than #36;100,000 to a Florida firm that made millions selling betting tips to gamblers, law enforcement officials told The Philadelphia Inquirer.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Basketball Team Loses to Puerto Rico ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States lost their first basketball match at the Olympics since 1988 on Sunday when Puerto Rico gave them a shock 92-73 trouncing.$LABEL$1 +South Africa Ends Phelps Medal Quest ATHENS (Reuters) - South Africa ruined Michael Phelps's dream of winning a record eight gold medals at the Athens Olympics with a stunning victory in the men's 4x100 meters freestyle final on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Iran Snub to Israel Challenges IOC ATHENS (Reuters) - Iran defied the Olympic spirit on Sunday by refusing to contest a judo bout with an Israeli at the Athens Games, making no effort to hide the fact it was putting solidarity with the Palestinians before gold medals.$LABEL$1 +Romanian Gymnasts Edge Ahead of U.S. Women ATHENS (Reuters) - Daniela Sofronie displayed all her athleticism to edge Romania ahead of the United States in the Olympic women's gymnastics team qualifying Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Roenick Paid for Betting Tips Flyers center Jeremy Roenick paid more than \$100,000 to a Florida firm that made millions selling betting tips to gamblers, law enforcement officials told The Philadelphia Inquirer.$LABEL$1 +Parks Canada protest greets prime minister at closing of Acadian Congress (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - GRAND PRE, N.S. (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin was met with a silent protest Sunday as he attended the closing of the World Acadian Congress in Nova Scotia.$LABEL$0 +Palestinians in Israeli Jails Start Hunger Strike RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails began a hunger strike for better conditions on Sunday, but Israel's security minister said he didn't care if they starved to death.$LABEL$0 +Frail Pope Ends Tiring Lourdes Pilgrimage LOURDES, France (Reuters) - Pope John Paul, a sick man among the sick, wound up a emotional visit to this miracle shrine Sunday and struggled with iron determination to finish a sermon in order to encourage others suffering around him.$LABEL$0 +No Gold for Phelps As Relay Team Falters ATHENS, Greece - Mark Spitz can rest easy. The best Michael Phelps can do is win seven gold medals at these Olympics...$LABEL$0 +Dream Team Stunned by Puerto Rico 92-73 ATHENS, Greece - In an upset that was as historic as it was inevitable, the U.S. men's basketball team lost for only the third time ever in the Olympics on Sunday, 92-73 to Puerto Rico...$LABEL$0 +Roddick, Venus, Navratilova Win Openers (AP) AP - Bothered more by the wind and her wrist wrap than her opponent, defending gold medalist Venus Williams overpowered Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-1, 6-2 in the opening match of the Athens Games' tennis tournament. Andy Roddick made his Olympic debut with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Flavio Saretta of Brazil, swatting 12 aces and 16 service winners.$LABEL$1 +American Duo Wins Opening Beach Volleyball Match ATHENS (Reuters) - American Misty May gave team mate Kerri Walsh an ideal 26th birthday present with an easy victory over Japan in their opening match of the Olympics beach volleyball tournament on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Puerto Rico Upsets United States Men The United States men's basketball team lost to Puerto Rico, 92-73. The loss could put the American gold medal hopes in jeopardy.$LABEL$1 +Venezuelans Throng to Polls in Chavez Referendum CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelans crowded polling stations on Sunday to vote on whether to recall left-wing President Hugo Chavez or back his mandate to govern the world's No. 5 oil exporter for the next two years.$LABEL$0 +Schumacher Triumphs as Ferrari Seals Formula One Title BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Michael Schumacher cruised to a record 12th win of the season in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday to hand his Ferrari team a sixth successive constructors' title.$LABEL$1 +Pope Struggles Through Mass at Lourdes (AP) AP - A sick man among the sick, Pope John Paul II struggled through Sunday Mass at a French shrine that draws desperate people seeking miracle cures. The 84-year-old pontiff gasped, trembled and asked aides for help during the 2 1/2 hour service in sizzling heat.$LABEL$0 +Nicholls State Fires Football Coach (AP) AP - Nicholls State football coach Daryl Daye was fired Sunday over accusations of academic fraud involving players and an assistant coach. Daye was not implicated in the alleged fraud, but an investigation found he failed to ""maintain proper controls"" of the assistant, the Southland Conference school said.$LABEL$1 +Florida Starts Massive Hurricane Cleanup PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Residents left homeless by Hurricane Charley's 145 mph winds dug through their ravaged homes on Sunday, sweeping up shattered glass and rescuing what they could as President Bush promised rapid delivery of disaster aid...$LABEL$0 +Nicky Hilton Marries in Vegas LAS VEGAS - Hotel heiress Nicky Hilton married a New York money manager before dawn Sunday in an impromptu ceremony, according to court filings obtained by The Associated Press. Hilton, 20, married Todd Andrew Meister, 33, at the Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, according a Clark County marriage license...$LABEL$0 +Election-Year Rate Hike Puzzles Some WASHINGTON - Going against conventional wisdom, the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates in an election year. And it is Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, a Republican, who is leading the charge even though an incumbent Republican in the White House is facing voter unrest about the state of the economy...$LABEL$0 +Explosions Echo Throughout Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. tanks and troops rolled back into the center of Najaf and battled with Shiite militants Sunday, reigniting violence in the holy city just as delegates in Baghdad opened a conference meant to be a landmark in the country's movement toward democracy...$LABEL$0 +Venezuela Voters Turn Out in Huge Numbers CARACAS, Venezuela - Summoned by bugle calls and firecrackers, millions of Venezuelans turned out in unprecedented numbers Sunday to vote on whether to force leftist President Hugo Chavez from office. Lines snaked for blocks in upscale neighborhoods, where suspicion is high that the leftist leader plans a Cuba-style dictatorship, and in the slums, where support for his ""revolution for the poor"" is fervent...$LABEL$0 +Man Linked to N.J. Gov. Says He's Straight JERUSALEM - The Israeli man at the center of New Jersey Gov. James E...$LABEL$0 +Iraq Reaches Olympic Soccer Quarterfinals ATHENS (Reuters) - Iraq's fairytale Olympic run continued on Sunday when they beat Costa Rica 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Athens Games.$LABEL$1 +No Gold for Phelps as Relay Team Falters South Africa won the gold medal Sunday in the men's 400-meter freestyle relay with a world-record time of 3 minutes 13.17 seconds.$LABEL$1 +I Confess. I'm a Software Pirate. \\I'm guilty. I'm a Software Pirate! Not just one or two copies of DOS but\probably hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of software.\\Growing up my parents didn't have much money. Certainly not hundred of\thousands of dollars for me to blow on software. I was curious and had a\passion for computers that I couldn't control. I simply wanted to learn and\couldn't afford to pay for software.\\Luckily I did this when I was a kid so hopefully I won't be prosecuted. I also\believe that everything I did was ethical. I didn't take any money out of the\hands of the software industry and I've already contributed WAY more to the\industry than a few hundred thousand in software sales.\\This is th ...\\$LABEL$3 +Venezuela Oil Official Predicts Stability (AP) AP - Venezuela's oil industry will enter a new period of stability and growth after Sunday's referendum on Hugo Chavez's presidency, the president of the state-run oil company said Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Funds: Are Bond Funds Hazardous? (Clint Willis is a freelance writer who covers mutual funds for Reuters. Any opinions in the column are solely those of Mr. Willis.)$LABEL$2 +O's Beat Blue Jays With Eight-Run Eighth (AP) AP - David Newhan tied a career high with four hits, including a go-ahead double in Baltimore's eight-run eighth inning, and the Orioles rallied for an 11-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Italy on alert after purported Al-Qaeda ultimatum expires (AFP) AFP - Italy was on high alert as a group linked to Al-Qaeda reportedly threatened to attack, singling out Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as a target, after the expiry of a deadline for Rome to pull its troops out of Iraq.$LABEL$0 +Edwards Caps Intense Push in Iowa (AP) AP - Capping an intense 10-day competition for Iowa's seven electoral votes, Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards accused the Bush administration on Sunday of being captured by drug and insurance interests at the expense of working families.$LABEL$0 +Two visions of Iraq struggle to take hold Fighting in Najaf threatened to undermine a conference to choose a national assembly.$LABEL$0 +Giants Top Phillies 3-1 to Finish Sweep (AP) AP - Brett Tomko allowed one run in six innings for his first win in nearly a month and helped San Francisco complete a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies with a 3-1 victory Sunday.$LABEL$1 +South Africa Ends Phelps' Gold Medal Quest ATHENS (Reuters) - South Africa ruined Michael Phelps's dream of winning a record eight gold medals in a dramatic and controversial day of swimming at the Athens Olympics on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Johnson Helps D - Backs End Nine - Game Slide NEW YORK (AP) -- Randy Johnson took a four-hitter into the ninth inning to help the Arizona Diamondbacks end a nine-game losing streak Sunday, beating Steve Trachsel and the New York Mets 2-0.$LABEL$1 +Perry Out for Season Eagles running back Bruce Perry will miss his rookie season after dislocating a shoulder in an exhibition game against the New England Patriots.$LABEL$1 +Millions Wait Hours in Venezuela to Vote in Recall Election The unprecedented vote was sluggish as huge crowds lined up at voting booths. Results were not expected until 8 p.m., or later.$LABEL$0 +Leonard Forges Two Clear with Nine to Play at PGA KOHLER, Wisconsin (Reuters) - American Justin Leonard stayed on track for his second major title in the U.S. PGA Championship final round on Sunday, moving two shots clear with nine holes to play.$LABEL$1 +'Alien Vs. Predator' Smacks Down Rivals LOS ANGELES - Movie-goers were easy prey for a double dose of space invaders. The sci-fi smackdown ""Alien vs...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Men Stunned by Puerto Rico, 92-73 ATHENS, Greece - In an upset as historic as it was inevitable, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and the rest of the U.S. basketball team lost 92-73 to Puerto Rico on Sunday, only the third Olympic loss ever for America and its first since adding pros...$LABEL$0 +49ers' Beasley Could Miss Several Weeks (AP) AP - Fullback Fred Beasley could be sidelined until the 49ers' season opener Sept. 12 against the Atlanta Falcons with a high left ankle sprain.$LABEL$1 +Dodgers Rally in 8th to Defeat Cubs 8-5 (AP) AP - Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green homered, and Steve Finley hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for an 8-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +UN Weighs Situation in Burundi Following Massacre UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council met in emergency session concerning Burundi on Sunday following the massacre of more than 150 Tutsi Congolese refugees at a camp in western Burundi.$LABEL$0 +Cold Winters Slow Northeast Hemlock Pest (AP) AP - New England's bitterly cold winters may be hard on people, but they have been even harder on an Asian insect that's threatening to destroy hemlocks, one of the signature trees of the region's forests.$LABEL$3 +Teen Is First Black National USTA Champion (AP) AP - Scoville Jenkins, a 17-year-old from Atlanta, became the first black to win the 18s singles championship of the U.S. Tennis Association Boys Nationals.$LABEL$1 +Rwanda Troops Start AU Mission in Darfur (Reuters) Reuters - Rwandan troops arrived in\Darfur Sunday as the first foreign force there, mandated to\protect observers monitoring a shaky cease-fire between the\Sudanese government and rebels in the remote western region.$LABEL$0 +Rwanda Troops Start AU Mission in Darfur EL FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Rwandan troops arrived in Darfur Sunday as the first foreign force there, mandated to protect observers monitoring a shaky cease-fire between the Sudanese government and rebels in the remote western region.$LABEL$0 +Marlins Beat Brewers 5-3 in 10 Innings (AP) AP - Luis Castillo tied the score with a ninth-inning single, and pinch-hitter Damion Easley hit a two-run double in the 10th inning that led the Florida Marlins over the Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 Sunday.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Soldiers Battle Shiites in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. tanks and troops rolled back into the center of Najaf and battled with Shiite militants Sunday, reigniting violence in the holy city just as delegates in Baghdad opened a conference meant to be a landmark in the country's movement toward democracy...$LABEL$0 +NL Wrap: Johnson Fans 14 Mets as Arizona Snaps Slide (Reuters) Reuters - Randy Johnson struck out 14 batters in\8 1/3 innings to help the Arizona Diamondbacks end a nine-game\losing streak with a 2-0 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +NL Wrap: Johnson Fans 14 Mets as Arizona Snaps Slide NEW YORK (Reuters) - Randy Johnson struck out 14 batters in 8 1/3 innings to help the Arizona Diamondbacks end a nine-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +New U.N. Official Assumes Kosovo Control (AP) AP - The new U.N. administrator for Kosovo took control Sunday of the Serbian province, which has remained deeply divided along ethnic lines since the end of a 1999 war.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelans Line Up to Vote on Chavez CARACAS, Venezuela - Summoned by bugle calls and the detonations of huge firecrackers, Venezuelans turned out in unprecedented numbers Sunday to vote on whether to force leftist President Hugo Chavez from office. Some lines at polling places extended for 1.25 miles, stunning even veteran election monitors...$LABEL$0 +AL Wrap: Koskie Slugs Homer in 10th as Twins Edge Indians NEW YORK (Reuters) - Corey Koskie clubbed a two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning to help the Minnesota Twins hold on to first place in the American League Central with a 4-2 road win over the Cleveland Indians.$LABEL$1 +Whistling Straits Proves It's Major League Whistling Straits has received magnificent reviews during the P.G.A. Championship, which is currently in a three-man playoff between Justin Leonard, Vijay Singh and Chris DiMarco.$LABEL$1 +Puerto Rico Stuns U.S. in Opening Round Puerto Rico upsets the United States, 92-73, at the men's basketball preliminaries on Sunday, the first loss at the Games for the three-time defending gold medalists since 1988.$LABEL$1 +Monday Morning The regular Monday Morning contributors will return to this page next week, as will the weekly poll.$LABEL$1 +Homer Sinks Indians Corey Koskie hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning as the Twins overcame a two-run deficit for a 4-2 win Sunday, giving them a two-game lead over the second-place Indians.$LABEL$1 +Despite Setbacks, Stahl Maintains Healthy Dose of Optimism At 23, pitcher Richard Stahl knows there's still time to impress the Baltimore Orioles' front office. He just needs to stay on the mound long enough.$LABEL$1 +AL Wrap: Koskie Slugs Homer in 10th as Twins Edge Indians (Reuters) Reuters - Corey Koskie clubbed a two-run homer\in the top of the 10th inning to help the Minnesota Twins hold\on to first place in the American League Central with a 4-2\road win over the Cleveland Indians.$LABEL$1 +Venezuela Voters Crowd Polls in Chavez Referendum CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelans crowded polling stations on Sunday to vote on whether to recall left-wing President Hugo Chavez or back his mandate to govern the world's No. 5 oil exporter for the next two years.$LABEL$0 +Device 'may aid kidney dialysis' Scientists are developing a device which could improve the lives of kidney dialysis patients.$LABEL$0 +Shippers: Venezuela Oil Unfazed by Poll CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Oil exports by Venezuela have not been disturbed by the referendum on the rule of President Hugo Chavez, shipping sources said late Sunday.$LABEL$2 +Singh Wins PGA Championship in Playoff (AP) AP - The only birdie Vijay Singh made all day was the only one that mattered. All but counted out of the PGA Championship with a putter that failed him, Singh took advantage of a late collapse by Justin Leonard to get into a three-way playoff Sunday at Whistling Straits, then made the only birdie over the three extra holes to win the final major of the year.$LABEL$1 +Singh Snares PGA Title Vijay Singh outlasts Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco in a three-way playoff to win the PGA Championship on Sunday at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Battles Shiites in Iraqi Holy City (AP) AP - U.S. tanks and troops rolled back into the center of Najaf and battled with Shiite militants Sunday, reigniting violence in the holy city just as delegates in Baghdad opened a conference meant to be a landmark in the country's movement toward democracy.$LABEL$0 +Rumsfeld Briefs Russia on Shift of Forces WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld briefed his Russian counterpart over the weekend on U.S. plans to shift its forces stationed around the globe, in some cases potentially bringing them closer to Russia's borders...$LABEL$0 +China's Panchen Lama visits Tibet The boy named by the Chinese authorities as the 11th Panchen Lama visits a temple in Tibet.$LABEL$0 +DiMarco, Riley Play Way Into Ryder Cup (AP) AP - Chris DiMarco and Chris Riley faced knee-knocking pressure in the last round of the PGA Championship. And what did they get for their efforts? More of the same. DiMarco and Riley played themselves into the pressure-packed Ryder Cup with their performances Sunday in the year's final major. DiMarco finished second after a three-man, three-hole playoff and Riley was fourth #151; good enough to knock Jay Haas and Steve Flesch out of the top 10 in the Ryder Cup point standings.$LABEL$1 +Bomb Kills 16 During Indian Celebration A powerful bomb killed at least 16 people, many of them schoolchildren, and wounded about 40 others as they assembled for an Independence Day parade Sunday in the northeastern state of Assam, authorities said.$LABEL$0 +Shippers: Venezuela Oil Unfazed by Poll (Reuters) Reuters - Oil exports by Venezuela\have not been disturbed by the referendum on the rule of\President Hugo Chavez, shipping sources said late Sunday.$LABEL$2 +Phelps' Quest to Win 8 Gold Medals Ends (AP) AP - Michael Phelps surely didn't bargain for this. His quest to win eight gold medals is over, doomed by America's worst showing in the 400-meter freestyle relay. Gary Hall Jr. is ticked off. And now comes the toughest race of all against Ian Thorpe. Not exactly what Phelps had in mind when he decided to challenge Mark Spitz.$LABEL$1 +Nhleko Scores As Burn Beat MetroStars 1-0 (AP) AP - Reserve forward Toni Nhleko knocked in a header one minute into stoppage time, leading the Dallas Burn to a 1-0 victory over the first-place MetroStars on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Rwandan troops arrive in Darfur as president vows force to protect civilians (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - AL-FASHER, Sudan (AP) - Dozens of Rwandan soldiers arrived in Sudan's troubled Darfur region Sunday, the first foreign armed force deployed in the area since Arab militiamen began a rampage against black African farmers, killing thousands.$LABEL$0 +Dollar Falls to Fresh Low Vs Euro (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar fell to a fresh four-week low\versus the euro on Monday after a widening of the U.S. trade\gap to record levels raised worries about capital inflows in\the United States and a possible slowdown in the economy.$LABEL$2 +Nikkei Falls Over 1 Pct on Oil Worries TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei fell more than one percent by mid-morning on Monday as investors stepped up selling of exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp. amid growing fears of the impact of surging oil prices on the global economy.$LABEL$2 +The Region's Highest-Paid Executives Pay for the Washington area's top executives rose significantly last year, reversing the downward trend that set in with the recession in 2001.$LABEL$2 +As XM Stock Recovered, Executives' Pay Modest Thanks to the SEC, shareholders now get a long-term picture of how their stock is doing, which helps in evaluating executive pay.$LABEL$2 +Lucrative Cash Package Came as Fairchild Reported \$53.2 Million Loss For Jeffrey J. Steiner, chairman and chief executive of Fairchild Corp., nearly \$2.5 million in salary last year was just the beginning.$LABEL$2 +Board Members, Executives and Family Members Can Still Benefit Many of Corporate Washington's executives and board members have side deals with the companies they oversee.$LABEL$2 +Survey Estimates Values of Options, Excludes Exercises Figuring out how much executives get paid can be like predicting the weather -- an inexact science.$LABEL$2 +Government Spending Up Sharply Locally Federal procurement spending in the Washington area rose last year at its highest rate since the 1980s, according to a study to be released today, creating tens of thousands of jobs and increasing economic growth disproportionately in Northern Virginia.$LABEL$2 +Woods Comes Up Empty, but Still No. 1 (AP) AP - Tiger Woods came up empty in a major again, but he's still the No. 1 ranked player in the world.$LABEL$1 +Tennessee Tech's Worrell Extends Contract (AP) AP - Longtime Tennessee Tech women's basketball coach Bill Worrell has agreed to a new three-year contract with the option for three more years, the school announced Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Brad Ott Gets First Nationwide Victory (AP) AP - Brad Ott shot an 8-under 64 on Sunday to win the Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship for his first Nationwide victory.$LABEL$1 +Snow Storms Blanket Southern New Zealand (AP) AP - Snow storms isolated New Zealand's fourth biggest city of Dunedin on Monday, closing major roads, shutting schools and factories, and freezing newborn lambs.$LABEL$0 +Swimming showdown Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps will chase gold in the men's 200m freestyle on day three of the Olympics.$LABEL$0 +Puerto Rico Stuns Dream Team, 92-73 ATHENS, Greece - In an upset as historic as it was inevitable, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and the rest of the U.S. basketball team lost 92-73 to Puerto Rico on Sunday, only the third Olympic loss ever for America and its first since adding pros...$LABEL$0 +Scrimmage Gets Ugly Ralph Friedgen used a four-letter word to describe his Maryland team's offensive performance in Sunday's practice: blah.$LABEL$1 +Schumacher Sets Mark Michael Schumacher won the Hungarian Grand Prix Sunday in Budapest, setting yet another record by becoming the first Formula One driver with 12 victories in a season.$LABEL$1 +Business Is Business When it comes to qualifying for the main draw of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Robert Kendrick knows that survival takes precedence and friendships are put on hold.$LABEL$1 +Iraqi Conference on Election Plan Sinks Into Chaos The conference was thrown into disorder by delegates staging protests against the U.S.-led military operation in Najaf.$LABEL$0 +F.B.I. Goes Knocking for Political Troublemakers The F.B.I. has been questioning demonstrators in an effort to forestall violent protests at the Republican National Convention.$LABEL$0 +Nikkei Falls Over 1 Pct on Oil Worries (Reuters) Reuters - Tokyo's Nikkei fell more than one percent\by mid-morning on Monday as investors stepped up selling of\exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp. amid growing fears of the\impact of surging oil prices on the global economy.$LABEL$2 +Falcons' Kerney Sprains Knee in Practice (AP) AP - Atlanta Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney sprained his right knee in practice on Sunday when a lineman rolled on his leg.$LABEL$1 +McGahee Helps Bills Beat Broncos 16-6 (AP) AP - This is what everyone was waiting for from Willis McGahee. After 19 months of recuperation and countless questions about the strength of his left knee, the Buffalo Bills running back finally provided some answers. McGahee had the go-ahead score on a 1-yard run in his NFL preseason debut, helping the Bills to a 16-6 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Tropical Storm Earl Hits Caribbean Isles ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada - Tropical Storm Earl unleashed heavy rains and violent winds that felled trees and ripped off roofs Sunday in the eastern Caribbean, while hundreds of people sought refuge in shelters...$LABEL$0 +Report: Michael Jackson Not 'Manhandled' LOS ANGELES - The state attorney general's office has concluded that Michael Jackson was not ""manhandled"" by sheriff's deputies who took him into custody last year on child molestation charges, CBS News reported Sunday. The findings were contained in a three-page letter Martin A...$LABEL$0 +Democrats Pressure McGreevey to Leave Soon TRENTON, N.J. - High-level New Jersey Democrats said Sunday that pressure is building among members of Gov...$LABEL$0 +Bush Vows Rapid Aid to Hurricane Victims PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Residents left homeless by Hurricane Charley's 145 mph winds dug through their ravaged homes on Sunday, sweeping up shattered glass and rescuing what they could as President Bush promised rapid delivery of disaster aid...$LABEL$0 +Nikkei Down at Midday on Oil Worries TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei fell 1.66 percent by midday on Monday, extending losses into a third day as growing fears about the impact of surging oil prices on the global economy hit exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp.$LABEL$2 +Dell Exits Low-End China Consumer PC Market (Reuters) Reuters - Dell Inc. (DELL.O), the world's\largest PC maker, said on Monday it has left the low-end\consumer PC market in China and cut its overall growth target\for the country this year due to stiff competition in the\segment.$LABEL$3 +Singh Wins Playoff and P.G.A. Title Several players outplayed Vijay Singh on Sunday, but nobody outlasted him at the 86th P.G.A. Championship.$LABEL$1 +Caterpillar Union Rejects Contract Offer CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Auto Workers (UAW) said its members at Caterpillar Inc on Sunday voted to reject the construction equipment maker's contract proposal, the second time this year workers have voted against a Caterpillar contract offer.$LABEL$2 +NYMEX Crude Hits Record \$46.76 SINGAPORE (Reuters) - NYMEX crude oil futures <CLc1> hit a new record of \$46.76 on Monday on worries about possible unrest and disruption to oil supply as Venezuelans voted in a referendum on whether to recall President Hugo Chavez.$LABEL$2 +Singh Wins Playoff to Seize Third Major Title KOHLER, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Fiji's Vijay Singh held his composure to win the 86th U.S. PGA Championship in a three-way playoff on Sunday, clinching the third major title of his career.$LABEL$1 +South Korea Warns of Possible North Terrorism (Reuters) Reuters - North Korea is threatening to use\terrorism against the South, Seoul's intelligence agency said\in a rare public advisory on Monday, and warned South Korean\citizens in China and Southeast Asia to be on their guard.$LABEL$0 +Afghans Hail Chance for a Choice BAZARAK, Afghanistan<br>Like virtually every adult in this Panjshir Valley village, Rahmal Beg registered to vote weeks ago. Indeed, popular enthusiasm is so high for the Oct. 9 presidential election -- the first in Afghan history -- that thousands of people in the valley have reportedly...$LABEL$0 +Caterpillar Union Rejects Contract Offer CHICAGO (Reuters) - The main union at Caterpillar Inc. said its members voted on Sunday to reject the construction equipment maker's contract proposal, the second time this year the workers have voted against an offer.$LABEL$2 +GM's Made-In-China Cadillacs in Early '05 SHANGHAI (Reuters) - General Motors, the world's largest automaker, will start selling its first made-in-China Cadillacs in early 2005 in a market it expects eventually to account for a fifth of global sales of the luxury brand.$LABEL$2 +Gas Prices Drop, but Increase Expected CAMARILLO, Calif. - Gas prices have dropped nearly 5 cents in the past three weeks with an increase in supply, but soaring crude oil prices could cause rates to rise again soon, an industry analyst said Sunday...$LABEL$0 +Funk Still Gets Cup Spot Though Fred Funk had been rather morose after missing the cut by a stroke in the 86th PGA Championship on Friday, there was great joy on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Report: U.S. to Approve Sale of Aegis Ships to Taiwan (Reuters) Reuters - The United States will announce the sale\of four Aegis missile-defense warships to Taiwan next year with\delivery likely to begin in 2011, a newspaper said on Monday.$LABEL$0 +Nikkei Down, Oil Worries Hit Exporters (Reuters) Reuters - Tokyo's Nikkei fell 1.66 percent by\midday on Monday, extending losses into a third day as another\surge in oil prices deepened worries about the global economic\impact and knocked down exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp.$LABEL$0 +Report: U.S. to Approve Sale of Aegis Ships to Taiwan TAIPEI (Reuters) - The United States will announce the sale of four Aegis missile-defense warships to Taiwan next year with delivery likely to begin in 2011, a newspaper said on Monday.$LABEL$0 +Wal-Mart Tries to Shine Its Image by Supporting Public Broadcasting Wal-Mart, stung by criticism of its business tactics, is working to improve its image by supporting public broadcasting.$LABEL$2 +Muddling Through (or Not): Mid-2004 Update on the Philippines Looks like the Philippines, despite itself, has survived the election without excessive violence, major civil unrest, or untoward People Power eruptions. GMA finally has that elusive electoral mandate, and the air of uncertainty that pervaded Manila in the weeks leading up to the election has given way to (for some) an air of cautious optimism or (for others) resignation that nothing ever changes much in the Philippines and that the strong leadership and fundamental changes needed to save the country are long shots.$LABEL$2 +Unseeded Vaidisova Wins Vancouver Open (AP) AP - Unseeded teenager Nicole Vaidisova defeated American Laura Granville 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the Vancouver Open on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +F.B.I. Goes Knocking for Political Troublemakers The F.B.I. has been questioning demonstrators in an effort to forestall violent protests at the Republican convention.$LABEL$0 +Sybase looks ahead to RFID The database and mobile software company is set to reveal details on updates to its flagship products and outline RFID plans.$LABEL$3 +Nanotech funding to grow to \$8.6 billion Spending on research will more than double this year, with a growing amount coming from the private sector.$LABEL$3 +Gateway lands on another retailer's shelves Company is set to sell desktops on CompUSA's shelves, providing more competition for HP.$LABEL$3 +Cardinals Ride Rolen Scott Rolen homered twice to become the first NL player to reach 100 RBIs this season as the St. Louis Cardinals downed the Atlanta Braves, 10-4, on Sunday night.$LABEL$1 +Braves Hum Along Braves General Manager John Schuerholz shuffled his deck more than usual this past offseason so doubts were high. Such a challenge makes this season all the sweeter.$LABEL$1 +Tibet's Second-Holiest Monk Makes Rare Lhasa Visit (Reuters) Reuters - Tibet's second-holiest monk, the Panchen\Lama, has visited Lhasa on a rare trip to the Himalayan region\by the living Buddha, whose selection in 1995 was marred by\controversy after the exiled Dalai Lama chose another boy.$LABEL$0 +Greek duo could miss drugs hearing Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou may not be fit enough to attend the hearing into their missed drugs test.$LABEL$0 +Package prompts US embassy alert An unidentified substance sent to the US embassy in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur leads to a security scare. $LABEL$0 +Don't Fear Internet Anonymity Tools (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - There are lots of good reasons for 'net anonymity.$LABEL$3 +Time Is Now for Linux Vendors to Protect Users (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Opinion: It's time for other Linux vendors to follow Red Hat's lead and offer patent infringement protection to their customers.$LABEL$3 +Self-Healing Tech Could Boost IBM's Yield (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Designed to let processors adjust themselves dynamically in response to problems or systems demands without human intervention, the chip-morphing technology could help IBM keep up with demand for good chips.$LABEL$3 +Emergency defers Maldives debate A parliamentary session due to have begun on Monday in the Maldives has been postponed indefinitely.$LABEL$0 +Tigers reject Sri Lanka counter proposal to revive talks (AFP) AFP - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said they will spurn any new government proposals to revive peace talks not giving them self-rule as peacebroker Norway was set to try to jumpstart the negotiations.$LABEL$0 +In Google's Auction, It's Not Easy to Tell a Bid From a Bet In a competition combining suspense and strategy, countless brave souls are hoping to buy a small piece of Google in an auction this week.$LABEL$2 +Suspicious Powder Found at U.S. Embassy in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Suspicious white powder has been found in an envelope that arrived at the U.S. embassy in Malaysia and three staff members quarantined, an embassy official and police said on Monday. ""A letter was delivered that had a suspicious powder in it,"" said an embassy spokesman in Kuala Lumpur. ""The powder is being sent for testing.$LABEL$0 +Nikkei Hits 3-Mth Closing Low TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average fell 0.65 percent to a fresh three-month closing low on Monday as crude oil prices again hit record highs in Asian trading hours, clouding the outlook for the global economy.$LABEL$2 +DiMarco, Riley Get on Ryder Cup Team (AP) AP - Hal Sutton had a good idea what kind of U.S. team he would take to the Ryder Cup. All that changed in the final round of the PGA Championship.$LABEL$1 +Chinese dig for villagers buried under landslides after deadly typhoon (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - SHANGHAI, China (AP) - Villagers in an eastern province dug with farm tools Monday to search for 24 people missing in massive landslides unleashed by Typhoon Rananim, which has already been blamed for 115 deaths and is the worst such storm to hit China in seven years.$LABEL$0 +Americans appear in Kabul trial The second hearing in the trial of three Americans accused of torture and running a jail begins in Kabul.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Fall as Oil Hits High SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Exporters led a fall in Asian shares on Monday as oil prices set new highs near \$47 and data showing the U.S. trade deficit widened to a record raised fresh concern about the health of the world's largest economy.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Fall as Oil Hits High (Reuters) Reuters - Exporters led a fall in Asian shares\on Monday as oil prices set new highs near #36;47 and data showing\the U.S. trade deficit widened to a record raised fresh concern\about the health of the world's largest economy.$LABEL$2 +Israel Turns Up Heat on Palestinian Hunger Strike (Reuters) Reuters - Israel declared psychological war on\hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners on Monday, saying it\would barbecue meat outside their cells to try to break their\will.$LABEL$0 +Two Chinese salesman gunned down in Thailand's restive south (AFP) AFP - Two Chinese travelling salesmen have been gunned down in southern Thailand as part of separatist violence which has claimed more than 275 lives since the start of the year, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Israel Turns Up Heat on Palestinian Hunger Strike JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel declared psychological war on hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners on Monday, saying it would barbecue meat outside their cells to try to break their will.$LABEL$0 +Iranian economic reform falters The Iranian parliament votes against key parts of a reform plan aimed at opening the economy to foreign investment.$LABEL$2 +Space-age sport GPS is invading recreational sports. Under clear skies, those signals beaming to earth from satellites can find you on a hilly running trail, in a kayak on the ocean, or on a green fairway where you're trying to fade a 230-yard drive into the wind.$LABEL$2 +Eyes tired? Musical alerts ease computer user #146;s day What was the last sound your computer made? It may have emitted a chime when e-mail arrived, or a heraldic swish when you started up Windows.$LABEL$2 +As money-raisers, 2004 #146;s initial offerings fall short When Inhibitex Inc. set the terms of its initial public offering in March, it thought it was being conservative, expecting shares to sell for \$10 to \$12 apiece.$LABEL$2 +Internet publishing attracting academics BALTIMORE -- Manuel Llinas knew his career was at stake. The young scientist had just finished work on an eye-catching paper on the genome of a parasite that causes malaria. Now he and his lab director faced a critical decision: where to submit the article for publication.$LABEL$2 +Computers with multiple personalities The jury's still out on whether a computer can ever truly be intelligent, but there's no question that it can have multiple personalities. It's just a matter of software.$LABEL$2 +Paint it bleak If the Rolling Stones were hired to write the theme song for this year's Red Sox, the group might overhaul one of their classics. Instead of quot;Satisfaction, quot; they could go with quot;Separation. quot; That's because no matter how hard they try, the Sox can't get no separation in their quest for the top spot in the wild-card race.$LABEL$1 +He #146;s not short on confidence It's a case he could have made more convincingly with something other than a half-swing tapper to the pitcher for the final out of yet another in a seemingly endless series of one-run losses for the Red Sox. But Orlando Cabrera wants fans to believe this: For all the futile swings he has made in his two-week incarnation as a ...$LABEL$1 +Pronger opts out of World Cup Names Chris Pronger of the St. Louis Blues pulled out of the World Cup of Hockey yesterday with an undisclosed injury, and was replaced on the Canadian team by Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers. Pronger's decision comes less than a week before the Canadian team opens training camp. The team will practice for the first time Friday in Ottawa. ...$LABEL$1 +Giants finish off Phillies Brett Tomko allowed one run in six innings for his first win in nearly a month, and the San Francisco Giants closed in on the wild-card lead with a 3-1 victory over the Phillies yesterday in Philadelphia, completing a three-game sweep.$LABEL$1 +Texas goes wild The Red Sox have company atop the wild-card standings. In Arlington, Texas, Laynce Nix homered and drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and the Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-2, yesterday to sweep the three-game series.$LABEL$1 +49ers #146; Beasley out till opener The cheers went up the instant Willis McGahee took the field. How's that for pressure?$LABEL$1 +At least Light #146;s sense of humor still intact FOXBOROUGH -- Matt Light lost his appendix this summer and, as a result, quite a few pounds, but he didn't lose one ounce of his wit.$LABEL$1 +Dorman #146;s been dandy of late Revolution coach Steve Nicol is not taking credit for the emergence of Andy Dorman. But Nicol's tactical moves helped place Dorman in a position to score his first two goals as a professional, in the final seconds of a 3-0 win at Dallas Wednesday and on his first touch of Saturday night's game at D.C. United for the Revolution's second ...$LABEL$1 +Sudan refugees report new attacks More Sudanese refugees flee across the border into Chad following reports of renewed violence in the Darfur region.$LABEL$0 +Bomb at parade in India leaves 16 dead, 40 hurt NEW DELHI -- A powerful bomb killed at least 16 people, many of them schoolchildren, and wounded about 40 others as they assembled for an Independence Day parade yesterday in the northeastern state of Assam, authorities said.$LABEL$0 +Israeli speaks out on McGreevey JERUSALEM -- The Israeli man at the center of the resignation of New Jersey's governor, James E. McGreevey, over a gay affair said in an interview published yesterday that he is straight and had no idea at first that his boss is homosexual.$LABEL$0 +France remembers WWII Riviera mission ABOARD THE CHARLES DE GAULLE -- France yesterday honored soldiers, including tens of thousands of Africans, who staged an assault on the French Riviera 60 years ago to break the Nazi grip -- one of the least-remembered military operations of World War II.$LABEL$0 +Pope struggles at shrine Mass LOURDES, France -- A sick man among the sick, Pope John Paul II struggled yesterday through Sunday Mass at a French shrine that draws desperate people seeking miracle cures. The 84-year-old pontiff gasped, trembled, and asked aides for help during the 2-hour service in the sizzling heat.$LABEL$0 +Uncertainty as Venezuela Awaits Referendum Result CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Three Venezuelan government ministers said on Monday President Hugo Chavez had easily survived a referendum on whether to recall him but their comments conflicted with heavy opposition hints they had won.$LABEL$0 +Watchdog attacks ID card scheme Proposals for identity cards and a population register are opposed by Britain's information watchdog.$LABEL$3 +Ebookers sees 'encouraging' signs Internet-based holiday company Ebookers says second-quarter loses have been cut compared with the same period a year ago.$LABEL$3 +Chavez Wins Venezuela Referendum-Official Results (Reuters) Reuters - Venezuelan President Hugo\Chavez has survived a referendum to recall him, according to\results released by electoral authorities on Monday with 94\percent of the vote counted.$LABEL$0 +US embassy in Malaysia in 'anthrax scare' (AFP) AFP - Malaysian emergency services rushed to the tightly-guarded US embassy in Kuala Lumpur after a powder which police said could be anthrax was found in a letter.$LABEL$0 +UN creates game to tackle hunger A forthcoming video game aims to educate children about the global fight against hunger.$LABEL$3 +Chavez Wins Venezuela Referendum-Preliminary Result CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has survived a referendum to recall him, according to preliminary results released by the country's top electoral officer on Monday.$LABEL$0 +Oil Prices Hit Record (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices jumped to a new record\high near #36;47 on Monday with traders on tenterhooks for the\result of Venezuela's weekend referendum and Iraq's exports\again disrupted by a Shi'ite uprising in the south.$LABEL$2 +They flocked from Games ATHENS -- During yesterday's celebration of the assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Greek orthodox clergy had a stern reminder for the organizers of the Olympic Games: No matter what the advertisements and speeches say about Greece's modern, Western orientation, this country is still the domain of its decidedly traditional, ubiquitous state-sanctioned religion. Speaking over the Byzantine chants of a ...$LABEL$1 +Ginobili gives Argentina big lift at the buzzer Manu Ginobili's off-balance shot left his hand just a split-second before the final buzzer, dropping through the basket to give Argentina an 83-82 victory over Serbia-Montenegro yesterday on the first day of Olympic men's basketball in Athens.$LABEL$1 +Stewart spoils upset bid Sports car ace Ron Fellows nearly pulled off what arguably would have been the biggest upset in NASCAR history, finishing second after starting last yesterday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.$LABEL$1 +US eights glide to finals in record times The US men's and women's eights pulled off huge victories in yesterday's Olympic rowing heats, each setting world bests to advance directly to Sunday's finals.$LABEL$1 +Phelps #146;s quest for 8 golds goes under ATHENS -- The evening began on a down note for the US swimming team, and descended from there. First, world champion Jenny Thompson struggled home fifth in the 100-meter butterfly. Then world record-holder Brendan Hansen was caught by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima in the 100 breaststroke. Finally, the men's 4 x 100 freestyle relay finished third behind South Africa and the ...$LABEL$1 +Azevedo shot does trick Tony Azevedo whizzed a last-second shot past Croatian goalkeeper Frano Vican to give the American water polo team a 7-6 victory in its tournament opener yesterday.$LABEL$1 +US team kicks over this result ATHENS -- Did Japan's Kosuke Kitajima break the rules when he beat world record-holder Brendan Hansen by 17-100ths of a second in yesterday's Olympic 100-meter breaststroke? Absolutely, insisted Hansen's US teammates, who claimed Kitajima routinely uses the illegal dolphin kick.$LABEL$1 +Clout shown in rout ATHENS -- When the Olympic softball schedule was released, Lisa Fernandez grabbed a marker and began counting down the days. quot;This game is always on my calendar, quot; she said. quot;I have a tremendous history with Australia. quot; And until yesterday, mostly a haunting one.$LABEL$1 +Punching his way forward ATHENS -- There's only room for one Cinderella in a boxing ring. That was the sad lesson Andre Berto learned last night as his long road to the Olympic Games came to an abrupt end at the Peristeri Boxing Hall in his first fight in the welterweight division. First fight, that is, unless you understand what it took for him ...$LABEL$1 +Fighting rages in South Ossetia Heavy fighting erupts in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region, shattering a two-day ceasefire.$LABEL$0 +Sprint Puts Streaming Media on Phones PCS Vision Multimedia streams faster video plus audio channels to Samsung phone.$LABEL$3 +Phelps, Thorpe Face Dutch Threat ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps, one gold won but one of his eight title chances now lost, takes on Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband in their long-awaited showdown in the 200 meters freestyle final on Monday.$LABEL$1 +Liechtenstein royals swap power Liechtenstein's Prince Hans-Adam hands over power to his son and invites the whole nation to a garden party.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelan President Survives Recall Vote CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez appeared to have survived a popular referendum to oust him, according to early results Monday, while Venezuela's opposition swiftly claimed fraud. Backers of the leftist populist president set off fireworks and began celebrating in the streets of the capital in the pre-dawn darkness upon hearing the news from Francisco Carrasquero, president of the National Elections Council...$LABEL$0 +Rescue Teams Aid Hurricane Charley Victims PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Urban rescue teams, insurance adjusters and National Guard troops were scattered across Florida to help residents rally from the brunt of Hurricane Charley, the worst storm to hit the state in a dozen years...$LABEL$0 +Journalist, Translator Missing in Iraq (AP) AP - A French-American journalist has disappeared along with his Iraqi translator in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, the provincial deputy governor said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Prudential drops bid for S.Korean assest managing firm (AFP) AFP - A consortium led by British insurer Prudential PLC has dropped its bid for a major South Korean state asset managing company.$LABEL$0 +Bush Plans to Withdraw Troops From Abroad (AP) AP - President Bush's plan to call tens of thousands of U.S. troops home from Europe and Asia could gain him election-year applause from military families, but won't ease the strain on soldiers still battling violent factions in Iraq and Afghanistan.$LABEL$0 +Pair tell of 'Falconio' sighting Two witnesses tell an Australian court they saw UK backpacker Peter Falconio more than a week after he disappeared.$LABEL$0 +'Virtual' repairs for Cutty Sark Digital models of an historic ship are created as part of its restoration to test if it will survive the process.$LABEL$3 +Mass. Republicans Eye Kerry's Senate Seat (AP) AP - Massachusetts Republicans, while supportive of President Bush's re-election, are mindful of the opportunity created should John Kerry beat him in November's election: the state's first Senate vacancy in two decades and a chance to break the Democratic monopoly on its 12-member delegation in Congress.$LABEL$0 +Swatch tax complaint dismissed US officials dismiss claims of tax evasion levelled at watchmaker Swatch by two former employees.$LABEL$2 +Small firms struggle as oil soars Small manufacturers in the UK are struggling in the face of soaring oil prices and higher interest rates, the CBI says.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft takes down SP2 swappers Microsoft is stopping people getting hold of a key security update via net-based file- sharing systems.$LABEL$2 +Symantec Readies Patching Tool ON IPatch monitors, ensures networked Windows systems are current in midsize businesss.$LABEL$3 +Panchen Lama Visits Tibet Capital (AP) AP - The boy chosen by the Chinese government as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama was greeted warmly by dozens of monks when he visited Tibet's most sacred temple, state television reported, giving rare publicity to one of his appearances.$LABEL$0 +BearingPoint Wins ID Project at TSA BearingPoint Inc. of McLean won a \$12 million contract from the Transportation Security Administration to begin the third phase in the agency's program to create a standard identification card for U.S. transportation employees.$LABEL$3 +Government Spending Up Sharply Locally Federal procurement spending in the Washington area rose last year at its highest rate since the 1980s, according to a study to be released today, creating tens of thousands of jobs and increasing economic growth disproportionately in Northern Virginia.$LABEL$3 +Expense Issue Draws Mixed Views From Companies The debate over whether companies should treat stock options as an expense draws mixed reactions from Washington area businesses, some of which have a lot to lose if the accounting rule changes.$LABEL$3 +Palestinian Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike JERUSALEM - More than a thousand Palestinian prisoners went on a hunger strike to press for better conditions, but Israel responded by tightening inmate restrictions, and a Cabinet minister said he wouldn't care if they starved to death. About 1,600 prisoners struck on Sunday...$LABEL$0 +Europe and US in aircraft aid row The European Commission and President George Bush are in a war of words over subsidies given to aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing.$LABEL$2 +Ex-Chess Champion Fischer to Marry Japanese Woman TOKYO (Reuters) - In a bold gambit worthy of the chess champion he once was, Bobby Fischer plans to wed a four-time Japan great in the hope of avoiding deportation home to the United States, where he is wanted for breaking sanctions.$LABEL$0 +Rogue proteins give yeast an edge Rogue proteins that behave like those linked to vCJD and Alzheimer's can give yeast a survival advantage.$LABEL$3 +Twins Rally to Beat Indians in 10 Innings (AP) AP - The Minnesota Twins left Cleveland clinging to first place in the AL Central #151; and already looking ahead to their next showdown with the surprising Indians.$LABEL$1 +Doping-Greek Sprint Duo's Hearing Postponed ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou won a two-day reprieve at the Athens Olympics when a disciplinary hearing investigating their missed drugs tests was adjourned until Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Why cyberscofflaws get off easy CNET News.com's Declan McCullagh explains why convicted virus and worm authors are more likely to do Club Fed than hard time.$LABEL$3 +Pakistan still supporting Kashmiri rebels: Indian Home Ministry (AFP) AFP - Pakistan continues to support Islamic insurgency in Kashmir and will use militant attacks to influence ongoing peace talks with rival India, India's Home Ministry said in its annual report.$LABEL$0 +Lowe's Second-Quarter Profit Rises (Reuters) Reuters - Lowe's Cos. (LOW.N), the second-largest\home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc. (HD.N), on\Monday said quarterly profit rose, but trailed estimates.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Seen Little Changed; Oil Weighs NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks are seen opening little changed on Monday as crude prices remain high, but insurers may dip on worries about their potential liabilities after a hurricane struck Florida on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Lowe's Second-Quarter Profit Rises ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <LOW.N>, the second-largest home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc. <HD.N>, on Monday said quarterly profit rose, but trailed estimates.$LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Hold Near Record LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices simmered near fresh highs Monday even though early reports of victory for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a referendum on his rule eased fears that unrest could upset the country's oil exports.$LABEL$2 +BA workers approve holiday strike British Airways workers plan to strike for 24 hours during the August Bank Holiday weekend unless a pay row is settled, the GMB union said.$LABEL$2 +Doping Probe of Greeks Staggers Toward Farce ATHENS (Reuters) - A doping probe that has dogged the host country's Olympic Games staggered toward farce on Monday when a hearing involving Greece's two top sprinters was postponed again.$LABEL$1 +Lowe's 2Q Earnings Higher on Home Market (AP) AP - Home improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. reported Monday that a robust housing market drove second-quarter earnings higher year-over-year, but results failed to meet Wall Street expectations.$LABEL$2 +Sri Lanka hit by oil strike Workers at Sri Lanka's main oil company end a two-day strike, held in protest at government plans to sell more of the company.$LABEL$2 +Internet calls add foreign accent (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - In the digital age, the next best thing to being there might be this: a French phone number.$LABEL$3 +FCC mobile spam rule doesn't cover some SMS (MacCentral) MacCentral - A rule prohibiting mobile-phone spam adopted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) earlier this month doesn't prohibit phone-to-phone text messaging, but FCC officials believe the new rule, combined with a 13-year-old law, should protect U.S. mobile phone customers against unsolicited commercial e-mail.$LABEL$3 +Ky. Professor Looks to Set Up Telescope (AP) AP - A University of Kentucky professor is pushing to set up a telescope in Australia that students could use via the Internet.$LABEL$3 +Survival of software's fittest Darwin may work in the flat enterprise software market--mergers and acquisitions are expected to increase the clout of leading firms.$LABEL$3 +Playing the convergence game Sony and Microsoft confront consumer apathy as they attempt to turn game consoles into multipurpose entertainment gadgets.$LABEL$3 +Singh Wins Playoff to Seize Third Major Title KOHLER, Wis. (Reuters) - Fiji's Vijay Singh held his composure to win the 86th U.S. PGA Championship in a three-way playoff on Sunday, clinching the third major title of his career.$LABEL$1 +Williams Has No Problem Running with Jones ATHENS (Reuters) - American sprinter Lauryn Williams said on Monday she would have no problem competing on the same team as Marion Jones in the Olympic 4x100 meters relay.$LABEL$1 +Moya Tames Olympic Wind and Enqvist; Dementieva Out ATHENS (Reuters) - Spanish third seed Carlos Moya tamed a swirling wind and dogged Swedish opponent Thomas Enqvist to reach the second round of the Olympic men's singles with a 7-6, 6-7, 9-7 victory Monday.$LABEL$1 +Britain 'sleepwalking' into big-brother state, watchdog warns (AFP) AFP - Britain is ""sleepwalking into a surveillance society"" because of government plans to introduce ID cards and a population register, the nation's information watchdog was quoted as saying.$LABEL$0 +India urges Bangladesh not to kill stray elephants (Reuters) Reuters - Authorities in northeast India urged Bangladesh on Monday not to kill about 100 wild elephants that have strayed across the border and gone on a rampage, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more.$LABEL$0 +Israel Turns Up Heat on Palestinian Hunger Strike JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel declared psychological war on hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners Monday, saying it would barbecue meat outside their cells to try to break their will.$LABEL$0 +Cost Cuts Boost Kmart Quarterly Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Kmart Holding Corp. (KMRT.O) on Monday\reported its third consecutive quarterly profit as cost cuts\made up for slumping sales, and its cash pile grew to about\ #36;2.6 billion.$LABEL$2 +Cost Cuts Boost Kmart Quarterly Profit CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit as cost cuts made up for slumping sales, and its cash pile grew to about \$2.6 billion.$LABEL$2 +Wall Street to Open Little Changed NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street is seen opening little changed on Monday as crude prices remain high, but insurers may dip on worries about their potential liabilities after a hurricane struck Florida on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Sysco Profit Rises; Sales Have Slowed NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sysco Corp. <SYY.N>, the largest U.S. distributor of food to restaurants and hospitals, on Monday said quarterly profit rose as an extra week in the period and acquisitions helped offset the effects of higher food prices.$LABEL$2 +Lowe's Profit Rises But Trails Estimates ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <LOW.N>, the No. 2 home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc., on Monday reported an 18 percent increase in second-quarter profit, but results trailed estimates as sales weakened in June.$LABEL$2 +Kmart Swings to Second-Quarter Profit (AP) AP - Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp. reported Monday that the company swung to a profit in the second quarter, but same-store sales were still in decline.$LABEL$2 +Vodafone names former rival as new head of Japanese unit (AFP) AFP - British mobile phone operator Vodafone said it has brought in an executive from Japanese rival NTT DoCoMo to head up its struggling Japanese unit, Vodafone K.K.$LABEL$3 +Cheap Windows comes under fire Microsoft's attempt to win over new users with a cut-down edition of Windows comes in for strong criticism.$LABEL$3 +Wal-Mart Maintains August Sales Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N) on Monday\maintained its August sales forecast and said demand was\particularly strong in the U.S. Southeast last week as people\stocked up on duct tape, rope and water in preparation for\Hurricane Charley.$LABEL$2 +Cost Cuts Help Kmart Post Profit CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit as cost cuts made up for slumping sales, and its cash pile grew to about \$2.6 billion.$LABEL$2 +China's Red Flag Linux to focus on enterprise The company behind China's leading Linux client distribution, Red Flag Software Co. Ltd., is shifting its main focus to its server operating system and enterprise customers, and planning to expand sales overseas, the company's acting president said in an interview on Friday.$LABEL$3 +Symantec releases patching tool Security company Symantec Corp. plans to announce the release of a patch management product on Monday that it says will enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to stay on top of software vulnerabilities.$LABEL$3 +Chavez Claims Victory in Referendum on His Rule Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won backing from 58 percent of voters, with 94 percent of electoral rolls counted, in a referendum on whether to recall him.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Tries to Rebound From Loss in Athens (AP) AP - Greetings from the Olympic men's basketball tournament, where America is tied for last place with Angola, Australia, New Zealand, China and the defending world champions from Serbia-Montenegro.$LABEL$1 +Olympian on Briton death charge An Olympic sailor is charged with the manslaughter of a Briton who died after being hit by a car in Athens.$LABEL$0 +AccuRev touts software configuration management approach AccuRev on Monday will release an upgrade to its SCM (software configuration management) package that the company argues offers a superior alternative to file-based SCM systems.$LABEL$3 +End of the line for HP's Alpha processor Hewlett-Packard Co. will release the final processor upgrade for its AlphaServer line of Unix servers on Monday.$LABEL$3 +HP pushes parity for Itanium, PA-RISC servers At its annual HP World user conference in Chicago this week, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) will announce a number of enhancements to its HP-UX operating system, designed to narrow the gap between the capabilities of the company's Integrity and HP 9000 servers.$LABEL$3 +Darfur Displaced Return to 'Live in Fear' of Militia (Reuters) Reuters - Villagers returning to their\homes in Sudan's Darfur region are living in fear of the Arab\militiamen who initially drove them away, the United Nations\said in a report received by Reuters Monday.$LABEL$0 +Sudan Trying to Keep Darfur Promises-U.N. (Reuters) Reuters - Raids by Sudanese forces and Arab\militiamen have worsened a desperate situation in Darfur,\rights groups say, but the United Nations said Khartoum was\making serious efforts to keep pledges to curb the violence.$LABEL$0 +Darfur Displaced Return to 'Live in Fear' of Militia KHARTOUM, Sudan (Reuters) - Villagers returning to their homes in Sudan's Darfur region are living in fear of the Arab militiamen who initially drove them away, the United Nations said in a report received by Reuters Monday.$LABEL$0 +Ex-Chess Champion Fischer to Marry Japanese Woman TOKYO (Reuters) - In a bold gambit worthy of the chess champion he once was, Bobby Fischer plans to wed a four-time Japanese great in the hope of avoiding deportation home to the United States, where he is wanted for breaking sanctions.$LABEL$0 +Heiress Nicky Hilton Marries in Vegas LAS VEGAS - Nicky Hilton, the hotel heiress and socialite, has tied the knot with her beau in a late-night ceremony, according to court filings obtained by The Associated Press. Hilton, 20, married New York money manager Todd Andrew Meister, 33, at the Las Vegas Wedding Chapel early Sunday, according a Clark County marriage license...$LABEL$0 +Anarchists' Convention Debates Voting ATHENS, Ohio - A group of anarchists is taking an unusual step to make its political voice heard - going to the polls. Anarchists generally pride themselves on their rejection of government and its authority...$LABEL$0 +Allstate Says Charley Could Hurt Results NEW YORK (Reuters) - Allstate Corp. <ALL.N>, the No. 2 U.S. home and auto insurer, on Monday said potential losses stemming from Hurricane Charley could hurt its current results.$LABEL$2 +Hungarian central bank cuts key interest rate by half percentage point (AFP) AFP - The Hungarian central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points from 11.5 percent to 11.0 percent, the bank said in a statement posted on its website.$LABEL$2 +CompUSA Stores to Sell Gateway PCs (Reuters) Reuters - Gateway Inc. (GTW.N), the computer\maker that recently shuttered its chain of 188 stores, will\begin selling its desktops at CompUSA Inc.'s outlets later this\week, the two companies said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +CompUSA Stores to Sell Gateway PCs NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gateway Inc. <GTW.N>, the computer maker that recently shuttered its chain of 188 stores, will begin selling its desktops at CompUSA Inc.'s outlets later this week, the two companies said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +Lebanese shun mobile phones for a day in protest at high costs (AFP) AFP - Lebanese mobile phone users were urged to leave their portable telephones at home or switched off in protest at what is considered one of the costliest services in the world.$LABEL$3 +Forming galaxy cluster captured The Chandra telescope has seen huge gas clouds in space in the act of merging to form a massive galaxy cluster.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Embassy in Malaysia Has Anthrax Scare (AP) AP - Authorities are testing a suspicious powder mailed to the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia to determine whether it is anthrax, officials said Monday after the second such scare at a U.S. mission in Asia within a week.$LABEL$0 +Suspicious Powder Found at U.S. Embassy in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) - An envelope containing suspicious white powder and threats against Americans was delivered to the U.S. embassy in Malaysia, prompting health checks on three staff, the embassy and police said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Megawati Defends Achievements Ahead of Vote JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, trying to maintain momentum in a tight election battle, said Monday her government had stabilized the economy and cracked down hard on militants and separatists.$LABEL$0 +Syrian Rights Activist to Be Released Pending Trial DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A Syrian court has agreed to release on bail a prominent rights activist who faces trial on charges of tarnishing the image of the Arab state by publishing false information, one of his lawyers said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Kmart Posts Profit After Cost Cuts CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit despite slumping sales as it cut jobs and reduced advertising and discounts, boosting its cash pile to \$2.6 billion.$LABEL$2 +LifePoint in \$1.1 Billion Province Deal NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rural hospital operator LifePoint Hospitals Inc. <LPNT.O> has agreed to acquire rival Province Healthcare Co. <PRV.N> for \$1.125 billion in cash and stock to broaden its geographic reach, the companies said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +Commuter tackles bad train service by starting own railway (AFP) AFP - Grumbling about trains is part of the way of life, but one commuter has decided to do something about it -- by starting his own railway.$LABEL$0 +Israel turns up heat on prisoners Israel launches psychological war against hundreds of Palestinian inmates on hunger strike for better conditions.$LABEL$0 +Czech Coach Hlinka Dies in Car Accident (AP) AP - Czech Republic national ice hockey team coach, and former Pittsburgh Penguins coach, Ivan Hlinka died Monday after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash, an official said.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Set to Open Little Changed NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street is set to open little changed on Monday as crude prices remain near their record highs, but insurers may slip on worries about their potential liabilities after a hurricane struck Florida on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Wherenet adds biz rules to RFID The first indication that the value of RFID (radio frequency identification) will extend beyond the supply warehouse was shown last week by WhereNet, a provider of wireless location and communications technology.$LABEL$3 +Oracle readies CRM updates Oracle Corp. plans to release the latest version of its CRM (customer relationship management) applications within the next two months, as part of an ongoing update of its E-Business Suite.$LABEL$3 +Grieving families cremate dead after Assam bombing (Reuters) Reuters - Grieving relatives on Monday cremated victims, mostly women and children, of a separatist bombing in northeastern India, while hundreds of angry people rallied against the rising bloodshed.$LABEL$0 +Chechnya marks 'special' birthday The authorities in war-torn Chechnya announce cash gifts for boys born on the slain leader's birthday.$LABEL$0 +Feedster Includes Kanoodle Ads in RSS Feeds Feedster Includes Kanoodle Ads in RSS Feeds\\Feedster, Inc. today announced the launch of its RSS feed media program. The Company rsquo;s RSS search feeds will soon contain context targeted ads from Kanoodle, Inc., a leading provider of sponsored links for search results and content pages. Alternatively searchers may opt to pay ...$LABEL$3 +Google IPO Continues Despite Playboy Boob Google IPO Continues Despite Playboy Boob\\Google's IPO ran into another problem last week with investors being allowed to start bidding on the company last Friday. Google rsquo;s founders will appear in an upcoming issue of Playboy magazine which will be on the shelves this Friday. Although the interview was apparently held ...$LABEL$3 +Greek Sprinters Given Two-Day Reprieve ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou won a two-day reprieve at the Athens Olympics Monday so they could appear in person at a disciplinary hearing into their missed drugs tests and protest their innocence.$LABEL$1 +Sysco Corp.'s 4Q Profit Up 16 Percent Sysco's fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 16 percent due to an extra week in the quarter, customer-service initiatives and operating efficiency.$LABEL$2 +Chvez Is Declared the Winner in Venezuela Referendum The president won the backing of 58 percent of voters, officials said, but the opposition said that the government had cheated.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Open Near Flat as Oil Near Record NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened little changed on Monday as crude prices remain near their record highs, but early reports of victory for the Venezuelan president in a referendum on his rule eased fears about the country's oil exports.$LABEL$2 +Letter, suspicious powder spark anthrax scare at U.S. Embassy in Malaysia (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Authorities are testing a suspicious powder mailed to the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia to determine whether it's anthrax, officials said Monday. It's the second such scare at a U.S. mission in Asia within a week.$LABEL$0 +Patriots Sign First-Round Pick Watson (AP) AP - The New England Patriots signed first-round draft pick Benjamin Watson on Monday, ending the tight end's lengthy holdout.$LABEL$1 +Indonesia urges debt flexibility Indonesia calls on the International Monetary Fund to help reschedule its debts, as figures reveal a slowdown in economic growth.$LABEL$2 +Oil Holds Near Record Level Oil prices fell 23 cents to \$46.35 a barrel after Venezuelan Hugo Chavez won a recall referendum, appeasing worried energy markets.$LABEL$2 +Ride This Gem Amusement park operators have produced volatile results, but this company has stood the test of time.$LABEL$2 +HP Faces New Realities in a 64-Bit World (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - The company this week will unveil more programs and technologies designed to ease users of its high-end servers onto its Integrity line, which uses Intel's 64-bit Itanium processor.$LABEL$3 +EU Extends Microsoft-Time Warner Review (AP) AP - European antitrust regulators said Monday they have extended their review of a deal between Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc. to make anti-piracy software together.$LABEL$3 +Insurers Begin Tallying Charley Losses (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. insurers on Monday predicted that\Hurricane Charley could be the most costly U.S. storm since\Andrew in 1992, with Florida officials initially estimating\economic losses at #36;15 billion.$LABEL$2 +Google Stays on Track Despite Best Efforts It looks like Google's public stock offering will proceed, no matter how hard the company tries to shoot itself in the foot. Not only that, its unique approach to the IPO game could result in an overhaul of federal securities regulations. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</b></font>$LABEL$3 +Microsoft lists SP2 conflicts Software giant releases just which programs are having issues with its Service Pack 2 update for Windows XP.$LABEL$3 +Chavez Declares Recall Victory; Foes Claim Fraud CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chavez on Monday declared victory in a historic recall referendum on his rule, but his opponents vowed to challenge vote results they rejected as a ""gigantic fraud.$LABEL$0 +Singh Wins PGA Championship in Playoff HAVEN, Wis. - Vijay Singh shot a 4-over 76 to eke into a three-way playoff Sunday, then made his only birdie of the day on the first of three extra holes to beat Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits...$LABEL$0 +Crews Rush to Hurricane-Ravaged Florida PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Urban rescue teams, insurance adjusters and National Guard troops scattered across Florida Monday to help residents rally from the brunt of Hurricane Charley, the worst storm to hit the state in a dozen years...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Higher Despite Soaring Oil Prices NEW YORK - Wall Street shifted higher Monday as bargain hunters shrugged off skyrocketing oil prices and bought shares following an upbeat sales report from Wal-Mart Stores and a bright outlook from Lowe's. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 84.07, or 0.9 percent, at 9,909.42, after edging 0.1 percent higher last week...$LABEL$0 +China Condemns Whistle-Blower A Communist Party whistle-blower who created a national sensation in China by publicly accusing his superiors of tolerating official corruption has been condemned for breaking party rules and ordered to ""do a complete self-examination,"" authorities announced.$LABEL$0 +KMart Posts Profit; Cash Pile Grows CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. <KMRT.O> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit despite slumping sales as it cut jobs and reduced advertising and discounts, boosting its cash pile to \$2.6 billion.$LABEL$2 +Thomson Buys Test Provider Capstar TORONTO (Reuters) - Electronic publisher Thomson Corp. <TOC.TO> said on Monday it will buy test provider Capstar from Educational Testing Service, the latest in a string of acquisitions designed to flesh out its product offerings.$LABEL$2 +Lowe's Reports Increase in Second-Quarter Net Income Lowe's reported a 17.9 percent increase in net income during its second quarter, but results missed Wall Street expectations.$LABEL$2 +New tool identifies 'phishy' Web sites A new software tool from WholeSecurity Inc. can spot fraudulent Web sites used in online cons known as ""phishing"" scams, according to a statement from the company.$LABEL$3 +Lowe's Net Trails Views, But Shares Rise ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <LOW.N>, the No. 2 home improvement retailer behind Home Depot Inc., on Monday reported an 18 percent increase in second-quarter profit, but results trailed estimates as sales weakened in June.$LABEL$2 +On the Beastie Boys 'virus' CD <strong>Review</strong> Does not attempt world domination, but$LABEL$3 +Briefly: AOL kicks off free fantasy sports roundup Plus: HP partners with 3G gear maker...AMD starts shipping 90-nanometer chips...ABC.com to air on Real's SuperPass.$LABEL$3 +EC puts off decision on Microsoft, Time Warner deal Regulators could still launch an investigation into the two titans' acquisition of ContentGuard, a digital rights company.$LABEL$3 +An Olympic Selection of Search Resources The 2004 Summer Olympics are underway in Athens and the web is home to plenty of information that makes watching the games even more interesting. $LABEL$3 +KMart Posts Profit; Cash Pile Grows (Reuters) Reuters - Kmart Holding Corp. (KMRT.O) on Monday\reported its third consecutive quarterly profit despite\slumping sales as it cut jobs and reduced advertising and\discounts, boosting its cash pile to #36;2.6 billion.$LABEL$2 +Oil Slips from Record High of \$46.30 LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices eased from new record highs on Monday as victory for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a referendum on his rule eased fears that unrest could upset the country's oil exports.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Gain as Oil Prices Ease NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Monday as oil prices dipped after reports of victory for the Venezuelan president in a referendum on his rule eased fears about the country's oil exports.$LABEL$2 +News: Technology Already Exists to Stabilize Global Warming Existing technologies could stop the escalation of global warming for 50 years and work on implementing them can begin immediately, according to an analysis by Princeton University scientists. (Princeton University press release)$LABEL$3 +News: Future Heat Waves: More Severe, More Frequent, and Longer Lasting Heat waves in Chicago, Paris, and elsewhere in North America and Europe will become more intense, more frequent, and longer lasting in the 21st century, according to a new modeling study by two scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). (NCAR press release)$LABEL$3 +News: New Hypoxic Event Found Off Oregon Coast For the second time in three years, a hypoxic ""dead zone"" has formed off the central Oregon Coast. It's killing fish, crabs and other marine life and leading researchers to believe that a fundamental change may be taking place in ocean conditions in the northern Pacific Ocean. (Oregon State University press release)$LABEL$3 +HP invokes Adaptive Enterprise mantra Hewlett-Packard will detail enhancements to its virtualization products, the HP-UX 11i Unix operating system, and its AlphaServers this week during its HP World 2004 conference in Chicago.$LABEL$3 +Haas, Cink Join Ryder Cup Team Jay Haas became the second-oldest player to be on the Ryder Cup team, joining Stewart Cink as the two captain's picks Monday for a U.S. team that will try to regain the cup from Europe next month.$LABEL$1 +American Aphrodite Brooklyn-native Yvette Jarvis is an 'every woman' in Greece: professional basketball player, model, TV and talk show star and Athens councilwoman.$LABEL$1 +Edwards Appears for Hearing U.S. sprinter Torri Edwards appeared for a hearing on her doping case that will determine whether the reigning 100-meter world champion competes in the Athens Games.$LABEL$1 +Superstar's uncivil behavior is criminal (Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune - Pop stars are no strangers to bad behavior. Smashed guitars, ruined hotel rooms--such misdeeds often are chuckled over later, written up in the tabloids, perhaps listed on invoices for damage. Not so in Russia, where the public expects its performers to remember that they walk in Tchaikovsky's footsteps.$LABEL$0 +Canada must help raise profile of development issues in Africa: Goodale (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Canada intends to return to the forefront on African development issues, beginning with a renewed effort at helping the troubled continent grow out of poverty, says Finance Minister Ralph Goodale.$LABEL$0 +Govt likely to cut oil product duties - official (Reuters) Reuters - The government is expected to slash customs and excise duties on petroleum products in a bid to control inflation without hurting the profitability of oil firms, an oil industry official said on Monday.$LABEL$0 +National pharmacare program would reduce hospital waiting lists: McGuinty (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - A national pharmacare program funded by the federal government would indirectly result in shorter waiting lists, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Losses and Lessons for Bush and Kerry (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times - They lost at politics at an early age. Since then, they've rarely made the same campaign mistakes twice.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan Military Plays Down 'Terror Summit' Report ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's military Monday played down a report in the latest edition of Time magazine describing what it called a ""summit of terrorists"" held in March in lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.$LABEL$0 +Trial on Private Prison in Afghanistan Is Underway Jonathan Keith ""Jack"" Idema, the American accused of running a free-lance anti-terror operation and private prison in Afghanistan, testified in court Monday that he could prove U.S. and Afghan authorities were fully aware of his actions.$LABEL$0 +Bush's Withdrawal Plan Could Draw Votes WASHINGTON - President Bush's plan to call tens of thousands of U.S. troops home from Europe and Asia could gain him election-year applause from military families, but won't ease the strain on soldiers still battling violent factions in Iraq and Afghanistan...$LABEL$0 +Delegates Urge Al-Sadr to Leave Shrine BAGHDAD, Iraq - Delegates at Iraq's National Conference called Monday for radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to abandon his uprising against U.S. and Iraqi troops and pull his fighters out of a holy shrine in Najaf...$LABEL$0 +Phelps to Take on Thorpe in Busy Night ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps, still smarting after America's upset loss to South Africa in the 400 freestyle relay, returned to the pool Monday and qualified fastest for the Olympic 200-meter butterfly. Phelps' quest to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games was dashed with the Americans' bronze medal in the relay Sunday night...$LABEL$0 +Haas, Cink Selected for Ryder Cup Team MILWAUKEE - Jay Haas became the second-oldest player to be on the Ryder Cup team, joining Stewart Cink as the two captain's picks Monday for a U.S. team that will try to regain the cup from Europe next month...$LABEL$0 +Florida Hurricane Death Toll Rises to 17 PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Urban rescue teams, insurance adjusters and National Guard troops scattered across Florida Monday to dig out victims of Hurricane Charley and deliver water and other supplies to thousands of people left homeless...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Sharply Higher on Dip in Oil Prices NEW YORK - A drop in oil prices and upbeat outlooks from Wal-Mart and Lowe's prompted new bargain-hunting on Wall Street Monday, sending stocks sharply higher. The Dow climbed more than 110 points in morning trading...$LABEL$0 +How to Hire a Financial Planner (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - You've got a money question, and the guy in the next cubicle hasn't a clue how to answer. You need trustworthy information. But where to start?$LABEL$2 +Daimler Nets \$900 Mln Via Hyundai Sale LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler said it raised more than \$900 million by selling its 10.5 percent stake in Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. on Monday, a remnant of its dented ambitions to build a global carmaking empire.$LABEL$2 +AP: Group Discovers John the Baptist Cave (AP) AP - Archaeologists said Monday they have found a cave where they believe John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples #151; a huge cistern with 28 steps leading to an underground pool of water.$LABEL$3 +Speed Up Saddam's Trial, Allawi Tells Court (Reuters) Reuters - Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi\urged an Iraqi court Monday to speed up proceedings against\toppled leader Saddam Hussein and his close aides.$LABEL$0 +The Internet Is Calling Web phone service is exploding. And maverick Jeffrey Citron lit the industry's fuse$LABEL$2 +A Stereo with a Brain You can train Bose's new system to play songs you like. Is it worth the price?$LABEL$2 +The Sponsor Moves In The Days, owned by its advertisers, may boost ABC'S bottom line. But will they control content?$LABEL$2 +South African telephone monopoly to go ahead with lay-offs despite court ban (AFP) AFP - South African fixed line monopoly Telkom vowed to go ahead with plans to cut 4,000 jobs despite a court injunction forcing the state-run enterprise to seek agreement with the unions.$LABEL$3 +China Typhoon Death Toll Rises; 40 Missing (AP) AP - China raised its official death toll from Typhoon Rananim to at least 147 on Monday, as villagers with farm tools dug through massive landslides searching for 40 people still missing.$LABEL$0 +Speed Up Saddam's Trial, Allawi Tells Court BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi urged an Iraqi court Monday to speed up proceedings against toppled leader Saddam Hussein and his close aides.$LABEL$0 +Singer 'may move to French jail' French rock star Bertrand Cantat could return home from Lithuania to complete his jail term for killing his lover.$LABEL$0 +What is this Man Plotting? A newly revealed summit of terrorists raises fears of a fresh plan to attack the U.S. This bombmaker and pilot could be a key player $LABEL$0 +Stocks Higher on Oil Price Relief NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Monday, getting a boost from lower oil prices after news the Venezuelan president survived a recall eased fears about the country's oil exports.$LABEL$2 +Nanotech Research Spending Seen Reaching #36;8.6 Bln (Reuters) Reuters - Worldwide research and\development spending in the emerging field of nanotechnology\should rise about 10 percent this year to #36;8.6 billion, a\research firm said on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Kan. to Move Forward on Dinosaur Exhibit (AP) AP - Concerns about funding and poor attendance will not stop plans to bring a dinosaur exhibit to Science City at Union Station, University of Kansas and Science City officials said.$LABEL$3 +Nanotech Research Spending Seen Reaching \$8.6 Bln SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Worldwide research and development spending in the emerging field of nanotechnology should rise about 10 percent this year to \$8.6 billion, a research firm said on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Bombs explode at Nepal luxury hotel, no casualties (Reuters) Reuters - A man on a bicycle threw at least four bombs into the compound of a luxury hotel in Nepal's capital on Monday but the blasts caused no casualties, authorities said.$LABEL$0 +AdWatch: Bush Raps Kerry on Intel Reform (AP) AP - Details of new television ad from President Bush to begin airing Monday:$LABEL$0 +Is 4Kids 4 Investors? 4Kids Entertainment got karate-chopped last week. Can it get back up off the mat?$LABEL$2 +Google: Now Playboy's Latest Bunny (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Investors in the company that's trying to come off as cute as a bunny could find themselves holding a fistful of vipers if the founders of Google Inc. continue to chart their erratic course.$LABEL$3 +Security expert warns computer hackers keeping up with technology (AFP) AFP - Computer hackers are keeping up with the times and are putting an increasingly technology-dependent world at risk, the chairman of leading US-based IT security firm McAfee said.$LABEL$3 +E.U. Extends Review of Anti-Piracy Software Deal European antitrust regulators said Monday they have extended their review of a deal between Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc. to make anti-piracy software together.$LABEL$3 +Bicycle Bomber Attacks Nepal Hotel KATHMANDU, Nepal (Reuters) - A man on a bicycle threw at least four bombs into the compound of a luxury hotel in Nepal's capital Monday but the blasts caused no casualties, authorities said.$LABEL$0 +Charley Sends Mobile Home Stocks Soaring NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of mobile home manufacturers soared on Monday on hopes of increased business after the destruction Hurricane Charley wreaked in Florida over the weekend, an analyst said.$LABEL$2 +Windows update causes headaches Games and security programs are on a long list of software that does not work well with the Windows SP2 update.$LABEL$3 +Nanotech Research Spending Seen Reaching \$8.6B Worldwide research and\development spending in the emerging field of nanotechnology\should rise about 10 percent this year to \$8.6 billion, a\research firm said on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Donkey cart beats out Porsche in Portuguese road race (AFP) AFP - A donkey cart beat a Porsche in a race held in a northern Portuguese city over the weekend to see which mode of transportation could best handle car congestion.$LABEL$0 +Sudan army voices opposition to upgrading of African Union mission (AFP) AFP - The Sudanese army expressed opposition to the upgrading of an African Union protection mission newly arrived in the wartorn western region of Darfur into a full-blown peacekeeping force.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Higher on Oil Price Relief (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks gained on Monday, getting\a boost from lower oil prices after news the Venezuelan\president survived a recall eased fears about the country's oil\exports.$LABEL$2 +Intelsat to Be Bought for #36;5 Billion (Reuters) Reuters - Intelsat Ltd., the world's\second-largest satellite operator, said on Monday it agreed to\be bought by a consortium of four private equity firms for #36;5\billion, including assumption of #36;2 billion of debt.$LABEL$2 +Intelsat to Be Bought for \$5 Billion NEW YORK (Reuters) - Intelsat Ltd., the world's second-largest satellite operator, said on Monday it agreed to be bought by a consortium of four private equity firms for \$5 billion, including assumption of \$2 billion of debt.$LABEL$2 +Stamps.com Asks You to Picture This The online postage service offers a chance to put personal pictures on official stamps.$LABEL$2 +Will Schwab Reward Patience? The company saw an improvement in its trades, but will this market be kind to the brokerages?$LABEL$2 +Bacteria Give Coral Its Orange Glow, Study Finds (Reuters) Reuters - The soft orange glow of a common\Caribbean coral comes not from the coral itself but from\bacteria that live inside it, U.S. scientists said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +HP unveils Unix roadmaps <strong>HP World</strong> Free Alpha upgrades to stem defections$LABEL$3 +McAfee grabs Foundstone The former plans to team up its intrusion prevention technology with the latter's vulnerability management software.$LABEL$3 +U.N. Official Urges Political Independence (AP) AP - The United Nations should find ways to demonstrate political independence, regain the neutrality it lost after the Sept. 11 attacks and better communicate with the world's 1 billion Muslims, a top U.N. official said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Jackson Squares Off With Attorney SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Dozens of Michael Jackson's fans pressed against a chain-link fence outside court Monday, staking out viewing spots hours before the pop star was to arrive to face off against the prosecutor who has pursued him for years on child molestation charges...$LABEL$0 +AP: Group Discovers John the Baptist Cave KIBBUTZ TZUBA, Israel - Archaeologists said Monday they have found a cave where they believe John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples - a huge cistern with 28 steps leading to an underground pool of water. During an exclusive tour of the cave by The Associated Press, archaeologists presented wall carvings they said tell the story of the fiery New Testament preacher, as well as a stone they believe was used for ceremonial foot washing...$LABEL$0 +Delegates Urge Al-Sadr to Leave Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. tanks rolled into the Old City of Najaf toward a holy Shiite shrine where militants were hiding Monday as participants at a national conference voted to send a delegation here to try to negotiate an end to the fighting...$LABEL$0 +Bush Announces Plan for Troop Realignment WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday announced plans to shift 60,000 to 70,000 U.S. troops who are now stationed in Europe and Asia in one of the largest troop realignments since the end of the Cold War...$LABEL$0 +'SP2' a Must For XP Users (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - To get an idea of how Windows got to be such a mess, think of it as a house that was built on an island in the middle of a lake, deep in the countryside.$LABEL$3 +Rough patches for Microsoft's SP2 Windows update doesn't play well with all applications, even Redmond's. Also: CNET Reviews on security work still to be done.$LABEL$3 +Bryant Defense Wins Ruling In another setback to the prosecution in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case, the court maintains ruling that allows information about the accuser's sex life into court.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Up, Oil Price Ease Gives Relief NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks climbed on Monday, getting a boost from lower oil prices after Venezuela's president declared he had survived a recall referendum, easing fears about the country's oil exports.$LABEL$2 +KMart Posts Profit; Cash Hits \$2.6 Bln CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kmart Holdings Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=KMRT.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">KMRT.O</A> on Monday reported its third consecutive quarterly profit and boosted its cash pile to \$2.6 billion as it cut spending on advertising and discounts, sending its stock up 14 percent.$LABEL$2 +Personal Tech: Cybersecurity Fast Forward columnist Rob Pegoraro will be online to talk about The Washington Post's special cybersecurity report.$LABEL$3 +PivX hardens Windows with Qwik-Fix Pro PivX Solutions, Inc. of Newport Beach, California, on Monday announced the availability of Qwik-Fix Pro, an intrusion prevention software product for Windows machines that disables or modifies features of Microsoft Corp. Windows and the Internet Explorer (IE) Web browser that are frequent targets of malicious computer hackers and virus writers.$LABEL$3 +No Respite for Microsoft European antitrust regulators extend their review of Microsoft-Time Warner deal. Also: Gateway plans to sell desktops at CompUSA hellip;. Vodafone's Japanese unit headhunts an executive from rival NTT DoCoMo hellip;. and more.$LABEL$2 +Overland Bullish on Tech Investors are dumping tech stocks with abandon. As for Overland Storage, it is a buyer.$LABEL$2 +Plurality of Worlds in the Universe Did the same Greek philosophers who declared the first truce for Olympic competition have the foresight to imagine a universe not just where many countries could coexist, but also a universe occupied by many such habitable worlds?$LABEL$3 +CompUSA Agrees to Sell Gateway PCs (PC World) PC World - Desktop systems will be available in 226 stores across the U.S.$LABEL$3 +Lowe's Reports 18 Pct. Hike in Profits ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=LOW.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">LOW.N</A>, the world's No. 2 home improvement retailer, on Monday reported an 18 percent increase in second-quarter profit and said earnings for the rest of the year would top current estimates.$LABEL$2 +Toymakers' Stocks Hit Lows on Downgrade NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of top toy maker Mattel Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MAT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">MAT.N</A> and rival Hasbro Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HAS.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HAS.N</A> fell to their lowest levels at least 14 months on Monday after a downgrade by Lehman Brothers, which cited deteriorating industry conditions.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft ships updated Works Version 8 of the low-priced productivity package includes a stand-alone dictionary and a PowerPoint add-on.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: FaceTime pulls in \$16 million roundup Plus: Bladed desktop pioneer gets \$25 million...AOL kicks off free fantasy sports...HP partners with 3G gear maker.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft, Time Warner DRM buy on EU review shelf Regulators could still launch an investigation into the two titans' acquisition of ContentGuard this month.$LABEL$3 +Ex-Polaroid exec takes top finance job at 3Com Donald Halsted, one target of a class-action suit alleging financial improprieties at bankrupt Polaroid, officially becomes CFO.$LABEL$3 +Intel delays first TV chip In another setback, the chipmaker says a processor for large-screen projection TVs won't come out this year.$LABEL$3 +Sybase upgrades PowerBuilder, plots RFID move Sybase Inc. released a new version of its application development tool on Monday, called PowerBuilder 10, and outlined plans for an upgrade to its database software, Adaptive Server Enterprise, which will go into beta at the end of this month and is due for release next year.$LABEL$3 +Infocus: Detecting Worms and Abnormal Activities with NetFlow, Part 1 This paper discusses the use of NetFlow, a traffic profile monitoring technology available on many routers, for use in the early detection of worms, spammers, and other abnormal network activity in large enterprise networks and service providers.$LABEL$3 +Escobedo Keeps U.S. Unbeaten in Boxing (AP) AP - They washed cars, put up posters and sold T-shirts to raise the money to be here. When it was finally time for Vicente Escobedo to fight, his family and friends welcomed him into the arena by waving his picture and chanting ""Chente, Chente.$LABEL$1 +Chronology of Key Events in Kobe Bryant (AP) AP - Timeline of the sexual assault case against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant:$LABEL$1 +Blackhawks Re-Sign Defenseman Berard Chicago, Ill. (Sports Network) - The Chicago Blackhawks Monday agreed to terms on a one-year contract with defenseman Bryan Berard. As per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.$LABEL$1 +India makes elephants appeal Indian asks Bangladesh to spare the lives of around 100 elephants which have strayed across the border.$LABEL$0 +Murder search police make arrest Police investigating the murder of newlywed Chanel Taylor make an arrest.$LABEL$0 +Bush Announces Plan to Realign Thousands of Troops President Bush today announced plans to shift 60,000 to 70,000 U.S. troops who are now stationed in Europe and Asia.$LABEL$0 +Bush Announces Plan for Troop Realignment CINCINNATI - President Bush on Monday announced plans to shift as many as 70,000 U.S. troops who are now stationed in Western Europe and Asia in one of the largest realignments since the end of the Cold War...$LABEL$0 +Jackson Squares Off With Attorney SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Fans of Michael Jackson erupted in cheers Monday as the pop star emerged from a double-decker tour bus and went into court for a showdown with the prosecutor who has pursued him for years on child molestation charges...$LABEL$0 +Does That Web Site Look Phishy? (PC World) PC World - WholeSecurity's new software claims to identify fraudulent sites.$LABEL$3 +Product Review: Nokia 6820 Wireless Messaging Handset (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - The Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 6820 is an ergonomically pleasing handheld device that integrates short text, multimedia and \instant messaging capabilities with all of the features and functions that one normally would expect to find in a dedicated GSM/GPRS cellular phone.$LABEL$3 +Sprint Broadens Its Vision (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Sprint (NYSE: FON) is taking its mobile-data services to the next level, targeting both consumers and business customers, as the carrier rolls out the Sprint TV multimedia service and adds the popular \BlackBerry e-mail application to its portfolio.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Lists XP SP2 Problems (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - With automatic download of Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) enormous SP2 security patch to the Windows XP operating system set to begin, the industry still waits to understand its ramifications. Home users that have their preferences set to receive operating-system updates as they are made available by Microsoft may be surprised to learn that some of the software they already run on their systems could be disabled by SP2 or may run very differently.$LABEL$3 +2 More Turkish Men Taken Hostage in Iraq (AP) AP - Armed assailants attacked a convoy of Turkish trucks delivering supplies to U.S. forces in Iraq and took two Turkish drivers hostage, their company said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Group to Talk Coal-Bed Methane Drilling (AP) AP - Dozens of scientists plan to converge at the University of Wyoming to talk about West Nile virus, water pollution and other issues related to coal-bed methane drilling.$LABEL$3 +FDA Approves New Device to Clear Blood Clots By DIEDTRA HENDERSON WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first device to remove blood clots from the brains of people suffering strokes - a new treatment option that could save lives and shave the \$53 billion annual bill to treat strokes, has been approved by the government. In 80 percent of strokes, a blood vessel in the brain becomes clogged by a blood clot, increasing the chance of severe disability or death...$LABEL$3 +Briefly: Sprint to bake in BlackBerry roundup Plus: Microsoft ships updated Works...FaceTime pulls in \$16 million...Bladed desktop pioneer gets \$25 million.$LABEL$3 +Former Polaroid exec takes top finance job at 3Com Donald Halsted, one target of a class action suit alleging financial improprieties at bankrupt Polaroid, officially becomes CFO.$LABEL$3 +Sprint to bake in BlackBerry for businesses Research In Motion's BlackBerry e-mail and data services will be carried on Sprint's networks.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Stocks Rebound as Oil Prices Ease NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rebounded on Monday as oil prices retreated from their highs, while upbeat earnings announcements from retailers fueled the improved sentiment.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Rises Vs Euro After Asset Data NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar gained against the euro on Monday after a report on flows into U.S. assets showed enough of a rise in foreign investments to offset the current account gap for the month.$LABEL$2 +Bikes Bring Internet to Indian Villagers (AP) AP - For 12-year-old Anju Sharma, hope for a better life arrives in her poor farming village three days a week on a bicycle rickshaw that carries a computer with a high-speed, wireless Internet connection.$LABEL$3 +Celebrity Chefs Are Everywhere in Vegas By ADAM GOLDMAN LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The waiter appears tableside in the cozy dining room laden with oil paintings, stained glass and hints of cherry and oak. Before reciting the day's special menu items, he recounts the restaurant's devotion to farm-fresh produce and tosses out a morsel about its namesake, chef Bradley Ogden...$LABEL$3 +Entertainment World Wary of Microsoft Technology By GARY GENTILE LOS ANGELES (AP) -- CinemaNow Inc., the Internet-based movie service, is a rarity in Hollywood - a company that eagerly embraces Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) technology and relies on it exclusively to transmit, protect and display the movies it rents to customers...$LABEL$3 +European Union Extends Microsoft-Time Warner Review BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European antitrust regulators said Monday they have extended their review of a deal between Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Time Warner Inc...$LABEL$3 +Patriots Sign Top Pick Watson (Reuters) Reuters - The New England Patriots\Monday announced the signing of first-round draft pick Benjamin\Watson. As per team policy, terms of the tight end's deal were\not released.$LABEL$1 +Olympics: Thorpe Beats Phelps as U.S. Fights Gold Gap ATHENS (Reuters) - Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe beat arch-rival Michael Phelps in the men's 200-meter freestyle on Monday as the United States pursued China, Australia and Japan in the medals table on day three of the Olympic Games.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Awaits Judgment on Venezuela Voting (AP) AP - There was no evident pattern of fraud in Venezuela's balloting that left President Hugo Chavez in office but a final judgment depends on what observers report, the State Department said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Bush, Kerry Press for Women's Votes (AP) AP - Elizabeth Burnosky is a registered Democrat who voted for President Bush in 2000, opposes his policy on Iraq and calls Sen. John Kerry ""a little wussy boy."" Call her conflicted.$LABEL$0 +Insurers face massive storm bill Insurers are counting the cost of Hurricane Charley in Florida, with early damage estimates reaching as high as \$14bn (7.6; 11bn euros).$LABEL$0 +Fischer Appeals to Powell to Help Him Renounce U.S. Citizenship Former chess champion Bobby Fischer announced plans Monday to marry a leading Japanese chess official and appealed to Secretary of State Colin Powell to help him renounce U.S. citizenship, the latest in a series of moves as he seeks to block attempts to deport him to the United States.$LABEL$0 +Venezuela's Chavez Wins Recall Referendum CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chavez won a recall referendum on his divisive rule in a vote backed on Monday by international observers who found no ""element of fraud.$LABEL$2 +Halliburton Says Army Suspends Withhold Threat WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Halliburton said on Monday the U.S. Army had decided to give the company more time to resolve a billing dispute before withholding payment of up to 15 percent of the company's bills in Iraq and Kuwait.$LABEL$2 +Belo Takes Charge for Advertising Refunds NEW YORK (Reuters) - Media company Belo Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=BLC.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">BLC.N</A> on Monday said it would refund \$23 million to advertisers because of a circulation scandal at its Dallas Morning News newspaper, resulting in a charge against earnings in the current quarter.$LABEL$2 +LifePoint to Buy Rival for \$1 Bln NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rural hospital operator LifePoint Hospitals Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=LPNT.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">LPNT.O</A> agreed to buy rival Province Healthcare Co. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=PRV.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">PRV.N</A> for \$1.03 billion in cash and stock to broaden its geographic reach, the companies said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +Satellite TV Gains in Race Against Cable Thousands of Americans have defected to satellite TV as the providers have reported hefty gains while the cable industry has declined. Consumers likely will see aggressive marketing promotions in the next six months as companies jockey for customers, analysts say.$LABEL$3 +Columnists: Big Brother's Last Mile The FCC's new ruling on broadband wiretaps will force customers to pay for the privilege of making the Internet less secure.\$LABEL$3 +US to withdraw up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia: Bush (AFP) AFP - The United States will withdraw up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia over the next decade, President George W. Bush said, in a move aimed at increasing the capability to fight the ""war on terror"" and meet other new threats.$LABEL$0 +Thorpedo Sinks Phelps' Shot at Record ATHENS, Greece - The kid couldn't catch the Thorpedo - and he won't be catching Mark Spitz, either. Michael Phelps' quest for seven gold medals ended after just three events, doomed by another bronze Monday night in the most anticipated race at the Olympic pool - the head-to-head showdown with Australia's Ian Thorpe in the 200-meter freestyle...$LABEL$0 +AP: Group Finds Cave Linked to Baptist KIBBUTZ TZUBA, Israel - Archaeologists said Monday they have found a cave where they believe John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples - a huge cistern with 28 steps leading to an underground pool of water. During an exclusive tour of the cave by The Associated Press, archaeologists presented wall carvings they said tell the story of the fiery New Testament preacher, as well as a stone they believe was used for ceremonial foot washing...$LABEL$0 +Venezuela's Chavez Wins Recall Referendum (Reuters) Reuters - Venezuela's left-wing\President Hugo Chavez won a recall referendum on his divisive\rule in a vote backed on Monday by international observers who\found no ""element of fraud.$LABEL$2 +Private Firms to Buy Intelsat for \$3 Bln PARIS (Reuters) - Four private equity firms plan to buy Bermuda-based Intelsat for about \$3 billion, the world's second-largest satellite operator said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +Biometric ID System Said to Delay Venezuela Recall By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- The high-tech thumbprint devices were meant to keep people from voting more than once in the recall ballot against President Hugo Chavez. Instead, they often wound up working fitfully - even when Chavez himself voted - contributing to huge delays in Sunday's historic referendum...$LABEL$3 +Hurricane Emergency Aid Set Up in Florida (AP) AP - More than 76,000 meals and snacks have been served to hurricane-ravaged counties in Florida, with thousands more available from federal, local and private agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Taco Bell's Blue Dew Pepsi pushes a blue version of Mountain Dew only at Taco Bell. Is this a winning strategy?$LABEL$2 +Playlist magazine announced; first issue this month (MacCentral) MacCentral - Mac Publishing LLC, the publishers of Macworld magazine on Monday announced Playlist, a new digital music magazine for Mac and Windows users. The new magazine, which will be newsstand-only, will be available on August 24, 2004.$LABEL$3 +Traders Bet on Oracle's PeopleSoft Bid (Reuters) Reuters - Options traders have been\building bullish positions in PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT.O) as\investors bet a federal judge will approve Oracle Corp.'s\hostile takeover bid of the business software maker, traders\said on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Olympics: Thorpe Beats Phelps as U.S. Suffers Gold Gap ATHENS (Reuters) - Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe beat arch-rival Michael Phelps in the men's 200-meter freestyle on Monday as the United States trailed China, Australia and Japan in the medals table on day three of the Olympic Games.$LABEL$1 +Iran Calls for U.N. Intervention in Iraq (AP) AP - Iran and Saudi Arabia called Monday for the United Nations to intervene in Iraq to stop the fighting between U.S. forces and Shhite militants hiding in the holy city of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Congolese Massacre Victims in Burundi Mourned GATUMBA, Burundi (Reuters) - Mourners covered their faces to block the smell of disinfectant and death Monday as they buried more than 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees burned, hacked and shot in an attack on their camp in western Burundi.$LABEL$0 +Executive Compensation Post staff writer David Hilzenrath and editor Mike Flagg discuss which local executives have the sweetest deals.$LABEL$2 +Kmart: Retail or Real Estate? Lately, the company's retail operation has been lagging behind sales of its locations.$LABEL$2 +RSS gets down to business Calendar application is one of the first non-blogging uses of the standard.$LABEL$3 +Motorola and HP in Linux tie-up Motorola plans first use of the open-source software in the core of next-generation cell phone networks.$LABEL$3 +Singh Growing Hall of Fame Credentials (AP) AP - An official from the World Golf Hall of Fame joined a casual conversation last year about players on the verge of election, and someone mentioned Vijay Singh.$LABEL$1 +Reality TV under fire in Portugal following 'Big Brother' suicide bid (AFP) AFP - Reality television programs were under renewed fire in Portugal after the winner of the nation's first edition of the popular ""Big Brother"" series threatened to throw himself from a bridge over the weekend.$LABEL$0 +2 Kidnapped in Iraq, 2 Others Freed (AP) AP - Armed assailants attacked a convoy of Turkish trucks delivering supplies to U.S. forces in Iraq and took two Turkish drivers hostage, their company said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Conference in Najaf Peace Bid; Oil Well Ablaze BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. troops and Shi'ite militiamen battled in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf Monday, just hours after political and religious leaders in Baghdad agreed to make a last-ditch appeal for peace.$LABEL$0 +Equity Firms to Buy Intelsat for \$3.1 Bln PARIS (Reuters) - Intelsat is to be sold to four private equity firms for \$3.1 billion, the world's second-largest satellite operator said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +Halliburton: Army to Give Company More Time to Resolve Billing Dispute Halliburton said Monday the U.S. Army had decided to give the company more time to resolve a billing dispute before withholding payment of up to 15 percent of the company's bills in Iraq and Kuwait.$LABEL$2 +Md. Field Dig May Reach Back 16,000 Years (AP) AP - Robert D. Wall is too careful a scientist to say he's on the verge of a sensational discovery.$LABEL$3 +Former Super Flyweight Champion Quiroga Found Dead SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Robert Quiroga was killed early Monday, police said.$LABEL$1 +Olympics: Thorpe Wins 'Race of the Century' ATHENS (Reuters) - Australia's Ian Thorpe won the gold medal in the men's 200 meters freestyle, dubbed the ""race of the century,"" at the Athens Olympics on Monday.$LABEL$1 +Sysco Profit Rises; Sales Volume Flat CHICAGO (Reuters) - Sysco Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=SYY.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">SYY.N</A>, the largest U.S. distributor of food to restaurants and hospitals, on Monday said quarterly profit rose as an extra week in the period and cost control measures helped offset the higher food prices that were slowing demand.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft details XP SP2 conflicts Microsoft Corp. has published a list of nearly 50 applications and games that may not work correctly after installing Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP.$LABEL$3 +Kobe Bryant Rape Trial Looks Set to Go Ahead (Reuters) Reuters - The trial in the Kobe Bryant rape\case looked set to go ahead later this month after the state's\highest court ruled against prosecutors on Monday over a key\piece of evidence in the high-profile case.$LABEL$1 +White Sox Manager Suspended Two Games (AP) AP - Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended Monday for two games and fined an undisclosed amount for arguing with umpires during an Aug. 9 game against Cleveland.$LABEL$1 +Kobe Bryant Rape Trial Looks Set to Go Ahead EAGLE, Colo. (Reuters) - The trial in the Kobe Bryant rape case looked set to go ahead later this month after the state's highest court ruled against prosecutors on Monday over a key piece of evidence in the high-profile case.$LABEL$1 +Lufthansa to levy 'temporary' fuel surcharge (AFP) AFP - German carrier Lufthansa said it would levy a temporary fuel surcharge on tickets from August 24, in response to the rise in the price of oil.$LABEL$0 +Iraq's Al-Yawer Vows Kurd Rebel Crackdown (AP) AP - Iraq's interim president promised on Monday to prevent Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq from launching attacking into Turkey, apparently hoping to avoid a Turkish military response.$LABEL$0 +Japanese Power Company Missed Inspections (AP) AP - The operator of a nuclear power plant where a long-neglected cooling pipe burst and killed four workers last week said Monday that four other pipes at its reactors also went unchecked for years.$LABEL$0 +Bush Announces Plan for Troop Realignment WASHINGTON - Two Army divisions will return to the United States from Germany as part of a global military restructuring that President Bush says will bring up to 70,000 American troops home in the next decade. Pentagon officials said Monday the 1st Armored Division and 1st Infantry Division probably won't start leaving their bases in Germany until 2006 at the earliest...$LABEL$0 +Intel to Delay Product for High-Definition TVs SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In the latest of a series of product delays, Intel Corp. has postponed the launch of a video display chip it had previously planned to introduce by year end, putting off a showdown with Texas Instruments Inc. in the fast-growing market for high-definition television displays.$LABEL$3 +Dust Clears, Mars Bright, Spirit Good One hundred twenty scientists have published their current running tally of results from the Spirit rover. No lakebed evidence has been found yet, but scientists are impressed with the equipment's diagnostic capabilities so far...$LABEL$3 +Despondent Brown: 'I Feel Like a Failure' (AP) AP - Larry Brown was despondent, the head of the U.S. selection committee was defensive, and Allen Iverson was hanging up on callers who asked what went wrong. A day after their first Olympic loss in 16 years, the Americans were experiencing varying degrees of distress.$LABEL$1 +Beach Volleyball: Cook Propels Australia to Win ATHENS (Reuters) - Twice Olympic beach volleyball medallist Natalie Cook helped new team mate Nicole Sanderson battle nerves to propel Australia to a 21-19, 17-21, 17-15 win against China Monday.$LABEL$1 +Ex-Spymasters Want Power for Intel Czar (AP) AP - Three former spymasters told senators Monday that creating a new national intelligence director would be worthless without giving that person authority over the budgets of the nation's spy agencies.$LABEL$0 +Intel to Delay Product for High-Definition TVs (Reuters) Reuters - In the latest of a series of\product delays, Intel Corp. has postponed the launch of a video\display chip it had previously planned to introduce by year\end, putting off a showdown with Texas Instruments Inc. in the\fast-growing market for high-definition television displays.$LABEL$3 +Most Japanese Women Shun Birth Control Pill By AIKO HAYASHI TOKYO (AP) -- Five years ago Japanese women's rights advocates won their battle to legalize the birth control pill. Now they are waging an even tougher fight - getting women to use it...$LABEL$3 +Oracle updates CRM sales tools Software maker promises that the sales force automation revamp will help sales processes by pulling in more data.$LABEL$3 +Germans Wary of U.S. Troop Withdrawal (AP) AP - German officials voiced concern Monday that their country has the most to lose with President Bush's announcement that tens of thousands of troops will return to the United States over the next decade.$LABEL$0 +Scientists Work on Cure for Mysterious Nerve Disease By LAURAN NEERGAARD WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dr. Douglas Kerr painstakingly collected spinal fluid from hundreds of patients with a mysterious disease that can paralyze within hours of attacking - and thinks he may have found a way to fight back...$LABEL$3 +Reds' Griffey Jr. Has Hamstring Surgery (AP) AP - All-Star outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. had surgery Monday to repair his torn right hamstring and is expected to return for spring training.$LABEL$1 +Lightning Reacquire Prospal From Ducks (AP) AP - Vaclav Prospal is returning to the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and will likely take the spot of forward Cory Stillman, who replaced him a year ago.$LABEL$1 +Treasuries Fall as Oil Retreats (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury debt prices fell on\Monday as investors focused on a pullback in oil prices from\record highs and largely shrugged off dismal results from a\regional manufacturing survey.$LABEL$2 +Product Previews, 8/16/2004 Novell brings updated kernel to enterprise LinuxTimed to coincide with this years linuxworld expo, Novell has announced SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9. Though Novells SuSE division has marketed a commercial Linux distribution based on the v2.6 kernel, this is the first to be granted the more stringently qualified enterprise designation. Besides kernel-level improvements and the usual collection of updated software packages, this release offers improved fail-over, clustering, and resource management and comes bundled with Novells ZENworks configuration management software for Linux. The company claims that its AutoBuild system allows it to offer identical configurations for a variety of platforms, including x86 (both 32- and 64-bit), Itanium, IBM POWER, and IBM mainframes. Free evaluation downloads are available now and support subscriptions start at \$349 per dual-CPU server.SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, Novell/SuSE$LABEL$2 +HP's Software Woe Has Bigger Industry Implication (Reuters) Reuters - When Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ.N)\warned of a profit shortfall last week, it blamed problems it\had combining two SAP systems, something that the computer\maker believed would be relatively simple when they were\putting together a deal to buy Compaq two years ago.$LABEL$3 +Mini Could Get Mighty with Speakers (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - iPod mini users might want to consider ditching their earphones if Altec Lansing's iMmini speaker system lives up to its promise. Based on the same technology and engineering as the original inMotion system, the iMmini can be folded into a convenient carrying shape.$LABEL$3 +HP's Software Woe Has Bigger Industry Implication NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Hewlett-Packard Co. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=HPQ.N qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">HPQ.N</A> warned of a profit shortfall last week, it blamed problems it had combining two SAP systems, something that the computer maker believed would be relatively simple when they were putting together a deal to buy Compaq two years ago.$LABEL$3 +Exercise -- the Real Fountain of Youth Want to age gracefully? Keep moving. Regular exercise can reduce the risk of chronic disease -- such as heart trouble, diabetes, even cancer -- and keep you feeling and looking younger as you age.$LABEL$3 +Apple's colorful computer plans detailed U.S. Patent and Trademark Office publishes Apple patent for ""chameleon"" cases that change their look.$LABEL$3 +Favre Not Sure He Can Throw Fewer Picks (AP) AP - Brett Favre would love to throw fewer interceptions this season. He's just not sure he can. ""It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, and that's never more true than with me,"" said Favre, who was picked off 21 times last season, one less than NFL co-leaders Joey Harrington and Marc Bulger. ""When I roll out to pass, I feel like there's a touchdown waiting.$LABEL$1 +V. Williams, Rubin Lose Venus Williams and Chanda Rubin lose to Li Ting and Sun Tian Tian of China in the first round of the doubles tournament.$LABEL$1 +Veterans Set for Republican Convention (AP) AP - Americans who served in the military will be well represented at the upcoming Republican convention, more so than at last month's Democratic convention or in the U.S. population overall, according to the GOP.$LABEL$0 +Congolese Massacre Victims in Burundi Mourned GATUMBA, Burundi (Reuters) - Mourners covered their faces to block the smell of disinfectant and death on Monday as they buried more than 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees burned, hacked and shot in an attack on their camp in western Burundi.$LABEL$0 +Americans in Afghan Trial Ask FBI for Documents KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Three Americans standing trial in Afghanistan Monday for imprisoning and torturing Afghans were given a week to provide evidence, which they say was withheld by U.S. authorities, proving that they had official clearance.$LABEL$0 +Insurers: Charley Claims at About \$7 Bln NEW YORK (Reuters) - Insurers are braced to pay out about \$7 billion in claims for devastation caused by Hurricane Charley, making the storm the second most costly after Hurricane Andrew, industry and government officials said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +Officials say Linux not a price ploy in Microsoft deal Local government in UK says it didn't use the open-source OS as a bargaining chip; Microsoft was simply best option.$LABEL$3 +High Expectations a New Feeling at Cal (AP) AP - A short walk around the California campus this summer was all Geoff McArthur needed as proof of how much Golden Bears football has changed since his freshman year. A program that won only one game in 2001 and has the longest Rose Bowl drought of any Big Ten or Pac-10 team is finally getting noticed at a school more known for its protests than its passing.$LABEL$1 +GM to Begin Making Cadillacs in China (AP) AP - General Motors said Monday it will start making Cadillacs in China this year, joining a race by foreign luxury car brands to sell to the country's newly rich elite.$LABEL$0 +Champion boxer stabbed to death Former super flyweight boxing champion Robert Quiroga has been stabbed to death in San Antonio, Texas.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Sharply Higher on Dip in Oil Prices NEW YORK - A drop in oil prices and upbeat outlooks from Wal-Mart and Lowe's prompted some bargain-hunting on Wall Street, sending stocks sharply higher Monday, with the swing exaggerated by thin late summer trading. The Dow Jones industrials surged more than 120 points higher in late trading...$LABEL$0 +Income Gap Up Over Two Decades, Data Show WASHINGTON - Over two decades, the income gap has steadily increased between the richest Americans, who own homes and stocks and got big tax breaks, and those at the middle and bottom of the pay scale, whose paychecks buy less. The growing disparity is even more pronounced in this recovering economy...$LABEL$0 +Trial Set for Courtney Love in Drug Case BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - A trial date has been set for Sept...$LABEL$0 +Carter Endorses Chavez Win in Venezuela CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez survived a referendum to oust him, according to results Monday, and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and other election observers urged the opposition to accept the vote, deflating claims of fraud...$LABEL$0 +HP's Livermore opts for 'content free' content <strong>HP World</strong> Booth intro steals show$LABEL$3 +Cubs Pitcher Kerry Wood Loses Appeal (AP) AP - Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood's appeal was rejected Monday and he will begin serving his five-game suspension Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Suspected Militants Kidnap Iraqi Officer-Jazeera (Reuters) Reuters - Suspected militants have kidnapped an\Iraqi intelligence officer in response to the fighting in the\holy city of Najaf, Al Jazeera television reported on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Suspected Militants Kidnap Iraqi Officer-Jazeera DUBAI (Reuters) - Suspected militants have kidnapped an Iraqi intelligence officer in response to the fighting in the holy city of Najaf, Al Jazeera television reported on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Cassini finds new Saturn moons The Cassini-Huygens mission in orbit around Saturn discovers two new moons around the ringed planet.$LABEL$3 +Oracle v. DOJ: Traders bet on Oracle special coverage Assuming Oracle will win its antitrust suit, traders are scooping up PeopleSoft options.$LABEL$3 +Open source on the line roundup \Linux shapes up as a software standard for cell phone networks. Also: California sees security in open source.$LABEL$3 +Defense Could Dominate in the Big Ten (AP) AP - Following a mass exodus of offensive stars and starting quarterbacks, defense could dominate the Big Ten this season.$LABEL$1 +Chinese End Venus's Doubles Bid ATHENS (Reuters) - Venus Williams's bid for a second successive Olympic doubles tennis gold ended on Monday when she and stand-in partner Chanda Rubin lost 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 to Chinese eighth seeds Li Ting and Sun Tian Tian in the first round.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Bounce Back as Oil Retreats NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rebounded on Monday as worry about oil prices crunching corporate profits eased when crude retreated from record highs.$LABEL$2 +Google Could Make Its Market Debut Wed. NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. appeared set to start trading on Nasdaq on Wednesday, after the Web's No. 1 search engine asked regulators on Monday for final approval to price its closely watched initial public offering.$LABEL$2 +Cassini Finds Two New Saturnian Moons Jet Propulsion Lab -- With eyes sharper than any that have peered at Saturn before, the Cassini spacecraft has uncovered two moons, which may be the smallest bodies so far seen around the ringed planet. The moons are approximately 3 kilometers (2 miles) and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) across -- smaller than the city of Boulder, Colorado...$LABEL$3 +Olympics: Japan Sneak Through to Win Men's Team Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - Japan revived memories of their glorious gymnastics past when they upstaged favorites China and United States to snatch the Olympic men's team gold for the first time in 28 years Monday.$LABEL$1 +Hundreds feared trapped as floods wreak havoc in southwest England (AFP) AFP - Hundreds of people were feared trapped in southwest England after flash floods left a popular coastal tourist village under water and swept dozens of cars and caravans into the sea.$LABEL$0 +Donsanjh still nixing pharmacare, but premiers plan meeting to refine program (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - In his first public address as federal health minister, Ujjal Dosanjh carefully toed the government line on Monday, saying Ottawa is prepared to invest more money in medicare to reduce waiting times, but not by sponsoring a national pharmacare program demanded by the provinces. But even as he was speaking, Saskatchewan's premier said in Regina that provincial premiers will meet one more time to flesh out the details of the proposed pharmacare program before taking their idea to Prime Minister Paul Martin.$LABEL$0 +Gebrselassie 'may pull out' Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie could miss the Olympic 10,000m because of an Achilles injury.$LABEL$0 +Google Stock Offering Remains on Track (AP) AP - Google Inc.'s stock market debut appeared to be on track for later this week after the Internet search company asked regulators to give final approval of the paperwork required for the sale.$LABEL$3 +Apple hints at colorful computer plans Will the company's next PC look like a Christmas tree? A patent filing sheds some light.$LABEL$3 +CA buys PestPatrol antispyware developer Computer Associates has acquired PestPatrol, a company that markets antispyware software, for an undisclosed sum and plans to incorporate PestPatrol's products into its eTrust Threat Management software suite.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft details conflicts in new XP update Microsoft has published a list of nearly 50 applications -- including developer and backup tools, antivirus software and an FTP client -- that may not work correctly after installing Service Pack 2 for Windows XP.$LABEL$3 +Sybase upgrades PowerBuilder, plots RFID move At its annual user conference in Orlando, Sybase Inc. released a new version of its application development tool, outlined plans for an upgrade to its database software and planned to preview a system for tracking RFID data.$LABEL$3 +McAfee to buy Foundstone for \$86M McAfee Inc.'s purchase of Foundstone follows several moves in the past year to focus its product offerings and bolster its standing in the intrusion detection and prevention market.$LABEL$3 +IBM plans fewer U.S. layoffs to compensate for offshoring After internal documents revealed plans to send nearly 5,000 jobs to developing countries over two years, IBM became an easy target for critics of outsourcing. Will limiting layoffs take the sting out of moving these jobs abroad?$LABEL$3 +Confidential Oracle sales data likely to be released U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker said sales documents detailing highly confidential information, such as which companies receive discounts on Oracle products and the size of the discounts, are likely to be made public.$LABEL$3 +Sidebar: The nuts and bolts of COM -- Objects, Interfaces and GUIDs A quick course in how some of the most esoteric aspects of COM work.$LABEL$3 +Editor's Picks: The Best of our Web Services Coverage A guide to Computerworld's recent coverage of Web services and service-oriented architectures, including user applications, security issues and predictions.$LABEL$3 +Fun With Web services! Forget those pesky business functions. To learn how Web services work and what you can do with them, check out these useful utilities that tell you who uttered that famous Shakespeare line, for example, or even convert Sao Tome dobras to Malawi kwacha.$LABEL$3 +Yahoo Messenger Patches Security Hole Yahoo Messenger Patches Security Hole\\If you logged into Yahoo Messenger today and was taken a back by an automatic security download - don't be scared, it's no virus. Yahoo was only patching up a few holes.\\Yahoo has posted a security patch for a flaw in its instant messaging software that ...$LABEL$3 +Overlooked U.S. Men's Gymnasts Take Silver (AP) AP - Twenty years later, the boys are back on the medal stand. The American men's gymnastics program, long overlooked and often unappreciated, won Olympic silver Monday, capping a four-year rebuilding project to take home a medal for the first time since the boycotted 1984 Games.$LABEL$1 +Phelps Upbeat Despite End of Seven-Gold Dream ATHENS (Reuters) - The dream of emulating Mark Spitz's seven Olympic gold medals is over for Michael Phelps but the American refused to be disappointed after finishing third in the most eagerly-awaited race of the Athens Games Monday.$LABEL$1 +Gold at Last for U.S. Swimmer Coughlin ATHENS (Reuters) - Natalie Coughlin's run of bad luck finally took a turn for the better when she won the gold medal in the women's 100 meters backstroke at the Athens Olympics Monday.$LABEL$1 +Google Could Make Its Market Debut Wed. (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc. appeared set\to start trading on Nasdaq on Wednesday, after the Web's No. 1\search engine asked regulators on Monday for final approval to\price its closely watched initial public offering.$LABEL$2 +Husky Energy signs seventh contract with China National Offshore Oil Corp. (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - CALGARY (CP) - Husky Energy Inc. has further strengthened its relationship with one of China's major oil companies by signing a new exploration agreement in the South China Sea.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelans Vote to Keep Chavez in Office CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelans overwhelmingly voted to keep President Hugo Chavez in office, dealing a crushing defeat to a splintered opposition and allowing the leftist leader to convert one of the biggest challenges of his presidency into an even broader mandate to carry on his ""revolution for the poor."" Stunned opposition leaders, who have fought for years to oust Chavez, claimed fraud after results announced Monday by election officials showed nearly 60 percent of voters had said ""no"" to the question of whether he should leave office immediately. But former President Jimmy Carter and the Organization of American States endorsed the results of Sunday's vote, which saw one of the biggest turnouts in Venezuela's history, and urged everybody to accept the outcome...$LABEL$0 +Dow Closes Up 129 As Oil Prices Drop NEW YORK - A drop in oil prices and upbeat outlooks from Wal-Mart and Lowe's helped send stocks sharply higher Monday on Wall Street, with the swing exaggerated by thin late summer trading. The Dow Jones industrials surged nearly 130 points...$LABEL$0 +Lowe's Net Income Up 18 Percent ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=LOW.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">LOW.N</A>, the world's second largest home improvement retailer, on Monday reported an 18 percent increase in second-quarter net income and said earnings for the rest of the year would top analysts' estimates.$LABEL$2 +Heat Waves to Worsen Across America, Europe - Study (Reuters) Reuters - Heat waves like those that have hit\Paris and Chicago in recent years are likely to get worse,\roasting more and more cities with ever-higher temperatures,\climate researchers predicted on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Thorpe Wins Men's 200 Freestyle Australia's Ian Thorpe soared past Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands to win the most anticipated race of the Olympics. Michael Phelps finished third.$LABEL$1 +Outfielder Shane Spencer Rejoins Yankees Recently released outfielder Shane Spencer rejoined the Yankees on Monday, signing a minor league contract after working out at their spring training complex.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Ryder Cup Team Roster Set Going with experience, Hal Sutton named Jay Haas and Stewart Cink as captain's selections for this year's United States Ryder Cup team.$LABEL$1 +Haitian Rebel Leader Appears for Trial (AP) AP - Jury selection began Monday for a Haitian paramilitary leader convicted in absentia of killing a businessman and ordering a massacre in the early 1990s but is facing the charges again after returning to lead a revolt against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.$LABEL$0 +For US team, the night of decision The women gymnasts are favored to make history and win gold Tuesday - a Wheaties box moment waiting to happen.$LABEL$0 +Ch #225;vez declares referendum victory, but is battle over? With record turnout, Venezuela's president survives a recall vote, but opponents claim fraud.$LABEL$0 +Aid agencies rethink strategy A new report urges humanitarian groups to maintain a local presence in disaster-prone areas.$LABEL$0 +Even Greek grandmas root for the home team In 2000, Greece brought home 13 medals. The Greek Olympic Committee hopes to double that number.$LABEL$0 +IBM seeks dismissal in second part of SCO case SAN FRANCISCO - IBM Corp. is seeking dismissal of a second major component of the lawsuit filed against it last year by Unix vendor The SCO Group Inc., according to court documents filed Friday by IBM. The documents, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, argue that SCO's breach of contract allegations should be dismissed from the lawsuit.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft delays automatic XP SP2 delivery SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft Corp. has pushed back automatic distribution of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) to allow business users more time to instruct their machines to skip the update.$LABEL$3 +CA buys PestPatrol antispyware developer WASHINGTON - Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) said Monday it acquired PestPatrol Inc., a firm marketing antispyware software to enterprises, small businesses and individual consumers.$LABEL$3 +Gartner revises PC market forecast, warns of downside The PC market won't grow as fast in 2004 as originally predicted by Gartner Inc. analysts, as concerns about the overall health of the U.S. economy weigh on the market, the market research company said Monday.$LABEL$3 +UN tries to keep up dialogue after Khartoum irked by Darfur criticism (AFP) AFP - The UN envoy to Sudan has tried to ease the pressure on Khartoum after a flurry of indictments of the government's failure to end the crisis in Darfur drew irate reactions from President Omar al-Beshir.$LABEL$0 +Traders Bet Oracle Wins in Antitrust Case CHICAGO/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Options traders have been building bullish positions in PeopleSoft Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=PSFT.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">PSFT.O</A> as investors bet a federal judge will approve Oracle Corp.'s hostile takeover bid of the business software maker, traders said on Monday.$LABEL$2 +Is Mercury the Incredible Shrinking Planet? MESSENGER Spacecraft May Find Out (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - With a new spacecraft bound for Mercury, that tiny planet nbsp;near the heart of the solar system, researchers are hoping to solve a slew of riddles about the small world.$LABEL$3 +Canadian Ansari X Prize Entrant Takes the Plunge in Test (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A Canadian team of rocketeers has moved one step closer to\launching its own manned spacecraft with the successful parachute drop test of a\crew capsule today.\\ nbsp;\\The backers of Canadian Arrow, a rocket entry in the #36;10 million\Ansari X Prize competition, watched happily as their crew compartment drifted\down into Lake Ontario.\\ nbsp;\\Today totally proves our Canadian Arrow design, said\Geoff Sheerin, leader of the London, Ontario-based Arrows bid for the X Prize.\It went really well and everything worked as it should. ...$LABEL$3 +Only Three Golds - U.S. Misfires in Early Days in Athens ATHENS (Reuters) - Told to avoid inflaming anti-American sentiment, U.S. athletes may have toned down the bravado too much in the early days of the Athens Games.$LABEL$1 +Krispy Kreme COO Leaves for New Job CHICAGO (Reuters) - Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=KKD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">KKD.N</A> said on Monday that its chief operating officer is leaving the company for another job, the latest setback for a company that is trying to recover from sluggish sales and an accounting probe.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO statement ready to go Google's planned flotation moves another step closer after the company and its underwriters ask the SEC to declare its registration effective.$LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Retreat From a Record High After Chvez Victory Crude oil for delivery next month settled at \$46.05 a barrel, down 53 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after briefly trading at a new high of \$46.91 early in the day.$LABEL$2 +IBM strikes at SCO claims SCO Group's faltering attack on Linux faces another threat as Big Blue files motion seeking dismissal of contract claims.$LABEL$3 +iSCSI gets some respect Having received a renewed boost from those who see it moving out of niche markets, iSCSI (Internet SCSI) may finally be getting some much-needed respect.$LABEL$3 +Beach Volleyball: Australia in with a Shout ATHENS (Reuters) - To prepare for the Olympics, Kerri Pottharst practiced serving with her team mate screaming in her ear.$LABEL$1 +Flash floods force big rescue operation in tourist area of England (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - LONDON (AP) - Heavy rain caused flash floods in seaside communities in southwestern England on Monday, and dozens of people were rescued from cars, trees and rooftops by emergency helicopters and lifeboats, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Harkin Calls Cheney Comments 'Cowardly' (AP) AP - Sen. Tom Harkin pushed the name-calling in the presidential race to a new level, calling Vice President Dick Cheney a coward for not serving in Vietnam and cowardly for his criticism of John Kerry.$LABEL$0 +Players Union Challenges Carter's Release (AP) AP - The NFL Players Association has gotten involved in Quincy Carter's release by the Dallas Cowboys.$LABEL$1 +Deadline Looms for Suspects in UK Anti-Terrorism Raids LONDON (Reuters) - British police must charge or release on Tuesday nine men arrested earlier this month in anti-terrorism raids that followed a tipoff from an al Qaeda suspect in Pakistan and security alerts in the United States.$LABEL$0 +Rwanda issues genocide warning Rwanda warns it will intervene to prevent genocide, as more than 150 Tutsi refugees are buried in Burundi.$LABEL$0 +Shell-Led Russia Venture Vows to Protect Rare Whales (Reuters) Reuters - A Royal Dutch/Shell -led group\developing oil and gas fields in the Russian far east moved to\assure worried ecologists on Friday it is doing all it can to\protect rare gray whales living in the coastal waters.$LABEL$3 +Hurricane Victims Wait for Food and Water PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Driven from splintered trailers, roofless condos and powerless suburban homes, Hurricane Charley's hungry victims sweated through long lines Monday to find food, showers and drinking water three days after the storm left their lives in shambles...$LABEL$0 +Players Union Challenges Carter's Release The NFL Players Association has gotten involved in Quincy Carter's release by the Dallas Cowboys. The union filed a grievance over the release Aug...$LABEL$0 +League-Leading Galaxy Fires Coach (AP) AP - The Los Angeles Galaxy fired coach Sigi Schmid on Monday despite leading Major League Soccer with 34 points.$LABEL$1 +Alcatel hopes security will get users to switch European telecom equipment maker looks to push into corporate switching, a market long dominated by Cisco.$LABEL$3 +Google Could Make Market Debut Wednesday NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. appeared set to start trading on the Nasdaq on Wednesday, after the Web's No. 1 search engine asked regulators for final approval to price its closely watched initial public offering.$LABEL$2 +China Mobile Suspends Sohu for Spamming Customers (Reuters) Reuters - Chinese Internet company Sohu.com\(SOHU.O) on Friday said China Mobile (CHL.N) had suspended Sohu\as a supplier of mobile phone picture services for one year for\unsolicited marketing to some customers.$LABEL$3 +Group to Propose New High-Speed Wireless Format LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A group of technology companies including Texas Instruments Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=TXN.N qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">TXN.N</A>, STMicroelectronics <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=STM.PA qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">STM.PA</A> and Broadcom Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=BRCM.O qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">BRCM.O</A>, on Thursday said they will propose a new wireless networking standard up to 10 times the speed of the current generation.$LABEL$3 +Thorpe Reigns Supreme in Athens Pool, Phelps Grabs Bronze ATHENS (Reuters) - Ian Thorpe became Australia's greatest Olympian and staked a claim to being the best swimmer of his generation when he won ""the race of the century"" at Athens on Monday.$LABEL$1 +Probe into rising ocean acidity The Royal Society launches a scientific investigation into the rising acidity of the Earth's oceans.$LABEL$3 +New bird spotted in Philippines A bird species new to science has been found by researchers on a remote island in the northern Philippines.$LABEL$3 +WholeSecurity program targets fraud sites Tool that identifies Web sites pretending to be connected to banks, eBay, etc., could help leave phishing scammers dead in the water.$LABEL$3 + #147;Generic Superheroes #148; Scripted, produced, cast, costumed, shot, edited and vigorously promoted by Darren Brandl, #147;Generic Superheroes, #148; a 35-minute comedic-action-adventure parody, makes full use of both Final Cut Pro and Soundtrack. #147;Every costume, #148; says the recent high school graduate proudly, #147;was made of 100 percent spandex #133; as any superhero costume should be. #148; Aug 16$LABEL$3 +Celtics Still Waiting to Hear From Payton (AP) AP - Ten days after trading for Gary Payton, the Boston Celtics still have no idea if the nine-time All-Star will ever wear a Celtics' uniform.$LABEL$1 +Russian Supply Craft Docks with Space Station (Reuters) Reuters - A Russian supply ship docked with the\International Space Station on Saturday, delivering food and\fuel to the two astronauts living there, mission control said.$LABEL$3 +A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq (AP) AP - As of Monday, Aug. 16, 935 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq in March 2003, according to the Defense Department. Of those, 697 died as a result of hostile action and 238 died of non-hostile causes.$LABEL$0 +New bird spotted in Philippines A bird species new to science is found by researchers on a remote island in the Philippines.$LABEL$0 +NFL Players Association Files Grievance Over Carter Release (Reuters) Reuters - The NFL Players Association\Monday filed a grievance with the Dallas Cowboys over the\recent release of quarterback Quincy Carter, claiming the\organization was in violation of the league's collective\bargaining agreement.$LABEL$1 +NFL Players Association Files Grievance Over Carter Release WASHINGTON (Sports Network) - The NFL Players Association Monday filed a grievance with the Dallas Cowboys over the recent release of quarterback Quincy Carter, claiming the organization was in violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement.$LABEL$1 +Chavez Survives Recall, Vows to Deepen Revolution CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chavez easily won a referendum on his rule and on Monday offered to open a dialogue with opponents while also vowing to intensify the reforms at the heart of the nation's political conflict.$LABEL$0 +3Com partners with wireless switch start-up 3Com enters into the wireless switch market through a partnership with start-up Trapeze Networks.$LABEL$3 +SEC Opens Inquiry Into Google Stock Issue (AP) AP - In another twist to Google Inc.'s public stock offering, the Internet search company said federal regulators have opened an informal inquiry into its failure to register millions of shares.$LABEL$3 +NASA Identifies Foam Flaw That Killed Astronauts (Reuters) Reuters - The foam that struck the space\shuttle Columbia after liftoff and led to the deaths of all\seven astronauts on board was defective, NASA said on Friday.$LABEL$3 +Catching 'phishers' a WholeSecurity sport Tool that identifies sites pretending to be connected to banks, eBay and more could help leave ""phishing"" scammers dead in the water.$LABEL$3 +Lankford Accepts Minor League Assignment (AP) AP - St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ray Lankford accepted a minor league assignment to Triple-A Memphis on Monday, nine days after leaving the team to consider his career options.$LABEL$1 +FBI Tracks Potential GOP Protesters (AP) AP - With the Republican National Convention less than two weeks away, federal agents and city police are keeping tabs on activists and others they believe might try to cause trouble. They are making unannounced visits to people's homes, conducting interviews and monitoring Web sites and meetings.$LABEL$0 +Bush Announces Plan for Troop Realignment (AP) AP - President Bush's plan to restructure U.S. military forces abroad includes bringing two Army divisions home from Cold War-era bases in Germany, and increasing the U.S. presence at bases in countries like Poland, Romania and Uzbekistan, Pentagon officials said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Interior Will Delay Some Energy Projects (AP) AP - The Interior Department said Monday it will begin delaying some new oil and gas drilling projects until the effects on wildlife are studied more thoroughly.$LABEL$3 +Second hat in ring for faster Wi-Fi standard A second consortium puts in a bid for the faster 802.11n spec. But don't expect a battle over formats.$LABEL$3 +3Com partners with wireless-switch upstart 3Com enters into the wireless-switch market through a partnership with start-up Trapeze Networks.$LABEL$3 +Interwoven scoops up records management company ECM (enterprise content management) company Interwoven on Monday announced the acquisition of Software Intelligence, a maker of records management technology, for \$2 million in cash and stock.$LABEL$3 +Thorpedo Sinks Phelps' Shot at Spitz Mark ATHENS, Greece - The kid couldn't catch the Thorpedo - and he won't be catching Mark Spitz, either. Michael Phelps' quest for seven gold medals ended after just three events, doomed by another bronze Monday night in the most anticipated race at the Olympic pool - the head-to-head showdown with Australia's Ian Thorpe in the 200-meter freestyle...$LABEL$0 +SEC Opens Inquiry Into Google Stock Issue SAN FRANCISCO - In another twist to Google Inc.'s public stock offering, the Internet search company said federal regulators have opened an informal inquiry into its failure to register millions of shares. In a regulatory filing Monday, Google said it ""understands"" the inquiry was opened by the Securities and Exchange Commission...$LABEL$0 +Nortel Says Canada Plans Accounting Probe SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NT.N</A> <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NT.TO</A> said on Monday the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told the company it will begin a criminal investigation into Nortel's financial accounting.$LABEL$2 +Brazil Starts to Crack Down on Counterfeit Goods Brazil stands to lose billions of dollars in trade benefits from the United States if it does not prove by the end of September that it is making progress in combating copyright piracy.$LABEL$2 +AP: Israel Cave Linked to John the Baptist (AP) AP - Archaeologists think they've found a cave where John the Baptist baptized many of his followers #151; basing their theory on thousands of shards from ritual jugs, a stone used for foot cleansing and wall carvings telling the story of the biblical preacher.$LABEL$3 +Blind Students to Launch NASA Rocket (AP) AP - A dozen blind students from across the United States are at a summer camp this week working on a project most don't associate with the visually impaired #151; launching a NASA rocket.$LABEL$3 +NFL Players Union Files Carter Grievance (AP) AP - The NFL Players Association filed a grievance Monday against the Dallas Cowboys on behalf of Quincy Carter, claiming the quarterback was released by the team for reasons not permitted in the NFL collective bargaining agreement.$LABEL$1 +Mientkiewicz Starts at Second for BoSox (AP) AP - Former Gold Glove first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz got a rough introduction in his first career start at second base.$LABEL$1 +Thorpedo Sinks Phelps' Shot at Spitz Mark (AP) AP - The kid couldn't catch the Thorpedo #151; and he won't be catching Mark Spitz, either. Michael Phelps' quest for seven gold medals ended after just three events, doomed by another bronze Monday night in the most anticipated race at the Olympic pool #151; the head-to-head showdown with Australia's Ian Thorpe in the 200-meter freestyle.$LABEL$1 +Venezuelans Vote to Keep Chavez in Office (AP) AP - Venezuelans overwhelmingly voted to keep President Hugo Chavez in office, dealing a crushing defeat to a splintered opposition and allowing the leftist leader to convert one of the biggest challenges of his presidency into an even broader mandate to carry on his ""revolution for the poor.$LABEL$0 +Edwards Vows Economic Aid for Heartland (AP) AP - Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards promised Monday to deliver high-speed Internet access and more money for people to start businesses in rural areas.$LABEL$0 +Chavez Survives Recall, Vows to Deepen Revolution (Reuters) Reuters - Venezuela's left-wing\President, Hugo Chavez, easily won a referendum on his rule and\on Monday offered to open a dialogue with opponents, while\vowing to intensify the reforms at the heart of the nation's\political conflict.$LABEL$0 +Many engineers lack even a four-year degree About 40 percent of U.S. workers in computer and math science have just a high school diploma or associate degree, according to a new report.$LABEL$3 +British researchers trace John Kerry's family back to European royalty (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - LONDON (AP) - Senator John Kerry has blue blood from all the royal houses of Europe, with even more titled relations than President George W. Bush, Burke's Peerage said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Chavez's Victory Garners Int'l Approval (AP) AP - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won international approval from supporters and detractors alike Monday on his decisive referendum victory over opponents trying to oust him.$LABEL$0 +Giants' Nen Still Hoping to Pitch in 2005 (AP) AP - It's approaching two years since Robb Nen last pitched in the majors, but he still believes he can do it again #151; despite his troublesome right shoulder.$LABEL$1 +Haas and Cink Named as U.S. Ryder Cup Wildcards MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (Reuters) - U.S. Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton, opting for form and experience, selected Jay Haas and Stewart Cink as his wildcard picks for next month's match against Europe.$LABEL$1 +Venezuela Votes by Large Margin to Retain Chvez An opposition movement refused to accept the results, raising prospects for more turmoil in the world's fifth-largest oil exporter.$LABEL$0 +Airline Looks to Delay Its Pension Payments In an effort to conserve cash, financially ailing US Airways Group Inc. said Monday that it plans to ask the Internal Revenue Service for permission to delay payments into the pension plans of two of its employee groups.$LABEL$2 +McDonald's Goes for Gold For a four-year investment estimated at \$65 million, McDonald's has been designated the Official Restaurant of the 2004 Olympic Games.$LABEL$2 +Auction for Shares In Google's IPO May End Today (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Google Inc.'s initial public offering took a major step forward as the company notified investors that today may be their last chance to submit, withdraw or change bids in the unusual #36;3 billion electronic auction for stock in the Internet giant.$LABEL$3 +Four Firms Buy Intelsat Intelsat Ltd., the pioneering commercial satellite company that connected the world through global television and telephone communications, announced Monday its sale to a group of private investors for \$3 billion in cash. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Auction for Shares in Google's IPO May End Google Inc.'s initial public offering took a major step forward as the company notified investors that Tuesday may be their last chance to submit, withdraw or change bids in the unusual \$3 billion electronic auction for stock in the Internet giant. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +BioVeris Files Delayed Annual Report BioVeris Corp. filed its delayed annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission Monday, only days before a scheduled hearing by the Nasdaq Stock Market on whether to delist the Gaithersburg biotechnology company for failing to report earnings. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Background Investigation Shortfall Sends ManTech to a Loss Despite an increase in revenue, ManTech International Corp. swung to a loss during its second quarter when a contract to conduct background investigations for the Department of Defense turned out to be far less lucrative than previously expected.$LABEL$3 +Athletics Win to Hang on to AL West Lead (AP) AP - Mark Redman pitched eight innings of six-hit ball, and the Oakland Athletics used a three-run fifth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 on Monday night.$LABEL$1 +Nikkei Higher by Midday TOKYO (Reuters) - Gains in banks and exporters helped lift Tokyo's Nikkei 0.84 percent by midday on Tuesday as a fall in crude oil prices and a rebound in U.S. stocks led buyers to pick up shares hit by the index's recent sharp losses.$LABEL$2 +Hewitt, Sluiter, Muller Win at Legg Mason (AP) AP - Lleyton Hewitt breezed to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kenneth Carlsen Monday night in the first round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.$LABEL$1 +Ivan Hlinka, 54, Czech Coach of Gold Medal Hockey Team, Dies Ivan Hlinka coached the Czech Republic to the hockey gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and became the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins two years later.$LABEL$1 +The Geisha Stylist Who Let His Hair Down Here in the Gion geisha district of Japan's ancient capital, even one bad hair day can cost a girl her career. So it is no wonder that Tetsuo Ishihara is the man with the most popular hands in town.$LABEL$0 +Hard-Hit Havana Still Short of Water City workers distributed water in tank trucks Monday and urged about 1.4 million residents of the Cuban capital who had no running water to remain calm, four days after Hurricane Charley roared through the area.$LABEL$0 +Syrian Court Releases Rights Activist on Bail A Syrian court has released on bail a human rights activist charged with tarnishing the country's image but considered by advocacy groups to be a prisoner of conscience, one of his attorneys said Monday.$LABEL$0 +Iraqi peace team to go to Najaf An Iraqi delegation is going to Najaf to try to end a stand-off between US-led forces and Shia militants.$LABEL$0 +Seahawks Defeat Packers 21-3 in Preseason (AP) AP - Fourth-string quarterback Seneca Wallace led Seattle on two touchdown drives and the Seahawks took advantage of Tim Couch's dismal debut for Green Bay in a 21-3 exhibition victory over the Packers on Monday night.$LABEL$1 +China Tests New Guided Missile Amid Taiwan Tensions BEIJING (Reuters) - China has successfully tested a new guided missile it says is highly accurate, state media said on Tuesday amid rising tensions with arch-rival Taiwan.$LABEL$0 +New York City Lowering Its Sights for a Convention Boom With the Republican National Convention just two weeks away, signs are pointing to a modest economic boost for few businesses.$LABEL$0 +Streaking Rangers Hold Off Indians 5-2 (AP) AP - Brian Jordan hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and the Texas Rangers extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Monday night.$LABEL$1 +Suspect Admits Jewish Graves Desecration (AP) AP - An unemployed man was arrested Monday in connection with the desecration of a Jewish cemetery earlier this month and an attack on a Muslim, judicial officials said.$LABEL$0 +Hospitalised woman in Vietnam tests positive for bird flu (AFP) AFP - A 19-year-old woman hospitalised in Vietnam has tested positive for the lethal strain of bird flu that has killed 27 people across Asia this year, including 19 in the communist nation, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Nikkei Rises by Midday TOKYO (Reuters) - Gains in banks and exporters helped lift Tokyo's Nikkei average 0.84 percent by midday on Tuesday as a fall in crude oil prices and a rebound in U.S. stocks led buyers to pick up shares hit by the index's recent sharp losses.$LABEL$2 +Braves' Chipper Jones Hits 300th Homer (AP) AP - Chipper Jones hit his 300th career home run on Monday night, connecting in the Atlanta Braves' game at San Diego.$LABEL$1 +Nikkei Rises by Midday (Reuters) Reuters - Gains in banks and exporters helped lift\Tokyo's Nikkei average 0.84 percent by midday on Tuesday as a\fall in crude oil prices and a rebound in U.S. stocks led\buyers to pick up shares hit by the index's recent sharp\losses.$LABEL$0 +A Texan's Race for the House That Could Lead to the F.C.C. A Republican running for Congress has received heavy donations from industry because of expectations over posts she may receive if she loses and President Bush wins.$LABEL$2 +A New Campaign for Viagra Viagra, which has long taken a staid marketing approach, will join its fast-growing competitors in taking a sly, devil-may-care tack.$LABEL$2 +Halliburton Has More Time to Verify Costs The U.S. Army had granted Halliburton a third extension to substantiate its costs in Iraq and Kuwait.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft Delays Automatic Win XP Updates Business users can postpone SP2 installation to complete testing its effect on other programs.$LABEL$3 +A's Quiet Orioles The streaking O's lose for only the third time in 14 games as A's starting pitcher Mark Redman pitches eight strong innings to tame the Orioles, 3-1, on Monday night.$LABEL$1 +Harris Takes the Field Cornerback Walt Harris suits up for his first full practice as a Redskin on Monday after missing minicamp and the first two weeks of training camp.$LABEL$1 +QBs Grab Spotlight Chris Simms, the Buccaneers second-year pro competing for Tampa Bay's No. 2 job, completed 12 of 15 passes for 110 yards to help the Bucs to a 20-6 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.$LABEL$1 +Seahawks Stuff Packers Fourth-string quarterback Seneca Wallace led Seattle on two touchdown drives as the Seahawks defeated the Packers, 21-3, on Monday night.$LABEL$1 +Full Disclosure Ordered The NFL told its coaches Monday that they must be more specific in reporting injuries to players, saying the current wording of the policy ""invites action that runs counter to our intent.$LABEL$1 +A Texan's Race Could Lead to the F.C.C. A Republican running for Congress has received heavy donations from industry because of expectations over posts she may receive if she loses and President Bush wins.$LABEL$2 +Stocks End Sharply Higher as Oil Prices Drop A pull back in oil prices and upbeat outlooks from Wal-Mart and Lowe's prompted new bargain-hunting on Wall Street today.$LABEL$2 +LifePoint to Buy Rival for \$1 Bln LifePoint Hospitals has agreed to acquire rival Province Healthcare for \$1.125 billion in cash and stock to broaden its geographic reach.$LABEL$2 +This Date in Baseball - Aug. 17 (AP) AP - 1904 #151; Jesse Tannehill of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-0.$LABEL$1 +Nation's Charter Schools Lagging Behind, U.S. Test Scores Reveal The findings dealt a blow to supporters of the charter school movement, including the Bush administration.$LABEL$0 +BA set to hold key strike talks British Airways is due to hold important talks with union bosses in a bid to avoid industrial action.$LABEL$2 +Yahoo to Sell Domain Names (AP) AP - Yahoo Inc. plans to start selling Internet domain names Tuesday as part of its expanding services for small businesses.$LABEL$3 +Rival Targets Apple's ITunes Customers (AP) AP - For more than a year, Apple Computers Inc. enjoyed singular success selling songs exclusively to users of its iPod portable music player. Now, it's got rival RealNetworks Inc. trying to lure iTunes customers away.$LABEL$3 +Linux clusters gear up for simulated combat Linux Network scores two military-related deals for Linux clusters.$LABEL$3 +IBM to round out iSeries Power5 server family Big Blue is set to debut the eServer i5 550, an iSeries machine it created to serve midsize businesses.$LABEL$3 +Sides Still Far Apart With two fruitless negotiating sessions behind them and only one month left before an NHL lockout, the league and the players association will return to the bargaining table on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Hezbollah Re-Elects Sheik Hassan Nasrallah (AP) AP - Hezbollah's executive has re-elected Sheik Hassan Nasrallah as leader of the militant Shiite Muslim movement, according to a statement Monday by the party that the United States brands as terrorist.$LABEL$0 +Clashes persist in South Ossetia Heavy fighting is reported in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region after the deaths of two soldiers.$LABEL$0 +Briefly: Linux clusters gear up for simulated combat roundup Plus: Sprint to bake in BlackBerry for businesses...Microsoft ships updated Works...FaceTime pulls in \$16 million.$LABEL$3 +Search Engines and Competitive Research Search engines can tell you a lot about your competition, if you know what to look for. A panel of experts offers tips on profiling your competition.$LABEL$3 +Real launches 'Freedom of Choice Campaign' (MacCentral) MacCentral - RealNetworks will tout its new Windows-only Harmony technology, which allows files from its music store to be played on Apple's iPod, in a series of print, radio and online advertising, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. In addition, Real will hold what it calls the biggest music sale in history selling songs for US #36;0.49 and albums for #36;4.99.$LABEL$3 +Marlins Defeat Dodgers 4-2 (AP) AP - Miguel Cabrera homered and Mike Lowell singled home the go-ahead run, helping the Florida Marlins beat the Dodgers 4-2 on Monday night in Paul Lo Duca's return to Los Angeles.$LABEL$1 +Google Says It's Set to End Stock Auction Google might close the bidding in its auction-style initial public offering late Tuesday, moving it one step away from becoming a publicly traded company.$LABEL$2 +Safety Gap Grows Wider Between S.U.V.'s and Cars People driving or riding in a sport utility vehicle in 2003 were nearly 11 percent more likely to die in an accident than people in cars.$LABEL$2 +China Typhoon Death Toll Rises to 164 (Reuters) Reuters - The worst typhoon to hit China in seven\years killed at least 164 people and another 24 were listed as\missing, Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Coke's Heyer to Go, May Join Starwood NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co.'s president and chief operating officer, Steven Heyer, will leave the company on Sept. 1 after missing out on the top job in May, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday, citing an internal memo.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Struggles to Extend Gains TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar struggled to extend gains against the euro in rangebound trade on Tuesday after recovering from multi-week lows on bigger-than-expected capital inflows into the United States.$LABEL$2 +AL Wrap: Redman Helps Athletics Maintain AL West Lead NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mark Redman pitched eight strong innings as the Oakland Athletics clung on to first place in the American League West with a 3-1 road win over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.$LABEL$1 +Australian opposition pulls ahead in close election race, polls show (AFP) AFP - Australia's opposition has clawed back a potentially election-winning lead, boosted by its insistence on extra protection for cheap prescription medicines, two new polls showed.$LABEL$0 +Iraqi Delegation Set for Najaf Peace Bid (Reuters) Reuters - Iraqi political and religious leaders\prepared to go to the holy city of Najaf on Tuesday in a\last-ditch bid to persuade a radical Shi'ite cleric to end a\rebellion that has killed hundreds and rattled oil markets.$LABEL$0 +Indonesia Reduces Jail Sentences of Militants (Reuters) Reuters - Six convicted Indonesian militants\linked to the deadly blasts in Bali in 2002 have received a two\month reduction of their jail sentences by President Megawati\Sukarnoputri, a prison warden said on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Iraqi Delegation Set for Najaf Peace Bid BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi political and religious leaders prepared to go to the holy city of Najaf on Tuesday in a last-ditch bid to persuade a radical Shi'ite cleric to end a rebellion that has killed hundreds and rattled oil markets.$LABEL$0 +NL Wrap: Pujols Drives in Five Runs as Cardinals Rout Reds (Reuters) Reuters - Albert Pujols homered for the fifth\time in the last four games and drove in five runs as the St\Louis Cardinals routed the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 in National\League play at Busch Stadium on Monday.$LABEL$1 +NL Wrap: Pujols Drives in Five Runs as Cardinals Rout Reds NEW YORK (Reuters) - Albert Pujols homered for the fifth time in the last four games and drove in five runs as the St Louis Cardinals routed the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 in National League play at Busch Stadium on Monday.$LABEL$1 +Oil Prices Slip Below \$46; Risks Abound SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell \$1 below record highs on Tuesday as fears over supply disruptions in Venezuela eased after President Hugo Chavez won a vote on his rule.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Stalls Despite Capital Flows TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar barely moved on Tuesday, struggling to sustain a modest bounce from multi-week lows against the euro made on bigger-than-expected capital inflows to the United States.$LABEL$2 +Global Warming Menaces California Wine Industry (Reuters) Reuters - California will become hotter and\drier by the end of the century, menacing the valuable wine and\dairy industries, even if dramatic steps are taken to curb\global warming, researchers said on Monday.$LABEL$3 +New intelligence reform bill may pit US Congress against White House (AFP) AFP - The powerful chairman of the US Senate intelligence committee promised to introduce this week a new intelligence reorganization bill likely to set Congress on a collision course with the White House, which favors an intelligence ""czar"" with vaguely defined powers.$LABEL$0 +Oil Prices Slip Below #36;46; Risks Abound (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices fell #36;1 below record highs\on Tuesday as fears over supply disruptions in Venezuela eased\after President Hugo Chavez won a vote on his rule.$LABEL$2 +Sprinters' coach confident Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou's coach believes they will be cleared by the IOC.$LABEL$0 +Professor devises climate-based model to predict football sackings (AFP) AFP - The life of a football manager in the English Premiership is frantic, pressured and apt to end in sometimes arbitrary dismissal. But now under-fire bosses can predict when they might face the sack -- using the weather.$LABEL$0 +Tokyo Shares Rise But Oil Worries Weigh SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Japanese shares rebounded from three-month lows on Tuesday but stubbornly high oil prices and concern over their impact on corporate earnings capped gains.$LABEL$2 +Celtics Sign Gugliotta, Wait on Payton (AP) AP - Ten days after trading for Gary Payton, the Boston Celtics still have no idea if the nine-time All-Star will ever wear a Celtics' uniform.$LABEL$1 +Giants Clobber Expos 8-5 (AP) AP - Pinch-hitter Ricky Ledee hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants took over the NL wild-card lead with their fifth straight victory, 8-5 over the Montreal Expos on Monday night.$LABEL$1 +Study: Global Warming Could Change Calif. (AP) AP - Global warming could cause dramatically hotter summers and a depleted snow pack in California, leading to a sharp increase in heat-related deaths and jeopardizing the water supply, according to a study released Monday.$LABEL$3 +EU nations slam Tiger rebels as fresh killings dim Sri Lanka peace hopes (AFP) AFP - European Union nations criticised Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels for killing rivals and recruiting child soldiers, appealing to the guerrillas not to undermine the Island's Norwegian-led peace bid.$LABEL$0 +Storage Services Market Heading To #36;30 Billion (TechWeb) TechWeb - The growth comes as more vendors offer more software to offset the plunge in storage hardware prices.$LABEL$3 +Oracle Releases New CRM Software (TechWeb) TechWeb - Integration of sales and marketing is key to new release.$LABEL$3 +Researchers Find New Species of Bird (AP) AP - Filipino and British wildlife researchers say they've stumbled upon what appears to be a new species of flightless bird found only on the tiny forested island of Calayan in the northern Philippines.$LABEL$3 +Israeli Soldiers Kill Two Gaza Militants (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli soldiers shot and killed two\Palestinian militants near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza\Strip on Tuesday, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.$LABEL$0 +Sharon Approves 1,000 Settlement Homes in W.Bank JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved building tenders for 1,000 homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank frozen earlier to avoid upsetting the United States, political sources said on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Mass. still a no-go for Geic Geico Corp., the nation's fifth-largest auto insurer, started selling policies in New Jersey yesterday for the first time in 28 years, leaving Massachusetts as the lone state where the company won't do business.$LABEL$2 +Bank of America signs in They served up a giant Bank of America sheet cake, festooned the bank branch with balloons, and dispatched smiling greeters to welcome customers in upstate New York yesterday, as the first FleetBoston Financial Corp. branches formally switched to Bank of America.$LABEL$2 +Stakes high for Windows upgrade Microsoft Corp. has put the finishing touches on one of its biggest software overhauls ever after conceding that its Windows XP operating system -- which runs as many as 300 million computers worldwide -- is susceptible to security breaches.$LABEL$2 +For the record Correction: Because of a reporting error, an article in yesterday's Nation pages incorrectly described a Bush campaign ad's accusation about John Kerry's role on the Senate Intelligence Committee in the 1990s. The ad accuses Kerry of having missed three-quarters of the committee's public hearings.$LABEL$2 +Citizens gets US OK for Charter One buy Federal regulators granted Citizens Financial Group approval for its biggest acquisition to date, Charter One Financial Inc. of Ohio. The Federal Reserve Board said the pending merger likely would have a minimal impact on competition even in markets where the two banks overlap. When the \$10.5 billion acquisition is complete, Citizens will be the 11th-biggest bank in the nation ranked ...$LABEL$2 +Stocks surge amid upbeat outlooks NEW YORK -- A drop in oil prices and upbeat outlooks from Wal-Mart and Lowe's helped send stocks sharply higher yesterday, with the swing exaggerated by thin late summer trading. The Dow Jones industrials surged nearly 130 points.$LABEL$2 +Krispy Kreme operating chief quits WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.'s John Tate quit as chief operating officer amid a government probe of the chain's accounting and earnings forecasts.$LABEL$2 +FDA adopts 'lighter touch' on drug imports WASHINGTON -- Federal drug regulators are using a quot;lighter touch quot; in their efforts to stop a growing number of cities and states from importing prescription drugs from Canada, and the City of Boston is taking advantage of that new posture.$LABEL$2 +Power line's cost could grow 40 NEW YORK -- Northeast Utilities , UIL Holdings Corp. , and New England's grid operator have proposed changes to a planned power line in Southwest Connecticut that would increase costs by more than 40 percent.$LABEL$2 +January trial is set for former HealthSouth CEO BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A federal judge has scheduled jury selection in the fraud trial of fired HealthSouth Corp. chief executive Richard Scrushy to begin Jan. 5.$LABEL$2 +Taking a crash course For Doug Mientkiewicz, the hardest part of playing second turned out not to be the double play pivot, fielding ground balls, or applying the tag on a steal. No, it came when he was hit by a 6-foot-3-inch, 230-pound train.$LABEL$1 +Blue Jays hope to go places with Gibbons From Montana to Maine, Puerto Rico to Canada, John Gibbons tagged along wherever the military deemed his father should live. The constant travel gave him a taste of the nomadic life of a baseball manager, his future profession. It also gave him an accent all his own, a Texas twang inflected with tinges of New England.$LABEL$1 +Sox and bonds There are games in which players renew their vows as teammates, and last night's 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays was one of them. It may not have been as clear as it was in the Yankee-Red Sox brawl game back in late July, which produced an obvious bond.$LABEL$1 +Ainge is waitin' for Payton During a press conference yesterday, Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge answered his cell phone, turned to the audience of reporters, and said, quot;Hold on, it's Gary Payton. quot; It was an obvious joke, but also wishful thinking.$LABEL$1 +American says US backed his jail KABUL, Afghanistan -- Jonathan Keith Idema, an American accused of running a freelance antiterror operation and private prison in Afghanistan, testified in court yesterday that he could prove US and Afghan authorities were fully aware of his actions, and he accused the FBI of confiscating evidence that would support his contention.$LABEL$0 +Communists condemn whistle-blower BEIJING -- A Communist Party whistle-blower who publicly accused his superiors of tolerating official corruption has been condemned for breaking party rules and ordered to quot;do a complete self-examination, quot; authorities announced.$LABEL$0 +Business economists say terror the biggest risk in US (AFP) AFP - Terrorism poses the biggest short-term threat to the US economy, a panel of top business economists said in a survey.$LABEL$2 +Google market debut draws near Google's market flotation draws a step closer as the firm asks regulators to approve the paperwork.$LABEL$3 +New Ernie machine to make debut The new version of Ernie - the number cruncher which selects premium bond prizes - is to be unveiled on Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +EasyMobile faces Orange showdown Easyjet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou faces a potential clash with Orange over plans for a mobile phone service.$LABEL$3 +Saudis Use 9-11 Report in U.S Ad Campaign (AP) AP - Stung by criticism about its role in fighting terrorism, Saudi Arabia has launched a radio advertising campaign in 19 U.S. cities citing the Sept. 11 commission report as proof that it has been a loyal ally in the fight against al-Qaida.$LABEL$0 +Mexican Migrant Seeks U.S. Work Visa (AP) AP - Omar Garcia Escobedo's family thought their 25-year-old son had, like so many other migrants seeking work in the United States, drowned trying to cross the treacherous, fast flowing Rio Grande River.$LABEL$0 +Stressed, Depressed Japan Princess May Visit Brunei (Reuters) Reuters - Japan's Crown Princess Masako, who\officials say is suffering from a mental disorder caused by the\stress of adapting to royal life, may emerge from months of\seclusion in September to attend a wedding in the tiny\southeast Asian nation of Brunei, a court official said on\Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Nepal Army on Alert, Hotel Shut After Bombs KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal put its security forces on alert on Tuesday to counter a threat by Maoist guerrillas to blockade the capital, as tourists moved out of a luxury hotel after a bomb blast blamed on the rebels.$LABEL$0 +Motorola Expects Strong Sales Growth SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Motorola Inc., the world's second-largest mobile phone maker, said on Tuesday it expects to sustain strong sales growth in the second half of 2004 thanks to new handsets with innovative designs and features.$LABEL$2 +Fighting in Western Afghanistan Kills 3 (AP) AP - Fighting between rival factions in western Afghanistan killed three militiamen and injured another seven, officials said Tuesday, despite the presence of government and U.S. troops.$LABEL$0 +Phelps's chase of Spitz mark? It's history This was the event Michael Phelps didn't really need to compete in if his goal was to win eight golds. He probably would have had a better chance somewhere else.$LABEL$1 +US dominance an impossible dream It has come to this: Good thing we're in the easy bracket. The United States men's basketball team is in Pool B, along with Greece, Australia, Lithuania, Angola, and, of course, Puerto Rico, the feisty little brother who enjoyed a pretty big laugh at the expense of Uncle Sam's boys Sunday night. Most of the serious teams are ...$LABEL$1 +Rangers remain in step Brian Jordan hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and the Texas Rangers extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 victory over the visiting Cleveland Indians last night.$LABEL$1 +Watson holdout ends After an 18-day holdout during which he parted ways with his second agent (IMG's Tom Condon , who replaced Darrell Wills , formerly of IMG but now decertified) and hired a third ( Pat Dye Jr. ), first-round pick Benjamin Watson signed a six-year contract and reported to training camp yesterday.$LABEL$1 +A bit of a head-scratcher In many professional leagues recently, the defending champion has had a smooth start to the season. Mexico proved to be an exception, though, as UNAM Pumas fell to Tecos, 1-0, losing two players and coach Hugo Sanchez to ejections Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Czech hockey coach Hlinka dies after car crash Ivan Hlinka, a former Pittsburgh Penguins coach who led the Czech Republic to a gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, died yesterday after being injured in a car crash. He was 54.$LABEL$1 +Bronze is golden to Methuen's Pedro Standing in the snow at a medal celebration at the 2002 Winter Games at Salt Lake City, Jimmy Pedro had a sudden inspiration. He took out his cellphone and called his wife, Marie, back in Methuen, Mass.$LABEL$1 +Greeks get surprise gold in synchronized diving It was a glorious surprise, igniting a party complete with song and dance: The Greeks won the first gold medal of their hometown Olympics with an unexpected victory last night in synchronized diving.$LABEL$1 +McCool not getting off the mat The US women's gymnastics team, which wlll go after Olympic gold tonight, will be doing it without Courtney McCool , whom the coaching staff left off the roster after she had a rough night in Sunday's prelims.$LABEL$1 +Red Sox and Patriots ceremoniously beaten Boston sports fans have a track record. Predictably, we watch the Red Sox, Patriots, and big events. So it gets interesting when they go head to head, as they did Friday night. A look at the ratings confirms that the Olympics qualify as an extremely big event.$LABEL$1 +Today's schedule Pro baseball: Red Sox vs. Toronto at Fenway Park, 7 p.m.; Atlantic League -- Nashua vs. Camden at Holman Stadium, Nashua, 6:30 p.m.; International League -- Pawtucket vs. Buffalo at McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket, R.I., 7 p.m.; Eastern League: Portland vs. New Britain at Hadlock Field, Portland, Maine, 7 p.m.; Northeast League -- Brockton vs. New Haven at Campanelli Stadium, Brockton, ...$LABEL$1 +Israel to Build New Housing Units (AP) AP - The Israeli government on Tuesday invited construction bids for 1,001 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, an official said, in direct violation of a U.S.-backed peace plan calling for a settlement freeze.$LABEL$0 +Sharon 'backs settlement homes' Reports say Israeli PM Ariel Sharon has given the green light to new homes in West Bank settlements.$LABEL$0 +Oprah to sit on murder trial jury US television host Oprah Winfrey is picked to sit on the jury for a murder trial in her home city of Chicago.$LABEL$0 +Motorola Expects Strong Sales Growth (Reuters) Reuters - Motorola Inc., the world's\second-largest mobile phone maker, said on Tuesday it expects\to sustain strong sales growth in the second half of 2004\thanks to new handsets with innovative designs and features.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Handling of Helicopter Crash Irks Okinawa (Reuters) Reuters - Cities in Okinawa expressed outrage at\the U.S. military on Tuesday for refusing to allow Japanese\police investigate the wreckage of a Marine helicopter that\crashed in the grounds of a university there last week.$LABEL$0 +Testimony Opens in 9/11 Retrial Case (AP) AP - A witness who knew the Hamburg-based Sept. 11 hijackers outlined the group's hatred of Israel and said its members believed suicide attacks were legitimate as testimony opened Tuesday in the retrial of a Moroccan accused of helping the pilots.$LABEL$0 +Home PCs to get key Windows fix PC owners will be able to download a major security update for Windows XP as from Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Science creates 'own mavericks' Britain's scientific community fuels controversies by shunning colleagues with rebel ideas, research suggests.$LABEL$3 +Ward, Pujols, Jones Put Up Big Numbers (AP) AP - Daryle Ward, Albert Pujols and Chipper Jones had big nights at the plate at the expense of National League pitchers.$LABEL$1 +Olympics: Greeks Dive for Joy, More Gold for Thorpe ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece was plunged in national self-satisfaction on Tuesday after its synchronized divers won the host nation's first gold medal of the Athens Olympics.$LABEL$1 +India agree contracts India players agree central contracts for the first time, with top stars netting a basic salary of 59,000.$LABEL$0 +Mortar Attack in Central Baghdad Kills 5 BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents fired a mortar on a busy street in central Baghdad on Tuesday, killing five people and wounding 30, the Interior Ministry and hospital officials said. Iraqi officials had earlier reported the explosion was a car bomb, but later corrected that account...$LABEL$0 +Oil Slips Below \$46 on Venezuela, Russia LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Tuesday as fears of supply disruptions in Venezuela and Russia receded following a convincing referendum victory for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and after Russia's YUKOS said it had received an assurance on September exports.$LABEL$2 +Crack Fedora Core and Red Hat Enterprise Linux <strong>Site Offer</strong> Save 30 at The Reg Bookshop$LABEL$3 +Burundi Army Says Might Enter Congo After Massacre (Reuters) Reuters - The Burundian army said on Tuesday it\might cross into neighboring Congo to pursue rebels and militia\it blames for massacring 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees at a camp\in western Burundi.$LABEL$0 +New Flightless Bird Species Found Off Philippines (Reuters) Reuters - Scientists have discovered a new\species of flightless bird on a remote island in the\Philippines, the conservation group BirdLife International said\on Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +Macromedia to bolster video on the Web Macromedia on Tuesday is announcing a video kit to enable users of its authoring tools suite, Macromedia Studio MX 2004 with Flash Professional, to more easily add video to their Web sites.$LABEL$3 +Olympics: China Halfway to Completing Medals Plan ATHENS (Reuters) - China led the Olympic medal race going into the fourth day of competition on Tuesday with 10 golds.$LABEL$1 +NY Seen Steady; Eyes on AMAT, Motorola (Reuters) Reuters - Wall Street was set for a steady start\on Tuesday as crude oil prices eased, with results from chip\group Applied Materials (AMAT.O) and inflation data a focus,\while shares in a bullish Motorola (MOT.N) may rise.$LABEL$0 +Burundi Army Says Might Enter Congo After Massacre BUJUMBURA (Reuters) - The Burundi army said on Tuesday it might cross into neighboring Congo to pursue rebels and militia it blames for massacring 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees at a camp in western Burundi.$LABEL$0 +Home Depot Quarterly Profit Rises (Reuters) Reuters - Home Depot Inc. (HD.N), the world's\largest home improvement retailer, on Tuesday said quarterly\profit rose, topping estimates, as technology upgrades and\other store improvements helped boost sales.$LABEL$2 +Home Depot Quarterly Profit Rises ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HD.N</A>, the world's largest home improvement retailer, on Tuesday said quarterly profit rose, topping estimates, as technology upgrades and other store improvements helped boost sales.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Mired Near Lows Before U.S. Data LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar hovered near a one-month low against the euro on Tuesday as investors awaited U.S. inflation data later in the day for clues on the future path of interest rates.$LABEL$2 +American Allies Embrace U.S. Military Plan (AP) AP - American allies Japan and Australia embraced a new U.S. plan to restructure its forces abroad, while Russia said it was not concerned by the proposal. But Germany, home to 70,000 U.S. soldiers, said any withdrawal from the former Cold War frontier may hurt its economy.$LABEL$0 +Taiwan Offers Compromise on Direct China Links TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian proposed on Tuesday to define direct transport links with rival China as cross-Strait routes, in a bid to bypass a longstanding political dispute, but Beijing is likely to ignore him.$LABEL$0 +Baghdad Blast Kills Seven, Najaf Fighting Rages BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A shell killed seven people in a busy Baghdad street on Tuesday and U.S. forces fought pitched battles with Shi'ite militia in the holy city of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Oil giant Yukos in plea for time Russian oil giant Yukos is to ask a Moscow court for more time to pay its tax bill.$LABEL$2 +Finance workers in union merger A total of 140,000 members at union Unifi are absorbed into Amicus to create a 'super-union' for UK finance workers.$LABEL$2 +IT managers prescribe holistic security <strong>Reg Reader Studies</strong> But don't swallow own medicine$LABEL$3 +UK gamers rush to snap up Doom 3 The eagerly anticipated Doom 3 has stormed to the top of the UK games charts.$LABEL$3 +Wanted: Sleeping Space for Protesters. Hot Water Optional. The protesters coming to New York are receiving an outpouring of hospitality from scores of people who are opening their homes as temporary, free shelter.$LABEL$0 +Dollar Mired Near Lows Before U.S. Data (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar hovered near a one-month low\against the euro on Tuesday as investors awaited U.S. inflation\data later in the day for clues on the future path of interest\rates.$LABEL$2 +Home Depot Profit Tops Estimates on Sales ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HD.N</A> on Tuesday reported a 19 percent rise in second-quarter profit, topping estimates, as technology upgrades and other store improvements helped boost sales.$LABEL$2 +Warming threatens California wine California is to get hotter and drier by the end of the century, threatening its valuable wine industry.$LABEL$3 +North Korea Talks Still On, China Tells Downer BEIJING (Reuters) - North Korea's refusal to take part in working-level talks on the nuclear crisis prompted a diplomatic flurry on Tuesday with China, the host of the talks, at the heart of efforts to keep the process on track.$LABEL$0 +Israel Invites Bids in Construction Plan (AP) AP - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved bids for construction of 1,000 homes in Jewish West Bank settlements after freezing them earlier this month, amid growing friction with the United States over continued settlement expansion.$LABEL$0 +Higher oil prices to trim China's 2004 GDP growth (AFP) AFP - Surging oil prices could moderate China's economy this year as rising costs push inflation higher, hitting corporate profits and consumer pocket books, analysts and state press said.$LABEL$0 +Motorola Expects Strong Sales Growth Motorola Inc., the world's\second-largest mobile phone maker, said on Tuesday it expects\to sustain strong sales growth in the second half of 2004\thanks to new handsets with innovative designs and features.$LABEL$3 +Soldering Surprise There's nothing routine about working in space, as astronaut Mike Fincke found out recently when he did some soldering onboard the International Space Station.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Gymnasts End Rebuilding With Silver (AP) AP - Twenty years later, the boys are back on the medal stand.$LABEL$1 +Three Members of Bhutto's Party Killed (AP) AP - Unidentified gunmen opened fire on supporters of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's party ahead of a key by-election, killing three people, police said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Sharon Allows 1,000 More Settler Homes in West Bank JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved building tenders for 1,000 more Israeli settlement homes in the occupied West Bank frozen earlier to avoid upsetting the United States, political sources said on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Staples Posts Sharply Higher Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Staples Inc. (SPLS.O), the top U.S.\office products retailer, on Tuesday reported a 39 percent jump\in quarterly profit as a weaker dollar boosted results abroad\and initial back-to-school demand drove sales.$LABEL$2 +Vote now to name BSA's antipiracy weasel <strong>Poll</strong> The Mother of all Mustelid polls$LABEL$3 +Russian Court Rejects Researchers' Appeal (AP) AP - The Russian Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from an arms control researcher who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for treason in what rights advocates have called a politically motivated case.$LABEL$0 +Blu-ray burns for interactive content Flashy features could tempt consumers--and that tempts Hollywood, which could help Blu-ray beat out a rival technology.$LABEL$3 +Standards battle could shoot both sides in foot Tussle over next-generation DVD format could alienate consumers.\$LABEL$3 +Revealing Hospital Gowns Redesigned PORTLAND, Maine - Whether its blue or spotted or stripped, the standard issue hospital gown is drafty and revealing. It's embarrassing for just about anyone who's spent a night in a medical center...$LABEL$0 +Stocks to Be in a Cautious Mood at Open NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are seen in a cautious mood at the open Tuesday as investors weigh up the merits of Monday's oil-inspired rally...$LABEL$0 +Hostile Takeover The battle moves to the political arena as Taipei and Beijing wrap up their wargames$LABEL$0 +Giving Back Hope A controversial procedure for injured spines has turned a Beijing hospital into a medical mecca\$LABEL$0 +Home Depot Rises Before the Bell NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares in Home Depot Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HD.N</A> rose before the opening bell on Tuesday after the world's largest home improvement retailer reported a 19 percent rise in second-quarter profit.$LABEL$2 +BOFH takes a hit from Cupid's arrow <strong>Episode 26</strong> Shall I compare thee to an OS2-free Intel box?$LABEL$3 +Nortel Says Canada Plans Accounting Probe Nortel Networks Corp. said on Monday the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told\the company it will begin a criminal investigation into$LABEL$3 +Two Plead Not Guilty in Hacking Case Two men accused of aiding a Romanian man charged with hacking into the online ordering system of the world's largest computer equipment distributor pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.$LABEL$3 +Rival Targets Apple's ITunes Customers For more than a year, Apple Computers Inc. enjoyed singular success selling songs exclusively to users of its iPod portable music player. Now, it's got rival RealNetworks Inc. trying to lure iTunes customers away.$LABEL$3 +Free-Speech for Online Gambling Ads Sought The operator of a gambling news site on the Internet has asked a federal judge to declare that advertisements in U.S. media for foreign online casinos and sports betting outlets are protected by free-speech rights.$LABEL$3 +US hurricane victims face turmoil Many victims of Florida's worst hurricane for years are still homeless, with no electricity or telephone services.$LABEL$0 +Google seeks OK to sell shares Google has signaled that its share auction is nearly complete, asking the Securities and Exchange Commission for approval to begin selling 25.7 million shares of stock starting late this afternoon.$LABEL$2 +\$1.1b deal to join hospital chains BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- LifePoint Hospitals Inc. , an operator of acute care facilities in rural areas, outlined a deal yesterday to buy rival Province Healthcare Co. for about \$1.1 billion in cash and stock.$LABEL$2 +J.C. Penney Posts Second-Quarter Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Department store operator J.C. Penney\Co. Inc. (JCP.N) on Tuesday posted a second-quarter profit,\reversing a year-earlier loss, helped by inventory controls and\strong department store sales.$LABEL$2 +German investor confidents slides on high oil prices (AFP) AFP - Investor confidence in Germany has declined more sharply than anticipated, a major economic think tank said, as high oil prices put a damper on hopes of a continuation of the nascent recovery.$LABEL$2 +J.C. Penney Posts Second-Quarter Profit NEW YORK (Reuters) - Department store operator J.C. Penney Co. Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JCP.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JCP.N</A> on Tuesday posted a second-quarter profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, helped by inventory controls and strong department store sales.$LABEL$2 +Staples Profit Up Sharply, to Enter China NEW YORK (Reuters) - Staples Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=SPLS.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">SPLS.O</A>, the top U.S. office products retailer, on Tuesday reported a 39 percent jump in quarterly profit, raised its full-year forecast and said it plans to enter the fast-growing Chinese market.$LABEL$2 +Estee Lauder Quarterly Profit Climbs CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cosmetics manufacturer Estee Lauder Cos. Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=EL.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">EL.N</A> on Tuesday posted a bigger quarterly profit, bolstered by sales in Europe and an improving U.S. retail market.$LABEL$2 +BJ's Profit Rises; Food, Gas Sales Strong CHICAGO (Reuters) - BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=BJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">BJ.N</A> on Tuesday posted higher quarterly profit as soaring gasoline prices and strong demand for food boosted sales.$LABEL$2 +PalmOne Unveils SD Wi-Fi Card (PC World) PC World - Tiny 802.11b adapter will work with Zire 72, Tungsten T3 handhelds.$LABEL$3 +Americans Miss Cut In a stunning blow to the U.S., Americans Ian Crocker and Jason Lezak miss the cut in the 100-meter freestyle preliminaries.$LABEL$1 +Twins of the world unite in France (AFP) AFP - A tiny French village in Brittany -- the self proclaimed capital of twin-dom -- has played host to an international gathering of thousands of identical twins, triplets and quadruplets.$LABEL$0 +Developing states to seek voice in fighting terror (Reuters) Reuters - Developing nations launched their annual diplomatic summit on Tuesday with a plea to the United States and other powerful countries to consult them on tackling terror and resolving the Middle East conflict$LABEL$0 +Symantec Upgrades Norton Security Products Revamped Norton AntiVirus, Personal Firewall, and AntiSpam tools fight pests and dangers online.$LABEL$3 +Afghan president gains backing of militia commanders ahead of polls (AFP) AFP - A lieutenant of powerful northern warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostam pledged to back incumbent Hamid Karzai in the upcoming presidential vote and said 149 other military commanders would join him.$LABEL$0 +Iraqi Delegation Flies to Najaf in Peace Bid BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A delegation of Iraqi political and religious leaders flew out of Baghdad on U.S. military helicopters Tuesday, heading for Najaf in a bid to end a bloody Shi'ite uprising, delegates said.$LABEL$0 +U.S. to Give Cuba #36;50,000 Hurricane Aid (AP) AP - Cubans hit hard by hurricane Charley will receive #36;50,000 in U.S. assistance, the State Department said Friday.$LABEL$0 +Euro industrial production slows Industrial production in the eurozone \falls by 0.4 in June from May, with Germany registering the biggest fall.$LABEL$2 +German welfare rallies escalate Eastern Germany sees more mass protests over welfare cuts, with smaller rallies in western cities.$LABEL$2 +Ice yields ancient 'plant matter' Scientists drilling ice cores in Greenland have recovered what appear to be plant remains from nearly 3km (two miles) below the surface.$LABEL$3 +Many engineers lack a four-year degree The news comes as some observers warn that the United States needs to focus more on training scientists and engineers.$LABEL$3 +AMD begins shipments of Oakville mobile chips Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has begun shipping commercial versions of its Athlon 64 processors made using a 90-nanometer process, marking another step forward in the company's transition to the more advanced manufacturing technology.$LABEL$3 +Google seeks to end auction Tuesday Google Inc. wants to conclude its share auction Tuesday, setting the stage for its stock to go public Wednesday, according to a statement on its IPO (initial public offering) Web site.$LABEL$3 +Germany Shaken by U.S. Plans to Withdraw Troops BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government said on Tuesday U.S. plans to pull out 30,000 troops were a sign of Europe's divisions being healed, but communities hit by the decision warned they were headed for economic disaster.$LABEL$0 +Americans Miss Cut in 100-Meter Freestyle ATHENS, Greece - Top American sprinters Jason Lezak and Ian Crocker missed the cut in the Olympic 100-meter freestyle preliminaries Tuesday, a stunning blow for a country that had always done well in the event. Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and Australian Ian Thorpe advanced to the evening semifinal a day after dueling teenager Michael Phelps in the 200 freestyle, won by Thorpe...$LABEL$0 +790,000 Still Have No Power in Florida PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - About 790,000 people remain without power in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, and officials estimate it could take weeks to get electricity fully restored...$LABEL$0 +'Boots' Takes Gold at the Ferret Olympics SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - While world-class athletes were grunting and groaning on the other side of the Atlantic Sunday, ""Boots"" went for the gold here in his own way...$LABEL$0 +Saks Posts Wider Second-Quarter Loss (Reuters) Reuters - Saks Inc. (SKS.N) on Tuesday posted a\wider quarterly loss as poor sales at its lower-priced\department stores outweighed a strong performance at its Saks\Fifth Avenue luxury chain.$LABEL$2 +July Consumer Prices Drop, Energy Tumbles WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices dropped in July for the first time in eight months as a sharp run up in energy costs reversed, the government said on Tuesday in a report showing underlying inflation pressures largely in check.$LABEL$2 +Housing Starts Rebound Sharply in July WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Housing starts rebounded sharply in July, making up almost all the ground lost in a June slump by posting their largest monthly percentage gain since September 2002, a report from the Commerce Department on Tuesday showed.$LABEL$2 +Home Depot, Motorola Rise Before Bell NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Home Depot Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HD.N</A> rose before the opening bell on Tuesday after the world's largest home improvement retailer reported a 19 percent rise in second-quarter profit.$LABEL$2 +Researchers Develop Method to Find Algae (AP) AP - Marine researchers are hoping to prevent tides of destructive algae from killing fish and fouling beaches through early detection of the microscopic organisms.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Brokers Cease-fire in Western Afghanistan KABUL (Reuters) - The United States has brokered a cease-fire between a renegade Afghan militia leader and the embattled governor of the western province of Herat, Washington's envoy to Kabul said Tuesday. ""Our expectation is that the agreement that has been made will be honored,"" said ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, adding that the cease-fire was due to take effect at 4 p.m.$LABEL$0 +Football: Liverpool sign Nunez Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez seals the signing of Antonio Nunez from Real Madrid.$LABEL$0 +July Consumer Prices Drop, Energy Tumbles (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer prices dropped in July\for the first time in eight months as a sharp run up in energy\costs reversed, the government said on Tuesday in a report\showing underlying inflation pressures largely in check.$LABEL$2 +Housing Starts Rebound Sharply in July (Reuters) Reuters - Housing starts rebounded sharply in\July, making up almost all the ground lost in a June slump by\posting their largest monthly percentage gain since September\2002, a report from the Commerce Department on Tuesday showed.$LABEL$2 +Consumer Prices Dip in July Consumer prices, which have been buffeted this year by soaring energy costs, fell by 0.1 percent in July as gasoline costs posted their biggest decline in eight months, the government reported Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Groups: Ill. Butterfly Population Falling (AP) AP - The number of butterflies fluttering around the Chicago area has dropped dramatically this summer, experts and enthusiasts say.$LABEL$3 +Rescue workers comb storm-hit Cornish village after flash flood horror (AFP) AFP - Rescue workers combed a coastal village in north Cornwall for missing persons after a flash flood sent a wall of water tearing through the picturesque tourist spot the day before.$LABEL$0 +Vietnam Hosts Investment Conference (AP) AP - Hoping to boost business ties with Singapore, Vietnam's prime minister opened a forum here Tuesday with promises of economic reform and continued growth.$LABEL$0 +Auto Retailer CarMax Cuts Profit Outlook (Reuters) Reuters - Auto retailer CarMax Inc. (KMX.N) on\Tuesday said it was cutting its second-quarter earnings\forecast due to slower-than-expected used-car sales.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Set to Open Up After Reports NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were set to open higher on Tuesday after an economic report showed U.S. consumer prices dropped in July for the first time in eight months and another report said U.S. housing starts rebounded sharply in July.$LABEL$2 +Treasuries Edge Ahead on Inflation Relief NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices firmed on Tuesday after a key reading of U.S. inflation proved softer-than-expected, a relief to investors in fixed-income debt.$LABEL$2 +Chain Store Sales Growth Slows NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricanes Bonnie and Charley slowed U.S. chain store sales growth in the latest week, a report said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Cool Weather Killed Gypsy Moths in Wis. (AP) AP - Wisconsin's annual battle against a leaf-eating insect got some help from this spring's nasty weather, which resulted in a huge decline in tree defoliation, a state forestry expert said Monday.$LABEL$3 +Broadband offers magical journey A 'magic carpet' to take children around the world is one of the projects that has won a community net award.$LABEL$3 +BHP Billiton year to June profit seen up sharply on higher prices, demand (AFP) AFP - Australian resources firm BHP Billiton is expected to post sharply higher earnings in the year to June aided by rising commodities prices, high production levels and continued strong demand from China, analysts said.$LABEL$0 +Profits Up for Farm Equipment Maker Deere CHICAGO (Reuters) - Deere Co. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=DE.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">DE.N</A>, one of the world's largest farm equipment makers, on Tuesday said quarterly earnings jumped sharply, driven in part by strength in its agricultural and construction equipment businesses.$LABEL$2 +Oil Eases on Venezuela, Russia Optimism LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Tuesday as fears of supply disruptions receded following a convincing referendum victory in Venezuela for President Hugo Chavez and after Russia's YUKOS said it had received a government assurance on September exports.$LABEL$2 +Consumer Prices Fell Modestly in July Consumer prices fell by 0.1 percent in July as gasoline costs posted their biggest decline in eight months, the government reported today.$LABEL$2 +Home Depot Reports 19 Percent Rise in Profits Home Depot reported a jump in second-quarter profit on record sales as it benefited from strong performance in stores open at least a year.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft delays SP2 auto update Slowdown will give big companies more time to hunt down compatibility problems, the company says.$LABEL$3 +Google set to list as soon as Wednesday (AFP) AFP - Google Inc.'s hotly anticipated share listing appears set to launch as early as Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +IBM rolls out midrange eServer i5 IBM is filling in the center of its Power 5-based eServer i5 lineup on Tuesday, unwrapping a four-way system aimed at midsize companies looking to consolidate a variety of business applications.$LABEL$3 +NBA Olympians feel urgency after stunning loss (AFP) AFP - Telephone calls from flabergasted friends back home have helped install a sense of urgency in the United States Olympic basketball team in the wake of their stunning loss to Puerto Rico.$LABEL$1 +Court to Consider Yukos' Plea on Tax Bill (AP) AP - A Russian court on Tuesday was to consider the beleaguered Yukos oil company's appeal to suspend government efforts to collect #36;3.4 billion in back taxes #151; a massive bill that has put Russia's largest oil producer on the verge of ruin.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Peace Mission in Najaf; Baghdad Blast Kills 7 NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi political and religious leaders trying to end a radical Shi'ite uprising flew into Najaf Tuesday, where U.S. troops and militia fought pitched battles near the country's holiest Islamic sites.$LABEL$0 +Ugandan Army Says Nine LRA Rebels Killed KAMPALA, Uganda (Reuters) - Ugandan troops killed nine Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels after a devastating raid on the group's headquarters in southern Sudan scattered its main force, the army said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Consumer Prices Drop, Housing Starts Soar (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer prices dropped in July\for the first time in eight months as a sharp run up in energy\costs reversed, the government said on Tuesday in a report\showing inflation pressures largely in check.$LABEL$2 +Profits Up for Farm Equipment Maker Deere (Reuters) Reuters - Deere Co. (DE.N), one of the world's\largest farm equipment makers, on Tuesday said quarterly\earnings jumped sharply, driven in part by strength in its\agricultural and construction equipment businesses.$LABEL$2 +BJ's Wholesale Reports #36;28M 2Q Profit (AP) AP - BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. said Tuesday that sales growth boosted second-quarter earnings 25 percent, and the bulk retailer disclosed it faces #36;16 million in claims over the theft of some of its customers' credit and debit card information.$LABEL$2 +Last Call for Investors to Bid on Google NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time is running out for prospective investors to submit their offers to buy shares of Google Inc, the Web's No. 1 search company.$LABEL$2 +HP's Unix base offered Opteron carrot <strong>HP World</strong> Come for a stroll in the Sun$LABEL$3 +Exploring Venus: The Hothouse Planet Before spaceprobes could photograph Venus up close, the second planet from the Sun was often compared to a sister world, much like the Earth. Planetary scientist, David Grinspoon, discusses with Astrobiology Magazine how that view evolved to consider the extremes encountered on the Venusian surface.$LABEL$3 +Yahoo Offering Cheaper Domain Names and Hosting Yahoo Offering Cheaper Domain Names and Hosting\\Yahoo has changed their small business targeting approach by offering domain names for \$9.95 as part of an aggressive move to expand its presence in domains and small business web hosting. Yahoo is also beefing up its shared hosting accounts, offering 2 gigabytes of ...$LABEL$3 +Moldovan summertime 'Love Under a Lime Tree' sets European hips swinging (AFP) AFP - Europe's youth has been singing in Romanian this summer thanks to a Moldovan boys band that has swept to the top of the charts across the continent.$LABEL$0 +Americans Falter in 100M Freestyle Prelims ATHENS, Greece - Top American sprinters Jason Lezak and Ian Crocker missed the cut in the Olympic 100-meter freestyle preliminaries Tuesday, a stunning blow for a country that had always done well in the event. Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and Australian Ian Thorpe advanced to the evening semifinal a day after dueling teenager Michael Phelps in the 200 freestyle, won by Thorpe...$LABEL$0 +Consumer Prices Fall As Gas Costs Drop WASHINGTON - Consumer prices, which have been buffeted this year by soaring energy costs, fell by 0.1 percent in July as gasoline costs posted their biggest decline in eight months, the government reported Tuesday. The Labor Department said the decline in its closely watched Consumer Price Index was the first decrease since a 0.2 percent drop last November, a decline which also reflected a decline in energy costs...$LABEL$0 +U.S. July Output Up; Factories Run Faster WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial output advanced in July, as American factories operated at their highest capacity in more than three years, a Federal Reserve report on Tuesday showed.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO Auction to End Tonight Google IPO Auction to End Tonight\\Google has requested that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) declare the Google IPO registration statement effective at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, according to the Google IPO page: www.ipo.google.com. After an IPO registration statement is declared effective, the stock can be ...$LABEL$3 +U.S. Brokers Cease-fire in Western Afghanistan (Reuters) Reuters - The United States has brokered a\cease-fire between a renegade Afghan militia leader and the\embattled governor of the western province of Herat,\Washington's envoy to Kabul said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Warming threatens California wine California will become hotter and drier by the end of the century, threatening its valuable wine and dairy industries, US experts say.$LABEL$0 +Phaithful Phlock to the Phinish as the 21-Year Jam Ends in Tears Phish made its farewell in Vermont this past weekend in true Phish style: playing its own musical marathon, swarmed by adoring fans and isolated from the rest of the world.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Open Higher on Housing, CPI Data NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday after two separate reports showed inflationary pressure was held in check in July and U.S. housing starts rebounded sharply in the same month.$LABEL$2 +Iraqi Peace Mission in Najaf; Baghdad Blast Kills 7 NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi political and religious leaders trying to end a radical Shi'ite uprising flew into Najaf Tuesday, where U.S. troops and militia fought pitched battles near the country's holiest Islamic sites.$LABEL$0 +U.S. July Output Up; Factories Run Faster (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. industrial output advanced in\July, as American factories operated at their highest capacity\in more than three years, a Federal Reserve report on Tuesday\showed.$LABEL$2 +Last Call for Investors to Bid on Google (Reuters) Reuters - Time is running out for prospective\investors to submit their offers to buy shares of Google Inc,\the Web's No. 1 search company.$LABEL$2 +Intel Delays Digital TV Chips (PC World) PC World - Chip maker postpones yet another product launch.$LABEL$3 +Greek Athletes Shocked by Accusations ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's top two athletes, facing a state prosecutor's investigation over missed drug tests and a motorbike crash, left hospital Tuesday declaring they were innocent and should be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.$LABEL$1 +Fish Dumped at Landmark in Pollution Protest (Reuters) Reuters - Environment activists piled thousands of\dead fish at the foot of Berlin's biggest tourist attraction,\the Brandenburg Gate, Tuesday in a demonstration against\over-fishing and pollution in the North Sea.$LABEL$0 +Auto Retailer CarMax Trims Outlook DETROIT (Reuters) - Auto retailer CarMax Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=KMX.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">KMX.N</A> on Tuesday cut its second-quarter earnings forecast due to slower-than-expected used-car sales, sparking a 3.7 percent drop in its shares.$LABEL$2 +Home Depot Sees 2Q Profit Jump The Home Depot Inc. reported a nearly 19 percent jump in second-quarter profit on record sales as it benefited from strong performance in stores open at least a year. It also raised its earnings outlook for the year.$LABEL$2 +Final frontier: 'Star Wars Trilogy' on DVD (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Fans and retailers alike are preparing for the assault of the most anticipated DVD of them all: the Star Wars Trilogy.$LABEL$3 +Stock lawsuit possible in telecom merger plan (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Former MediaOne Group executives are exploring a class-action lawsuit over Cingular's insistence that AT amp;T Wireless stock options, issued by the millions to employees and former employees of MediaOne, AT amp;T and AT amp;T Wireless, be exercised as soon as the merger closes, people involved in the effort say.$LABEL$3 +Autodesk: Piracy in India Costs Us #36;367M (AP) AP - American design software developer Autodesk Inc. said Tuesday it is losing #36;367 million in potential revenues each year because of software piracy in India.$LABEL$3 +IBM Adds New Power5 iSeries Server (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - The company introduces a new midrange server and expands management and support across the i5 server line.$LABEL$3 +Blind Students to Help Launch NASA Rocket By ALEX DOMINGUEZ BALTIMORE (AP) -- A dozen blind students from across the United States are at a summer camp this week working on a project most don't associate with the visually impaired - launching a NASA rocket. The students are designing and preparing the rocket's payload at the National Federation of the Blind's Jernigan Institute in Baltimore...$LABEL$3 +Scientist Advocates for Embryonic Stem Cell Research By KATHARINE WEBSTER MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- A Nobel laureate in medicine says the Bush administration's limits on funding for embryonic stem cell research have stopped the clock on American scientists' efforts to develop treatments for a host of chronic, debilitating diseases...$LABEL$3 +The Playboy Google Interview The Google Playboy Interview In Its Entirety\\The infamous Playboy Interview of Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the Google Guys, is now not only available on newsstands all over the country, but also on the Security Exchange Commission's website because of a possible SEC violation. Now, it will be more difficult ...$LABEL$3 +Text Message Leads Police to Killers (AP) AP - A Belgian teenager fired off a mobile phone text message to her father that his live-in girlfriend was trying to kill her in a plea for help just before she died, authorities said.$LABEL$0 +Deere Earnings Jump, Raises 2004 Forecast CHICAGO (Reuters) - Deere Co. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=DE.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">DE.N</A>, one of the world's largest farm equipment makers, on Tuesday said quarterly earnings jumped sharply, driven in part by strength in its agricultural and construction equipment businesses.$LABEL$2 +Real is playing for keeps in music price war (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - RealNetworks today is slashing the price of a digital download to 49 cents a song from 99 cents - a bold move in the war over digital music.$LABEL$3 +RealNetworks Tries to Core Apple RealNetworks launched round two in its heavyweight digital music match against Apple Computer, slashing the cost of its music downloads to take business away from Apple's iTunes download service. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Rival Targets Apple's ITunes Music Customers By ALEX VEIGA LOS ANGELES (AP) -- For more than a year, Apple Computers Inc. enjoyed singular success selling songs exclusively to users of its iPod portable music player...$LABEL$3 +Intel Delays Launch of New Projection TV Chip By MATTHEW FORDAHL SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- In another product postponement, semiconductor giant Intel Corp. (INTC) said it won't be offering a chip for projection TVs by the end of 2004 as it had announced earlier this year...$LABEL$3 +Bikes Bring Internet to Indian Villagers By S. SRINIVASAN BITHOOR, India (AP) -- For 12-year-old Anju Sharma, hope for a better life arrives in her poor farming village three days a week on a bicycle rickshaw that carries a computer with a high-speed, wireless Internet connection...$LABEL$3 +MSN Closes Search Engine Technology Preview MSN Closes Search Engine Technology Preview\\Microsoft's MSN has closed down the preview/beta page of MSN Search Engine Technology ResearchBuzz reports. \\Trying to access it now gets you this page which includes the text ""Once we are ready, we will release another preview of our new algorithmic search engine."" I'm glad ...$LABEL$3 +NHL Labor Negotiations Set to Resume (AP) AP - With two fruitless negotiating sessions behind them and only one month left before an NHL lockout, the league and the players association will return to the bargaining table Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Dollar Gains on Euro After Muted U.S. CPI NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar posted gains against the euro on Tuesday, digesting a slew of U.S. economic data that failed to substantially alter expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.$LABEL$2 +High oil prices hit China growth Rising oil prices are expected to hit China's growth rate this year.$LABEL$2 +US prices in surprise July slide US consumer prices fell by 0.1 in July, the first fall this year, reducing the chances of a September interest rate rise.$LABEL$2 +RealNetworks Tries to Core Apple (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - RealNetworks really knows how to pick a fight. First, the Seattle-based company landed a sucker punch on Apple Computer last month with its new Harmony technology that allows songs sold from Real's online music store to play on Apple's iPod digital music player.$LABEL$3 +Google IPO Awaits Final Approval In a sign that Google Inc. (GOOG)'s initial public offering is imminent, the Internet search company has asked federal regulators to give final approval to the paperwork required for its stock sale.$LABEL$3 +Charges laid against eight British terror suspects (AFP) AFP - Eight men arrested in an anti-terror swoop in London and other parts of England two weeks ago were charged with conspiracy to murder and other terrorist-related activities.$LABEL$0 +Father of Pakistan Al Qaeda Suspect Files Petition ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The father of a computer engineer detained in Pakistan last month for suspected links with al Qaeda filed a petition Tuesday calling for his son to be produced in court and urging authorities not to extradite him.$LABEL$0 +Eight men face terror charges Police in the UK charge eight men with terror offences, including conspiracy to murder.$LABEL$0 +Protester sparks security review Olympics organisers order tighter security after a man leaps into the pool during a synchronised diving final.$LABEL$0 +Man charged with killing ex-miner A 42-year-old man is charged with killing a former miner who was found on his Nottinghamshire doorstep.$LABEL$0 +Iraqis on Mission to End Najaf Insurgency BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's national conference sent a delegation bearing a peace proposal to Najaf on Tuesday, hoping to end the standoff with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, which has marred the gathering meant to be a landmark step toward democracy. As the National Conference in Baghdad put together the mission, a mortar round exploded several miles from the gathering's venue, killing seven people and wounding wounding 35, according to the Health Ministry...$LABEL$0 +Sharon Resumes West Bank Construction JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved bids for construction of 1,000 homes in Jewish West Bank settlements after freezing them earlier this month, amid growing friction with the United States over continued settlement expansion. The planned construction violates the internationally backed ""road map"" plan, accepted by Israel, which calls for a construction freeze...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Rise on Drop in Consumer Prices NEW YORK - Stocks rose for a second straight session Tuesday as a drop in consumer prices and a decline in crude oil futures Tuesday allowed investors to put aside worries about inflation, at least for the short term. The Dow Jones industrial average pushed past the 10,000 mark for the first time in nearly two weeks...$LABEL$0 +Sharon Resumes West Bank Construction Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved bids for construction of 1,000 homes in Jewish West Bank settlements after freezing them earlier this month, amid growing friction with the United States over continued settlement expansion.$LABEL$0 +Estee Lauder Profit Up, Shares Down (Reuters) Reuters - Cosmetics manufacturer Estee Lauder\Cos. Inc. (EL.N) on Tuesday said quarterly net income jumped 51\percent, bolstered by new product sales and an improving U.S.\retail market.$LABEL$2 +Treasuries Up, Rate Hike Still in Offing (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury debt made moderate gains\on Tuesday after a key reading of U.S. inflation proved softer\than expected, a relief to investors in fixed-income debt.$LABEL$2 +US industrial production rises 0.4 percent in July (AFP) AFP - American industry lifted output moderately in July, the Federal Reserve said, a sign the economy may be finding its feet after a mid-summer slip.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Up, Data Shows Inflation in Check NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Tuesday after two separate economic reports showed inflationary pressure was held in check in July and U.S. housing starts rebounded sharply in the same month.$LABEL$2 +Kenteris protests innocence Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris insists he is not a drug cheat as he leaves hospital.$LABEL$1 +British eventers slip back Great Britain slip down to third after the cross-country round of the three-day eventing.$LABEL$1 +Drug Shows Promise for Alcoholism Topiramate reduced cravings in small study HealthDayNews -- A drug called topiramate shows promise as a potential new treatment for alcoholism, according to a study in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research. This early-stage study of 150 people with alcohol dependence found that topiramate can reduce self-reported drinking and may reduce self-reported craving for alcohol...$LABEL$3 +UAE wins first Olympic gold Ahmed al-Maktoum becomes the first Olympic medallist from the UAE with gold in the men's double shooting trap.$LABEL$0 +Last Call for Investors to Bid on Google NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time is running out for prospective investors to submit their offers to buy shares of Google Inc, the Web #39;s No. 1 search company. $LABEL$2 +Oil Falls on Reduced Concern About Venezuelan, Russian Supply Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil futures fell for a second day after a Russian state railway official said shipments of Yukos Oil Co. oil would continue and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won a recall vote. $LABEL$2 +Can Glaser, Jobs find harmony? RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser has survived longer than most in the Internet business, largely by pulling rabbits out of his hat when the competition least expects it. $LABEL$2 +PCI: Charley not as devastating as Andrew The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), the group from which member companies write about a third of Florida homeowners insurance, said initial reports from claims adjusters indicate damage from Hurricane Charley, while extensive, was ...$LABEL$2 +Stocks Rise on Drop in Consumer Prices A drop in consumer prices and a decline in crude oil futures Tuesday allowed investors to put aside worries about inflation, at least for the short term, and they sent stocks modestly higher. $LABEL$2 +Apax and Permira finalise \$5bn acquisition of moon-landing firm The company that broadcast the moon landings in 1969 and kept the quot;Hotline quot; open between the White House and the Kremlin during the Seventies has been sold for \$5bn (2.7bn), including \$2bn of debt, to a private equity ...$LABEL$2 +US Air to Seek 5-Year Extension for Pension Fund Payments S Airways, facing a cash shortage as it tries to avoid another bankruptcy filing, said yesterday that it would seek government permission to stretch out \$67.5 million in contributions it owes to the pensions of its mechanics and ...$LABEL$2 +Housing Starts Rebound Sharply in July WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Housing starts rebounded sharply in July, making up almost all the ground lost in a June slump by posting their largest monthly percentage gain since September 2002, a report from the Commerce Department on Tuesday showed. $LABEL$2 +Mills to pay GM unit \$1 bln for stakes in 9 malls NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Mills Corp. (MLS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , a real estate investment trust, on Tuesday said it agreed to buy a 50 percent managing stake in nine regional malls from General Motors Corp. #39;s (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ...$LABEL$2 +OFT invites comment on Telegraph deal The Office of Fair Trading has set the clock ticking on the process that could see the Barclay brothers #39; deal to buy the Daily Telegraph reviewed by competition watchdogs. $LABEL$2 +Cantor Fitzgerald spinning off unit NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Institutional broker Cantor Fitzgerald said Tuesday it #39;s spinning off its fixed-income voice brokerage operations into a new partnership, and will focus on expansion of its remaining institutional fixed-income and equity business. $LABEL$2 +Around Asia #39;s Markets: Shopping your way to better returns Singapore real estate investment trusts such as CapitaMall Trust may outperform the market this year as acquisitions of shopping malls and industrial buildings bolster rental income. $LABEL$2 +Microsoft delays SP2 auto update Microsoft is delaying distribution of Windows XP Service Pack 2 via its Automatic Update service by at least nine days in order to give corporate customers more time to temporarily block automatic downloading of SP2 by their employees. $LABEL$3 +New moons for Saturn Two small moons have been discovered orbiting Saturn by NASA #39;s Cassini-Huygens probe. The find, which was announced yesterday, raises Saturn #39;s satellite count to 33. $LABEL$3 +Intel Delays LCOS chips for HDTV LCOS technology sandwiches a layer of liquid crystal between a cover glass and a highly reflective, mirror-like surface patterned with pixels that sits on top of a silicon chip. These layers form a microdisplay that can be used in projection displays such ...$LABEL$3 +Intel delays delivery of chip for projection TVs - report BEIJING (AFX-ASIA) - Intel Corp said it is delaying the delivery of its first chip for projection television sets, while rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc is moving on schedule to an advanced manufacturing process, the Wall Street Journal reported. $LABEL$3 +CA moves to tackle spyware In a move to round out its computer security offerings, Computer Associates International Inc. yesterday said it acquired Pest Patrol Inc., a Carlisle, Pa., company that specializes in software to detect and eradicate malicious spyware. $LABEL$3 +Hunters are poised as some whales thrive CAP DE BON DSIR, Quebec A few miles from this spit along the pink granite coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, there is a sheltered cove that has witnessed the full span of the human relationship with whales. <br><a href=""/url?ntc=04SG1 q=http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/science/0804/17whales.html"">Save the whales! Then what?</a> <font class=f>Atlanta nbsp;Journal nbsp;Constitution nbsp;(subscription)</font>$LABEL$3 +PalmOne Unveils Wi-Fi SD Card If you own a Zire 72 or Tungsten T3 and have been longing for better wireless connectivity than their built-in Bluetooth, help is on the way: PalmOne has announced a Wi-Fi SD card for those handhelds. $LABEL$3 +IBM seeks dismissal of breach of contract claims in SCO case IBM has filed court documents seeking a dismissal of a second major component of the lawsuit filed against it last year by Unix supplier SCO. $LABEL$3 +Many engineers lack a four-year degree More than one-fifth of US science and engineering workers do not have a bachelor #39;s degree, according to a new report from the National Science Foundation. $LABEL$3 +HP releases quot;carrier quot; grade Linux for pigeons HP, THE SELLER OF tin and fag-free utopian ideals is flogging commodity, standards-based hardware and software, including Carrier Grade Linux, to telephone company Motorola. $LABEL$3 +Police officer arrested in Internet sex sting WHITE PLAINS, NY (AP) _ A city police officer was arrested at what he thought would be a sexual rendezvous with a teenage boy, six months after he was caught calling himself a quot;boy hunter quot; in an Internet chat profile, officials said. $LABEL$3 +Researchers Develop Method to Find Algae HOUSTON - Marine researchers are hoping to prevent tides of destructive algae from killing fish and fouling beaches through early detection of the microscopic organisms. $LABEL$3 +Indian researcher designs revolutionary low cost PC for the poor Professor Raj Reddy, an Indian researcher in artificial intelligence and a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.Has designed a wirelessly networked personal computer worth just 250 US dollars intended for the four billion people around the world who ...$LABEL$3 +3Com partners with wireless switch start-up 3Com is the latest networking company to partner with a wireless LAN switching start-up. 3Com said Monday it will begin reselling a version of the Mobility Exchange Switch and management software from Trapeze Networks under the 3Com brand later this year. $LABEL$3 +Coral gets its color from bacteria The soft orange glow of a common Caribbean coral comes not from the coral itself but from bacteria that live inside it, US scientists said last week. And the bacteria not only give the coral a little night light, but they also break down seawater to help ...$LABEL$3 +2004 Global nanotech spending report Lux Research Inc., a New York-based nanotechnology firm has released a detailed report that suggests global spending on research and capital investment in nanotechnology will reach \$8.6 this year. More than half that figure, \$4.6 billion, will come in the ...$LABEL$3 +WholeSecurity takes phish-blocking to browser WholeSecurity Inc has released technology that the firm says can be used to block web users from inadvertently accessing phishing web sites. The company has signed eBay Inc as a flagship customer, and has the software on millions of desktops. $LABEL$3 +MyDoom worm still causing problems The experts claim hackers have compromised these sites by exploiting scripting vulnerabilities in their guestbooks. $LABEL$3 +Hall-of-Fame credentials HAVEN, Wis. -- An official from the World Golf Hall of Fame joined a casual conversation last year about players on the verge of election and someone mentioned Vijay Singh. quot;He wouldn #39;t get my vote, quot; the official said. $LABEL$1 +Plenty of Room at the Inns of Athens Description: In the weeks leading up to the Olympic games in Athens, hotels were expecting huge crowds to flood the city. Lagging ticket sales at Olympic venues seem to have trickled into the hotel business as well, as crowds have failed to show up as ...$LABEL$1 +Pratt advances to third round Australia #39;s Nicole Pratt has advanced to the third round of the tennis event at the Athens Olympics with a three-set win over Italian Tathiana Garbin. $LABEL$1 +West Indies thrashed by England JUST yesterday, it looked as though West Indies had a chance to finally win their first match in 2004 against England. How quickly that faded away! Simply put, West Indies lost the plot. England, behind on first innings, did just enough to ...$LABEL$1 +Yao #39;s 39 carries China past New Zealand ATHENS, Greece - Yao Ming bounced back from a rough opening game with 39 points and 13 rebounds to lead China to a 69-62 victory over New Zealand in the men #39;s basketball Group A tournament Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +Olympics-Henin rust-free but Ferrero falters ATHENS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Any hint of rust after a 12-week lay-off was long gone by the time Justine Henin-Hardenne took to the Olympic tennis court on Tuesday, a fact drummed mercilessly home to Venezuela #39;s Maria Vento-Kabchi. $LABEL$1 +Rugby-South Africa opt for Venter #39;s physical edge DURBAN, Aug 17 (Reuters) - South Africa hope AJ Venter will add a physical edge to their play in the loose in the deciding Tri-Nations test against Australia in Durban on Saturday. $LABEL$1 +Vatican Says It #39;s Willing #39; to Help End Najaf (Correct) Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Vatican is willing #39; #39; to help end fighting between militiamen loyal to Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi and US forces in Iraq #39;s holy city of Najaf, according to a statement on the Holy See #39;s Web ...$LABEL$0 +UK village wrecked by flash floods Boscastle - Emergency services searched the wreckage of a picturesque English fishing village on Tuesday for 15 people unaccounted for after flash floods created a wall of water which tore through the valley. $LABEL$0 +China #39;s Appeal to North Korea: Attend Nuclear Working Talks China has asked that North Korea attend working-level meetings ahead of the next round of six-party nuclear talks in Beijing. $LABEL$0 +Chess legend wedding bid #39;genuine #39; TOKYO, Japan -- The Japanese woman who plans to marry former world chess champion Bobby Fischer says their feelings are genuine. $LABEL$0 +Al Qaeda operative said to visit Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A senior Al Qaeda operative captured in Britain this month had traveled in March to a militant hideout near the Pakistan-Afghan border and met with other terror suspects, ...$LABEL$0 +German welfare rallies escalate Thousands of people have marched through cities across Germany in renewed protests against welfare cuts. $LABEL$0 +Migrants #39; ordeal ugly side of paradise Pleasant visions of fun in the sun in the Dominican Republic are being shattered by sad images of residents being smuggled away on wooden boats, only to perish at sea. $LABEL$0 +Tamil Tigers are unlikely to change their stripes (NEWS ANALYSIS) : India News gt; New Delhi, Aug 17 : For the first time since Sri Lanka #39;s peace process got under way in February 2002, Tamil Tiger guerrillas have come under flak from the West amid growing signs of a revival of the armed conflict. $LABEL$0 +Deaths in Nigerian cult clashes At least 18 students have been killed in clashes between rival student gangs in south-eastern Nigeria. $LABEL$0 +Motorola Expects Strong Sales in 2nd Half SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Motorola Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MOT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">MOT.N</A>, the second-largest mobile phone maker, said on Tuesday it expects to sustain strong sales growth in the second half of 2004 on new handsets, sparking a 4.7 percent jump in its shares.$LABEL$2 +Work Works for Women Women who work are healthier than women who don't have jobs, suggests a study presented Aug. 16 at the American Sociological Association annual meeting in San Francisco. The University of Pennsylvania study concluded the health benefits that women derive from working aren't diminished by longer work hours or combining longer work hours with those of a spouse.$LABEL$3 +Symantec to reinforce data protection Company's upgrades will put a particular focus on protecting personal information from online thieves.$LABEL$3 +Google IPO Set to Trade this Week On Monday, Google requested final approval from federal regulators to begin trading their stock. Google has asked that the SEC declare its registration statement effective as of 1 pm pacific time today. Google ...$LABEL$2 +European/US private equity consortium buys Intelsat in deal valued at \$5bn An unusual alliance of US and European private equity firms has won the auction to buy Bermuda-based satellite business Intelsat. Europeans Apax and Permira and US firms Apollo Management and Madison Dearborn will pay \$3bn for the business and assume \$2bn ...$LABEL$2 +Windows Update Operating systems just ain #39;t what they used to be. For a while, Microsoft released a new version of Windows every two or three yearseach creating a ripple effect on how we all used and thought about technology. But now, there #39;s a ...$LABEL$3 +New bird survives hungry Filipinos Manila - A new species of flightless bird has been discovered living on a tiny island in the northern Philippines where the inhabitants formerly ate them, scientists and birdwatchers said on Tuesday. $LABEL$3 +Intel Delays Digital TV Chips Intel #39;s LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) high-definition television chips first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January will not be released in time for next year #39;s show, as scheduled. $LABEL$3 +CA buys PestPatrol anti-spyware developer Computer Associates said Monday it acquired PestPatrol, a firm marketing anti-spyware software to enterprises, small businesses and individual consumers. $LABEL$3 +KDE 3.3 Linux desktop closes in on Windows The final release of KDE 3.3, an open-source Linux desktop environment, is due in a few days and will give users greatly improved email facilities. $LABEL$3 +Bill Simmons I #39;m starting to wonder if quot;Puerto Rico 92, USA 73 quot; was one of those life-altering upsets, along the lines of quot;USA 4, USSR 3 quot; and quot;Cadwallader 99, Nevada State 98. quot; It #39;s not that we lost. I knew that was going to happen. Even predicted it. It was the way ...$LABEL$1 +Nunez officially joins Liverpool Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Antonio Nunez arrived at Liverpool Tuesday as part of the deal that sent Michael Owen to Spanish giant Real Madrid. $LABEL$1 +Iranian judo scandal Iran #39;s Judo champion, a favourite at the Athens Games, has disqualified himself rather than face an Israeli opponent, apparently on the instruction of Iran #39;s Olympic Committee. So far the International Olympic Committee has been silent. What #39;s your view? ...$LABEL$1 +The Boks Must Give Lame Kicks the Boot THE Springboks will need to reduce the amount of possession they give away through errant kicking sharply if they are to limit Australia #39;s lethal counterattacking power in Saturday #39;s tri-nations clash in Durban. $LABEL$1 +Basketball: China #39;s Yao Takes Anger Out on New Zealand ATHENS (Reuters) - An angry Yao Ming took his frustrations out on New Zealand at the Olympic men #39;s basketball tournament on Tuesday, pouring in 39 points as China beat the Kiwis 69-62. $LABEL$1 +Lara #39;s captaincy on the line at Oval West Indies captain Brian Lara tips his helmet to the fans after becoming one of only four players to reach ten thousand runs in Test matches. Picture:AP ...$LABEL$1 +Americans lose second beach volleyball match ATHENS, Greece (Ticker) -- The dream of a second consecutive beach volleyball gold medal has become all but impossible for American Dain Blanton. $LABEL$1 +Massacre Threatens to Derail Congolese Peace Process The bodies of about 160 Congolese Tutsis killed in Burundi during the weekend were buried on Monday, but the impact of the massacre is just beginning to be felt. A former rebel group now in the transitional government in the Democratic Republic of Congo ...$LABEL$0 +Sharon Allows 1,000 More Settler Homes in West Bank JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon approved tenders to build 1,000 more Israeli settler homes in the occupied West Bank, plans that were shelved earlier to avoid discord with Washington, political sources said Tuesday. $LABEL$0 +Kidnap accused says he worked for US A former American soldier accused of kidnapping and torturing terror suspects in Afghanistan has told a Kabul court that the FBI is withholding hundreds of documents showing that he was working for the US Government. $LABEL$0 +The New Woman in Schrder #39;s Life Gerhard Schrder is no stranger to sharing his life with members of the opposite sex. On Monday, it was revealed that there was a new young lady on the scene: his freshly adopted three-year old daughter, Viktoria. $LABEL$0 +Sri Lankan navy detects Tamil rebels smuggling weapons COLOMBO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan navy on Tuesday detected a trawler of the Tamil Tiger rebels suspected of smuggling weapons in seas close to Mullaitivu in northeast of the country, the Defense Ministry said. $LABEL$0 +HK government set to petition release of democrat jailed in China HONG KONG : The Hong Kong government is interceding with the mainland authorities for the release of a legislator who was arrested and jailed in Guangdong. $LABEL$0 +Latham urges PM to remove public service gag MARK COLVIN: The Opposition leader, Mark Latham, has challenged the Prime Minister to remove the gag that #39;s prevented senior government advisers, including those in the PM #39;s office, from talking about what happened in the #39;children overboard #39; affair. $LABEL$0 +TeliaSonera acquires 100 pct of Lithuanian mobile company Omnitel (AFP) AFP - The Swedish-Finnish telecommunications operator TeliaSonera said it had bought the remaining 10 percent stake in Lithuania's major mobile company Omnitel that it did not already own for 63.5 million dollars (51.4 million euros).$LABEL$3 +Matter of Time Before Tibet Lake Bursts -Official (Reuters) Reuters - A Tibetan lake formed by a Himalayan\landslide is steadily rising and will sooner or later burst its\banks and flood a valley in neighboring India, a Chinese\official said on Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +Astronomers give Milky Way an age Astronomers have estimated the age of our galaxy at about 13,600 million years old.$LABEL$3 +Livermore: No need for HP-UX on x86 CHICAGO -- This cannot be an easy time for Ann Livermore. When Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) missed Wall Street's earnings expectations late last week, the blame was placed squarely on the shoulders of the Enterprise Servers and Storage Group, one of the divisions she manages. ""Unacceptable"" problems within the group cost HP \$400 million in revenue and \$275 million in operating profit, said HP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina just hours before HP announced the sacking of three senior executives within the division.$LABEL$3 +Greek Athletes Shocked by Accusations ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) - Greece's top two athletes, facing a state prosecutor's investigation over missed drug tests and a motorbike crash, left a hospital Tuesday declaring they were innocent and should be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.$LABEL$1 +Fish Knocks Off Ferrero Mardy Fish turns things around for the biggest victory of his career, a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 comeback against former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.$LABEL$1 +Iverson Breaks Thumb Allen Iverson breaks his right thumb but plans to play anyway Tuesday for the U.S. men's basketball team, which is coming off a loss to Puerto Rico.$LABEL$1 +Britain Charges Suspects in U.S.-Linked Terror Case (Reuters) Reuters - Britain charged eight men on Tuesday\with conspiracy to murder and other terrorism charges, some\relating to plans for U.S. buildings such as the New York Stock\Exchange that were the subject of terrorism alerts this month.$LABEL$0 +Bollywood megastar Bachchan meets Pakistani students to boost ties (AFP) AFP - Bollywood mega star Amitabh Bachchan met with a group of Pakistani students as part of a wider initiative to deepen cultural ties between India and Pakistan.$LABEL$0 +Britain Charges Suspects in U.S.-Linked Terror Case LONDON (Reuters) - Britain charged eight men on Tuesday with conspiracy to murder and other terrorism charges, some relating to plans for U.S. buildings such as the New York Stock Exchange that were the subject of terrorism alerts this month.$LABEL$0 +Sharon Allows 1,000 More Settler Homes in West Bank JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon approved tenders to build 1,000 more Israeli settler homes in the occupied West Bank, plans that were shelved earlier to avoid discord with Washington, political sources said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Germany Shaken by U.S. Plans to Withdraw Troops BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany said Tuesday U.S. plans to pull out 30,000 troops were a sign Europe's divisions had healed, but communities hit by the decision warned they were headed for economic disaster.$LABEL$0 +Home Depot Raises Outlook, Tops Estimates ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HD.N</A> on Tuesday reported a 19 percent rise in second-quarter profit, topping estimates, as store renovations and efforts to improve service drove higher average sales in every category.$LABEL$2 +Home Depot Writes Big Tickets Shoppers spend more, giving the company yet another quarter of sales growth and even better earnings.$LABEL$2 +Pay Up for Growth Legg Mason's Mary Chris Gay knows when to pay for growth and when to sell a stock.$LABEL$2 +Mounties open Nortel's books The Royal Canadian Mounted Police formally launch a criminal investigation into company's accounting practices.$LABEL$3 +India makes Olympic breakthrough Kashmir veteran Rajyavardhan Rathore wins India's first ever individual silver medal at the Olympic Games.$LABEL$0 +Israel Ends West Bank Construction Freeze JERUSALEM - The Israeli government issued bids Tuesday for 1,000 new homes in Jewish West Bank settlements, insisting the construction has Washington's tacit approval even though it violates a U.S.-backed peace plan. U.S...$LABEL$0 +Iverson Has Broken Thumb, but Will Play ATHENS, Greece - Allen Iverson broke his right thumb but plans to play anyway Tuesday night for the U.S. Olympic basketball team, which is coming off an embarrassing loss to Puerto Rico in its opener...$LABEL$0 +Najaf Fighting Resumes Amid Peace Mission BAGHDAD, Iraq - A pared-down delegation of Iraqis arrived in Najaf by helicopter Tuesday to present radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr with a peace proposal aimed at ending the violent insurgency wracking the holy city. Despite the delegation's presence there, fighting intensified in Najaf, with at least one U.S...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Climb on Drop in Consumer Prices NEW YORK - Stocks rose for a second straight session Tuesday as a drop in consumer prices Tuesday allowed investors to put aside worries about inflation, at least for the short term. With gasoline prices falling to eight-month lows, the Consumer Price Index registered a small drop in July, giving consumers a respite from soaring energy prices...$LABEL$0 +US consumer prices post first decline in eight months WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- US consumer prices declined marginally in July, posting the first fall since last November, the Labor Department said in a report released Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +Lojack makes Canada move with Boomerang buy The Westwood company is spending \$48 million to acquire Boomerang Tracking Inc., a Montreal company that operates a stolen car recovery system in Canada. $LABEL$2 +US July Output Up; Factories Run Faster WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US industrial output advanced in July, as American factories operated at their highest capacity in more than three years, a Federal Reserve report on Tuesday showed. $LABEL$2 +Researchers Find New Species of Bird MANILA, Philippines - Filipino and British wildlife researchers say they #39;ve stumbled upon what appears to be a new species of flightless bird found only on the tiny forested island of Calayan in the northern ...$LABEL$3 +AMD ships 90nm chips Sunnyvale-based computer chip maker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., says it #39;s shipped its first low-power Mobile AMD Athlon 64 processors made with its new 90 nanometer (nm) manufacturing process. $LABEL$3 +Livermore: No need for HP-UX on x86 CHICAGO -- This cannot be an easy time for Ann Livermore. When Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) missed Wall Street #39;s earnings expectations late last week, the blame was placed squarely on the shoulders of ...$LABEL$3 +Astronomers give Milky Way an age A team working with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile report that our galaxy is 13,600 million years old, give or take 800 million years. $LABEL$3 +I #39;m innocent, says Greek Olympic champion Kenteris Olympic champion Kostas Kenteris, who is likely to be expelled from the Olympics for missing a doping test, said Tuesday that he is not a drugs cheat. $LABEL$1 +Life in Athens: From songs about Dutch swimmers to watching wedgies You #39;ve heard of swimmer #39;s ear, but what about swimmer #39;s wave? It #39;s the odd way in which Olympic swimmers -- and many gymnasts -- acknowledge applause: By raising their arms to the sky, palms upward, then moving their hands about as if they #39;re changing ...$LABEL$1 +Sharon OKs 1,000 new settlement homes JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved tenders to build 1,000 more Israeli settler homes in the occupied West Bank, plans that had been shelved earlier to avoid discord with Washington, political sources say. $LABEL$0 +Ex-colleague backs Scrafton on PM #39;s call A FORMER senior Defence Department bureaucrat last night backed her former colleague Michael Scrafton #39;s version of a phone call with John Howard over the children overboard affair. $LABEL$0 +Stocks Up on Earnings, Oil, Economic Data NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday, getting a boost from some strong retail earnings, lower oil prices and two separate economic reports that showed inflationary pressure was held in check and U.S. housing starts rebounded sharply in July.$LABEL$2 +IBM expands into Danish IT services market Continuing its assault on the European IT outsourcing market, IBM Corp. has signed agreements to buy two Danish IT services companies and another to provide IT services to one of the country's largest banks.$LABEL$3 +Medical Examiner Finds No Injuries on Thanou-Source ATHENS (Reuters) - A medical examiner has found that Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who was in hospital with fellow athlete Costas Kenteris, had no injuries, a judicial source said on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Yukos Can Ship Oil Amid Tax Dispute, Russia Rail Says (Update5) Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Russia #39;s state-owned railway, the shipper of a fourth of OAO Yukos Oil Co. #39;s crude oil, said it will guarantee exports, the clearest sign yet President Vladimir Putin wants to ensure supplies to world markets. $LABEL$2 +Construction driving solid product demand SURGING demand in heavy construction should outweigh any downturn in new home building, according to OneSteel and Boral. $LABEL$2 +Real slashes song prices in online music battle In a move likely to step up the digital music dispute between RealNetworks Inc. and Apple Computer Inc., Real slashed prices at its online music store on Tuesday, offering songs and albums for a limited time at nearly half of what Apple charges at its ...$LABEL$3 +Discovery of Rail points to fragile biodiversity: Birdlife Intl The Calayan Rail, Gallirallus calayaensis, discovered by scientists in the northern tip of Babuyan islands in the Philippines archipelago. Photo: Des Allen/AP. $LABEL$3 +Symantec Upgrades Norton Security Products Symantec has unveiled new versions of its Norton security products--beefing up some of the real-time and automated features--and will release them in the next few weeks. $LABEL$3 +Pranab Mukherjee congratulates Rathore Union Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday congratulated double trap shooter Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on becoming the first Indian to win a silver medal in an individual event at the Olympics. $LABEL$1 +Iliadis Takes Greece #39;s Second Gold with Judo Win ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek teenager Ilias Iliadis swept up the Olympic host country #39;s second gold medal on Tuesday, winning the men #39;s judo under 81kg category. $LABEL$1 +Bell set for Test debut Ian Bell is almost certain to make his England Test debut on Thursday in the final match against West Indies. $LABEL$1 +Forwards providing platform: Young LOOSEHEAD prop Bill Young believes a change in attitude by the forwards has played a key role in taking the Wallabies to the threshold of winning the Tri-Nations trophy. $LABEL$1 +Schroeder quot;adopts Russian girl quot; BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his wife, Doris, have adopted a 3-year-old Russian girl, German newspapers have reported. $LABEL$0 +Hurricane Charley Tears Into Outback (Reuters) Reuters - Outback Steakhouse Inc. (OSI.N) on\Tuesday said it lost about 130 operating days and up to #36;2\million in revenue because it had to close some restaurants in\the South due to Hurricane Charley.$LABEL$2 +Hurricane Charley Tears Into Outback NEW YORK (Reuters) - Outback Steakhouse Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=OSI.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">OSI.N</A> on Tuesday said it lost about 130 operating days and up to \$2 million in revenue because it had to close some restaurants in the South due to Hurricane Charley.$LABEL$2 +Business Objects to bundle IBM tools The analytics and reporting software maker will begin selling IBM's mainframe access software.$LABEL$3 +N.Y. Atty General Announces Drug-Price Web Site (Reuters) Reuters - New York Attorney General Eliot\Spitzer on Tuesday said his office has created an interactive\Web site to help New Yorkers comparison shop for prescription\drugs, following a statewide survey showing widely varying\prices at pharmacies.$LABEL$3 +Swiss slashes first-half net loss but fuel costs hamper turnaround (AFP) AFP - The airline Swiss said it had managed to cut its first-half net loss by about 90 percent but warned that spiralling fuel costs were hampering a turnaround despite increasing passenger travel.$LABEL$0 +Google IPO Under Threat Due to Shortage of Bids Google has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to make its registration statement effective at 4 pm Eastern time on Tuesday. If the company follows the usual IPO pattern, the share price would be set and the offering ...$LABEL$2 +Halliburton Says Army Can Withold Payments Halliburton Co. on Tuesday blamed politics for a US Army decision to not grant the company more time to resolve a billing dispute in which the Pentagon contends the company did not adequately account for some \$1.8 billion of work done in the Middle East. $LABEL$2 +Cantor Fitzgerald spinning off business Manhattan-based financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald said Tuesday it is spinning off its inter-dealer voice brokerage business and will concentrate on sales and trading, investment banking, asset management and other institutional services. $LABEL$2 +Housing starts jump 8.3 percent Washington, DC, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The US Commerce Department said Tuesday a dip in mortgage rates helped boost home-building activity in July 8.3 percent after falling 7.7 percent in June. $LABEL$2 +Trial date set for ex-HealthSouth CEO Scrushy BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Fired HealthSouth chief executive Richard Scrushy will go on trial January 5th. $LABEL$2 +WWiSE group proposes 540 Mbps Wi-Fi A consortium of companies is pushing a new proposal to the IEEE for 802.11n. 135 Mbps in standard mode, 540 Mbps maximum throughput. Fast enough? ...$LABEL$3 +PalmOne unveils Wi-Fi SD Card It appears the rumours of Palm creating a Wi-Fi card are true, however before you rush to your local electronics store take note that it won #39;t work on any PDA you can find. $LABEL$3 +IBM seeks dismissal of SCO claims IBM has filed a 100-page motion with a US district court in an attempt to have some of the claims made against it by The SCO Group dismissed. $LABEL$3 +The #39;i #39; in #39;Internet #39; It #39;s not exactly an earth-shaking development but I expect that Wired News #39; very public announcement that it would no longer capitalize quot;Internet, quot; quot;Web quot; or quot;Net quot; will provoke some discussion and debate in online publishing circles. $LABEL$3 +Medical Examiner Finds No Injuries on Thanou-Source ATHENS (Reuters) - A medical examiner has found that Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who was in hospital with fellow athlete Costas Kenteris, had no injuries, a judicial source said on Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +Athens ticket sales #39;improving #39; ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Olympic organizers announced that more than half of available tickets (3.1 million) to the Games have been sold, almost reaching the budget for purchases. $LABEL$1 +Greek wins gold in judo Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Ilias Iliadis captured Greece #39;s second gold medal of the 2004 Olympics with a thrilling victory over Roman Gontyuk of the Ukraine in the men #39;s under 81kg category in judo on Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +Boston Red Sox Team Report - August 17 (Sports Network) - Pedro Martinez will try to win his fourth consecutive decision, as he takes the hill for the Boston Red Sox in the middle test of a three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. $LABEL$1 +Venter back for Boks ABRASIVE Springbok flanker AJ Venter returns to the field on Saturday for South Africa #39;s crunch encounter against Australia, the only change to the team announced by coach Jake White today. $LABEL$1 +Stocks Up on Earnings, Data; Oil Weighs NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were higher on Tuesday, boosted by strong earnings from Home Depot Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HD.N</A> and two separate economic reports that showed inflationary pressure was held in check and U.S. housing starts rebounded sharply in July.$LABEL$2 +Briefly: Business Objects to bundle IBM tools roundup Plus: Linux clusters gear up for simulated combat...Sprint to bake in BlackBerry for businesses...Microsoft ships updated Works...FaceTime pulls in \$16 million.$LABEL$3 +New Cooperation and New Tensions in Terrorist Hunt The apprehension of Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan was wrapped up with almost no notice, but it would have enormous global repercussions.$LABEL$0 +Front-Porch Chat: Birth of a Kerry Campaign Tactic John Kerry has held 10 ""front porch visit"" events an actual front porch is optional where perhaps 100 people ask questions in a low-key campaigning style.$LABEL$0 +Beach Volleyball: Brazilians Aim for Podium Again ATHENS (Reuters) - Brazil have had two women's teams on the beach volleyball podium at the last two Olympics and moved a step closer to a hat-trick Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Welsh to ban strippers in limousines (Reuters) Reuters - Strippers and pole dancers should be banned from performing in stretch limousines, according to a\British report.$LABEL$0 +Google shares could start trading Wednesday MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. - Google?s initial public offering could hit the Nasdaq Stock Market as early as Wednesday if US securities regulators let the Internet search engine close its auction on Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +US consumer prices decline unexpectedly in July NEW YORK, August 17 (New Ratings) The US consumer prices declined for the first time in the past eight months in July this year, driven by the reduced gasoline, clothing and transportation costs during the month. $LABEL$2 +US industrial production rebounds in July WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Output at US factories, mines and utilities rose by 0.4 percent in July, nearly recovering from a 0.5 percent plunge in June, the Federal Reserve said on Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +Building permits increase 5.7, reversing June downturn WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Construction of new homes recovered in July, as US homebuilders started homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.978 million, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +Real to Apple: It #39;s On An old-fashioned price war is gearing up in the digital music download business, with RealNetworks (Quote, Chart) on the offensive. With rival Apple in its crosshairs, RealNetworks has slashed the price on songs sold from its RealPlayer store by 50 ...$LABEL$3 +IBM announces eServer i5 550 The eServer i5 550 comes with a feature called the quot;Solution Edition, quot; which is apparently available with certain Independent Software Vendors. The eServer i5, allegedly, has new ways to handle and optimise multiple operating system sthrough the ...$LABEL$3 +Molik joins Pratt in last 16 ALICIA Molik joined fellow Australian Nicole Pratt in the last 16 of the Olympic tennis competition overnight with a 7-5 6-4 second round win over Slovenia #39;s Katarina Srebotnik. $LABEL$1 +Voices: Iranian Judo scandal Iran #39;s Judo champion, a favourite at the Athens Games, has disqualified himself rather than face an Israeli opponent, apparently on the instruction of Iran #39;s Olympic Committee. So far the International Olympic Committee has been silent. What #39;s your view? ...$LABEL$1 +Fighting Continues In South Ossetia Prague, 17 August 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Fresh fighting and further casualties were reported overnight in Georgia #39;s separatist republic of South Ossetia. The violence erupted hours after Georgia and South Ossetia reached an agreement under which all armed units ...$LABEL$0 +Oil Up on Rosy U.S. Economic Data LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Tuesday on cheery economic data showing that inflationary pressure was held in check in July and ahead of weekly inventory due out on Wednesday forecast to show a draw in crude stocks$LABEL$2 +Illinois Helps Residents Import Drugs CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois residents will soon gain access to lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, sidestepping U.S. regulators' objections to imported drugs, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Rebels force Nepal firms to close One of Nepal's top hotels and a number of other companies close for business after threats from Maoist rebels.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Broadband Growth Slows - Analyst (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. telephone and cable companies\saw the growth of high-speed Internet services slow in the\second quarter to the lowest rate in a year, an industry\research firm said on Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +Real Slashes Online Song Prices (PC World) PC World - Digital music battle continues, as Real undercuts ITunes' prices.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Broadband Growth Slows - Analyst WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. telephone and cable companies saw the growth of high-speed Internet services slow in the second quarter to the lowest rate in a year, an industry research firm said on Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: Majoras steps into FTC chairman role roundup Plus: Business Objects to bundle IBM tools...Linux clusters gear up for simulated combat...Sprint to bake in BlackBerry for businesses.$LABEL$3 +Illinois Helps Residents Import Drugs (Reuters) Reuters - Illinois residents will soon gain\access to lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, the United\Kingdom and Ireland, sidestepping U.S. regulators' objections\to imported drugs, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Court Rejects Yukos' Plea on Tax Bill A Russian court today rejected the beleaguered oil company's appeal to suspend government efforts to collect \$3.4 billion in back taxes.$LABEL$2 +Army to Withhold Some Payments From Halliburton The U.S. Army plans to withhold payment on 15 percent of future invoices of Halliburton's logistics deal in Iraq due to an ongoing billing dispute.$LABEL$2 +Chavez lambasts fraud allegations Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez rounds on opponents for alleging fraud in a referendum he seems to have won.$LABEL$0 +Google #39;s auction wrapping up NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Google #39;s long-awaited kickoff as the largest Internet IPO of all time is likely to take place as early as Wednesday after the controversial Dutch auction process wraps up after the bell. $LABEL$2 +Russian Arbitration Court Rejects Yukos Plea The giant Russian oil firm Yukos has failed to convince a Moscow arbitration court to suspend the sale by bailiffs of its Siberian subsidiary to satisfy a \$3.4 billion tax debt. $LABEL$2 +US consumer prices dip 0.1 in July; industrial output and home starts rise WASHINGTON (AP) - US consumer prices eased down by 0.1 per cent in July as gasoline prices dropped, while factory output rose and home construction rebounded, offering hope the economy has escaped its early-summer quot;soft patch. quot; ...$LABEL$2 +JC Penney Posts Operating Profit NEW YORK (Reuters) - Department store operator JC Penney Co. Inc. (JCP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday posted a quarterly operating profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, on inventory controls and strong sales of jeans, home furnishings and career ...$LABEL$2 +Nortel shares down following news of RCMP probe TORONTO - Shares of Nortel Networks dipped on the TSX in the wake of news the RCMP has launched an investigation into accounting practices at the telecommunications company. $LABEL$2 +Mills buys stakes in 9 GM-owned malls Virginia-based REIT will pay \$1B, before transaction costs, for a 50 stake in the properties. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Real estate investment trust Mills Corp. said Tuesday it will buy a 50 percent managing stake in nine regional malls from a General Motors ...$LABEL$2 +Stocks in Motion: Motorola Shares of Motorola (MOT:NYSE - news - research) rose Tuesday after Geoffrey Frost, senior vice president of Motorola #39;s mobile phone division, told Reuters that the company feels quot;very good quot; about sales growth during the second half of the year. $LABEL$2 +Update 1: Swiss Air Lines Posts 1st Quarterly Profit Switzerland #39;s struggling national airline reported a second-quarter profit of 45 million Swiss francs (\$35.6 million) Tuesday, although its figures were boosted by a legal settlement in France. $LABEL$2 +IMF says Czech economic outlook #39;favorable #39; WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday the near-term economic outlook for the Czech Republic, a European Union newcomer, was favorable with growth expected to strengthen. $LABEL$2 +Newest discoveries puts known number of satellites at 33 A camera aboard the Cassini spacecraft flying in orbit around Saturn has discovered two of the tiniest moons in the solar system -- one barely 2 miles in diameter and the other only a half-mile larger, astronomers reported Monday. $LABEL$3 +IBM adds midrange server to eServer lineup AUGUST 17, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IBM today launched a new one-to-four-way midrange Power5 server that features higher performance and several configurations to meet a wide range of user needs. $LABEL$3 +Q amp;A: HP #39;s Livermore sees no need for HP-UX on x86 AUGUST 17, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - This can #39;t be an easy time for Ann Livermore. When Hewlett-Packard Co. missed Wall Street #39;s earnings expectations late last week, the blame was placed squarely on the shoulders of the Enterprise Servers and Storage Group, ...$LABEL$3 +Indian researcher designs revolutionary low cost PC for the poor Aug 17 - Professor Raj Reddy, an Indian researcher in artificial intelligence and a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Has designed a wirelessly networked personal computer worth just 250 US dollars intended for the four billion people around the ...$LABEL$3 +That Special Underwater Glow any coral colonies have a nice healthy glow about them, courtesy of fluorescent proteins produced by the coral animals themselves. $LABEL$3 +Al-Maktoum wins men #39;s double trap shooting gold ATHENS : Sheikh Ahmed Al-Maktoum #39;s six-year quest for Olympic glory ended with a historic first ever gold for the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after he clinched the men #39;s double trap shooting event. $LABEL$1 +E-mail from Athens ATHENS, Greece For people willing to devote an unfathomable \$1.5 billion to quot;security quot; for the Olympic Games, the Greeks sure are careless. As in, they couldn #39;t care less. $LABEL$1 +US takes early lead over Australia THESSALONIKI, Greece - With Abby Wambach out with a suspension after receiving two yellow cards Sunday against Brazil, the US soccer team came together and grabbed the lead early in their game against Australia on Tuesday afternoon. $LABEL$1 +Oil Up on Rosy U.S. Economic Data LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose close to a record high on Tuesday on U.S. economic data showing that inflationary pressure was held in check in July and ahead of weekly inventory due out on Wednesday and forecast to show a draw in crude stocks.$LABEL$2 +Ford Sued in Defective Door Latch Claim DETROIT (Reuters) - A Canadian law firm on Tuesday said it had filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=F.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">F.N</A> over what it claims are defective door latches on about 400,000 of the automaker's popular pickup trucks and SUVs.$LABEL$2 +Mittal steel firm in Bosnia deal LNM Group, the steel giant headed by Indian tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, snaps up a Bosnian steelmaker in a \$280m deal.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO Imminent The company asks federal regulators to approve the paperwork required for its stock sale. Also: Yahoo starts selling domain names hellip;. Canadian officials investigate Nortel Networks hellip;. and more.$LABEL$2 +PluggedIn: Multifunction Devices Draw Back-To-School Crowd (Reuters) Reuters - The consumer electronics gizmo\that offers many functions in a small package is what's\compelling back-to-school shoppers to open their wallets.$LABEL$3 +PluggedIn: Multifunction Devices Draw Back-To-School Crowd SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The consumer electronics gizmo that offers many functions in a small package is what's compelling back-to-school shoppers to open their wallets.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: Kinko's debuts Web-based print options roundup Plus: Majoras takes charge of FTC...Business Objects to bundle IBM tools...Linux clusters gear up for simulated combat.$LABEL$3 +Wireless vendors pledge hurricane relief Cingular and Nextel step in to aid those recovering from Hurricane Charley in Florida.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft readies Host Integration Server 2004 In a continued effort to compete with IBM Corp. and its WebSphere offerings, Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced imminent availability of Host Integration Server 2004.$LABEL$3 +WR Berkley Sees Hurricane Losses Insurance holding company WR Berkley Corp. said Tuesday that it does not expect its losses from damage caused by Hurricane Charley last week to exceed \$5 million. $LABEL$2 +RealNetwork #39;s 49 cent downloads rile Apple Seattle, WA, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- RealNetworks Inc., is taking on Apple Computer #39;s wildly successful iTunes Music Store with a half-price sale offering music downloads for 49 cents a song. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft Delays Windows XP SP2 for Home Users Microsoft has delayed the rollout of XP Service Pack Two (SP2) for home users, and some customers will not be able to download it until the end of the month. The new code was supposed to go out on Microsoft #39;s Automatic Update service on ...$LABEL$3 +Olympics-Shooting-loving Rathore promotes Olympic sports ATHENS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore loves cricket as much as any Indian, even if the national obsession with ball and bat can make it hard for the country #39;s Olympic athletes to get a look in. $LABEL$1 +Phelps Wins Second Gold Medal, in 200 Fly (AP) AP - American Michael Phelps won the gold medal Tuesday in the 200-meter butterfly with an Olympic-record time of 1:54.04.$LABEL$1 +Redskins Cut Strong Safety Ohalete (AP) AP - Strong safety Ifeanyi Ohalete was cut by the Washington Redskins on Tuesday after starting 15 games for the team last season.$LABEL$1 +Wood's Suspension Upheld (Reuters) Reuters - Major League Baseball\Monday announced a decision on the appeal filed by Chicago Cubs\pitcher Kerry Wood regarding a suspension stemming from an\incident earlier this season.$LABEL$1 +Parry wins butterfly bronze Stephen Parry comes a brilliant third behind Michael Phelps in the men's 200m butterfly.$LABEL$1 +Google IPO Imminent In a sign that Google #39;s initial public offering is imminent, the company has asked federal regulators to give final approval to the paperwork required for its stock sale. $LABEL$2 +Banks want BJ #39;s to pay for credit card fraud CHICAGO, Aug 17 (Reuters) - BJ #39;s Wholesale Club Inc. (BJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said credit card issuers want the retailer to reimburse them for up to \$16 million in fraudulent credit card charges and other costs stemming from a possible ...$LABEL$2 +Negative sentiment towards US stock market rises NEW YORK, August 17 (New Ratings) Analysts at Merrill Lynch say that a recent survey of global fund managers demonstrates continuously increasing negative sentiments towards the US stock market trends. $LABEL$2 +IBM Seeks Another SCO Dismissal The current motion is in addition to the request for a summary judgment IBM has been seeking since early July. If the initial request is granted, it could bring the case to a close without trial. Although summary judgment arguments ...$LABEL$3 +Microsoft readies Host Integration Server 2004 In a continued effort to compete with IBM Corp. and its WebSphere offerings, Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced imminent availability of Host Integration Server 2004. $LABEL$3 +VARs, Vendors Seize Patch Management Opportunity The delayed arrival of Windows Update Services is giving VARs and patch management vendors a chance to cash in. $LABEL$3 +Iraq peace mission arrives in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - An Iraqi peace delegation has urged a radical Shi #39;ite cleric to call off his uprising in the city of Najaf, where US troops have been pounding militia positions near the country #39;s holiest Islamic sites. $LABEL$0 +Downer to begin nuclear talks FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer will today begin talks with North Korean officials to try to convince the communist state to drop its nuclear weapons program. $LABEL$0 +Southern Africa countries pledge enhanced trade ties with China, India PORT LOUIS, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Southern African countries Tuesday pledged better trade and investment relations with China as well as India in the final communique released at the end of their two-day summit. $LABEL$0 +Chiron Wins Bird Flu Vaccine Deal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chiron Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=CHIR.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">CHIR.O</A> has won a contract to develop a human vaccine against a strain of bird flu that can infect people and ""has the potential to trigger a modern-day pandemic,"" the U.S. government said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +RealNetworks Halves Music Prices, Sees Wider Loss (Reuters) Reuters - RealNetworks Inc. on Tuesday halved\prices for songs downloaded from its online music store to win\customers for new technology that has rankled rival Apple\Computer Inc.$LABEL$3 +Benefits Seen in Earth Observation Data (AP) AP - Better weather forecasts to prepare for storms and planning for energy needs months in advance are among the benefits expected from a planned Earth Observation System.$LABEL$3 +Michael Phelps Wins Second Gold Medal (AP) AP - Michael Phelps, denied in his bid to win seven gold medals, picked up his second victory of the Athens Games by winning the 200-meter butterfly Tuesday night in Olympic-record time. Phelps fell just short of his own world record, holding off Takashi Yamamoto to win in 1 minute, 54.01 seconds. The hard-charging Japanese swimmer took silver in 1:54.56, while Great Britain's Stephen Parry won bronze in 1:55.22.$LABEL$1 +Aussies Battle Americans to 1-1 Tie (AP) AP - After 17 years, the Matildas finally caught up to the U.S. women's soccer team. Joanne Peters' 12-yard header in the 82nd minute gave Australia a 1-1 tie Tuesday with the United States, breaking a 15-game Aussie losing streak that dates to the teams' first meeting in 1987.$LABEL$1 +Australia Ties U.S. Joanne Peters' 12-yard header in the 82nd minute gives Australia a 1-1 tie with the United States, while the Americans already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.$LABEL$1 +India boosted as Rathore grabs historic silver (Reuters) Reuters - India erupted with joy as shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore clinched their first medal at the Athens Olympics on Tuesday and their first ever individual silver.$LABEL$0 +Ill. Congressman's Son to Be on Ballot (AP) AP - Democratic Party officials picked U.S. Rep. William Lipinski's son Tuesday to replace his father on the November ballot, a decision engineered by Lipinski after he announced his retirement and withdrew from the race four days earlier.$LABEL$0 +Najaf Fighting Intensifies Amid Peace Push BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. warplane bombed near Najaf's vast cemetery as fighting with Shiite militants intensified Tuesday...$LABEL$0 +Michael Phelps Wins Second Gold Medal ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps, denied in his bid to win seven gold medals, picked up his second victory of the Athens Games by winning the 200-meter butterfly Tuesday night in Olympic-record time. Phelps fell just short of his own world record, holding off Takashi Yamamoto to win in 1 minute, 54.01 seconds...$LABEL$0 +Top-Seeded Federer Upset in Second Round ATHENS, Greece - Top-seeded Roger Federer crashed out in the second round of the Olympic tournament Tuesday night, losing 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Federer, who won Wimbledon the past two years and replaced Andy Roddick atop the rankings in February, was undone by poor serving and a string of unforced errors...$LABEL$0 +TJX Cos. Earnings Fall 4 Percent TJX Cos. Inc. #39;s second-quarter earnings fell 4 percent, reflecting higher markdowns on merchandise due to softer sales trends. $LABEL$2 +US Airways seeks to delay pension payments Dulles, VA, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- US Airways is seeking permission to delay pension contributions of \$67.5 million, so it can keep operating. $LABEL$2 +Cantor Fitzgerald to Split Off Voice-Broking Unit (Update5) Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Cantor Fitzgerald LP, one of the two largest Treasury bond brokers, will split off its original business of person-to-person sales to focus on more profitable activities such as institutional equity sales and trading. $LABEL$2 +Cassini Spacecraft Discovers 2 New Moons Around Saturn The US Space Agency #39;s Cassini spacecraft has discovered two new moons around Saturn - bringing the planet #39;s count to 33. NASA said Monday the images of the two, small moons were taken June 1. $LABEL$3 +Intellisync in Danger Intellisync #39;s synchronization software will soon be available on Danger Hiptop devices, through select carriers, allowing wireless synchronization to Outlook on the desktop. $LABEL$3 +Eriksson aims to stick by core of Euro 2004 side SLALEY, England, Aug 17 (Reuters) - England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says he is prepared to put his faith in the nucleus of the squad that flopped at Euro 2004 as he tries to plot a successful challenge for the World Cup. $LABEL$1 +Court Throws Out Challenge to Blimp The United States is on the verge of winning its first fencing medal in twenty years. Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou are out of the hospital but not out of the woods. $LABEL$1 +History beckons for England It used only to be Australians who suffered from dead-rubber syndrome that most infuriating of conditions whereby a dominant side could write off a failure to complete a clean-sweep by claiming that the match never mattered anyway. Now, however, it is ...$LABEL$1 +Redskins cut former starter Ohalete ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- He was demoted to third string a couple weeks ago, didn #39;t do exactly what the coaches wanted and was coming off a bad game. Ifeanyi Ohalete knew what was coming next. $LABEL$1 +Pittsburgh vs. Arizona PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Jack Wilson lofted a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a wild 8-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the 10th, Jose Castillo drew leadoff walk against Greg Aquino (0-1) and stole ...$LABEL$1 +Bounty-hunter plays to gallery in Kabul KABUL - A bounty hunter accused of running a private torture chamber has gone on trial in Kabul claiming he could not get a fair hearing because the FBI had confiscated vital evidence and locked it in the American Embassy. $LABEL$0 +Demonstrators protest benefit cuts in Berlin Thousands of demonstrators brought protests against benefit cuts to the German capital yesterday, but the Government insisted it would make no further change to measures it sees as key to a more competitive economy. $LABEL$0 +Deere Earnings Up, Raises 2004 Forecast CHICAGO (Reuters) - Deere Co. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=DE.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">DE.N</A>, one of the world's largest farm equipment makers, said on Tuesday that quarterly earnings jumped 62 percent, driven by strength in its agricultural and construction equipment businesses.$LABEL$2 +Analysts fear longer than expected G5 delays (MacCentral) MacCentral - Analysts from Prudential Equity Group and UBS have warned over the past two days that longer than expected G5 delays from IBM Corp. is the near-term ""key risk"" for Apple Computer Inc. Both firms are concerned the delays could be longer than originally expected.$LABEL$3 +Federer's Games Dream Shattered ATHENS (Reuters) - Top seed Roger Federer was bundled out of the Olympic tennis tournament on Tuesday by unheralded Czech Tomas Berdych.$LABEL$1 +Edwards Out of Games U.S. sprinter Torri Edwards is knocked out of the Olympics for good Tuesday when an arbitration panel upholds her two-year drug suspension.$LABEL$1 +Son Running for Ill. Rep.'s House Seat (AP) AP - Democratic Party officials picked U.S. Rep. William Lipinski's son Tuesday to replace his father on the November ballot, a decision engineered by Lipinski after he announced his retirement and withdrew from the race four days earlier.$LABEL$0 +Interactive Web Sites Provide New Approach to Election Coverage (Editor and Publisher) Editor and Publisher - NEW YORK While most newspapers are utilizing their Web sites to supplement coverage of the presidential race, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times have taken the frenzy over electoral votes and undecided states to the next level with some unusual interactive options.$LABEL$3 +Google set to start trading SAN FRANCISCO - Google looks set to start trading on the Nasdaq today after the web #39;s No 1 search engine asked regulators for final approval to price its closely watched initial public offering. $LABEL$2 +Florida #39;s fiscal shape helps cushion Charley #39;s hit WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Hurricane Charley may have caused up to \$15 billion in damage in Florida, but that is not seen immediately hurting the state #39;s credit picture thanks to strong finances and funds in reserve, analysts said ...$LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Rebound Towards Record Highs Oil prices moved back towards record highs tonight amid continued concerns over soaring demand and tight supplies. $LABEL$2 +Army Withholding Halliburton Payments Halliburton (HAL:NYSE - news - research) sank Tuesday after the Army chose not to extend a deadline for the company to explain its billing in Iraq. $LABEL$2 +Air Canada gets green light from creditors After more than 16 months of restructuring, Air Canada #39;s creditors overwhelming endorsed the airline #39;s new business plan during a meeting at a Montreal hotel Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +RealNetworks launches music-download price war Seattle online media company RealNetworks Inc. on Tuesday said a new campaign to attract subscribers to its music download service will add about a penny per share to its third-quarter net loss. $LABEL$3 +Second Wi-Fi standards group steps forward A new battle of technologies may be in the offing in the 802.11n arena as 12 key companies have developed a key proposal to counter another one announced last week that is backed by a group of top wireless players. $LABEL$3 +DOD labs get Linux clusters Linux Networx Inc. delivered two more systems to the Defense Department as part of the military #39;s Technology Insertion 2004 initiative to improve defense laboratories #39; high-performance computing. $LABEL$3 +Livni: Settlement blocs will be strengthened The Housing and Construction Ministry on Tuesday published tenders for about 1,001 new housing units in West Bank settlements. $LABEL$0 +Israeli soldiers kill boy in Nablus A 10-year-old Palestinian boy has been shot dead by Israeli occupation soldiers during an incursion into the centre of the West Bank city of Nablus, according to Palestinian medical sources. $LABEL$0 +Don't Marry Until March Plan a big, fat cheap wedding, and start your coupling with extra cash, not debt.$LABEL$2 +Klochkova Wins 200 IM, Beard Takes Silver (AP) AP - Yana Klochkova of Ukraine completed an Olympic sweep of the individual medleys, winning gold in the 200-meter IM Tuesday night. Amanda Beard of Irvine, Calif., made a dramatic move from fifth to second on the breaststroke portion and earned the silver in 2:11.70 #151; her fifth career Olympic medal.$LABEL$1 +Rumsfeld Warns Against Fixing Intelligence in 'Single Stroke' The secretary of defense signaled he favors a slower, more cautious approach to revamping U.S. intelligence than the Sept. 11 commission does.$LABEL$0 +Hurricane Charley hits Outback NEW YORK (Reuters) - Outback Steakhouse Inc. said Tuesday it lost about 130 operating days and up to \$2 million in revenue because it had to close some restaurants in the South due to Hurricane Charley. $LABEL$2 +Intel TV Chip Is Delayed Intel said it will delay its highly anticipated television chips, based on Liquid Crystal on Silicon, or LCOS, technology, which promises to deliver large screen TVs at a price point half of what they cost today. The chipmaker said the ...$LABEL$3 +Federer #39;s Games Dream Shattered ATHENS (Reuters) - Roger Federer was bundled out of the Olympic tennis tournament Tuesday by unheralded Czech Tomas Berdych. $LABEL$1 +Ruling bars Edwards from Athens competition ATHENS, Greece -- US sprinter Torri Edwards #39; suspension was upheld by a panel of three international arbitrators Tuesday, leaving the reigning 100-meter world champion unable to compete at the Olympics. $LABEL$1 +US soldier killed in eastern Baghdad-military BAGHDAD, Iraq One US soldier was killed and several others were wounded in clashes with Iraqi Shi #39;ite militiamen in a Baghdad suburb Monday, the US military said Tuesday. $LABEL$0 +Army Won't Pay 15 Pct of Halliburton Bill WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army will withhold payment on 15 percent of future invoices of Halliburton Co.'s <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HAL.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HAL.N</A> logistics deal in Iraq due to a billing dispute that could cost the company \$60 million a month, the military said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Phelps, U.S. Win Men's 4x200 Freestyle Relay ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps led the United States to a narrow victory in the men's 4x200 meters freestyle relay at the Athens Olympics Tuesday to collect his third gold medal in four days.$LABEL$1 +World 100m Champion Torri Edwards Banned from Games ATHENS (Reuters) - World 100 meters champion Torri Edwards will miss the Athens Olympics after her appeal against a two-year drugs ban was dismissed Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +US-led coalition denies airstrikes in western Afghanistan (AFP) AFP - The US military denied reports that the coalition in Afghanistan had launched air strikes to quell fighting in the west of the country.$LABEL$0 +Wal-Mart's Taxing Comps Wal-Mart sees August same-store revenues up 2 to 4. How should investors view this statistical range?$LABEL$2 +Last Call for Investors to Bid on Google (Reuters) Reuters - Time is running out for prospective\investors to submit their offers to buy shares of Google Inc.\(GOOG.O), the Web's No. 1 search company.$LABEL$3 +GameStop Earnings Up on Software Sales (AP) AP - Video-game chain GameStop Corp.'s second-quarter earnings rose on strong sales.$LABEL$3 +IBM adds four-way 550 server to new i5 product line IBM Corp. bolstered the new eServer i5 server lineup with the i5 550, a new system based on the Power 5 chip that can run multiple operating systems.$LABEL$3 +Papua New Guinea, the world's next AIDS frontier (AFP) AFP - The old man lay unattended in the shack which served as a morgue for the General Hospital in Mount Hagen, a busy town in the restive highlands of central Papua New Guinea.$LABEL$0 +Kerry admits to soft spot for Oscar winner Theron (AFP) AFP - Democratic presidential contender John Kerry has a soft spot for South African actress Charlize Theron but is adamant that second wife Teresa Heinz-Kerry changed his life, he has told GQ magazine.$LABEL$0 +Phelps Wins Second Gold Medal ATHENS, Greece - His quest to surpass Mark Spitz out of the way, Michael Phelps got back to winning gold. The 19-year-old from Baltimore claimed his second gold medal of the Athens Games in the 200-meter butterfly Tuesday night, though he was a bit disappointed at failing to break his own world record...$LABEL$0 +US Army to withhold portion of Halliburton payments The billing dispute between the US Army and Houston-based Halliburton Co. continues as the Army on Tuesday said it would withhold paying 15 percent of future invoices from Halliburton. $LABEL$2 +Microsoft Delays SP2 Auto Update For Enterprises Although Monday was to be the day when Microsoft began pushing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) to enterprises, it changed its mind at the last minute and delayed the automatic updating for more than a week. $LABEL$3 +IBM adds four-way 550 server to new i5 product line IBM Corp. bolstered the new eServer i5 server lineup with the i5 550, a new system based on the Power 5 chip that can run multiple operating systems. $LABEL$3 + #39;One in 12 Emails Infected with Virus #39; The number of attempted attacks by computer viruses rocketed in the first half of the year, according to a report published today. $LABEL$3 +Detective Caught in Internet Sting Over Child Sex HITE PLAINS, Aug. 16 - A 16-year veteran of the New York Police Department, who supposedly called himself a quot;boy hunter #39; #39; in an online profile, was arrested on Monday after the Westchester district attorney, Jeanine Pirro, said he tried to ...$LABEL$3 +For Wednesday AMs AP Olympic Digest for Wednesday AMs. The supervisor is Aaron Watson. The phone number for the New York sports desk is (212) 621-1630. Reruns of stories and agate available from http://yourap.org, from the Service Desk (800-838-4616) or your local AP ...$LABEL$1 +Redskins release Ohalete Ashburn, VA (Sports Network) - The Washington Redskins have released safety Ifeanyi Ohalete, a starter for 15 games last season. $LABEL$1 +Eight to Face Court on Terror Murder Plot Charges Eight men will appear in court tomorrow accused of plotting terrorist outrages in Britain and the United States. $LABEL$0 +Microsoft Delays SP2 Auto Update For Enterprises Although Monday was supposed to be the day when Microsoft began pushing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) to enterprises, it changed its mind at the last minute and delayed the automatic updating for more than a ...$LABEL$3 +Aftershock: Brown rips team #39;s lack of effort ATHENS, Greece -- Larry Brown was despondent, the head of the US selection committee was defensive and an irritated Allen Iverson was hanging up on callers who asked what went wrong. $LABEL$1 +Greece grabs first gold HOST nation Greece grabbed its first gold medal of the Athens Olympics this morning when Nikolaos Siranidis and Thomas Bimis won the men #39;s three-metre synchronised diving after China #39;s favourites suffered a no-dive. $LABEL$1 +Were the judges by any chance French? Kosuke Kitajima #39;s technique may get a sharper eye from officials today in the 200-meter breaststroke race. $LABEL$1 +Iran #39;s Olympic snub Iran #39;s transparent decision to boycott head-to-head competitions against Israeli athletes is an assault on the Olympic ideal. It needs to be dealt with swiftly and sternly. Instead, the International Judo Federation could not find enough executive members ...$LABEL$1 +They built it, but no one comes quot;It #39;s sad, quot; the British visitor to Athens said, shaking her head. quot;It #39;s sad that nobody is here, buying tickets to the Olympics. People should be out there telling people that Athens is great. It #39;s a great experience. quot; ...$LABEL$1 +I #39;ll be No.1 - Owen Michael Owen is confident that he will be a success at Real Madrid following his 8m move from Liverpool. $LABEL$1 +Owen gives Sven backing Michael Owen today insisted that Sven-Goran Eriksson has the full backing of the England squad and warned that the coach should not be underestimated. $LABEL$1 +Hewitt in sharp form in Washington WASHINGTON -- Lleyton Hewitt launched his ATP Washington Classic campaign with a 6-1 6-2 first round win over Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark. $LABEL$1 +Kobe win on sex life of accuser Prosecutors in the Kobe Bryant case suffered yet another setback yesterday when a court shot down their last-ditch attempt to keep the accuser #39;s sex life out of the looming trial. $LABEL$1 +Los Angeles loves Lo Duca LOS ANGELES -- Everywhere you looked before Monday night #39;s game at Dodger Stadium, there he was. Paul Lo Duca, the thirtysomething mother of two. Paul Lo Duca, the dude with the thick beard and the backward Dodgers cap. Paul Lo Duca, the guy with the beer ...$LABEL$1 +Packers-Seahawks scoring summary FIRST QUARTER: K Ryan Longwell 47-yard field goal at 9:03. Key plays: QB Brett Favre opened the drive with a 7-yard pass to WR Donald Driver to GB 39. RB Ahman Green 3-yard run, plus 5-yard facemask penalty on Seattle moved ball to GB 47. Favre 11-yard ...$LABEL$1 +Halliburton Now Says It Will Not Get Extension From Army The company said today that the United States Army had decided not to grant it additional time to substantiate its costs in Iraq and Kuwait.$LABEL$2 +Google prepares to wrap up share auction (AFP) AFP - Google Inc prepared to wrap up an extraordinary share auction, meaning a final price in the multi-billion-dollar listing will be announced within days.$LABEL$3 +Gateway: hang onto your hard drive New service plan lets customers keep old drives after replacement to protect data.$LABEL$3 +RealNetworks Goes After iPod With Price War RealNetworks Goes After iPod With Price War\\RealNetworks on Tuesday halved the prices for downloaded songs to \$0.49 to win customers away from Apple Computer's iPod craze. RealNetworks has recently launched its ""Harmony"" technology which makes its song downloads compatible with Apple's iPod technology. Apple currently has a firm grasp ...$LABEL$3 +Netscape Browser 7.2 Released by AOL Netscape Browser 7.2 Released by AOL\\America Online has just released Netscape 7.2. Based on Mozilla 1.7, this latest version features better popup blocking, vCard support, an improved junk mail algorithm, better standards support, performance enhancements and several hundred other bug fixes. It also includes patches for recent security vulnerabilities according ...$LABEL$3 +Jury Rejects Thomas Family's GM Claims (AP) AP - The family of former Kansas City Chiefs star Derrick Thomas is not entitled to any money from General Motors Corp. for the Jan. 2000 crash that killed the nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker, a jury ruled Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Last Call for Investors to Bid on Google NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time is running out for prospective investors to submit their offers to buy shares of Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the Web #39;s No. 1 search company. $LABEL$2 +Oil prices climb again tonight Oil prices moved back towards record highs tonight amid continued concerns over soaring demand and tight supplies. $LABEL$2 +Toyota is outbid for land But state says developer won #39;t necessarily get site Toyota has been outbid by a land developer for state-owned property in York Township, but officials say this is one deal that will be decided by more than money. $LABEL$2 +Edwards banned from Games ATHENS (Reuters) - World 100 metres champion Torri Edwards will miss the Athens Olympics after her appeal against a two-year drugs ban was dismissed. $LABEL$1 +Major Rathore is a perfectionist to the core A man of words, commitment and warmth. Rajyvardhan Singh Rathore combines all these qualities. And he, of course, is one of the most talented shooters of recent times. $LABEL$1 +Burundi authorizes UN camp for Congolese refugees GENEVA, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The government of Burundi has authorized the United Nations to set up a camp for newly-arrived Congolese refugees following the horrific attack on the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi last Friday, UN officials said here ...$LABEL$0 +Germany #39;s Schroeder adopts three-year-old Russian girl BERLIN: German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his wife have adopted a daughter, an official with Schroeder #39;s party said Tuesday. Schroeder and his wife, Doris Schroeder-Koepf, picked up the 3-year-old Russian girl named Victoria several weeks ago from a ...$LABEL$0 +Sudan: Foreign Troops Run Gauntlet of Government Displeasure Television footage aired over the weekend showed a group of Rwandan soldiers dancing and clapping their hands. With AK-47 assault rifles firmly strapped across their shoulders, the 150 troops sported green berets adorned with African Union badges as they ...$LABEL$0 +Cardinal hears farewell in John Paul #39;s remarks BRUSSELS One of 15 cardinals with Pope John Paul II during a weekend visit to a French shrine was quoted in Belgian news media on Monday as saying the ailing pontiff may have been making his farewells. $LABEL$0 +Can GameStop Be Stopped? GameStop's lack of a competitive advantage leaves investors with many questions.$LABEL$2 +Advertisers Go Digital to Track Ads NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top marketers are going digital to track the delivery of commercials into U.S. homes with a system some advocates say will revolutionize advertising the way product codes changed the selling of sliced bread.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Advertisers Go Digital to Track Ads NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top marketers are going digital to track the delivery of commercials into U.S. homes with a system some advocates say will revolutionize advertising the way product codes changed the selling of sliced bread.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: Gateway says, hold on to your hard drive roundup Plus: Kinko's debuts Web-based print options...Majoras takes charge of FTC...Business Objects to bundle IBM tools.$LABEL$3 +Coyotes Re-Sign Right Wing Mike Johnson (AP) AP - The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed right wing Mike Johnson on Tuesday to a three-year contract.$LABEL$1 +Holiday Pals Berlusconi, Blair Cement Ties (AP) AP - With a bandanna on his head and a grin on his cheeks, Italy's flamboyant Premier Silvio Berlusconi has been playing vacation host to Britain's Tony Blair in Sardinia, an unlikely holiday coupling that highlights an Italian-British alliance bolstered by the Iraq war.$LABEL$0 +Mobile Boohoo for Sohu Chinese net stock Sohu.com (Nasdaq: SOHU) dropped by 10 on Friday after the company announced that its multimedia messaging services with China Mobile Communication had been temporarily suspended for a year. The sanctions were ...$LABEL$2 +AOL releases Netscape update Netscape Communications upgraded its namesake browser on Tuesday to version 7.2, a rare sign of life at America Online #39;s moribund browser division. $LABEL$3 +Many similarities, differences between #39;04 US basketball and #39;80 Soviet hockey teams This was no miracle, but you could not tell by the amount of elation surrounding the Dream Team #39;s trip to the woodshed Sunday. $LABEL$1 +Top-seeded Federer upset in second round ATHENS, Greece (AP) Top-seeded Roger Federer was eliminated in the second round of the Olympics Tuesday night, losing 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Federer, who won Wimbledon the past two years and replaced Andy Roddick atop ...$LABEL$1 +UN rights chief deeply concerned about refugee camp massacre in Burundi GENEVA, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The United Nations human rights chief expressed her deep concern over the massacre in the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi last Friday, a UN official said here Tuesday. $LABEL$0 +Public servant backs Scrafton PRIME Minister John Howard said he would not be swayed by more public servants coming forward in relation to the children overboard scandal. $LABEL$0 +US troops move gets muted response BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Germany #39;s defense minister expressed regret Tuesday about US plans to restructure its forces abroad -- changes expected to hit Germany the hardest with the pullout of two heavy divisions. Japan and Australia embraced the changes. $LABEL$0 +Stocks Higher on Economic Data, Earnings NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks traded higher on Tuesday, despite oil prices hitting a new high before falling back, as U.S. economic reports showed an easing of inflationary pressure and a sharp rebound in the housing market.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Public Now Evenly Split on Iraq War (AP) AP - Nine months of chaos and casualties in Iraq since Saddam Hussein's capture have taken a heavy toll on American opinion of President Bush's decision to go to war. Last December, when Saddam was caught, public support for Bush was 2-to-1 in favor. Now the public is evenly divided on whether the war was the right thing to do or whether it was a mistake.$LABEL$0 +Rumsfeld warns on spy shake-up US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urges caution on US intelligence reform, saying it could create new barriers.$LABEL$0 +Stocks up on positive consumer price report NEW YORK (AP) - A drop in consumer prices and a decline in crude oil futures Tuesday allowed investors to put aside worries about inflation, at least for the short term, and they sent stocks modestly higher. $LABEL$2 +RealNetworks Slashes Music-Downloading Prices With competition heating up in the online music business, RealNetworks Inc. slashed prices Tuesday for downloading music. $LABEL$3 +New bird species discovered LONDON - A new species of flightless bird has been discovered on a remote island in the northern Philippines, Filipino and British researchers announced Tuesday. $LABEL$3 +Symantec Updates SOHO Gear To Battle Against Worms, Phishing Symantec on Tuesday introduced versions of its consumer and small business security software with updates that protect against network-scanning worms such as Sasser, and keep phishing attacks at bay. $LABEL$3 +Packers #39; rookie punter struggling GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Tim Couch #39;s troubles grasping the West Coast offense gave rookie punter BJ Sander plenty of opportunities to make a good first impression with the Green Bay Packers. $LABEL$1 +Holiday Pals Berlusconi, Blair Cement Ties With a bandanna on his head and a grin on his cheeks, Italy #39;s flamboyant Premier Silvio Berlusconi has been playing vacation host to Britain #39;s Tony Blair in Sardinia, an unlikely holiday coupling that highlights an Italian-British alliance ...$LABEL$0 +Illinois Helps Residents Import Prescription Drugs CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois residents will soon be able to buy lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, sidestepping U.S. regulators' objections to imported drugs, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Giants to Start Manning Against Carolina (AP) AP - Eli Manning is going to get a chance to open the season as the New York Giants' starting quarterback.$LABEL$1 +World 100m Champion Edwards Banned ATHENS (Reuters) - World 100 meters champion Torri Edwards will miss the Athens Olympics after her appeal against a two-year drugs ban was dismissed on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +India to surpass China as world's most populous country in 2050: study (AFP) AFP - India is projected to outpace China and become the world's most populous country by 2050, growing by 50 percent in the next 46 years to reach more than 1.6 billion people, a US research institute said.$LABEL$0 +Odumbe handed five-year ban Former Kenya captain Maurice Odumbe receives a five-year ban for receiving money to fix a match.$LABEL$0 +Consumer Prices Decline, Housing Rebounds WASHINGTON - Consumer prices fell by 0.1 percent in July as gasoline prices dropped while output at factories and housing construction posted healthy rebounds, offering hope the economy has escaped this summer's ""soft patch."" The Labor Department said Tuesday that the decline in its closely watched Consumer Price Index was the first decrease since a 0.2 percent drop last November. The CPI had been up 0.3 percent in June and an even sharper 0.6 percent in May, reflecting big jumps in energy costs...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Climb on Drop in Consumer Prices NEW YORK - Another jump in oil prices pre-empted a rally on Wall Street Tuesday, though stocks managed to post modest gains on the strength of the latest consumer price report, which put many investors' inflation fears to rest for the near term. Stocks started the session strong after the government's Consumer Price Index registered a small drop in July, giving consumers a respite from soaring energy prices...$LABEL$0 +Treasuries Gain After Tame Inflation NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices rose on Tuesday after July inflation figures proved subdued and soaring oil prices pointed to slower U.S. consumer spending down the line.$LABEL$2 +New PC Is Created Just for Teenagers (AP) AP - This isn't your typical, humdrum, slate-colored computer. Not only is the PC known as the hip-e almost all white, but its screen and keyboard are framed in fuzzy pink fur. Or a leopard skin design. Or a graffiti-themed pattern.$LABEL$3 +Home Depot raises view as profit tops estimates ATLANTA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc. (HD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday reported a 19 percent rise in second-quarter profit, handily topping estimates, as store renovations and efforts to improve service drove higher ...$LABEL$2 +Applied Materials Takes on Metron Applied Materials (Quote, Chart) said it filled a major gap in its services portfolio with its acquisition of Metron Technology (Quote, Chart). $LABEL$2 +Two new, tiny moons found around Saturn Paris, France, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft has detected two tiny, previously-unknown moons orbiting Saturn between Mimas and Enceladus, mission scientists said Tuesday. $LABEL$3 +PalmOne Announces SD WiFi Card palmOne today announces that it is to provide a second level of wireless connectivity for Tungsten T3 and Zire 72 handheld users with the introduction of its first Wi-Fi card. Developed specifically for handheld owners who want to complement the ...$LABEL$3 +Cell phone carriers to get Linux option CHICAGO - Motorola Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. on Monday said they agreed to an expanded deal to help mobile telephone service providers use Linux-based computers to run their core network systems. $LABEL$3 +Coyotes re-sign RW Johnson to three-year deal ----------------------------------------------- GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - Mike Johnson missed most of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, but that didn #39;t stop the Phoenix Coyotes from giving him the veteran right wing a three-year contract ...$LABEL$1 +Roddick escapes, Federer doesn #39;t at Olympics Andy Roddick and Roger Federer both found themselves mired in three-set struggles Tuesday night at the Olympics. $LABEL$1 +Giants will give Eli first start Thursday No. 1 draft pick Eli Manning will make his first start at quarterback for the New York Giants in their exhibition game Thursday against the Carolina Panthers, coach Tom Coughlin announced Thursday, according to ESPN. $LABEL$1 +Eight terror suspects charged in Britain LONDON, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- British police on Tuesday charged eight terrorism suspects with conspiracy to murder. $LABEL$0 +Consumer Prices Drop, Industry Output Up WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices dropped in July for the first time in eight months as a sharp run up in gasoline costs reversed, the government said on Tuesday in a report suggesting the U.S. Federal Reserve can stick to a plan of gradual interest-rate rises.$LABEL$2 +Women Employees Sue Costco Women employees of Costco Wholesale Corp. filed a sex discrimination class action suit today, alleging that the giant retailer imposes a glass ceiling that prevents women from reaching the top and keeps them in lower paid positions.$LABEL$2 +Advertisers Go Digital to Track Ads (Reuters) Reuters - Top marketers are going digital to\track the delivery of commercials into U.S. homes with a system\some advocates say will revolutionize advertising the way\product codes changed the selling of sliced bread.$LABEL$3 +Study: Unpatched PCs compromised in 20 minutes The average ""survival time"" is not even long enough to download patches that would protect a computer from Net threats.$LABEL$3 +Olympics-Fencing-U.S. and Swiss End Gold Drought ATHENS (Reuters) - Mariel Zagunis won the first fencing gold for the United States for 100 years when she beat Xue Tan of China 15-9 in the inaugural Olympic women's sabre final on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Slaves' descendants should get tax exemption: US Senate hopeful (AFP) AFP - American descendants of African slaves should be exempted from US federal taxes for a generation or two to compensate them for the state-sanctioned exploitation of their ancestors, an aspiring US Senate hopeful declared.$LABEL$0 +Britain Charges 8 in Terror Plot Tied to U.S. Alert LONDON (Reuters) - Britain charged eight terrorism suspects Tuesday and said one had plans which could be used in terror attacks on U.S. financial targets in New York, New Jersey and Washington.$LABEL$0 +Apple #39;s Real Rivalry If you go by the headlines alone, it sounds like RealNetworks (Nasdaq: RNWK) is about to embark on a heady money-losing venture as it halves prices for its music download service Harmony, looking to take a bite out of Apple ...$LABEL$3 +Olympics: Federer crashes but Roddick survives Olympic scare ATHENS : World No 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland crashed out of the Olympic tennis tournament when he lost to unseeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. $LABEL$1 +CU #39;s Bloom Denied Request University of Colorado wide receiver Jeremy Bloom has lost his bid to continue playing college football while accepting endorsements to support his professional skiing career. $LABEL$1 +Men #39;s Singles : Interview with JUAN CARLOS FERRERO (ESP) Q. It #39;s a slow road back, isn #39;t it? You #39;ve had the illness and injury problems earlier in this year. Did you lose confidence or what? ...$LABEL$1 +Australia envoy in N Korea talks Australia #39;s foreign minister is in North Korea, urging the Stalinist state to renounce nuclear weapons. $LABEL$0 +IBM Takes New Tack in SCO Legal Battle (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - In its ongoing war with SCO over Linux and Unix IP, IBM is trying a new tactic: declaring that SCO has no rights over its ""homegrown"" Unix code.$LABEL$3 +Today Inca Trail, Tomorrow Inca Road A consortium of nonprofits aim to restore sections of the Inca Road, the 500-year-old route that linked the Inca Empire from present-day Colombia to central Chile.$LABEL$3 +Birding Column: Moments of Photographic Rapture Birdman of Belair Mathew Tekulsky waxes on the serendipitous moments when birds and timing alight together for memorable photographs.$LABEL$3 +Could Australia's Deadly Snakes Put Bite on Cancer? Eighty percent of Australia's snake species are venomous, making the continent a paradise for researchers seeking the next generation of miracle drugs for human diseases.$LABEL$3 +Africa's Penguins Still Reeling From ""Guano Craze Faced with the lingering effects of a 19th-century trade in seabird excrement and more modern pressures, jackass penguins are struggling to recover, conservationists say.$LABEL$3 +Spider-Venom Profits to Be Funneled Into Conservation Pharmaceutical companies have profited from medicines derived from spiders. Now a group called Venom Venture is making sure some of that money goes toward conserving the spiders themselves.$LABEL$3 +Paradoxically, African Railroad Keeps Habitat Intact Normally, transportation routes through wilderness are frowned on by conservationists. But a newly restored railroad in Madagascar is persuading locals not to slash and burn the surrounding landscape.$LABEL$3 +Insect Vibrations Tell of Good Times and Bad Thornbugs communicate by vibrating the branches they live on. Now scientists are discovering just what the bugs are ""saying.$LABEL$3 +Friday the 13th Phobia Rooted in Ancient History Fear of Friday the 13th has roots in a Viking myth, ancient Rome, and even the Last Supper.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Studying Israeli West Bank Home Plan (AP) AP - The United States withheld judgment Tuesday on whether Israel's plans to build 1,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank violate the U.S-led Middle East peace plan.$LABEL$0 +Sharon Allows 1,000 More Settler Homes in West Bank JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, facing a party mutiny over his plan to quit the Gaza Strip, has approved 1,000 more Israeli settler homes in the West Bank in a move that drew a cautious response on Tuesday from Washington.$LABEL$0 +Iraq's Sadr Snubs Peace Delegation in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr refused on Tuesday to meet a delegation of Iraqi political and religious leaders seeking to end a rebellion in the holy city of Najaf and other parts of the country.$LABEL$0 +Costco Target of Sex Bias Lawsuit (Reuters) Reuters - Lawyers leading a record-setting\sex discrimination case against Wal-Mart Stores said on Tuesday\they filed a lawsuit against Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST.O),\claiming the company kept women out of top store management\posts.$LABEL$2 +Stocks End Higher, Lifted by Data NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday, even as oil prices hit another record, as investors were encouraged by data showing an easing of inflationary pressure and a sharp rebound in the housing market.$LABEL$2 +Oil Up on Rosy U.S. Economic Data LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose to another record high on Tuesday on U.S. economic data showing inflationary pressure was held in check in July and ahead of weekly inventory data on Wednesday expected to show a decline in crude stocks.$LABEL$2 +HP's order system chaos to continue throughout August <strong>HP World</strong> SAP hell lingers$LABEL$3 +Feature: A New IDEA in Air Quality Monitoring Combining the assets of NASA and the EPA with NOAA's weather information is at the heart of a new NASA project called IDEA:\ Infusing Satellite Data into Environmental Air Quality Applications. IDEA will improve forecasters' ability to track regional pollution and make air quality forecasts.$LABEL$3 +Soldering Surprise on the Space Station There's nothing routine about working in space, as astronaut Mike Fincke found out recently when he did some soldering onboard the International Space Station. ScienceNASA -- Richard Grugel, a materials scientist at the Marshall Space Flight Center, watched his video monitor in disbelief...$LABEL$3 +Taking the Pulse of Planet Earth Scientists are planning to take the pulse of the planet -- and more -- in an effort to improve weather forecasts, predict energy needs months in advance, anticipate disease outbreaks and even tell fishermen where the catch will be abundant.$LABEL$3 +AMD Ships New Mobile Athlon 64, 90-nm Processors Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday said it has begun shipping a 3700 mobile Athlon 64 processor. The chip maker also confirmed it has started shipping processors on its 90-nanometer manufacturing process for revenue. $LABEL$3 +Symantec Updates Home And Small-Office Security Products The updates are designed to protect against network-scanning worms and keep phishing attacks at bay. $LABEL$3 +Kinko #39;s Software Connects Windows Apps to Print Centers Fedex Kinko #39;s Tuesday rolled out free software that connects Windows users to the firm #39;s print centers for ordering printing, binding, and shipping services. $LABEL$3 +Olympics-Fencing-US and Swiss End Gold Drought ATHENS (Reuters) - Mariel Zagunis won the first fencing gold for the United States for 100 years when she beat Xue Tan of China 15-9 in the inaugural Olympic women #39;s sabre final on Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +Sharon Allows 1,000 More Settler Homes in West Bank JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, facing a party mutiny over his plan to quit the Gaza Strip, has approved 1,000 more Israeli settler homes in the West Bank in a move that drew a cautious response on Tuesday from ...$LABEL$0 +Applied Materials Returns to Profit SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Applied Materials Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=AMAT.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">AMAT.O</A>, the largest maker of chip-making tools, on Tuesday said healthy spending on new semiconductor factories more than doubled revenue and returned it to a quarterly profit.$LABEL$2 +AMD enters the 90-nanometer zone Chipmaker becomes the last of several well-known chip companies to begin making 90-nanometer processors.$LABEL$3 +Cops Test Handheld Fingerprint Readers EAGAN, Minn. (AP) -- Several Minnesota police departments are field testing a handheld device that scans a suspect's fingerprint and digitally checks it against Minnesota's criminal history and fingerprint database...$LABEL$3 +wheat (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Field trials of genetically modified wheat are still being conducted in Canada by multinational biotech giant Monsanto despite a pledge earlier this year that the testing would be abandoned, critics said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Sharon Allows 1,000 More Settler Homes in West Bank JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, facing a party mutiny over his plan to quit the Gaza Strip, has approved 1,000 more Israeli settler homes in the West Bank in a move that drew a cautious response Tuesday from Washington.$LABEL$0 +Americans Settle for 1-1 Tie With Aussies THESSALONIKI, Greece - The U.S. women's soccer team needed only a tie Tuesday and that's all it got - settling for a draw against a team it had always beaten...$LABEL$0 +Ill. Plans Online Network to Import Drugs CHICAGO - Ignoring a federal ban on prescription drug imports, Illinois' governor announced Tuesday that the state would have an online clearinghouse running within a month to help residents purchase drugs from Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The state won't import the drugs itself, but plans to contract with a Canadian company to connect state residents with foreign pharmacies that have been approved by state health inspectors...$LABEL$0 +Britain Charges 8 Terrorist Suspects LONDON - British police charged eight terrorist suspects Tuesday of conspiring to commit murder and use radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives to cause ""fear or injury"" in a case involving an alleged top al-Qaida operative at the center of a U.S. terror alert this month...$LABEL$0 +Mobile Boohoo for Sohu (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - Chinese net stock Sohu.com (Nasdaq: SOHU - News) dropped by 10 on Friday after the company announced that its multimedia messaging services with China Mobile Communication had been temporarily suspended for a year. The sanctions were imposed after Sohu sent solicitations for phone messaging services without China Mobile's approval. Sohu is now down 25 after its high-flying start to this calendar year.$LABEL$3 +McAfee Finds Security in Foundstone (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - Shortly after we came back from our big vacation overseas in May, my Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL - News) PowerBook was hit with a computer virus. I can't tell you which one, but it was enough to cripple my Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) Office for the Mac software. Symantec's (Nasdaq: SYMC - News) Norton Anti-Virus found the bug, and then eradicated it by exterminating my entire in-box. (Thanks, guys.)$LABEL$3 +Fencing: U.S. and Swiss End Gold Drought ATHENS (Reuters) - Mariel Zagunis won the first fencing gold for the United States for 100 years when she beat Xue Tan of China 15-9 in the inaugural Olympic women's sabre final on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Iraq's Sadr Declines to Meet Najaf Peace Delegation NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr refused on Tuesday to meet a delegation of Iraqi political and religious leaders who want him to call off his uprising in the holy city of Najaf and other areas.$LABEL$0 +Court Rejects Yukos #39; Appeals About Tax Claim Yukos suffered a double blow Tuesday when the Moscow Arbitration Court rejected attempts by the oil major to cover part of a \$3.4 billion bill in back taxes and postpone collection of the claim. $LABEL$2 +Costco Target of Sex Bias Lawsuit SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Lawyers leading a record-setting sex discrimination case against Wal-Mart Stores said on Tuesday they filed a lawsuit against Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , claiming the company kept women out of top ...$LABEL$2 +Investors: Nortel may axe 5,000 jobs OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. investors predicted Tuesday the telecom equipment giant will again slash jobs when it reports long-overdue results this week, and shrugged off news of another criminal probe into its high-profile accounting woes. $LABEL$2 +Stocks End Higher, Lifted by Data NEW YORK (Reuters) - US stocks ended higher on Tuesday, even as oil prices hit another record, as investors were encouraged by data showing an easing of inflationary pressure and a sharp rebound in the housing market. $LABEL$2 +Air Canada Creditors Clear Carrier #39;s Bankruptcy Plan (Update2) Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Air Canada creditors including a General Electric Co. unit and Deutsche Bank AG cleared a plan that gives them most of the company #39;s equity when the carrier emerges from bankruptcy protection at the end of September. $LABEL$2 +AMD enters the 90-nanometer zone Advanced Micro Devices says it has reached a chip manufacturing milestone that will lead to improvements across its range of processor offerings for PCs and servers. $LABEL$3 +Flash Video Takes a Front Seat Macromedia announced a new kit that simplifies the way professional developers add video to their Web sites. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft Integration Server on Deck Microsoft (Quote, Chart) is ready to ship Host Integration Server 2004, offering a Windows interface to mainframes and legacy applications. $LABEL$3 +Phelps Pushes Gold-Medal Haul to Three ATHENS, Greece - With the quest to surpass Mark Spitz out of the way, Michael Phelps could savor one of the greatest races in swimming history. Phelps claimed his second and third gold medals of the Athens Games on Tuesday, winning the ...$LABEL$1 +Canadian poolcrasher prompts tighter security ATHENS - Olympic organizers have increased security inside all sports venues today after a Canadian, whose body was emblazoned with the name of an Internet casino, climbed out of the stands and jumped off one of the boards into the pool. $LABEL$1 +Americans Settle for 1-1 Tie With Aussies THESSALONIKI, Greece - The US women #39;s soccer team only needed a tie Tuesday, and that #39;s all it got - settling for a draw against a team it had always beaten. The Americans tied Australia 1-1, ending a perfect record against the Matildas ...$LABEL$1 +Southern African Development Community Agrees on New Election Guidelines Southern African leaders have agreed to a set of rules aimed at enhancing the transparency of elections and democratic rule in the region. $LABEL$0 +Army: May Not Withhold Halliburton Money WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Tuesday appeared to reverse a decision to stop paying a portion of Halliburton Co.'s <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HAL.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HAL.N</A> bills in Iraq and gave the company more time to resolve a billing dispute.$LABEL$2 +Lions' Porcher Accepting Diminished Role (AP) AP - Robert Porcher knows his NFL career is heading toward the end.$LABEL$1 +Romania Wins Women's Gymnastics Gold, U.S. Takes Silver ATHENS (Reuters) - Romania underlined their superiority over the rest of the field by storming to the women's gymnastics team gold at the Olympic Games Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Japan Powers Past Cuba in Baseball ATHENS (Reuters) - In a baseball battle of gold-medal contenders, Japan banged three home runs to defeat Cuba 6-3 Tuesday, as starter Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched into the ninth.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Up on Data, Despite Oil's Rise NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended higher for a third successive day on Tuesday, even as oil prices rose to another record, after investors were encouraged by data showing an easing of inflationary pressure and a sharp rebound in the housing market.$LABEL$2 +Restoration Hardware Names Tate COO Tate, who will also become executive vice president of the Corte Madera-based home furnishings chain, was most recently the operating chief at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. $LABEL$2 +Can RealNetworks Play Losses For Gain? NEW YORK - This is how serious the competition for digital music customers has become: RealNetworks will widen its losses in the hope of upgrading users to its premium subscription service. $LABEL$3 +CA Strengthens Security Investment CA (Quote, Chart) has taken a renewed interest this week in network security with two additions to its eTrust portfolio. The company acquired spyware killer PestPatrol and launched a consulting practice to assist partners with Vulnerability Manager ...$LABEL$3 +New Wi-Fi Spec Pushes for 100 Mbps A consortium of companies collaborating under the moniker quot;WWiSE quot; today announced their intended submission of a complete joint proposal to the IEEE 802.11 Task Group N (TGn), which is chartered with developing a next-generation ...$LABEL$3 +DOD Chooses Linux Clusters Linux Networx has announced that two Department of Defense centers will be using Linux cluster supercomputers from the company to conduct battlefield simulations. The clusters are part of an initiative to modernize the DOD #39;s ...$LABEL$3 +RVS Rathore: The silver lining Waiting for the bus to the Markopoulos shooting range this afternoon, a question from a Chinese journalist rattled me. quot;From India? How many medals have you won? quot; ...$LABEL$1 +Overrated NBA athletes losing to better teams For the purist, watching basketball played at the Olympic level is a nice break from what #39;s become of the game in this country. $LABEL$1 +Olympics-Federer #39;s Games dream shattered ATHENS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - World number one Roger Federer was bundled out of the Olympic tennis tournament on Tuesday by unheralded Czech Tomas Berdych. $LABEL$1 +Montreal at San Francisco, 7:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- The San Francisco Giants will look for their sixth straight win Tuesday when they continue a four-game series against the Montreal Expos at SBC Park. $LABEL$1 +Arrested Qaida terrorist an India-born WASHINGTON: Abu Musa al-Hindi, one of the principle terror suspects charged with plotting to attack US financial institutions, has been identified as India-born Dhiren Barot. British police on Tuesday charged Barot, 32, of gathering surveillance plans of ...$LABEL$0 +Media giant BSkyB sues EDS over troubled CRM system London-based media giant British Sky Broadcasting Group has filed a legal claim against Electronic Data Services over a problematic CRM system designed to support the media company's customer support call centers.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft readies Host Integration Server 2004 The newest edition of Host Integration Server, which replaces the 2000 version, is designed to make it easier for users to link Windows systems with IBM mainframes and midrange iSeries servers.$LABEL$3 +Q A: HP's Livermore sees no need for HP-UX on x86 Ann Livermore, executive vice president of HP's Technology Solutions Group, discussed the company's recent earnings report and talked about its hardware plans.$LABEL$3 +Pentagon turns to Linux for high-end battlefield simulations As part of its technology update program, the Defense Department has turned to two 256-processor Linux Networx Evolocity cluster supercomputers to improve complex computerized battlefield simulations.$LABEL$3 +Gartner revises PC market forecast, warns of downside Although the PC market won't grow as fast this year as originally envisioned by Gartner analysts, the industry is still expected to sell 12.6 more units this year than in 2003.$LABEL$3 +IBM seeks dismissal in second part of SCO case In documents filed Friday with the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, IBM sought the dismissal of a major component of the lawsuit filed against it last year by The SCO Group.$LABEL$3 +Analysts concerned about longer-than-expected G5 delays Analysts from Prudential Equity Group and UBS are warning that delayed shipments of G5 chips from IBM could affect Apple Computer's bottom line$LABEL$3 +Making Slideshows Comparing photo slideshow computer applications, Thomas E. Weber writes for the Wall Street Journal, #147;Those using an Apple computer won #146;t need to agonize over which slideshow program to choose. Apple #146;s excellent iLife package (\$49; included with new Macs) is all they #146;ll need. Users can construct slideshows in the package #146;s easy-to-use iDVD program or move slideshows from iPhoto into iDVD for burning onto a disc. For more effects, the iMovie video-editing software can add panning and zooming motion. #148; Aug 17$LABEL$3 +New Europe Coaches Make Mark in World Cup (AP) AP - It didn't take long for the new coaches of three soccer powers to make their marks.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Rebounds with Narrow Basketball Win Over Greece ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States rebounded from a shock opening game loss to narrowly beat Greece 77-71 at the men's Olympic basketball tournament on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Google IPO imminent SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After months of unprecedented hype, Google took a final step toward its long-awaited public stock sale, asking regulators to finalize paperwork that could start trading as early as Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +Woman claims Costco discriminates against female managers SAN FRANCISCO An assistant store manager at Costco filed a federal civil rights suit today in San Francisco. Shirley quot;Rae quot; Ellis alleges she was passed over for a promotion because the retail chain #39;s policies discriminate against women. $LABEL$2 +Ford, Magna face class-action suit TORONTO (CP) -- Up to 400,000 Canadians might be driving Ford vehicles with faulty door latches that could lead to serious injury or death, according to a \$527-million class-action lawsuit commenced Tuesday against Ford Motor Co., Magna ...$LABEL$2 +Air Canada gets lease on life Creditors approve plan, get 10 cents on the dollar and allow airline to emerge from bankruptcy. MONTREAL (Reuters) - Air Canada creditors approved a recapitalization plan Tuesday that will allow the world #39;s 11th largest airline to emerge from bankruptcy ...$LABEL$2 +RealNetworks Slashes Prices For Music Downloads For three weeks, it will sell songs for 49 cents and albums for \$4.99--a move that could spark a price war. $LABEL$3 +Shot-Put Returns to Ancient Stadium THENS, Aug. 17 American shot-putter John Godina walked into the ancient Olympic stadium at Olympia when he arrived there earlier this week and the history he had studied in college came to life before his eyes. $LABEL$1 +No deaths #39;miraculous #39; in English flash flooding LONDON British police said today they believed no one had died in flash flooding that struck seaside communities in southwest England, but rescue operations were continuing. $LABEL$0 +Home Depot Profit Tops Estimates on Sales ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc. on Tuesday reported a 19 percent rise in second-quarter profit, handily topping estimates, as store renovations and efforts to improve service drove higher average sales in every category.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Up Slightly Vs. Euro NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar eked out marginal gains against the euro on Tuesday as the market digested a slew of U.S. economic data that failed to substantially alter the outlook for gradual increases in U.S. interest rates.$LABEL$2 +Violence Tackled at Online Gaming Parlors (AP) AP - Six days a week, teens crowd the Blue Screen Gaming cybercafe to hunt each other down with assault rifles inside virtual computer worlds. In these video game halls, nobody gets hurt. But real-life violence has flared around some of these businesses, prompting municipal crackdowns.$LABEL$3 +HP's Fiorina stood up by Argentina's President <strong>HP World</strong> Belly bands and three-legged stools$LABEL$3 +News: TRMM Sees Rain from Hurricanes Fall Around the World Since rain and freshwater flooding are the number one causes of death from hurricanes in the United States over the last 30 years, better understanding of these storms is vital for insuring public safety.$LABEL$3 +Desert hospitality, honor, and the war outside the door One Najaf family's shifting view of the fierce fighting that surrounds them.$LABEL$0 +Marked men with no place to hide The Honduran government's crackdown on street gangs has been swift, severe, and apparently successful.$LABEL$0 +Greek baseball team, made in the USA Success at the Games could boost the popularity of a sport unfamiliar to Greeks.$LABEL$0 +Tired of post-9/11 hassles, Arab tourists head east Saudi visitors to Malaysia were up 53 percent in 2004.$LABEL$0 +Sun-shy female commuters fuel an Asian fad Part hat, part mask, part visor, it's a new piece of bicycle headgear.$LABEL$0 +Nepal braced for rebel 'blockade' Nepalese forces are on alert ahead a deadline set by rebels, who have threatened to blockade the capital.$LABEL$0 +J.C. Penney Posts Profit, Sales Strong NEW YORK (Reuters) - Department store operator J.C. Penney Co. Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JCP.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JCP.N</A> on Tuesday posted a quarterly operating profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, on inventory controls and strong sales of jeans, home furnishings and career clothes.$LABEL$2 +Treasuries, Oil Up, Inflation in Check NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices rallied on Tuesday, dragging yields to four-month lows as July inflation figures proved subdued and soaring oil prices pointed to slower U.S. consumer spending down the line.$LABEL$2 +Windows XP Security Update Delayed (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. has delayed automated distribution of a major security upgrade to its Windows XP Professional operating system, citing a desire to give companies more time to test it.$LABEL$3 +Network Solutions is Pathetic \\We have a few domains hosted on Network Solutions. For one reason or another we\were in a hurry and just used NetSol as our registrar. BIG mistake!\\They are one *pathetic* organization!\\They are a DNS company. That's what they DO! Their DNS admin only allows 10\IPs. Of course they don't tell you this when you signup. You only find out that\the UI doesn't allow for additional IPs until try to add them.\\To add insult to injury when you try to move AWAY from NetSol by changing your\primary and secondary they drop your IP configuration immediately. You're just\out of luck if there are clients which have cached your primary and secondary\DNS servers.\$LABEL$3 +Eagles Defensive End Kalu Out for Year (AP) AP - Defensive end N.D. Kalu will miss the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during in Tuesday's practice.$LABEL$1 +US NBA stars pushed to the brink before edging Greece (AFP) AFP - Allen Iverson scored 17 points despite a fractured right thumb and the reeling United States team was pushed to the brink before beating Greece 77-71 in an Olympic preliminary round basketball game.$LABEL$1 +A Big Perk for 84 Lumber Golfers (AP) AP - David Toms was going through his PGA Tour schedule for the remainder of the year when he mentioned the 84 Lumber Classic, which is squeezed between the Ryder Cup and a World Golf Championship in Ireland.$LABEL$1 +Blast in Gaza House Kills at Least Two (AP) AP - An explosion in a house in Gaza City early Wednesday killed at least two people, Palestinian witnesses said. It was not immediately known what caused the blast.$LABEL$0 +Blast in Gaza Home of Hamas Man Kills 4 - Medics GAZA (Reuters) - An explosion tore through the home of a senior Hamas militant in Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least four people and wounding him and about a dozen other Palestinians, medics said.$LABEL$0 +Sudan Says More Police to Shield Darfur Refugees ABUJA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Sudan plans to double the number of police in Darfur to 20,000, the country's foreign minister said on Tuesday in the face of fresh reports that marauding Arab militiamen were still preying on stricken refugees.$LABEL$0 +Report: Japan, Russia to Lose Population WASHINGTON - Japan, Germany and many other large industrialized countries face long-term population slowdowns or declines as more young adults have fewer children or delay child-rearing, demographers say. While the world's population is expected to increase by almost 50 percent by 2050, Japan could lose 20 percent of its population over the next half-century, according to data released Tuesday by the private Population Reference Bureau...$LABEL$0 +Thrilling Relay Win Gets Phelps Third Gold ATHENS, Greece - Now this was a duel in the pool. With Michael Phelps leading off Tuesday night, the United States bested its rival from Down Under in the most thrilling race of the Athens Games...$LABEL$0 +Microsoft Updates Its IBM Connectivity Server On Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled the 2004 version of its Host Integration Server (HIS) product, which is designed to integrate IBM mainframes and servers with Windows systems. $LABEL$3 +Official backs Scrafton #39;s version A former federal official has backed Mike Scrafton #39;s story that he told John Howard three days before the 2001 election that the children overboard story was wrong. $LABEL$0 +Japan Turns to 'Dream Team' to Restore Baseball Pride ATHENS (Reuters) - Japan's own baseball ""Dream Team"" hammered arch-rivals Cuba 6-3 and set themselves up as favorites for gold in the Athens Olympics Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +After the Bell-Applied Materials rises after earnings NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Shares of Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest maker of chip-making tools, rose after the bell on Tuesday after the company said healthy spending on new semiconductor factories more than ...$LABEL$2 +Alcoa closing Ohio plant, cutting 140 jobs Alcoa Inc. will close an automotive components factory in Ohio and lay off its staff in a bid to cut excess capacity, the Pittsburgh-based company said Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +Berkshire Takes Stake in Pier 1 Fellow Fool Alyce Lomax and I need to debate Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR). Between Alyce covering the company warnings and me advising not to jump off the pier, there has been little good news to report. Is Pier 1 ready to get ...$LABEL$2 +Microsoft delays security update for Windows XP Professional REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft has delayed distribution of a security update for users of its Windows XP Professional operating system to give some companies more time to test it, the software company said Tuesday. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft Updates Its IBM Connectivity Server Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled the 2004 version of its Host Integration Server (HIS) product, which is designed to integrate IBM mainframes and servers with Windows systems. $LABEL$3 +Motorola rolls out database management software AUGUST 17, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Motorola Inc. announced today it has completed the second phase of a four-phase rollout of information life-cycle management (ILM) software that cut its production database size by as much as 50 in some business ...$LABEL$3 +Greek Soccer Out of Olympic Running The recently crowned European Champions are out of the running for a medal in men #39;s soccer. In the group rounds, Greece lost to Mexico 2:3 and watched as its favorite sons had to give up a chance for a gold to teams like Mali, South Korea, Iraq and ...$LABEL$1 +Kalu out for the year with torn ACL Defensive end ND Kalu will miss the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during in Tuesday #39;s practice. $LABEL$1 +Google IPO Paper Not Declared Effective (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Securities and Exchange\Commission did not declare effective Google Inc.'s registration\statement for its multibillion-dollar initial public offering\by the close of the agency's business day on Tuesday, an SEC\official said.$LABEL$2 +SEC Delays Google Stock Offering Google Inc.'s long-awaited initial stock sale, which appeared imminent Tuesday, has been delayed while the company awaits final approval of its paperwork by the Securities and Exchange Commission. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-Associated Press</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Britain scratching about for medals (AFP) AFP - Britain were neck and neck with Olympic minnows Slovakia and Zimbabwe and desperately hoping for an elusive gold medal later in the week.$LABEL$0 +Mobile Homes a Danger in Hurricane Zones, Owners Say PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (Reuters) - Rita Weston survived Hurricane Charley huddled under a mattress with her husband and mother in a mobile home she bought 35 years ago. But before the storm passed, the home was reduced to scrap wood and metal. $LABEL$2 +Alcoa to Close Ohio Plant, Cut 140 Jobs Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. said Tuesday it is closing its Northwood, Ohio, automotive components factory by year-end to trim excess capacity, which will impact about 140 employees. $LABEL$2 +Cendant breaks off mortgage unit talks The real estate and travel company says it will continue to look for a buyer of its mortgage business. $LABEL$2 +Windows XP Security Update Delayed Microsoft Corp. has delayed automated distribution of a major security upgrade to its Windows XP operating system, citing a desire to give companies more time to test it. $LABEL$3 +New bird species discovered in Babuyan Island A NEW bird species, which is believed to be found nowhere else in the world, has been discovered on the remote island of Calayan, 70 km north of Luzon. $LABEL$3 +IBM Unwraps Middle Tier i5 Server IBM on Tuesday unveiled the eServer i5 550, a new addition to its Power 5-based lineup that it #39;s aiming at mid-sized business. $LABEL$3 +AOL Releases Netscape 7.2 Also included with 7.2 is an improved pop-up blocker which now stops more pop-ups than any previous version of Netscape, something only just apparent in some more widely used browsers, Netscape will even block mouse over pop-ups. $LABEL$3 +Analysts concerned about longer-than-expected G5 delays AUGUST 17, 2004 (MACCENTRAL) - Analysts from Prudential Equity Group and UBS have warned over the past two days that longer than expected G5 delays from IBM Corp. is the near-term quot;key risk quot; for Apple Computer Inc. $LABEL$3 +Japan lifts men #39;s gymnastics team gold (updated) ATHENS, Aug. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- World championships third-placers Japan took a sweet revenge on Monday to claim the men #39;s gymnasticsteam title at the Athens Olympics with a total score of 173.821 points. $LABEL$1 +Geogia woman wins medal in fencing ATHENS - The United States won its first fencing medals in 20 years Tuesday, a bronze by an Atlanta-area competitor and a gold by Mariel Zagunis in the saber competition. $LABEL$1 +Iraqi Peace Mission Snubbed by Rebel Cleric Sadr NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday refused to meet an Iraqi peace delegation because of quot;American aggression quot; as US troops pounded militia positions in Najaf near the country #39;s holiest Islamic sites. $LABEL$0 +Israel invites bids for construction of 1,000 more homes in West Bank JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli government on Tuesday issued bids for 1,000 new homes in Jewish West Bank settlements, in a violation of an internationally backed peace plan, but insisted the construction has the tacit approval of one of the backers, the US ...$LABEL$0 +Blast in Gaza Home of Hamas Man Kills 4 - Medics GAZA (Reuters) - An explosion tore through the home of a senior Hamas militant in Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least four people and wounding him and about a dozen other Palestinians, medics said. $LABEL$0 +US to withhold Halliburton money The Pentagon is to withhold a proportion of payments to US firm Halliburton which supplies meals to US troops in Iraq.$LABEL$2 +Product Review: HP d530 Business Desktop (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - I.T. managers will appreciate the versatility of the HP (NYSE: HPQ) d530 Business Desktop, equipped with a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 with hyperthreading technology. The small form-factor desktop targets business consumers seeking a reasonably priced, high-end PC. HP has produced a business machine that will fulfill any office task without draining your entire PC budget.$LABEL$3 +Aberdeen: CRM To Lead SMB Enterprise Software Spending (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) still view cost-cutting as their primary reason for making enterprise software purchases. But customer acquisition and retention ranks second, and for that reason they will spend more on CRM functionality than any other enterprise software area this year, according to data gathered by Aberdeen Research.$LABEL$3 +Group Urges EPA for More Pollution Cuts (AP) AP - If the government required deeper cuts in air pollution from power plants, at least 3,000 lives would be saved and 140,000 children would avoid asthma and other respiratory ailments, an environmental group said Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +N.Y. Orders Power Plants to Cut Emissions (AP) AP - Citing what they called a public health emergency, New York officials on Tuesday ordered power plants to reduce emissions blamed for acid rain.$LABEL$3 +Crypto researchers abuzz over flaws Presenters at the Crypto 2004 conference identify faster ways to forge digital signatures with common security algorithms.$LABEL$3 +HP WORLD - HP: ProLiant delays to continue through August CHICAGO - Hewlett-Packard Co. customers will continue to have difficulties ordering custom configurations of HP's ProLiant servers though the end of August, company executives told attendees at the HP World conference in Chicago Tuesday. The problems are due to continuing problems with an SAP AG order processing and supply-chain deployment rolled out last month, they said.$LABEL$3 +Venezuelan Officials Agree to Audit Sample (AP) AP - Venezuelan election officials agreed Tuesday to conduct a partial audit of the results of a recall referendum won by President Hugo Chavez, amid opposition charges of election fraud, officials told The Associated Press.$LABEL$0 +Explosion in Hamas Man's Home in Gaza Kills 4 GAZA (Reuters) - An explosion tore through the home of a senior Hamas leader in Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least four people and wounding him and about a dozen other Palestinians, medics said.$LABEL$0 +7 Texas Kids Found in Nigeria Orphanage HOUSTON - Seven Texas children were discovered abandoned at a Nigerian orphanage, suffering from disease and malnutrition, and have been brought back to the United States. Child Protective Services, which received emergency custody of the children Monday, is investigating accusations that the children's adoptive mother abandoned them in Nigeria in October and later went to work in Iraq as a private contractor...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Bounces Back to Beat Greece 77-71 ATHENS, Greece - Lamar Odom made a key defensive play on Greece's Dimitris Pipanikoulaou, preventing him from getting a clean layup attempt that could have cut the United States' lead to two points, and the Americans won 77-71 Tuesday night in the second round of the Olympic men's basketball tournament. In a much closer game than expected, the Americans bounced back from their embarrassing loss to Puerto Rico in their opener and avoided dropping to 0-2, which would have matched their loss total from the previous 68 years...$LABEL$0 +Thrilling Relay Win Gets Phelps Third Gold ATHENS, Greece - Now this was a duel in the pool. With Michael Phelps leading off Tuesday night, the United States bested its top rival in the most thrilling race of the Athens Games...$LABEL$0 +ING Withdrawing #36;5 Billion From Janus (AP) AP - Janus Capital Group Inc. on Tuesday identified ING US Financial Services as the client planning to withdraw #36;5 billion from the Denver-based mutual funds giant.$LABEL$2 +SEC Leaves Google Waiting on IPO Go Ahead NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators on Tuesday did not give Google Inc. the green light it needs to price its initial public offering, extending the wait for its highly anticipated market debut.$LABEL$2 +Hoops Team Rebounds The Americans survive a poor shooting night to beat Greece 77-71 at the men's Olympic basketball tournament on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Google IPO document not declared WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US Securities and Exchange Commission has not declared effective Google #39;s registration statement for its multibillion-dollar initial public offering by the close of the agency #39;s business day on Tuesday, an SEC official says. $LABEL$2 +Yukos woes flare up again, offsetting Venezuela vote SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Crude futures headed higher Tuesday to close at a new historic level near \$47 a barrel, following news that a Russian court has rejected a plea from oil giant Yukos to suspend government efforts to collect a \$3.4 billion tax ...$LABEL$2 +Borders 2Q Profits Soar 89 Percent Borders Group Inc. #39;s second-quarter profits rose 89 percent on stronger-than-anticipated book sales and topped Wall Street #39;s estimates. The company also increased its full-year earnings outlook. $LABEL$2 +FTC Seeks to Delay Arch-Triton Merger Antitrust regulators have asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block Arch Coal Inc. #39;s \$364 million acquisition of Triton Coal Co. Ltd., pending court appeal. $LABEL$2 +Another dodo? Flightless bird found in Philippines SCIENTISTS have discovered a new species of flightless bird on a remote island in the Philippines, the conservation group BirdLife International said yesterday. $LABEL$3 +AOL Releases Netscape Browser Update America Online Inc. on Tuesday opened the curtain on its update to the Netscape Web browser. Netscape 7.2 became available for download from the Netscape site. As previously reported, AOL had planned to unveil its first browser update in a year by the ...$LABEL$3 +Gloom amid the boom BANGALORE - The success of India #39;s high-tech and outsourcing industry was built on Bangalore but the southern city where the boom began has now become a victim of its own success. $LABEL$3 +Unobstructed Views: Olympic-sized fools For all their troubles, the Olympic Games remain the greatest unifying force in the world. Every four years, they draw a diverse international audience, bridging cultural gaps, transcending ethnic divisions, and uniting us all in a single, harmonious ...$LABEL$1 +US Wins First Fencing Gold Since 1904 THENS, Aug. 17 As the American fencer Mariel Zagunis yelled in triumph, her teammates rushed her and hurled her into the air. What made their celebratory gesture especially notable was that Zagunis was still holding, and waving, her ...$LABEL$1 +Colombian golfer leads US Amateur qualifying MAMARONECK, NY (AP) Oscar Alvarez of Colombia shot a 3-under-par 67 for the first-round lead at the US Amateur on Monday. Alvarez, a junior at BYU, had five birdies and two bogeys on the 6,775-yard East course at Winged Foot Golf Club, and was the ...$LABEL$1 +North Korea #39;won #39;t pull out of 6-way talks #39; BEIJING - China said yesterday that its close ally North Korea will not be pulling out of six-party talks, despite Pyongyang hinting that Washington #39;s hardline policy made the negotiations unworkable. $LABEL$0 +Annan urges Myanmar to free Suu Kyi NEW YORK UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Tuesday raised doubts about Myanmar #39;s resolve to implement a road map for democracy and urged the nation #39;s military leaders to immediately release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. $LABEL$0 +Borders Profits Rise, Raises Outlook NEW YORK (Reuters) - Borders Group Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=BGP.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">BGP.N</A>, the No. 2 U.S. bookseller, on Tuesday said quarterly earnings rose, beating estimates by the company and Wall Street, largely because of stronger-than-expected book sales.$LABEL$2 +Army May Not Withhold Halliburton Money WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army reversed a decision late Tuesday to withhold payment on 15 percent of future invoices of Halliburton Co.'s <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HAL.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">HAL.N</A> logistics deal in Iraq and gave the company more time to resolve a billing dispute.$LABEL$2 +Google Interview Is Draw for Latest Playboy Issue (Reuters) Reuters - The new issue of Playboy magazine\isn't drawing attention in some circles for its trademark\centerfold but for an interview with the founders of Web search\engine Google Inc. that raised regulatory eyebrows.$LABEL$3 +Williamson Gets Third Opinion on Elbow (AP) AP - Red Sox reliever Scott Williamson sought a third opinion on his ailing right elbow Tuesday before deciding whether to have major reconstructive surgery.$LABEL$1 +Iran Threatens Israel on Nuclear Reactor (AP) AP - Accompanied by a warning that its missiles have the range, Iran on Tuesday said it would destroy Israel's Dimona nuclear reactor if the Jewish state were to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.$LABEL$0 +Grim funeral service held for Burundi massacre victims (AFP) AFP - Thousands of grieving people and top politicians attended a grim funeral service held to bury some 160 Congolese Tutsis slaughtered in a refugee camp in Burundi.$LABEL$0 +Borders Profits Rise, Raises Outlook NEW YORK (Reuters) - Borders Group Inc. (BGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 US bookseller, on Tuesday said quarterly earnings rose, beating estimates by the company and Wall Street, largely because of stronger-than-expected book sales. $LABEL$2 +Applied Materials Reports Profit in 3Q Applied Materials Inc., the world #39;s largest supplier of machines that make computer chips, Tuesday said surging sales in its latest quarter surpassed its own and Wall Street estimates. $LABEL$2 +NZ PRESS: NGC Seeks LPG, Network Businesses To Grow WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--NGC Holdings (NGC.NZ), a New Zealand-based gas distribution and metering concern, is seeking liquified petroleum gas and electricity network businesses in its quest for growth, the Dominion Post reported on its Web site Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +New bird species discovered in Philippines Cambridge, England, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- British and Filipino researchers have found a new bird species on a remote island in the northern Philippines, which is a relative to the familiar Moorhen. $LABEL$3 +AOL adopts Girafa #39;s thumbnail search technology Girafa.com, which develops and providers data visualization solutions and services, announced yesterday that CompuServe, Netscape, AIM and ICQ - properties of America Online (AOL) - have signed an agreement with Girafa to use its thumbnail ...$LABEL$3 +HHS spends \$228M on IT programs A preliminary accounting of efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that the agency has about 19 major health information technology initiatives, totaling about \$228 million. $LABEL$3 +Palm adds an SD Wi-Fi card PalmOne has at long last released an SD Wi-Fi card, enabling PDA users to connect to both office WLANs and public hotspots. However, difficulties with implementing wireless Ethernet on PalmOS mean that the US\$129 card will only work on the Tungsten T3 and ...$LABEL$3 +UAE, India hit Olympic firsts ATHENS The United Arab Emirates and India scored Olympic firsts on day four of the Athens Games on Tuesday and there was good news also for host Greece, which landed its second gold of the competition. $LABEL$1 +Olympics: US NBA stars pushed to the brink before edging Greece ATHENS : Allen Iverson scored 17 points despite a fractured right thumb and the reeling United States team was pushed to the brink before beating Greece 77-71 in an Olympic preliminary round basketball game. $LABEL$1 +Matildas #39;salvage late draw with US ATHENS: Australia #39;s Matildas salvaged a 1-1 draw against the United States at the Athens Olympics on Tuesday to join the Americans in the last eight of the women #39;s soccer tournament. $LABEL$1 +Olympics-Federer #39;s Olympic dream shattered twice over ATHENS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - World number one Roger Federer #39;s top target for the year -- an Olympic tennis gold medal -- was taken away from him in a quot;terrible day quot; on Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +Karzai likely to visit Pakistan next week KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai is likely to visit Pakistan from August 23 (Monday), sources said on Tuesday. $LABEL$0 +Candidate for Democratic Party Arrested in China ONG KONG, Aug. 17 An already heated election campaign for the legislature here took an unexpected turn today with an announcement by the Democratic Party that one of its candidates had been arrested in mainland China on charges of ...$LABEL$0 +Borders Profits Up, Outlook Raised NEW YORK (Reuters) - Borders Group Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=BGP.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">BGP.N</A>, the No. 2 U.S. bookseller, on Tuesday said quarterly earnings rose, beating estimates by the company and Wall Street, as a looming presidential election whetted appetites for political books and led to higher-than-expected sales.$LABEL$2 +Australia Salvages Late Draw with U.S. Women in Soccer ATHENS (Reuters) - Australia's ""Matildas"" salvaged a 1-1 draw against the United States at the Athens Olympics on Tuesday to join the Americans in the last eight of the women's soccer tournament.$LABEL$1 +Manning Gets Chance to Start Giants Coach Tom Coughlin announced that rookie quarterback Eli Manning will start ahead of two-time M.V.P. Kurt Warner in Thursday's preseason game against Carolina.$LABEL$1 +Ruling Likely Ends Bloom's College Football Career The N.C.A.A. has denied Jeremy Bloom's request to play football at Colorado while accepting endorsements to support his skiing career.$LABEL$1 +IMF gives Jamaica thumbs up The International Monetary Fund has praised the Jamaican government for stabilizing the country's economy.$LABEL$2 +Outspoken Winslow Makes Impression at Camp (AP) AP - Hot-tempered and outspoken, Kellen Winslow Jr. isn't toning it down just because he's a rookie.$LABEL$1 +US NBA stars pushed to the brink before edging Greece (AFP) AFP - Sick, injured and reeling from a humiliating loss, the United States basketball team struggled past Greece 77-71 in an Olympic preliminary-round game that signaled more difficulties to come.$LABEL$1 +Israel Kills 5 in Attempt to Assassinate Hamas Man GAZA (Reuters) - A senior Hamas leader survived an Israeli assassination attempt on Wednesday but at least five other Palestinians were killed in the night-time explosion that tore through his Gaza home.$LABEL$0 +Carl Reiner: Comedy as a Life #39;s Work Description: Actor Carl Reiner found his life #39;s calling in the third grade, making his classmates laugh by walking on his hands. The actor, comedian and director joins NPR #39;s Neal Conan and takes calls. $LABEL$3 +Google Stock Sale Delayed as SEC Doesn #39;t Act on IPO (Update1) Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. #39;s plan to sell shares today in an initial public offering was delayed because the US Securities and Exchange Commission didn #39;t act on the company #39;s request to approve its stock registration. $LABEL$2 +US withholds some Halliburton payments for Iraq services Halliburton said Tuesday that the US Army had decided not to grant it additional time to substantiate its costs for feeding and housing American troops in Iraq and Kuwait, a decision that could cost the company 15 percent of its payment. $LABEL$2 +Mounties initiate Nortel investigation The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have launched a criminal investigation into the financial accounting practices of network gear maker Nortel Networks just days before the company is set to release some of its restated financial results. $LABEL$2 +Phelps #39;s dreams meet not-so-bad realities ATHENS Imagine, just for the length of a breezy, sun-kissed summer evening in Athens, that you had not heard a word about Michael Phelps before these Olympics began. That you knew nothing about his childhood in Baltimore; the failed Olympic dreams of his ...$LABEL$1 +Federer eliminated by the 74th-ranked Berdych ATHENS Top-seeded Roger Federer was eliminated in the second round of the Olympic tennis tournament Tuesday, losing to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. $LABEL$1 +Georgian Leader Seeks Ossetia Conference Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili appealed to world leaders Tuesday to convene an international conference on the conflict in breakaway South Ossetia, where daily exchanges of gunfire threaten to spark a war. $LABEL$0 +Australia #39;s Labor Leader Latham Hospitalized With Pancreatitis Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The leader of Australia #39;s main opposition Labor Party, Mark Latham, has been hospitalized with pancreatitis, according to a statement released by his party. $LABEL$0 +Google market debut delayed Google's estimated \$3bn flotation has been delayed by at least a day as the firm awaits regulatory approval.$LABEL$2 +Financial Firms Hasten Their Move to Outsourcing A myriad of financial institutions including banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, investment firms and credit-card companies are sending work to overseas locations.$LABEL$2 +Berlin Zoo Separates Baby Rhino from Clumsy Mother (Reuters) Reuters - Vets at a Berlin zoo have been forced to\separate a baby rhino from his mother for fear she may\accidentally trample him to death, zoo officials said on\Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +Novell bundles JBoss app server Novell Inc. earlier this month bundled the open-source, J2EE-compliant JBoss Application Server with its SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9, giving application developers a built-in deployment option.$LABEL$3 +Stricken Washington Guard to Return (AP) AP - Twenty months after her teammates helped save her life when her heart stopped, Kayla Burt said Tuesday she plans to again play basketball for Washington in the 2004-05 season.$LABEL$1 +Borders Profits Up, Outlook Raised NEW YORK (Reuters) - Borders Group Inc. (BGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 US bookseller, on Tuesday said quarterly earnings rose, beating estimates by the company and Wall Street, as a looming presidential election ...$LABEL$2 +Update 1: Louisiana-Pacific Names Frost CEO Louisiana-Pacific Corp. named executive vice president Richard W. Frost the lumber company #39;s next chief executive, company officials announced Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +Wall Street closes higher, but record oil prices cap day #39;s gains NEW YORK : Wall Street shares closed higher on Tuesday, but record oil prices capped the day #39;s gains amid concerns over a multi-billion-dollar tax bill facing Russian oil giant Yukos. $LABEL$2 +Confidence drops in Germany Investor confidence in Germany, Europe #39;s biggest economy, dropped in August to the lowest level in more than a year, according to data released on Tuesday, amid concern that record oil prices would crimp global growth and impede a recovery in consumer ...$LABEL$2 +IBM to buy Danish firms International Business Machines said Tuesday it would buy two Danish competitors to add consulting services for shipping and logistics companies. $LABEL$2 +XP security update delayed MICROSOFT has delayed automated distribution of a major security upgrade to its Windows XP Professional operating system, citing a desire to give companies more time to test it. $LABEL$3 +Greeks leave hospital to face music Kostas Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou, the Greek sprinters who, it is alleged, deliberately evaded four drugs tests, left hospital yesterday with Kederis having been treated for scratches and Thanou with no visible injuries. $LABEL$1 +White Sox manager sent to hospital White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, set to start a two-game suspension Tuesday night, went to a hospital before the game against Detroit because of pain in his back and side. $LABEL$1 +Hollywood awaits Termite from Texas and Iraqi fly What an inspirational story: former world title contender becomes used car salesman in Texas, becomes rattlesnake killer, becomes pest exterminator in Baghdad, becomes boxing coach of Iraq and self-proclaimed quot;saviour quot; of that troubled nation. It is ...$LABEL$1 +Flash flood in Cornwall leaves villagers missing BOSCASTLE, England Rescue workers searched this coastal village in north Cornwall on Tuesday for missing persons after a flash flood sent a wall of water tearing through the picturesque tourist spot the day before. $LABEL$0 +Calif. Assembly Backs E-Mail Monitoring Disclosure (Reuters) Reuters - California's Assembly on Tuesday\voted to require the state's employers to inform their workers\in writing if e-mail and other Internet activity is monitored\at work.$LABEL$3 +Health Highlights: Aug. 17, 2004 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: ----- Arizona Leads Nation in West Nile Cases Thousands of abandoned swimming pools, along with irrigation canals and other prime breeding sites for mosquitoes in Phoenix, have made Arizona the state hardest hit by West Nile virus this year. Arizona has accounted for at least 290 of more than 500 reported cases of West Nile virus in the United States so far in 2004...$LABEL$3 +Illinois Plans Online Network to Import Cheaper Drugs By DON BABWIN CHICAGO (AP) -- Ignoring a federal ban on prescription drug imports, Illinois' governor announced Tuesday that the state would have an online clearinghouse running within a month to help residents purchase drugs from Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The state won't import the drugs itself, but plans to contract with a Canadian company to connect state residents with foreign pharmacies that have been approved by state health inspectors...$LABEL$3 +Free-Speech Protection Sought for Internet Casino Ads By Alan Sayre NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The operator of a gambling news site on the Internet has asked a federal judge to declare that advertisements in U.S. media for foreign online casinos and sports betting outlets are protected by free-speech rights...$LABEL$3 +President OKs More Colombia Assistance (AP) AP - President Bush said Tuesday the U.S. government will continue to assist Colombia in interdicting aircraft suspected of drug trafficking.$LABEL$0 +N.Y. Welcomes Protesters With Discounts (AP) AP - Discounted hotels and Broadway show tickets for convention protesters?$LABEL$0 +A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq (AP) AP - As of Tuesday, Aug. 17, 943 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq in March 2003, according to the Defense Department. Of those, 703 died as a result of hostile action and 240 died of non-hostile causes.$LABEL$0 +India and Pakistan notch up first hockey wins (Reuters) Reuters - Former hockey powerhouses Pakistan and India notched up their first wins of the Athens Olympics on Tuesday, charming crowds with their trademark running games.$LABEL$0 +US CREDIT-Halliburton jostled by Army audit back-and-forth NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - In an otherwise listless credit market, Halliburton has created some drama with its ongoing saga with the Army over its accounting for \$1.8 billion of work in Iraq and Kuwait. $LABEL$2 +After the Bell-Applied Materials, Network Appliances rise NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Shares of data storage equipment maker Network Appliance Inc. (NTAP.O: Quote, Profile, Research) rose after the bell on Tuesday after the company posted a quarterly profit that rose 73 percent on strong sales in Asia and ...$LABEL$2 +(Recasts first paragraph, adds transaction details, CEO interview, stock price and byline) NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Mills Corp. (MLS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , adeveloper of theme shopping and entertainment malls, on Tuesday said it would pay a General Motors unit about \$1.033 billion to buy a 50 percent managing stake ...$LABEL$2 +Argentina rejects IMF intervention In the face of sharp disagreements between Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on August 8 the Argentine government decided to temporarily suspend negotiations with ...$LABEL$2 +Phelps gets that golden feeling again ATHENS, Greece Take Mark Spitz off his back, and this Phelps kid is pretty fast. quot;It is, quot; Michael Phelps conceded, quot;a little bit easier to get up on the (starting) block. quot; ...$LABEL$1 +Olympics: Phelps in Gold Rush, Doping Scandals Rumble On ATHENS (Reuters) - US teenager Michael Phelps powered his way to two more golds in the Olympic swimming pool on Tuesday, setting a new Games record in the 200 meters butterfly and leading a 4 x 200 freestyle cliffhanger. $LABEL$1 +Faulds folds as Al Maktoum triumphs The family name alone, Al Maktoum, offered more than a scintilla of suspicion that we could expect something special. Never mind that victory normally materialises in the form of blue-blooded bloodstock rather from the barrel of ...$LABEL$1 +Stricken Washington guard announces return to court Twenty months after her teammates helped save her life when her heart stopped, Kayla Burt said Tuesday she plans to again play basketball for Washington in the 2004-05 season. $LABEL$1 +UN claims lack of military observers in Darfur region KHARTOUM, Aug 18, 2004 (Financial Times) -- The number of military observers deployed in the Darfur region of Sudan is not sufficient to monitor whether the Sudanese government fulfils its pledges to the United Nations, a senior UN ...$LABEL$0 +Germany #39;s Chancellor Schroder and his wife adopt Russian girl Germany #39;s Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and his wife Doris have adopted a three-year-old Russian girl who has been living with them for over a fortnight, Germany #39;s mass circulation Bild newspaper revealed yesterday. $LABEL$0 +PM #39;a trustworthy invidual #39; PRIME Minister John Howard was a trustworthy individual and most Australians knew it, Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson said. $LABEL$0 +Consumer Prices Drop as Industry Output Is Up Consumer prices dropped in July for the first time in eight months as a sharp run up in gasoline costs reversed, the government said.$LABEL$2 +Hiking With Dogs Has Health Benefits People who love to hike find taking along a four-legged companion can have physical benefits for both ends of the leash. Studies show people are more successful at losing weight when they do it with a friend. What better friend than a dog to provide company and keep a person on track.$LABEL$3 +Netscape browser update released SAN FRANCISCO - After being written off by industry observers last year, America Online Inc.'s browser unit showed signs of life Tuesday as it released an update to its Netscape Web browser.$LABEL$3 +Simms Impressive in Bucs' Preseason Debut (AP) AP - Jon Gruden can understand why Tampa Bay fans are talking about Chris Simms.$LABEL$1 +Vatican Gives Schedule of Pope's Next Trip (AP) AP - Two days after a grueling papal pilgrimage which left some wondering if Pope John Paul II could still travel, the Vatican on Tuesday announced details of the ailing pontiff's next trip.$LABEL$0 +New Computer Is Created Just for Teenagers This isn't your typical, humdrum, slate-colored computer. Not only is the PC known as the hip-e almost all white, but its screen and keyboard are framed in fuzzy pink fur. Or a leopard skin design. Or a graffiti-themed pattern.$LABEL$3 +Violence Tackled at Internet Gaming Parlors By ALEX VEIGA LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Six days a week, teens crowd the Blue Screen Gaming cybercafe to hunt each other down with assault rifles inside virtual computer worlds. In these video game halls, nobody gets hurt...$LABEL$3 +Google Stock Sale Delayed as SEC Doesn #39;t Act on IPO (Update1) Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. #39;s plan to sell shares today in a \$3.47 billion initial public offering was delayed because the US Securities and Exchange Commission didn #39;t act on the company #39;s request to approve its stock registration. $LABEL$2 +Costco employee claims retailer discriminates against women SAN FRANCISCO - An assistant manager at a Costco store filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing the retailer of not promoting her because she #39;s a woman. $LABEL$2 +Netscape browser update released SAN FRANCISCO - After being written off by industry observers last year, America Online Inc. #39;s browser unit showed signs of life Tuesday as it released an update to its Netscape Web browser. $LABEL$3 +Study: Spammers, Virus Writers Getting Chummy A new MessageLabs report says more than 86 of the E-mail it sampled in June was spam--and nearly one in 10 contained a virus. $LABEL$3 +Faster Wireless Networking Protocol Proposed The WWiSE proposal builds on the existing and globally adopted 20MHz channel format of the tens of millions of Wi-Fi devices already in use. Its proposal is a second, competing standard that seeks to speed up wireless networks with ...$LABEL$3 +Powell calls Russian FM over Georgian conflict WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State Colin Powell has called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the conflict in Georgia #39;s breakaway region of South Ossetia, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said on Tuesday. $LABEL$0 +Sudan deploys additional 2,000 policemen in Darfur KHARTOUM, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The Sudanese government said on Tuesday that it has deployed another 2,000 policemen in Darfur to secure the situation in the area under an agreement with the United Nations. $LABEL$0 +HP Execs: Supply Chain, Order Processing Hurt U.S. Q3 Results (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - A week after shaking up its enterprise hardware business following a poor showing last quarter, Hewlett-Packard put its best face forward before more than 7,000 customers and partners at the HP World conference in Chicago.$LABEL$3 +Vindigo sold to Japanese content company Japan's For-Side.com pays \$36.5 million for provider of maps, news and other material for mobile devices.$LABEL$3 +Britain Charges Eight Terrorist Suspects LONDON - British police charged eight terrorist suspects Tuesday with conspiring to commit murder and use radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives to cause ""fear or injury"" in a case involving an alleged top al-Qaida operative at the center of a U.S. terror alert this month...$LABEL$0 +Google Offering Is Delayed Google's long-awaited initial stock sale, which appeared imminent today, has been delayed while the company awaits final approval of its paperwork by the S.E.C.$LABEL$2 +Benefits Seen in Earth Observation Data (AP) AP - Scientists are planning to take the pulse of the planet #151; and more #151; in an effort to improve weather forecasts, predict energy needs months in advance, anticipate disease outbreaks and even tell fishermen where the catch will be abundant.$LABEL$3 +Maryland Dig May Reach Back 16,000 Years (AP) AP - Robert D. Wall is too careful a scientist to say he's on the verge of a sensational discovery. But the soybean field where the Towson University anthropologist has been digging for more than a decade is yielding hints that someone camped there, on the banks of the Potomac River, as early as 14,000 B.C.$LABEL$3 +Expedition to Peru Finds Five New Sites (AP) AP - An American-led expedition discovered five new districts in what its leader described as an ancient jungle metropolis on the slopes of the Peruvian Andes.$LABEL$3 +SEC Leaves Google Waiting on IPO Go Ahead NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US regulators on Tuesday did not give Google Inc. the green light it needs to price its initial public offering, extending the wait for the Web search giant #39;s eagerly anticipated market ...$LABEL$2 +SEC Is Seen Banning Mutual Fund Practice The Securities and Exchange Commission is poised to curb fund companies from steering stock trades to brokerage firms that agree to sell their funds. $LABEL$2 +New Vodafone contract puts Beckham in picture Despite his disappointing performance in Portugal during the World Cup, England captain and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham has at least one loyal supporter in the shape of Vodafone. $LABEL$1 +Israeli Attack in Gaza Kills Five Palestinians, Haaretz Says Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Israeli soldiers were behind an explosion at a house used by Hamas gunmen in Gaza City that killed five Palestinians, the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz said, citing an unidentified Israel Defense Forces official. $LABEL$0 +Briefly: Maxtor ships multimedia-friendly drive roundup Plus: Gateway says, hold on to your hard drive...Kinko's debuts Web-based print options...Majoras takes charge of FTC.$LABEL$3 +Maxtor ships multimedia-friendly drive The new DiamondMax 10 drives are designed to help people run multiple applications, such as games and music, without overwhelming their PC system.$LABEL$3 +Gadget price declines slow for summer Consumer electronics prices still drop, mostly, but not so much.$LABEL$3 +Yahoo Unveils Budget Domains Deal Domain hosting and parking services drop in price, rise in capacity to lure small businesses.$LABEL$3 +Netscape Updates Browser Mozilla-based Netscape 7.2 improves printing and integrates instant messaging.$LABEL$3 +Crude Oil Trades Near Record on US Economic Growth Report Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil futures in New York traded near a record \$46.95 a barrel as strengthening US economic figures boosted concern that production capacity may not be adequate to meet global demand. $LABEL$2 +Tokyo Stocks Mixed; Dollar Down Vs. Yen (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks were mixed early Wednesday as concerns about high oil prices vied for buying prompted by Wall Street's strength. The dollar was trading lower against the Japanese yen.$LABEL$0 +Netscape Updates Browser (PC World) PC World - Mozilla-based Netscape 7.2 improves printing and integrates instant messaging.$LABEL$3 +Security Firms Bulk Up (PC World) PC World - CA buys antispyware vendor PestPatrol while McAfee snaps up Foundstone.$LABEL$3 +Moore Takes Stroke Honors at U.S. Amateur (AP) AP - Ryan Moore took medalist honors in stroke-qualifying play at the U.S. Amateur on Tuesday, shooting and even-par 70 for a two-round total of 139.$LABEL$1 +Real music takes bite out of Apple A price war in the online music market began yesterday when RealNetworks began an aggressive campaign to challenge industry leader Apple. $LABEL$3 +New to science, island bird that never flies nest A new species of flightless bird has been discovered on Calayan, a remote island in the Philippines, by an Anglo Filipino expedition. $LABEL$3 +Another Product Delay at Intel Intel originally announced it had developed chip technology for high-definition big-screen televisions at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in January. It originally expected that it would ship the TV chip by the end of the year, but ...$LABEL$3 +Game execs predict mergers, price cuts LOS ANGELES - Video game executives believe consolidation will be crucial to their future, but they also want further cuts to hardware prices to boost short-term growth, according to a report set for release this week. $LABEL$3 +It #39;s a big injustice, protests Greek sprinter The Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris left hospital yesterday protesting his innocence ahead of today #39;s International Olympic Committee disciplinary hearing that looks certain to land him with a ban. $LABEL$1 +US NBA stars edge Greece Sick, injured and reeling from a humiliating loss, the United States basketball team struggled past Greece 77-71 in an Olympic preliminary-round game that signalled more difficulties to come. $LABEL$1 +Iraqi delegation flies to Najaf for peace talks An eight-member team of Iraqi political and religious leaders flew to Najaf to talk with Sadr on Tuesday.(Xinhua/AFP) ...$LABEL$0 +UK charges 8 in terror plot linked to US alert LONDON: Britain has charged eight terrorism suspects and said one had plans which could be used in terror attacks on US financial targets in New York, New Jersey and Washington. $LABEL$0 +China says hopes N.Korea nuclear talks to continue BEIJING, Aug 18 (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it hoped all six parties taking part in talks on the North Korea nuclear crisis would keep calm, remain flexible and continue negotiations despite inevitable difficulties. $LABEL$0 +British soldier killed in Basra A British soldier was believed to have been killed and another seriously injured last night after clashes with Shia fighters in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. $LABEL$0 +Dominicans send juiced message Dominican New Yorkers had a message yesterday for the newly elected president of their homeland: Let there be light. $LABEL$0 +SEC seeks to update stock sale rules BEIJING, Aug.18 (Xinhuanet) -- The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may revise its rules on initial stock offerings to modernize 1930s-era guidelines, agency commissioners and staff said. $LABEL$2 +AMP #39;s H1 profit beats expectation Insurer and fund manager AMP Ltd. , on Wednesday posted a better-than-expected first-half profit on higher investment returns and improved margins, and targeted a stronger performance for the remainder of the year. $LABEL$2 +Yahoo Unveils Budget Domains Deal Domain hosting and parking services drop in price, rise in capacity to lure small businesses. Trying to attract more small business customers, Yahoo has introduced a new domain name registration service and significantly increased the storage space and ...$LABEL$2 +Fall Season Looks Solid for Retailers, But Holidays Could Be Another Story Against a background of lackluster retail sales in June and July, analysts and merchants still predict a decent, possibly strong, fall selling season for clothes, accessories and home furnishings.$LABEL$2 +Mutual Funds Opt to Liquidate Some of the nations more than 8,000 mutual funds are shutting their doors, as their manag- ers confront a lackluster stock market, great- er regulatory scrutiny and higher costs.$LABEL$2 +Charley Shows Progress, Pitfalls in Forecasting (Reuters) Reuters - A few decades ago, the earliest warning\Floridians would have had of a hurricane would have been black\clouds on the horizon. Now people are complaining after\Hurricane Charley hit shore at a point just 60 miles off from\the track projected by meteorologists.$LABEL$3 +Bears' Tucker Out With Dislocated Elbow (AP) AP - Chicago Bears left guard Rex Tucker will miss eight to 10 weeks of the regular season because of a dislocated left elbow.$LABEL$1 +Researchers Try to Breed Rare Sea Ducks (AP) AP - Researchers at the Alaska Sealife Center are poking into the private lives of Steller's eiders #151; a rare sea duck that is disappearing from its nesting grounds in Alaska.$LABEL$3 +Google #39;s IPO delayed Google Inc. #39;s initial public offering has been delayed while the company awaits final approval of its paperwork by the Securities and Exchange Commission. $LABEL$2 +AMP Turns to 1st-Half Profit After It Cut Debt, Costs (Update4) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- AMP Ltd., Australia #39;s largest life insurer, posted its first half of profit in four after Chief Executive Andrew Mohl reduced debt, cut costs and sold more equity investment products. The stock fell as much as 3.7 percent. $LABEL$2 +Cassini Spacecraft Discovers 2 More Moons Around Saturn The planet with the second largest number of moons now has two more. The US Cassini spacecraft discovered them around Saturn, bringing the giant ringed planet #39;s known total to 33. $LABEL$3 +US no-show: Teamwork When the NBA began sending its players to the Olympics in 1992, one of the league #39;s goals was to spread basketball around the globe. Clearly, the idea worked. $LABEL$1 +Athletes Return to Olympia, Home of Games, After 1,611 Years Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Olympia, home of the Olympics for more than 12 centuries, will host competition for the first time in 1,611 years when the shot put competition of the Athens Games is contested at Greece #39;s most sacred sporting site. $LABEL$1 +Are England fans are changing their Toon? IN a desperate attempt to spark some public interest in an England team that appears to be quickly losing its appeal, Sven-Gran Eriksson announced his starting line-up for the friendly against Ukraine at St James #39; Park a day earlier than expected. $LABEL$1 +China halfway to complete medals goal BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- China is already halfway to its stated goal of 20 gold medals at the Athens Olympics after going into the fourth day of the 16-day competition, CRIENGLISH.com said Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +China says hopes N.Korea nuclear talks to continue BEIJING, Aug 18 (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it hoped all six parties taking part in talks on the North Korea nuclear crisis keep calm, remain flexible and continue negotiations despite inevitable difficulties. $LABEL$0 +Senate probe needed: Faulkner A SENATE inquiry was needed into claims that the Prime Minister misled the Australian public over the children overboard affair, Labor Senate Leader John Faulkner said. $LABEL$0 +Athletics' Homers Crush Orioles 11-0 (AP) AP - Tim Hudson pitched a five-hitter to earn his first victory since June 11, and Scott Hatteberg's second grand slam of the season highlighted a four-homer attack that carried the Oakland Athletics past the Baltimore Orioles 11-0 Tuesday night.$LABEL$1 +Dodging Another Upset, U.S. Holds Off Greece Nobody heard the American players exhale when the buzzer sounded to end a 77-71 victory, because 12,000 delirious fans saluted Greece, the home team that had come close.$LABEL$1 +Humes Sits One Out With a showdown against preseason No. 1 USC on the horizon, tailback Cedric Humes rested his sore ankle and sat out Tuesday's scrimmage.$LABEL$1 +Sox's Guillen Hospitalized Chicago White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen entered a Chicago hospital on Tuesday with symptoms that suggest kidney stones.$LABEL$1 +Effort by Bush on Education Hits Obstacles Since President Bush signed No Child Left Behind, the law has imposed undeniable changes on public education, but it has also faced a backlash.$LABEL$0 +Cleric in Najaf Refuses to Meet Iraqi Mediators The delegation hoped to convince Moktada al- Sadr to disarm his militia, to leave the shrine and to join the political process.$LABEL$0 +Who's Behind the Gold Medalist's Mask? Gosh, an American! Mariel Zagunis crushed Tan Xue of China, 15-9, in the final of the women's saber Tuesday, earning the first American gold in a recognized fencing event.$LABEL$0 +Windows XP SP2 update delayed BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft Corp. has delayed automatic update of Windows XP Service Pack 2 to American company users until Aug. 25. $LABEL$3 +Cassini found two little Saturn moons BEIJING, Aug.18(Xinhuanet) -- NASA #39;s Cassini spacecraft has spied two new moons around the satellite-rich Saturn. $LABEL$3 +It can #39;t fly and sounds like a trumpet, but new bird delights ornithologists The mystery bird was certainly distinctive: dark brown, red bill, red legs, call like a trumpet, pretty hopeless at flying. You couldn #39;t miss it if you knew it was there. $LABEL$3 +Accused pair to tell their side of story This morning as Britain awakes, Kostas Kenteris and his training partner, Katerina Thanou, will be asked three questions by the disciplinary commission of the International Olympic Committee. These will determine whether they deliberately ...$LABEL$1 +Edwards #39; appeal against two-year ban fails Torri Edwards, the American sprinter, was shown no mercy here last night when the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld her two-year doping ban. $LABEL$1 +Terror charges London, Aug. 17 (Reuters): Britain charged eight men today with conspiracy to murder and other terrorism charges, some of them relating to plans of US buildings that could have been used to organise attacks. $LABEL$0 +Senior Hamas leader wounded An explosion tore through the home of a senior Hamas leader in Gaza yesterday, killing at least five people and wounding him and about a dozen other Palestinians, medics said. $LABEL$0 +US Hopes Influence Can Quell Russian - Georgian Tensions WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (AFP) - The United States is eyeing tensions between Georgia and separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia while hoping US influence with Georgia #39;s new president can halt broader armed conflict in the Caucasus. $LABEL$0 +Seven dead in Baghdad blast Interior Ministry officials had earlier said the blast on Tuesday was caused by a car bomb. At least five cars were ...$LABEL$0 +Japan Stocks Turn Lower on Oil Worries TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average turned lower by late morning on Wednesday as concern over surging oil prices and their possible impact on the global economy hit exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp.$LABEL$2 +Paes-Bhupathi overcome Federer-Allegro (Reuters) Reuters - World number one Roger Federer's top target for the year -- an Olympic tennis gold medal -- was taken away from him in a ""terrible day"" on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Najaf Fighting Continues Amid Peace Push BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi delegates delivered a peace proposal to aides of Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf on Tuesday, but the militant cleric refused to meet with them as explosions, gunfire and a U.S. bombing run persisted in the holy city...$LABEL$0 +Cabrera Leads Red Sox Past Blue Jays 5-4 BOSTON - Orlando Cabrera hit a run-scoring double off the Green Monster in the ninth inning on reliever Justin Speier's second pitch of the game, giving the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Pinch-hitter Dave Roberts drew a leadoff walk in the ninth and was forced out at second base on Johnny Damon's grounder off Kevin Frederick (0-2)...$LABEL$0 +Google flotation still dogged by last minute complications Google #39;s public share offering is expected to go ahead as early as today following a request for final regulatory approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. $LABEL$2 +Alcoa to shutter Ohio automotive components plant PITTSBURGH Alcoa said today it will take a seven (m) million dollar charge to close an automotive components plant in Ohio due to overcapacity. $LABEL$2 +The latest on SP2 The long-awaited Service Pack 2 for the Windows XP Home Edition is expected to start rolling out to PC users Wednesday via Microsoft #39;s Automatic Update service. The company says it is also planning to make the update available for order on a CD, for ...$LABEL$3 +The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ATHENS, Greece -- It began with Allen Iverson -- The Answer, the captain, the leader of Team USA -- forgetting about the fractured bone in his right thumb and courageously hitting the floor against Greece in full regalia. $LABEL$1 +Ancient Site a Throwback for Select Few Athletes THENS, Aug. 17 - Earlier this week, John Godina, a shot-putter from the United States, walked into the ancient stadium at Olympia, about 200 miles southwest of Athens, and the history he had studied in college came to life. $LABEL$1 +Flash floods force huge rescue bid LONDON: Rescue workers combed an English coastal village in north Cornwall yesterday for people missing after a flash flood caused by torrential rain hit Britain #39;s southwestern Atlantic coast. $LABEL$0 +Parliamentarians Not To Compromise Governance For Personal Gains: Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Aug 18 (PID) - President General Pervez Musharraf Tuesday urged the Parliamentarians not to compromise governance for personal gains and work selflessly to serve the people and earn a rightful place for the country in the comity of ...$LABEL$0 +Google Offering Waits For SEC Approval Google Inc.'s initial public offering of stock remained on hold Tuesday after the Securities and Exchange Commission delayed final approval of the company's prospectus. The delay did not appear to involve any major new issues, and the company continued to maintain that its IPO is on track. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Dot-Coms Anxious to Get Back in IPO Game The successful bidders for Google shares won't be the only ones watching eagerly to see how much the IPO excites the stock market. Dozens of dot-com companies are hoping that Google's initial public offering marks a reawakening of all things Internet. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Antiwar Protesters Told Shop Till You Drop, Too New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided that if antiwar protesters are to descend on his city by the hundreds of thousands for the Republican Convention, he may as well turn them into shoppers. <BR><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Fairfax Tempts Foreign Firms to Branch Out Fairfax County is hoping to counter the exodus of U.S. jobs to other countries by persuading overseas companies to open branches in Fairfax, where they can hire Americans.$LABEL$3 +Manning Gets Early Go-Ahead to Start Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick in this year's N.F.L. draft, will make his first professional start on Thursday when the Giants take on the Carolina Panthers.$LABEL$1 +Sheffield Should Be Able to Play On The Yankees' Gary Sheffield has a pulled muscle and bursitis in his troublesome left shoulder, but can continue to play.$LABEL$1 +Hudson Handcuffs O's Jermaine Dye began the fireworks in the sixth with a two-run home run and Tim Hudson baffled the Orioles as Oakland rolled, 11-0, Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Cust Slogs Through Season With less than three weeks left in the Class AAA Ottawa Lynx's season, Jack Cust is counting down the days until his two-year stay with the Baltimore Orioles organization ends.$LABEL$1 +Caps' Witt Wins Arbitration Washington Capitals defenseman Brendan Witt was awarded \$2.2 million for the 2004-05 season in his arbitration hearing on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Bailey Tries WR Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey practiced with the offense at wide reciever during the Denver Broncos' practice on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Dot-Coms Get Back in IPO Game (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The successful bidders for Google shares won't be the only ones watching eagerly to see how much the IPO excites the stock market. Dozens of dot-com companies are hoping that Google's initial public offering marks a reawakening of all things Internet.$LABEL$3 +Production Grew, Prices Fell in July The nation's factories cranked out more products in July, miners dug more minerals and builders broke ground on more homes, the government said yesterday in three reports that showed some rebound in economic activity last month.$LABEL$2 +Mills Buys Into Lakeforest Mall Mills Corp., the Arlington-based retail developer, said yesterday it plans to buy half of Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg and eight other malls around the country in a billion-dollar deal that gives it a new portfolio of shopping centers to redevelop in the years ahead.$LABEL$2 +Airlines Agree to Cuts at O'Hare Airlines operating at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport have agreed to cut flights to reduce delays that ripple across the country, sources familiar with the talks said yesterday.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Brokers Halt to Afghan Infighting (AP) AP - The U.S. ambassador helped broker a cease-fire Tuesday to halt the latest bloody infighting in Afghanistan, persuading a warlord to pull away from a provincial capital as U.S. warplanes circled overhead.$LABEL$0 +GOP Rep. Cubin Wins Wyoming Primary (AP) AP - U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin fended off four Republican challengers in Tuesday's primary election, securing a shot at a sixth term in this fall's general election.$LABEL$0 +Crude rises on Iraq troubles SEPTEMBER oil prices rose yesterday on US economic data showing that inflationary pressure was held in check in July. However, continued disruption in Iraqi supplies and strong world fuel demand and ongoing trouble at Russian oil giant Yukos underpinned ...$LABEL$2 +Bankruptcy fears as Yukos #39; half-year loss hits \$2.65bn YUKOS has reported a net loss of US\$2.65 billion (1.45bn) for the first half of 2004, a period of record oil prices, prompting speculation that the Russian oil firm is on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. $LABEL$2 +Halliburton hit THE US army will withhold payment on 15 per cent of future invoices from Halliburton, the logistics support group which is feeding and housing its troops in Iraq and Kuwait. $LABEL$2 +Wall Street takes heart from positive economic reports A NEW record high for oil took some of the shine off Wall Street trade yesterday. An upbeat picture of inflation and good housing data boosted the mood early on and strong earnings from several retailers, led by Home Depot, also helped to keep the major ...$LABEL$2 +E-Mail Viruses Getting Smarter, Report Says SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Computer viruses spread by e-mail are growing more sophisticated as virus writers and quot;spammers quot; are thought to be joining forces in an effort to make smarter bugs, a computer security group said on Tuesday. $LABEL$3 +Games Business Needs Mergers, Price Cuts-Report LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Video game executives believe consolidation will be crucial to their future, but they also want further cuts to hardware prices to boost short-term growth, according to a report set for release this week. $LABEL$3 +Event of the Day -- Men #39;s and women #39;s shot put Why you should watch: Given the longstanding American hegemony in the shot put, it #39;s plausible that the three-man US delegation could sweep the competition. But the most compelling reason to watch is the unparalleled setting. $LABEL$1 +Fellow Jets Are Getting to Know No. 89 EMPSTEAD, NY, Aug. 17 - It has become a recurring part of the practice-field banter at Jets training camp. Jerricho Cotchery, the rookie wide receiver, hauls in another bomb on a post route or makes another touchdown catch, and ...$LABEL$1 +LOOKING BACK 8-Day Battle for Najaf: From Attack to Stalemate AJAF, Iraq, Aug. 16 - Just five days after they arrived here to take over from Army units that had encircled Najaf since an earlier confrontation in the spring, new Marine commanders decided to smash guerrillas loyal to the rebel Shiite ...$LABEL$0 +Soldier dies as British troops clash with Sadr #39;s Basra army A BRITISH soldier was killed and at least one other injured during a fierce firefight with militia fighters in the southern Iraqi city of Basra yesterday. $LABEL$0 +Outgoing Ambassador Of Qatar Meets Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Aug 18 (PID) - The outgoing Ambassador of Qatar, Mr. Abdullah Falah A. Al-Dosari paid a courtesy called on the President General Pervez Musharraf here on Tuesday. $LABEL$0 +Raiders' Gallery Misses Camp With Injury (AP) AP - Left tackle Robert Gallery, the second player taken in the NFL draft, didn't practice Tuesday morning with the Oakland Raiders because of an elbow injury, leaving his status uncertain for Saturday's preseason game against Dallas.$LABEL$1 +Rockies Pitcher Frets Health, Not Baseball (AP) AP - The blood clots that went from Aaron Cook's shoulder to his lungs might threaten his career.$LABEL$1 +Still No Movement in N.H.L. labor Talks The N.H.L. and the players association moved no closer to a collective bargaining agreement during a five-hour meeting Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +What Next for Venezuela? President Hugo Chavez is riding high after his overwhelming victory in a recall vote this week, but analysts say his triumph may have limited impact on the deep economic and political problems threatening this major oil-producing country.$LABEL$0 +Google Offering Waits for Approval Google Inc. #39;s initial public offering of stock remained on hold yesterday after the Securities and Exchange Commission delayed final approval of the company #39;s prospectus. $LABEL$2 +AMP Returns to Profit After Spinoff Australian financial services group AMP Ltd. on Wednesday reported a return to profit in the first half of the year after cutting loose its loss-making British insurance operations. $LABEL$2 +Japan Stocks Fall on Oil Worries TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo #39;s Nikkei average fell 0.59 percent by midday on Wednesday, erasing initial gains, as exporters like Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. declined on concern over the possible impact on the global economy of surging oil prices. $LABEL$2 +TGn Sync Coalition Outlines Proposal for 802.11n TGn Sync, a coalition of more than a dozen vendors, will submit a joint proposal to the IEEE 802.11 Task Group N (TGn) for the next generation 802.11n standard. $LABEL$3 +Hamstring latest setback for Kupets There are favorites and there are expectations, but to compete in the Olympics is to hazard the risk of being outfought, outscored, out-happied. $LABEL$1 +Veteran hurler Beck released by Padres San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - The San Diego Padres requested unconditional release waivers for righthanded reliever Rod Beck on Tuesday, ending the 36- year-old #39;s run in Southern California. $LABEL$1 +Sheffield Should Be Able to Play On INNEAPOLIS, Aug. 17 - The Yankees #39; Gary Sheffield has a pulled muscle and bursitis in his troublesome left shoulder, but can continue to play, according to a diagnosis provided on Tuesday by Dr. Frank Jobe, the noted orthopedic surgeon who ...$LABEL$1 +NFL ROUNDUP Eagles #39; Kalu Will Be Out for the Year Philadelphia Eagles defensive end ND Kalu will miss the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee at yesterday #39;s practice. $LABEL$1 +AL Capsules Orlando Cabrera hit a run-scoring double off the Green Monster in the ninth inning on reliever Justin Speier #39;s second pitch of the game, giving the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. $LABEL$1 +China Battles to Keep N.Korea Nuclear Talks Alive BEIJING (Reuters) - China battled on Wednesday to keep alive six-way talks on dismantling North Korea #39;s nuclear programs, saying it hoped all parties would stay calm and flexible and resume negotiations despite inevitable problems. $LABEL$0 +McKenry doesn #39;t back Scrafton: PM Prime Minister John Howard said a former public servant had not backed the claims by former adviser Mike Scrafton about the children overboard affair. $LABEL$0 +Twins Collect Rare Victory Over Yankees (AP) AP - Brad Radke pitched seven solid innings, Corey Koskie drove in three runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the New York Yankees in the regular season for the first time since 2001 with an 8-2 victory Tuesday night.$LABEL$1 +China tries to shut down phone sex lines in anti-porn campaign (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - SHANGHAI, China (AP) - China has ordered severe punishment for phone sex operators as part of a sweeping crackdown on electronic pornography, Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Dollar Stuck After CPI Fails to Inspire TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar idled on Wednesday after the latest round of U.S. inflation data failed to substantially alter the outlook for gradual increases in interest rates.$LABEL$2 +Yukos, Iraq push oil higher NEW YORK -- Oil prices have moved to fresh record highs of almost \$47 a barrel on concerns about potential supply disruptions in Russia and Iraq. $LABEL$2 +US Stocks Gain for a Third Day, Led by Home Depot, Retailers Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- US stocks rose for a third straight day after an unexpected drop in consumer prices encouraged investors that the Federal Reserve may be able to slow the pace of interest rate increases. Benchmark indexes pared gains as oil prices ...$LABEL$2 +Australia #39;s Pacific Hydro FY04 Net A\$40.7M, Up 39 CANBERRA (Dow Jones)--Renewable energy generator Pacific Hydro Ltd. (PHY.AU) reported Wednesday a 39 jump in net profit, including a one-time tax benefit, to A\$40.7 million in the fiscal year ended June 30, up from A\$29.3 million in the previous year. $LABEL$2 +Warehouse offers cut-price coffins A US discount warehouse chain known for piling #39;em high, and selling #39;em cheap, is offering cut-price coffins along with the buckets of sauce and tubs of ice-cream under a new pilot program. $LABEL$2 +RealNetworks Launches Music Download Price War RealNetworks is sending a real message to Apple, their largest competitor in the online music market. On Tuesday, RealNetworks announced that it was launching the biggest music sale in history, offering single music downloads for just 49 cents, and most ...$LABEL$3 +WinXP SP2 Home Edition To Be Available On Automatic Update Aug 18 Microsoft #39;s channel partners are getting set to put out fires when Windows XP Service Pack 2 becomes available to consumers over the Windows Update service on Wednesday. $LABEL$3 +Sutton #39;s Ryder Cup selections are solid MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Hal Sutton will get second-guessed, which is the main by-product of the captain of Ryder Cup teams having two at-large selections and one month before the 35th version of the matches are played at Oakland Hills Country ...$LABEL$1 +Owners, players talk, but nothing resolved Five hours of talks Tuesday brought owners and players no closer to resolving labor disagreements that will lead to a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement ends Sept. 15. $LABEL$1 +Padres release former all-stat Rod Beck, recall Freddy Guzman SAN DIEGO (AP) - The San Diego Padres released reliever Rod Beck on Tuesday and recalled centre fielder Freddy Guzman from triple-A Portland. $LABEL$1 +Mariners Race Past Royals 16-3 (AP) AP - Ichiro Suzuki went 4-for-4 and drove in a career-high five runs, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 16-3 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.$LABEL$1 +Twins Collect Rare Victory Over Yankees MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Brad Radke pitched seven solid innings, Corey Koskie drove in three runs and the Minnesota Twins beat the New York Yankees in the regular season for the first time since 2001 with an 8-2 victory Tuesday night.$LABEL$1 +Colombian Government Won't Halt Offensive (AP) AP - Colombia's government on Tuesday shrugged off warnings from Marxist rebels that a massive offensive is endangering the lives of dozens of hostages, including three Americans.$LABEL$0 +China Appeals to N. Korea for Nuke Talks (AP) AP - China appealed to North Korea on Tuesday to join working meetings before a new round of six-party talks on dismantling its nuclear program, despite the North's declaration that it saw no point in attending.$LABEL$0 +Haiti court acquits rebel leader A court acquits ex-paramilitary leader Jodel Chamblain of murder in a trial criticised by human rights activists.$LABEL$0 +Intel backtracks on offering chips for projection TVs now In another product postpone-ment, semiconductor giant Intel Corp said it won #39;t be offering a chip for projection TVs by the end of this year as it had announced earlier this year. $LABEL$3 +China tries to shut down phone sex lines in anti-porn campaign SHANGHAI, China (AP) - China has ordered severe punishment for phone sex operators as part of a sweeping crackdown on electronic pornography, Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday. $LABEL$3 +Produce less beef and save water The Stockholm International Water Institute in Sweden claims it takes 15 cubic metres of water, or 15,000 litres, to produce one kilogram of grain-fed beef. $LABEL$3 +US Men Squander Lead, But Hold Off Thorpe to Win ATHENS, Aug. 17 -- Rarely has a huge lead disappeared so quickly. Largely unheralded US swimmer Klete Keller jumped in the pool for the final leg of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay a second-and-a-half ahead of Australian legend Ian Thorpe. $LABEL$1 +Teixeira cycles his way to history ARLINGTON -- Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira made history Tuesday at Ameriquest Field in Arlington against Cleveland when he became the second player in franchise history to hit for the cycle. $LABEL$1 +LaCassie, Price qualify for US Amateur Match Play Two of the three Australians who made the field for this week #39;s US Amateur Championship at the famed Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, have made it into the top sixty four who will fight out the Match Play phase of the Championship. $LABEL$1 +Jordanian hostage freed in Iraq A Jordanian who disappeared in Iraq two weeks ago and was believed to have been kidnapped has been freed and is in the custody of Iraqi police, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Ayed told reporters yesterday. $LABEL$0 +Fall Season Looks Solid for Retailers, but Holidays Could Be Another Story Against a background of lackluster retail sales in June and July, analysts and merchants still predict a decent, possibly strong, fall selling season for clothes, accessories and home furnishings.$LABEL$2 +So Google Is Almost Public. Now Comes the Hard Part. Google, whose initial stock offering was delayed by the S.E.C., must prove that its success is not an accident.$LABEL$2 +After Circulation Scandal, a Move to Build Trust Belo Corporation has set aside \$23 million to compensate advertisers for exaggerated circulation figures at The Dallas Morning News.$LABEL$2 +Nevada officials back e-vote systems for primary, general election Nevada election officials are confident that an electronic voting system being used in the Sept. 7 primary and the November election will work as expected, despite a problem that occurred during a demonstration of the technology in California.$LABEL$3 +Motorola rolls out database management software Motorola is using the Application Data Management suite from OuterBay Technology to manage data growth in its Oracle e-business applications.$LABEL$3 +Warriors, Mavs Close on Five-Player Trade (AP) AP - The Warriors and Mavericks are close to completing a five-player trade that would bring forwards Eduardo Najera and Christian Laettner to Golden State and send centers Erick Dampier, Evan Eschmeyer and guard Dan Dickau to Dallas, an NBA source aware of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Must-See TV Lacks Must-Have Buzz Empty seats in Athens offer a bizarre television backdrop for the Olympics - one that cannot be avoided by NBC.$LABEL$1 +Manning Gets Early Go-Ahead to Start Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick in this year's N.F.L. draft, will make his first professional start on Thursday when the Giants take on Carolina.$LABEL$1 +Vazquez and Yankees Buckle Early Because Javier Vazquez fizzled while Brad Radke flourished, the Yankees sustained their first regular-season defeat by the Minnesota Twins since 2001.$LABEL$1 +Still No Movement in N.H.L. Labor Talks The N.H.L. and the players association moved no closer to a collective bargaining agreement during a five-hour meeting.$LABEL$1 +China Hints U.S. Must Return Guantanamo Separatists (Reuters) Reuters - Beijing has hinted that if the United\States releases any Guantanamo Bay detainees from its restive\Muslim far west Xinjiang region, they should be handed over to\Beijing and not sent to a third country.$LABEL$0 +China Hints U.S. Must Return Guantanamo Separatists BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing has hinted that if the United States releases any Guantanamo Bay detainees from its restive Muslim far west Xinjiang region, they should be handed over to Beijing and not sent to a third country.$LABEL$0 +Architectural Benefactor J. Irwin Miller Dies J. Irwin Miller, 95, the industrialist and philanthropist who guided Cummins Engine Co. to international prominence and helped shape his home town of Columbus, Ind., into an architectural gem, died Aug. 16 at his home in Columbus. No cause of death was ...$LABEL$2 +Delta May Offer Its Pilots Equity Stake to Get Cuts Delta Air Lines, in an effort to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection, is considering giving its pilots an equity stake in exchange for pay and benefit cuts, a Delta pilot spokeswoman said yesterday. $LABEL$2 +The Ballad of Shaikh Ahmed THE guy exudes an aura of sure-fire confidence - the confidence that is based on his burning desire to excel. Shaikh Ahmed Mohammed Hasher Al Maktoum expects to be successful - and he invariably is. $LABEL$1 +Eriksson urges more rest for top players SLALEY, England, Aug 17 (Reuters) - England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has thrown down to gauntlet to the international soccer authorities to preserve the health of the world quot;superstar quot; footballers for major tournaments. $LABEL$1 +US, Jamaica wait to tip hands KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Twenty-four hours before the US National Team takes on the Jamaicans in their first CONCACAF World Cup qualifying semifinal round match, and the Americans were nowhere to be found. $LABEL$1 +An irregular regular loss MINNEAPOLIS -- Considering how much the Yankees have dominated the Twins during the regular season in recent years, it was easy to assume Javier Vazquez picked the right time to return from a nasty two-week bout with conjunctivitis. $LABEL$1 +Santos holds Cubs to one run for win Santos allowed just one run in 6 1-3 innings to win for the first time since beating Chicago on July 16, and the Brewers defeated the Cubs 3-1 Tuesday night. $LABEL$1 +Swimmers, gymnasts lift NBC #39;s early ratings Boosted by strong results from US gymnasts and swimmers, NBC #39;s ratings for the Athens Olympics #39; first four days have topped the disappointing viewership levels of the 2000 Sydney Games. $LABEL$1 +Peace team urges Sadr to call off uprising: Militia positions pounded NAJAF, Aug 17: An Iraqi peace delegation urged Shia leader Moqtada Sadr on Tuesday to call off his uprising in Najaf, and on the battlefront US troops pounded militia positions near the country #39;s holiest sites. $LABEL$0 +China appeals to North Korea to go ahead with nuclear talks BEIJING (AP) China appealed to North Korea on Tuesday to join working meetings before a new round of six-party talks on dismantling its nuclear program, despite the North #39;s declaration that it saw no point in attending. $LABEL$0 +Maoist Rebels Block Land Routes to Nepali Capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Maoist rebels, fighting to topple Nepal's constitutional monarchy, cut off all land routes to the Himalayan kingdom's capital on Wednesday, disrupting food and supplies to the city of 1.5 million people.$LABEL$0 +Michael Jackson in legal setback Michael Jackson's lawyers fail in their attempt to have evidence seized in a raid on his ranch thrown out.$LABEL$0 +Cox Forms Committee to Consider Buyout NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cox Communications Inc., the No. 4 U.S. cable television provider, said late on Tuesday it formed a committee of independent directors to consider a \$7.9 billion offer from its controlling family to take the company private.$LABEL$2 +Mavs Acquire Dampier The Associated Press reports that the Warriors and Mavericks are close to completing a deal that would bring Eduardo Najera and Christian Laettner to Golden State and send Erick Dampier, Evan Eschmeyer and Dan Dickau to Dallas.$LABEL$1 +Teixeira Bats for Cycle Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira hit for the cycle and drove in a career-high seven runs in a 16-4 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.$LABEL$1 +Analysis: Venezuela off oil market #39;s front burner LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Oil futures reached a record high Tuesday as the market fretted over simmering potential pitfalls other than last weekend #39;s vote in Venezuela that kept controversial strongman Hugo Chavez in the presidency. $LABEL$2 +Production, housing rise while consumer prices decline Washington - The nation #39;s factories cranked out more products in July, miners dug more minerals and builders broke ground on more homes, the government said Tuesday in three reports that showed some rebound in economic activity last ...$LABEL$2 +Charley may cost insurers \$14bn Chicago - Insured losses from Hurricane Charley could be between \$10 billion (R66 billion) and \$14 billion, according to industry estimates released as insurers received thousands of claims from Florida. $LABEL$2 +BJ #39;s will fight banks #39; \$16M claim BJ #39;s Wholesale Club Inc. is gearing up for legal battles with credit-card-issuing banks, which are demanding \$16 million to offset fraudulent credit card charges and other costs related to a security breach apparently involving BJ #39;s ...$LABEL$2 +Winning is Greek to US: Outlasts h ATHENS - Larry Brown found out some things about his team last night. Among them was that Allen Iverson apparently shoots better with a fractured right thumb than he does with two healthy paws. $LABEL$1 +A Throwback to Olympia ATHENS -- Today, Olympians will be in the ancient stadium at Olympia for the shot put competition. Been there, but haven #39;t done that. $LABEL$1 +Agassi overcomes Goldstein in Washington opener NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Number-one seed Andre Agassi survived a surprisingly tough first set test before he eventually coasted to a 6-4 6-2 win over Paul Goldstein at the Washington Classic on Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +A gold medal in the ratings Olympic laurels. NBC swept the Nielsen ratings medals, with its first three nights of coverage in Athens taking the top three prime-time spots last week (Aug. 9-15) in viewers and advertiser-coveted young adults. The surge ...$LABEL$1 +Warriors, Mavs close on five-player trade The Warriors and Mavericks are close to completing a five-player trade that would bring forwards Eduardo Najera and Christian Laettner to Golden State and send centers Erick Dampier, Evan Eschmeyer and guard Dan Dickau to Dallas, an NBA source aware of ...$LABEL$1 +Result knot all bad for US: Wins group after tie with Aussies ATHENS - Playing without suspended forward Abby Wambach, the US women #39;s soccer team battled to a mutually beneficial 1-1 draw with Australia last night at Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki. The result was not unexpected, as the ...$LABEL$1 +When it comes to Israel... At first glance it was just another prosaic headline. quot; #39;Militants #39; prevent resumption of work in the seaports, quot; Haaretz said. $LABEL$0 +NL Wrap: Walker Grand Slam Helps Cards Beat Reds Again NEW YORK (Reuters) - Larry Walker hit a grand slam home run to key a six-run eighth inning as the Cardinals stayed hot with a 7-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in St Louis on Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Cave Linked to John the Baptist Found in Israel (Reuters) Reuters - A British archeologist has dug up\evidence linking John the Baptist to a cave used for bathing\rituals in hills near Jerusalem in what he said could be one of\the biggest recent finds for Christian history.$LABEL$3 +Chasing the SUV vote SPORT UTILITY vehicles roared into stump speeches this month, flattening all common sense. At a speech last week introducing President Bush, Virginia #39;s Governor George Allen juiced the crowd by ...$LABEL$2 +SI.com ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The Cincinnati Reds continue to find new ways to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals. $LABEL$1 +Eight terror suspects charged in UK British police have charged eight terrorist suspects with conspiring to commit murder and use radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives to cause quot;fear or injury quot; in a case involving an alleged top al-Qaeda operative at the centre of a US ...$LABEL$0 +Five Palestinians dead in Israeli attempt to kill Hamas activist Israel #39;s air force launched an attack on a Gaza City building early Wednesday, killing at least five people, according to witnesses and officials on both sides. Seven people were also wounded, four critically. $LABEL$0 +Army, in Shift, Will Pay Halliburton The Army reversed a decision to withhold payment on 15 percent of future payments to the Halliburton Company on its contracts in Iraq and Kuwait.$LABEL$2 +The Guy From Green Day Says He Has Your Mother on the Cellphone Ringtones have proved to be such a lucrative side business for cellular phone companies that record labels in the United States have decided they want a piece of that revenue.$LABEL$2 +ING to Withdraw \$5 Bln from Janus Funds NEW YORK (Reuters) - ING U.S. Financial Services said late on Tuesday it will withdraw about \$5 billion from Janus Capital Group Inc. funds by year-end.$LABEL$2 +Gas Price Drop Lowers CPI Moderate news on the inflation front and a Labor Department report showing that consumer prices actually fell in July gave comfort to investors who are worried about potential price hikes. $LABEL$2 +Costco Is Accused of Sex Bias n employee at the Costco Wholesale Corporation filed a national class-action lawsuit against the company yesterday, accusing it of discriminating against women in promotions to store manager. $LABEL$2 +US Wants a Trustee Named to Oversee United #39;s Pensions ASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (AP) - A legal overseer will be appointed to represent participants in United Airlines #39; pension plans now that the company has halted contributions, the Labor Department said on Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +RealNetworks drops music-download price BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- With competition heating up in the online music business, the American digital media group, RealNetworks Inc. yesterday declared war on Apple Computer and its popular iTunes in ternet music store by lowering prices for ...$LABEL$3 +Cash for emails - script kiddies use spam to make their fortunes Money the prime motivator as viruses and spam converge 63.5 of all email during the first six months of 2004 was spam Over 1.5 million phishing emails intercepted Spyware makes its first appearance in the spam attack arsenal Sydney. 17th ...$LABEL$3 +NL Wrap: Walker Grand Slam Helps Cards Beat Reds Again NEW YORK (Reuters) - Larry Walker hit a grand slam home run to key a six-run eighth inning as the Cardinals stayed hot with a 7-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in St Louis on Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +Web page to help with installation of WIndows anti-hacker security patch Information Technology Systems and Services (ITSS) has created a Web page that will walk Microsoft Windows XP users on campus through a major update being released worldwide this month to make the operating system less vulnerable to computer hackers and ...$LABEL$3 +Oil Prices Hold Firm Near #36;47 (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices held steady near #36;47 on\Wednesday, a day after striking another record peak as U.S.\inflation stayed in check despite scorching energy costs and\ahead of weekly data expected to show a drop in crude stocks.$LABEL$2 +Talking with ... Vijay Singh, PGA Tour Vijay Singh, 41, shot a final-round 76 but still won the PGA Championship on Sunday at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis. $LABEL$1 +America pays big price for small mistakes She was shaking her hips, twirling her hands, letting that high-wattage smile shine and turning the arena into her own little disco. $LABEL$1 +Teixeira hits for the cycle ARLINGTON, Texas Mark Teixeira became the second player in Rangers history and first in more than 19 years to hit for the cycle, leading Texas to a 16-4 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. $LABEL$1 +SI.com KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners made their first appearance at Kauffman Stadium this season, much to the dismay of the Kansas City Royals . $LABEL$1 +British Soldier Killed in Iraq A British soldier has been killed and another injured after clashes with militia forces in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, said the British Army. $LABEL$0 +UN asks Myanmar to engage opposition parties, release Suu Kyi United Nations, Aug 18 - The United Nations has told the ruling military Junta in Myanmar that its process for transition to democracy and national reconciliation will lack quot;credibility quot; unless it engages the opposition political parties and releases ...$LABEL$0 +China Sighs in Relief as Yao Scores High BEIJING (Reuters) - China breathed a measured sigh of relief after the skills of its basketball giant Yao Ming dwarfed New Zealand to sweep his team nearer to their goal of reaching the Athens Olympics semi-finals.$LABEL$1 +Giants Edge Expos J.T. Snow singled in the winning run in the ninth to lead the Giants to their sixth straight victory, 5-4, over the Expos on Tuesday night.$LABEL$1 +Wednesday's preview Day five of the Games will see 21 golds on offer with Kate Howey and Pippa Funnell aiming for medals.$LABEL$1 +UK terror suspects due in court Eight men charged with conspiracy to murder and plotting to use toxic materials or explosives are due in court.$LABEL$0 +ING to Withdraw \$5 Bln from Janus Funds NEW YORK (Reuters) - ING US Financial Services said late on Tuesday it will withdraw about \$5 billion from Janus Capital Group Inc. funds by year-end. $LABEL$2 +Applied shares flat on lower outlook SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Applied Materials beat Wall Street #39;s third-quarter financial estimates late Tuesday, but shares of the chip equipment company stalled after the company #39;s earnings targets for the fourth quarter came in lower than expected. $LABEL$2 +Investment firm Leucadia holds about 5 pct of MCI WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Investment company Leucadia National Corp. (LUK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it had bought a 4.96 percent stake in MCI Inc. (MCIP.O: Quote, Profile, Research) for about \$245.9 million. $LABEL$2 +Nortel hints it won #39;t tell all Nortel Networks Corp., which plans to shed some light tomorrow morning on its financial performance for the first half of the year, hinted yesterday that those long-awaited results could be short on details. $LABEL$2 +New bird species found in Philippines The bird, dubbed the quot;Calayan Rail quot;, is the size of a small crow and has dark brown plumage and bright orange-red legs and beak, said Carl Oliveros, who helped lead the expedition that found it. $LABEL$3 +Plan for global observation would aid in forecasting of disasters WASHINGTON - What if scientists could forecast Texas floods a full year in advance? Or predict when and how air pollution from Asia or Mexico will settle over Los Angeles or Houston? Or pinpoint the location of the next West Nile virus ...$LABEL$3 +Americans rebound to eke out win over Greece ATHENS, GREECE - The crowd danced and sang and chanted quot;Hellas, Hellas, Hellas quot; and a taunting refrain of quot;Puerto Rico quot; loud enough to stir the ancients or heal Lamar Odom #39;s pained and poisoned stomach. $LABEL$1 +Devers and Moore Called Up by USA Gail Devers and LaShaunte #39;a Moore will replace Torri Edwards, the USA #39;s suspended world champion, in the Olympic 100 and 200 metres races in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Mariners 16, Royals 3 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If Ichiro Suzuki keeps hitting at his second-half pace, Seattle Mariners manager Bob Melvin believes there may be a new addition for the dictionary. $LABEL$1 +Damon #39;s play top choice In the first inning last night at Fenway Park, Red Sox stats, schedule leadoff hitter Johnny Damon stats, news jump-started his team #39;s offense by hitting a home run to right field. $LABEL$1 +US women settle for tie The United States women #39;s soccer team needed only a tie yesterday and that #39;s all it got -- settling for a draw against a team it always had beaten. $LABEL$1 +MLB: Texas 16, Cleveland 4 Arlington, TX, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Mark Teixeira had seven RBI Tuesday to help Scott Erickson earn his first win in over two years as Texas Rangers pounded the Cleveland Indians, 16-4. $LABEL$1 +Miscues Cost U.S. Women Gymnastics Gold (AP) AP - They're the kind of errors only judges see, little things that seem so inconsequential. But those mistakes added up, and they cost the U.S. gymnastics team a gold medal. The Americans settled for silver Tuesday night, done in as much by their own sloppiness as Romania's sheer superiority.$LABEL$1 +Iraqis aim to decide new assembly The Baghdad conference on Iraq's future goes into an unscheduled fourth day as a peace bid fails in Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Inflation #39;s Summer Vacation? At first glance, July #39;s muted price data seems to undercut inflation fighters #39; rate-hike strategy. But the softness isn #39;t likely to stay ...$LABEL$2 +Season far from running course With the PGA Tour #39;s major championships concluded for 2004, we look for other story lines to sustain the golf season. The back nine: ...$LABEL$1 +Federer #39;s Olympics end unexpectedly early with two losses Roger Federer gathered his racket bag and trudged off the court, ignoring fans #39; autograph requests as he headed straight for the exit. $LABEL$1 +Iraqis aim to decide new assembly The national conference on Iraq #39;s future is going into an unscheduled fourth day as delegates hammer out the shape of the first post-war parliament. $LABEL$0 +More hospital tests for Latham OPPOSITION Leader Mark Latham is undergoing further tests at Sydney #39;s St Vincent #39;s Hospital after being diagnosed with pancreatitis. $LABEL$0 +Saved from the saw, ancient Japanese forests now threatened by tourism (AFP) AFP - A generation ago, a battle was successfully waged on this rugged island to preserve what was left of its primeval forests, home to giant trees millennia old. Now tourism spawned by this natural heritage is threatening its survival.$LABEL$0 +Asian Shares Mixed as Oil Steady Near \$47 SINGAPORE (Reuters) - High oil prices kept Asian stock markets in check on Wednesday as investors fretted over the impact of energy costs on corporate earnings, but an upbeat outlook from Applied Materials lifted some tech issues.$LABEL$2 +'Afghanistan needs security help' UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says Afghanistan needs help with security to ensure its presidential elections are successful. $LABEL$0 +Worker alleges sex bias An assistant manager at Costco Wholesale accused the company of discriminating against female workers by failing to promote as many as 650 women to high-paying management jobs. $LABEL$2 +AMP profits beat forecasts SYDNEY (Reuters) - Insurer and fund manager AMP has reported a better-than-expected profit for the first half on higher investment returns and improved margins after casting off its British operations. $LABEL$2 +BHP Billiton doubles H2 net profit SYDNEY, (Reuters) - Aug 18, 2004 The world #39;s biggest mining group, BHP Billiton Ltd./Plc. said on Wednesday its second-half net profit more than doubled on strong demand for industrial raw materials, and forecast sustained high prices for commodities. $LABEL$2 +Clinton #39;s story boosts Borders The Ann Arbor-based bookseller reported Tuesday an 88.9-percent boost in profits for the second quarter and said sales grew more than expected, driven by strong sales of Clinton #39;s book quot;My Life. quot; ...$LABEL$2 +New species of flightless bird #39;s days may be numbered TWITCHERS should book their plane tickets as soon as possible. Wildlife experts yesterday claimed to have discovered a new species of bird in the Philippines. But they immediately warned that the flightless Calayan rail could be driven to extinction by ...$LABEL$3 +AOL releases Netscape 7.2 quot;Corporate execs are more comfortable with a known brand name. Even though Mozilla (and FF, Camino, K-Meleon, etc.) are based on the same code, they are not quot;Netscape quot;. When execs are made aware of the faults and deficiencies of IE, they may think quot;I wish ...$LABEL$3 +palmOne announces SD wi-fi card for Tungsten T3 and Zire 72 palmOne, Inc. is at last bringing a SD wi-fi solution for a couple of its handheld models. To date, palmOne #39;s Wi-Fi option was the Tungsten C, which comes with built-in wireless, incorporates a keyboard and a 320 x 320 transflective TFT display. palmOne ...$LABEL$3 +Olympics: Greek Sprinters Finally Get Chance to Put Case ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece #39;s top two sprinters should finally get to put their case on Wednesday in a drugs investigation that has shamed and angered the Olympic host nation. $LABEL$1 +Two-Year Suspension of American Sprinter Is Affirmed The sprinter Torri Edwards of the United States was knocked out of the Olympics for good yesterday when an arbitration panel upheld her two-year drug suspension, saying she should have known tablets provided by her doctor contained ...$LABEL$1 +Shot put: Birthplace of Games becomes field of play again Back when he was a shot putter at Dartmouth, he showed up for practice one day just as a freshman girl learning a new rotation let loose with an errant toss that caught Nelson right in the forehead. $LABEL$1 +Reds #39; bullpen struggles after lefty #39;s strong start The result, however, was all too familiar as the Reds fell to the Cardinals, 7-2, in the middle tilt of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Tuesday evening. $LABEL$1 +Rumsfeld says US forces quot;unlikely quot; to storm holy places in Najaf WASHINGTON : The United States pulled its punch in Iraq as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced US forces arrayed in Najaf against Shiite militants of firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr were quot;unlikely quot; to storm the town #39;s holy places to deal the militia ...$LABEL$0 +Asian Shares Mixed as Oil Steady Near #36;47 (Reuters) Reuters - High oil prices kept Asian stock\markets in check on Wednesday as investors fretted over the\impact of energy costs on corporate earnings, but an upbeat\outlook from Applied Materials lifted some tech issues.$LABEL$2 +Tokyo Edge: More Video Options Hard-drive video recorders support HDTV, while Blu-ray and HD-DVD wait in the wings. Plus: pricey headphones and cheap megapixels.$LABEL$3 +Google faces bumpy IPO road, analysts say NEW YORK -- Google Inc. faces serious headwinds as it prepares to launch its long-anticipated initial public offering despite a lacklustre equity market and questions about the company #39;s business plan. $LABEL$2 +US inflation falls for first time in 2004 US inflation fell by 0.1 per cent in July -- the first decline since late last year -- on a drop in gasoline prices, the US Department of Labour said yesterday in a report that suggests underlying price pressures in the world #39;s biggest ...$LABEL$2 +Merrill survey of fund managers finds them more pessimistic, risk averse Global fund managers have become increasingly risk averse and significantly more pessimistic about corporate profits and the US stock market, according to the latest monthly Merrill Lynch amp; Co. Inc. survey. $LABEL$2 +Staples posts 39 jump in second-quarter profit FRAMINGHAM, MASS. -- Riding strong sales across its office products portfolio, Staples Inc. yesterday reported a 39-per-cent jump in second-quarter profit that topped Wall Street forecasts. $LABEL$2 +Nortel probe one of Canada #39;s biggest In what will be one of Canada #39;s largest white-collar crime investigations, the RCMP will assign as many as two dozen officers and forensic accountants to the criminal investigation of Nortel Networks Corp., a source familiar ...$LABEL$2 +Microsoft lifts the lid on SP2 SOFTWARE FIRM Microsoft has revealed how many fixes and updates are under the bonnet of its megapatch Windows XP Service Pack 2. $LABEL$3 +Hackers join dark side SECURITY EXPERTS MessageLabs say that there is evidence that virus writers are working hand in hand with spammers. $LABEL$3 +Lumber rises on Florida #39;s need to rebuild VANCOUVER -- An already buoyant lumber market is getting a psychological boost from the combined impact of hurricane Charley and reports of surprisingly strong US housing construction activity. $LABEL$3 +Back in the swim: Peirsol, Coughlin give Americans much needed splash ATHENS - As the final leg of the men #39;s 4 x 200 freestyle relay began last night at the Olympic pool, the United States held a lead of at least 1 1/2 body lengths - which, considering the final 200 meters was being swum by 6-foot-6 Klete ...$LABEL$1 +Two Georgians Killed in Breakaway Region TBILISI (Reuters) - At least two Georgian soldiers were killed and five wounded in artillery fire with separatists in the breakaway region of South Ossetia, Georgian officials said on Wednesday. $LABEL$0 +Murdoch to face trial on Falconio murder Bradley John Murdoch was ordered to stand trial over the alleged murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio beside a remote Northern Territory highway three years ago. $LABEL$0 +Banned Sprinter Chambers Trys Football (AP) AP - Dwain Chambers will be studying pass patterns and playbooks instead of competing against the world's top sprinters in the Olympics this weekend.$LABEL$1 +Uzbekistan Military Boost May Spark Unrest (AP) AP - Washington's plans to beef up its military base in Uzbekistan as part of a troop realignment abroad could whip up tensions between the impoverished ex-Soviet republic's secular government and radical Islamic groups, analysts and opposition politicians say.$LABEL$0 +Tokyo Edge: More Video Options (PC World) PC World - Hard-drive video recorders support HDTV, while Blu-ray and HD-DVD wait in the wings. Plus: pricey headphones and cheap megapixels.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Troops Training for Iraq in Israel -Paper (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. troops from Iraq are being\trained by the Israeli army in urban and guerrilla warfare\tactics at a military base in Israel, a local newspaper said on\Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Warring Afghan Factions Say Cease-fire Holding (Reuters) Reuters - A renegade Afghan militia commander and a\spokesman for the governor of the western province of Herat\said on Wednesday their forces were honoring a cease-fire\brokered a day earlier by the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Troops Training for Iraq in Israel -Paper JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. troops from Iraq are being trained by the Israeli army in urban and guerrilla warfare tactics at a military base in Israel, a local newspaper said on Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +British Terror Suspects to Appear in Court LONDON (Reuters) - Eight British terror suspects charged with conspiracy to commit murder in a plot linked to security alerts at financial targets in New York, New Jersey and Washington make their first appearance in court on Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Virtual 3D heart to treat babies Virtual reality techniques are helping Danish doctors diagnose heart defects in newborn babies.$LABEL$3 +Coxless four into final Britain's rowers cruise into Saturday's final of the men's coxless four at the Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Three Georgian soldiers killed in breakaway region clashes (AFP) AFP - Three Georgian soldiers have been killed and five wounded in clashes in Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia, Rustavi 2 television reported, quoting an unnamed official with the Georgian interior ministry.$LABEL$0 +Oil prices edge lower in Asian trading, still near record highs (AFP) AFP - Oil prices were slightly lower in Asian trading on easing concerns over supply disruptions but were still hovering near record highs, dealers said.$LABEL$0 +Iraq's Najaf Tense After Cleric Snubs Peace Envoys NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Fears of heavier fighting in Najaf grew on Wednesday after an Iraqi peace delegation failed to defuse a confrontation between U.S. troops and militiamen holed up in a revered shrine in the city.$LABEL$0 +Between Faith and Medicine, How Clear a Line? How will South Africa accredit ""traditional healers"" as legally recognized physicians?$LABEL$0 +Cheaper gas lowers price index Falling gasoline prices in July helped push consumer prices lower for the first time in eight months, indicating that the recent surge in inflation is subsiding. $LABEL$2 +Why Hugo Chavez Won a Landslide Victory When the rule of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was reaffirmed in a landslide 58-42 percent victory on Sunday, the opposition who put the recall vote on the ballot was stunned. They obviously don #39;t spend much time in the nation #39;s poor neighborhoods. $LABEL$2 +Costco faces sex discrimination suit An assistant manager at one of Costco #39;s Colorado warehouses filed a sex discrimination lawsuit against the Issaquah-based company yesterday, alleging that it overlooks women for promotion. $LABEL$2 +BHP Billiton 2nd-Half Net Doubles on Commodity Prices (Update2) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- BHP Billiton, the world #39;s biggest miner, more than doubled second-half profit as Chinese demand boosted commodity prices. The company is considering returning as much as \$2 billion to investors, including share buybacks. $LABEL$2 +Info on car safety off-limits to public The federal agency that oversees auto safety has decided -- based largely on arguments from automakers and their Washington, DC, lobbyists -- that reams of data relating to unsafe automobiles or defective parts will not be available ...$LABEL$2 +Music fans sound off RealNetworks Inc. urged digital-music lovers yesterday to stand up for their freedom of choice. They responded by exercising their freedom of speech -- much to the company #39;s chagrin. $LABEL$3 +China to crack down on telephone sex BEIJING (Reuters) - China #39;s communist leaders, in a fresh move to eradicate pornography, have targeted the telephone sex industry, ordering severe punishment for anyone offering the service, the official People #39;s Daily says. $LABEL$3 +More Video Options The Olympic Games in Athens are pushing many people to finally buy that plasma or LCD television that they #39;ve been dreaming about. Also, the time difference between Japan and Greece is helping sales of video recorders, particularly those that use hard ...$LABEL$3 +Notebook: Sprinter Edwards #39; drug suspension upheld ATHENS US sprinter Torri Edwards was knocked out of the Olympics for good yesterday when an arbitration panel upheld her two-year drug suspension. $LABEL$1 +Finish tarnished by silver ATHENS, Greece -- It was death by a thousand cuts. If you can describe taking silver instead of gold as quot;death. quot; ...$LABEL$1 +Roddick escapes, but not Federer ATHENS, Greece Andy Roddick #39;s biggest obstacle to winning the gold medal was Roger Federer, the world #39;s No. 1 player and winner of two of the past three Grand Slam tournaments. So Tuesday, when Federer uncharacteristically lost the magic ...$LABEL$1 +Torri finally out of Olympic Games ATHENS - US sprinter Torri Edwards was knocked out of the Olym- pics for good yesterday when an arbitration panel upheld her two-year drug suspension, rejecting arguments she took banned stimulants by accident. $LABEL$1 +Finley pays dividends in victory Their supposed new pitching staff ace is on the disabled list and their late-inning bullpen situation has the potential to be a mess, but those problems were easy to ignore Tuesday night, thanks in part to Steve Finley. $LABEL$1 +Agassi Opens With A Win In Washington No. 1 seed Andre Agassi overcame a sluggish start to the first set to eventually beat compatriot Paul Goldstein in straight sets at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington. $LABEL$1 +British charge 8 tied to terror conspiracy LONDON -- The British police yesterday charged eight men with conspiracy to murder and violations of the Terrorism Act after finding that two of them possessed surveillance information on the financial centers in Washington, New York ...$LABEL$0 +Falconio suspect to stand trial An Australian court has ordered lorry driver Bradley John Murdoch to stand trial over the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, who has been missing for three years. $LABEL$0 +Hundreds of Fleet layoffs expected Bank of America Corp. plans to lay off hundreds of tellers and other branch employees at Fleet banks today, asking them to leave the building immediately as part of the process, according to documents obtained by the Globe and Fleet branch managers told of the decision.$LABEL$2 +Swipe hype: Debit the small stuff Dana Conneally walked into Starbucks at Faneuil Hall one recent morning in desperate need of a coffee fix. The employee at a local law firm handed his debit card to the Starbucks worker, who swiped it, then handed it back -- no signature or personal identification number required.$LABEL$2 +MetLife seen near sale of Hub invest unit MetLife Inc. is in late-stage negotiations to sell one of Boston's oldest investment firms, State Street Research amp; Management Co., to another New York financial giant, BlackRock Inc., according to two executives briefed on the talks.$LABEL$2 +Lawsuits challenge unequal fund fees Fidelity Investments charges two-tenths of 1 percent to manage a \$484 million stock portfolio for the Massachusetts state pension fund. It charges investors in its flagship Magellan fund seven-tenths -- more than three times as much.$LABEL$2 +Nortel accounting faces probe Canadian officials are opening a criminal investigation into accounting at Nortel Networks Corp. Shares in the telecom equipment maker edged lower yesterday.$LABEL$2 +LoJack buys Canadian tracking company LoJack Corp., which makes devices for recovering stolen cars, agreed to buy Boomerang Tracking Inc. for about \$48 million to expand into Canada. LoJack will pay about \$4.32 a share in cash or a combination of cash and stock for the Montreal maker of stolen vehicle recovery equipment, LoJack said. Westwood-based LoJack also gets Boomerang's cash balance of \$12 million. ...$LABEL$2 +Brazilians attack money laundering Brazilian police arrested more than 60 people yesterday in a massive operation to crack down on money laundering, targeting currency changers who illegally transfer money abroad.$LABEL$2 +Europe 'must adapt on climate' Europe must find ways of adapting to a climate that may change drastically by mid-century, the European Environment Agency says.$LABEL$3 +Welcome change for Cabrera Let's say Boston is the sun of the baseball universe, where hope and criticism burn bright, where a city revolves around the game.$LABEL$1 +He gets some credit for this victory As hard as Pedro Martinez went in his previous outing, when he morphed into vintage Pedro and hurled nine shutout innings, the real toll came this week.$LABEL$1 +Giants make it six in row J.T. Snow singled in the winning run with one out in the ninth to lead the San Francisco Giants to their sixth straight victory, 5-4, over the visiting Montreal Expos last night.$LABEL$1 +NL notables Larry Walker was 3 for 4 and is 10 for 27 (.370) with 11 RBIs since joining the Cardinals.$LABEL$1 +Youkilis, McCarty go on DL A season of extraordinary medical adversity posed yet another series of challenges yesterday for the Red Sox as Kevin Youkilis and David McCarty joined the likes of Trot Nixon , Mark Bellhorn , Pokey Reese , and Ellis Burks on the disabled list.$LABEL$1 +Texas rides cycle Mark Teixeira became the second player in Rangers history -- and first in more than 19 years -- to hit for the cycle, leading host Texas to a 16-4 rout of the Cleveland Indians last night.$LABEL$1 +Stops and starts in the fast lane Michael Jennings was a track star at Florida State who also wanted to play football but wasn't confident enough to forgo a track scholarship and try the sport as a walk-on for quot;a team that good. quot;$LABEL$1 +Old college try from Moreland Earthwind Moreland signed with the Patriots Aug. 5, but University of Massachusetts football fans may have heard of him before that. He was a starting cornerback for the Georgia Southern squad that entered the 1998 Division 1-AA national championship game undefeated and then lost to the Minutemen, 55-43.$LABEL$1 +LBs are built from ground up For Bill Belichick, it isn't a preference. In his mind, turning NCAA defensive ends into NFL linebackers is practically a necessity.$LABEL$1 +Knee injury benches Eagles' Kalu for season Philadelphia Eagles defensive end N.D. Kalu will miss the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during yesterday's practice.$LABEL$1 +Jumbo dough for Joe Joe Thornton didn't make the score he was looking for yesterday, but the Bruins captain will earn \$6.75 million, the most of any player in the club's history, if the National Hockey League has a full 2004-05 season.$LABEL$1 +Philo is in the know Normally, there are few sure things in golf, but here's something we can be certain of: The lads in today's final pairing at the 84th New England PGA Championship at Brae Burn Country Club will not require introductions.$LABEL$1 +Northern N.E. reaches peak With some late heroics, Northern New England knocked off undefeated North Shore, 3-2, in the championship game of the Hockey Night in Boston Summer Showcase at Merrimack College last night.$LABEL$1 +China tells US not to send wrong signal to Uighur 'terrorists' (AFP) AFP - China has appealed to the United States not to send the ""wrong signal"" after Washington said a handful of detained Uighurs being held at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay would not be returned to China.$LABEL$0 +Pope Visit Leaves Lourdes with Hefty Deficit PARIS (Reuters) - Pope John Paul's visit to Lourdes last weekend left the Roman Catholic shrine with a 1.2 million euro (\$1.47 million) deficit because pilgrims keen to get good seats at his mass rushed past collection boxes.$LABEL$0 +Haiti ex-rebel head cleared of murder PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- A jury yesterday acquitted a leader of a paramilitary group accused of killing thousands, after a 14-hour murder trial that angered human rights groups and provoked criticism of the new US-backed government.$LABEL$0 +Witness says suspect was close to hijackers HAMBURG -- A Moroccan being retried on charges he aided the Sept. 11 plotters was part of lead hijacker Mohamed Atta's inner circle and knew of the group's arguments for turning to violence, a witness testified yesterday.$LABEL$0 +Venezuela's Chavez faces political gulfs CARACAS -- Fresh from victory and emboldened by a decisive mandate, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has the opportunity to extend an olive branch to a seething opposition and a suspicious US administration, but the rifts may have grown too deep to be mended.$LABEL$0 +German leader adopts Russian child MOSCOW -- Thousands of Russian children are adopted by foreigners every year -- but few go to such high-profile homes as the leader of Germany.$LABEL$0 +Burundi, Rwanda threaten Congo invasion BUJUMBURA, Burundi -- Burundi and Rwanda threatened yesterday to send soldiers into neighboring Congo to hunt down Hutu extremists responsible for slaughtering more than 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees at a UN camp in Burundi -- deployments that could reignite a regional conflict in this part of Africa.$LABEL$0 +No SEC Decision on Google IPO Paperwork (AP) AP - Google Inc.'s plans to move ahead with its initial public stock offering ran into a roadblock when the Securities and Exchange Commission didn't approve the Internet search giant's regulatory paperwork as requested.$LABEL$3 +Pakistan Publishes 'Most-Wanted Terrorists' List (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistan published pictures of six\""most-wanted terrorists"" on Wednesday and offered rewards for\information leading to the arrest of two al Qaeda-linked\militants wanted over assassination attempts on the president.$LABEL$0 +MacGowan to play at jazz landmark Legendary singer Shane MacGowan is to play a mini-residency at London's famous Ronnie Scott's jazz club.$LABEL$0 +Insurers escape Hurricane Charley It #39;s hard to see the silver lining to the clouds over Florida at the moment. Soaking debris and destroyed homes, bereaved families and a rearranged landscape are the testament to Hurricane Charley #39;s power. $LABEL$2 +Sex-bias suit filed against Costco A Costco Wholesale assistant manager sued the warehouse-club chain yesterday in federal court, alleging the company #39;s promotion policies keep women from seeking out the top two positions at its stores. $LABEL$2 +Funds turn negative on global profits LONDON (Reuters) - Fund managers #39; views on corporate profitability worldwide have turned sharply negative over the past month for the first time in three years, a Merrill Lynch survey of fund managers shows. $LABEL$2 +Australia #39;s Lend Lease Returns to Profit Property group Lend Lease Corp. on Wednesday announced a return to full-year profit and forecast earnings-per-share growth of more than 15 percent in the current year. $LABEL$2 +HP denies Itanium change cost it sales HP BOSS Ann Livermore said that the move to Itanium was not responsible for HP #39;s sales slump. Livermore, who managed to avoid an axe wielding Carly Fiorina this week as sales in the bits of the company she manages plummeted, said that killing the Alpha ...$LABEL$3 +Digital signatures #39;could be forged #39; Encryption circles are buzzing with news that mathematical functions embedded in common security applications have previously unknown weaknesses. $LABEL$3 +With this effort, they #39;re silver belles ATHENS -- How many gilded fairy tales do you want? There was the Magnificent 7 in Atlanta in 1996 and the Fantastic 5 in Anaheim last summer. Was anyone really counting on dethroning the Romanians at an ...$LABEL$1 +Canadian arrested for #39;interrupting the Games #39; after diving into pool ATHENS (CP) - Olympic organizers increased security inside all sports venues Tuesday after a Canadian spectator climbed out of the stands and jumped off one of the boards into the pool. $LABEL$1 +Say slams teammates #39; relay effort ATHENS -- The meltdown continues in the pool for Canada #39;s swimmers. Only this time, it #39;s talk and not just times that are creating heat. Rick Say, who has posted Canada #39;s best individual showing in the pool with a sixth-place finish in the highly ...$LABEL$1 +White Sox #39;s Guillen hospitalized with what may be kidney stones Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was hospitalized last night and might have kidney stones. Guillen, serving the first game of a two-game suspension, left the ballpark about three hours before the game against Detroit and went to a Chicago hospital ...$LABEL$1 +Last laugh Oh, those wacky Red Sox. Nothing like a little levity to take the edge off a playoff race. That #39;s why Terry Francona #39;s merry pranksters last night let Manny Ramirez lead the charge out of the dugout in the ...$LABEL$1 +Agassi downs crowd favourite TOP seed Andre Agassi cruised into the next round of the ATP Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington with a 6-4 6-2 win over fellow American Paul Goldstein. $LABEL$1 +Sadr refuses to meet with peace delegation NAJAF, Iraq -- Radical Shi #39;ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr refused yesterday to meet with a delegation of Iraqi political figures that had rushed here from Baghdad with a last-ditch offer for peace, ...$LABEL$0 +Five Palestinians killed Israeli attack that targeted Hamas activist in Gaza City JERUSALEM Israel set off a mysterious explosion in an olive grove near the house of a senior Hamas activist Wednesday, killing five Palestinians and wounding seven. The strike came just before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced a key party test linked to ...$LABEL$0 +Warring Afghan Factions Say Cease-fire Holding HERAT (Reuters) - A renegade Afghan militia commander and a spokesman for the governor of the western province of Herat said on Wednesday their forces were honoring a cease-fire brokered a day earlier by the US envoy to Afghanistan. $LABEL$0 +5 die as Hamas chief survives Israeli strike GAZA CITYA senior Hamas leader survived an Israeli assassination attempt early today but at least five other Palestinians were killed in the explosion that tore through his Gaza home. $LABEL$0 +Farewell to American friends President Bush #39;s plan to begin pulling most of the US troops out of Europe nearly fifteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall has many Germans worried. $LABEL$0 +Nepalese Rebel Blockade Cuts Roads to Kathmandu, Reuters Says Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Road traffic to Nepal #39;s capital, Kathmandu, stopped as communist rebels began a blockade of the city to demand the release of insurgents, Reuters reported. $LABEL$0 +Squaddie Is Killed In Gun Battle A BRITISH soldier was killed and another seriously injured in clashes with Iraqi rebel gunmen in Basra yesterday. $LABEL$0 +Politician #39;s arrest stirs suspicions in Hong Kong BEIJING - The arrest of a Hong Kong pro-democracy candidate in mainland China on charges of soliciting a prostitute touched off a media furor in the former British colony yesterday and fueled suspicion that Beijing was trying to influence ...$LABEL$0 +Greek Sprinters Withdraw from Games ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Olympic 200 meters champion Costas Kenteris, the focus of an Olympic doping scandal, withdrew from the Athens Games on Wednesday ""out of a sense of responsibility.$LABEL$1 +Dollar Mired Near Lows After Weak Data LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar hovered near multi-week lows on Wednesday as investors questioned whether the U.S. central bank would raise interest rates next month in the light of another round of weak U.S. data.$LABEL$2 +Google Cuts IPO Price Range NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc., the Web search engine, on Wednesday slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited initial public offering to between \$85 and \$95 per share from \$108 to \$135 per share.$LABEL$2 +Update 1: Philippine Shares Close Lower Philippine shares finished lower Wednesday on selling triggered by a clutch of negative financial news and the steep fall of blue-chip Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. #39;s American depositary receipts, traders said. $LABEL$2 +ING withdrawing from Janus Financial services firm ING has been identified as the company that plans to yank \$5 billion from the hands of Janus Capital Group. $LABEL$2 +Oakville plant #39;s fate is still up in the air Ford is celebrating its 100th anniversary in Canada today amid uncertainty over the future of the automaker #39;s Oakville assembly plant. $LABEL$2 +Benefits Seen in Earth Observation Data WASHINGTON Aug. 17, 2004 Scientists are planning to take the pulse of the planet and more in an effort to improve weather forecasts, predict energy needs months in advance, anticipate disease outbreaks and even tell fishermen where the catch will be ...$LABEL$3 +Greek sprinter Kenteris quits Games ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Olympic 200 metres champion Costas Kenteris and his fellow Greek Olympic silver medallist Katerina Thanou say they are withdrawing from the Athens Games. $LABEL$1 +UAE joins Olympics gold medal winners UAE joins Olympics gold medal winners ABU DHABI, 18 Aug. 04 (WAM) -- A UAE paper said today that Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashar Al Maktoum #39;s winning of the gold medal in double trap shooting had taken the UAE to the pinnacle of sporting glory at the Olympics. $LABEL$1 +Federer crashes out of Olympics World number one Roger Federer of Switzerland crashed out of the Olympic tennis tournament on Tuesday when he lost to unseeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. $LABEL$1 +2 steps back in Texas ARLINGTON, Texas -- All of a sudden, the Indians #39; prolific offense has been reduced to shambles. And, remember phenom left-hander Cliff Lee, who won 10 games before the All-Star break? He #39;s seemingly forgotten how to pitch. $LABEL$1 +Southern Cal faces sex assault probe A member or members of the USC football team is being investigated for alleged sexual assault, the Los Angeles police department said last night. $LABEL$1 +Mechanic must stand trial for British backpacker #39;s murder A mechanic was ordered today to stand trial for the alleged murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio in the Australian Outback three years ago. $LABEL$0 +Google Cuts IPO Price Range (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc., the Web search engine, on\Wednesday slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited\initial public offering to between #36;85 and #36;95 per share from\ #36;108 to #36;135 per share.$LABEL$2 +Bank of America Plans Big Layoffs -Paper (Reuters) Reuters - Bank of America Corp. (BAC.N), plans\on Wednesday to lay off hundreds of tellers and other employees\at Fleet bank branches, and ask them to leave immediately, the\Boston Globe said on Wednesday, citing documents it obtained\and Fleet branch managers.$LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Hold Near \$47 on Iraq Threat LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady near \$47 a barrel on Wednesday a day after setting yet another record when the United States, the world's biggest oil consumer, said inflation had stayed in check despite rising energy costs.$LABEL$2 +Greek Sprinters Withdraw From Olympics (AP) AP - Top Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou withdrew Wednesday from the Athens Games, nearly a week after the duo missed a drug test and were hospitalized after a mysterious motorcycle crash.$LABEL$1 +Teixeira Hits for Cycle in Rangers' Win (AP) AP - Mark Teixeira needed only a single to hit for the cycle, and his Texas Rangers teammates wanted to see him make some baseball history.$LABEL$1 +De Bruijn Leads the Way in 100 Freestyle Heats ATHENS (Reuters) - Triple Sydney Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn, who lost her 100 meters butterfly title on Sunday, posted the fastest heat time as she opened the defense of her 100 freestyle crown on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Mayo Likely to Miss Tour of Spain MADRID (Reuters) - Leading Spanish cyclist Iban Mayo will probably miss next month's Tour of Spain because of a suspected viral infection, his team manager said on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +China Detains Eight Roman Catholic Priests -Group BEIJING (Reuters) - China has detained eight Roman Catholic priests in northern Hebei province, continuing a crackdown on those loyal to the Pope, a U.S.-based religious right group said on Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +No SEC Decision on Google IPO Paperwork SAN JOSE, Calif. - Google Inc.'s plans to move ahead with its initial public stock offering ran into a roadblock when the Securities and Exchange Commission didn't approve the Internet search giant's regulatory paperwork as requested...$LABEL$0 +Eight Terror Suspects Face British Charges LONDON - Two of the suspects allegedly had surveillance plans of the Prudential Building in Newark, N.J., mentioned in the Aug. 1 U.S...$LABEL$0 +BHP Announces Record Annual Profit Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Billiton on Wednesday announced Australia #39;s biggest ever annual net profit, US\$3.51 billion (euros 2.84 billion), thanks to soaring demand. $LABEL$2 +Nestle Profit Rises; Commodity Prices to Crimp Growth (Update4) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Nestle SA, the world #39;s largest food company, said first-half profit rose 2.1 percent, less than forecast, as sales in Western Europe declined and costs for sugar, energy and packaging materials increased. $LABEL$2 +CA acquires PestPatrol Over the past year, spyware has become an increasing problem. Every time that you visit a web site, you must run the gauntlet of a variety of pop-up adverts, any of which can be programmed to place spyware on your computer. $LABEL$3 +Greek duo quit Olympics The two Greek sprinters who missed drug tests prior to the start of the Athens Olympics today withdrew from the games. $LABEL$1 +Keller leads relay upset of Aussies ATHENS - Klete Keller says he likes to run with the bulls. Talks a little bull, too. But he doesn #39;t kid around in the water. $LABEL$1 +Americans bounce back Athens -- Allen Iverson scored 17 points, even with the broken thumb on his shooting hand, as the United States rebounded from a shocking opening-game loss to beat Greece 77-71 at the men #39;s Olympic basketball tournament yesterday. $LABEL$1 +Just 16 centuries later, we return to Olympia You remember, of course, Armenian Prince Varazdates and the spectacle of his boxing triumph. And who can forget Zopyros of Athens, wrestling-boxing his way to the junior pankration crown. $LABEL$1 +Selig to get 3-year extension Major League Baseball #39;s owners will convene in Philadelphia today for two days of meetings that will culminate with a coronation of sorts. $LABEL$1 +Downer up-beat on North Korean nuclear talks Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has offered an up-beat assessment at the end of talks in Pyongyang about the North Korean nuclear crisis. $LABEL$0 +Australian opposition leader hospitalised with pancreatitis CANBERRA : Australian opposition leader Mark Latham is in hospital with an inflamed pancreas, his office said. $LABEL$0 +US sweeps away slide in volleyball The United States had lost nine straight Olympic matches, dating to the Atlanta Games in 1996. Clay Stanley made sure it didn't continue.$LABEL$1 +Olympics sport solid ratings Gyms worldwide were dark in anticipation of the Olympic gymnastics competition, NBC's Al Trautwig said this week in a dramatic introduction -- and then the cameras pulled back to reveal row after row of empty seats in Athens.$LABEL$1 +Google Slashes IPO Price Range (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc., the Web search engine, on\Wednesday slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited\initial public offering to between #36;85 and #36;95 per share from\ #36;108 to #36;135 per share.$LABEL$3 +Sprints More Fun Without Jones, Says Ferguson ATHENS (Reuters) - With no clear-cut favorite, the women's sprints at the Athens Olympics will be more exciting than they were four years ago when Marion Jones dominated, according to Caribbean sprinters Debbie Ferguson and Veronica Campbell.$LABEL$1 +Bomb found near Berlusconi villa Italy police defuse a bomb near Silvio Berlusconi's holiday villa, hours after a visit by the UK's Tony Blair.$LABEL$0 +Google Slashes IPO Price Range NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc., the Web search engine, on Wednesday slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited initial public offering to between \$85 and \$95 per share from \$108 to \$135 per share. $LABEL$2 +Prices drop in July WASHINGTON Con-sumer prices in July fell nationally by 0.1 percent and in the New York metro region by 0.2 percent as gasoline prices dropped, the US Labor Department said yesterday. $LABEL$2 +Bank of America Plans Big Layoffs -Paper NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp. (BAC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , plans on Wednesday to lay off hundreds of tellers and other employees at Fleet bank branches, and ask them to leave immediately, the Boston Globe said on Wednesday, citing ...$LABEL$2 +Air France raises ticket prices PARIS (Reuters) - French flag carrier Air France is raising its ticket prices by up to 12 euros (8 pounds) per flight leg, joining a number of other airlines in passing on higher jet fuel costs to passengers. $LABEL$2 +Netscape Revamped With Mozilla 1.7 Netscape Communications has released Netscape 7.2, successor to the older version 7.1, which was released in mid-2003. The new release is based on version 1.7 of Mozilla, the most recent version of the Mozilla Internet application suite. $LABEL$3 +Two golds make Phelps #39; day Michael Phelps showed no signs of either yesterday, swimming to two gold medals in the span of an hour at the Athens Olympic Games. $LABEL$1 +Olympia oozes Games history OLYMPIA, GREECE -- Great players will walk upon a historic stage today at the Ancient Olympia Stadium. $LABEL$1 +US choose Devers to replace Edwards Gail Devers and LaShaunte #39;a Moore will replace banned world champion Torri Edwards in the Olympic 100 and 200 metres races. $LABEL$1 +Top players need more rest, says Eriksson WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has urged the international soccer authorities to preserve the health of the world superstar footballers for major tournaments, who expressed his will in Slaley of England on Tuesday ...$LABEL$1 +Rae got what he deserved - Dadu The player kicked in the head by Alex Rae believes the five-match ban imposed on the Rangers midfielder was just. $LABEL$1 +Britain arrests 8 suspects linked to US terror alert Accused of conspiring to commit murder. Alleged Al-Qa #39;ida operative charged with possessing plans of US financial institutions ...$LABEL$0 +Israel #39;s Likud faces major vote after controversial settlement decision JERUSALEM : Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s Likud party votes on Sharon #39;s intention to bring the opposition Labour party into government, the day after he gave the green light to the construction of 1,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West ...$LABEL$0 +Police defuse bomb after Blair #39;s visit Police have defused a bomb near the Sardinian holiday home of Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, just hours after a visit by Tony Blair. $LABEL$0 +Girlfriend #39;s Family Welcome Backpacker Murder Trial The family of Joanne Lees today welcomed the announcement that a mechanic is to stand trial in Australia for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio. $LABEL$0 +Euro Stocks Slip LONDON (Reuters) - High oil prices weighed on investor sentiment across financial markets on Wednesday as the price of crude stuck stubbornly close to \$47 a barrel.$LABEL$2 +Arafat Says Palestinians Made 'Mistakes' (AP) AP - In a rare admission, Yasser Arafat suggested Wednesday that the Palestinian leadership has made ""mistakes"" and promised to correct them.$LABEL$0 +No New Closures of Japan Nuclear Reactors Needed (Reuters) Reuters - No more Japanese nuclear reactors need to\be closed for inspections, electric power companies said on\Wednesday after submitting reports ordered by the government\following a reactor accident that killed four workers last\week.$LABEL$0 +Invasion alert in DR Congo town Security is stepped up in the border town of Bukavu after Rwanda and Burundi said they could send troops into Democratic Republic of Congo.$LABEL$0 +Blair's 'Freebie' Summer Holidays Irk Britons (Reuters) Reuters - Two continents. Three luxury mansions\courtesy of friends. Endless sun and sea. And a front-row seat\for the Olympics to boot.$LABEL$0 +Karzai Promises Afghans Security for Election KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai promised Afghans greater security when they go to vote in the country's first ever democratic election during an independence day speech on Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Blair's 'Freebie' Summer Holidays Irk Britons LONDON (Reuters) - Two continents. Three luxury mansions courtesy of friends. Endless sun and sea. And a front-row seat for the Olympics to boot.$LABEL$0 +Medical Experts Fear Charley's Aftermath PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Bill Nylander survived Hurricane Charley, but the storm still managed to hurt him days after it cut a swath of destruction through his hometown...$LABEL$0 +BHP Billiton 2nd-Half Net Doubles on Commodity Prices (Update3) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- BHP Billiton, the world #39;s biggest mining company, more than doubled second-half profit as Chinese demand boosted commodity prices and said it may return as much as \$2 billion to investors, including through share buybacks. $LABEL$2 +Update 2: Philippine Shares Close Lower Philippine shares finished lower Wednesday on selling triggered by a clutch of negative financial news and the steep fall of blue-chip Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. #39;s American depositary receipts, traders said. $LABEL$2 +Qualcomm drops licensing suit against TI LOS ANGELES (Reuters) Qualcomm has dropped an \$18 million claim for monetary damages from rival Texas Instruments for publicly discussing terms of a licensing pact, a TI spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday. $LABEL$3 +Palm extends Wi-Fi range The PalmOne Wi-Fi SD card has finally arrived, but only for users with the most up to date models. The card is only compatible with two top of the range handsets, the Zire 72 and Tungsten T3. $LABEL$3 +Heavy fighting erupts in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Heavy fighting has broken out between US troops and Shi #39;ite militiamen in the Iraqi city of Najaf after a peace delegation failed to broker a truce to end nearly two weeks of clashes. $LABEL$0 +Making Free IPods Pay Off The FreeiPods.com website looks as phony as a \$3 bill. In fact, it's at the forefront of performance-based marketing, as advertisers discover it's more effective to spend \$50 million on gifts than to blow the cash on TV ads. By Leander Kahney.$LABEL$2 +Explosion Hits Iraq Foreign Ministry (AP) AP - A large explosion hit central Baghad on Wednesday close to a convention center where a key national gathering of political, religious and civic leaders entered its final day.$LABEL$0 +Maoist Rebels Block Land Routes to Nepali Capital NAGDHUNGA, Nepal (Reuters) - Maoist rebels, fighting to topple Nepal's constitutional monarchy, cut off all land routes to the Himalayan kingdom's capital on Wednesday, disrupting food and supplies to the city of 1.5 million people.$LABEL$0 +Google Slashes IPO Price Range NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc., the world's most popular Web search engine, on Wednesday slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited initial public offering (IPO) to between \$85 and \$95 per share from between \$108 and \$135 per share.$LABEL$2 +Arafat Urges Palestinians to 'Correct Mistakes' (Reuters) Reuters - Palestinian President\Yasser Arafat, under pressure to enact anti-corruption reforms,\said on Wednesday that some officials had misused their posts\and urged efforts to correct ""all the mistakes.$LABEL$0 +Two bombs discovered in Sardinia after Berlusconi-Blair meet (AFP) AFP - Police discovered two bombs near the Sardinian villa of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, just hours after he met his British counterpart Tony Blair on the island.$LABEL$0 +Global miner BHP Billiton posts record net profit as demand soars (AFP) AFP - Global mining giant BHP Billiton posted the biggest net profit in Australian corporate history as soaring commodities prices and strong demand from China pushed net profit up 83 percent to 3.51 billion US dollars.$LABEL$0 +Arafat Urges Palestinians to 'Correct Mistakes' RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, under pressure to enact anti-corruption reforms, said on Wednesday that some officials had misused their posts and urged efforts to correct ""all the mistakes.$LABEL$0 +China Detains Eight Priests and a Living Buddha -Groups BEIJING (Reuters) - China has detained eight Roman Catholic priests in a crackdown on those loyal to the Pope and arrested a ""Living Buddha"" for arousing superstition at the re-opening of a temple, U.S. groups said on Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Walker Slam Leads Cardinals Past Reds (AP) AP - Larry Walker has learned quickly that St. Louis Cardinals' fans know how to celebrate.$LABEL$1 +Fighting Rages in Najaf After Peace Bid Fails NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Heavy fighting broke out between U.S. troops and Shi'ite militiamen in the Iraqi city of Najaf, where Iraq's interim defense minister said he expected a ""decisive battle"" to take place on Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Crypto researchers abuzz over flaws ZDNet UK: Encryption circles are buzzing with news that mathematical functions embedded in common security applications have previously unknown weaknesses. $LABEL$3 +UA #39;s Beard swims to silver in medley debut ATHENS - American swimmer Michael Phelps collected two more gold medals Tuesday, but even he knew he wasn #39;t the story of the day from the Summer Olympics in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Celebrating human spirit, in all its impurity What if the Olympic Games --started here 2,780 years ago, right in this fertile, ancient town in the western Peloponnesus some 200 miles from Athens -- really mean something? ...$LABEL$1 +Security tightened after fan takes a plunge More security will be placed around the fields of play at the Olympics after a man who wanted to send #39; #39;a loving message to his wife #39; #39; jumped into the diving pool, the Athens Organizing Committee said. $LABEL$1 +Labor determined to reopen children overboard inquiry Labor says there appears to have been pressure from the Prime Minister #39;s office on a public servant and it #39;s reaffirmed its determination to reopen the Senate inquiry into the matter. $LABEL$0 +4 killed, 2 missing as Typhoon Megi hits western Japan TOKYO, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Four people were killed and two others missing as Typhoon Megi hit west Japan #39;s Kagawa and Ehime prefectures on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. $LABEL$0 +Wall Street Set to Open Down (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. shares were expected to open lower\on Wednesday after crude oil pushed to a fresh high overnight,\while Web search engine Google Inc. dented sentiment as it\slashed the price range on its initial public offering.\In a statement posted on its IPO Web site, Google said it had\cut the range on its IPO to #36;85- #36;95 per share from #36;108- #36;135\previously, a 26 percent reduction at the mid-point of the\range.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Crude Sets New Record #36;47 a Barrel (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. oil futures set a new record #36;47.01\a barrel on Wednesday after a new threat against Iraq's oil\sector by rebel Shi'ite militia. U.S. crude traded up 26 cents\to set a new high in the 21-year history of the New York\Mercantile Exchange contract.$LABEL$2 +First Look at Microsoft Money 2005 This Web-savvy update syncs with MSN accounts, but you'll want to be aware of some functionality requirements and service limitations.$LABEL$3 +Google slashes IPO price range NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google, the world #39;s most popular Web search engine, has slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited initial public offering to between \$85 and \$95 per share from between \$108 and \$135 per share. $LABEL$2 +Canada begins probe of Nortel #39;s accounting TORONTO -- Shares of Nortel Networks edged lower yesterday after Canadian officials said they were opening a criminal investigation into accounting practices at the telecommunications equipment maker. $LABEL$2 +PalmOne Wi-Fi card: a first look Want to add Wi-Fi connectivity to your PalmOne Tungsten T3 or Zire 72 handheld? Your wait is almost over. $LABEL$3 +Kenteris and Thanou Quit Games After an hour of interrogation by a three-man IOC disciplinary panel at the Hilton Hotel this morning, Kenteris emerged amid chaotic scenes to declare that in the national interest he would not be defending the 200metres title he won in Sydney four ...$LABEL$1 +Bomb found near Berlusconi villa Italian police today said they had defused a bomb near the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi #39;s Sardinian holiday villa, only hours after a visit by the prime minister, Tony Blair. $LABEL$0 +Burundi Urges Sanctions on Rebels Over Massacre DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Burundi will urge regional leaders at a summit on Wednesday to impose sanctions against the rebel Hutu Forces for National Liberation (FNL), blamed for the slaughter of more than 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees in ...$LABEL$0 +Australian foreign minister ends #39;productive #39; North Korea talks Australia #39;s foreign minister, Alexander Downer, has wrapped up talks in North Korea on the stand-off over the country #39;s efforts to develop nuclear weapons. $LABEL$0 +Australian terrorist seeks deal to testify in foreign trials SYDNEY : Australia #39;s first convicted terrorist, who confessed to conspiring with Al-Qaeda to blow up the Israeli embassy in Canberra, wants a deal in exchange for testifying against terror suspects in foreign courts. $LABEL$0 +Wall Street Set to Open Down LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. shares were expected to open lower on Wednesday after crude oil pushed to a fresh high overnight, while Web search engine Google Inc. dented sentiment as it slashed the price range on its initial public offering.$LABEL$2 +Google reduces IPO price range; SEC approval awaited NEW YORK, August 18 (New Ratings) Google Inc has reportedly reduced its expected IPO price range to \$85-\$95 per share, from the previously expected price range of \$108-\$135 per share. The company is unlikely to price its shares until the market closes ...$LABEL$2 +Crude Oil Prices Climb to Record Before US Inventory Report Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil prices rose to a record in New York before a government report that #39;s expected to show the third straight weekly drop in US crude oil inventories. $LABEL$2 +Phelps #39; gold rush ATHENS, Greece - The night before, Michael Phelps had stood by the pool with a strained smile and a bronze medal, his quest for Olympic immortality dashed, his million-dollar bonus lost, his gold medal count stuck on one. $LABEL$1 +Games go eons back in time today ATHENS, Greece The slogan for these Olympics is, quot;Welcome Home. quot; But the Games really go home today, when the men #39;s and women #39;s shot put are held in the excavated stadium of ancient Olympia, which started all this madness in 776 BC ...$LABEL$1 +NHL: No progress in talks With less than a month remaining before the current collective bargaining agreement expires, representatives for the NHL and the Players #39; Association met for nearly 4 1/2 hours yesterday without making any progress on a new CBA. $LABEL$1 +Fighting Rages in Najaf After Peace Bid Fails NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Heavy fighting broke out between US troops and Shi #39;ite militiamen in the Iraqi city of Najaf, where Iraq #39;s interim defense minister said he expected a quot;decisive battle quot; to take place on Wednesday. $LABEL$0 +Internet pharmacies get go-ahead The government gives the green-light to internet-only pharmacies in England.$LABEL$3 +Karzai urges neighbours to stop militants crossing borders (AFP) AFP - President Hamid Karzai has called on neighbouring countries to prevent militants crossing into Afghanistan through poorly monitored borders and cooperate in the ""fight against terror.$LABEL$0 +Poll: Kerry Continues to Hold Edge in Pa. (AP) AP - Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry is maintaining a slight lead over President Bush in the battleground state of Pennsylvania with crucial support from veterans and military families, according to a poll released Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Najaf clashes as truce talks fail Fighting resumes in the Iraqi city of Najaf between US troops and Shia militias after an abortive peace bid.$LABEL$0 +N Korea food prices 'rocket' Changes in North Korea's economy have led to spiralling food prices many people cannot afford, the UN says.$LABEL$0 +Two die in South Ossetia fighting Clashes with separatists in the breakaway region of South Ossetia kill two Georgian soldiers.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Won't Send New Delegation to Najaf BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's National Conference refused Wednesday to send a second delegation to the holy city of Najaf to negotiate an end to fighting between U.S. troops and loyalists of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a day after he rebuffed their demand for a meeting...$LABEL$0 +A DIFFERENT SPIN (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - As surely as CDs followed vinyl, there was bound to be a successor to the DVD spinning around in research labs.$LABEL$3 +Sex spam clogs summer in-boxes Summer is associated with romance and spammers are trying to cash in by bombarding inboxes with porn.$LABEL$3 +US children 'abandoned in Africa' Texas authorities are investigating claims that a US mother left her seven adopted children in Nigeria and went to work in Iraq.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan issues \$1m al-Qaeda list Pakistan offers rewards totalling more than \$1m for the capture of six top al-Qaeda suspects.$LABEL$0 +Sex spam clogs summer in-boxes Summer is traditionally associated with romance and spammers are trying to cash in by bombarding inboxes with porn.$LABEL$0 +Update 14: Google Lowers Its IPO Price Range In a sign that Google Inc. #39;s initial public offering isn #39;t as popular as expected, the Internet search giant lowered its estimated price range to between \$85 and \$95 per share, down from its earlier prediction of \$108 and \$135 per share. $LABEL$2 +Oil hits new record on fresh Iraq threat LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices have surged to a new high of \$47 a barrel after a new threat by rebel militia against Iraqi oil facilities, and as the United States says inflation has stayed in check despite rising energy costs. $LABEL$2 +Halliburton gets more time to justify bills to US Army NEW YORK, August 18 (New Ratings) The Halliburton Company (HAL.NYS) has reportedly gained more time to justify its bills to the US Army, regarding the company #39;s contract to provide logistic services to the US troops in Iraq. $LABEL$2 +Swisscom Confirms Possible Merger Talks Telecommunications companies Swisscom AG and Telekom Austria AG are in talks over a possible merger, Swisscom said in a statement late Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +AOL releases Netscape browser update Version 7.2 is the first update since mid-2003. The new release is based on version 1.7 of Mozilla, the most recent version of the Mozilla internet application suite. $LABEL$3 +Attachmate Heightens Security, Centralises Management and Brings Microsoft Usability to Host Access with EXTRA! ... Specialist in productivity-enhancing host access, Attachmate, today announces the launch of #39;next generation #39; emulation with EXTRA! Mainframe Server Edition version 8.0 for Windows XP. EXTRA! Mainframe Server Edition offers: 1) complete security framework ...$LABEL$3 +Save The Whales! Then What? AP DE BON DESIR, Quebec, Aug. 11 - A few miles from this spit along the pink granite coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, there is a sheltered cove that has witnessed the full span of the human relationship with whales. $LABEL$3 +Sprinters #39; Withdrawals Lift Cloud Over Games ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece #39;s top two sprinters pulled out of the Olympics on Wednesday after inflicting six days of embarrassment on their country over a hide-and-seek contest with anti-doping enforcers. $LABEL$1 +Shot put history in Olympia ANCIENT OLYMPIA (Reuters) - American Kristin Heaston launched the shot 16.41 metres to become the first woman to compete at Olympia in the first athletics meeting in the tree-lined grove since the ancient Games were abolished in AD 393. $LABEL$1 +Bomb found near Berlusconi villa POLICE defused a bomb near Premier Silvio Berlusconi #39;s villa on the island of Sardinia early today following a tip-off from a radical leftist group, shortly after a visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. $LABEL$0 +Three Georgian servicemen killed in South Ossetia MOSCOW, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Three Georgian servicemen were killed while five others were wounded in overnight fighting in Georgia #39;s breakaway province of South Ossetia, Russian news agencies reported, citing Georgian officials. $LABEL$0 +OPEC: 'Very Small' Impact from Surge LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC producers have said they see little impact on economic growth so far from oil's relentless price surge, which Wednesday racked up yet another record high.$LABEL$2 +Pakistan Mobile Phone Firms Vie for Pent-Up Demand (Reuters) Reuters - Tens of thousands of Pakistanis\endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of\free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in\a country where cell phone usage has remained low.$LABEL$3 +Pakistan Mobile Phone Firms Vie for Pent-Up Demand ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Pakistanis endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in a country where cell phone usage has remained low.$LABEL$3 +Huge waves erode British coast Waves over 20m high are getting bigger, more frequent and are eroding Britain's Atlantic coast, experts say.$LABEL$3 +Chinese Official Sentenced to Death (AP) AP - An official once in charge of guarding cultural relics has been sentenced to death in China's biggest antiquities theft case since the start of communist rule in 1949.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Won't Send New Delegation to Najaf Iraq's National Conference refused today to send a second delegation to negotiate an end to fighting between U.S. troops and loyalists of Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr.$LABEL$0 +Google Sharply Reduces IPO Share Price Google, Inc. significantly cut the expected share price for its initial public stock offering this morning, signaling lower-than-anticipated demand for the most highly publicized new stock since the late 1990s. $LABEL$2 +Stocks Are Seen Off a Touch at Open US stocks are seen off a touch at the open Wednesday as the price of oil continues to plague investor sentiment. $LABEL$2 +Bank Of America Announced Layoffs BOSTON (AP) -- The layoffs are a result of Bank America #39;s merger with FleetBoston Financial Corporation. $LABEL$2 +Cassini finds two little Saturn moons The two newly spotted, faint moons are about 3 miles and 4 miles across, and roughly 200,000 kilometres from Saturn #39;s centre. $LABEL$3 +IBM #39;s New Midrange Server Allows Multiple OS Environments IBM #39;s new eServer allows users to run multiple OS environments at the same time to increase efficiency. Customers can purchase the machine based on the processing power they need. The server comes in configurations from one to four-way and ...$LABEL$3 +Phelps Advances in 200-Meter Medley ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps, seeking his sixth medal of the Athens Olympics, advanced in the 200-meter individual medley Wednesday with a conservative swim. $LABEL$1 +Ump says Ozzie threw spitter According to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, umpire Hunter Wendelstedt filed a claim that said Guillen spat on him during an Aug. 9 argument, a big reason Guillen was dealt with so severely by Major League Baseball. $LABEL$1 +Najaf truce offer rejected Militia fighters loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr today continued to battle US soldiers in Najaf, hours after a delegation from Iraq #39;s national conference had left the city empty-handed when its truce offer was turned down. $LABEL$0 +Bomb Found on Island Hours after Blair Visit Police defused a bomb near Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi #39;s villa in Sardinia early today shortly after Tony and Cherie Blair ended a visit to the Italian leader. $LABEL$0 +Don #39;t use Pearl as electoral pawn, family tells politicians The family of the murdered journalist Daniel Pearl has appealed to American politicians not to use his name in their election campaigns. $LABEL$0 +Mortgage Applications Jump in Aug 13 Week (Reuters) Reuters - New applications for U.S. home loans\rose last week while refinancings surged, as 30-year mortgage\interest rates fell to their lowest level in over four months,\an industry group said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +Mortgage Applications Jump in Aug 13 Week NEW YORK (Reuters) - New applications for U.S. home loans rose last week while refinancings surged, as 30-year mortgage interest rates fell to their lowest level in over four months, an industry group said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +High oil prices not hurting German economy: Schroeder (AFP) AFP - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that the hike in oil prices was not currently hurting the eurozone's biggest economy but that he was closely watching the cost of crude.$LABEL$0 +Rocket Slams Into Iraqi Market, Killing 5 (AP) AP - A rocket slammed into a busy market in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Wednesday, killing at least five civilians, a U.S. military spokeswoman said.$LABEL$0 +Google Sharply Reduces IPO Share Price Google, Inc. significantly cut the expected share price this morning for its initial public stock offering, signaling lower-than-anticipated demand for the most highly publicized new stock since the late 1990s.$LABEL$3 +E-passports to put new face on old documents Countries begin test programs--get ready for a facial scan the next time you take an overseas flight.$LABEL$3 +Eight to appear in London court on terror plot charges (AFP) AFP - Eight men arrested in anti-terrorist raids two weeks ago were set to appear in a high-security court in London on charges of conspiracy to murder and plotting radioactive, chemical or explosive attacks.$LABEL$0 +Arafat admits 'mistakes' to MPs Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat makes a rare admission that ""unacceptable mistakes"" have been made under him.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Are Seen Off a Touch at Open NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are seen off a touch at the open Wednesday as the price of oil continues to plague investor sentiment...$LABEL$0 +Arafat Admits Palestinians Made Mistakes RAMALLAH, West Bank - Yasser Arafat acknowledged Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority had made mistakes, but the rare admission appeared to be aimed more at deflecting criticism about his corrupt government than making real changes. In a decade at the helm of the Palestinian Authority, Arafat has resisted attempts to get him to fight official corruption, reform the security services and relinquish some of his near-absolute powers...$LABEL$0 +Google Slashes IPO Price Range NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc., the world #39;s most popular Web search engine, slashed the price of its share offering Wednesday, as what had been touted as the hottest dot-com listing in years fell prey to worry about a slump in ...$LABEL$2 +Nortel shares down on news of criminal probe News of an RCMP criminal investigation of Nortel Networks and its financial accounting practices sent the company #39;s shares down slightly on Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +Florida may be insurance bellwether The palm trees that narrowly missed Leo Berard #39;s pondside condominium in Naples, Fla., when they toppled Friday spared him from major repairs on his second home. $LABEL$2 +Taxing bodies must approve lawsuit GALESBURG - Knox County State #39;s Attorney Paul Mangieri, discussing a lawsuit he plans to file against Maytag Corp., said Tuesday he was shocked when the company announced in October 2002 it was closing the Galesburg Refrigeration Products ...$LABEL$2 +Spammers in bed with virus carriers The majority of viruses intercepted by MessageLabs since January have the potential for spam distribution, according to a report by the e-mail security firm. It suggests that the virus authors are now making money by collaborating with spammers. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft unveils mainframe integration tool Microsoft has unveiled Host Integration Server (HIS) 2004, claiming that the legacy integration application will lower the cost of integrating existing IBM mainframe and midrange systems with Windows. $LABEL$3 +Sewage waters a tenth of world #39;s irrigated crops A tenth of the world #39;s irrigated crops - everything from lettuce and tomatoes to mangoes and coconuts - are watered by sewage. And much of that sewage is raw and untreated, gushing direct from sewer pipes into fields at the fringes of the developing ...$LABEL$3 +Ford scraps Oracle-based purchasing system Car giant Ford is reportedly abandoning a \$200m web-based purchasing project because it can #39;t get the software to work properly. $LABEL$3 +Sprinters Withdraw from Olympics Amid Swirling Controversies Two of Greeks most adored athletes have pulled themselves out of their host country #39;s Olympics. Sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou missed an International Olympic Committee mandatory drug test last week. Thanou and Kenteris were then involved ...$LABEL$1 +Tarnished silver for US women ATHENS, Greece -- The American women #39;s gymnasts were in contention for the team gold medal Tuesday night, needing a big finish to beat the Romanians. Courtney Kupets, who had to be replaced on the balance beam because of a pulled hamstring, decided to ...$LABEL$1 +Preview: England-Ukraine With 17 days to go before their World Cup qualifying campaign begins, England are back in action with plenty to prove after the disappointment of Euro 2004 elimination. $LABEL$1 +USA gets silver in kayak singles Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - American Rebecca Giddens captured the silver medal today in the Women #39;s K1 kayak singles competition at the Summer Olympics in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Bomb defused after Blair #39;s Italy visit ROME (Reuters) - A bomb has been defused overnight near the Sardinian holiday villa of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi hours after a visit by Tony Blair, Italian police say. $LABEL$0 +Downer upbeat after North Korea meetings MARK COLVIN: The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has met North Korea #39;s Foreign Minister and the President of the Supreme Peoples #39; Assembly in Pyongyang. As one of the few Western nations with diplomatic relations with the isolated totalitarian state, ...$LABEL$0 +Nepal #39;s Maoist Rebels Blockade Paralyzes Kathmandu Nepal #39;s capital, Kathmandu, has been paralyzed by Maoist rebels, who have imposed a virtual blockade of the city. $LABEL$0 +Pakistan Offers Bounties on Six Wanted Terror Suspects Pakistan has announced bounties and published photographs of six wanted terrorist suspects, including a senior al-Qaida operative accused of masterminding two attempts to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf. $LABEL$0 +Home users get key Windows update Microsoft is making its important security update for Windows XP available on auto-update servers today.$LABEL$3 +BioVeris Still May Lose Its Investment BioVeris Corp. stands to lose most or all of its \$41.2 million investment in a joint venture with its chief executive's son if he doesn't raise money to keep it operating, the company said yesterday in its quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.$LABEL$3 +3 Georgian Soldiers Slain in South Ossetia (AP) AP - Three Georgian peacekeepers were killed in overnight shooting in South Ossetia, officials said Wednesday, while Russia scoffed at Georgia's appeal for foreign mediation in the breakaway region where daily exchanges of gunfire have stoked fears of war.$LABEL$0 +Slavery's Harsh History Is Portrayed in Promised Land At the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, slavery's evil becomes palpable; so does a sense of progressive enlightenment.$LABEL$0 +Brookstone Posts a Narrower Loss (Reuters) Reuters - Brookstone Inc. (BKST.O), a retailer\specializing in gadgets and personal electronics, on Wednesday\posted a narrower quarterly loss on strong Father's Day sales\and raised its profit forecast for the full year.$LABEL$2 +Stocks to Watch on Wednesday, August 18 APPLIED MATERIALS INC. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=AMAT.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">AMAT.O</A>:$LABEL$2 +U.S. Men Qualify for Final in Shot Put (AP) AP - Two U.S. men advanced to the final of the shot put Wednesday, hoping to make even more history at the ancient site that gave birth to the Olympics 2,780 years ago.$LABEL$1 +Garda quiz two over African death Police in Ireland question two men arrested in Dublin in connection with the murder of the daughter of Malawi's chief justice.$LABEL$0 +Complaints follow Haiti acquittal The US and rights groups condemn the acquittal in Haiti of an ex-paramilitary leader accused of murder.$LABEL$0 +Unanimous vote to raise British interest rates: official minutes (AFP) AFP - The Bank of England's nine-member monetary policy committee voted unanimously to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent earlier this month, official records showed.$LABEL$2 +Talbots Profit Meets Lowered Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - Clothing retailer Talbots Inc. (TLB.N)\on Wednesday posted a slight increase in quarterly profit,\meeting its lowered forecast, as it sold more merchandise at\full price and recorded a tax benefit.$LABEL$2 +High oil costs hit more airlines Air France becomes the latest major airline to raise ticket prices in response to higher fuel costs.$LABEL$2 +Million more in broadband's reach BT is lifting distance limits on broadband enabled exchanges, so that 1m more can get high-speed net.$LABEL$3 +Google Lowers Price Range The search-engine giant, which was expected to go public as early as Wednesday, instead has slashed the deal #39;s expected price range and cut the number of shares being sold by existing shareholder in half. The new parameters suggest a newly public Google ...$LABEL$2 +Pentagon flipflops, will pay Halliburton fully WASHINGTON - The US army said it had suspended its decision to partially withhold payments to Halliburton, the biggest US contractor in Iraq. $LABEL$2 +Report: Bank of America to lay off Fleet workers BOSTON A published report reveals that Bank of America plans to lay off hundreds of tellers and other branch employees at Fleet banks today. $LABEL$2 +Applied doubles revenue Applied Materials, the world #39;s largest manufacturer of chip-making tools, said on Tuesday that its third-quarter revenue doubled, leading to \$441 million in profit. $LABEL$2 +Sony Develops New Chip for More Real and Refined High Definition Video quot;DRC quot; was developed in 1997 as a technology that changed a standard television signal format to a high-definition signal format, based on the concept of establishing a higher definition signal format from scratch. The foundation of this technology was ...$LABEL$3 +Athletes Return to Olympia Home After 1,611 Years (Update3) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Olympia, home of the Olympics for more than 12 centuries, hosted a track and field event for the first time in 1,611 years when the shot-putters of the Athens Games arrived at Greece #39;s most sacred sporting site. $LABEL$1 +Dampier headed to Mavericks? Longtime Warriors center Erick Dampier could be on the verge of finding a new home, 2 1/2 months after becoming a free agent. $LABEL$1 +SI.com LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Wilson Alvarez continues to pitch his best when the Los Angeles Dodgers need it most. $LABEL$1 +Rwanda, Burundi threaten with Congo invasion afrol News, 18 August - The governments of Rwanda and Burundi may again send troops into Congo Kinshasa (DRC) if Kinshasa does not finally take action against the militias still slaughtering Tutsis. Both claim Friday #39;s massacre was masterminded by ...$LABEL$0 +Soldier Killed in Action Named A British soldier killed after clashes with militia forces in the southern Iraqi city of Basra was today named as Lance Corporal Paul David Trevor Thomas. $LABEL$0 +Seiyu posts first half net loss on slower sales, higher costs (AFP) AFP - Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu, controlled by US retail giant Wal-Mart, said it incurred a net loss in the first half to June on the back of slow sales and early retirement costs.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Fights to Keep Off August Lows LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar struggled to pull away from August lows on Wednesday as investors wondered whether the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates next month after another round of weak U.S. data in the previous session.$LABEL$2 +Japanese bank taps RFID for document security NEC Corp. has signed a contract with a Japanese bank for an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) -based document management system, the company said Tuesday in a statement.$LABEL$3 +Google drops target price, extends auction to Wednesday Google Inc. lowered the target price per share for its initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday, and asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to give buyers additional time to reconsider their bids, according to a notice on the company's IPO Web site.$LABEL$3 +Summer storms lash Europe, deaths in France (AFP) AFP - Freak storms packing howling winds and heavy rain that lashed Britain and France this week were set to continue after already causing significant destruction and the deaths of at least four people.$LABEL$0 +Before-the-Bell: Taser Climbs NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Taser International Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=TASR.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">TASR.O</A> rose before the bell on Wednesday after the company said it had received five orders totaling more than \$741,000 for its stun guns.$LABEL$2 +Google slashes target stock launch value (AFP) AFP - Internet research engine giant Google Incorporated slashed billions of dollars from the target launch valuation of its stock in a major upset for the biggest technology flotation since the dot.com bubble burst four years ago.$LABEL$3 +Singapore Suspends Some Poultry Imports (AP) AP - Singapore said Wednesday that it has suspended the import of all poultry and poultry products from neighboring Malaysia after avian influenza was discovered at a farm there.$LABEL$0 +Religion Experts Ask How Jesus Would Vote (AP) AP - Just a few miles from George W. Bush's former office at the state Capitol, a panel of religious experts weighed a question with relevance to many people of faith: How would Jesus vote?$LABEL$0 +Oil tops \$47 a barrel Crude oil prices reached a record high of \$47.04 (US) a barrel in pre-market trading Wednesday in New York on lingering concerns about supply from Iraq and Russia. $LABEL$2 +Refinancings soar 21 as rates slump Demand for new home loans and refinancings jump as interest rates slide amid weak economic reports. NEW YORK (Reuters) - New applications for US home loans rose last week while refinancings surged, as 30-year mortgage interest rates fell to their lowest ...$LABEL$2 +High oil costs hit more airlines Air France and KLM ticket prices are to rise after the carriers imposed further surcharges to counter high fuel costs. $LABEL$2 +Nestle Reports First Half Net Profit Nestle, the world #39;s biggest food and drink company, on Wednesday posted a first-half net profit of \$2.28 billion, up 0.02 percent on the year-earlier figure of \$2.03 billion. $LABEL$2 +Georgia Power wins ruling on research study Georgia Power and Savannah Electric will not have to pay for new research into energy-efficiency programs, the state Public Service Commission ruled Tuesday. $LABEL$2 +Home users get key Windows update From today home users will be able to get hold of Microsoft #39;s long-awaited update for Windows XP. The version of the SP2 security update for the Home Edition of XP has become available via its auto-update service. $LABEL$3 +This information has been provided by the State Statistics Committee The Cassini spacecraft has discovered two new moons at Saturn that may be the smallest bodies seen so far around the ringed planet, according to a NASA press release. $LABEL$3 +Greek sprinters #39; withdrawals lift cloud over Games ATHENS, Greece -- Greece #39;s top two sprinters pulled out of the Olympics today after inflicting six days of embarrassment on their country over a hide-and-seek contest with anti-doping enforcers. $LABEL$1 +Germany #39;s Schroeder confirms adopting Russian toddler German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder confirmed on Wednesday that he and his wife have adopted a child, reported to be a girl from a Russian orphanage, but has called on the media to respect his family #39;s privacy. $LABEL$0 +Before-the-Bell: Taser Climbs (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Taser International Inc.\(TASR.O) rose before the bell on Wednesday after the company\said it had received five orders totaling more than #36;741,000\for its stun guns.$LABEL$2 +Dillard's Posts Narrower 2nd-Quarter Loss (Reuters) Reuters - Dillard's Inc. (DDS.N) on Wednesday\reported a narrower quarterly loss as the department store\operator cut costs.$LABEL$2 +Gartner revises PC market forecast, warns of downside (MacCentral) MacCentral - The PC market won't grow as fast in 2004 as originally predicted by Gartner Inc. analysts, as concerns about the overall health of the U.S. economy weigh on the market, the market research company said.$LABEL$3 +Medical Experts Fear Charley's Aftermath PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Until the electricity hums again and the debris is cleared, health officials are worried that there could be more deaths and injuries in Hurricane Charley's aftermath than during the storm itself...$LABEL$0 +8 Terror Suspects Appear in British Court LONDON - Eight men accused of plotting to commit murder and cause mayhem with radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives appeared in court Wednesday in a case linked to a U.S. terror alert this month...$LABEL$0 +Greek Sprinters Withdraw From Olympics ATHENS, Greece - Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the Athens Games on Wednesday, nearly a week after they missed a drug test and were later hospitalized following a suspicious motorcycle crash. ""I'm withdrawing from the Olympics,"" Kenteris said after meeting with the International Olympic Committee's disciplinary commission...$LABEL$0 +Google Cuts Its IPO Price Range SAN JOSE, Calif. - In a sign that Google Inc.'s initial public offering will not be as hot or big as expected, the Internet search giant reduced the number of shares to be sold by insiders and slashed its estimated per-share price range...$LABEL$0 +Google Slashes Price of Shares in Initial Public Offering Google cut the price of its share offering today as the new listing fell prey to worry about a slump in demand.$LABEL$2 +How Old is the Milky Way? Observations by an international team of astronomers with the UVES spectrometer on ESO's Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory (Chile) have thrown new light on the earliest epoch of the Milky Way galaxy.$LABEL$3 +Google Lowers IPO Price, Limits Shares Google Lowers IPO Price, Limits Shares\\Google's IPO wasn't as popular as expected, apparently not as many fish bit at the Dutch Auction bait. Google will be lowering its estimated price range to between \$85 and \$95 per share, down from its earlier prediction of \$108 and \$135 per share ...$LABEL$3 +American Swimmers Fired Up by Relay Win ATHENS (Reuters) - The U.S. swimming team was slow off the blocks but is heading for home at full speed propelled by Tuesday's dramatic relay victory, U.S. women's head coach Mark Schubert said on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Rowers Advance Americans Aquil Abdullah and Henry Nuzum row their double scull furiously down the stretch to cross the line in a dead heat with Norway on Wednesday, winning both teams a spot in a rare seven-boat final.$LABEL$1 +Google Confounds European Investors (Reuters) Reuters - Web surfers from Beijing to Berkeley\have made Google their search engine of choice, but some of\Europe's institutional investors have gone sour on the dot-com\on the eve of its initial public offering.$LABEL$0 +Home users get Windows update Microsoft is making its important security update for Windows XP available on auto-update servers today.$LABEL$0 +Assam strike over rebel attacks A general strike called by students in the state to protest against rebel bombings brings life to a standstill.$LABEL$0 +Google Slashes the Size of Its IPO NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. slashed the size of its closely watched initial public offering nearly in half to less than \$2 billion on Wednesday, splashing cold water on what has been touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years. $LABEL$2 +Yukos sells gas stake YUKOS has sold a 56 per cent stake in a Siberian natural gas company to the Anglo-Russian joint venture TNK-BP to pay off its crushing tax bill, Western oil sources and media reports said today. $LABEL$2 +Futures point lower US stock futures pointed to a weaker start Wednesday as rising oil prices and a major price cut for Google Inc. #39;s highly anticipated initial public offering raised investors #39; eyebrows. $LABEL$2 +Airlines under pressure from soaring fuel price PARIS (Reuters) - Europe #39;s largest carrier Air France-KLM has joined rivals in raising its ticket prices to offset soaring jet fuel costs, but a leading bank has questioned how effective the surcharges will be in protecting airline profits. $LABEL$2 +Costco Tests Casket Market NEW YORK (Reuters) - From the cradle to the grave. You can buy baby food, groceries, computers, furniture and a whole host of things at Costco -- now you can even find caskets at some of its stores. $LABEL$2 +Global miner BHP Billiton posts record net profit as demand soars SYDNEY : Global mining giant BHP Billiton posted the biggest net profit in Australian corporate history as soaring commodities prices and strong demand from China pushed net profit up 83 percent to 3.51 billion US dollars. $LABEL$2 +Nestle Net Rises 2.1, Less Than Forecast, on Costs (Update6) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Nestle SA, the world #39;s largest food company, said first-half profit rose 2.1 percent, less than forecast, as sales in Western Europe declined and costs for sugar, milk and packaging increased. $LABEL$2 +China Mobile increases earnings 7.8 HONG KONG China Mobile (Hong Kong), the world #39;s largest cellphone operator by customers, said Wednesday that first-half profit rose 7.8 percent from a year earlier after the company won more new customers than China Unicom by offering cheaper services. $LABEL$2 +Cassini-Huygens discovers two new Saturnian moons The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, a joint project of the US space administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian space agency (ASI), has discovered two more small moons orbiting the planet Saturn, bringing the total to 33. $LABEL$3 +Greek Sprinters Withdraw From Olympics ATHENS, Greece Aug. 18, 2004 Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the Athens Games on Wednesday, nearly a week after they missed a drug test and were later hospitalized following a suspicious motorcycle crash. $LABEL$1 +Can the peace in Najaf be achieved? Delegates to the Iraqi national conference in Baghdad are holding an unscheduled fourth day of talks. $LABEL$0 +Georgian, South Ossitian Forces Continue Fighting Officials in Georgia say at least two soldiers have been killed and five wounded in the latest battles with separatist fighters in the breakaway region of South Ossetia. $LABEL$0 +China battles for North Korea nuclear talks quot;We believe the six parties have the willingness to continue to promote the procedure of peaceful talks, quot; China #39;s Foreign Ministry said. quot;We ...$LABEL$0 +Nepal rebels cut off routes to capital in first-ever blockade KATHMANDU : Maoist rebels cut off routes to Nepal #39;s capital Kathmandu in their first blockade of the city since they launched their insurgency to overthrow the constitutional monarchy eight years ago. $LABEL$0 +Annan: Burmese Democracy Will Fail Without Participation By Opposition UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says the Burmese military government #39;s plan for democracy will fail without input from the opposition National League for Democracy. $LABEL$0 +Philippine Rebels Free Troops, Talks in Doubt PRESENTACION, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine communist rebels freed Wednesday two soldiers they had held as quot;prisoners of war quot; for more than five months, saying they wanted to rebuild confidence in peace talks with the government. $LABEL$0 +Stocks Set to Open Lower as Oil Hits High NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks are set to open lower on Wednesday after crude oil pushed to a fresh high overnight and Google Inc. slashed its initial public offering price, which appeared to dampen investor sentiment.$LABEL$2 +Zoo Separates Baby Rhino from Clumsy Mother (Reuters) Reuters - Vets at a Berlin zoo have been forced to\separate a baby rhino from his mother for fear she may\accidentally trample him to death, zoo officials said on\Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Hong Kong Politician's Detention Condemned (AP) AP - Human rights activists on Wednesday condemned the detention of a Hong Kong pro-democracy politician for allegedly having sex with a prostitute, and his sentencing without trial to six months of ""re-education through labor.$LABEL$0 +Dillard's Loss Narrows But Off Estimates NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dillard's Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=DDS.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">DDS.N</A> on Wednesday reported a narrower quarterly loss as it cut costs, but a drop in same-store sales caused the latest results to miss Wall Street's estimates by a wide margin.$LABEL$2 +Eurozone inflation rate falls in July BRUSSELS, August 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Eurozone annual inflation fell from 2.4 percent in June to 2.3 percent in July 2004, the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), reported on Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +US Sighs with Relief But Basketball Concerns Linger ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States men #39;s basketball team could breathe a sigh of relief on Wednesday after its first win but lingering concerns over a lack of outside shooting and team defense have coach Larry Brown scrambling for ...$LABEL$1 +Zijlaard-van Moorsel wins women #39;s road individual time trial ATHENS, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Dutch legendary cyclist Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel won women #39;s road individual time trial at Athens Olympics with a time of 31:11.53 on Wednesday, ahead of Deirdre Demet-Barry of United States and Karin Thuerig of ...$LABEL$1 +Najaf militants given hours to surrender or face lesson BAGHDAD, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi Defence Minister Hazem al-Shaalan on Wednesday demanded Shiite militants in the holy city of Najaf surrender within hours, or the Iraqi troops would launch a large-scale attack on them. $LABEL$0 +Burundi Summit Expected to Focus on Massacre African regional leaders gather Wednesday, in Tanzania for a summit on Burundi #39;s peace process, but the recent massacre of Congolese Tutsi in a UN refugee camp is expected to be high on the agenda. $LABEL$0 +Monsanto Says Justice Dept Closes Inquiry (Reuters) Reuters - Monsanto Co. (MON.N) on Wednesday said\the U.S. Justice Department has closed an inquiry into\potential antitrust issues regarding a key ingredient used in\its Roundup herbicide.$LABEL$2 +Brown Shoe Earnings Drop 32 Percent (Reuters) Reuters - Brown Shoe Co. Inc. (BWS.N) on\Wednesday posted a 32 percent drop in quarterly earnings, hurt\by slack sales from its children's unit, Bass wholesale\business and Naturalizer chain.$LABEL$2 +Brown Shoe Earnings Drop 32 Percent NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brown Shoe Co. Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=BWS.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">BWS.N</A> on Wednesday posted a 32 percent drop in quarterly earnings, hurt by slack sales from its children's unit, Bass wholesale business and Naturalizer chain.$LABEL$2 +SAP users warned of false support calls German business software vendor SAP AG issued a warning to customers not to provide confidential information on the phone to people claiming to be company support staff.$LABEL$3 +Five killed in Kashmir violence Separatist militants kill four members of a Muslim family while police shoot dead a senior militant leader in Kashmir.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Men Qualify for Final in Shot Put ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece - Two U.S. men advanced to the final of the shot put Wednesday, hoping to make even more history at the ancient site that gave birth to the Olympics 2,780 years ago...$LABEL$0 +Google Cuts Its IPO Price Range SAN JOSE, Calif. - In a sign that Google Inc.'s initial public offering will not be as hot or big as expected, the Internet search giant slashed its estimated per-share price range and reduced the number of shares to be sold by insiders...$LABEL$0 +Oil Prices Surge to a New High Today Oil prices surged to a new high above \$47 a barrel spurred by concern for the safety of oil facilities in Iraq.$LABEL$2 +Iraqis Decline to Send 2nd Peace Mission to Najaf The decision was made today after the rebel cleric Moktada al-Sadr refused to meet with its first peace team on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Google lowers price range, number of shares, for its IPO When Internet search engine company Google, Inc., of Mountain View, begins to sell shares to the general public -- something expected to happen later this week -- the initial price is expected to be between \$85 and \$95 per share. The company had earlier ...$LABEL$2 +China Mobile Reports Jump in Profits China #39;s largest cell phone service provider, China Mobile (Hong Kong) Ltd., reported a 7.8 percent jump in first-half profits Wednesday as its number of subscribers rose by 23 percent. $LABEL$2 +Intel delays HDTV market debut Intel has delayed its planned entry into the widescreen high-definition television (HDTV) market until next year. $LABEL$3 +Script kiddies join forces with spammers The firm #39;s E-mail Security Intelligence report, which covers the first half of 2004, highlights the worrying trend of virus writers linking up with spammers; together they are creating a more refined threat to e-mail security. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft readies Host Integration Server 2004 Microsoft has announced the imminent availability of Host Integration Server 2004 in a bid to compete with IBM #39;s WebSphere. $LABEL$3 +Cryptography break threatens digital signatures Researchers in the field of cryptography have been successfully breaking the hash functions that are used to secure the privacy of electronic communications, threatening the integrity of digital signatures, according to a report on Slashdot. $LABEL$3 +Endurance swimmers short-changed at Olympics: Hackett Australia #39;s Olympic 1,500 metres champion Grant Hackett says long-distance swimmers are being robbed of their chance to shine at the Athens Games. $LABEL$1 +Oil at New Record LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices surged to a new high above \$47 a barrel on Wednesday on evidence from major economies that energy costs are not substantially slowing the economic growth that fuels oil demand. Fresh threats by rebel militia in Iraq against oil facilities helped underpin price gains.$LABEL$2 +Radiation and Drug Combo Help With Prostate Cancer By LINDSEY TANNER CHICAGO (AP) -- Men with prostate cancer that doesn't appear to have spread have better survival chances when they get short-term hormone treatment along with standard radiation, rather than radiation alone, a small study found. Almost five years after treatment, six men in the radiation-only study group died of prostate cancer; none of the men who got combined treatment died of prostate cancer...$LABEL$3 +Medical Experts Fear Hurricane Charley's Aftermath By MIKE SCHNEIDER PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) -- Until the electricity hums again and the debris is cleared, health officials are worried that there could be more deaths and injuries in Hurricane Charley's aftermath than during the storm itself...$LABEL$3 +Malaysia's Sea Turtles Are in Trouble (AP) AP - Several species of sea turtles in Malaysia could vanish in a few years, largely due to illegal poaching of the creatures and their eggs, scientists warned on Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Future Flyers: Pushing Forward for Personal Aircraft (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Ask science fiction fans about the future and no doubt they'll tell you it's full of flying cars.$LABEL$3 +Twisted Physics: How Black Holes Spout Off (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Black holes are complex beasts. Among their mysterious traits are intense jets of matter that sometimes shoot out from the rotational poles at nearly light-speed.$LABEL$3 +Kerry to Attack Bush Troop Withdrawal Plan (Reuters) Reuters - Democrat John Kerry on Wednesday\planned to attack President Bush's proposal to withdraw 70,000\American troops from Europe and Asia as a threat to national\security that could blunt the war on terror, campaign aides\said.$LABEL$0 +Google Cuts IPO Price by a Quarter to \$85-\$95 a Share (Update7) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc., on the eve of pricing the second-biggest Internet initial public offering, slashed the value of the sale almost in half amid the worst market for US IPOs in almost two years. $LABEL$2 +Supply worries push oil to record Oil prices have continued their record-breaking run on Wednesday, busting through the \$47-mark amid concerns that demand will outstrip supply. $LABEL$2 +8/17/04 - Us Concerned About Yukos US officials have expressed concern about the fate of Yukos, the Russian oil company. Yukos shares have dropped sharply in value since the Russian government demanded it pay nearly three and a half billion dollars in back taxes. Russian authorities accuse ...$LABEL$2 +Dillard #39;s Posts Narrower 2Q Loss Dillard #39;s Inc. posted a narrower second-quarter loss Wednesday due to cost cutting, but missed Wall Street expectations by a whopping 15 cents per share. $LABEL$2 +Stocks Open Lower NEW YORK (Reuters) - US stocks fell at the open on Wednesday after crude oil pushed to a fresh high and Google Inc. slashed its initial public offering price, which appeared to dampen investor sentiment. $LABEL$2 +E*Trade Says Customer Trading Dipped in July NEW YORK (Reuters) - E*Trade Financial Corp. (ET.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , a major online broker, on Wednesday said customer stock trading for the month of July dropped 1.6 percent from June as investors curbed their enthusiasm for trading stocks. $LABEL$2 +Brown Shoe Earnings Drop 32 Percent NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brown Shoe Co. Inc. (BWS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday posted a 32 percent drop in quarterly earnings, hurt by slack sales from its children #39;s unit, Bass wholesale business and Naturalizer chain. $LABEL$2 +Cendant Steals Home Cendant #39;s (NYSE: CD) got many revenue streams, and apparently they all lead home. So perhaps it #39;s understandable to see the multifaceted company pull back from the pending sale of its mortgage business. Last month Cendant revealed that it was in talks to ...$LABEL$2 +Malaysia turtle nesting sites at risk -scientists KIJAL, Malaysia, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Malaysia, once a major breeding ground, is in danger of losing its ocean-roaming leatherback turtles as humans eat their eggs, trap them in fishing nets and encroach on nesting sites, scientists said on ...$LABEL$3 +American Swimmers Fired Up by Relay Win ATHENS (Reuters) - The US swimming team was slow off the blocks but is heading for home at full speed propelled by Tuesday #39;s dramatic relay victory, US women #39;s head coach Mark Schubert said on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Dope scandal athletes withdraw Greek Olympic 200 metre champion Costas Kenteris, the focus of an Olympic doping scandal, has withdrawn from the Athens Games quot;out of a sense of responsibility quot;. $LABEL$1 +Renewed focus ends nightmare ATHENS, Greece It began with Allen Iverson The Answer, the captain, the leader of Team USA forgetting about the fractured bone in his right thumb and courageously hitting the floor against Greece in full regalia. $LABEL$1 +Not quite good as gold THENS - The critical eye, firm hand and warm embrace of Bela Karolyi have molded women #39;s gymnastics for the past three decades, producing the perfection of Romania #39;s Nadia Comaneci in 1976 and the sparkle of America #39;s Mary Lou Retton in ...$LABEL$1 +Burundi police fire tear gas at massacre protest BUJUMBURA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Police in Burundi #39;s capital Bujumbura fired tear gas at crowds on Wednesday, protesting against the massacre of at least 160 Congolese Tutsis at a United Nations refugee camp in the west of the country. $LABEL$0 +BellSouth: #36;3.3 Bln Rise in Benefit Costs (Reuters) Reuters - BellSouth Corp. (BLS.N) said on\Wednesday its new labor contract had triggered a #36;3.3 billion\increase in its estimates of future retiree medical costs,\reducing fourth-quarter earnings by 3 cents to 4 cents a share.$LABEL$2 +Crude Oil Prices Surge Again Crude oil prices surged again Wednesday, rising above \$47 a barrel amid lingering concerns in supply from Iraq and Russia.$LABEL$2 +UK challenge of India outsourcing The High Street bank could be facing legal action over the transfer sensitive customer data overseas to call centres in India.$LABEL$2 +Google, Set for Offering, Cuts Share Price by About a Quarter Google cut its price range to between \$85 and \$95 a share, down from \$108 to \$135, valuing the company at as much as \$25.8 billion.$LABEL$2 +Windows XP Security Update Delayed Microsoft Corp. has delayed automated distribution of a major security upgrade to its Windows XP Professional operating system, citing a desire to give companies more time to test it.$LABEL$3 +New PC Is Created Just for Teenagers This isn't your typical, humdrum, slate-colored computer. Not only is the PC known as the hip-e almost all white, but its screen and keyboard are framed in fuzzy pink fur. Or a leopard skin design. Or a graffiti-themed pattern.$LABEL$3 +Violence Tackled at Online Gaming Parlors Six days a week, teens crowd the Blue Screen Gaming cybercafe to hunt each other down with assault rifles inside virtual computer worlds. In these video game halls, nobody gets hurt. But real-life violence has flared around some of these businesses, prompting municipal crackdowns.$LABEL$3 +Web Site Shows New York Drug Prices New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who has sued many big-name drug makers for bilking the government with their drug prices, on Tuesday unveiled a Web site that allows consumers to compare prices at pharmacies in the state.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Broadband Growth Slows - Analyst <p></p><p> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. telephone and cable companiessaw the growth of high-speed Internet services slow in thesecond quarter to the lowest rate in a year, an industryresearch firm said on Tuesday.</p>$LABEL$3 +Google Slashes Its IPO Price Range In a sign that Google Inc. (GOOG)'s initial public offering will not be as hot or big as expected, the Internet search giant slashed its estimated per-share price range and reduced the number of shares to be sold by insiders.$LABEL$3 +GB badminton duo make final Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms reach the final of the badminton mixed doubles.$LABEL$1 +Bomb Found in Town Near Berlusconi Villa (AP) AP - Police defused a bomb in a town near Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's villa on the island of Sardinia on Wednesday shortly after British Prime Minister Tony Blair finished a visit there with the Italian leader.$LABEL$0 +Just Keep It Peaceful, Protesters; New York Is Offering Discounts In a bid to keep protesters from disrupting the Republican National Convention, the Bloomberg administration is offering ""peaceful political activists"" discounts.$LABEL$0 +Huge boost to Darfur aid effort The World Food Programme is starting to airlift almost 100 more tons of food a day to Sudan's troubled Darfur region.$LABEL$0 +Google, Set for Offering, Cuts Share Price by About a Quarter oogle today cut the estimated price range of its initial stock offering by about a quarter, to between \$85 and \$95 a share, valuing the Internet search engine company by as much as \$25.8 billion. $LABEL$2 +BHP profit rises 78 on Chinese demand BHP Billiton on Wednesday reported its highest profit ever as it beefed up production to meet rising demand from China that bolstered prices for its copper, zinc, silver and lead. $LABEL$2 +BellSouth: \$3.3 Bln Rise in Benefit Costs WASHINGTON (Reuters) - BellSouth Corp. (BLS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday its new labor contract had triggered a \$3.3 billion increase in its estimates of future retiree medical costs, reducing fourth-quarter earnings by 3 cents to 4 ...$LABEL$2 +Military flipflops, will pay Halliburton fully WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has hastily reversed a decision to partially withhold payments to Halliburton, the biggest US contractor in Iraq. $LABEL$2 +Dillard #39;s misses estimates, shares plunge NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Dillard #39;s Inc. (DDS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday reported a narrower quarterly loss even after it cut costs, but a drop in same-store sales caused the latest results to miss Wall Street #39;s estimates by a wide ...$LABEL$2 +Barclays to Buy CIBC Credit Card Unit for \$293 Mln (Update1) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Barclays Plc, the UK #39;s third- biggest bank, agreed to buy Juniper Financial Corp. from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce for \$293 million in cash to help expand its credit card business in North America. $LABEL$2 +Applied Materials Applied Materials (AMAT: news, chart, profile) shares were off two cents to \$16.05 in trading before the bell Wednesday and had wavered around break-even in late trading Tuesday after the results were announced. $LABEL$2 +Nestle #39;s 1st Half Net Profit Hits \$2.28B Nestle, the world #39;s biggest food and drink company, on Wednesday posted a first-half net profit of 2.84 billion Swiss francs (\$2.28 billion), up 0.02 percent on the year-earlier figure of 2.78 billion francs (then \$2.03 billion). $LABEL$2 +Ringtones are music to record labels #39; ears Rock bands have long prospered by living - and selling - images of hard living and brash poses. But sex, drugs and rock #39;n #39; roll are no longer enough. The definition of cool for some acts now includes mobile phone ringtones. $LABEL$3 +Malaysia #39;s Sea Turtles Are in Trouble KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Several species of sea turtles in Malaysia could vanish in a few years, largely due to illegal poaching of the creatures and their eggs, scientists warned on Wednesday. $LABEL$3 +Kenteris and Thanou Withdraw; Thorpe Targets 3rd Gold (Update2) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Olympic sprint medalists Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou withdrew from the Athens Games, overshadowing the fifth day of competition in which Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe will compete for his third gold. $LABEL$1 +LeBron, USA Slide By Greece ATHENS, Greece -- Things are clearly far from perfect for the US Olympic men #39;s basketball team. But now, perfection isn #39;t important. Victories are. Against anybody. $LABEL$1 +US women crush South Korea for third straight blowout win ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Looking for answers to an offense that seemed out of synch, the United States finally found them. $LABEL$1 +Canadian tutu man gets five months for Olympic plunge A tutu-clad Canadian who jumped into the Olympic diving pool after a competition was convicted Wednesday of interrupting the games and sentenced to five months in jail. He was released pending an appeal. $LABEL$1 +Howard stands by overboard account PRIME Minister John Howard yesterday said his personal staff witnessed and backed his version of a sensitive phone call with former ministerial adviser Mike Scrafton over the children overboard affair. $LABEL$0 +Weak Ice Cream Sales Melt Nestle's Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Higher raw material costs and lower ice\cream sales in Europe ate into Nestle's (NESN.VX) first-half\results, sending shares in the world's largest food group down\over five percent on Wednesday amid concerns about its\long-term profitability.$LABEL$2 +Weak Ice Cream Sales Melt Nestle's Profit ZURICH (Reuters) - Higher raw material costs and lower ice cream sales in Europe ate into Nestle's <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NESN.VX target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NESN.VX</A> first-half results, sending shares in the world's largest food group down over five percent on Wednesday amid concerns about its long-term profitability.$LABEL$2 +ING to Withdraw \$5 Bln from Janus Funds NEW YORK (Reuters) - ING U.S. Financial Services said it will withdraw about \$5 billion from Janus Capital Group Inc. funds by year-end.$LABEL$2 +Tech Goes for Gold in Athens The success of this year's Olympic games in Athens rides on the fruits of high-tech labor, no matter whether it's the security system, events results or studying sharkskin to build a better swimsuit. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Hilton Offers Reward for Lost Chihuahua LOS ANGELES - It's been a rough month for hotel heiress Paris Hilton. First, her Hollywood Hills home was burglarized and now her pet Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, has disappeared...$LABEL$0 +Arafat Admits Palestinians Made Mistakes RAMALLAH, West Bank - Yasser Arafat acknowledged Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority has made ""mistakes,"" but the rare admission appeared to be aimed more at deflecting criticism about his corrupt government than making real changes. In a decade at the helm of the Palestinian Authority, Arafat has resisted attempts to get him to fight official corruption, reform the security services and relinquish some of his near-absolute powers...$LABEL$0 +Air Canada Stock Plunges on Review MONTREAL (Reuters) - Shares of Air Canada <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=AC.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">AC.TO</A> fell by more than half on Wednesday, after the Toronto Stock Exchange said it was reviewing the company's stock to determine if it meets listing requirements.$LABEL$2 +Pentagon Backs Off Halliburton The Pentagon backed off its threat to withold its monthly payment of about \$60 million a month from a Halliburton subsidiary, which provides services for troops.$LABEL$2 +Rival Targets Apple's iTunes Customers (AP) AP - For more than a year, Apple Computers Inc. enjoyed singular success selling songs exclusively to users of its iPod portable music player. Now, it's got rival RealNetworks Inc. trying to lure iTunes customers away.$LABEL$3 +Air Canada Stock Plunges on Review (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Air Canada (AC.TO) fell by\more than half on Wednesday, after the Toronto Stock Exchange\said it was reviewing the company's stock to determine if it\meets listing requirements.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Shooter Wins Gold American Kim Rhode rallied in the final rounds to win the gold medal in double trap Wednesday, staking a unique claim as the first and last winner of the Olympic event.$LABEL$1 +US says ""getting nowhere"" with crisis in Darfur (AFP) AFP - The international community is ""getting nowhere"" with the crisis in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, the US ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, said.$LABEL$0 +Utah's Smith Sets Sights on Heisman Award (AP) AP - So much has changed in Alex Smith's life the past two years, he's still trying to sort through it all.$LABEL$1 +Economies Not Yet Dented by Oil Prices LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers and Chancellor Schroeder of Germany, which is a prominent consumer, agree that the remorseless rise in the price of crude has so far had little impact on global economic growth.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Up; Investors Bottom Fishing NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were higher on Wednesday as investors bought beaten-down shares, even as the price of oil jumped to new 21-year record highs.$LABEL$2 +England reach for the painkillers as World Cup qualifiers loom (AFP) AFP - England's marketing men must have been tempted to approach the manufacturers of Alka Seltzer, the country's favourite hangover remedy, about sponsoring the international friendly with the Ukraine.$LABEL$0 +Delegate: Al-Sadr Agrees to Withdraw (AP) AP - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has accepted a peace plan drafted by the Iraqi National Conference, which would include laying down arms and withdrawing his militia from a holy shrine in the city of Najaf, a delegate told the conference Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Shanghai's Economy Grows 14.7 Percent (AP) AP - Shanghai's economy grew at a blistering 14.7 percent in the first seven months of the year, seemingly defying efforts to cool off China's economy amid fears of overheating.$LABEL$0 +Web giant Google cuts IPO prices GOOGLE, the web search engine, has slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited initial public offering to between 47 and 52 per share from 59 to 74 per share. $LABEL$2 +Record \$4.7bn profit for BHP BHP Billiton #39;s record-breaking profit was driven by China #39;s seemingly insatiable demand for commodities. Picture:Bloomberg ...$LABEL$2 +Insurers #39; Storm Swirls Around Chubb As hurricanes go, Charley stirred up a lot of trouble. The storm will go down as one of the most destructive in history. But it also stirred up trouble on Wall Street, igniting controversy about whether or not it #39;s a good time to look at insurers. $LABEL$2 +Dillard #39;s Posts Narrower Loss in 2Q Dillard #39;s Inc. reported that its loss narrowed in the second quarter to nearly half of what it was a year ago, but it was still far more than Wall Street expected as the chain was dragged down by sluggish sales. $LABEL$2 +Cox Hires Advisers on Parent Bid The Cox Communications (COX:NYSE - news - research) board formed a special panel to consider a take-private bid from the company #39;s controlling shareholder. $LABEL$2 +Is Upgrading to Windows XP SP2 Worthwhile? Users of Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition are scheduled to begin receiving Service Pack 2 via automatic update starting today. But delivery of the Professional Edition has been delayed at least a week while Microsoft and its users grapple ...$LABEL$3 +Google cold shoulder confounds European investors LONDON (Reuters) - Web surfers from Beijing to Berkeley have made Google their search engine of choice, but some of Europe #39;s institutional investors have gone sour on the dot-com on the eve of its ...$LABEL$3 +A Nokia Smartphone With An Edge NEW YORK - It #39;s a little early to tell which camera phone features will resonate with US users in the long term. Americans may never embrace picture and video messaging to the same degree that consumers in South Korea and Japan have. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft wants Web designers to use content tagging Microsoft is urging Web designers to take more responsibility for content filtering, after forming a partnership with ICRA (the Internet Content Rating Association). $LABEL$3 +US comes in second in women #39;s cycling The Dutch rider, who was injured in a crash in the women #39;s road race on Saturday and was unable to defend her Olympic title from Sydney, climbed triumphantly to the top of the podium on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Alonso Next in at Anfield Rafael Benitez #39;s Anfield revolution gathered pace today when the Liverpool manager unveiled one new signing and revealed he was close to completing a deal for another. $LABEL$1 +Let the Games (and parties!) begin ATHENS As the delay-plagued build-up to the Olympics illustrated, the Greeks aren #39;t exactly known for organization and punctuality. But now that stadiums, new metro lines, beautified city squares and a vast ...$LABEL$1 +Wilkinson Ready To Take Next Step Along Road Back Jonny Wilkinson #39;s comeback schedule is set to intensify next week with the England World Cup hero targeting two games in six days. $LABEL$1 +Berry misses cut at US Amateur AMARONECK, NY - Following a opening round 73 Monday, Barden Berry had a rough day, shooting an 83 in the second round of the US Amateur Championships on the West course at Winged Foot Golf Club. $LABEL$1 +Bomb Found in Town Near Berlusconi Villa ROME -- Police defused a bomb in a town near Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi #39;s villa on the island of Sardinia on Wednesday shortly after British Prime Minister Tony Blair finished a visit there with the Italian leader. $LABEL$0 +Downer positive over North Korea talks TONY JONES: On a rare visit to North Korea, Australia #39;s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today he #39;s held productive talks on efforts to end the reclusive nation #39;s nuclear program. $LABEL$0 +Hong Kong pro-Beijing politicians accuse opponents of misleading public over sex scandal Human rights activists on Wednesday condemned the detention of a Hong Kong pro-democracy politician for allegedly having sex with a prostitute, and his sentencing without trial to six months of quot;re-education through labor. quot; ...$LABEL$0 +Iran retaliation threat to Israeli N-plant Iran will strike the Israeli reactor at Dimona if Israel attacks the Islamic republic #39;s nuclear facilities, a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards has said. $LABEL$0 +N. Ireland deal hinges on IRA disarmament (AFP) AFP - British and Irish Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern were preparing to head to Belfast, hopeful of a breakthrough in the protracted deadlock over power-sharing in Northern Ireland.$LABEL$0 +Cisco Gets New Partner, Clients, Product in the Core Cisco forged a partnership with Fujitsu wherein the Japanese company will market Cisco #39;s CRS-1 core router to carriers and large enterprises in Japan.$LABEL$3 +Sportsview: Bills Get Playoff Hunger (AP) AP - Pat Williams is a big man with a big heart and appetite. So imagine his dilemma when the Buffalo Bills were back to their bumbling selves at the start of this season.$LABEL$1 +Creating Compelling Search Engine Ads and Landing Pages Effective search engine advertising goes far beyond simply bidding on keywords. With both ads and landing pages, you have scant seconds to capture the imagination and clicks of a searcher.$LABEL$3 +Iraq Delegates Say Sadr Agrees to End Najaf Crisis BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi delegates to a conference choosing a national assembly said Wednesday that radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had agreed to demands to end an uprising in the holy city of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Europe Urged to Continue China Arms Sales Ban Europes leaders were urged today to continue a ban on arms sales to China in protest against torture and human rights abuses. The call came on the eve of an $LABEL$0 +Militants, Israeli Troops Battle in Gaza A period of relative calm in the Gaza Strip was broken by a nearly hour-long battle between Palestinian militants and Israeli troops that left at least one Israeli soldier and one militant dead.$LABEL$0 +THE UNITED NATIONS The Campaign against Kofi The secretary general of the United Nations fights a war on many fronts in his crusade to bring human rights and peace to the world.$LABEL$0 +Hamas Militants Kill Israeli Soldier Hamas militants broke three weeks of relative calm in Gaza on Tuesday, setting off a bomb in what they said was an elaborate scheme that included a tunnel and a double agent.$LABEL$0 +US oil stockpiles drop NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - US stockpiles of crude oil fell by 1.3 million barrels last week, the government reported Wednesday, sending prices to another record high. $LABEL$2 +Barclays Move Towards US Credit Card Market Banking group Barclays today took the first steps towards establishing its Barclaycard operation in the United States credit card market. $LABEL$2 +Ford dumps \$200m Oracle system Ford has ditched Oracle #39;s online purchasing system eVEREST, because of flaws in the software. The car manufacturer has reportedly spent more than \$200m trying to get the system to work since it bought it in 2000. $LABEL$2 +Japan firm unveils world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot TOKYO, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corp. said Wednesday it has developed a 12-gram flying micro-robot, the world #39;s lightest. $LABEL$3 +China Unicom cuts ties with 45 ISPs to curb web porn BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- China Unicom announced Wednesday that it has severed ties with 45 Internet service providers (ISP) involved in the use of cell phones in pornographic business in the past month. $LABEL$3 +Fighting Resumes In Al-Najaf After Peace Mission Fails 18 August 2004 -- There has been renewed fighting in the Iraqi city of Al-Najaf between US and Iraqi troops and Shi #39;a militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. $LABEL$0 +What #39;s behind Israeli construction permits? Timing of new building in West Bank linked to political survival instincts of Ariel Sharon. In a move that caught both the international community and the Bush administration by surprise, the government of Israel Tuesdayissued contract proposals for 1,001 ...$LABEL$0 +Chirac and Schroeder to meet with Putin MOSCOW, Aug 18 (AFP) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his Black Sea resort residence at the end of the month, Interfax quoted the top Kremlin spokesman as saying ...$LABEL$0 +UN concerned by lack of Darfur progress on ground KHARTOUM, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Wednesday it was very concerned by Sudan #39;s lack of practical progress in bringing security to Darfur, where more than a million people have fled their homes for fear of militia ...$LABEL$0 +Get them caught, get 6 crores Pakistan on Wednesday offered huge rewards totalling Rs 6.5 crore for information leading to the capture of six most wanted terrorists linked to al-Qaeda, including a member of the banned Jash-e-Mohammad who is accused of masterminding two suicide attacks ...$LABEL$0 +Economies Not Yet Dented by Oil Prices (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC oil producers and Chancellor\Schroeder of Germany, which is a prominent consumer, agree that\the remorseless rise in the price of crude has so far had\little impact on global economic growth.$LABEL$2 +SEC Bars Some Mutual Fund Fees (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Securities and Exchange\Commission barred U.S. mutual funds on Wednesday from\channeling brokerage commissions toward Wall Street firms based\on their promotion of the funds' shares.$LABEL$2 +Google Slashes IPO's Size NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. slashed the size of its closely watched initial public offering nearly in half to less than \$2 billion on Wednesday, splashing cold water on what has been touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years.$LABEL$2 +SEC Bars Some Mutual Fund Fees WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission barred U.S. mutual funds on Wednesday from channeling brokerage commissions toward Wall Street firms based on their promotion of the funds' shares.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Open Lower in Moderate Trading Stock prices are lower in moderate trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 23 points in today #39;s early going. Losing issues on the New York Stock Exchange hold a 5-3 lead over gainers. $LABEL$2 +BellSouth Sees Higher Benefits Expense ATLANTA (AP)--Telecommunications firm BellSouth Corp. said Wednesday that the new terms of its tentative labor agreement will change how the company #39;s contribution to retiree medical benefits is calculated and will boost benefit expenses by \$3.3 billion. $LABEL$2 +McDonald #39;s tests MasterCard PayPass NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - McDonald #39;s Corp. announced Wednesday it would launch later this year a new quot;contactless quot; payment option called MasterCard PayPass, which lets customers simply wave or tap the card to complete a quick transaction. $LABEL$2 +Chinese boom pays off for BHP BHP Billiton has delivered the biggest profit ever achieved by an Australian company - a \$US3.38billion (\$4.73billion) whopper, up 78 per cent on last year. $LABEL$2 +Real v Apple music war: iPod freedom petition backfires Hostilities started in late July, when Real cracked Apple #39;s FairPlay code, meaning songs bought from the RealPlayer Music Store could be played on the iPod - a move that went down very badly over at Apple. Real then decided to ratchet up the pressure by ...$LABEL$3 +Security Watch Letter:New MyDoom Piggybacks More Dangerous Worm On Wednesday August 25, Microsoft is rolling out the Windows XP Service Pack 2 to the new Windows Update site so the public can update automatically. For the majority of home users, it #39;s a case of Just Do It. The SP2 update adds security ...$LABEL$3 +IBM Offers New POWER5 eServer i5 550 IBM has unveiled today a new POWER5 system, the eServer i5 550, aimed at mid-sized businesses. The eServer i5 550 features a new Solution Edition, an offering now available with select software vendors. The new eServer i5 also delivers new capabilities ...$LABEL$3 +Marriage between security, business needs KUALA LUMPUR: Computer Associates International Inc (www.ca.com) has announced a new technology model that aligns security management with business needs. $LABEL$3 +Life of Reilly: Athens style Forget democracy, sport and Grecian Formula 16. There #39;s so much more we need to steal from the Greeks -- immediately and maybe sooner. Cheese pies, for instance. Our No. 1 priority should be getting these cheese pies. Lovely, flakey pastries with the ...$LABEL$1 +Springboks targets scrum THE South Africans have called the Wallabies scrum cheats as a fresh round of verbal warfare opened in the Republic last night. $LABEL$1 +Dyer up for sale on ebay The 23-year-old midfielder has been all over the back pages this week, following a reported bust-up with Sir Bobby Robson - and one supporter had has enough. $LABEL$1 +Chicago White Sox Team Report - August 18 (Sports Network) - Jose Contreras tries to stay perfect in a Chicago uniform this evening when the White Sox continue their three-game set against the Detroit Tigers at US Cellular Field. $LABEL$1 +Iraqi Delegates Say Sadr Agrees to End Najaf Crisis BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi delegates to a conference choosing a national assembly said Wednesday that radical Shi #39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had agreed to government demands to end an uprising in the holy city of Najaf. $LABEL$0 +Howard defiant as attacks mount PRIME Minister John Howard conceded yesterday a fresh inquiry into the children overboard saga would find he had lied. $LABEL$0 +6 dead in typhoon deluge At least six people died in Shikoku after heavy rains from Typhoon Megi pounded the western Japan island on Tuesday and Wednesday, officials said. $LABEL$0 +Health hurdle for Latham #39;s campaign MARK Latham #39;s campaign to become prime minister has suffered an unexpected setback after the Labor leader was rushed to hospital suffering stomach cramps, forcing him to cancel all public engagements until next ...$LABEL$0 +AT amp;T team wins \$1bn network deal AT amp;T, the US telecoms group, and a team of subcontractors have won a contract valued at up to \$1bn to design, build and manage a secure IP-based global network for the US government $LABEL$2 +Profit Takers Ambush Treasuries NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasuries turned tail on Wednesday as recent hefty gains attracted a wave of profit-taking in an otherwise featureless market.$LABEL$2 +Steel boom boosts Iscor's profits Shares in Africa's biggest steel producer surge to a record high on the back of strong interim profits$LABEL$2 +Boy Escapes Cougar Near Canada's Jasper Park (Reuters) Reuters - Canadian wildlife\officials warned visitors to Jasper National Park on Tuesday to\be on the alert for cougars after one the animals attacked a\five-year-old boy.$LABEL$3 +Tiffany amp; Co. selling stake in Aber Diamond TORONTO - Aber Diamond Corp. said Tuesday that world-renowned retailer Tiffany amp; Co. has sold its 8 million shares of Aber, and the companies have ended their discount sales agreement .$LABEL$2 +Intel Says It's Recovered from Missteps (Reuters) Reuters - Intel Corp. will miss\its 2004 product cost reduction targets because of a widely\publicized string of product delays and problems, but those\missteps are largely behind it now, the world's largest chip\maker said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Illini Hope To Reinvigorate Football Program With Zook _ Illinois confirmed Tuesday it is turning to Ron Zook to reinvigorate its struggling football program. The school scheduled an afternoon news conference to introduce the former Florida $LABEL$1 +Zeeland #39;s Kaat to be considered for Hall The Zeeland native made the final ballot of 25 players to be considered by the Veterans Committee. The results will be announced March 2. Kaat, who could not be reached for comment, won 283 $LABEL$1 +Athletes cheat way to fame and fortune Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of major league baseball players have taken steroids in the last few years. Yet no player has ever been suspended for steroid use.$LABEL$1 +Cisco-Fujitsu Deal Highlights Japan #39;s Internet Dominance Cisco, the largest maker of computer-networking equipment, formed an alliance with Fujitsu to increase sales to Japanese telephone carriers.$LABEL$3 +Citigroup faces regulatory probe The UK's Financial Services Authority launches a formal investigation into Citigroup's ""unusual trading activity"".$LABEL$2 +eCOST.com Cuts IPO Price to #36;7 a Share from #36;9- #36;11 (Reuters) Reuters - Online discount retailer eCOST.com\said on Wednesday that it expects its planned initial public\offering will price at #36;7 per share, a reduction from its\previously stated range of #36;9 to #36;11 per share.$LABEL$3 +OPEC Hawks Want to Keep Prices High Raise prices. Ease production. For weeks ahead of this week #39;s OPEC meeting, hawks in the organization have been talking tough about the need to keep oil revenues high - and lowering output.$LABEL$2 +Google Slashes IPO #39;s Size NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. slashed the size of its closely watched initial public offering nearly in half to less than \$2 billion on Wednesday, splashing cold water on what has been touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years. $LABEL$2 +Update 3: Russia: China to Cover Yukos #39; Rail Fees China has agreed to step in and pay Russian rail fees to ensure that it continues to receive Yukos oil if the company is unable to cover the transport costs, officials at Russia #39;s rail transport monopoly said Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +Iraqi official: cleric agrees to withdraw forces from Najaf shrine BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A delegate at Iraq #39;s National Conference in Baghdad says a militant Shiite cleric has agreed to disarm and pull his forces from a shrine in Najaf. $LABEL$0 +SEC Seen Making Google IPO Effective WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to declare the initial public offering registration of Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.OQ target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.OQ</A> effective after 4 p.m. (2000 GMT), sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Gain as Oil Ease from New High NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were higher on Wednesday as investors bought beaten-down shares and oil prices eased from the new 21-year record high hit earlier in the session.$LABEL$2 +Deere's Color Is Green With big tractors, big sales, and big earnings, Deere's hoeing a profitable row.$LABEL$2 +Linux wins heart of global SAP user Switzerland's EndressHauser (International) Holding AG, a global supplier of process control systems, has migrated all its business applications from SAP AG to a mainframe running the open-source Linux operating system.$LABEL$2 +Compuware Accuses IBM of Ambush Tactics (AP) AP - Compuware Corp. is accusing IBM of attempting to ""sandbag"" it with new evidence just three months before the software company's piracy claim against the technology giant is to go to trial.$LABEL$3 +PA minister: Barghouti will drop candidancy Palestinian Authority Minister of State Kadoura Fares said on Tuesday that jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti may abandon his plan to run in the January 9 lection for the presidency of the PA.$LABEL$0 +SEC Seen Making Google IPO Effective WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to declare the initial public offering registration of Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.OQ target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.OQ</A> effective after 4 p.m., sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +Cheney, Rumsfeld Say Terror Remains Threat Two of the Bush administration #39;s chief architects of the war on terror offered words of caution along with congratulations on Tuesday, a historic day for this one-time al-Qaida haven.$LABEL$0 +SEC Seen Making Google IPO Effective WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to declare the initial public offering registration of Google Inc. (GOOG.OQ: Quote, Profile, Research) effective after 4 pm (2000 GMT), sources familiar with the matter said on ...$LABEL$2 +Download a Song for 49 Cents Real is in a running battle with Apple, whose iTunes download store dominates with about 70 percent of legal downloading and whose iPod device for music storage is hugely popular. The iPod and iTunes were designed to work exclusively ...$LABEL$2 +RCMP initiates Nortel investigation The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have launched a criminal investigation into the financial accounting practices of network gear maker Nortel Networks Corp. just days before the company is set to release some of its restated financial results. $LABEL$2 +Profit climbs at Talbots womenswear chain, helped by tax gain HINGHAM, Mass. (AP) - Talbots Inc. said Wednesday its profit for the latest quarter edged up five per cent, boosted by higher sales and an income-tax gain. $LABEL$2 +Citigroup Bond Trading Investigated by UK Regulator (Update1) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc., the world #39;s biggest bank, is being investigated by the UK market regulator over unusual trading activity #39; #39; in European government bonds earlier this month. $LABEL$2 +Fund managers raise cash-asset level, says survey WASHINGTON, August 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Fund managers this month boosted the proportion of assets held in cash to the highest level since March 2003 when a global stocks rebound began, said the Washington Post on Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +Court approves St. Paul \$502.5 mln asbestos accord NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Insurer St. Paul Travelers Companies (STA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday said a bankruptcy court approved a \$502.5 million asbestos settlement for all pending asbestos court actions against its Travelers Property ...$LABEL$2 +Epson builds lightest, smallest micro-flying robot EPSON HAS ANNOUNCED that it has developed a successor to the FR the world #39;s smallest and lightest micro-flying robot. The FR-II uses micromechatronics technology, and features Bluetooth wireless control and independent flight. It #39;ll go on show at the ...$LABEL$3 +Norton #39;s 2005 security line-up Norton AntiVirus 2005 #39;s claim to fame is that its Worm Protection feature borrows from firewall technology to block inbound ports so that you can protect yourself against worm attacks such as MSBlast. Its new QuickScan feature also scans your whole system ...$LABEL$3 +Samsung streams on Sprint with MM-A700 Samsung #39;s latest phone offers streaming video and audio, including from major old media companies, along with a megapixel camera. $LABEL$3 +Greek heroes quit Games ATHENS All of Greece expected to see Costas Kenteris crowning its Games with a laurel wreath on his brow, his barrel chest swelling in his blue and white athletic singlet, atop the podium in the Olympic Stadium after successfully defending his 200- meter ...$LABEL$1 +Germany Paddles to Bronze The men #39;s single slalom canoe race ended with balled fists and shouts of joy for Stefan Pfannmller. But for Germany #39;s women, there was nothing to celebrate. $LABEL$1 +Dutch cyclist #39;s fairytale comeback Vouliagmeni, Greece - Watch Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, think Hermann Maier. Awful crash, unlikely fightback, gold within days. Instant Olympic lore. $LABEL$1 +Hamilton takes gold in time trial ATHENS, Greece - The United States took gold and bronze in the men #39;s Olympic cycling individual time trial on Wednesday with Tyler Hamilton topping the podium and his team Bobby Julich finishing third. $LABEL$1 +Sadr agrees to accept Iraq peace mission demands BAGHDAD : Shiite militia leader Moqtada Sadr has agreed to disarm and quit a holy shrine in Najaf as demanded by Iraq #39;s key national conference, one of the organisers of the meeting said. $LABEL$0 +UK Terrorist Suspects Have Case Sent to Old Bailey (Update2) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The case against eight men charged with conspiracy to commit murder and carry out terrorist attacks was referred to the Old Bailey, London #39;s central criminal court. $LABEL$0 +US ; Japanese-born teen youngest US chess champ since Bobby <b>...</b> US News, NEW YORK - A teenager from New York state, who just became the youngest US national chess champion since Bobby Fischer in 1958, says he is more sane than his troubled predecessor.$LABEL$1 +Pacers #39; Foster activated from injured list Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Indiana Pacers center Jeff Foster was activated from the injured list Tuesday. He had missed the first 17 games of the season after undergoing hip surgery in October.$LABEL$1 +Report: Tougher testing on the way for MLB NEW YORK (Ticker) - With the dark cloud of steroids continuing to hover over baseball, it appears a tougher drug-testing policy may be in effect by spring training.$LABEL$1 +Preview of SQL Server 2005 Released December 7, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- According to a report by internetnews.com, Microsoft (microsoft.com) has released the second community technology preview for SQL Server 2005.$LABEL$3 +BusinessWeek Special Report Examines Apple #39;s iPod Lead BusinessWeek has published a special report that asks quot;Could Apple Blow Its iPod Lead? quot; That title is more sensational than the article itself, however, as $LABEL$3 +Microsoft nears release of 64-bit Windows Microsoft said Tuesday that it has released a near-final test version of updates to its Windows and Windows Server operating systems.$LABEL$3 +IBM Nabs \$750M Deal with Lloyds TSB Lloyds TSB has tapped IBM as the key provider for its massive new VoIP infrastructure project. The new project will make Lloyds TSB the owners of one of the largest converged voice and data networks in Europe $LABEL$3 +Students Win \$100,000 in National Team Science Competition Lucie Guo, motivated by the death of her grandfather in China before she was born, spent two summers doing research in a Duke University laboratory.$LABEL$3 +Experts Push for More Computer Security Efforts Computer-security experts, including former government officials, urged the Bush administration on Tuesday to devote more effort to strengthening defenses against viruses, hackers and other online threats.$LABEL$3 +Group Enlists Honey Pots to Track IM, P2P Threats IMlogic Inc. on Tuesday announced plans to use honey pots to track malicious virus activity on instant messaging and peer-to-peer networks.$LABEL$3 +Cisco, Juniper Making Noise in High-End Routing Space Dueling Cisco Systems Inc. and Juniper Networks Inc. are both jockeying for the spotlight on the high end of the routing market with announcements of new developments around their respective CRS-1 and T-series core routers.$LABEL$3 +SEC Seen to OK Google IPO After 4 P.M. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to declare the initial public offering registration of Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.OQ target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.OQ</A> effective after 4 p.m. (2000 GMT), sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +BellSouth: Retiree Costs to Cut Q4 Earns WASHINGTON (Reuters) - BellSouth Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=BLS.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">BLS.N</A> said on Wednesday its new labor contract had triggered a \$3.3 billion increase in its estimates of future retiree medical costs, reducing fourth-quarter earnings by 3 cents to 4 cents a share.$LABEL$2 +GAO: Homeland Security #39;s Enterprise Architecture Lacks Key Elements In a report, it says the agency #39;s first try at building an enterprise architecture offers a partial foundation, but is lacking in several areas. $LABEL$3 +Compuware Asks Court To Sanction IBM In Software Theft Case DETROIT - Compuware Corp. said on Wednesday it has asked a US court in its software piracy case against IBM to levy sanctions on IBM for delaying release of critical evidence. Specifically, the filing asks the US District Court to order judgment in favor ...$LABEL$3 +US Men Take Gold and Bronze in Cycling Time Trial ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States proved there is more to their cycling team than Lance Armstrong by taking gold and bronze in the men #39;s Olympic individual time trial at the Athens Games Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Iraqi Cleric Agrees Deal to End Siege at Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - The leader of a Shi #39;ite uprising in Iraq agreed Wednesday to leave a holy shrine encircled by US marines, hours after the interim government threatened to storm it and drive out his fighters. $LABEL$0 +Burundi police fire tear gas at massacre protest Police in Burundi #39;s capital Bujumbura fired tear gas at crowds today, protesting against the massacre of at least 160 Congolese Tutsis at a UN refugee camp in the west of the country. $LABEL$0 +Google Slashes IPO, SEC OK Expected Today NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. slashed the size of its closely watched initial public offering nearly in half to less than \$2 billion on Wednesday, splashing cold water on what has been touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years.$LABEL$2 +HP decries Itanium, SAP issues and bad English <strong>HP World</strong> Execs try to respond$LABEL$3 +French watchdog fines Messier 1m Frances AMF market watchdog slapped a one million euro fine on Jean-Marie Messier, the disgraced former chairman of Vivendi Universal , on Tuesday following allegations the media firm had published misleading financial information.$LABEL$2 +Toyota tunes in satellite radio Auto maker Toyota on Tuesday entered into separate deals with rival satellite radio service providers Sirius and XM. Under its agreement with Sirius, Toyota will offer Sirius satellite radio service--either $LABEL$2 +Sprint begins \$3 billion march to 3G Sprint, the fourth-largest US cell phone operator, has started a \$3 billion network upgrade, with \$1 billion earmarked for a wireless broadband service to launch soon in selected cities, a Sprint executive said Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Europe troubled by euro rise European officials issued their harshest condemnation yet of the euro #39;s recent surge, in a joint statement after a monthly meeting yesterday.$LABEL$2 +Oil Falls to 3-Month Low as Heating-Oil Supplies Probably Rose Crude oil fell to a three-month low on speculation that warm weather and increased refinery production have bolstered US heating-oil stockpiles.$LABEL$2 +AOL Cuts 750 Jobs America Online Inc., the nation's biggest Internet service, today began cutting 750 jobs, more than half at the firm's Northern Virginia headquarters, company officials said. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$2 +U.S. to Import 4 Million Flu Shot Doses WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials, taking another step to ease the season's flu shot shortage, approved the importation of up to 4 million flu shot doses from Europe on Tuesday for patients willing to sign a consent form.$LABEL$2 +Intel Says It's Recovered from Missteps SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=INTC.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">INTC.O</A> will miss its 2004 product cost reduction targets because of a widely publicized string of product delays and problems, but those missteps are largely behind it now, the world's largest chip maker said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Tyson to Begin Training Mike Tyson is beginning to train for a fight in March, his first since being knocked out by Danny Williams in July.$LABEL$1 +Putin questions Iraqi poll plan Russian leader Vladimir Putin voices doubts over plans to hold elections in Iraq next month.$LABEL$0 +Mortgage Applications Rise as Rates Ease NEW YORK (Reuters) - New applications for U.S. home loans rose last week while refinancings surged, as 30-year mortgage interest rates fell to their lowest level in over four months, an industry group said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +Staples Goes to China? The company impresses the Street with strong earnings, an optimistic outlook, and a toehold abroad.$LABEL$2 +Crazy 'Bout a Sharp Dressed K If you're going to spend a lot producing a slick annual report, go all in.$LABEL$2 +Report: Palestinians, Israel Back Peace Plan CAIRO (Reuters) - Palestinians and Israelis have agreed in principle to proposals aiming to end their conflict, Egypt's official news agency MENA said on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Storm-ravaged peasants flee as Philippines runs out of money for relief (AFP) AFP - Stunned residents picked their way through a wasteland of mud and rubble to leave storm-ravaged areas of the Philippines as the government said it has run out of money to pay for relief services.$LABEL$0 +Sudanese Hopeful of New Year Peace Deal Mohamed Yousif, Sudans minister of humanitarian affairs, dismissed widespread assertions of government involvement in a vicious militia campaign against civilians in the western region.$LABEL$0 +After all, have we become Russias strategic partner? TDN- Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin was in Ankara on Monday for a state visit unmatched in the history of relations between the Turkish and Russian nations.$LABEL$0 +Charley #39;s insured losses seen hitting \$7.4 billion NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Insurance payments to victims of Hurricane Charley are expected to reach \$7.4 billion, making it the second most costly hurricane to hit the United States, an insurance industry group said on Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +US mortgage applications rise as rates ease NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Reuters) - New applications for US home loans rose last week while refinancings surged, as 30-year mortgage interest rates fell to their lowest level in over four months, an industry group said on Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +Aurora Woman Sues Costco Over Discrimination Claims SAN FRANCISCO -- A Colorado assistant store manager at Costco has filed a federal lawsuit, alleging she was passed over for a promotion because she is a woman. $LABEL$2 +Researcher Finds Flaws in XP SP2 German research firm Heise Security has issued an advisory for a pair of security flaws in Microsoft #39;s (Quote, Chart) recently shipped Windows XP Service Pack 2 with a warning that attackers could launch malicious files from an untrusted zone. $LABEL$3 +RealNetworks Halves Music Prices But Move to Confront Apple Will Increase Company #39;s Loss RealNetworks on Tuesday started a promotion that halves the price of its digital music offerings as part of a strategy to force its way onto Apple Computer #39;s popular iPod digital music player. $LABEL$3 +Compuware accuses IBM of ambush tactics in piracy suit DETROIT (AP) -- Compuware Corp. is accusing IBM of attempting to quot;sandbag quot; it with new evidence just three months before the software company #39;s piracy claim against the technology giant is to go to trial. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft Funded Study Deciding Factor in 10yr Deal Genevish writes quot;According to an article in the Register, Microsoft and the Newham Council in London have signed an agreement making Microsoft the preferred vendor for the council, instead of the original hybrid MS / Open Source plan. The council was very ...$LABEL$3 +Bilonog Edges Nelson With Last Put as Shot Returns to Olympia Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Yuriy Bilonog won the gold medal in the men #39;s shot put at Olympia, the home of the ancient Games, by virtue of his second-best effort after his last throw matched the leading mark set by US athlete Adam Nelson. $LABEL$1 +Figo takes break from international football LISBON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Portugal captain Luis Figo said on Wednesday he was taking a break from international soccer, although he would not confirm if the decision was final. $LABEL$1 +NLD MP urges people to sign petition Despite intimidation by the ruling Burmese military authorities, the National League for Democracy (NLD) members have continued the signature campaign with increased momentum calling for the release of all political prisoners including NLD leaders Daw ...$LABEL$0 +WFP Tackles #39;Critical Six Weeks #39; in Darfur with Up-Scaling of Air Operations - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is gearing up for the most critical stage yet of its operation to deliver food assistance to hundreds of thousands of people affected by conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan. As the rainy season ...$LABEL$0 +Italy Lights the Path for the Olympic Torch Christmas on the island of Sicily, New Year #39;s eve at the bay of Naples. Italy mapped out Tuesday a two-month-long journey for the 2006 Winter Olympics torch, which will cross $LABEL$1 +Lamy Strong Candidate for WTO Job-USTR (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. trade officials said on Tuesday\that former European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy would\be a ""strong candidate"" to lead the World Trade Organization,\but stopped short of formally endorsing him.$LABEL$0 +Janus Finalizes Regulatory Settlement (AP) AP - Janus Capital Group Inc. said Wednesday it has finalized a #36;226.2 million settlement with state and federal regulators over improper trading allegations, part of a scandal sweeping the #36;7 trillion mutual funds industry.$LABEL$2 +Italy's Parmalat sues ex-auditors Parmalat issues proceedings against its ex-auditors over their dealings with the insolvent group before its near collapse$LABEL$2 +Study: Hubble Robotic Repair Mission Too Costly An exhaustive study of NASA #39;s options for repairing the Hubble Space Telescope suggests the currently planned robotic mission may cost too much money and might not be ready to fly before the vaunted observatory breaks down.$LABEL$3 +Dell Cuts Prices on Enterprise Hardware Dell has cut prices on a number of products geared to enterprises. The PowerEdge 4600 dual-processor server price tag has been trimmed by about 22 percent, now starting as low as \$4,194.$LABEL$3 +Boston Globe: #39;Forget Microsoft and buy an Apple iPod - it works #39; quot;As more and more retailers try to cash in on the online music scene, things are becoming increasingly befuddling for consumers -- especially for consumers who stray from the Apple iPod fold.$LABEL$3 +Thunderbird Mail goes 1.0 Mozilla #39;s Thunderbird mail client has reached the 1.0 release point. I #39;ve been using Thunderbird when ever I #39;ve found myself on a Windows box for quite a while now and finally took the plunge on my Powerbook, finally walking away from Mail.$LABEL$3 +Nvidia to work on PlayStation 3 chip Graphics chip leader Nvidia announced Tuesday that it is working with Sony to develop the graphics processor for the next version of Sony #39;s PlayStation video game console.$LABEL$3 +SEC Bars Mutual Fund Payoffs to Brokers WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pushed ahead on Wednesday with reforms of the \$7.5-trillion mutual fund industry amid scandals that have shaken fund investors' confidence.$LABEL$2 +Air Canada Stock Plummets on Review MONTREAL (Reuters) - Shares of Air Canada <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=AC.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">AC.TO</A> fell by more than half on Wednesday, after the Toronto Stock Exchange said it was reviewing the company's stock to determine if it meets listing requirements.$LABEL$2 +Parmalat Sues Ex-Auditors in Chicago MILAN (Reuters) - Parmalat sued its former auditors Deloitte Touche and Grant Thornton on Wednesday, broadening a legal battle to claw back billions of euros from ex-allies the food group says helped drive it into insolvency.$LABEL$2 +Apple zealots slam Real #39;s iPod campaign RealNetworks has stepped up its music #39;war #39; on Apple Computer--with results it clearly didn #39;t expect. $LABEL$3 +Macromedia offers Flash video tool Macromedia hopes to boost use of its Flash format for delivering streaming video with a new development kit. The Flash Video Kit allows users of the company #39;s Dreamweaver Web authoring application to add Flash video to their pages without using the full ...$LABEL$3 +Apple G5 chips #39;in short supply #39; Apple may be facing greater difficulties than previously thought in sourcing chips to power its high-end personal computers. $LABEL$3 +Cycling: Hamilton wins time trial VOULIAGMENI Tyler Hamilton of the United States won the men #39;s time trial gold medal Wednesday, beating defending champion Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia and another American, Bobby Julich. $LABEL$1 +Jail for Olympic pool jump ATHENS (Reuters) - A Canadian man advertising an online gaming site, who broke security and jumped into the Olympic diving pool, has been given a five-month prison term for trespassing and disturbing public order, court officials say. $LABEL$1 +Leaders Threatened by Terrorist Groups Large and Small The vulnerability of world leaders to terrorist attack was starkly exposed again today by the discovery of a bomb near Tony Blair #39;s holiday villa on Sardinia. $LABEL$0 +Food crisis worsens in North Korea BEIJING The collapse of North Korea #39;s economy has caused food prices there to skyrocket and created new groups of people who cannot afford to buy what they need to live, the World Food Program said on Wednesday. $LABEL$0 +German investor confidence surges BERLIN - German investor confidence posted a surprise jump in December as relief over falling oil prices helped to offset concerns about the impact of a surging euro on growth in Europe #39;s biggest economy.$LABEL$0 +EU Weighs Tougher Conditions for Talks With Turkey (Update1) European Union governments may impose tougher conditions on entry talks with Turkey in response to demands by France, Austria and Cyprus, a draft EU compromise shows.$LABEL$0 +Airlines to Cut Flights at Chicago O'Hare WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. airlines have agreed to limit flights into Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to 88 arrivals per hour between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. in an effort to cut congestion that has slowed the whole U.S. aviation system, federal officials said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +FAA: Flight-Reduction Deal Set for O #39;Hare WASHINGTON Aug. 18, 2004 Federal officials have reached a temporary agreement to ease congestion at Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare International Airport that calls for a reduction of 37 daily arrivals by United Airlines and American Airlines, officials said ...$LABEL$2 +Italy #39;s Parmalat sues ex-auditors Italian food giant Parmalat is suing its former auditors over their dealings with the insolvent group before its near collapse last December. $LABEL$2 +Update 2: Swisscom Confirms May Merge With Firm Telecommunications companies Swisscom AG and Telekom Austria AG are in talks over a possible merger, Swisscom said. $LABEL$2 +Cox directors look at proposed buyout Cox Communications Inc. is a step closer to going private, with the cable giant #39;s board of directors forming a special committee of independent directors to consider the Cox Enterprises Inc. proposal to take the company private in a \$7.9 billion buyout. $LABEL$2 +Cassini Probe Discovers Tiny Saturnian Moons Two tiny moons orbiting Saturn -- each measuring around two miles in diameter -- are the latest discovery of the Cassini spacecraft. They are located between the orbits of moons Mimas and Enceladus, a surprise to scientists who thought such ...$LABEL$3 +MS Host Integration Server 2004 Is Weeks Away Starting September 1, 2004, Microsoft will make available Host Integration Server (HIS) 2004 for companies that have been wanting to open their mainframe assets up to deeper integration with Windows-based servers, software and the promise of ...$LABEL$3 +Figo takes break from international game MADRID, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Portugal captain Luis Figo said on Wednesday he was taking an indefinite break from international football, but would not confirm whether his decision was final. $LABEL$1 +Van Basten entrusts Dutch captaincy to Davids AMSTERDAM, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Midfielder Edgar Davids #39;s leadership qualities and never-say-die attitude have earned him the captaincy of the Netherlands under new coach Marco van Basten. $LABEL$1 +Russia #39;s Korzhanenko wins women #39;s shot put; American favorites eliminated US medal favorites John Godina and Reese Hoffa were eliminated from the shot put competition, ending hopes of an American sweep. $LABEL$1 +US rowers advances in photo finish SCHINIAS, Greece (AP) The early success of the first black Olympic rower on the US men #39;s team and his Navy officer partner was supposed to end Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Sadr calls for Najaf ceasefire BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his followers are ready to leave the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf if American-led forces pull back from the holy Shi #39;ite site, an aide to Sadr says. $LABEL$0 +Dhiren to father, Abu Musa to al Qaeda According to British cops he is Dhiren Barot to his father and Abu Musa al-Hindi to Al Qaeda. On Wednesday India-born Barot alias al-Hindi, along with seven men of Pakistani origin, arrested in anti-terror raids and charged with plotting radioactive, ...$LABEL$0 +Terrified neighbours see dog kill owner A 39-year-old woman was savaged to death by her pet bull mastiff dog yesterday. Terrified elderly neighbours could only look on as the fatal attack, which started inside Carol Leeanne Taylor #39;s home in the Dunedin suburb of Caversham, spilled on to the ...$LABEL$0 +Garrison gets new contract; King retires WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Zina Garrison was given a one-year contract to stay on as US Fed Cup captain, while Billie Jean King retired Tuesday as a coach for the team.$LABEL$1 +VARSITY MATCH Oxford regained the MMC Trophy with a hard-fought 18-11 win over Cambridge in the Varsity match at Twickenham. Jon Fennell kicked Oxford into an early lead, but a well-worked try from Fergie Gladstone saw Cambridge hit back.$LABEL$1 +Nintendo Game Machine Gets Good US Start The new portable video-game machine from Nintendo Co. is selling briskly in both the United States and Japan and the company is well on its way to reaching a target of selling 5 million units by April next year.$LABEL$3 +Fledgling Thunderbird takes on Outlook Not content with eating into Microsoft #39;s share of the browser market with Firefox, the Mozilla Foundation has released an open-source email client to rival Outlook.$LABEL$3 +Cybersecurity post needs a promotion, firms say The US government is not taking cybersecurity seriously enough and should spend more money and energy on the topic, a group of computer security firms said Tuesday.$LABEL$3 +Toyota strikes satellite radio deals with rivals XM, Sirius Rivals XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio both have ventured again to the automotive industry in their latest efforts to land new subscribers, announcing separate distribution agreements Tuesday with Toyota Motor Corp.$LABEL$2 +AT amp;T Wins \$1B Treasury Contract VIENNA, Va. -- AT amp;T Government Solutions and its team of subcontractors have been chosen by the Treasury Department to build and deploy the largest civilian agency network, serving more than 1,000 domestic $LABEL$2 +UPDATE 1-SEC, NASD probing Jefferies trader #39;s gifts -WSJ US market regulators are looking into whether a Jefferies Group Inc. (JEF.N: Quote, Profile, Research) trader violated rules that prohibit expensive gift-giving in a bid to curry $LABEL$2 +Report: J amp;J in Talks to Acquire Guidant Health care giant Johnson amp; Johnson is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire medical device maker Guidant Corp. for more than \$24 billion.$LABEL$2 +Google Slashes IPO, SEC OK Expected Today NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. slashed the size of its initial public offering nearly in half to less than \$2 billion on Wednesday, splashing cold water on what has been touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Up; Traders Eye Crude Oil Prices NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks made gains on Wednesday as investors bought beaten-down shares, while strength in oil prices pushed up energy companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=XOM.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">XOM.N</A>$LABEL$2 +Houston serious about keeping its superstar center fielder Winter meetings kick off on Friday in Anaheim. BALCO aside, it #39;s been a quiet baseball offseason, but that #39;s about to change.$LABEL$1 +Charley May Cost Insurers \$7.4 Billion, Industry Says (Update1) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Charley will probably cost insurers \$7.4 billion, according to the first loss estimate based on insurance claims. $LABEL$2 +Parmalat sues ex-auditors Deloitte, Grant Thornton MILAN, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Parmalat sued its former auditors Deloitte amp; Touche and Grant Thornton on Wednesday, broadening a legal battle to claw back billions of euros from ex-allies the food group says helped drive it into ...$LABEL$2 +Barclays Buys CIBC US Credit Card Unit for \$293 Mln (Update5) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Barclays Plc, the UK #39;s third-biggest lender by assets, agreed to buy the US credit card business of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce for \$293 million to expand into the world #39;s biggest credit card market. $LABEL$2 +Tap, Eat, N Go Forget quot;super-sized, quot; McDonald #39;s is going for quot;super-fast quot; service. The nation #39;s largest quick serve restaurant chain is getting ready to test a system that enables customers to tap or wave the new quot;PayPass MasterCard quot; on or near a specially equipped ...$LABEL$2 +Broadband used by 51 percent of online population For the first time, broadband connections are reaching more than half (51 percent) of the American online population at home, according to measurement taken in July by Nielsen/NetRatings, a Milpitas-based Internet audience measurement and research ...$LABEL$3 +Canadian who leaped into Olympic pays the price for 15 minutes of fame ATHENS (CP) - The Canadian who embarrassed Olympic officials by jumping into a Games swimming pool during a diving competition wearing a skirt and advertising an on-line casino has paid the price for his 15 minutes of fame. $LABEL$1 +Els targets improved putting after Whistling Straits woes LONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ernie Els has set his sights on an improved putting display at this week #39;s WGC-NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio after the disappointment of tying for fourth at the US PGA Championship on Sunday. $LABEL$1 +8 terror suspects, including alleged al-Qaida figure, charged in Britain LONDON (AP) - Eight suspects, including a man identified in the United States as a senior al-Qaida figure, appeared in court under heavy guard Wednesday as police investigated an alleged plot to commit murder and cause mayhem with chemicals, radioactive ...$LABEL$0 +UN rights envoys urge probe into Burundi massacre GENEVA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - United Nations human rights investigators on Wednesday called on Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to identify and hold accountable those behind the massacre of at least 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees. $LABEL$0 +One Hamas leader survived assassination; five Palestinians killed in an Israeli bombardment in Gaza Five Palestinians were killed and other seven injured today at dawn in an Israeli air raid carried out by one Israeli helicopter at the house of a leading figure from the Islamic resistance movement ( Hamas) in al-Shuja #39;eya quarters to the east of Gaza. $LABEL$0 +Swiss to hand back more Abacha funds Switzerland is to hand back to Nigeria SFr622 million (\$500 million) belonging to the former ruler, Sani Abacha, and his family. $LABEL$0 +WFP Relying On Airdrops To Bring Food In West Darfur Mud continues to be one of the biggest obstacles to relief efforts in Sudan #39;s Darfur region. Heavy rains have washed out roads and airstrips and the rainy season is expected to last another month or two. $LABEL$0 +Late try gives Oxford win Ross Lavery scored a try two minutes from the end as Oxford University defeated Cambridge 18-11 at Twickenham on Tuesday in another tight finish to the annual University rugby match.$LABEL$1 +Dell trims PC prices for business clients Dell cut prices on some servers and PCs by as much as 22 percent because it #39;s paying less for parts. The company will pass the savings on components such as memory and liquid crystal displays $LABEL$3 +NASA #39;s Return to Flight on Track, Shuttle Officials Say NASA (news - web sites) is close to meeting all of the return-to-flight safety requirements set by Columbia accident investigators and should be able to launch a shuttle by May 2005, shuttle program officials said today.$LABEL$3 +What's Google Minus \$10 Billion? Google drops its price and shares offered. Its magic: turning the hottest IPO in history into a disaster.$LABEL$2 +Wind River's Smooth Sailing (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - Investors have unloaded on many software companies lately, such as Red Hat (Nasdaq: RHAT - News), Siebel (Nasdaq: SEBL - News), Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL - News), and so on. However, with the markets perking up this week, investors are a little more sanguine about the sector -- at least for those stocks that exceed expectations.$LABEL$3 +Teleportation goes long distance Physicists teleport particles of light a distance of 600m across the River Danube in Austria, the journal Nature reports.$LABEL$3 +Europe Is Warned of Changing Climate (AP) AP - Rising sea levels, disappearing glaciers in the Alps and more deadly heat waves are coming for Europeans because of global warming, Europe's environmental agency warned Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Clinton: Ex-President Inaugurates China-Backed Internet Search <b>...</b> Former President Bill Clinton helped launch a new Internet search firm that claims better results for its engine than Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ). The firm is called Accoona, from the Swahili phrase $LABEL$2 +High court hears dispute over Michigan interstate wine sales SUPREME COURT The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that could lead to sweeping changes on how alcoholic beverages are regulated and sold.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Move Higher on Mixed Economic Data Stocks inched higher Tuesday as investors saw the bright side of mixed economic data and rumors about big merger deals, including a report that consumer products giant Johnson amp; Johnson is in talks to purchase a leading medical device maker.$LABEL$2 +IBM: Do We Have a Deal? China #39;s biggest computer maker said it is in acquisition talks with a major international technology company, a disclosure that comes amid reports it might buy IBM #39;s personal computer business.$LABEL$2 +Three IPOs Trim Price Ranges Wednesday Three new stocks scheduled to begin trading this week - including Google Inc. #39;s highly anticipated initial public offering - slashed their expected price ranges Wednesday morning as the IPO market readies for a one-month break from trading debuts after ...$LABEL$2 +Oil at \$47, Economic Impact Seen as Muted LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices surged to a new high above \$47 a barrel on Wednesday on evidence that energy costs are not substantially slowing the economic growth that fuels oil demand. $LABEL$2 +McDonald #39;s testing deli sandwiches in Louisville, other markets McDonald #39;s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) plans to expand a test market of five types of deli-style sandwiches to Louisville and three other cities, according to reports. $LABEL$2 +Netscape #39;s Official New Browser is Out AOL (Quote, Chart) developers have rolled out a new version of its venerable Netscape browser, version 7.2. $LABEL$3 +Kenteris, Thanou Quit Games; Thorpe Record Bid Fails (Update6) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Olympic medalists Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou quit the Athens Games, overshadowing the start of track and field events on the fifth day of competition. Venus Williams and Andy Roddick were eliminated from the tennis. $LABEL$1 +Roddick, Williams eliminated from Olympic tennis CBC SPORTS ONLINE - American tennis sensation Andy Roddick #39;s Olympic dreams are over after a straight set loss to No. 16 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in third-round action Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Giambi calls strain #39;nothing serious #39; New York Yankees: First baseman Jason Giambi continued his upper body workout and ran in an indoor pool Wednesday, one day after mildly straining his groin. $LABEL$1 +Olympics: Venus out of Olympics ATHENS : Title-holder Venus Williams of the United States crashed out of the Olympic women #39;s singles tennis tournament here losing a third round tie 6-4, 6-4 to France #39;s Mary Pierce. $LABEL$1 +Sadr calls for Najaf ceasefire NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Radical Shi #39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has agreed to disarm his Iraqi militia and leave a holy shrine but only after a truce with encircling US marines. $LABEL$0 +Something's Brewing at Diedrich Coffee The Starbucks competitor will sell its international franchise business to battle at home.$LABEL$2 +Report: Palestinians, Israel Back Peace Plan CAIRO (Reuters) - Palestinians and Israelis have agreed in principle to proposals aiming to end their conflict, Egypt's official news agency MENA said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +State Dept. Warns of Violence in Laos (AP) AP - The State Department is advising Americans traveling or living in Laos to take precautions and avoid areas likely to be hit by continuing violence.$LABEL$0 +VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Driv3r Plot Is Tedious (AP) AP - Atari could have redefined guns and gas pedal mayhem with the much anticipated ""Driv3r"" (pronounced Driver 3), the latest installment in a series of bad-boy-driving-'n'-violence titles. But there's nothing new here to see #151; nothing new graphically, emotionally, or functionally in the way of game play.$LABEL$3 +Credit Suisse to Focus on Investment Bank ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse plans to focus its investment banking activities on high-margin business and float off insurer Winterthur in a long-awaited revamp aimed at boosting the earnings power of Europe's 10th-largest bank.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Economic Outlook Dims a Bit WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economic outlook dimmed somewhat on Tuesday after reports said business productivity grew more slowly in the third quarter than first estimated, labor costs rose and other indicators signaled softening activity.$LABEL$2 +Workers fight bad weather to give aid to storm-ravaged Philippines; 740 dead (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - REAL, Philippines (AP) - Relief crews battling walls of mud and lashing rain to reach villages still isolated days after back-to-back storms devastated the northeastern Philippines have found 51 more bodies, taking the death toll to at least 740 people, officials said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Update 3: Bank of America Cuts Some Fleet Workers Bank of America Corp. laid off an unspecified number of employees Wednesday at hundreds of Fleet Bank branches, a byproduct of the merger of the two banks, a company spokeswoman said. $LABEL$2 +SEC Bars Mutual Fund Payoffs to Brokers WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US Securities and Exchange Commission pushed ahead on Wednesday with reforms of the \$7.5-trillion mutual fund industry amid scandals that have shaken fund investors #39; confidence. $LABEL$2 +Barclays buys Juniper Financial for \$293M LONDON (AP) British bank Barclays PLC gained its first toehold in the US consumer banking market Wednesday, saying it would buy credit-card company Juniper Financial Corp. from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce for \$293 million in cash. $LABEL$2 +UAL agrees to independent agents to oversee pension funds WASHINGTON : Bankrupt United Airlines has agreed to appoint an independent party to manage its employee pension funds prior to September 15 in an agreement with the US Labor Department. $LABEL$2 +Compuware asks court to punish IBM Software maker Compuware has charged IBM with keeping back key evidence in a long-running legal battle over copyright and anticompetitive practices. $LABEL$3 +Investors Unfazed by Last-Minute Google Moves BOSTON (Reuters) - When investors heard that Google Inc. had cut the price range for shares in its closely watched initial public offering they said they took it in stride and did not make any massive last-minute adjustments. $LABEL$3 +Charley a Harbinger of Busy Hurricane Season? But Hurricane Charley intensified at an astonishing rate just a few hours before making landfall, and its eye wobbled off its forecast track and smashed ashore about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa, killing at least 21. It became the most ...$LABEL$3 +Report: Apple G5 chips scarce Apple Computer may be facing greater difficulties than previously thought in getting hold of chips to power its high-end personal computers. $LABEL$3 +American Cyclist Hamilton Wins Time Trial yler Hamilton and Bobby Julich showed that there is some depth to American cycling, winning the gold and bronze medals today in the men #39;s individual time trial at the Olympics in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Kitajima wins breast stroke double Kosuke Kitajima won the men #39;s 200 metres breast stroke final at the Athens Olympics early this morning, but Australia #39;s Jim Piper was disqualified. $LABEL$1 +State Dept. Cautious of Najaf Reports WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration reacted cautiously Wednesday to reports that the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had accept a peace plan to end fighting in Najaf. $LABEL$0 +Pakistan publishes photos of six suspects wanted in terror ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) Pakistan published photos Wednesday in newspapers across the country of six terror suspects including a senior al-Qaeda operative it says were behind attempts to assassinate the nation #39;s president and offered a large ...$LABEL$0 +Steroid Talks Progress Baseball players and owners have made progress toward toughening rules on steroid testing, but there is still plenty of work to be done.$LABEL$1 +Italy Lights the Path for the Olympic Torch ROME (Reuters) - Christmas on the island of Sicily, New Year's eve at the bay of Naples.$LABEL$1 +Five die in renewed Gaza fighting against Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate backed by Israel and Washington as a potential peacemaker, a lawmaker said. killing one soldier and wounding four.$LABEL$0 +Dual-Format Disc That Plays Both HD DVD and DVD Memory-Tech and Toshiba today announced that they have developed a dual-layer ROM (read-only) disc that can store content in both the HD DVD and DVD formats.$LABEL$3 +Energy from waves teenager wins science award A teenager from the San Diego, California area has won The Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology for his quot;Gyro-Gen, quot; a machine that produces electricity from ocean waves.$LABEL$3 +Program Lets People Design 3-D Objects (AP) AP - It's the Internet Revolution meets the Industrial Revolution: a new program that lets people design 3-D objects like car parts and door knobs in metal or plastic then order them online.$LABEL$3 +1.2 million flu shots will stay in Canada after all VANCOUVER - A Vancouver-based firm won #39;t sell 1.2 million doses of influenza vaccine to the United States after all, announcing Tuesday that it will sell the doses within Canada instead.$LABEL$2 +Windows XP SP2 Help Certainly you know by now that Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) has been released. As anticipated, some systems have had problems after installation of the new service pack. But many people report that their installations have been successful and without ...$LABEL$3 +Slim Majority of Web Users Connect With Broadband For the first time, a slim majority of US Net users are connecting via broadband. In July, 51 percent of America #39;s home online population was using broadband connections, according to a report from Nielsen/NetRatings. Before July, the ...$LABEL$3 +Bilonog Wins Olympia Shot Put Gold Competing under a flawless blue sky in the tree-lined grove devoted to Zeus, the European gold medallist equaled American champion Adam Nelson #39;s opening mark of 2.16 to capture his first major title on a countback. $LABEL$1 +Kitajima wins breaststroke double Kosuke Kitajima won the men #39;s 200 metres breaststroke final at the Athens Olympics on Wednesday to collect his second gold medal in four days. $LABEL$1 +Nigerian senate to rule on Darfur troop deployment ABUJA, Aug 18 (AFP) -- The Nigerian senate said on Wednesday it would ask its defence committee to consider a request by President Olusegun Obasanjo for permission to deploy some 1,500 peacekeepers to Sudan #39;s war-torn Darfur region. $LABEL$0 +Google IPO Is Small Hurdle Vs Growing Competition (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc., on the last leg of its\race to sell shares to the public, is facing more rivals, large\and small, trying to unseat it as the Web's most popular search\destination.$LABEL$3 +PAC-10 MEN #39;S Basketball: Timing of Bibby firing irks Olson Just last month USC basketball coach Henry Bibby said he was enjoying his job more than ever and getting ready for what he hoped would be a good season.$LABEL$1 +Pacers #39; Foster Activated From Injured List Indianapolis, IN -- Indiana Pacers center Jeff Foster was activated from the injured list Tuesday. He had missed the first 17 games of the season after undergoing hip surgery in October.$LABEL$1 +Physicists Teleport Photons Across Danube Austrian researchers have teleported photons, or particles of light, for the first time outside a laboratory using the same technological principles imagined by <I>Star Trek.</I>$LABEL$3 +British Cave Yields Elaborate Ice-Age Art A detailed survey of ancient cave carvings at a site first discovered last year in Nottinghamshire, England, reveals the etchings may be some of most elaborate Ice Age art ever found.$LABEL$3 +Venus: Inhabited World? by Harry Bortman In part 1 of this interview with Astrobiology Magazine editor Henry Bortman, planetary scientist David Grinspoon explained how Venus evolved from a wet planet similar to Earth to the scorching hot, dried-out furnace of today. In part 2, Grinspoon discusses the possibility of life on Venus...$LABEL$3 +Particle Physics in a New Universe By Davide Castelvecchi Stanford University -- A string of recent discoveries in astronomy has left scientists with an unsettling realization: The stuff we know and understand makes up less than 5 percent of the universe. The rest has to be yet-unknown forms of ""dark matter"" and ""dark energy."" At a time of momentous changes in our basic understanding of the universe, a new document outlines the essential role of particle physics in deciphering the laws of nature that govern dark matter, dark energy and more...$LABEL$3 +Compuware asks court to punish IBM Software maker says Big Blue kept hold of key evidence to delay a resolution to a long-running legal spat over copyrighted code.$LABEL$3 +A brighter Outlook? Software startup hopes there's big money in little improvements to Microsoft products.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: Macromedia offers Flash video tool roundup Plus: UTStarcom wins Indian IP gear contract...Microsoft tightens Windows-mainframes link...Red Hat names new services executive.$LABEL$3 +Macromedia offers Flash video tool Company hopes to boost use of its Flash format for delivering streaming video with new development kit.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft tightens Windows-mainframes link Company releases revamped version of server software for linking Windows servers to mainframes, other large computers.$LABEL$3 +Red Hat names new services executive Kate Johnson will oversee global training, support and consulting services from the company's headquarters.$LABEL$3 +Report: Apple G5 chips scarce Firm may be facing greater difficulties than previously thought in getting hold of chips to power its high-end PCs.$LABEL$3 +MCI to overhaul network for international calls Company plans to use IP-based gear in network upgrade starting mid-2005, as it seeks to revive its prospects.$LABEL$3 +Study: Broadband leaps past dial-up For the first time ever, more Americans are seeking faster connections to access the Internet.$LABEL$3 +UTStarcom wins Indian IP gear contract India's state-owned telecom provider signs \$8.2 million contract with the company.$LABEL$3 +Juniper engineers depart for start-up Two of the company's top engineers, who helped develop its flagship product, decide to start up their own operation.$LABEL$3 +Real gets flamed over iPod campaign Petition calling on Apple to open its music player to rival tunes becomes target of anti-RealNetworks brickbats.$LABEL$3 +Hynix to build chip plant in China South Korean memory-chip maker Hynix Semiconductor Inc. announced Wednesday that it reached an agreement to construct a wafer fabrication plant (fab) to manufacture chips in Wuxi, China.$LABEL$3 +Researchers find holes in XP SP2 Security researchers inspecting a new update to Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP found two software flaws that could allow virus writers and malicious hackers to sidestep new security features in the operating system.$LABEL$3 +Google faces another trademark suit in Germany A German court is set to hear oral arguments in a trademark suit against Google Inc. next week, as the search giant faces yet another legal challenge to its AdWords keyword advertising program.<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p><p><img src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.ifw.general/ibmpseries;sz=1x1;ord=200301151450?"" width=""1"" height=""1"" border=""0""/><a href=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;9824455;9690404;u?http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;9473681;9688522;d?http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/pseries/campaigns/boardroom/index.html?ca=pSeries met=boardroom me=E P_Creative=P_InfoW_RSS"">Introducing IBM eServer p5 systems.</a><br/>Powered by IBMs most advanced 64-bit microprocessor (POWER5(tm)), p5 systems can run UNIX and Linux simultaneously. Learn more about eServer p5 systems.</p>$LABEL$3 +Where to Dump Your Dead Technology Office Depot teams with HP to recycle your old electronics gear for free.$LABEL$3 +BlackBerries Take Aim at Terrorism Wireless devices are being used to perform background checks at Boston's airport.$LABEL$3 +Google, WebSideStory, Claria Show Negative IPO Trend Google, WebSideStory, Claria Show Negative IPO Trend\\The online advertising, search engine marketing, and web analytics markets may be booming, but for companies looking to go public, there has been a definite negative trend over the past month, with buyers not showing interest, or just waiting, during an otherwise down time ...$LABEL$3 +U.S. Coach Larry Brown Won't Make Changes (AP) AP - Same starting lineup, same subs, same tactics. The U.S. basketball team may be an unimpressive 1-1 in the Olympic tournament, but coach Larry Brown won't do any tinkering for Thursday's game against Australia.$LABEL$1 +Manning to Get First Start Vs. Panthers (AP) AP - What a way to test a rookie quarterback: Give him his first NFL start against the defending NFC champions and their vaunted defense.$LABEL$1 +Toronto Raptors Sign Center Loren Woods (AP) AP - The Toronto Raptors signed free agent center Loren Woods on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Indians Call Up Righty Fernando Cabrera (AP) AP - The Cleveland Indians called up right-hander Fernando Cabrera from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Hamm of U.S. Wins Men's Gymnastics All-Around Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - Paul Hamm (U.S.) won the men's gymnastics individual all-around gold medal at the Olympics on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Americans and Dutch Strike Gold in Cycling ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States proved there is more to U.S. cycling than Lance Armstrong on Wednesday and Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel of the Netherlands became the most successful woman in Olympic cycling history.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Women Break Oldest Record for Relay Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States broke swimming's oldest world record to win the women's 4x200 meter freestyle relay Olympic gold medal Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Henry, Phelps on Record Track to Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - Australia's Jodie Henry armed herself with a world record while Michael Phelps targeted his fourth Olympic gold medal backed by a Games record in qualifying for Thursday's finals.$LABEL$1 +Hamm Wins Gold for U.S. Paul Hamm of the United States won the gold medal Wednesday in all-around gymnastics.$LABEL$1 +U-Va.'s Brooks Out Linebacker Ahmad Brooks missed his second practice after getting into an argument with Cavs Coach Al Groh during Monday's session.$LABEL$1 +Nelson: Shot Put Silver With one last attempt to win gold, Adam Nelson is called for his fifth consecutive foul, leaving him with a silver medal Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Olympian women escape the age barrier (AFP) AFP - The older the violin, the sweeter the music. And the Athens Olympics is proving the lyrics right as Martina Navratilova, Merlene Ottey and company are demonstrating the endurance of women with middle-aged ladies defying perceptions about age and competition in nearly every sport.$LABEL$0 +Russia investors skeptical of Yukos mad scramble for cash (AFP) AFP - Yukos scrambled to scrape together cash for a crushing tax bill by selling off one of its gas companies in the face of deep investor skepticism that Russia's oil giant could survive its standoff with the state.$LABEL$0 +Israeli Helicopter Fires at Gaza Building (AP) AP - An Israeli helicopter fired two missiles in Gaza City after nightfall Wednesday, one at a building in the Zeitoun neighborhood, witnesses said, setting a fire.$LABEL$0 +U.N. Food Agency Steps Up Sudan Aid (AP) AP - The United Nations' food relief agency is gearing up for a ""critical stage"" in feeding refugees in western Sudan as more people flee ethnic violence there and the rainy season peaks, U.N. officials said Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Group Asks to Protest in Central Park (AP) AP - An anti-war group planning a massive demonstration the day before the GOP convention asked a judge on Wednesday to overrule city officials and let protesters gather in Central Park.$LABEL$0 +New York Vs. the Protesters (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - NEW YORK -- Hundreds of thousands of antiwar protesters, abortion rights supporters, labor rights activists and anarchists are preparing to unfurl banners, march through the streets and rally in the parks, loosening a cacophonous roar of protest during the Republican National Convention.$LABEL$0 +Retiring GOP Rep.: Iraq War Unjustified (AP) AP - A top Republican congressman has broken from his party in the final days of his House career, saying he believes the U.S. military assault on Iraq was unjustified and the situation there has deteriorated into ""a dangerous, costly mess.$LABEL$0 +Lawyers Defend Wen Ho Lee Reporters (AP) AP - An Associated Press reporter and four other journalists shouldn't be punished for keeping secret the names of sources for stories about Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear weapons scientist once suspected of spying, their lawyers told a federal judge Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Cleric Agrees to End Uprising, Demands Truce NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - A radical Iraqi cleric leading a Shi'ite uprising agreed Wednesday to disarm his militia and leave one of the country's holiest Islamic shrines, but only after a truce with encircling U.S. Marines.$LABEL$0 +Israel's Sharon Confronts Party Rebels Before Vote TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon confronted Likud party rebels with a pledge to put the good of Israel first Wednesday as he battled to avoid an embarrassing defeat over his Gaza pullout plan.$LABEL$0 +U.N. Tries to Calm Frontier After Burundi Massacre BUJUMBURA/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. peacekeepers are scrambling to avoid new bloodshed in the volatile Great Lakes region of Africa following a massacre of Congolese refugees in western Burundi, the United Nations said on Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Cleric Who Died in Pakistan Custody 'Tortured' ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - An Afghan Islamic cleric who died in custody in Pakistan on Wednesday had signs of torture on his body, an intelligence official said.$LABEL$0 +Cleric dies in Pakistan custody An Islamic cleric arrested in Pakistan for suspected al-Qaeda links dies in custody, officials say.$LABEL$0 +Teleportation goes long distance Physicists have successfully teleported particles of light over a distance of 600m across the River Danube in Austria, the journal Nature reports.$LABEL$0 +8 Terror Suspects Appear in British Court LONDON - Eight suspects, including a man identified by the United States as a senior al-Qaida figure, appeared in a London court under heavy guard Wednesday as police investigated their alleged plot to commit murder and to cause mayhem with chemical, biological or radioactive materials. A prosecutor also said police were searching about 100 computers and thousands of files, suggesting a protracted investigation that could produce more charges against the suspects, who were seized in raids across England two weeks ago...$LABEL$0 +Demand Soars for Laughing Cow Cheese LITTLE CHUTE, Wis. - Cheese maker Bob Gilbert is struggling with his good fortune and his misfortune...$LABEL$0 +Venus, Roddick Upset in Olympic Tennis ATHENS, Greece - Andy Roddick hit one last errant shot into the net and hung his head, his medal hopes over. A short while later, Venus Williams was gone, too...$LABEL$0 +Kerry Decries Bush Plan to Recall Troops CINCINNATI - John Kerry, telling fellow combat veterans he's their ""true brother in arms,"" said Wednesday that President Bush's plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Europe and Asia would weaken U.S...$LABEL$0 +'Potential Development' in Peterson Case REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - The judge in Scott Peterson's murder trial dismissed the jurors for the day Wednesday, saying, ""There's been a potential development in this case."" Judge Alfred A...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Are Up Despite Rising Oil Prices NEW YORK - Buyers put a positive spin on equities Wednesday, shrugging off rising crude futures as Google Inc. prepared to sell its stock in an initial public offering, albeit it at a far lower price than previously forecast...$LABEL$0 +Kerry Decries Bush Plan to Recall Troops CINCINNATI - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Wednesday criticized President Bush's proposal to recall up to 70,000 foreign troops as a hastily announced plan that raises more doubts about U.S. intentions than it answers...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Climb Despite Rise in Oil Prices NEW YORK - Buyers put a positive spin on the equity markets Wednesday, shrugging off rising crude futures as Google Inc. prepared to sell its stock in an initial public offering, albeit it at a far lower price than previously forecast...$LABEL$0 +'Potential Development' in Peterson Case REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - The judge in Scott Peterson's double murder trial dismissed the jurors for the day Wednesday, saying, ""There's been a potential development in this case."" Judge Alfred A...$LABEL$0 +Sadr Signals He Will Accept Peace Plan Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr signaled that he would accept pleas to dissolve his militia and vacate the sacred Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, but asked for time for further negotiations.$LABEL$0 +China Detains Prominent Buddhist Leader Chinese authorities detained a prominent, U.S.-based Buddhist leader in connection with his plans to reopen an ancient temple complex in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia last week and have forced dozens of his American followers to leave the region, local officials said Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Stocks End Higher, Dow Back Above 10,000 NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, as investors shrugged off record crude oil prices and bought beaten-down shares, pushing blue chips to close above 10,000 for the first time in 3 weeks.$LABEL$2 +Unpatched PC quot;Survival Time quot; Just 16 Minutes The average unpatched Windows PC lasts less than 20 minutes on the Internet before it #39;s compromised, according to data from the Internet Storm Center. $LABEL$3 +Add-On Toolkit For Outlook Cuts Clutter A small Oregon-based company on Wednesday released a set of integrated add-on tools for Microsoft #39;s Outlook e-mail client. $LABEL$3 +IBM #39;ambush #39; accusation p2pnet.net News:- IBM mainframe software vendor Compuware is suing IBM for antitrust violations claiming IBM used its source code without permission. $LABEL$3 +Epson Announces Advanced Model of the World #39;s Lightest Micro-Flying Robot TOKYO, Japan -- Seiko Epson Corporation ( quot;Epson quot;) has announced that it has successfully developed a lighter and more advanced successor to the FR, the world #39;s smallest and lightest micro-flying robot. Turning once again to its micromechatronics ...$LABEL$3 +Ford scraps Oracle-based procurement system Auto giant Ford Motor confirmed Wednesday that it is abandoning its Oracle-powered online procurement system in favor of technologies it had used previously. $LABEL$3 +Malaysia sets up sanctuary in Terengganu to protect endangered turtles TERENGGANU : Malaysia has gazetted 60 hectares of land off the east coast state of Terengganu to help conserve the dwindling number of endangered sea turtles. $LABEL$3 +With Kenteris and Thanou out of Games, hometown suffers a big blow Give the International Olympic Committee credit. By virture of simply being in the room when the bullet slipped into the chamber, by holding the disciplinary hearing at which, on Wednesday, Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou completed ...$LABEL$1 +Venus, Roddick ousted from Olympics Athens, Greece, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Americans Andy Roddick and Venus Williams were shockingly eliminated in the third round of the Olympic tennis tournament Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Losing No. 1 only a matter of time for Tiger Today, there can be no argument. Attach an asterisk, because in this case the numbers lie. Vijay Singh trails by .1 in the Official World Golf Ranking system, but if you polled the players and the media, Vijay is The Man. Officially he ...$LABEL$1 +Britain #39;s Law takes equestrian silver ATHENS (Reuters) Britain #39;s Leslie Law has won silver in the equestrian three-day event individual behind Bettina Hoy of Germany. $LABEL$1 +Kitajima sweeps both breaststrokes, Hanson third ATHENS --After winning world titles in both breaststroke events last summer while setting world records in each, Japan #39;s Kosuke Kitajima sat helplessly from across the Pacific last month as American Brendan Hansen broke ...$LABEL$1 +Ht England 1 Ukraine 0 Beckham turned provided 10 minutes before the break after Gerrard had been felled as he surged forward, curling a free-kick to the far post where Neville rose to power a header straight at Shovkovsky. $LABEL$1 +Bomb Defused in Sardinia After Berlusoni and Blair Visited OME, Aug. 18 The police defused a bomb today in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, the same town where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had entertained British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie ...$LABEL$0 +Darfur #39;s War of Definitions Finally, the conflict in Darfur in western Sudan is a focal point in international diplomacy and media attention. This is the least to expect after months of bloody campaigns of murder, rape and dare I say, ethnic cleansing, starting as ...$LABEL$0 +Cleric Who Died in Pakistan Custody #39;Tortured #39; ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - An Afghan Islamic cleric who died in custody in Pakistan on Wednesday had signs of torture on his body, an intelligence official said. $LABEL$0 +Google Slashes IPO Price UPDATED: Search engine darling Google (Quote, Chart) has slashed the price of its long-awaited public offering by about 30 percent to between \$85 and \$95 per share and plans to sell fewer shares. $LABEL$2 +Janus Loses \$5 Billion The bad news just keeps pouring in for mutual fund manager Janus Capital Group (NYSE: JNS). Yesterday, the Denver-based firm reported that European banker ING Group (NYSE: ING) will pull \$5 billion from its mutual funds, or ...$LABEL$2 +Parmalat sues Grant Thornton, Deloitte for \$10 billion CHICAGO Italian dairy company Parmalat today filed a ten (B) billion dollar lawsuit against two auditors it accuses of overlooking fraud that nearly led to the company #39;s downfall. $LABEL$2 +Is Applied Materials Losing Momentum? Despite a strong third-quarter performance from Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT), a weaker fourth-quarter outlook has the chip equipment maker #39;s shares treading water today. $LABEL$2 +McDonald #39;s to use cashless payment system TORONTO, Aug. 18 McDonald #39;s restaurants has announced an agreement to accept MasterCard PayPass, a new quot;contactless quot; payment option utilizing radio frequency technology at select McDonald #39;s restaurants in the United States. Participating McDonald #39;s ...$LABEL$2 +Update 1: Vivendi, Messier Are Fined \$1.35 Million Vivendi Universal and its former chief Jean-Marie Messier have each been fined 1 million euros (\$1.35 million) for misleading financial information issued by the company when Messier was in charge, Messier #39;s lawyer said Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Tiffany sells stake in Aber Diamond, discount arrangement ends TORONTO (CP) - US jewelry retailer Tiffany amp; Co. has sold its nearly 14 per cent stake in Aber Diamond Corp., part owner of Canada #39;s second diamond mine, Diavik.$LABEL$2 +SEC Says Google IPO Document Effective WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday that it declared effective Google Inc.'s <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> registration statement for its initial public offering.$LABEL$2 +Australian City Agency Switches to Sun's StarOffice (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - In another blow to Microsoft, a government agency in New South Wales, Australia, signs a deal with Sun to migrate 1,500 users to the company's StarOffice productivity suite and Messaging products.$LABEL$3 +Ford scraps Oracle-based procurement system Automaker dumps Everest procurement system to revert to older technologies.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: Mozilla makes Japanese push roundup Plus: Macromedia offers Flash video tool...UTStarcom wins Indian IP gear contract...Microsoft tightens Windows-mainframes link.$LABEL$3 +Pros point to flaws in Windows security update German security company says it found minor problems in SP2; researchers predict more critical issues will emerge.$LABEL$3 +Sears launches consumer electronics line Department store selling projection TVs via Web; will offer them in stores in the fall, with other devices to follow.$LABEL$3 +Wireless sensor networks looking to Zigbee Alliance Imagine a golf course that can sense rainfall, and adjust the automatic sprinkler system to delay a scheduled watering session or focus on parts of the course that didn't get as much rain as others. Or a hotel that can detect when a room is vacant, and turn off the heating or cooling systems in that room to save energy.$LABEL$3 +Web Surfers Hit Higher Speeds The majority of Internet users in the U.S. have ditched dial-up, survey says.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Outlook Tool Launched by You Software You Looking For Another Microsoft Outlook Tool\\Microsoft gobbled up Lookout the other week, an Outlook search tool, but You Software is introducing another option to finding one's way around Outlook - You Perform.\\With hundreds of millions of users around the world, Microsoft Outlook is the standard for business e-mail. One ...$LABEL$3 +Hamm Wins All-Around Gymnastics Title (AP) AP - After falling onto the edge of the judges' table on the landing of his vault, Paul Hamm performed two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win the men's all-around gymnastics title by the closest Olympic margin ever.$LABEL$1 +Judge in Bryant Case Loosens Gag Order (AP) AP - The judge in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case has loosened a sweeping gag order after objections from prosecutors, news organizations and attorneys for the accuser.$LABEL$1 +Bulluck Picks Super Bowl Shot Over Cash (AP) AP - Keith Bulluck knows his answer to the question of how much is enough. Coming off his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro season, the Tennessee linebacker could have played out the final year of his contract then become a free agent in search of more money. Instead, he signed a six-year, #36;36 million contract in March and remained a Titan.$LABEL$1 +American Hamm Claims Men's Gymnastics All-Round Crown ATHENS (Reuters) - Paul Hamm became the first American man to claim the Olympic gymnastics men's all-round gold medal on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +UPDATE 1-Citigroup fined over risky fund recommendations The brokerage watchdog NASD on Tuesday censured Citigroup Inc. (CN: Quote, Profile, Research) and fined the financial services company \$275,000 for violating rules regarding sales of risky investments.$LABEL$2 +UN food agency steps up Sudan aid as rainy season approaches (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - The United Nations' food relief agency is gearing up for a ""critical stage"" in feeding refugees in western Sudan as more people flee ethnic violence there and the rainy season peaks, UN officials said Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Cleric Agrees End Uprising, Fighting Continues NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - A radical Iraqi cleric leading a Shi'ite uprising agreed Wednesday to disarm his militia and leave one of the country's holiest Islamic shrines after warnings of an onslaught by government forces.$LABEL$0 +SA soldiers 'robbed immigrants' Five soldiers appear in court in South Africa accused of robbing Zimbabwean deportees.$LABEL$0 +Israel 'hits' Gaza City targets An Israeli helicopter fires two missiles at targets in Gaza City, Palestinian witnesses say.$LABEL$0 +Paul Hamm Wins All-Around Event After falling on the landing of his vault, Paul Hamm put on two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win Olympic gold, the first ever by a U.S. man.$LABEL$0 +Al-Sadr OKs Plan to End Fighting in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr accepted a peace plan Wednesday for Najaf that would disarm his militiamen and remove them from a holy shrine where they are hiding out, according to a spokesman. However, Al-Sadr wanted to negotiate how the deal would be implemented...$LABEL$0 +SEC Gives Final Nod to Google's IPO SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Securities and Exchange Commission granted final approval Wednesday to the paperwork required for Google Inc.'s initial public offering, paving the way for the Internet search giant to set a price for its shares and begin selling them after several stumbles and a last-minute downward revision on the size of the offering...$LABEL$0 +Hamm Wins All-Around Gymnastics Title ATHENS, Greece - After falling onto the edge of the judges' table on the landing of his vault, Paul Hamm performed two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win the men's all-around gymnastics title by the closest Olympic margin ever. Needing a 9.825 on high bar, his best event, to tie Kim Dae-eun of South Korea for gold, Hamm was dazzling...$LABEL$0 +Colgate to Cut About 4,400 Jobs Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) will cut about 4,400 jobs and close a third of its factories under a program aimed at fighting rising costs and focusing on higher-profit areas such as oral care, the company said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Lamy Strong Candidate for WTO Job-USTR WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. trade officials said on Tuesday that former European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy would be a ""strong candidate"" to lead the World Trade Organization, but stopped short of formally endorsing him.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Close Higher, Dow Above 10,000 NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, as investors shrugged off record crude oil prices and bought beaten-down shares, pushing blue chips to close above 10,000 for the first time in 2 weeks.$LABEL$2 +CORRECTED: Charley Shows Progress, Pitfalls in Forecasting (Reuters) Reuters - A few decades ago, the earliest warning\Floridians would have had of a hurricane would have been black\clouds on the horizon. Now people are complaining after\Hurricane Charley hit shore at a point just 60 miles off from\the track projected by meteorologists.$LABEL$3 +Oracle intros Business Intelligence 10g Oracle today introduced the latest version of its Business Intelligence product which combines information access, analysis, reporting, data integration and management tools into a standalone application.$LABEL$3 +Mozilla Sparks New Fire with Thunderbird E-Mail Client Thunderbird is touting its new features, like RSS news and blog reader integration into its e-mail client. Users can scan and sort through hundreds of headlines.$LABEL$3 +Sony Announces PS3 GPU December 07, 2004 - In an announcement made around the midnight hour earlier this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment and NVIDIA Corporation jointly confirmed that they have teamed up to create the graphics chip for Sony #39;s next videogame console.$LABEL$3 +United, American OK flight caps to ease airport gridlock CHICAGO : United Airlines and American Airlines have agreed to temporary flight caps at Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare International Airport to ease congestion at one of the world #39;s busiest hubs, federal officials said. $LABEL$2 +Stocks End Higher, Dow Back Above 10,000 NEW YORK (Reuters) - US stocks ended higher on Wednesday, as investors shrugged off record crude oil prices and bought beaten-down shares, pushing blue chips to close above 10,000 for the first time in 3 weeks. $LABEL$2 +Cause of shopping center fire in South Everett under investigation EVERETT Fire investigators are still trying to determine what caused a two-alarm that destroyed a portion of a South Everett shopping center this morning. $LABEL$2 +BigFix eases enterprise deployment of SP2 BigFix, an enterprise security vendor, announced yesterday that its BigFix Enterprise Suite quot;supports and simplifies quot; the deployment of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). $LABEL$3 +Web Surfers Hit Higher Speeds A majority of US home Internet users now have broadband, according to a survey by NetRatings. While the total number of home Internet users has reached a plateau in the US, those who do use the Internet are adopting broadband at a rapid pace, according to ...$LABEL$3 +Compuware Calls for IBM Oust Lawyers for software vendor Compuware (Quote, Chart) filed a motion with a US District Court in Michigan asking a federal judge to impose sanctions against IBM for producing source code two years too late. $LABEL$3 +White House Touts High-End Computing In R amp;D Budgets It #39;s instructing executive-branch heads to give priority to supercomputing and cyberinfrastructure research and development in their fiscal 2006 budgets. $LABEL$3 +Greek sprinters withdraw from Olympics ATHENS -- The final curtain fell Wednesday on a week-long drama that has riveted this nation when Greece #39;s two top sprinters, swept up in a suspected doping scandal, withdrew from the Summer Olympics and competitions that might have ...$LABEL$1 +Olympics : Japan #39;s Kitajima completes breaststroke double ATHENS : Kosuke Kitajima completed a sweep of Olympic breaststroke gold on Wednesday, capturing the 200m title in a Games record ahead of Hungarian teenager Daniel Gyurta. $LABEL$1 +Calls for Sadr militia to disarm NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq #39;s Defence Ministry has ordered Shi #39;ite militiamen in Najaf to immediately lay down their weapons and leave a holy shrine in the city. $LABEL$0 +More Georgian Soldiers Die in South Ossetia Clashes Georgian officials reported four Georgian soldiers were killed in a heavy fighting, which erupted in the South Ossetian conflict zone late on August 18. $LABEL$0 +Riot in Salvadoran jail leaves 20 dead, 30 injured MEXICO CITY, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- A bloody riot Wednesday in the La Esperanza Jail, in Mariona, in the outskirts of San Salvador, left a toll of at least 20 dead and another 30 injured. $LABEL$0 +Intuit Posts Wider Loss After Charge SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intuit Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=INTU.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">INTU.O</A>, maker of the No. 1 U.S. tax presentation software TurboTax, on Wednesday posted a wider quarterly loss from a year earlier after taking a goodwill impairment charge during its seasonally weaker fourth quarter.$LABEL$2 +Software Vendor Lindows Postpones IPO (AP) AP - Software vendor Lindows Inc. formally postponed its initial public offering Wednesday, citing adverse market conditions.$LABEL$3 +Spruced up 64-bit Windows beta ready Microsoft on Wednesday made available the latest builds of its 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, that each features a handful of new improvements including the Luna user interface, Windows Messenger, Windows Media Player, infrastructure support for Bluetooth, and the .Net Framework 1.1.$LABEL$3 +Dollar Up a Bit Against Europe Currencies NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar was a little stronger against the main European currencies but weaker against the yen on Wednesday, with the Japanese currency rallying across the board as dealers adjusted positions.$LABEL$2 +Google Faces Another Keyword Lawsuit Google Faces Another Keyword Lawsuit\\Another lawsuit has been filed against Google because of the trademarked keyterms that companies bid for in the AdWords keyword advertising program. Next week Google will head over to a German courtroom where it will continue to defend its technology against Metaspinner Media GmbH.\$LABEL$3 +Ogunleye Remains Idled in Contract Talks (AP) AP - Idled by a stalemate in contract negotiations, Pro Bowl defensive end Adewale Ogunleye can only wonder where he'll be come September.$LABEL$1 +Portugal Suffers Humiliating Athens Exit in Soccer ATHENS (Reuters) - Portugal were bundled out of the men's soccer tournament at the Athens Olympics on Wednesday after a humiliating 4-2 defeat by Costa Rica.$LABEL$1 +Iraq Cleric Agrees to End Uprising, Fighting Rages On NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - A radical Iraqi cleric leading a Shi'ite uprising agreed on Wednesday to disarm his militia and leave one of the country's holiest Islamic shrines after warnings of an onslaught by government forces.$LABEL$0 +Argentina to tackle tax 'evaders' The government of Buenos Aires, the richest province of Argentina, says it wants to seize the safety deposit boxes of 35,000 alleged tax debtors. $LABEL$2 +SEC Gives Final Nod to Google #39;s IPO SAN JOSE, Calif. Aug. 18, 2004 The Securities and Exchange Commission granted final approval Wednesday to the paperwork required for Google Inc. #39;s initial public offering, paving the way for the Internet search giant to set a price for its shares and ...$LABEL$2 +O #39;Hare Set to Lose 37 Daily Arrivals Federal officials announced an agreement Wednesday to ease congestion at O #39;Hare International Airport by temporarily cutting 37 daily peak-hour arrivals by United Airlines and American Airlines, its two largest carriers. $LABEL$2 +Moody #39;s raises Dell #39;s senior unsecured debt rating NEW YORK, Aug 18 - Moody #39;s Investors Service said on Wednesday it raised the senior unsecured debt rating of Dell Inc. (DELL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) with a stable outlook citing the firm #39;s strong balance sheet and solid operating and financial ...$LABEL$2 +Roddick, Williams lose in third round Maybe all that talk from Andy Roddick and Venus Williams about taking the Olympics as seriously as a Grand Slam was just that: talk. $LABEL$1 +Hamm stumbles, then soars to gold ATHENS, Greece -- Paul Hamm overcame a fall on the vault to become the first American to win an Olympics men #39;s all-round gymnastics gold medal. $LABEL$1 +Aussie equestrian hopes end in sixth Australia #39;s dreams of an historic fourth successive three-day eventing gold medal ended in disappointment but there was still joy for the team when Andrew Hoy #39;s wife won dual gold medals. $LABEL$1 +Arafat #39;s familiar words must lead to unfamiliar actions If there are any democratic quot;T #39;s quot; to be crossed and quot;I #39;s quot; to be dotted, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat did not leave one undone during his keynote speech to MPs at his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah. Arafat looked rejuvenated and emphatic as he ...$LABEL$0 +Salvadoran Prison Riot Kills at Least 20 Prisoners, EFE Reports August 18 (Bloomberg) -- A prison riot in the Central American nation of El Salvador killed at least 20 prisoners and wounded another 30, the Spanish news agency EFE reported, citing prosecutors. $LABEL$0 +PM denies misleading public PRIME Minister John Howard is insisting he has not deliberately misled the Australian public over the children overboard affair. $LABEL$0 +Southern Africa: Zim Election Group Welcomes SADC Guidelines The Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (ZESN) has welcomed the adoption of guidelines for holding democratic elections at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Mauritius this week. $LABEL$0 +Vivendi, Messier Each Fined EU1 Million by French Regulator Jean-Marie Messier, the former chief of Vivendi Universal SA who is under investigation for alleged fraud and stock manipulation, was fined 1 million euros (\$1.3 million) by French regulator Autoritee des Marches Financiers.$LABEL$2 +Lenovo may be in acquisition talks with IBM HONG KONG - China #39;s biggest computer maker said Tuesday it is in acquisition talks with a major international technology company, a disclosure which comes amid reports it might buy IBM Corp.$LABEL$2 +Google Slashes IPO, Gets Pricing Go-Ahead NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.OQ target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.OQ</A> on Wednesday got the green light to go ahead with a downsized version of its much-hyped initial public offering, meaning its shares could debut on Nasdaq as soon as Thursday.$LABEL$2 +Product Review: Business PC Roundup - Part 2 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Over the last several weeks, NewsFactor has looked at ten of the market's best-known and most sought-after business computers. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. The difficult part is finding the one that strikes the best balance between merits and flaws.$LABEL$3 +Analyst: CRM Mergers and Acquisitions Picking Up (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Most industry observers agree that the CRM-software market is picking up speed this year and will continue to do so next year. And most also agree that venture capitalists have been waiting for several years to make their next moves regarding the startups they have backed through the thin years.$LABEL$3 +Vitamin E Thwarts Colds in the Elderly By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- Nursing home residents who take daily doses of vitamin E appear to be less likely to develop certain respiratory infections, a new study finds. The protective effect was most pronounced with upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold...$LABEL$3 +Ford kills 'Everest' procurement software system Ford Motor Co. has decided to stop work on a major procurement software system built around Oracle's 11i E-Business Suite of apps and plans to move back toward its original custom-written, mainframe-based applications.$LABEL$3 +NetRatings survey shows broadband users now a majority in U.S. There were an estimated 63 million broadband users, or 51 of all home Internet users, last month compared with 61.3 million dial-up users, 49 of the total, according to a survey by NetRatings Inc.$LABEL$3 +Brief: FedEx Kinko's launches Internet-based print options FedEx Kinko's yesterday launched a Web-based tool geared toward mobile professionals and small businesses that allows Microsoft Windows users to connect to FedEx Kinko's printing centers.$LABEL$3 +Sun postpones September user show In a bid to save money, Sun Microsystems is postponing its SunNetwork 2004 San Francisco user conference and may merge the event with its JavaOne 2005 developer conference, set for next June.$LABEL$3 +Researchers find holes in XP SP2 Security researchers found two software flaws in the Windows XP Service Pack 2 that could allow virus writers and malicious hackers to sidestep new security features in the operating system.$LABEL$3 +HP pledges to correct order processing problems At HP World this week, company officials scrambled to reassure customers that it is working hard to fix its order processing problems by the end of this month.$LABEL$3 +Catching 'gotchas' in tech contracts IT managers and contract specialists often fail to include important criteria in final tech deals, such as performance promises made by vendors during the request for proposals process, said negotiation experts at an IBM Share conference.$LABEL$3 +Netscape 7.2 released Netscape Communications yesterday released Netscape 7.2, which is based on Version 1.7 of Mozilla, the most recent version of the Mozilla Internet application suite.$LABEL$3 +Brief: SAP users warned of false support calls SAP AG is warning customers not to provide confidential information on the phone to people claiming to be company support staff.$LABEL$3 +Review: Robovacs No Match for Normal Vacuum Cleaners By MARK JEWELL BOSTON (AP) -- A new generation of robotic vacuums is ready to do battle with dirt, dust and dog hair with more cleaning power and cunning than their ancestors could muster. Faced with the usual obstacles - furniture, stairs, low-hanging bed skirts and stray socks - they intelligently and acrobatically extricate themselves from most tight spots and largely avoid getting stuck or sucking in what they shouldn't...$LABEL$3 +Sharon's Likud Rejects Coalition Bid--First Returns (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel\Sharon's right-wing Likud party voted Wednesday to bar a\coalition with center-left Labor that he seeks to advance his\Gaza withdrawal plan, according to early returns.$LABEL$0 +UN Concerned by Lack of Darfur Progress on Ground (Reuters) Reuters - The United Nations said on\Wednesday it was concerned by Sudan's lack of progress in\bringing security to Darfur, where more than a million people\have fled their homes for fear of militia attack.$LABEL$0 +Sharon's Likud Rejects Coalition Bid--First Returns TEL AVIV, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's right-wing Likud party voted Wednesday to bar a coalition with center-left Labor that he seeks to advance his Gaza withdrawal plan, according to early returns.$LABEL$0 +Medtronic Quarterly Net Up (Reuters) Reuters - Medtronic Inc. (MDT.N) on Wednesday\said its quarterly earnings rose on brisk demand for devices\that manage irregular heart beats and products used to treat\the spine.$LABEL$2 +Google Says IPO Auction Has Closed NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. said on Wednesday that the auction has closed for its initial public offering.$LABEL$2 +Bloom Will Appeal Latest NCAA Rebuff (AP) AP - Colorado wide receiver Jeremy Bloom decided Wednesday to keep fighting the NCAA for the right to accept commercial ski endorsements while playing college football.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Forces Kill 50 Sadr Militia in Baghdad Suburb (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. forces killed more than 50 Shi'ite\militiamen Wednesday in a significant advance into a Baghdad\suburb that is a powerbase for radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr,\the military said.$LABEL$0 +Besieging holy sites: past lessons The standoff at one of Islam's holiest shrines parallels one at the Church of the Nativity in 2002.$LABEL$0 +British say US gave terror suspects a heads up Eight alleged terrorists were charged in Britain this week. One was caught with detailed plans of several US buildings.$LABEL$0 +IPO Quiet Period Needs #39;Good, Hard Look #39; -SEC Chief WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The rules on what executives may and may not say during the run-up to launching a company onto the public markets need a quot;good, hard look, quot; the top US securities regulator said on Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +Crude oil crosses the \$47 per barrel mark NEW YORK, August 18 (New Ratings) Crude oil prices reached new record high levels today, following the US Energy Department report regarding the expanded operations by the US refineries and increased gasoline demand for this year. $LABEL$2 +Fleet Bank to lay off workers Hundreds of branch employees at Fleet Bank, one of the largest banks in Philadelphia and now part of Bank of America, are being laid off Wednesday across the Northeast. $LABEL$2 +Intuit Posts Wider Loss After Charge SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intuit Inc. (INTU.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , maker of the No. 1 US tax presentation software TurboTax, on Wednesday posted a wider quarterly loss from a year earlier after taking a goodwill impairment charge during its ...$LABEL$2 +Google Gets the Green Light, Markets Perk Up The SEC hurdle had been closely watched after Google made some missteps after announcing its intention to go public, including possibly violating the quiet period regulations. At the market close, the Dow had climbed 110.32 ...$LABEL$2 +Parmalat sues former auditors for at least \$10 bn LONDON, August 18 (New Ratings) The insolvent Italian dairy food product company, Parmalat Finanziaria SpA (PAF.FSE), filed a lawsuit against its former auditors, Deloitte amp; Touche and Grant Thornton, today, seeking damages of at least \$10 billion. $LABEL$2 +Mexican Volkswagen Workers Strike Over Wage Increase Volkswagen workers in Mexico have gone on strike after rejecting a wage increase offered by company management. $LABEL$2 +Synovis shares tumble as profit, revenue fall CHICAGO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Shares of Synovis Life Technologies Inc.(SYNO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) tumbled 13 percent on Wednesday after the company reported a drop in quarterly net income and withdrew its annual and fourth-quarter outlook, citing ...$LABEL$2 +Windows XP SP2 Firewall Last week Microsoft finally released the much-anticipated Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP. This update represents a fundamental change in many aspects of Windows XP security and could reasonably be called the next release of Windows XP as much as a ...$LABEL$3 +Ford kills #39;Everest #39; procurement software system AUGUST 18, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Despite four years in production and an investment of millions of dollars, Ford Motor Co. is pulling the plug on a major procurement software system built around Oracle Corp. #39;s 11i E-Business Suite of applications. $LABEL$3 +Scientists Fear Malaysian Sea Turtles Threatened Scientists warn that the Malaysian populations of several species of sea turtles are on the brink of collapse and could disappear without urgent action to eliminate poaching and other dangers. $LABEL$3 +Hamm Becomes First US Gymnast to Win All-Round Olympic Title Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Paul Hamm out-scored South Korean Kim Dae Eun in the final exercise to become the first US gymnast to win the all-round men #39;s title at an Olympic Games. $LABEL$1 +Return to Olympia worth long wait OLYMPIA Amid the olive trees and just past the ancient ruins, on a hillside bathed in an unrelenting Mediterranean sun, 15,000 spectators from around the world converged on this little town to watch 12 men and 12 women compete in the shot put at the ...$LABEL$1 +Day 5 of Olympics Brings Gold for Some, Major Upsets for Others A total of 21 gold medals will be awarded on Wednesday at the Athens Olympics. Day five medals already awarded include archery, boating and shooting events, as well as judo, cycling, and weightlifting. $LABEL$1 +Radical Shiite Cleric #39;Accepts Peace Plan #39; If the agreement is fulfilled and al-Sadr has made contradictory statements in the past it would resolve a crisis that had angered many of Iraq #39;s majority Shiites and threatened to undermine the fledgling interim government of Prime Minister ...$LABEL$0 + #39;9-11 helper driven by anti-Israeli beliefs #39; A Moroccan accused of helping the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers was part of a group that raged against the United States quot;because it defends Israel quot; and himself approved of Hitler #39;s extermination of the Jews, witnesses testified Wednesday. $LABEL$0 +IBM: Do We Have a Deal? Speculation spreads that China's biggest computer maker will buy IBM's PC business. Also: Clinton attends launch of Chinese search engine powered by AI hellip;. A new DVD can play on old and new HD technology hellip;. and more.$LABEL$2 +Oil Falls to 3-Month Low on Mild Weather LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell more than a dollar to a three-month low on Tuesday as mild winter weather sapped demand in the heavy energy consuming U.S. northeast.$LABEL$2 +Wal-Mart does the notebook price limbo The retailer trots out a portable PC for less than \$600. Is it getting ready for a laptop push for the holidays?$LABEL$3 +American Hamm Claims Men's Gymnastics All-Round Crown ATHENS (Reuters) - Paul Hamm etched his name into the record books as he became the first American man to win the Olympic gymnastics all-round crown Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Egypt eyes possible return of ambassador to Israel CAIRO - Egypt raised the possibility Tuesday of returning an ambassador to Israel soon, according to the official Mena news agency, a move that would signal a revival of full diplomatic ties after a four-year break.$LABEL$0 +Woods' Top Ranking on Line at NEC Invite (AP) AP - Tiger Woods already lost out on the majors. Next up could be his No. 1 ranking.$LABEL$1 +Nvidia To Power Next-Gen Sony Console Nvidia Corp. and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) said Tuesday that the two companies are working together to deveop a graphics subsystem for Sony #39;s next-generation video-game console.$LABEL$3 +Mozilla Thunderbird Reaches 1.0 An anonymous reader writes quot;Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 is now available for download on Mozilla #39;s FTP server. quot; Here is the press release announcing the release.$LABEL$3 +NASA Seeks Methods to Repair Shuttles in Flight NASA is hoping techniques that would enable a crew to repair damages to a space shuttle in flight will be ready for the shuttle #39;s planned May 2005 return to space, officials with the agency said on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Trend Micro offers cellphone, PDA security CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 7 - Trend Micro has announced the availability of Trend Micro Mobile Security, providing antivirus and anti-spam protection for SMS messaging customers using data-centric mobile phones and PDAs.$LABEL$3 +Regulators clear Google flotation US regulators approve documents relating to Google's flotation, clearing the way for its market debut.$LABEL$2 +Mexican car workers stage walkout Workers at a Volkswagen factory in Mexico, which manufactures VW's New Beetle model, have gone on strike over pay.$LABEL$2 +Heavy rains force another helicopter rescue operation in Britain (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - LONDON (AP) - More than 50 people were rescued by a naval helicopter Wednesday after two landslides caused by heavy rain trapped their vehicles on a highway in Scotland, police said.$LABEL$0 +Sharon's Party Bars Bid for Coalition on Gaza Plan TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud party voted on Wednesday to bar him from forming a coalition with the Labour opposition, an embarrassing blow that complicates his plan to withdraw from occupied Gaza.$LABEL$0 +Update 1: Sprint Signs \$3 Billion Wireless Pacts Sprint Corp. said Tuesday it reached multi-year agreements totaling \$3 billion with Lucent Technologies Inc., Motorola Inc. and Nortel Networks Corp.$LABEL$2 +Group: Hurricane may cost insurers \$7.4B NEW YORK -- Hurricane Charley will likely cost insurers at least \$7.4 billion, according to the Insurance Institute, an industry trade group that based its estimate on initial claims data from Florida residents and businesses. $LABEL$2 +Medtronic Quarterly Net Up CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc. (MDT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday said its quarterly earnings rose on brisk demand for devices that manage irregular heart beats and products used to treat the spine. $LABEL$2 +Viagra introduces its latest celebrity backer: the devil Gone are the days when coyness ruled the marketing of the drug that helps the condition that men find hard to talk about. In a Madison Avenue dream situation, Viagra is facing some stiff competition in a three-way battle for ...$LABEL$2 +LA parking company lands contract renewal with ABIA Los Angeles-based Ampco System Parking has received a multi-year contract renewal with Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. $LABEL$2 +Our most vulnerable citizens don #39;t belong in hurricane danger zones HILTON HEAD, SC Hurricane Charley demonstrated last weekend why some of the nation #39;s most vulnerable folk - the ill, the disabled, and the frail elderly - should think twice before taking up residence in the most dangerous parts of ...$LABEL$3 +US Cyclists Capture Three Medals ATHENS, Greece - Tyler Hamilton #39;s greatest ride capped the finest Olympic day for US cycling, which won three of the six medals awarded in Wednesday #39;s road time trials - surpassing its two total road medals won since the 1984 Games in Los ...$LABEL$1 +American Hamm Claims Men #39;s Gymnastics All-Round Crown ATHENS (Reuters) - Paul Hamm etched his name into the record books as he became the first American man to win the Olympic gymnastics all-round crown Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Cooke Vows to Learn Athens Lesson Nicole Cooke could ride in four or more Olympics but the pain of her first will always be with her. After finishing just outside the medal placings in Sunday #39;s road race, the Welsh cyclist put herself through another half-hour of sun-baked agony in the ...$LABEL$1 +US Women Shatter Olympic 800-Meter Freestyle Relay Record The United States has shattered a 17-year-old world record in the women #39;s Olympic 800-meter freestyle relay. $LABEL$1 +Reid opens his Ireland account Wanted man Andy Reid did his market value no harm by grabbing his first Republic of Ireland goal against Bulgaria at Lansdowne Road tonight. $LABEL$1 +Sadr agrees to lay down arms Iraq #39;s rebel Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr accepted a peace plan to lay down arms and join a Baghdad conference forming an interim national assembly. $LABEL$0 +Karzai Sworn in as Afghanistan's President KABUL (Reuters) - Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president Tuesday, promising to bring peace to the war-torn nation and end the economy's dependence on narcotics.$LABEL$0 +Soldier, 4 Militants Die in Renewed Gaza Fighting GAZA (Reuters) - Four Palestinian militants and an Israeli soldier were killed Tuesday in the heaviest Gaza fighting since Yasser Arafat's death, raising the prospect that renewed violence could complicate a vote for his successor.$LABEL$0 +Ukraine in Turmoil as Agreement Crumbles KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukraine's outgoing leader denied on Tuesday he had agreed on concessions with his opponents to end a crisis that has plunged the country into turmoil and driven a wedge between Russia and the West.$LABEL$0 +After Bell: Synopsys Falls, CACI Gains NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Synopsys Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=SNPS.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">SNPS.O</A> tumbled on Wednesday after the semiconductor design software maker reported lower third-quarter net income and said fourth-quarter earnings and revenues would be below Wall Street estimates.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Treasury Debt Prices Drop NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices dropped on Wednesday as the market succumbed to profit-taking after racking up sizable gains over the past month.$LABEL$2 +Intuit Posts Wider Loss on Acquisitions (AP) AP - Intuit Inc., the maker of TurboTax tax-preparation software and QuickBooks accounting programs, posted a wider loss in its latest quarter on acquisition-related expenses.$LABEL$3 +US deaths in combat near 1,000, Iraqi PM meets Putin BAGHDAD (AFP) - The number of US soldiers killed in combat in Iraq neared 1,000 after a spike in violence, as Prime Minister Iyad Allawi prepared for talks in Moscow aimed at reviving business ties despite Russia #39;s opposition to the US-led war.$LABEL$0 +Samsung network aims to keep Olympics on track Cell phones and special network let officials, reporters access info on event results, medal counts, event cancellations and the like.$LABEL$3 +Wal-Mart offers sub-\$600 notebook The retailer trots out a bargain portable PC that packs Wi-Fi. Is it getting ready for a laptop push for the holidays?$LABEL$3 +Google gets IPO green light from SEC The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday gave its approval for Google to proceed with its initial public offering (IPO).$LABEL$3 +FBI Expects Violence at GOP Convention (AP) AP - The FBI anticipates violent protests at the upcoming Republican National Convention in New York but does not have enough evidence to move against any group or person, the bureau's top terrorism official said Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Army Deserter to Move to Japan Former US army sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins, who deserted to North Korea (news - web sites) four decades ago, said he decided to turn himself in to the US military and risk jail for the sake of his North Korean-born daughters, whom he feared might be $LABEL$0 +Finnish teenagers come top again in school skills Finland has kept its place at the top of a survey measuring teenagers #39; educational skills, with schools in some Asian countries also among the best performers.$LABEL$0 +Temporary Flight Caps Are Just That quot;We #39;ve worked hard to balance the need to provide vibrant air service and grow the economy with the need to clear the skies over O #39;Hare, quot; said Mineta. quot;The process worked, yielding substantial reductions that will produce results for the ...$LABEL$2 +How Redmond Won Newham Microsoft chalked up a couple of government contract wins in the UK this week. But while Redmond touts total cost of ownership studies (TCO), an open source consultant says the numbers don #39;t add up. $LABEL$3 +Spruced up 64-bit Windows beta ready Microsoft on Wednesday made available the latest builds of its 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, that each features a handful of new improvements including the Luna user interface, Windows Messenger, Windows ...$LABEL$3 +Kuranyi gives Klinsmann debut win VIENNA, Austria -- Kevin Kuranyi scored a hat-trick as Germany began life under new coach Juergen Klinsmann with a 3-1 win in a friendly against Austria. $LABEL$1 +Hungary defeats Scotland GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - Szabolcs Huszti scored two goals as Hungary defeated Scotland 3-0 on Wednesday in an international friendly. $LABEL$1 +Sadr agrees to end Najaf crisis NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - A radical Iraqi cleric leading a Shi #39;ite uprising has agreed to disarm his militia and leave one of the country #39;s holiest Islamic shrines after warnings of an onslaught by government forces. $LABEL$0 +The Olympics - weapon of mass distraction As Australians watch their country #39;s flag being raised yet again in Athens, it can be imagined that no one is more pleased, nor more relieved, than Prime Minister John Howard, writes The Dominion Post in an editorial. $LABEL$0 +Japan Greets U.S. Army Deserter Jenkins (AP) AP - A North Carolina man who deserted the U.S. Army for North Korea nearly 40 years ago was greeted by cheering crowds Tuesday in his wife's hometown on a remote island in northern Japan, where he said he plans to live his ""remaining days.$LABEL$0 +Scottish landslides trap up more than 50 people (AFP) AFP - More than 50 people were airlifted to safety after landslides caused by violent rain trapped cars on a road in Scotland, just days after flash floods devastated a tourist village in southwest England.$LABEL$0 +NewsView: Mosque Adds Problems for U.S. (AP) AP - The Bush administration is supporting the Iraqi government as it uses diplomacy and the threat of force to oust radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia from a holy shrine in Najaf. At the same time, it is trying to steer clear of becoming the target of an angry Muslim world.$LABEL$0 +After the Bell: Shares of Synopsys Tumble NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Synopsys Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=SNPS.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">SNPS.O</A> tumbled on Wednesday after the semiconductor design software maker reported lower third-quarter net income and said fourth-quarter earnings and revenues would be below Wall Street estimates.$LABEL$2 +Earl Snyder Called Up to Help Red Sox (AP) AP - Earl Snyder grew up rooting for Red Sox outfielder Ellis Burks. Now he's sitting next to him.$LABEL$1 +U.S.: Al-Sadr Withdrawal Would Be Welcome (AP) AP - The Bush administration reacted suspiciously Wednesday to reports that the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had accepted a peace plan to end fighting in Najaf.$LABEL$0 +'Potential Development' in Peterson Case REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - In a surprise move Wednesday, the judge in Scott Peterson's murder trial postponed the cross-examination of Peterson's former mistress and sent the jury home early because of a ""potential development."" Judge Alfred A...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Close Higher Ahead of Google IPO NEW YORK - Investors shrugged off rising crude futures Wednesday to capture attractively valued shares, sending the Nasdaq composite index up 2 percent ahead of Google Inc.'s much-anticipated initial public offering of stock. The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 110 points...$LABEL$0 +Groups Try to Aid Elderly Charley Victims SARASOTA, Fla. - The devastation brought on by Hurricane Charley has been especially painful for an elderly population that is among the largest in the nation...$LABEL$0 +Radical Cleric Accepts Najaf Peace Plan NAJAF, Iraq - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr accepted a peace plan Wednesday that would disarm his militia and remove them from their hideout in a revered shrine, raising hopes of resolving a crisis that has angered many of Iraq's majority Shiites and threatened to undermine the fledgling interim government. But al-Sadr has made contradictory statements in the past, and aides to the cleric said he still wanted to negotiate details of the deal to end two weeks of fighting between his forces and U.S.-led troops...$LABEL$0 +Hamm Wins All-Around Gymnastics Title ATHENS, Greece - With his medal hopes all but gone after he hit the judges' table on his vault landing, Paul Hamm performed two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win the men's all-around gymnastics title by the closest Olympics margin ever. ""I'm happy right now...$LABEL$0 +Wen Ho Lee Reporters Held in Contempt WASHINGTON - A federal judge held five reporters in contempt Wednesday for refusing to identify their sources for stories about Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear weapons scientist once suspected of spying. U.S...$LABEL$0 +Egypt announces 'breakthrough' on Mideast peace (AFP) AFP - Key players in the search for Middle East peace have reached understanding on a plan that could lead to a comprehensive settlement.$LABEL$0 +MLB, players #39; union engage in steroid talks CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Major League Baseball players and owners are currently meeting to hammer out a deal that would toughen rules on steroid testing in baseball.$LABEL$1 +NVidia to power Sony #39;s Playstation 3 Sony and nVidia are to co-develop a graphics engine to power graphics cards and entertainment consoles. The chip will be used in nVidia #39;s GeForce cards which will power forthcoming consumer devices from Sony $LABEL$3 +Oracle Unveils Standalone Business Intelligence Product Oracle Corp. on Monday introduced a standalone business intelligence product that #39;s designed to address a large portion of an enterprise #39;s analytical requirements, including information access $LABEL$3 +Reading Feeds With Thunderbird The Mozilla Foundation today officially launched the Thunderbird email program - a companion to the Firefox Web browser. If you #39;re on a POP3 or IMAP email server, check out Thunderbird.$LABEL$3 +Weak demand behind Google price cut news analysis Google #39;s decision to cut back its public offering by as much as 30 percent represents a stinging rebuke for a deal once heralded as a surefire windfall not only for the company but the technology industry at large. $LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Set Another Record ARIS, Aug. 18 - Oil prices climbed above \$47 a barrel today, setting yet another record, after figures showed supplies in the United States were down for a third consecutive week while a report from OPEC highlighted the threat of high oil ...$LABEL$2 +US airlines agree to cut flights at Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare CHICAGO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - US airlines have agreed to limit flights into Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare International Airport at peak periods to stem record delays that have slowed aviation nationwide, federal officials said on Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +Half of US Web Users Now on Broadband -- Report NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than half of all US residential Internet users reached the Web via fast broadband connections in July, outpacing use of slower, dial-up connections for the first time, market researcher Nielsen//NetRatings said on ...$LABEL$3 +It #39;s hip, it #39;s funky, it #39;s a PC made just for teens AUSTIN (Texas) - It is not your typical, humdrum, slate-coloured computer. Not only is the PC known as the #39;hip-e #39; almost all white, but its screen and keyboard are framed in fuzzy pink fur. Or a leopard skin design. Or a graffiti-themed pattern. $LABEL$3 +Beckham: #39;England needed this boost #39; David Beckham admitted England needed to prove a point by beating Ukraine in Wednesday night #39;s friendly at St James #39; Park. $LABEL$1 +Scotland V Hungary Player Ratings David Marshall The Celtic goalkeeper continued his rapid rise to fame with his first international start. Blameless at the penalty and was given no chance with Hustzi #39;s stunning second. Unlucky to have Pressley #39;s attempted clearance cannon off him ...$LABEL$1 +Lefty done for season with torn left flexor tendon PHILADELPHIA -- Andy Pettitte #39;s frustrating season officially came to an end Wednesday when the Houston Astros announced that the left-hander will undergo surgery to repair the torn flexor tendon in his left elbow. $LABEL$1 +Bargain-hunting, Iraq deal push up US shares NEW YORK : US share prices surged on Wednesday as bargain hunting and news of a peace deal in the Iraqi city of Najaf overcame all-time high oil prices and weak demand for the Google share float. $LABEL$0 +Pope #39;s French visit leaves debt France #39;s Roman Catholic Church has reported a 1.3m-euro deficit (\$1.6m) from a visit by the Pope to the southern shrine of Lourdes. $LABEL$0 +Five new moons for planet Neptune Five new moons have been discovered orbiting the giant planet Neptune.$LABEL$3 +Vonage: Dial 311 for city info Subscribers of the company's Net phone service can get information on park locations, public transit, and so on.$LABEL$3 +England, Germany Win Cup Qualifying Preps (AP) AP - Looking to rebound after poor showings in Euro 2004, England and Germany won tuneup games Wednesday in preparation for qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup.$LABEL$1 +Dolphins Player Pleads Innocent to Assault (AP) AP - Miami Dolphins receiver David Boston pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges of assaulting a ticket agent at the Burlington International Airport in October.$LABEL$1 +Hairston Out for Season The Orioles learn Wednesday that outfielder Jerry Hairston will be lost for the season with a broken left ankle. Hairston was injured crashing into the outfield wall Tuesday night.$LABEL$1 +Delta seeks permission to buy back certain bonds NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it was asking permission to buy back debt from about 10 percent of its bondholders, in a first step toward the struggling company #39;s efforts to restructure its ...$LABEL$2 +Briefly: Vonage users dial 311 for city info roundup Plus: Mozilla makes Japanese push...Macromedia offers Flash video tool...UTStarcom wins Indian IP gear contract.$LABEL$3 +IBM chalks up two health care wins The deals with a university medical center and a California health care provider come two weeks after a win with the Mayo Clinic.$LABEL$3 +Results of Presidential Campaign Polls (AP) AP - Results of recent polls on the presidential race. Listed above each set of results is the name of the 2000 winner in a given state, the organization that conducted the poll, the dates, the number interviewed, whether it was adults, registered voters (RV) or likely voters (LV) and the margin of error (MoE). Results may not total 100 percent because of rounding.$LABEL$0 +Crowd Inspires Greek Beach Volleyballers; US Duo Ousted ATHENS (Reuters) - A roaring crowd helped inspire Greece #39;s top women #39;s beach volleyball team to trounce China on Wednesday and reach the next round. $LABEL$1 +Golfer Ryan Baca Misses Cut at US Amateur MAMARONECK, NY - Baylor senior Ryan Baca (Richmond, Texas) finished tied for 128th with a 36-hole total of 155 at the 104th US Amateur golf championship at the 7,266-yard, par-70 Winged Foot Golf Club West Course Tuesday. $LABEL$1 +Sharon #39;s party rejects coalition bid TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s Likud party has voted to bar him from forming a coalition with the Labour opposition, an embarrassing blow that complicates his plan to withdraw from occupied Gaza. $LABEL$0 +Arafat Admits Mistakes, Slow on Palestinian Reform RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat made a rare admission of mistakes on Wednesday and urged reforms to end corruption after an unprecedented wave of turmoil. $LABEL$0 +African Union pledges to send more troops to Darfur KIGALI,Rawanda, Aug 18, 2004 (RNA)-- The African Union has pledged to send more troops to Darfur, Sudan, to protect civilians in case militias resume attacks on them, official sources told RNA. quot;This is essential in order to give ourselves sufficient ...$LABEL$0 +Study: Global Warming Could Affect Calif. (AP) AP - Global warming could cause dramatically hotter summers and a depleted snow pack in California, leading to a sharp increase in heat-related deaths and jeopardizing the water supply, according to a study released Monday.$LABEL$3 +New Bird Species Found in Philippines (AP) AP - Filipino and British wildlife researchers say they've stumbled upon what appears to be a new species of flightless bird found only on the tiny forested island of Calayan in the northern Philippines.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: IBM chalks up two health care wins roundup Plus: Vonage users dial 311 for city info...Mozilla makes Japanese push...Macromedia offers Flash video tool.$LABEL$3 +Freddie Mac Says May Face SEC Action (Reuters) Reuters - Mortgage finance company Freddie\Mac (FRE.N) on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the\U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations\of securities laws.$LABEL$2 +Freddie Mac Says May Face SEC Action LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=FRE.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">FRE.N</A> on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of securities laws.$LABEL$2 +GOP Incumbent Wins Wyo. Primary for House (AP) AP - Incumbent Republican Rep. Barbara Cubin easily fended off four GOP challengers to earn a shot at a sixth term in November's general election.$LABEL$0 +SEC Gives the Thumbs Up to Google #39;s IPO Earlier Wednesday, Google cut the range of its IPO price to \$85-\$95 per share from \$108-\$135 per share and the number of shares that will be sold from 25.7 million to 19.6 million. The cuts mean Google could raise about \$1.8 billion in ...$LABEL$2 +AUSTRALIA PRESS: Murdoch Drums Up Support For US Move SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--News Corp. (NWS) Chairman Rupert Murdoch said there was quot;no choice quot; but to change the media giant #39;s domicile to the US as he attempts to win over crucial support from Australian investors for the move, the Australian Financial Review ...$LABEL$2 +Delta CEO presents long-awaited plan to board CHICAGO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein presented his long-awaited plan for the airline #39;s future to board members on Wednesday, a strategy that could determine whether the struggling carrier ...$LABEL$2 +Parmalat Sues Grant Thornton and Deloitte Italian-based Parmalat is suing its former auditors -- Grant Thornton International and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu -- for billions of dollars in damages. Parmalat blames its demise on the two companies #39; mismanagement of its finances. $LABEL$2 +Broadband Reaches Critical Mass Nielsen//NetRatings is reporting that broadband connections for the first time reached 51 percent of the American online population at home during the month of July, as compared to 38 percent last July. Sixty-three million Web ...$LABEL$3 +Compuware Blasts IBM #39;s Legal Tactics Two years ago, IBM was ordered to produce the source code for its products, which Compuware identified as containing its pirated intellectual property. The code was missing. But lo and behold -- last week, they called and said they had it, quot; ...$LABEL$3 +A brighter Outlook? The start-up company made its retail debut Wednesday with You Perform, a collection of more than a dozen add-ons for Outlook, the widely used e-mail and calendar application included in Microsoft Office. $LABEL$3 +Five new moons for planet Neptune Five new satellites - and one candidate moon - have been discovered orbiting the giant planet Neptune, bringing its tally of moons to 13. $LABEL$3 +Ford Drops Oracle-based Purchasing System Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said it has scrapped a 5-year-old project to move suppliers over to an Internet-based purchasing system powered by Oracle Corp. software, deciding instead to revert back to its custom-built system. $LABEL$3 +Pakistani firms answer call for cell phones Tens of thousands of Pakistanis endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in a country where cell phone usage has remained low. $LABEL$3 +UPI NewsTrack Sports ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Paul Hamm produced an amazing comeback Wednesday night to become the first American male to win the Olympic gymnastics all-around gold medal. $LABEL$1 +Historic return but how much has it all changed? The occasion was clearly too much for Kristin Heaton, the first athlete for 1,611 years to compete at the original Olympic Games venue of Olympia. The American opened the women #39;s shot put competition yesterday, but could not ...$LABEL$1 +England Beats Ukraine in World Cup Soccer Warm-Up (Update1) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Shaun Wright-Phillips scored in his international debut as England beat Ukraine 3-0 in a warm-up for soccer World Cup qualifying, while Italy lost 2-0 to Iceland. $LABEL$1 +Naked ambition finally earns reward for Williamson For eight years Alison Williamson has been all too aware that the only time she imposed herself on the national consciousness was when she posed nude for a glossy magazine. As of yesterday, she will be remembered as an Olympic bronze ...$LABEL$1 +Doubts over Sadr peace deal The radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was reported last night to have accepted a peace deal that could end the violent two-week uprising in Najaf and see his militia leave the city #39;s Imam Ali Shrine. $LABEL$0 +Typhoon Megi claims six lives Heavy rains from Typhoon Megi pounded Shikoku island in western Japan, killing at least six people, the Mainichi Shimbus reported Wednesday. $LABEL$0 +Freddie Mac May Face SEC Civil Action LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Freddie Mac <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=FRE.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">FRE.N</A>, the No. 2 U.S. mortgage finance company, on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of securities laws.$LABEL$2 +IBM tightening Eclipse, Java, Linux links IBM on Thursday will announce the release of a free tools bundle for Eclipse to make it easier to deploy Java applications on Linux.$LABEL$3 +Callahan Gets 'Fresh Start' With 'Huskers (AP) AP - Ten days after getting run out of Oakland, Bill Callahan walked into Lincoln and took over one of the nation's most high-profile college football programs. Time will tell whether it's a soft landing for the man who two years ago led the Raiders to the Super Bowl.$LABEL$1 +Security aide says US will be stronger in Korea after troop withdrawal (AFP) AFP - US national security advisory Condoleezza Rice said that US military power on the Korean peninsula will be stronger even if 12,000 troops are withdrawn under a controversial troop withdrawal plan.$LABEL$0 +Oil soars above 47 on US supply jitters PARIS Oil prices climbed to another high on Wednesday after figures showed US crude supplies were down for a third straight week while a report from OPEC highlighted the threat of high oil prices for world economies. $LABEL$2 +Barclays set to purchase credit card company LONDON Barclays said Wednesday it would buy the US credit card company Juniper Financial for \$293 million as part of its international expansion plan. $LABEL$2 +Bank Of America Layoffs Effect Fleet Banks Employees Bank of America acquired Boston-based Fleet Financial Corporation last Spring -- promising at the time there would be no job cuts from the merger. $LABEL$2 +Fuel surcharges grow LONDON Air France and its unit KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, as well as British Midland Airways, announced new fare surcharges on Wednesday as a result of higher fuel costs. They follow similar moves by British Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa. $LABEL$2 +Inflation slows across euro region BRUSSELS Inflation in the 12 countries sharing the euro slowed for a second month in July as faltering consumer demand deterred companies from passing on rising energy costs. But economists said higher oil prices may fuel a reversal of that trend as the ...$LABEL$2 +Microsoft delays upgrade REDMOND, Washington Microsoft has delayed the automated distribution of a major security upgrade to its Windows XP Professional computer operating system, citing a desire to give companies more time to test it. $LABEL$3 +Half of US web users use Broadband internet connection A small majority of US Internet users are connected with broadband service for the first time. 51 percent of home Internet connections are broadband services in July, according to a Nielsen/NetRatings report. $LABEL$3 +Mars Hills, Crater Yield Evidence of Flowing Water LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The hills of Mars yielded more tantalizing clues about how water shaped the Red Planet in tests by NASA #39;s robotic geologist, Spirit, while its twin, Opportunity, observed the deep crater it climbed into two months ...$LABEL$3 +Compuware asks court to sanction IBM An emergency motion was filed Friday the 13th of August in US District Court of Eastern Michigan, Compuware said that IBM failed to provide essential evidence, which includes several pieces of disputed software source code, until after the case #39;s ...$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Previews 64-Bit XP, Promises No Price Hikes It posted a free beta version, and said the new edition would be priced at the same level as the 32-bit edition. $LABEL$3 +Less Outlook clutter with new add-on Toolkit You Software, a small Oregon based company, released a set of add-on tools for Microsoft Outlook, an e-mail client, on Wednesday. $LABEL$3 +Brazil hit Haiti for six in Peace Match PORT-AU-PRINCE, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick as world champions Brazil cantered to a 6-0 win over Haiti in a friendly dubbed the Peace Match on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Berlusconi shrugs off fears of new terror threat after Sardinia bomb scare Silvio Berlusconi brushed off fears yesterday of a fresh terrorist threat in Italy, insisting he would finish his holiday in Sardinia despite a bomb scare in the seaside town where Tony Blair ended a flying visit yesterday. $LABEL$0 +Death toll of Salvadoran jail riot rises to 30 MEXICO CITY, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- A riot taking place Wednesday at La Esperanza Jail, in Mariona, in the outskirts of El Salvador,left a toll of 30 dead and 28 injured, with six grenades exploding. $LABEL$0 +Iraqi group threatens to kill missing journalist BAGHDAD - A militant group has released a video saying it kidnapped a missing journalist in Iraq and would kill him unless US forces left Najaf within 48 hours. $LABEL$0 +Medtronic Net Up on Higher ICD Sales CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">MDT.N</A> on Wednesday said its quarterly earnings rose on surprisingly brisk demand for devices that slow racing heartbeats, offsetting a weaker-than-expected performance in some of its other businesses.$LABEL$2 +Shielding Your Skin From the Summer Sun Americans have a passion for the great outdoors but often seem downright lackadaisical about protecting their skin from the sun's damaging rays. Myths about sun exposure -- and there are quite a few -- may encourage people's risky behaviors, experts say.$LABEL$3 +Health Highlights: Aug. 18, 2004 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: ----- Greek Athletes Who Missed Drug Test Quit Games The two Greek athletes who missed a drug test on Aug. 12 have withdrawn from the Olympic Games...$LABEL$3 +Google Gets IPO Go-Ahead After rocky road to public offering, search engine proceeds--but what will it do with its windfall?$LABEL$3 +New Program Lets People Design 3-D Objects Programs for computer-aided design, or CAD, have been around for decades, but eMachineShop.com appears to be the first service that checks whether a design can be made, tells the customer how much it will cost. If the customer wants the item the design goes to a ""real world"" machine shop for manufacturing.$LABEL$3 +New Target Price Could Make Google a Bargain By MICHAEL J. MARTINEZ NEW YORK (AP) -- The e-mail that popped into my inbox early Wednesday morning was the latest in a string of surprises in Google's long-awaited IPO...$LABEL$3 +Pakistan's Ruling Party Claims Win in Vote (AP) AP - The ruling party claimed victory Wednesday in special elections designed to clear the path for Pakistan's finance minister to be elevated to prime minister. The opposition said the vote was rigged.$LABEL$0 +Pope's French visit leaves debt France's Catholic Church posts a huge deficit after a weekend visit by the Pope to the southern shrine of Lourdes.$LABEL$0 +Corzine Indicates He Will Not Seek Governorship of New Jersey Senator Jon S. Corzine said that Gov. James E. McGreevey had told him he was determined to hold office until Nov. 15, removing the possibility of a special election.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Near Flat; J J Pressures Dow NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on Tuesday, with oil prices dropping below \$42 a barrel helping to support markets, but Johnson Johnson <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JNJ.N</A> put pressure on the Dow following a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GDT.N</A>.$LABEL$2 +Google Gets IPO Go-Ahead (PC World) PC World - After rocky road to public offering, search engine proceeds--but what will it do with its windfall?$LABEL$3 +Bedrock in Mars' Gusev Crater Hints at Watery Past Now that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is finally examining bedrock in the ""Columbia Hills,"" it is finding evidence that water thoroughly altered some rocks in Mars' Gusev Crater.$LABEL$3 +Injuries Continue to Bedevil Cardinals (AP) AP - Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Kenny King needs surgery on his right wrist and probably will miss the season, the latest hit to a team struggling with injuries.$LABEL$1 +Raptors Sign Center Loren Woods (AP) AP - The Toronto Raptors signed free agent center Loren Woods on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Heavy Rains Wash Out Mets-Rockies Game (AP) AP - Heavy rains washed out Wednesday night's game between the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies before it ever started.$LABEL$1 +Venezuela Opposition Refuses Recall Audit (AP) AP - Maintaining that a failed referendum to oust Venezuela's president was rigged against them, opposition leaders Wednesday refused to participate in a partial audit of the results as proposed by former President Jimmy Carter.$LABEL$0 +Bush Says Importing Medicines 'Makes Sense' if Safe (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush, facing growing\anger among senior citizens over the high cost of prescription\drugs and a virtual revolt by some states, conceded on\Wednesday it ""makes sense"" for Americans to be able to import\cheaper medicines as long as they are safe.$LABEL$0 +Ghana election draws strong turnout Snaking lines of hundreds of voters built up at balloting places across Ghana on Tuesday, as the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence voted for president.$LABEL$0 + #39;The world is more dangerous #39; The war on terror has made the world a more dangerous place, Pakistan #39;s president has said. General Pervez Musharraf said the world was quot;absolutely quot; less safe, because the war was not addressing the causes of terrorism.$LABEL$0 +Finnish Students Rank #1 in the World Which country has the smartest students in the world? According to a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, pupils in Finland tested higher than those in any other country.$LABEL$0 +Australia amp; New Zealand Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew Mohl (left), chief executive of AMP Ltd., talks with Bloomberg #39;s Kevin Foley in Sydney about first-half profit, investment fees and the strategy for its 10-percent stake in HHG Plc. AMP, Australia #39;s largest life insurer, ...$LABEL$2 +Nortel #39;s Accounting Under Investigation Nortel Networks is under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for irregularities in past accounting practices. Announcement of the investigation -- two days before its release of first- and second-quarter financials -- caused ...$LABEL$2 +Freddie Mac faces SEC action LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Freddie Mac, the No. 2 US mortgage finance company, said Wednesday it may face civil action from the Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of securities laws. $LABEL$2 +Bank of England Should Take a Breather at 4.75 Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- It #39;s time for the Bank of England to take a breather, chill out and learn to stop worrying about the ghost of inflation past. $LABEL$2 +Ford Drops Oracle-based Purchasing System Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said it has scrapped a five-year-old project to move suppliers over to an Internet-based purchasing system powered by Oracle software, deciding instead to revert back to its custom-built ...$LABEL$3 +Seiko Epson unveils latest mini robot helicopter Japanese company Seiko Epson says it has developed a mini helicopter that is the lightest of its kind and can be used for lifesaving and surveillance. $LABEL$3 +Hamm bounces back after fall to talke gymnastic gold A fall on his vault landing sent Hamm stumbling into the judges #39; table and all the way down to 12th place in the all-around gymnastics final. $LABEL$1 +Team GB Hoping for More Olympic Success Team GB will be hoping for more of the same at the Olympics today after finally delivering on the big stage with a four-medal haul. $LABEL$1 +Paes-Bhupathi overcome injury scare and Federer Athens, Aug 19. (PTI):Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi overcame an injury scare and world number one singles #39; player Roger Federer of Switzerland to advance to the quarterfinals of the men #39;s doubles tennis event at the Olympic Games here on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Al-Sadr agrees to peace plan BAGHDAD, Iraq - Radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militia has been fighting American and Iraqi forces for almost two weeks in Najaf, agreed Wednesday to a peace plan proposed by an Iraqi national ...$LABEL$0 +Barghouti may be ready to quit PA race Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti may be close to withdrawing from the race for Palestinian Authority president. Hatem Abdel Kader, a member of Fatah #39;s $LABEL$0 +Bush speaks of 'Soviet dinar' in speech about Iraq (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush spoke of ""the Soviet dinar,"" even though dinars are the Iraqi currency.$LABEL$0 +Google Lowers Expectations for Its Value (AP) AP - Google Inc. dramatically lowered expectations for the Internet search giant's value Wednesday ahead of its much ballyhooed coming out party in the public markets. The offering is still one of the biggest and highly anticipated for an Internet company, surpassing the hot issues of the dot-com boom.$LABEL$3 +End of the line for HP's Alpha The last processor of the chip family is due Monday, signaling the end of a dynasty that never was.$LABEL$3 +Hamm Wins All-Around Gymnastics Title (AP) AP - With his medal hopes all but gone after he hit the judges' table on his vault landing, Paul Hamm performed two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win the men's all-around gymnastics title by the closest Olympics margin ever.$LABEL$1 +Iraq Cleric Agrees to End Uprising, Fighting Rages On (Reuters) Reuters - A radical Iraqi cleric leading a\Shi'ite uprising agreed on Wednesday to disarm his militia and\leave one of the country's holiest Islamic shrines after\warnings of an onslaught by government forces.$LABEL$0 +Wen Ho Lee Reporters Held in Contempt (AP) AP - A federal judge held five reporters in contempt Wednesday for refusing to identify their sources for stories about Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear weapons scientist once suspected of spying.$LABEL$0 +Sharon's Party Rebels, Imperils Gaza Pullout Plan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud party has dealt a serious setback to his plan to evacuate occupied Gaza by voting to bar him from forging a broad coalition with the Labour opposition.$LABEL$0 +Mozilla launching second act with e-mail client Editor #39;s Summary: The Mozilla Foundation has followed up on the recent success of its Firefox browser with a new open source e-mail client.$LABEL$3 +IMlogic unveils IM, P2P threat-detection network DECEMBER 07, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IMlogic Inc. and several partners today unveiled a new instant messaging quot;threat center quot; clearinghouse aimed at fighting IM viruses, malicious software code and spam before they occur.$LABEL$3 +Delta turnaround plan to include job cuts Delta Air Lines #39; much-awaited turnaround plan will include more job cuts at the ailing carrier, along with pay and benefits changes. $LABEL$2 +Firewall Protection Without the Conflicts . I understand that Microsoft #39;s Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, a new update, includes improved firewall protection. I currently use Norton Personal Firewall; will any incompatibility result when both firewalls are installed, and is one ...$LABEL$3 +Worst-case scenario comes to pass for US tennis Second-ranked Andy Roddick overplayed this summer and hasn #39;t scored a big win since March and for the first time since she became a legitimate pro, four-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has become vulnerable to anyone inside of the top 40. $LABEL$1 +Americans Smash Last East German Swim World Record ATHENS (Reuters) - The last long-course world swimming record held by now discredited Communist East Germany was finally consigned to history by an American quartet at the Olympics on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Expos #39; Move Remains Undecided ommissioner Bud Selig #39;s three-year contract extension, the start of a television network and a World Cup tournament are likely to gain overwhelming approval from baseball #39;s owners this week, while a decision on the future home of ...$LABEL$1 +Montreal end Giants run Montreal Expos ended the San Francisco Giants #39; six-game winning streak with a 6-2 victory on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Arafat admits he has made many mistakes Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, issued an unprecedented mea culpa yesterday, admitting that he had made mistakes and promising to rectify them. $LABEL$0 +Nepal closes for business as Maoist blockades cut off capital Threats from Maoist rebels in Nepal brought business in the Himalayan kingdom to a halt yesterday, as traffic blockades kept supplies from the capital, Kathmandu. There is only about 10 weeks #39; worth of food in the city, and many travellers ...$LABEL$0 +Typhoon lashes southern Japan; 8 dead TOKYO -- Heavy rain fueled by a typhoon lashed southern Japan, leaving eight people dead and causing landslides and blackouts, officials said Thursday. Two people were missing. $LABEL$0 +Regulators to Widen Mutual Fund Probe (Reuters) Reuters - Misconduct in the U.S. mutual fund\industry is not limited to fund share trading; it's not even\limited to funds, say market regulators.$LABEL$2 +Third-Quarter Productivity Slows to 1.8 The productivity of America #39;s workers grew at a 1.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the slowest pace in nearly two years, the government reported Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Lindows postpones IPO indefinitely Lindows, the Linux-based software developer best known for its legal battles with Microsoft Corp., has indefinitely shelved its plans to become a publicly traded company due to ""current adverse market conditions,"" it announced Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Credit Suisse to merge CSFB Credit Suisse Group, Switzerland #39;s second-biggest bank, plans to combine its Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) securities unit with its banking business in the next two years to boost earnings.$LABEL$2 +Sharon seeks support for planned coalition; Gaza violence kills <b>...</b> JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tried to rally support for the building of a new coalition to implement his planned pullout from Gaza, where two Palestinian militants and an Israeli soldier were killed in a new upsurge of violence.$LABEL$0 +The Investment Column: BHP buoyed by China recovery Like the big oil companies, the world #39;s mining majors are experiencing an embarrassment of riches due to very high commodity prices. BHP Billiton is in the happiest position: it is both the world #39;s biggest miner and has a substantial oil production ...$LABEL$2 +Barclays buys US credit card firm Barclaycard, the UK #39;s largest credit card provider, moved closer to making its first steps in the US market yesterday as its parent group, Barclays, snapped up Juniper Financial Corporation, the North American consumer credit firm, for ...$LABEL$2 +Medtronic Net Up on Higher ICD Sales CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc. (MDT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday said its quarterly earnings rose on surprisingly brisk demand for devices that slow racing heartbeats, offsetting a weaker-than-expected performance in some ...$LABEL$2 +End of the line for HP #39;s Alpha Hewlett-Packard will release its final Alpha processor on Monday, the beginning of the end for a chip dynasty that never was. $LABEL$3 +Greek pair jump to avoid push The Greek sprinters Kostantinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou facing sanctions after missing drugs tests quit the Games yesterday to avoid the humiliation of being thrown out by the IOC. $LABEL$1 +Soccer: Beckham and Owen lead England to World Cup warm-up win NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - England deservedly beat Ukraine 3-0 today in their only soccer quot;friendly quot; before the start of their 2006 World Cup qualifying programme next month. $LABEL$1 +Ueno lifts Japan to most judo gold ever ATHENS (Kyodo) Masae Ueno captured the women #39;s 70-kg gold medal, but Hiroshi Izumi had to settle for silver in the men #39;s 90-kg in the judo competition at the Athens Olympics on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +A Note to Lula: Haiti Is in Brazil The English writer George Orwell once expressed doubts about the wisdom of sports contests as a way of bringing nations together. He was writing during the Cold War when the sports arena became a substitute battlefield between the West and East. $LABEL$1 +Wilkinson to raise the bar Sir Clive Woodward yesterday joined the chorus of acclaim that greeted Jonny Wilkinson #39;s return to action on Tuesday night after eight months on the sidelines with a neck injury. $LABEL$1 +Sharon Rebuffed by Party, as Arafat Admits Making Mistakes AMALLAH, West Bank, Aug. 18 - The leaders of Israel and the Palestinians faced deep dissension in their constituencies on Wednesday, with Yasir Arafat making a rare admission of personal error to those seeking change, and Ariel Sharon ...$LABEL$0 +Bomb Is Defused Near a Villa Where Berlusconi Met With Blair OME, Aug. 18 - The police defused a bomb early Wednesday morning in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, the town where hours earlier Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had entertained the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and his wife, Cherie. $LABEL$0 +El Salvador Prison Battle Kills 31 Inmates SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - Rival groups of inmates battled with guns, grenades and machetes at a prison in El Salvador on Wednesday, killing at least 31 prisoners. $LABEL$0 +Eight dead as typhoon brings heavy rain to southern Japan Eight people are dead and two are missing in southern Japan because of heavy rain brought by a typhoon. $LABEL$0 +Vaughan banks on attack ENGLAND captain Michael Vaughan said today that he expects an evenly matched series with South Africa but suggests his bowlers hold the key.$LABEL$1 +Paris Remembers Jewish Detention Camp (AP) AP - A celebration marking Paris' 60th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi Germany is planned next week. But nothing official was planned for a more somber anniversary Wednesday #151; the liberation of a Jewish detention camp outside Paris that ended one of the most shameful episodes in modern French history.$LABEL$0 +Colombia reverses hostages stance Colombia offers to exchange jailed rebels for hostages held by Farc militants - a reversal of earlier policy.$LABEL$0 +Poll: Voters Eyeing National Security WASHINGTON - Concern about national security is dominating public attention in the final months of the presidential campaign because of continuing fears of terrorism and unhappiness about the war in Iraq, according to a poll released Wednesday. ""For the first time since the Vietnam era, national security issues are looming larger than economic issues in an election year,"" said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People the Press...$LABEL$0 +Johnson and Johnson Looks to Buy Guidant Johnson and Johnson is in negotiations to acquire Guidant, one of the largest American makers of devices to treat heart and circulatory illnesses.$LABEL$2 +EU Appeal to US to bring up Dollar European Central Bank President Jean- Claude Trichet joined European finance ministers in appealing to the US to stem the decline of the dollar, warning that the currencys slide risks derailing global growth.$LABEL$2 +Putting the PC in the PRC IBM may need to do some creative deal making in order to sell PC business to China #39;s Lenovo. By Robert Cyran, Breakingviews. LONDON (Breakingviews) - It #39;s no surprise IBM is in talks to sell its PC business $LABEL$2 +Freddie Mac May Face SEC Action (Reuters) Reuters - Freddie Mac (FRE.N), the No. 2 U.S.\mortgage finance company, on Wednesday said it may face civil\action from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for\possible violations of securities laws.$LABEL$2 +Mars Rovers Find More Evidence of Water (AP) AP - The twin Mars rovers have found a wonderland of weird rocks and enticing dunes along with more evidence the Red Planet once had water, NASA scientists said Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Nestle #39;s 1st-Half Net Profit Hits \$2.28B VEVEY, Switzerland Aug. 18, 2004 Nestle SA posted a modest 2 percent increase in profits for the first half of the year as it faced such challenges as higher prices for raw materials like milk and coffee as well as cooler temperatures,which dampened ...$LABEL$2 +Google Inc. says its initial public shares are priced at \$85 each SAN JOSE, Calif. (CP) - Google Inc. says its initial public shares are priced at \$85 each, at the low end of the Internet search giant #39;s downgraded estimates. $LABEL$2 +Pakistan Mobile Phone Firms Vie for Pent-Up Demand ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Pakistanis endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in a country where cell phone usage has remained low. $LABEL$3 +A quick getaway: Greek sprinters beat expulsion by walking out on the games The final curtain yesterday came down on the Greek tragedy which has overshadowed the first week of the Athens Olympics when the sprinters Kostas Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou withdrew from the games. $LABEL$1 +Pettitte out for the season PHILADELPHIA -- Andy Pettitte #39;s first year as a non-Yankee ended yesterday in appropriately depressing fashion: His team was here at Citizens Bank Park, and he was back home in Houston, preparing for season-ending surgery. $LABEL$1 +Canadian Allenby, NCAA champion Moore advance at US Amateur golf event MAMARONECK, NY (CP) - NCAA champion Ryan Moore and Canadian James Allenby were among 32 golfers who advanced with match-play victories Wednesday at the US Amateur. $LABEL$1 +Australia #39;s Downer Calls on North Korea to Attend Nuclear Talks Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he used his visit to North Korea to call on the communist country to attend the next round of six-nation talks on dismantling its nuclear program. $LABEL$0 +Lourdes needs manna from heaven The Catholic shrine of Lourdes yesterday opened a special bank account and appealed for donations from the faithful after it emerged that last weekend #39;s visit by the Pope had left it with a 1.2m (812,000) deficit. $LABEL$0 +Google IPO Prices at #36;85/share - Source (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc.'s GOOG.O initial\public offering of 19.6 million shares priced at #36;85 each, the\low end of their projected range, a source familiar with the\auction said on Wednesday, raising #36;1.67 billion and making it\the fourth-largest U.S. IPO this year.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO Prices at \$85/share - Source SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc.'s GOOG.O initial public offering of 19.6 million shares priced at \$85 each, the low end of their projected range, a source familiar with the auction said on Wednesday, raising \$1.67 billion and making it the fourth-largest U.S. IPO this year.$LABEL$2 +Google's Insiders Strike It Rich With IPO (AP) AP - Lots of people are hoping to get rich off Google Inc.'s stock now that the online search engine's IPO is finally completed. Here's a look at some of the investors that have already locked in huge profits by selling a portion of their stakes:$LABEL$3 +Car-Tracking Device Trades Privacy for Dollars (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Opinion: A device using GSM/GPS wireless that reports your car's wherabouts #151;which is in pilot testing for a British insurance company #151;is the latest example of a technology marvel that brings a serious loss of privacy.$LABEL$3 +Lindows Backs Out of IPO (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Fresh out of its #36;20 million settlement with Microsoft, the company says it ""won't be forced into a cut-rate IPO by a fickle stock market."" Instead, it plans to wait until conditions improve.$LABEL$3 +More evidence of Martian water NASA #39;s Mars rovers have uncovered more tantalizing evidence of a watery past on the Red Planet, scientists said Wednesday. And the rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are continuing to do their jobs months after they were expected to ...$LABEL$3 +Alison Williamson takes bronze to hit her Olympic target after 12 years Inspired by the magnificent surroundings of the Panathinaiko stadium and assisted by a gust of wind and a police siren, the British archer Alison Williamson ended her 12-year quest for an Olympic medal at the fourth attempt when she won bronze in the ...$LABEL$1 +ATHENS OLYMPICS 2004 / Ueno wins Japan #39;s 5th judo gold Masae Ueno will certainly have a tale to tell when she gets back to her Tokyo office. Ueno joined the parade of Japanese Olympic judo champions, winning the women #39;s 70-kilogram gold medal Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Pitcher presumably suffered injury on two-run single PHILADELPHIA -- Considering the number of times Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens were mentioned in the same breath this year, perhaps it #39;s only fitting they should both make headlines with their respective injuries on the same ...$LABEL$1 +Wilkinson #39;s form cheers Woodward The optimism felt by Jonny Wilkinson following his successful comeback for Newcastle in Galway this week was echoed yesterday by a buoyant Sir Clive Woodward, who can now look forward to welcoming his prize asset back into the England fold next month. $LABEL$1 +Football: Early Case Of Liver Damage LIVERPOOL unveiled new signing Antonio Nunez yesterday - but just a few hours later he was lying in agony on the treatment table. The Spaniard - who joined from Real Madrid as part of the deal that saw Michael Owen head in the opposite ...$LABEL$1 +Streaking Red Sox Flutter by Blue Jays 6-4 (AP) AP - Tim Wakefield pitched eight strong innings and the Boston Red Sox moved a season-high 15 games over .500 with a 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.$LABEL$1 +Sadr agrees to end Najaf crisis: Iraqi delegates BAGHDAD, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi delegates to a conference choosing a national assembly said on Wednesday that radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had agreed to government demands to end the crisis in the holy city of Najaf, 160 km south of ...$LABEL$0 +Radical group plants bomb near Blair holiday villa THE threat to leading politicians from terrorist attack was underlined yesterday when extremists were able to plant a bomb close to the Sardinian villa where Tony and Cherie Blair were staying as guests of Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister. $LABEL$0 +Sharon loses crucial party vote Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, suffered a massive blow to his project to withdraw from settlements in the Gaza Strip last night when his party refused to allow him to invite new partners into the government who might have backed his plans. $LABEL$0 +Summit declares Burundi Hutu FNL rebels #39;terrorists #39; DAR ES SALAAM - African leaders on Wednesday declared quot;a terrorist organisation quot; the rebels who claimed the slaughter of at least 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees in Burundi, but failed to impose sanctions on their group. $LABEL$0 +Profit rises at Chinese mobile giant China Mobile (Hong Kong), the world #39;s largest cellphone operator ranked by customers, said Wednesday that profit rose 7.8 percent in the first half of this year after the company enrolled more new subscribers by offering less-expensive services. Net ...$LABEL$2 +Freddie Mac May Face SEC Action WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Freddie Mac (FRE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 US mortgage finance company, on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the US Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of securities laws. $LABEL$2 +Intuit 4Q Loss Widens on Charge MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)--Intuit Inc. #39;s loss widened for the fourth quarter ended July 31, hurt by slower seasonal sales of the company #39;s tax and finance software and an impairment charge from its decision to sell one of its businesses, the company said ...$LABEL$2 +Techs Lead Tokyo Stocks Up TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average added 0.8 percent by midday on Thursday as tech issues got a lift from a rally on the Nasdaq, but gains were capped and trading choppy as high oil prices fueled concerns about the world economy.$LABEL$2 +US Airways' Grim Warning If US Airways files for bankruptcy a second time, its chairman says, there will be no outside investor, other airline or government aid to rescue it.$LABEL$2 +Alaska Researchers Try to Breed Rare Ducks (AP) AP - Researchers at the Alaska Sealife Center are getting an education in the sex lives of a rare sea duck species that is disappearing from its nesting grounds in Alaska.$LABEL$3 +IBM center gives partners a Linux playground A new set of offerings formed with the expansion of the IBM Virtualization Center has a distinct Linux flavor, including an online quot;how to quot; guide for porting from Windows, Unix or Linux to Linux on Power5.$LABEL$3 +Giants Rout Expos for Doubleheader Split (AP) AP - Barry Bonds homered for the third time in two days to help lead the San Francisco Giants to a 14-4 rout of the Montreal Expos in the second game of a doubleheader after losing the opener Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Gymnast Goes From Oops to a Gold Medal With spectacular performances on his final two events, American Paul Hamm pulled out one of the biggest comebacks in Olympic gymnastic history.$LABEL$1 +Taylor Is Moving Closer A penchant for making big plays and the recent release of Ifeanyi Ohalete has ripped open the door for rookie Sean Taylor to claim a starting spot.$LABEL$1 +Cardinals Lose King Cardinals defensive tackle Kenny King will miss the season after undergoing surgery to repair tendons in his wrist on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Fong, First Asian-American Senator, Dies (AP) AP - Hiram L. Fong, a son of immigrants who overcame poverty to become a millionaire businessman and the first Asian-American elected to the U.S. Senate, died Wednesday. He was 97.$LABEL$0 +Nigeria plans mission to Darfur as Sudan pledges to restore peace (AFP) AFP - Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo called for lawmakers to approve the deployment of up to 1,500 peacekeeping troops to Sudan's war-torn province of Darfur, as Khartoum pledged to restore order there.$LABEL$0 +'Better' head injury test devised Scientists develop an electronic device to test for serious head injuries.$LABEL$0 +Rebel in Najaf Sends Messages of Conciliation Moktada al-Sadr suggested he would vacate the shrine in Najaf, disband the Mahdi Army and transform it into a political party.$LABEL$0 +Kerry Criticizes President's Troop Plan Senator John Kerry said that the plan to move 70,000 troops out of Europe and Asia was ill-advised in view of the North Korean nuclear threat.$LABEL$0 +Winfrey, Jury Convict Man of Murder CHICAGO - A jury that included talk show host Oprah Winfrey convicted a man of murder Wednesday after a trial that turned into a media frenzy because of the billionaire in the jury box. Jurors deliberated for more than two hours before convicting 27-year-old Dion Coleman of first-degree murder in the February 2002 shooting death of 23-year-old Walter Holley...$LABEL$0 +O2 outlines 3G catch up strategy O2 has outlined its plans to catch up with 3G rivals Orange and Vodafone by rolling out what it claims will be Europe #39;s first super-fast 3G mobile data network.$LABEL$3 +Dell excludes UK from price cuts Dell is slashing prices on corporate IT solutions by up to 22, but only for US customers. The cuts come on the back of impressive trading figures and lower component costs for Dell, and cover enterprise servers, desktops and laptops.$LABEL$3 +Earliest Signs of Winemaking Found in China Neolithic people in China may have been the first in the world to make wine, according to scientists who have found the earliest evidence of winemaking from $LABEL$3 +Restated 2004 Nortel results set for release Nortel Network Corp. #39;s board of directors was scheduled to meet last night to approve financial data that will be released this morning, giving the public its first look at the company #39;s 2004 performance. $LABEL$2 +Qantas profit takes off Australia #39;s dominant airline, Qantas, has nearly doubled its annual profits after recovering from the previous year #39;s Iraq war and SARS induced downturn. $LABEL$2 +Dream Team most unpopular athletes in Olympics These Dream Team impostors are jeered in Athens bars by Americans, booed in the arena by Greeks and the rest of the world, despised back home by people fed up watching their selfish ways on TV. $LABEL$1 +Ueno, Zviadauri take judo golds Two-time defending champion Masae Ueno earned Japan #39;s fifth gold medal in 10 judo events on Wednesday, extending her three-year undefeated streak in major international competition with an Olympic victory. $LABEL$1 +Ichiro hit by pitch, leaves game KANSAS CITY -- Ichiro Suzuki, the hottest hitter in the Major Leagues since the All-Star break, was hit in the head by a pitch in the third inning Wednesday night and was removed from the Mariners game against the Royals. $LABEL$1 +Late Nigerian Dictator Looted Nearly \$500 Million, Swiss Say ERN, Switzerland, Aug. 18 - Almost all of the nearly \$500 million frozen in Swiss bank accounts connected with the late Nigerian dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, was quot;obviously of criminal origin quot; and may be returned to the Nigerian ...$LABEL$0 +Anti spam bid canned The screensaver launched last week appeared to be a victim of its own success after it was believed over 100,000 people downloaded it within hours of Lycos Europe putting the specially designed screensaver online.$LABEL$3 +Oracle pushes on BI DECEMBER 07, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - SAN FRANCISCO -- Oracle Corp. has unveiled Business Intelligence 10g, a stand-alone product that executives said will provide query, reporting and analysis, dashboards, data integration and BI application development.$LABEL$3 +Group Formed to Track, Thwart IM Threats A group of Internet security and instant messaging providers have teamed up to detect and thwart the growing threat of IM and peer-to-peer viruses and worms, they said this week.$LABEL$3 +Shuttle may fly without puncture repair kit NASA is working feverishly to return the space shuttle to flight in May 2005, but it may fly without the capability to fix cracks or holes of the type that doomed Columbia in 2003, officials said on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Cisco, Fujitsu Ally on Router Sales in Asia The Asian market accounted for 9.4 percent of Cisco #39;s sales in the quarter ended October 30, down from 10 percent last year. The spread of high-speed broadband Internet $LABEL$3 +Medtronic Net Up on Higher ICD Sales (Reuters) Reuters - Medtronic Inc. (MDT.N) on Wednesday\said its quarterly earnings rose on surprisingly brisk demand\for devices that slow racing heartbeats, offsetting a\weaker-than-expected performance in some of its other\businesses.$LABEL$2 +Royals Rally to Defeat Mariners 3-2 (AP) AP - John Buck hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.$LABEL$1 +Ravens Wait for Sanders While Deion Sanders's return appears more and more imminent, the major remaining question is when the former star will join the Baltimore Ravens.$LABEL$1 +Study: U.S. Needs to Fight Medicare Fraud (AP) AP - Fraud in the #36;300-billion-a-year Medicaid program is widespread and the federal government is not doing enough to combat it, congressional investigators said in a report released Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Sharon's Party Rebels, Imperils Gaza Pullout Plan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's rebellious Likud party has dealt a severe setback to his plan to withdraw from occupied Gaza by voting to bar him from forging a coalition with the Labour opposition.$LABEL$0 +Cost of Benefits Cited as Factor in Slump of Jobs A relentless rise in the cost of employee health insurance has become a significant factor in the employment slump.$LABEL$0 +Weak Demand Leads Google to Lower Its Sights Google slashed the number of shares and concluded its unorthdox online auction by accepting a price well below its original target.$LABEL$0 +Snyder Called Up to Help Red Sox (AP) AP - Earl Snyder grew up rooting for Red Sox outfielder Ellis Burks. Now he's sitting next to him.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Ties Jamaica 1-1 in Cup Qualifier (AP) AP - Brian Ching and Cobi Jones, a pair of substitutes, saved the United States against Jamaica on Wednesday night.$LABEL$1 +Activists Condemn FBI Tactics Before DNC (AP) AP - FBI interviews and surveillance of at least a dozen political activists in Kansas and Missouri prior to the Democratic National Convention amounted to intimidation, contends the American Civil Liberties Union.$LABEL$0 +CORRECTED: Google Sells 19.6 Million Shares at \$85 Each SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.OQ target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.OQ</A>., the world's largest search engine, said on Wednesday it sold 19.6 million shares at \$85 apiece in its long-awaited initial public offering, raising \$1.67 billion for the company.$LABEL$2 +Durazo Leads Athletics by Orioles 5-4 (AP) AP - Erubiel Durazo hit three homers and drove in all five of Oakland's runs, and Mark Mulder became the majors' first 16-game winner by pitching the Athletics to a 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.$LABEL$1 +China #39;s appetite boosts BHP BHP Billiton, the world #39;s biggest mining company, has doubled its profits in the second half of the year on the back of booming global commodity prices. $LABEL$2 +2 Big Carriers at O #39;Hare to Cut Flights HICAGO, Aug. 18 - The nation #39;s two largest airlines, American and United, announced on Wednesday that they would cut flights at O #39;Hare International Airport to ease congestion that has been delaying flights from coast to coast. $LABEL$2 +Production Grew, Prices Fell in July The nation #39;s factories cranked out more products in July, miners dug more minerals and builders broke ground on more homes, the government said yesterday in three reports that showed some rebound in economic activity last month. $LABEL$2 +Citigroup #39;s #39;7bn bond trade under investigation Citigroup, the world #39;s biggest bond broking firm, could face disciplinary action from the Financial Services Authority following an unprecedented 7bn trade in European government bonds this month. $LABEL$2 +Mars Rover Finds Mysterious Rocks and More Signs of Water ith one Mars rover climbing into the hills and the other descending deep into a crater, scientists yesterday reported the discovery of several mysterious rock structures along with yet more signs that Mars was once awash in water. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft previews 64-bit XP, promises no price hikes Microsoft on Wednesday released public previews of the 64-bit editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 as it changed the official names of the high-end operating systems. $LABEL$3 +Ian Thorpe wins bronze in 100 metres freestyle TONY EASTLEY: Ian Thorpe now has the full set of Olympic medals, winning bronze after coming surprisingly close in trying to win the Games treble that is the 100, 200 and 400 metres freestyle events. In winning bronze in the 100 metres final, Thorpe ...$LABEL$1 +US Gymnast Goes From Oops to a Gold Medal THENS, Aug. 18 - After a disastrous landing on the vault that sent him stumbling off the mat and nearly into the judges #39; laps, Paul Hamm thought his night was over. $LABEL$1 +Hansen has an uphill struggle for breaststroke bronze ATHENS, Greece Brendan Hansen is the swimmer who caught a wave and then lost it. He owns two world records and zero gold medals. $LABEL$1 +Sadr caves in to avoid assault THE radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr yesterday demonstrated once again his aptitude for self-preservation when he appeared to blink first in the stand-off with Iraqi and US forces in Najaf. $LABEL$0 +Top security as eight men appear in court on terror charges In a bombproof building, surrounded by police carrying sub-machine guns, the eight men charged with plotting chemical or radioactive attacks in Britain and the United States made their first appearance in court yesterday since their arrest ...$LABEL$0 +UN urged to punish Burundian Hutu rebels AFRICAN leaders appealed to the United Nations Security Council yesterday to impose sanctions on the Burundian rebel group that claimed responsibility for the massacre of at least 160 refugees at a UN camp in Burundi. $LABEL$0 +Charles to help flood victims THE Prince of Wales toured the flood-hit village of Boscastle yesterday - and pledged to make a quot;substantial quot; donation to those facing a massive clean-up operation. $LABEL$0 +Oil Prices Set a New Record as Supply Falls Oil prices climbed above \$47 a barrel, setting yet another record, after figures showed that supplies in the United States were down for a third consecutive week.$LABEL$2 +Google Sets Price of #36;85 in #36;1.67 Bln IPO (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc. on Wednesday\said it priced its long-awaited initial public offering at #36;85\per share, far below initial expectations, ending a tumultuous\process beset by poor market conditions and a series of\missteps.$LABEL$3 +Rowand Powers White Sox Past Tigers 9-2 (AP) AP - Aaron Rowand homered twice #151; including his first career grand slam #151; and Jose Contreras won his third straight decision for Chicago in the White Sox's 9-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.$LABEL$1 +Ching's Late Goal Rescues U.S. in Soccer World Cup Qualifier Although the visitors did not get a victory, the United States is still in a good position after what figured to be the most threatening game of the regional semifinal round.$LABEL$1 +Guantanamo Prisoner Goes Before Tribunal (AP) AP - A U.S. military panel heard the case Wednesday of a Guantanamo Bay prisoner accused of fighting for Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime, as a U.S. judge ordered the government to release records of alleged prisoner abuse at the American base.$LABEL$0 +Astros' Clemens Leaves Game Against Phillies PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Houston starting pitcher Roger Clemens left Wednesday's 9-8 win over Philadelphia with a strained right calf.$LABEL$1 +Bomb Found in Town After Blair Visit (AP) AP - Police defused a time-bomb in a town near Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's villa on the island of Sardinia on Wednesday shortly after British Prime Minister Tony Blair finished a visit there with the Italian leader.$LABEL$0 +Typhoon Megi hits South Korea More than 2,400 people are evacuated as Typhoon Megi lashes the southern shores of South Korea.$LABEL$0 +XM, Sirius Land Deals With Toyota Rivals XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Tuesday traded hits in the intensifying race for new subscribers, separately announcing distribution deals with Toyota Motor Corp.$LABEL$2 +Employers Planned More Layoffs in Nov. Planned job cuts at US companies climbed during November, a report said on Tuesday, a further sign of sluggishness in the labor market.$LABEL$2 +Productivity Growth Slows, Sales Dip US business productivity grew more slowly in the third-quarter than first thought, a government report showed on Tuesday, with other economic indicators also painting a mixed picture for growth.$LABEL$2 +Google share price falls short of predictions Internet search giant Google has priced its long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) at just under \$120 a share, far below initial expectations. $LABEL$2 +Murdoch #39;to relaunch News deal #39; if loses poll SYDNEY - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch said in a Thursday newspaper interview he would take a second stab at uprooting his News Corp Ltd empire from Australia to the United States if investors block the deal first time around. $LABEL$2 +Rush for free mobile connections Islamabad, Aug. 18 (Reuters): Tens of thousands of Pakistanis endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in a country where cellphone usage has remained low. $LABEL$3 +Phelps #39; gold haul dream not so bad BEIJING, Aug.19 (Xinhuanet) -- Michael Phelps has taken his haul of gold medals at the Athens Olympics to three after winning the 200 meters butterfly and helping the United States beat Australia in the 4x200 freestyle relay, Shenzhen Daily reported ...$LABEL$1 +Sharon defeated in crunch party vote BEIJING, Aug.19 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has failed to garner the support of the Likud Party Convention for his resolution to negotiate with the Labor Party over a coalition government, according to a CNN report. $LABEL$0 +Roger Clemens' Leg Injury Isn't Serious (AP) AP - Roger Clemens strained his right calf in the Houston Astros' 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, but the injury isn't considered serious.$LABEL$1 +Astros' Clemens Strains Calf, Leaves Game Against Phillies PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Houston starting pitcher Roger Clemens left Wednesday's 9-8 win over Philadelphia with a strained right calf.$LABEL$1 +El Salvador Jail Riot Kills at Least 31 (AP) AP - Rival inmates fought each other with knives and sticks Wednesday at a San Salvador prison, leaving at least 31 people dead and two dozen injured, officials said.$LABEL$0 +S.Korea's Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father's Past SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea's ruling Uri Party resigned on Thursday after saying his father had served as a military police officer during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule on the peninsula.$LABEL$0 +Santana Sparkles As Twins Stop Yankees 7-2 MINNEAPOLIS - The last time he faced the Yankees, Johan Santana and the Minnesota Twins were knocked out of the American League playoffs. This time, Santana knocked down Derek Jeter and silenced New York's powerful lineup...$LABEL$0 +Nortel announces Sprint extension worth US\$1B; Lucent claims US <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Sprint Communications Co. has again split big wireless network equipment contracts between Nortel Networks Corp. and Lucent Technologies.$LABEL$2 +Lenovo, IBM may soon reveal PC unit deal DECEMBER 07, 2004 (REUTERS) - China #39;s largest PC maker, Lenovo Group Ltd., could announce as early as today that it is buying control of IBM #39;s PC-making business for up to \$2 billion, a source familiar with the situation said.$LABEL$2 +SEC gives Google approval for public offering The initial public offering once touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years may have lost some of its momentum. Google Inc. announced Wednesday it has slashed the size of its IPO nearly in half and lowered its estimated price range. $LABEL$2 +Mars Rover Finds Evidence of Plentiful Water quot;We have evidence that interaction with liquid water changed the composition of this rock, quot; said Steve Squyres of Cornell University, chief investigator for the science instruments on both rovers. quot;This is different from the rocks out on ...$LABEL$3 +Telstra relaunches network reliability site Telstra has re-launched a section of its website that allows customers to see current and past network reliability, for the country and their own regions. $LABEL$3 +Zvidauri Wins Gold for Georgia ATHENS (Reuters) - After playing second fiddle at the last two World Championships, Georgia #39;s Zurab Zviadauri finally shook off his choker tag. $LABEL$1 +Brazilian Soccer Brings Joy to Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Aug. 18 -- So far this year, Haiti has endured an armed insurrection that killed 300 people and toppled a president, and floods that wiped out entire villages, with no relief from the grinding misery that comes ...$LABEL$1 +Clemens #39; leg injury isn #39;t serious Roger Clemens strained his right calf in the Houston Astros #39; 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, but the injury isn #39;t considered serious. $LABEL$1 +Radical cleric now says he #39;ll leave holy shrine Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric who has been involved in a two-week battle with US forces, has offered to leave a holy shrine in Najaf. $LABEL$0 +Eight terror suspects appear in British court Eight men charged with planning terrorist attacks in Britain and the US have entered no pleas in a British court guarded by some of the tightest security ever seen. $LABEL$0 +World Trade Center Insurance Payoff Increased by Jury A New York Jury ruled that the two planes that hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 were two separate events instead of one which increased the insurers liability by at least \$140 million.$LABEL$2 +New media battle for Bafta awards The BBC leads the nominations for the Bafta Interactive Awards, including one for the Radio Times website.$LABEL$0 +Yukos 'hit with fresh tax demand' Russian authorities demand a further \$1.2bn in back-taxes from stricken oil firm Yukos, the Interfax news agency reports.$LABEL$0 +Athletics: Greek sprinters tested Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou are given random drugs tests.$LABEL$0 +Karzai warns of Afghan dangers Hamid Karzai warns of the dangers of extremism and drugs as he is sworn in as Afghanistan's elected leader.$LABEL$0 +Google Raises \$1.67 Bln in Cut-Price IPO NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc., the most popular Internet search engine, raised \$1.67 billion on Wednesday in its long-awaited IPO after slashing the price and size of an offer beset by missteps and poor market conditions.$LABEL$2 +Yen Keeps Gains, Capped by Murky Outlook TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen kept most gains against the dollar on Thursday after rallying to a four-week peak, but investors saw no reason to push it higher due to growing uncertainty about the outlook for the Japanese economy.$LABEL$2 +Defense Says Dotson Incompetent for Trial (AP) AP - Psychological testing shows that the former Baylor University basketball player accused of gunning down one of his teammates is not competent to stand trial, his attorneys said Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Crew Edges Wizards Kyle Martino's goal two minutes into injury time gives Columbus a narrow 2-1 victory over Kansas City on Wednesday night.$LABEL$1 +Saulnier Looking Strong Cyril Saulnier's 6-3, 7-6 victory over Gilles Elseneer on Wednesday continues a recent trend of superb play for the 29-year-old Frenchman.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Flat, J J-Guidant Deal Drags Dow NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on Tuesday, with lower oil prices helping support markets, but Johnson Johnson <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JNJ.N</A> dragged on the Dow following a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GDT.N</A>.$LABEL$2 +Broadband goes broader Early Internet entrepreneurs envisioned a day when consumers would devour short bites of entertainment on their computer screens delivered over the Internet by fat broadband pipes. When the companies failed, executives blamed it on ...$LABEL$3 +Compuware Seeks #39;Severe #39; Sanctions in Suit vs. IBM Compuware is seeking reimbursement for its quot;substantial quot; efforts related to IBM #39;s failure to produce the software code, which it wants excluded as evidence from the trial. For its part, IBM remains confident Compuware #39;s latest motion will ...$LABEL$3 +Olympic Games The first Olympic Games were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia, famous for its magnificent temples of the gods Zeus and Hera. Take the Rediff Business Quiz and find out what role the corporates play in the ...$LABEL$1 +Terror suspects go to court LONDON - Eight suspects, including a man the United States calls a senior al-Qaida figure, appeared in court under heavy guard yesterday as police investigated their alleged terrorism plots. $LABEL$0 +S.Korea #39;s Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father #39;s Past SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea #39;s ruling Uri Party resigned on Thursday after saying his father had served as a military police officer during Japan #39;s 1910-1945 colonial rule on the peninsula. $LABEL$0 +Holiday-Shopping Season Remains Sluggish NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. shoppers have kept a tight grip on their wallets this holiday season with indices on Tuesday showing sluggish sales in the second week of the season.$LABEL$2 +AL Wrap: Santana Solid on Mound as Twins Beat Yankees NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johan Santana pitched seven strong innings to win his fifth straight start and Shannon Stewart homered, had three hits and two RBI to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 7-2 home win over the New York Yankees.$LABEL$1 +Yankees Glimpse October, and It's Not Pretty On a night when Johan Santana was superb for the Twins, Mike Mussina was inconsistent in his first start since July 6.$LABEL$1 +Preview: day six Day six of the Olympics will see Great Britain's Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms go for gold in badminton.$LABEL$1 +Toppled Power Lines Are Posing a Herculean Task in Florida Five days after Hurricane Charley struck Florida, more than 400,000 customers still lack electricity.$LABEL$0 +Letters show Mandela as man of beneficence (Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune - In the 1980s, while in jail on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela wrote a letter to the wife of one of his prison guards. In it, he said he respected her husband, Christo Brand, as a man of integrity. But he was concerned that Brand, an Afrikaner, didn't understand the value of education.$LABEL$0 +Regulators to Widen Mutual Fund Probe WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Misconduct in the U.S. mutual fund industry is not limited to fund share trading; it's not even limited to funds, say market regulators.$LABEL$2 +Fiat's Trucks Unit Signs Deal With SAIC (AP) AP - Fiat SpA said Tuesday that its Iveco SpA trucks unit has agreed to develop a long-term partnership with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., one of the largest Chinese automakers, for building trucks and other industrial vehicles.$LABEL$0 +Italy joins Greece in EU dock over dodgy data (AFP) AFP - Following embarrassing revelations over Greece's budget data, the European Union expressed alarm at the reliability of Italy's own deficit figures and called for urgent clarification.$LABEL$2 +Proud Italy awaits La Scala opening with bated breath (AFP) AFP - Italy's cultural cognoscenti were waiting with bated breath for the reopening of the La Scala opera house, restored to its former glory after a sumptuous 61 million euro (81 million dollar) makeover.$LABEL$0 +HHS Buys 'Experimental' Glaxo Flu Vaccine (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. health officials on Tuesday\approved the importation of up to 4 million doses of influenza\vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline , bringing the\U.S. total to 65 million vaccines for this flu season.$LABEL$2 +Gateway Says More PCs Available at Office Depot (Reuters) Reuters - Gateway Inc. (GTW.N) said on\Wednesday its personal computers would be widely available at\Office Depot. (ODP.N) in the latest move by the PC maker to\broaden distribution at retail stores since acquiring rival\eMachines this year.$LABEL$3 +Gateway Says More PCs Available at Office Depot SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Gateway Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=GTW.N qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">GTW.N</A> said on Wednesday its personal computers would be widely available at Office Depot. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=ODP.N qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">ODP.N</A> in the latest move by the PC maker to broaden distribution at retail stores since acquiring rival eMachines this year.$LABEL$3 +NL Wrap: Bonds Homers Again as Giants Rout Expos (Reuters) Reuters - Barry Bonds hit his third home\run in two days to help the San Francisco Giants earn a split\of their doubleheader with a 14-4 win over the Montreal Expos\on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +NL Wrap: Bonds Homers Again as Giants Rout Expos SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Barry Bonds hit his third home run in two days to help the San Francisco Giants earn a split of their doubleheader with a 14-4 win over the Montreal Expos on Wednesday.$LABEL$1 +Singapore ban after bird flu case Singapore blocks imports of poultry and eggs from Malaysia, after an outbreak of potentially deadly bird flu.$LABEL$0 +HHS Buys 'Experimental' Glaxo Flu Vaccine WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Tuesday approved the importation of up to 4 million doses of influenza vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GSK.L target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GSK.L</A> <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GSK.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GSK.N</A>, bringing the U.S. total to 65 million vaccines for this flu season.$LABEL$2 +Billie Jean King Retires as U.S. Fed Cup Coach NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billie Jean King cut her final tie with the U.S. Fed Cup team Tuesday when she retired as coach.$LABEL$1 +Hamas Militants Kill Israeli Soldier Hamas militants killed an Israeli soldier and wounded four with an explosion in a booby-trapped chicken coop Tuesday, in what the Islamic group said was a scheme $LABEL$0 +Delta Plans Job Cuts, Eyes Restructure CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc., the number three U.S. carrier, plans more job cuts as it struggles to avoid bankruptcy, Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein said in a memo to employees on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +Google Raises \$1.67 Bln in Cut-Price IPO NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc., the most popular Internet search engine, raised \$1.67 billion on Wednesday in its long-awaited IPO after slashing the price and size of an offer beset by missteps and ...$LABEL$2 +Air Canada #39;s creditors approve plan READY TO FLY: The airline plans to emerge from court shelter on Sept. 30 -- if the justices overseeing its restructuring gives the OK at a hearing set for Monday ...$LABEL$2 +Phelps won #39;t top Spitz, but he is putting on the hits ATHENS, Greece If Mark Spitz had never lived, Michael Phelps would have done well to create him as a fictional character. $LABEL$1 +Leisure amp; Arts One thing that the Olympics have always provided is that hardy perennial known as the quot;feel-good story. quot; The sort of story in which, against all odds--and with undeniable drama--the farm boy from Iowa who grew up with rickets in one leg ...$LABEL$1 +Roger Clemens injures leg during Astros #39; 9-8 win over Phillies PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Roger Clemens helped himself at the plate, hurt his leg running the bases and spent the rest of the night watching his teammates pull out an important win. $LABEL$1 +Maoist rebels cut off Kathmandu Maoist rebels yesterday cut off routes into the Nepalese capital Kathmandu in their first blockade of the city since they launched their insurgency to overthrow the constitutional monarchy eight years ago. $LABEL$0 +Schroder adopts Russian orphan Three-year-old Victoria, from St Petersburg, has been living at the Schroders #39; family home in Hanover in northern Germany for several weeks. $LABEL$0 +Keep talking, Downer urges N Korea Australia #39;s foreign minister pressed leaders in North Korea yesterday to remain involved in six-nation talks on its nuclear program, amid concerns that the Pyongyang administration might pull out of preparatory meetings for the next round of negotiations. $LABEL$0 +Prince Charles Helps Boscastle Count the Cost Residents of Boscastle are counting the cost today of the damage estimated at millions of pounds caused by a freak downpour. $LABEL$0 +China Says Taiwan President's U.S. Stop 'A Trick' BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States on Thursday not to allow Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to set foot on U.S. soil, describing his stopovers en route to Latin America as a trick to sabotage Sino-U.S. relations.$LABEL$0 +Day Six preview Day six of the Olympics will see Great Britain's Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms go for gold in badminton.$LABEL$0 +Records Contradict Kerry Critic's Charges -Report (Reuters) Reuters - Military records contradict a\critic's charge that U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful John\Kerry did not come under fire during the battle that resulted\in military honors for Kerry, The Washington Post reported on\Thursday.$LABEL$0 +The SEC Could Still Slap Google Google has received the green light for its initial stock offering -- but not without ruffling a few feathers at the Securities amp; Exchange Commission, which oversees share offerings. The SEC #39;s job is to make sure that companies disclose all the ...$LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Rise to High As Demand Continues The price of oil hit another high yesterday, closing above \$47 a barrel as traders reacted to continuing concerns about supply disruptions from terrorism and instability in oil-producing countries. $LABEL$2 +Nortel Discloses Canadian Criminal Probe Toronto (Aug. 19, 2004) -- Telecommunications equipment giant Nortel Networks Corp. announced this week that its past accounting practices, which are the subject of a criminal probe in the United States, are under scrutiny by Canadian authorities. $LABEL$2 +Giving Investors a Say Like cicadas, debates about corporate governance pop up periodically with a great deal of whir and buzz. In 1992, for example, the business community protested Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Richard C. Breeden #39;s push for ...$LABEL$2 +Demand Helps CACI Profit Increase 56 CACI International Inc. said increased demand for its homeland security and intelligence services helped boost fourth-quarter profit by 56 percent over the same period a year earlier. $LABEL$2 +Computer Q amp;A: Tips on installing Windows XP SP2 It seems that Microsoft #39;s new upgrade to Windows is making some people nervous. That #39;s not surprising, as home and office computing environments are just not as friendly as they used to be due to viruses and spyware. Even the software we ...$LABEL$3 +Wireless Phones shipped to Pakistan TIRVINE (Calif. US): Hop-on Wireless Inc. said it has shipped an initial order of its tri-band (900/1800/1900 MHz) HOP1806 GSM handsets to a distributor in Karachi, Pakistan. $LABEL$3 +AL Wrap: Santana Solid on Mound as Twins Beat Yankees NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johan Santana pitched seven strong innings to win his fifth straight start and Shannon Stewart homered, had three hits and two RBI to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 7-2 home win over the New York Yankees. $LABEL$1 +NKorea quot;negative quot; over US offer on nuclear weapons: Australia HONG KONG : North Korea shows no sign of accepting US incentives to give up its nuclear weapons programmes, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said. $LABEL$0 +At least four Georgian soldiers killed in separatist region clashes (AFP) AFP - At least four Georgian soldiers were killed and five wounded in overnight clashes in Georgia's separatist, pro-Russian region of South Ossetia, Georgian officers near the frontline with Ossetian forces said early Thursday.$LABEL$0 +Paes and Bhupathi beam in on Olympic glory (AFP) AFP - Indian pair Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi took another step nearer an elusive Olympic gold medal when they beat Zimbabwe's Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett 6-4, 6-4 to reach the men's doubles semi-finals at the Olympic tennis tournament.$LABEL$0 +Nestle #39;s profit hits \$3.1bn NESTLE SA, the world #39;s biggest food and drink company, posted a modest 2 per cent increase in profits for the first half of the year as it faced such challenges as higher prices for raw materials like milk and coffee as well as cooler temperatures, which ...$LABEL$2 +California sues Mirant, alleges energy scheme California sued Mirant Corp., a bankrupt US power producer, accusing it of rigging electricity markets during the 2000-2001 energy crisis that led to rolling blackouts and a tenfold increase in consumer energy prices. $LABEL$2 +Spirit finds more evidence of water LOS ANGELES (AP) The twin Mars rovers have found a wonderland of weird rocks and enticing dunes along with more evidence the Red Planet once had water, NASA scientists said Wednesday. $LABEL$3 +Michael Phelps Seeks Fourth Swimming Gold Medal at Athens Games Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Swimmer Michael Phelps seeks his fourth gold medal of the Athens Olympics in tonight #39;s 200-meter individual medley, while female gymnasts compete for the all- around title. $LABEL$1 +The fields of the gods OLYMPIA, Greece The competition was history. The time had come for everyone to leave, to follow the sun toward that narrow path lined with olive trees out of the stadium, a trek that would take athletes and spectators alike not to a ...$LABEL$1 +Record-breaking night ATHENS, Greece -- The world record was like graffiti on a masterpiece, a reminder of a sport #39;s dark past. $LABEL$1 +Sharon #39;s Gaza plan hinges on vote Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has lost a key vote which would have seen the dovish Labour Party join the government coalition and salvage his Gaza disengagement plan. $LABEL$0 +Eight terror suspects appear in UK court Eight suspects, including a man identified in the United States as a senior al-Qaeda figure, appeared in court under heavy guard, as police investigated an alleged plot to commit murder and to cause mayhem with chemicals, radioactive materials, toxic ...$LABEL$0 +China Says Taiwan President #39;s US Stop #39;A Trick #39; BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States on Thursday not to allow Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to set foot on US soil, describing his stopovers en route to Latin America as a trick to sabotage Sino-US relations. $LABEL$0 +Google Lowers Its Sights as Demand Proves Weak Google's final share price was \$85, far off the target range of \$108 to \$135 a share that the company projected last month.$LABEL$2 +Aziz Wins Pakistan Polls, Paving Way to Be PM (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistani Finance Minister Shaukat\Aziz easily won a seat in parliament, clearing the way for him\to take over as prime minister next week, officials said on\Thursday.$LABEL$0 +Aziz Wins Pakistan Polls, Paving Way to Be PM ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz easily won a seat in parliament, clearing the way for him to take over as prime minister next week, officials said on Thursday.$LABEL$0 +Despite itself, Google good for stocks SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Forget the fact that the new definition of the verb quot;to google quot; is: to blow an otherwise foolproof deal; or to miscalculate with extreme hubris. $LABEL$2 +Airlines agree to limit O #39;Hare arrivals SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Major North American airlines agreed to a voluntary limit of 88 arrivals per hour for flights serving Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare International Airport during peak traffic periods, the Transportation Department said ...$LABEL$2 +Freddie Mac Receives Notice That It May Face Action by SEC Freddie Mac, the government-chartered mortgage company that restated earnings by \$5 billion, said yesterday that it might be the subject of a civil lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission. $LABEL$2 +Halliburton closes higher on Army #39;s decision to pay DALLAS (CBS.MW) -- Halliburton #39;s shares closed higher Wednesday after the Army Materiel Command reversed its decision to withhold 15 percent of its future payments to the company under a contract to supply and support US troops in Iraq. $LABEL$2 +Delta shares jump on pilot equity talk SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Delta Air Lines shares rose sharply Wednesday ahead of a Thursday meeting at which the carrier is expected to offer its pilots a stake in the struggling company. $LABEL$2 +More Management Changes at Credit Suisse Credit Suisse First Boston, the securities unit of the Credit Suisse Group of Zurich, replaced Adebayo O. Ogunlesi as head of investment banking with its president, Brian D. Finn, eight weeks after Brady W. Dougan was named chief executive. $LABEL$2 +Profit at Talbots Up 4.8 for 2nd Quarter Talbots, the clothing retailer, said yesterday that second-quarter profit rose 4.8 percent as sales increased and the company benefited from the resolution of an income tax issue. $LABEL$2 +Withdrawal for Greek sprinters ATHENS -- Two of Greece #39;s most famous athletes and their coach made their first public appearance here yesterday only to withdraw from the Olympic Games rather than face a panel charged with looking into a ...$LABEL$1 +Silver lining melts foul mood OLYMPIA, Greece -- US shot-putter Adam Nelson stood outside the throwing circle, his hands on the back of his head, his hopes just dashed by a foul on a throw that would have won the gold medal. $LABEL$1 +High and mighty ATHENS -- He was dead and buried 6 feet under the landing mat, and he knew it. quot;That #39;s it, I #39;m done, quot; Paul Hamm told himself last night, after he #39;d tumbled from first to 12th with a slip of a foot on the ...$LABEL$1 +Ching saves best for last KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Without one World Cup qualifier under his belt and only a pair of appearances for the US National Team to speak of, there stood Brian Ching at midfield waiting to enter the match with his team down 1-0 to Jamaica. $LABEL$1 +US marines in tense Najaf standoff NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - US marines and a radical Iraqi cleric are locked in a tense standoff after the firebrand leader refused to leave a holy shrine in Najaf despite earlier agreeing to disarm his militia and withdraw. $LABEL$0 +Burundi inching closer to ending long civil war BUJUMBURA, Burundi Tiny Burundi has seen more than a decade of war, but events in the past few months suggest that it is closer than ever to wrapping up one of Africa #39;s most persistent civil conflicts. $LABEL$0 +Little progress in N Korea talks: Downer North Korea was reluctant to accept a United States plan to give up its nuclear program but would probably attend the next round of talks on the impasse, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said after a brief visit to Pyongyang. $LABEL$0 +Western leaders waiting for African solutions to African wars JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Aug 19, 2004 (AP) -- As the month-end deadline nears for Sudan to disarm the Janjaweed militias in Darfur, the United Nations and Western powers debate how far to go to stop the killing ...$LABEL$0 +Sharon's Party Votes to Exclude Labor (AP) AP - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's own party handed him a stinging rebuke, banning him from adding the moderate Labor Party to his government to bolster a Gaza pullout plan #151; a move that endangered the proposed withdrawal.$LABEL$0 +Tokyo Stocks Rise 1 Percent, Techs Lead TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average appeared headed for its third straight day of gains on Thursday and was up one percent by late afternoon as tech issues such as Shin-Etsu Chemical were lifted by a rally in New York.$LABEL$2 +Google's share price set at 85 dollars (AFP) AFP - Google's share price has been set at 85 dollars in its initial public offering, a company spokeswoman said.$LABEL$3 +Google Sells Shares in IPO for \$85 After Cutting Price of Stock Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc., the most-used Internet search engine, sold shares at \$85 each in its initial public offering, the bottom of the range the company had suggested the stock would fetch in the biggest auction-style IPO. $LABEL$2 +BHP Billiton to award shareholders Announcing record profit and revenue for the past year yesterday, global resources group BHP Billiton says it has decided to award a \$2bn bonanza to its shareholders. $LABEL$2 +Army wants Halliburton data on possible effect of withholding WASHINGTON - The US Army wants to know how a threatened plan to withhold \$60 million a month in a billing dispute might affect Halliburton Co. #39;s ability to support US troops in Iraq. $LABEL$2 +3 Directors at Cox to Study Bid by Parent to Take Unit Private ox Communications, the nation #39;s third-largest cable television operator, has formed a committee to consider the \$7.9 billion bid by its parent, Cox Enterprises, to take the company private. $LABEL$2 +Insurer lowers hurricane estimate Hurricane Charley, the worst storm to hit the US in over a decade, will cost insurers \$7.4bn (4bn;5.9bn euros). $LABEL$2 +Blackstone takes Prime Hospitality NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- The Blackstone Group agreed to buy Prime Hospitality Corp., which owns Wellesley Inn and AmeriSuites hotels, for \$790 million, including the assumption of debt. $LABEL$2 +Apple zombies attack RealNetworks REALNETWORKS #39; attempt to get Steve Jobs to open up its proprietary eyePods is getting attacked by Apple #39;s fanatical supporters. $LABEL$3 +Rover discovers clues of water on Mars surface After months of crossing a vast Martian crater floor and zigzagging up low-slung hills, NASA #39;s Spirit rover has spotted its first hint that water once coursed across the now-desert-like region, scientists said Wednesday. $LABEL$3 +Cassini finds two more Saturn moons NASA #39;s Cassini spacecraft has discovered two new Saturn moons, the smallest yet found among its dozens of natural satellites. $LABEL$3 +Hamm-dinger Gymnast comes back from 12th place to win The movie pitches, Letterman -- no, Leno -- the unending media requests, the book deals, surely the line is forming on the right for Paul Hamm. $LABEL$1 +Shot putters return to ancient site of first Games OLYMPIA, GREECE - It was a day when the actors took a back seat to the scenery, when the question of who won and who took part was not as significant as where they competed. $LABEL$1 +Brazil beats Haiti as nations play for peace PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - Brazil routed a weak Haitian team 6-0 Wednesday in an exhibition game aimed at promoting peace in the Caribbean country. $LABEL$1 +The educated say they #39;re at risk in Sudan OURE CASSONI, CHAD - She pulled tattered socks over her bony legs and stared at the ground, trying to hide the dirty, torn clothing she is so embarrassed to wear. $LABEL$0 +Typhoon Hits Korea, Japan; Kills 9, Grounds Flights (Update1) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Typhoon Megi churned through the Tsushima Straight dividing Japan and South Korea, leaving nine people dead and thousands homeless as it damaged crops, dumped heavy rains and grounded flights. $LABEL$0 +31 inmates die, dozens wounded at overcrowded Salvadoran facility SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR - Rival inmates fought each other with knives and sticks Wednesday at a San Salvador jail, leaving at least 31 inmates dead and two dozen injured, officials said. $LABEL$0 +Iran warns Israel on pre-emptive strikes Iran warned America and Israel last night that it was ready to launch pre-emptive strikes to stop them attacking its nuclear facilities. $LABEL$0 +Tokyo Stocks Rise as Techs Rally TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average climbed for a third straight day on Thursday, rising over one percent as a rally in New York boosted tech issues such as Toshiba Corp and Shin-Etsu Chemical$LABEL$2 +Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes (AP) AP - Election-year tactics like making anonymous phone calls or inventing make-believe groups to criticize the opponent now come with a higher price: the possibility of time in jail.$LABEL$0 +Oil Above \$47 After New Record SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices struck another record high on Thursday and remained supported above \$47 by a fall in U.S. crude stockpiles and threats by insurgents in Iraq against oil facilities.$LABEL$2 +Greek pair await IAAF fate Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou's missed drugs tests will be investigated by the IAAF.$LABEL$1 +U.N. Remembers Colleagues Lost in Attack (AP) AP - United Nations employees called the attack on U.N. headquarters in Baghdad a year ago ""our Sept. 11."" The death toll of 22 may have been far lower than from the strikes in New York and Washington, but the truck bombing marked a similar fundamental shift between the way things were done then, and the way they're done now.$LABEL$0 +Al-Sadr's Unclear Motives Muddle Efforts (AP) AP - What's clear about radical Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is that he wants power, U.S. officials say. What's less certain is what he wants to do with that power or how far he'll go to get it.$LABEL$0 +Elmer Bernstein, Film Composer, Dead at 82 LOS ANGELES - Elmer Bernstein, the versatile, Oscar-winning composer who scored such movie classics as ""The Ten Commandments,""""The Magnificent Seven,""""To Kill a Mockingbird,""""The Great Escape"" and ""True Grit,"" died Wednesday. He was 82...$LABEL$0 +United, American agree to #39;de-peak #39; O #39;Hare Bowing to pressure from the US Department of Transportation, airlines that serve Chicago have agreed to cut the number of flights they send to O #39;Hare International Airport. The two most affected airlines are the only two that fly nonstop between O #39;Hare ...$LABEL$2 +Singh could overtake Woods as No. 1 AKRON, Ohio Vijay Singh can make official this week what most already believe: That he, not Tiger Woods, is the world #39;s No. 1 player. $LABEL$1 +Oil Above #36;47 After New Record (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices struck another record high\on Thursday and remained supported above #36;47 by a fall in U.S.\crude stockpiles and threats by insurgents in Iraq against oil\facilities.$LABEL$2 +Braves Edge Padres 6-5 (AP) AP - Andruw Jones hit a two-run homer off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves threw out the potential tying run at the plate for the final out Wednesday night, preserving a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the San Diego Padres.$LABEL$1 +Shaukat Aziz wins byelection, clears way to become Pakistan's prime minister (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - FATEH JANG, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's finance minister took an important step toward becoming the new prime minister by easily winning two byelections that give him a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for the post, state-run television reported Thursday. Opposition groups insisted the vote was rigged.$LABEL$0 +Techs Lead Stocks Rally as Oil Sets High SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares rallied on Thursday, with Taiwan jumping more than 3 percent, as technology issues chased a rise in their U.S. peers and investors showed resilience to record oil prices.$LABEL$2 +SUSAN TOMPOR: Now we #39;ll see if Google clicks Now Google-gawkers will start to discover if the much-hyped initial public offering was the great, equal-opportunity money maker for all mankind or one incredibly dopey deal. $LABEL$2 +Last Alpha chip to arrive on Monday HP IS TO release the final Alpha processor on Monday bringing to an end the chip that had a cult following for the last 14 years. $LABEL$3 +Remy International will sell its Williams Technologies unit Anderson (Star report) -- Remy International Inc. said Wednesday it has agreed to sell its US transmission remanufacturing operation, Williams Technologies Inc., to Caterpillar Inc. $LABEL$3 +Giant waves hurling boulders inland from British coasts: scientists Massive waves created by violent storms off Britain and Ireland are ripping off chunks of cliff and hurling them inland over distances scientists did not think possible. $LABEL$3 +Sony PSP Pushed Back to June 2005? August 18, 2004 - CNN #39;s latest Game Over column suggests that Sony may delay the US release of the PSP to June 2005: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick told investors yesterday that his company does not expect the PSP to launch in North America until the second ...$LABEL$3 +Two Greek sprinters withdraw ATHENS, GREECE -- Perhaps attempting to save their country further embarrassment and fearful of an impending ruling from the International Olympic Committee, two Greek sprinters abruptly withdrew from the Olympic Games on Wednesday. $LABEL$1 +Boot Room: At The Office KINGSTON, Jamaica -- An entire nation was a minute plus injury-time away from a massive party here Wednesday night. But when Brian Ching struck for his first international goal, Jamaica #39;s yellow-clad fanatics had to settle for the same old, same old ...$LABEL$1 +Fighting continues in Najaf At least five loud explosions have been heard near holy sites in the Iraqi city of Najaf. Sniper fire could also he heard coming from the area. $LABEL$0 +Anniversary of UN bombing puts spotlight on security problem for the United Nations UNITED NATIONS (AP) A year after the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad killed 22 people, the United Nations remains a target for attacks in Iraq and UN staff angrily allege that major security ...$LABEL$0 +Oil Above \$47 After New Record SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices struck another record high on Thursday and remained supported above \$47 by a fall in US crude stockpiles and threats by insurgents in Iraq against oil facilities. $LABEL$2 +US Airways chairman says airline could face liquidation The chairman of US Airways, David G. Bronner, said Wednesday that its employees must agree to a third round of wage and benefit cuts worth \$800 million in the next 30 days or the airline could be liquidated. $LABEL$2 +Qantas posts record profit SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia #39;s biggest airline Qantas has doubled its full-year profit on cost cuts and a pick-up in traffic, but the prospect of higher fuel costs has sent its shares down six percent. $LABEL$2 +Major bank #39;s layoffs felt in Hudson Valley Bank of America began cutting jobs Wednesday but officials would not confirm how many or where. But a spokeswoman said cuts were occurring, and would eventually reach 12,500, the same number given in spring when the merger became final. $LABEL$2 +Giant waves causing British boulder phenomena LONDON: Massive waves created by violent storms off Britain and Ireland are ripping off chunks of cliff and hurling them inland over distances scientists did not think possible. $LABEL$3 +Now Schoeman grabs silver SILVER FOR SA: Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands, centre, the gold medallist, with South Africa #39;s Roland Schoeman, silver, left, and Australia #39;s Ian Thorpe, who took the bronze, during the medal ceremony for the 100-metre freestyle at the ...$LABEL$1 +Moments of unforgettable Olympics Paul Hamm of the USA celebrates with his coach after scoring a 9.837 in the horizontal bar to claim victory in the men #39;s artistic gymnastics individual competition on August 18, 2004, during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at the Olympic Sports ...$LABEL$1 +Saulnier Continues Strong 2004 Showing Seventh-seeded Cyril Saulnier advanced to his sixth ATP quarterfinal this season with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) victory yesterday over Gilles Elseneer in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at the William HG FitzGerald Tennis Center. $LABEL$1 +Mickelson not giving up on award he wants Having captured the PGA Championship for his fifth victory of the season, Vijay Singh believes he has wrapped up player of the year awards barring an exceptional finish. $LABEL$1 +THE HOUR: When Time Isn #39;t on Israel #39;s Side Some 20 years ago, Ehud Olmert now deputy prime minister of Israel, recently mayor of Jerusalem, back then a rising star in Israel #39;s right-wing firmament was among the principal speakers at a United Jewish Appeal event in ...$LABEL$0 +Georgia Says Six Soldiers Killed in Rebel Region TBILISI (Reuters) - Overnight clashes killed six Georgian servicemen in the rebel South Ossetia region, which Tbilisi is trying to bring back under government control, Deputy Security Minister Gigi Ugulava said on Thursday. $LABEL$0 +Megapixels Gone Mad? Sony's new Cyber-shot P150 raises the bar for high-resolution cameras at affordable prices.$LABEL$3 +Two Polish Soldiers Dead, Five Injured in Iraq -PAP (Reuters) Reuters - Two Polish soldiers were killed and five\injured in a road accident in Hilla after their patrol was\fired on near their Babylon base in southern Iraq, Polish news\agency PAP said on Thursday, citing a military spokesman.$LABEL$0 +'Breathing gene' cot death link Researchers have identified more genetic mutations that appear to be linked with cot death.$LABEL$0 +Gujurat riot retrial due to begin A fresh trial of Hindus accused of burning to death Muslims during the 2002 Gujarat riots is due to begin in Bombay.$LABEL$0 +SEC Orders Mutual Funds to Cease Incentive Pay The Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday ordered mutual funds to stop paying higher commissions to brokers who promote the companies #39; funds. The agency also required portfolio managers to reveal investments in funds they ...$LABEL$2 +Air Canada Stock Plummets on Review MONTREAL (Reuters) - Shares of Air Canada (AC.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) fell by more than half on Wednesday, after the Toronto Stock Exchange said it was reviewing the company #39;s stock to determine if it meets listing requirements. $LABEL$2 +Parmalat sues ex-auditors MILAN (Reuters) - Parmalat is suing its former auditors Deloitte amp; Touche and Grant Thornton, claiming damages of quot;at least \$10 billion quot; and broadening a legal battle to claw back funds from financial partners which it says ...$LABEL$2 +Japanese Stocks Rise for a 3rd Day; Asahi Glass, Daiei Advance Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks rose for a third day, as Asahi Glass Co. and Nippon Mining Holdings Inc. raised their earnings forecasts, sparking optimism domestic economic growth will support profits. $LABEL$2 +Mbeki deal holds out new hope for Ivory Coast South African President Thabo Mbeki concluded four-day talks with all parties in the Ivory Coast conflict on Monday, announcing that agreement on a four-point plan had been reached.$LABEL$0 +Musharraf: Speed up Iraq exit plan LONDON, England -- The US-led coalition must speed up its quot;exit strategy quot; from Iraq by accelerating the training of local security forces, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said.$LABEL$0 +Baseball Today (AP) AP - Atlanta at Los Angeles (10:10 p.m. EDT). The National League division leaders meet in the opener of a four-game series.$LABEL$1 +Report Expected to Blame 24 in Iraq Abuse WASHINGTON - Two dozen people will be blamed by an Army investigation into the abuse of inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, says a senior defense official. The official, who spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity, provided no details of the report...$LABEL$0 +Marlins Defeat Dodgers 6-4 LOS ANGELES - Pinch-hitter Lenny Harris delivered a three-run double off Eric Gagne with two outs in the ninth inning, rallying the Florida Marlins past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 Wednesday night. It was only Gagne's second blown save in 100 chances dating to Aug...$LABEL$0 +Irish eyes WE stand on the brink of a historic agreement on Northern Ireland. (Depending on how fast events move today, by teatime we could be celebrating an established fact.$LABEL$0 +File-sharing not a threat to musicians and artists Internet file sharing has been one of the hottest-burning controversies for years. A new survey of musicians and artists promises to throw gas on the fire.$LABEL$3 +Indian shares to notch long-term gains as global investors line up (AFP) AFP - Indian shares, Asia's second top performers last year, are poised for long-term gains as foreign investors buy into the market, seeing the country as an economic ""growth story,"" according to analysts.$LABEL$0 +Google IPO fails to find results it sought A humbled Google Inc. makes its market debut on the Nasdaq exchange this morning after raising \$1.67 billion in an initial public offering that fetched about half of what the Web search company had previously estimated.$LABEL$2 +Small investors scared off by exercise in stock democracy This was supposed to be the people's IPO, an exercise in shareholder democracy that would serve as a model for other companies seeking to go public without the suffocating embrace of Wall Street.$LABEL$2 +Right- and left-click politics The 2004 presidential race ended last week in a stunning defeat for Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry, as incumbent President George W. Bush cruised to an easy victory.$LABEL$2 +Big Dig jobs are nearing end of road More than a decade after thousands of construction workers began flocking to the Big Dig, Boston's \$14.6 billion roadway project is winding down -- and so are the jobs.$LABEL$2 +Johnson amp; Johnson missing out on stent sales Johnson amp; Johnson can't supply cardiac stents fast enough to capitalize on three recent recalls by archrival Boston Scientific Corp. , say cardiologists who use both companies' medical devices.$LABEL$2 +Janus settles; tab is \$226m DENVER -- Janus Capital Group Inc. said yesterday it has finalized a \$226.2 million settlement with state and federal regulators over allegations of improper market-timing trades.$LABEL$2 +SEC tells funds to end perks The Securities and Exchange Commission ordered mutual funds to stop paying higher commissions to brokers who promote the companies' funds and required portfolio managers to reveal investments in funds they supervise.$LABEL$2 +Delta says it will cut more jobs ATLANTA -- Struggling Delta Air Lines Inc. plans additional job cuts as part of its effort to avoid bankruptcy, chief executive Gerald Grinstein said yesterday in a memo to employees.$LABEL$2 +Logan may benefit from fewer O'Hare flights WASHINGTON -- Flight reductions by 16 major airlines serving O'Hare International Airport -- the result of two weeks of talks with the Transportation Department to alleviate traffic at the overburdened Chicago airport -- are expected to improve on-time performance nationwide, including at Logan International Airport in Boston, where schedules have suffered because of O'Hare delays, according to aviation officials and ...$LABEL$2 +Pact to organize workers expires at Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless, the largest US mobile-phone operator, said a four-year agreement that would have made it easier for workers to join unions has expired.$LABEL$2 +Prepare for stormy weather with a 'disaster file' As we watched television coverage of Hurricane Charley last weekend, my wife and I reminisced about a time nearly two decades ago when we lived in Florida and got the word to evacuate.$LABEL$2 +Lindows delays planned offering SAN DIEGO -- Software vendor Lindows Inc. formally postponed its initial public offering yesterday, citing adverse market conditions.$LABEL$2 +Making most of momentum To Lynn Sand, the decision by 3Com Corp. to move its worldwide headquarters to Marlborough a year ago was a sure sign that Massachusetts can lure businesses with the best of them.$LABEL$2 +IPod Music Player Winning Over Japan Fans (AP) AP - When Sony Corp. President Kunitake Ando showed off the new Walkman meant to counter the assault by Apple's iPod portable music player, he held the prized gadget at the gala event upside down.$LABEL$3 +High and mighty He was dead and buried 6 feet under the landing mat, and he knew it. quot;That's it, I'm done, quot; Paul Hamm told himself last night, after he'd tumbled from first to 12th with a slip of a foot on the vault.$LABEL$1 +Gagne blows his 2d save Pinch-hitter Lenny Harris delivered a three-run double off Eric Gagne with two outs in the ninth, rallying the Florida Marlins past the Dodgers, 6-4, last night in Los Angeles.$LABEL$1 +Millar gladly takes the fifth With each passing day, with each frozen rope he's been lacing, Kevin Millar has been sending a clear message to American League managers: Go ahead and walk David Ortiz. You'll be sorry.$LABEL$1 +Sweeping sensation The jarring image of a brooding David Ortiz angrily snapping his maple bat over his knee?$LABEL$1 +Purpose pitch It's a pitch she's been waiting 32 years to make. So when Maria Pepe, a skinny, stony-hearted, 44-year-old New Jersey hospital administrator winds up on the mound tomorrow to throw out the first pitch at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., the healing will be complete for an 11-year-old girl done wrong by Little League ...$LABEL$1 +Bowa's status with Phillies is shaky Larry Bowa's time as Philadelphia Phillies' manager could be running out. General manager Ed Wade declined to give Bowa an endorsement before last night's game against the Houston Astros, saying only, quot;He's the manager. quot; Told that comment can be interpreted many ways, Wade replied: quot;Interpret it any way you want. quot; The fiery Bowa has come under scrutiny because the injury-plagued ...$LABEL$1 +Bellhorn poised to make his return The Red Sox may get some urgent relief from their injury crisis as early as tomorrow with the return of Mark Bellhorn . The second baseman, whose left thumb was fractured Aug. 1 by a 94-mile-an-hour fastball from Minnesota closer Joe Nathan , recovered faster than expected and reported to Triple A Pawtucket last night for a rehabilitation assignment.$LABEL$1 +Belichick won't issue any passing grades Tom Brady delivered the signature play of the Patriots' first exhibition game. He dropped back, scrambled to his left, and with Eagles defender N.D. Kalu tugging at his jersey, whipped a spinning first down pass to David Patten .$LABEL$1 +Sanders excites Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are excited about the prospect of having Deion Sanders come out of retirement and be a part of their defensive backfield. The question now is: Will he take them up on their offer?$LABEL$1 +Court rules for BC in flap over exit fee Boston College cleared a major legal hurdle in its bid to join the Atlantic Coast Conference yesterday when a Massachusetts Superior Court judge issued summary judgment in favor of the school's attempt to depart the Big East next July under the old provisions of the conference's constitution.$LABEL$1 +Perk a flight of fancy In a world where enticements and incentives are abundant, it was stunning to hear players at the PGA Championship talk about the latest perk that took them by surprise. How about six free first-class, round-trip tickets to Ireland?$LABEL$1 +Philo puts finishing touch on elusive crown Swirling winds and 252 yards of a confounding downhill shot created quite a backup at Brae Burn Country Club's par-3 17th hole yesterday, player after player having to pursue shots that were blown off line. But when he got to the tee, Ron Philo Jr. wasn't about to complain about the delay.$LABEL$1 +Hard recovery from losses The Massachusetts golf community took a hit last week, losing two distinguished personalities. Ted Carangelo and Ted Kenerson were men of great spirit, devoted to their families, to their businesses, to their golf clubs, and most definitely to the integrity of the game.$LABEL$1 +Vana remains in hunt Frank Vana Jr. is the lone remaining Massachusetts entry in the US Amateur Championship after three days of play at a demanding Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.$LABEL$1 +Pro tours: The stops and the talk WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS Event: NEC Invitational Site: Firestone Country Club, South Course (7,230 yards, par 70), Akron, Ohio. Schedule: Today-Sunday. Purse: \$7 million. Winner's share: \$1.2 million. Television: ESPN (today-tomorrow, 3-7 p.m.) and Channel 4 (Saturday, 2-6 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30-6:30 p.m.). Last year: Darren Clarke won his second WGC title, beating Jonathan Kaye by four strokes. Last week: Vijay Singh ...$LABEL$1 +At least six Georgian soldiers killed in separatist region clashes (AFP) AFP - At least six Georgian soldiers were killed and seven wounded in overnight clashes in Georgia's separatist, pro-Russian region of South Ossetia, an official with the Georgian interior ministry told AFP.$LABEL$0 +Concerns detailed on climate change COPENHAGEN -- Rising sea levels, disappearing glaciers in the Alps, and more deadly heat waves are coming for Europeans because of global warming, Europe's environmental agency warned yesterday. The European Environment Agency said much more needs to be done -- and fast. Climate change quot;will considerably affect our societies and environments for decades and centuries to come, quot; its 107-page report ...$LABEL$0 +8 British terror suspects brought to court LONDON -- Eight men charged with conspiracy to murder in a trans-Atlantic terror plot made their first court appearance yesterday in a case that has added to the fierce debate over Britain's terrorism laws and heightened fears in the country's Islamic community of an anti-Muslim backlash.$LABEL$0 +Militants in video threaten to kill journalist BAGHDAD -- A militant group said it has kidnapped a missing Western journalist with Boston-area ties and would kill him if US forces did not leave the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf within 48 hours, Al-Jazeera reported yesterday.$LABEL$0 +Report won't put blame on top brass WASHINGTON -- A long-awaited report on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal will implicate about two dozen military intelligence soldiers and civilian contractors in the intimidation and sexual humiliation of Iraq war prisoners, but will not suggest wrongdoing by military brass outside the prison, senior defense officials said yesterday.$LABEL$0 +Interim assembly selected in Iraq BAGHDAD -- Taking a halting step toward a democratic government, Iraqi political and religious leaders selected an interim national assembly yesterday that includes representatives from many of the parties that control the current government.$LABEL$0 +Terror suspects' photos shown ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Photos were published yesterday in newspapers across Pakistan of six terror suspects, including a senior Al Qaeda operative, the government says were behind attempts to assassinate the nation's president.$LABEL$0 +New Jersey Nets Team Report - December 7 (Sports Network) - The New Jersey Nets try for their third consecutive win this evening when they head to Cleveland to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers at Gund Arena.$LABEL$1 +Harris' Double Leads Marlins Past Dodgers (AP) AP - Lenny Harris has come up with clutch hits throughout his record-breaking career as a pinch hitter. His three-run double off Eric Gagne was a bit more special than most. Harris pushed his major league record for pinch hits to 190 Wednesday night, lining a bases-clearing double into right-center with two outs in the ninth to rally the Florida Marlins past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4.$LABEL$1 +Van Den Hoogenband and Popov Out of 50m Freestyle ATHENS (Reuters) - Olympic 100 meters freestyle champion Pieter van den Hoogenband and world champion Alexander Popov were both eliminated in the heats of the men's 50 meters freestyle in a major shock in the Olympic swimming pool on Thursday.$LABEL$1 +Food prices rise on second day of blockade of Nepal's capital (AFP) AFP - A blockade of the Nepalese capital called by Maoist rebels entered a second day, causing a rise in food prices and prompting the government to declare the city had enough supplies for a month.$LABEL$0 +Magnificent Seven composer dies Movie composer Elmer Bernstein, creator of The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, dies aged 82.$LABEL$0 +Rite-Aid slapped after warning CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Rite Aid were hurting pretty good early Tuesday, falling about 5 percent after the drugstore chain warned that weak sales trends could bring its fiscal 2005 numbers in well below previous hopes.$LABEL$2 +Google prices its shares at \$85 WASHINGTON Google closed the unusual auction for its shares yesterday and prepared for its stock to begin trading at \$85 per share, after weaker-than-expected demand from investors forced it to drastically slash the price and size of ...$LABEL$2 +CIBC sale of Juniper completes US retail retreat Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce sold its last retail banking operation in the United States yesterday, ending a brief, but tumultuous, foray south of the border. $LABEL$2 +Ford dumps Oracle CAR FIRM Ford has given up trying to integrate Oracle #39;s Everest system into its networks as a bad job. $LABEL$3 +Henry the turtle heads for the sea - and fame Malaysia - A turtle named Henry headed for the South China Sea one recent moonless night. He was one hour old and not much bigger than a bug, but his flat-flippered dash down the beach showed a determination to live bred into him by ...$LABEL$3 +Hamm #39;s comeback America #39;s Olympic moment Because rarely is a rally so improbable, even the man who pulled it off didn #39;t believe he could. On the same day he crash-landed on the vault and dropped to 12th place, Hamm nailed his final two routines Wednesday evening to claim ...$LABEL$1 +Olympics Notebook: Kenteris, Thanou withdraw after ducking drug tests ATHENS, Greece -- A dark cloud over the Games lifted yesterday as Greece #39;s top two sprinters pulled out rather than face expulsion over a missed drug test. $LABEL$1 +Harris #39; pinch double off Gagne leads Marlins past Dodgers Lenny Harris has come up with clutch hits throughout his record-breaking career as a pinch hitter. His three-run double off Eric Gagne was a bit more special than most. $LABEL$1 +NL notebook: Pettitte out for season; Clemens hurt The same day the Houston Astros announced that pitcher Andy Pettitte would have surgery on his troublesome left elbow next week, Roger Clemens left last night #39;s game against the Philadelphia Phillies with a strained right calf. $LABEL$1 +Google will float at \$85 a share Google's IPO share price is set at \$85, the bottom of its projected range, as the internet search engine goes public.$LABEL$3 +Doom 3 unleashes hell Doom 3 combines hectic gameplay with genuine shocks to deliver a deliciously uncomfortable gaming experience.$LABEL$3 +Lindows Postpones IPO Its legal battles over, the software vendor will focus on sales until the market ripens.$LABEL$3 +Pakistan minister poised to become PM after by-election wins (AFP) AFP - The way was clear for Pakistan's Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to become prime minister after unofficial results showed he had secured a seat in parliament's lower house by winning two by-elections.$LABEL$0 +Israeli PM defies party rebellion Israel's Ariel Sharon says he will push ahead with plans for Gaza disengagement, despite a rebuke from his Likud party.$LABEL$0 +Google Overcomes Regulatory, Marketing Gaffes to Do IPO Its Way Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The founders of Google Inc. did it their way, and then they paid the price. Sergey Brin, 30, and Larry Page, 31, completed an initial public offering of the largest Internet search firm yesterday using an unorthodox Dutch auction ...$LABEL$2 +Logan may benefit from fewer O #39;Hare flights WASHINGTON -- Flight reductions by 16 major airlines serving O #39;Hare International Airport -- the result of two weeks of talks with the Transportation Department to alleviate traffic at the ...$LABEL$2 +More Mars secrets uncovered The hills of Mars have yielded fresh clues about how water shaped the Red Planet. Scientists at NASA #39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, revealed that the robotic explorers Spirit and Opportunity each made discoveries which indicate that water has ...$LABEL$3 +Sprint stars create new Greek tragedy ATHENS, Greece -- It was just after 8 am Wednesday, and across the street from the downtown Hilton, hundreds of media waited for the ultimate Greek tragedy to reach its sad conclusion. $LABEL$1 +American fouls out OLYMPIA, Greece - When this whole Olympic thing started, the winner of its single event, a 210-yard sprint, would have his name used to identify the Games rather than the year. For instance, 776 BC was the Coroibos Games because ...$LABEL$1 +England 3, Ukraine 0 David Beckham and Michael Owen went about making their peace with England #39;s deflated supporters last night with a goal apiece to help launch England to victory against Ukraine. $LABEL$1 +Singh has put PGA to rest AKRON -- As the \$7 million NEC Invitational begins today on Firestone County Club #39;s South Course, there is bad news for the 75 players in the field who aren #39;t Vijay Singh. $LABEL$1 +Buses defy rebel blockade of Nepal #39;s capital KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - A heavily guarded convoy of six buses snaked its way out of Nepal #39;s capital Thursday, the first vehicles to defy Maoist rebels who blockaded Katmandu this week with threats alone and without setting up a single roadblock. $LABEL$0 +Australian Foreign Minister Upbeat on North Korea Nuclear Talks Australia #39;s foreign minister says North Korea shows few signs of compromise but insists a negotiated settlement can still resolve the dispute over Pyongyang #39;s nuclear weapons. $LABEL$0 +Typhoon Megi kills 12 TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Heavy rain from typhoon Megi has lashed South Korea and Japan, prompting the evacuation of some 3,000 people and leaving at least 12 dead. Some 165 Japanese children were trapped at a nature centre. $LABEL$0 +Baghdad bombs still haunt UN GENEVAUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday met survivors and families of the 22 workers killed in a suicide bombing that shattered United Nations offices in Baghdad last year an attack many employees refer to as quot;our Sept. 11. quot; ...$LABEL$0 +Virtual gaming worlds overtake Namibia Inhabitants of virtual worlds are giving the games they play real economic power, a study has found.$LABEL$3 +Kerry Blames Rising Health Costs for Job Losses (Reuters) Reuters - Democrat John Kerry, citing a newly\commissioned study, said on Thursday that rising health care\expenses have cost American jobs and President Bush has done\nothing to solve the problem.$LABEL$0 +Bankrupt Commerce One Patents Fetch \$15.5M Bankrupt Internet software maker Commerce One Inc. auctioned off dozens of prized online patents for \$15.5 million in a sale that could provoke a legal scuffle over whether the new owner is entitled to collect royalties from a long list of technology heavyweights.$LABEL$3 +Amazon.com Experiences Sporadic Outage Some customers had trouble reaching Amazon.com's Web site on Monday in what analysts described as probable technical difficulties for the world's largest online retailer during the crucial holiday selling season.$LABEL$3 +EU backs Lamy for trade position The European Commission is backing its former trade commissioner Pascal Lamy to become the next head of the World Trade Organisation.$LABEL$2 +Tokyo Stocks Close Up for Third Day (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese shares rose for a third straight\day on Thursday, advancing over one percent as a rally on Wall\Street encouraged buying of technology issues such as Toshiba\Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical$LABEL$2 +Tokyo Stocks Close Up for Third Day TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese shares rose for a third straight day on Thursday, advancing over one percent as a rally on Wall Street encouraged buying of technology issues such as Toshiba Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical$LABEL$2 +Lindows Postpones IPO (PC World) PC World - Its legal battles over, the software vendor will focus on sales until the market ripens.$LABEL$3 +Israel's Top Court Upholds Dropping of Sharon Case (Reuters) Reuters - Israel's High Court said on Thursday\it was upholding a decision by the country's attorney-general\to drop a bribery case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.$LABEL$0 +Israel's Top Court Upholds Dropping of Sharon Case JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's High Court said on Thursday it was upholding a decision by the country's attorney-general to drop a bribery case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.$LABEL$0 +New Fingerprint Scans Expand to Borders Foreigners entering the United States zipped through the lines at the main port here and several other locations in Arizona and California as a new digital screening program went into effect.$LABEL$3 +Clashes Erupt in Najaf Despite Peace Plan NAJAF, Iraq - Sporadic gunfire and explosions boomed through Najaf on Thursday despite a peace deal in which radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr agreed to disarm his militiamen and pull them out of a revered Shiite shrine they've been taking refuge in. As clashes in Najaf continued, Arab television station Al-Jazeera aired a video Thursday showing a militant group that called itself the Martyrs Brigade vowing to kill a missing Western journalist if U.S...$LABEL$0 +Debit Cards Give Plastic Edge Over Paper 2003 was the first time plastic and other electronic payment methods beat out checks, according to a survey released yesterday by the Federal Reserve.$LABEL$3 +More Web Shopping Is What's in Store The retail sector overall may be reporting a sluggish start to the season, but holiday shoppers are scooping up tech goods at a brisk pace -- and they're scouring the Web for bargains more than ever. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +NY Atty General Spitzer to Run for Gov. NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will announce on Tuesday he will run for governor of the state in 2006, a spokeswoman said.$LABEL$2 +Treasury Prices Falter Before Auctions NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasuries faltered on Tuesday after a blistering two-session rally ran out of steam, though analysts still saw room to the upside given the large short-base in the market.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Awaits Data, Yen Down from Peak LONDON (Reuters) - The yen held close to the previous session's four-week high against the dollar on Thursday while the dollar held steady on the euro as investors awaited U.S. labor and manufacturing data due later. The Japanese currency rose to a high of 109.28 per dollar late on Wednesday, as cross currents in the market, mainly from a steep sterling fall, forced yen sellers to buy the Japanese currency back, pushing it higher against the dollar.$LABEL$2 +Maoist rebel blockade begins to pinch Nepal capital (Reuters) Reuters - Maoist rebels kept vehicles off roads leading to Nepal's capital for a second day on Thursday and residents said fuel was being rationed and food prices had begun to rise.$LABEL$0 +China Bans Video Game for Breach of Sovereignty BEIJING (Reuters) - China, sensitive about issues of national sovereignty, has banned a computer sports game that classifies Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet as countries and has threatened to fine Web sites that supply the game and net cafes that let patrons download it.$LABEL$3 +After Wait, Google Set for Market Debut NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. will make their Nasdaq stock market debut on Thursday after the year #39;s most anticipated initial public offering priced far below initial estimates, raising \$1.67 billion. $LABEL$2 +Qantas posts record annual profit SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Qantas profits soared to a record 648.8 million Australian dollars (US\$463.8 million, euro 376 million) in the past fiscal year, thanks to rising passenger numbers despite fears of Iraq war-related terrorism and the aftermath of ...$LABEL$2 +Pentagon backs off threat to withhold Halliburton fees WASHINGTON - The Army has abruptly reversed itself and decided to pay all of Halliburton Co. #39;s fees to house and feed US troops in Iraq and Kuwait after the company threatened to legally challenge the effort to penalize it. $LABEL$2 +A Long Goodbye at Equifax Give them credit, they #39;re starting the CEO search with plenty of lead time. Early in the day on Aug. 18, Thomas F. Chapman, chairman and CEO of Equifax, stated his intention to retire sometime in late 2005, according to a company statement. While such an ...$LABEL$2 +Real slashes Music Prices RealNetworks has slashed the price for downloading music taking the online music market competition a step further. $LABEL$3 +Texas Firm Targets Teens With Package Of Digital Features Teenagers tend to like instant messaging, TV watching, net surfing, music listening, and shopping, so an Austin, Texas, company has decided to package digital features coveted by teenagers in a PC targeted specifically at teenaged ...$LABEL$3 +Hamm gold by a sliver ATHENS - Paul Hamm feared he had blown a shot for a medal when he stumbled at the end of his performance in the vault, his fourth event in the six-event men #39;s individual all-around final. But the freckle-faced gymnast from Wisconsin ...$LABEL$1 +Hamilton Wins Olympic Time Trial Tyler Hamilton (United States) is the Olympic time trial champion. The man from Marblehead, who crashed out of the 2004 Tour de France, rode away his disappointment by drawing away from defending champion Vyatcheslav Ekimov (Russia) in ...$LABEL$1 +Singh closes in on Tiger AKRON, Ohio - Having closed the gap to a mere one-tenth of a point, Vijay Singh needs only to finish ahead of Tiger Woods at the NEC Invitational, starting today, to end Woods #39; record run as the No. 1-ranked player in the world. $LABEL$1 +Hewitt drives home his return point WASHINGTON - It #39;s night, under the lights at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, and No. 2 seed Lleyton Hewitt is still wearing his white cap backward, the bill of it running down the back of his sweating neck. $LABEL$1 +Wright-Phillips left wanting more Shaun Wright-Phillips has set his sights on being picked for England #39;s World Cup qualifiers after scoring on a scintillating debut for his country. $LABEL$1 +US wings it in Caribbean For the bulk of the 89 minutes that the US National Team went without a goal against an inspired Jamaican side, chances were created -- some of the golden opportunity nature -- but none were converted. And it nearly put the Americans behind the proverbial ...$LABEL$1 +Poles killed after Iraq ambush WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Two Polish troops have been killed and five injured when their vehicles crashed as they were trying to escape an ambush in the central Iraqi city of Hillah, a military spokesman said. $LABEL$0 +Terror suspect killed during interrogation in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A Pakistani religious leader, allegedly linked with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, has died here in police custody, local media reported Thursday. $LABEL$0 +Italy in Hot Seat on Possible Misreporting (AP) AP - The European Union head office said Tuesday it had concerns over Italian budget deficit figures, only a week after Greece was challenged over alleged sloppy bookkeeping and possible underreporting of deficit figures.$LABEL$0 +Virgin plans China mobile service Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson says the firm is in talks with a Chinese company over starting a mobile phone service in mainland China.$LABEL$3 +Is IBM PC sell off preparation for a Power chip attack? <strong>Opinion</strong> A chip on the shoulder?$LABEL$3 +Leadtek WinFast PX6600TD GeForce 6600 card <strong>Review</strong> Mid-range features, performance for under 100?$LABEL$3 +Massive game advertising startup to aid desperate brands <strong>Analysis</strong> Product placement in computer and console games$LABEL$3 +Dollar Awaits Data, Yen Down from Peak LONDON (Reuters) - The yen held close to the previous session's four-week high against the dollar on Thursday while the dollar held steady on the euro as investors awaited U.S. labor and manufacturing data due later. $LABEL$2 +Giddens earns US silver in kayaking Rebecca Giddens made a final charge that nearly landed her a gold medal, but in the end the American settled for silver in yesterday's kayaking single slalom.$LABEL$1 +Estrada gets in some light work Jason Estrada had the perfect opponent last night. An inexperienced one. The Pan Am Games gold medalist had not fought in two months because of a thumb injury and a case of plantar fasciitis that curtailed both his training and his aerobic workouts, and that layoff had his coaches concerned. Unable to run until recently, the Providence, R.I., ...$LABEL$1 +Withdrawal for Greek sprinters Two of Greece's most famous athletes and their coach made their first public appearance here yesterday only to withdraw from the Olympic Games rather than face a panel charged with looking into a possible doping violation.$LABEL$1 +Rhode targets a final gold for US Kim Rhode earned the United States a gold medal in double trap shooting yesterday, staking a unique claim as the first and last winner of the Olympic event.$LABEL$1 +Transactions BASEBALL Arizona (NL): Placed C Koyie Hill on the 15-day DL; purchased contract of C Chris Snyder from El Paso (Texas League). Baltimore (AL): Placed OF Larry Bigbie and 2B-OF Jerry Hairston on the 15-day DL; recalled OF Darnell McDonald from Ottawa (IL); purchased contract of OF Val Majewski from Bowie (EL). Houston (NL): Placed P Andy Pettitte on the ...$LABEL$1 +Silver lining melts foul mood US shot-putter Adam Nelson stood outside the throwing circle, his hands on the back of his head, his hopes just dashed by a foul on a throw that would have won the gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Pair of US squads advance to finals By just two ticks of the clock yesterday morning, the US rowing team squeezed two entries into this weekend's Olympic finals on an otherwise empty day.$LABEL$1 +Dominicans shock US women In an early morning match before a handful of fans, the US women's volleyball team, ranked first in the world, lost to the Dominican Republic, 26-24, 22-25, 27-25, 23-25, 19-17. The US had not lost to the Dominicans, ranked 13th, since 1999 and did not try to dress up one of the biggest upsets of the Games, a loss arguably ...$LABEL$1 +Israeli Court Upholds Decision on Sharon (AP) AP - Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the attorney general's decision to clear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a corruption case, Israel Radio reported.$LABEL$0 +US denies Ukraine interference US Secretary of State Colin Powell rejects Russian claims that the West wants more influence in Ukraine.$LABEL$0 +Octopus Doesn't Give Up on Motherhood (AP) AP - It was a May-December romance that really had legs: Young Aurora, a female giant octopus and her aging cephalopod suitor J-1 were thrown together for a blind date seven months ago by aquarists who hoped the two would mate.$LABEL$3 +Karzai Sworn in as Afghanistan President KABUL (Reuters) - Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president Tuesday, promising to bring peace to the war-torn nation and end the economy's dependence on narcotics.$LABEL$0 +Megawati's party seals deal with Golkar to dominate Indonesia's parliament (AFP) AFP - President Megawati Sukarnoputri forged a pact with Indonesia's largest political group Golkar to form a bloc that will dominate parliament but is seen as unlikely to ensure her reelection.$LABEL$0 +Lenovo May Be in Acquisition Talks With IBM (AP) AP - China's biggest computer maker said Tuesday it is in acquisition talks with a major international technology company, a disclosure which comes amid reports it might buy IBM Corp.'s personal computer business.$LABEL$3 +Merger may axe Fleet jobs BOSTON -- Although published reports yesterday claimed that Bank of America Corp. plans to layoff hundreds of employees at Fleet Banks throughout Massachusetts, Fall River area branches had not received official word by closing time Wednesday, according ...$LABEL$2 +JJB Shares Drop: Profit May Be 20 Less Than Forecast (Update2) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of JJB Sports Plc, Britain #39;s largest sporting-goods retailer, had their biggest decline in at least two years after the company said profit this fiscal year may be about 20 percent less than forecast amid declining sales. $LABEL$2 +Workplace beware THE LABOR Department #39;s trumpeting of its new regulations governing overtime, which go into effect next week, sounds a little tinny. $LABEL$2 +Saturn in Red This Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera view shows a half-lit Saturn, with two dark storms rolling through its southern hemisphere. The image was taken in visible red light on July 19, 2004, at a distance of 6.2 million kilometers (3.9 million miles) ...$LABEL$3 +Microsoft rolls out fresh Windows XP 64 beta WHILE MICROSOFT and AMD are suggesting it will be well into next year before the final version of WinXP 64 is released, yesterday it started offering a fresh preview edition of its up-and-coming software which now supports both Intel and AMD 64-bit ...$LABEL$3 +Athletes positive coach is to blame ATHENS - They weren #39;t our own tarnished heroes this time, they were bad actors in an overwritten Greek tragedy. But outside the Athens Hilton yesterday morning off the downtown boulevard called Vasillias Sofia, the scene was all too familiar. So were the ...$LABEL$1 +Nelson #39;s day left in ruins He was leading a procession of Olympic shot-putters, thick-bodied, thick-necked men who were about to enter a dirt-floored den of antiquity, and be immersed in history that was as palpable as the crumbling columns and fading marble slabs. $LABEL$1 +Pedal to the medals Vouliagmeni, Greece - The second-fastest move Tyler Hamilton made Wednesday was hopping off the gold-medal platform and running - hobbling, really - to his wife, Haven. $LABEL$1 +Tennis: Australia #39;s Hewitt reaches quarter-finals at Washington tennis WASHINGTON : Lleyton Hewitt further polished his form on hardcourt with the US Open drawing near, earning a 6-3, 6-2 second-round win against Colombian Alejandro Falla at the 500,000-dollar Washington Open. $LABEL$1 +Sharon presses on with Gaza plan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to press ahead with his Gaza pullout plan despite a humiliating rebuff from his own party of his bid to forge a coalition with the pro-withdrawal Labour Party. $LABEL$0 +Maoist Rebel Blockade Begins to Pinch Nepal Capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Maoist rebels kept vehicles off roads leading to Nepal #39;s capital for a second day on Thursday and residents said fuel was being rationed and food prices had begun to rise. $LABEL$0 +One dead, four missing as Typhoon Megi hits S.Korea SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- One died and four others went missing as Typhoon Megi hit South Korea #39;s southern provinces with strong winds and heavy rains, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Thursday. $LABEL$0 +First Look: MusicMatch Jukebox's Impressive Version 10 (PC World) PC World - Free software helps organize large music collections.$LABEL$3 +In Brief: Sleepycat releases Berkeley DB XML 2.0 (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Sleepycat Software this week announced the general availability of Berkeley DB XML 2.0, a major upgrade to its open source database for telecommunication infrastructure and enterprise data centers. This release adds support for XQuery 1.0, an emerging standard for XML data access, as well as improvements in performance and usability. Other enhancements include support for XPath 2.0, which allows the selection of a portion of an XML document, and support for the PHP API, which enables developers using the PHP scripting languages to work with XML documents.$LABEL$3 +Garrison Gets New Contract; King Retires (AP) AP - Zina Garrison was given a one-year contract to stay on as U.S. Fed Cup captain, while Billie Jean King retired Tuesday as a coach for the team.$LABEL$1 +Netanyahu backs Sharon #39;s plan for coalition with Labor Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his support Tuesday to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on his plan to invite the Labor Party into a unity government, Ha #39;aretz reported, citing an aide of Sharon.$LABEL$0 +Weightlifters Test Positive for Drugs Before Games ATHENS (Reuters) - Five weightlifters tested positive for drugs before the Athens Olympics and were banned from the Games.$LABEL$1 +Internet patents sold at S.F. auction (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - A group called JGR Acquisition made the winning, #36;15.5 million bid Monday for a batch of obscure but potentially important patents covering technologies for Internet business transactions.$LABEL$3 +Tributes paid to Belgium #39;s #39;magic #39; football coach The Belgian press paid tribute to Raymond Goethals on Tuesday, describing him as the magician and looking back on his teams many victories.$LABEL$1 +Williams #39;Hungary #39; for success British heavyweight hope Danny Williams believes the key to beating WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and becoming the heavyweight champion of the world in Las Vegas on December 11 is his hunger and desire to succeed.$LABEL$1 +'E-Junk' Recycling Still in Its Infancy (AP) AP - When Office Depot, Inc. stores ran an electronics recycling drive last summer that accepted everything from cell phones to televisions, some stores were overwhelmed by the amount of e-trash they received.$LABEL$3 +IBM triples transistor performance with germanium IBM has successfully demonstrated a new technique for improving transistor performance that will help the company build smaller, more powerful chips in the next decade, company researchers said yesterday.$LABEL$3 +Outsourcing growth predicted at 5.9 a year IT job exports are forecast to increase by a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 between 2002 and the end of 2004, said Frost amp; Sullivan.$LABEL$3 +AMD to switch on better Opteron power management Computers with AMD #39;s Opteron processor will soon be able to take advantage of the same power management technology the company has already built into its laptop and desktop microchips.$LABEL$3 +Update 1: Toshiba, Memory-Tech Develop New DVD Two Japanese companies said Tuesday they have developed a DVD that can play on both existing machines and the upcoming high-definition players, raising hopes for a smooth transition as more people dump old TV sets for better screens.$LABEL$3 +Putin Opines on Iraq Election Date (AP) AP - President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday he could not imagine how Iraqi elections scheduled for Jan. 30 could be held under current conditions.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Crude Sets New Record: \$47.52/Barrel LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. crude prices rose to another new record on Thursday, rising 25 cents to \$47.52 a barrel on evidence that high prices are not hurting world oil demand growth.$LABEL$2 +UK mortgage lending breaks record Home loan borrowing continued to surge in July, the Council of Mortgage Lenders says.$LABEL$2 +Google IPO priced at \$85 a share NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -- Internet search engine Google has announced it will go public at \$85 a share, paving the way for the widely awaited but troubled stock offering to finally stumble to market on Thursday. $LABEL$2 +After the IPO, Google may need to invest in itself SAN FRANCISCO Google #39;s star-crossed stock offering is making high-tech history. But will its cash windfall help make it a permanent part of Silicon Valley lore despite mounting competition and a tepid market? ...$LABEL$2 +Microsoft tries to clear confusion over SP2 A week after releasing Windows XP Service Pack 2 to enterprises, Microsoft is trying to quell confusion over an apparent security flaw and applications that won #39;t work without adjustments. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft Unveils 64-Bit Windows Beta Microsoft has made available the latest builds of its 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, which each features a handful of new improvements including the Luna user interface, Windows Messenger, Windows Media ...$LABEL$3 +Return to Ancient Greece enthralls athletes OLYMPIA, GREECE -- Brad Snyder #39;s shot put travelled just more than 19 metres, but the arc of its flight spanned more than 1,600 years. $LABEL$1 +Roddick, Venus make exits ATHENS -- Andy Roddick hit one final errant shot into the net and hung his head, his medal hopes over. A short while later, Venus Williams was gone, too. $LABEL$1 +Els takes aim at his putting LONDON -- Ernie Els has set his sights on an improved putting display this week at the World Golf Championships #39; NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio, after the disappointment of tying for fourth place at the PGA Championship last Sunday. $LABEL$1 +Doped Olympics weightlifters named ATHENS (Reuters) - The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has named the five who failed drugs tests before the Athens Olympics. $LABEL$1 +Salvadoran prison clashes leave at least 31 dead San Salvador -- At least 31 prisoners died and 23 were wounded yesterday during clashes between gang members and other inmates in El Salvador #39;s largest prison, officials said. $LABEL$0 +Customer boost for 3 despite loss Third-generation mobile phone network 3 reports a rise in its UK customer base to 1.2 million - but its Hong Kong parent firm is hit by heavy 3G losses.$LABEL$2 +Spending Cuts May Close Italy's Uffizi -Minister (Reuters) Reuters - Italy's culture minister has threatened to\shut down Florence's Uffizi museum, home of masterpieces by\Michelangelo and Botticelli, if the government doesn't scale\back planned spending cuts.$LABEL$0 +Searching for peace in Nigeria Rival community leaders meet in central Nigeria, the scene of bitter clashes earlier this year.$LABEL$0 +Sony Unveils New Flat TVs, Aims to Boost Share TOKYO (Reuters) - Electronics conglomerate Sony Corp. unveiled eight new flat-screen televisions on Thursday in a product push it hopes will help it secure a leading 35 percent of the domestic market in the key month of December.$LABEL$3 +India Says Rebel Chief Killed in Kashmir Gunbattle SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Indian soldiers killed the head of a guerrilla group fighting for Kashmir's merger with Pakistan in a gunbattle on Thursday, hours before President Abdul Kalam began a rare visit to the region, an official said.$LABEL$0 +Hong Kong chokes under thick smog \Hong Kong's government warns people with heart and respiratory problems to stay in as smog chokes the territory.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Crude Sets New Record: #36;47.52/Barrel (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. crude prices rose to another new\record on Thursday, rising 25 cents to #36;47.52 a barrel on\evidence that high prices are not hurting world oil demand\growth.$LABEL$2 +British retail sales decline for first time in over a year (AFP) AFP - British retail sales fell in July for the first time in over a year, official figures showed, providing further evidence that higher borrowing costs are dampening consumer activity.$LABEL$2 +Wall St. Seen Lower on Oil; Google Eyed PARIS (Reuters) - Sky-high oil prices are likely to pressure Wall Street once again on Thursday, while earnings news from tech giants Ciena <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=CIEN.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">CIEN.N</A> and Nortel <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NT.TO</A> and Google's <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> awaited Nasdaq debut will also steer sentiment.$LABEL$2 +It #39;s A Go For Google After months of missteps and fumbling with initial public offering via an unusual Web-based auction that bucked Wall Street conventions, the troubled pregnancy of Google, the search engine company, will finally be complete. $LABEL$2 +O #39;Hare to reduce flight arrivals Instead of cramming as many as 132 arrivals into an hour, airlines at O #39;Hare Airport agreed Wednesday to limit themselves to just 88 an hour this fall, potentially slashing record delays but raising the prospect of higher prices. $LABEL$2 +At least someone #39;s winning in this war News Item: quot;The US Army has threatened to partially withhold payments to Halliburton due to allegations of overcharges for food, shelter and services. quot; ...$LABEL$2 +Wall St. Seen Lower on Oil; Google Eyed (Reuters) Reuters - Sky-high oil prices are likely to\pressure Wall Street once again on Thursday, while earnings\news from tech giants Ciena (CIEN.N) and Nortel (NT.TO) and\Google's (GOOG.O) awaited Nasdaq debut will also steer\sentiment.$LABEL$2 +US Airways Chairman: Liquidation Possible (Reuters) Reuters - US Airways Group Inc.'s (UAIR.O)\chairman said employees must agree to #36;800 million in new wage\and benefit cuts within 30 days or the airline might be\liquidated, the New York Times said on Thursday, citing an\interview with Chairman David Bronner.$LABEL$2 +Outpost Firewall Pro Supports Microsoft Windows XP SP2 The upcoming Outpost Firewall Pro 2.5 operates seamlessly with XP SP2 to improve security and privacy. $LABEL$3 +More clues hint Mars watery past BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA #39;s Mars rovers have uncovered more clues about how water shaped the Red Planet, scientists said Wednesday. $LABEL$3 +Broadband reach to get broader Broadband will be as widely available as analogue TV by the middle of next year, according to BT. BT has struggled to extend the reach of broadband to certain areas of the country because until now 512Kbps ADSL connections would not work ...$LABEL$3 +PS2 price cut announcement, Xbox also cut Leipzig Game Convention in Germany, the stage for price-slash revelations. Sony has announced that it #39;s slashing the cost of PS2 in the UK and Europe to 104.99 GBP. $LABEL$3 +Caterpillar to Buy Williams Technologies Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. said Wednesday that its Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services unit will acquire Williams Technologies Inc., a remanufacturer of transmissions and engines, from Remy International Inc. for an undisclosed ...$LABEL$3 +Incomparable finish wins gold for gymnast Hamm ATHENS - With a disastrous landing on the vault that sent him stumbling off the mat and nearly into the judges #39; laps, Paul Hamm thought it was over. $LABEL$1 +Greek sprinters face wait to learn fate Greek sprint duo Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou will have to wait until after the Olympic Games to find out their fate following their missed drugs tests, according to athletics chief Arne Ljungqvist. $LABEL$1 +Doping Casts Shadow Over Olympics -- Again ATHENS (Reuters) - Doping cast its sleazy shadow over the Olympics again when it was announced on Thursday that five weightlifters had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. $LABEL$1 +Germany Looking at Citigroup Bond Trading BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's financial watchdog said on Thursday it was looking into recent trading by U.S. financial services group Citigroup <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=C.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">C.N</A> in European government bond and derivative markets, but had not started a formal probe.$LABEL$2 +Sony Unveils New Flat TVs, Aims to Boost Share (Reuters) Reuters - Electronics conglomerate Sony Corp.\unveiled eight new flat-screen televisions on Thursday in a\product push it hopes will help it secure a leading 35 percent\of the domestic market in the key month of December.$LABEL$3 +Nintendo patents key console online gaming features Newly granted IP extends 1999 Net-connected video game patent$LABEL$3 +TV project aims to kick-start 3G High-quality, affordable TV on mobiles could be just what 3G operators are looking for, say researchers.$LABEL$3 +Malaysia Confirms Deadly Bird Flu Found (AP) AP - Malaysia went on a nationwide alert against bird flu Thursday after officials confirmed that a deadly strain of the disease, blamed for the deaths of 27 people in Asia, had been found in a tiny northern village.$LABEL$0 +Iraq's Sadr Facing 'Final Hours' -Government NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's government warned Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Thursday he would face a military strike within hours unless he ended his uprising, disarmed his militia and quit a shrine in the city of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Harris' Double Leads Marlins Past Dodgers Lenny Harris has come up with clutch hits throughout his record-breaking career as a pinch hitter. His three-run double off Eric Gagne was a bit more special than most...$LABEL$0 +US Supreme Court hears dispute over interstate wine sales; Maine <b>...</b> The Supreme Court is considering whether states may bar people from buying wine directly from out-of-state suppliers, a big-money question that could lead to sweeping changes $LABEL$2 +Sprint Speeds Up Wireless Network Sprint (Quote, Chart) has awarded wireless equipment contracts totaling \$3 billion to Lucent (Quote, Chart), Motorola (Quote, Chart) and Nortel (Quote, Chart) to better compete in a sector reshaped by acquisitions and spectrum swaps.$LABEL$2 +After Wait, Google Set for Market Debut NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. will make their Nasdaq stock market debut on Thursday, with some market participants expecting a steady start or slight rise after the company #39;s initial public offering priced far below original estimates. $LABEL$2 +Oil Hits Record on China, India Demand LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a fresh record high above \$47 a barrel on Thursday as fresh evidence of demand growth in China and India underlined how rising appetite for oil is straining the world #39;s supply system. $LABEL$2 +Insurance Rates May Not Rise From Charley WEST PALM BEACH -- Hurricane Charley packed more punch than any storm not named Andrew, the Insurance Information Institute said Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +US Airways Chairman: Liquidation Possible NEW YORK (Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc. #39;s (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) chairman said employees must agree to \$800 million in new wage and benefit cuts within 30 days or the airline might be liquidated, the New York Times said on Thursday, citing ...$LABEL$2 +Hutchison Says Net More Than Doubles on Asset Sales (Update4) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing #39;s biggest company, said first-half profit more than doubled on gains from asset sales. The company added users at unprofitable high-speed wireless networks in Europe at a ...$LABEL$2 +Google and founders will profit from IPO despite controversies As reports FinanceGates.com, the largest Web search engine Google Inc. is going to reach \$1.67 billion in its initial public offering on Thursday selling 19.6 million shares at \$85 each. Still, analysts consider shares to be overpriced. $LABEL$2 +Mortgage applications rise US mortgage applications climbed 12 percent last week as the lowest mortgage rates in four months prompted consumers to buy homes and refinance loans. $LABEL$2 +New McD offerings come in waves McDonald #39;s took further steps to jazz things up for its customers Wednesday, unveiling a new cashless payment service and expanding the test of deli-style sandwiches at US restaurants. $LABEL$2 +Update 1: Philippine Shares End Higher The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index ended up 16.90 points, or 1.1 percent, at 1,573.27, after giving up 2.4 percent in the past two sessions, including Wednesday #39;s 0.7 percent loss. $LABEL$2 +Germany looking at Citigroup bond trading,no probe BERLIN, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Germany #39;s financial watchdog said on Thursday it was looking into recent trading by US financial services group Citigroup (CN: Quote, Profile, Research) in European government bond and derivative markets, but had not started a ...$LABEL$2 +Retail sales fall more than expected LONDON (Reuters) - Retail sales fell more than expected in July and for the first time in over a year as poor weather pushed down clothing sales sharply. $LABEL$2 +Bluetooth flying bot creates buzz The micro flyer is the next version of the robot by the Japanese technology firm that wowed crowds with last year. $LABEL$3 +Broadband increases its reach, says BT With broadband access an increasingly critical requirement in running a business, BT said as many as 78,000 more West Midland homes and businesses will be brought within reach of its broadband service next month. $LABEL$3 +Malaysia sets up sanctuary for sea turtles Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Malaysia has set aside 60 hectares of land off the east coast state of Terengganu to help conserve its dwindling number of endangered sea turtles. $LABEL$3 +Cornice countersues Seagate Cornice has countersued hard drive rival Seagate, the maker of micro hard drives said yesterday. In a complaint filed with the US District Court for Delaware, the Cornice asked the court not only to determine that certain Seagate patents are invalid but ...$LABEL$3 +Linking remote SME workers to their office networks KUALA LUMPUR: Juniper Networks Inc has introduced solutions that it claimed would provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a secure, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy method for remote employees to access corporate networks. $LABEL$3 +Summer of spam surges For spammers, it #39;s been a summer of love. Two newly issued reports tracking the circulation of unsolicited e-mails say pornographic spam dominated this summer, nearly all of it originating from Internet addresses in North America. $LABEL$3 +Greeks named in Balco e-mail The Greek sprinters who withdrew from the Olympic Games yesterday were named in an e-mail exchange between Balco Laboratories owner Victor Conte Jr. and a Greek track and field coach, two sources familiar with the case said. $LABEL$1 +Brits to Challenge Hoy Gold Great Britain #39;s three-day eventing team have joined forces with France and the USA to challenge the gold medal claims of Germany and Bettina Hoy. $LABEL$1 +Athletes To Watch Brendan Hansen, United States, swimming The former UT swimmer goes for the gold in the 200-meter breaststroke. The world-record holder at 100 and 200 meters, Hansen won the silver in the 100 breast on the second day of competition. He says a ...$LABEL$1 +Levin advances in US Amateur Damphousse signs with Avs Levin, the low amateur at the US Open who tied for 13th, registered a 3- and-1 win over Mike Lane of Citrus Heights (Sacramento County). $LABEL$1 +Bush and Kerry must engage in Gaza withdrawal The next few weeks may reveal whether or not Prime Minister Sharon will succeed in cobbling together a government that will implement his Gaza withdrawal plan. It is disconcerting to see how difficult he is finding it to ...$LABEL$0 +Shaukat Aziz to be sworn next week ISLAMABAD: Pakistan #39;s Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, a former banker credited with its economic reforms, will take over as prime minister next week following his thumping National Assembly by-election victories on Wednesday. $LABEL$0 +Indonesia #39;s Megawati unveils grand coalition JAKARTA, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, fighting to win a fresh term, formally unveiled on Thursday a coalition of parties seeking to ensure she stays in power for the next five years. $LABEL$0 +Expert warns of further landslips An expert has warned that landslides such as those seen this week in Perthshire and north Cornwall are set to become more common. $LABEL$0 +Stocks Seen Little Changed, Oil Weighs NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude prices near record highs will again mute any advance in U.S. stocks at the market's open on Thursday, but investors will get a diversion as Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> begins trading after its initial public offering.$LABEL$2 +Oil Hits Record on China, India Demand LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a fresh record high above \$47.50 a barrel on Thursday as fresh evidence of demand growth in China and India underlined how rising appetite for oil is straining the world's supply system.$LABEL$2 +Winn-Dixie Posts Loss But Sees Progress NEW YORK (Reuters) - Grocer Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=WIN.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">WIN.N</A> on Thursday reported a quarterly loss as restructuring costs weighed on results, but said its efforts to reverse a market share slide are gaining momentum.$LABEL$2 +Limited 2nd-Quarter Earnings Climb NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clothing retailer Limited Brands Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=LTD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">LTD.N</A> on Thursday posted a sharply higher quarterly profit, lifted by a rise in sales at stores open at least a year.$LABEL$2 +Drug 'could boost malaria fight' Scientists develop a synthetic version of a herb-based drug to treat malaria.$LABEL$3 +Climate legacy of 'hockey stick' A chart of temperature variation over 1,000 years dubbed the ""hockey stick"" has entered into the folklore of climate scientists, but how accurate is it?$LABEL$3 +Better times for techies? Unemployment drops, optimism rises for computer professionals. Is it because the unhappy ones leave the field?$LABEL$3 +Hall, Lezak Qualify in Olympic 50 Free (AP) AP - American Gary Hall Jr., the defending Olympic champion, and teammate Jason Lezak qualified for the 50-meter freestyle semifinals Thursday, but two of their biggest rivals failed to advance.$LABEL$1 +Possible Eighth Medal Chance for Phelps ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps's chances of winning a record eight medals at the Athens Olympics were given a big boost on Thursday when U.S. team officials said he might swim the heats of the 4x100 medley relay.$LABEL$1 +Dutch Snatch Hockey Win, Pakistan Stun Korea ATHENS (Reuters) - Olympic champions the Netherlands snatched another last-minute victory on Thursday in the men's hockey tournament in Athens and Pakistan stunned Sydney silver medallists South Korea 3-0 with fast-paced, attacking hockey.$LABEL$1 +Rebuffed by Party, Sharon Presses on with Gaza Plan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed on Thursday to press ahead with his Gaza pullout plan despite his own party's humiliating rebuff of his bid to forge a coalition with the pro-withdrawal Labour Party.$LABEL$0 +Israel's Top Court Upholds Dropping of Sharon Case JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday won a final reprieve from criminal prosecution in a bribery scandal that had threatened to topple him and derail his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.$LABEL$0 +Torrential British Rain Set to Cause More Chaos LONDON (Reuters) - After torrential rain caused flash flooding in southern England and a landslide in Scotland this week, meteorologists on Thursday forecast more heavy downpours and urged people to heed bad weather warnings.$LABEL$0 +China protesters threaten suicide \Six Chinese protesters have threatened to jump from the top of a six-storey building in central Beijing.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Set to Open Slightly Lower at Open NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are seen slightly lower at the open Thursday as investors take some cash off the table after Wednesday's sharp rally...$LABEL$0 +Jury in Peterson Trial Gets Long Weekend REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Jurors in the Scott Peterson murder trial got an early start on their weekend when the judge delayed cross-examination of the prosecution's star witness, then sent them home because of what he described as a ""potential development."" Judge Alfred A...$LABEL$0 +Iraq Says Offensive Vs. Cleric to Start NAJAF, Iraq - An Iraqi Cabinet minister said Thursday that Iraqi forces could begin an offensive against Muqtada al-Sadr within hours, despite the firebrand cleric's acceptance of a peace proposal. To prevent an imminent attack on his forces, who are holed up in the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, al-Sadr must immediately disarm his Mahdi Army militia and hand over its weapons to the authorities, Minister of State Qassim Dawoud said...$LABEL$0 +Google's IPO Price Set at \$85 Before Debut SAN JOSE, California - On the cusp of its voyage into public trading, Google's initial stock price was set at \$85 and its market value calculated at \$23 billion - less than originally expected, but still impressive for a 6-year-old dot-com dreamed up in a garage. The final initial public offering price, set through an unorthodox auction that alienated many on Wall Street, means the stock will likely debut Thursday under the symbol ""GOOG"" on the Nasdaq Stock Market...$LABEL$0 +A broken record: Oil up again New market set as demand in China, India intensifies supply worries, Iraq lends price support. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Oil prices blazed past \$47.50 a barrel and set fresh highs early Thursday as demand growth in China and India exacerbated supply shortage ...$LABEL$2 +HK conglomerate Hutchison #39;s first half net profit up 106 percent HONG KONG : Hutchison Whampoa, the ports-to-telecoms conglomerate owned by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, reported its first half net profit rose 106 percent to HK\$12.5b (US\$1.6b). $LABEL$2 +NetApp posts profits, continues hiring spree Network Appliance posted positive results for its first quarter of 2005 on Wednesday, reporting a 38 percent increase in revenue compared to the same quarter last year, and said it intends to continue hiring 200 new people a quarter. $LABEL$3 +Possible Eighth Medal Chance for Phelps ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps #39;s chances of winning a record eight medals at the Athens Olympics were given a big boost on Thursday when US team officials said he might swim the heats of the 4x100 medley relay. $LABEL$1 +India weightlifter tests positive An Indian weightlifter has tested positive for drugs before the start of the Athens Games, the International Olympic Committee has announced. $LABEL$1 +French to appeal after losing gold ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The French Olympic team is to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to try to win back its three-day event Olympic gold medal in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Supporters now have to wait to see Nunez HE #39;S the man seem-ingly no-one in Liverpool knows anything about - and who #39;ll now have to wait a little longer before attempting to endear himself to a curious Anfield crowd. $LABEL$1 +Ching gains repemption, his goal in 89th minute earning 1-1 qualifying draw in Jamaica. KINGSTON, Jamaica (Wednesday, August 18, 2004) -- Brian Ching was not one to waste a second chance. The reserve striker, who earlier missed an opportunity to tie the game with a point-blank header, made no mistake when he drove home a close-in shot in the ...$LABEL$1 +Iraqi Minister Sets New Deadline For Al-Sadr 19 August 2004 -- An Iraqi government official has said a military offensive against Shi #39;ite militiamen loyal to Shi #39;a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the holy city of Al-Najaf will begin in quot;hours quot; unless they disarm. $LABEL$0 +Georgia Says 6 Soldiers Killed in Latest Clashes in South Ossetia Georgian military officials say at least six Georgian soldiers have been killed and at least seven others wounded in overnight clashes in Georgia #39;s breakaway region of South Ossetia. $LABEL$0 +UK #39;s Blair Alters Holiday After Sardinian Bombs, Corriere Says Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has changed his holiday plans following Wednesday #39;s discovery of two explosive devices near Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi #39;s Sardinian villa, where he had been staying, Il Corriere della Sera ...$LABEL$0 +UN Marks Anniversary of Bombing of Baghdad Mission The United Nations is marking the first anniversary of the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad that killed 22 people, including the world body #39;s top envoy to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello. $LABEL$0 +Oil Hits New Record as Demand Soars LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a fresh record high above \$47.50 a barrel on Thursday as fresh evidence of demand growth in China and India underlined how rising appetite for oil is straining the world's supply system.$LABEL$2 +Blast Hits Heavily Fortified Baghdad Area (AP) AP - An explosion Thursday hit the heavily fortified Green Zone, home to Iraqi government offices and the U.S. Embassy in central Baghdad, sending up a plume of gray smoke.$LABEL$0 +Toshiba, Memory-Tech Develop New DVD (AP) AP - Two Japanese companies said Tuesday they have developed a DVD that can play on both existing machines and the upcoming high-definition players, raising hopes for a smooth transition as more people dump old TV sets for better screens.$LABEL$3 +Before-the-Bell: Synopsys Shares Drop (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Synopsys Inc. (SNPS.O), a\semiconductor design software maker, tumbled before the bell on\Thursday, a day after the company reported lower quarterly net\income and said results in the current quarter would be below\Wall Street estimates.$LABEL$2 +Asia feels the pain of oil prices Governments around the region are warning that rising oil prices have started to hurt their economies.$LABEL$2 +Net firms set sights on spammers British net firms are starting to get tough with firms that drum up trade using junk e-mails.$LABEL$3 +Princess Anne in Cyprus to encourage Olympic competitors (AFP) AFP - Princess Anne was in Cyprus to pay a royal morale-boosting visit to Britain's Olympic athletes training on the Mediterranean island before heading off to the Athens Games.$LABEL$0 +Virgin plans China mobile expansion Virgin Group today announced plans to expand its mobile phone services to China in a \$300m (154m) joint venture with a Chinese company.$LABEL$2 +DaVita to buy dialysis clinics for \$3.05 billion The Swedish company Gambro AB will sell a division to an El Segundo company for \$3.05 billion in cash. Gambro Healthcare US, the division being sold, operates clinics for patients undergoing kidney dialysis and has 565 clinics and 43,200 patients.$LABEL$2 +Job Cuts Rise Further in Nov. - Report Planned job cuts at US firms climbed during November, a report said on Tuesday, in a further sign of sluggishness in the labor market.$LABEL$2 +More Web Shopping Is What #39;s in Store The retail sector overall may be reporting a sluggish start to the season, but holiday shoppers are scooping up iPods, DVDs, digital cameras and other tech goods at a brisk pace -- and they $LABEL$2 +Nortel Reports Preliminary Results (Reuters) Reuters - Nortel Networks Corp. (NT.TO) delivered\long-awaited preliminary results for the first half of 2004 on\Thursday that showed estimated first and second quarter\earnings between nil and 1 cent per share, and North America's\biggest telecom equipment supplier said it would cut about\3,500 jobs.$LABEL$2 +Limited Quarterly Earnings Climb NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clothing retailer Limited Brands Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=LTD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">LTD.N</A> on Thursday posted sharply higher quarterly earnings on gains from the sale of its stake in Galyans Trading Co. and strong customer response to sales events early in the quarter.$LABEL$2 +Ciena Posts Loss, Forecasts Flat Sales NEW YORK (Reuters) - Telecommunications equipment maker Ciena Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=CIEN.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">CIEN.O</A> on Thursday reported a wider loss for the fiscal third quarter due to slack demand and forecast sales in the current quarter would be little changed from the third quarter.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Struggles to Stay Off Lows LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar traded near this week's four-week lows against the euro and yen on Thursday ahead of U.S. jobless claims and a key business survey that dealers expect to provide further clues about the interest rate outlook.$LABEL$2 +Groups Chide U.S. on Mercury Regulations (AP) AP - Environmentalists and two Maryland Democratic congressmen chastised the Bush administration Wednesday for proposed regulations they said will not do enough to reduce mercury contamination of Maryland rivers, lakes and the Chesapeake Bay.$LABEL$3 +Group: New England Not Reducing Mercury (AP) AP - If environmental policy were scored like grade-school spelling tests, New England's mercury reduction efforts wouldn't get any gold stars.$LABEL$3 +WTC destruction was two occurrences: jury World Trade Center leaseholder Silverstein Properties Inc. could collect \$4.68 billion in insurance payments after the jury in the second phase of the WTC property insurance litigation decided that the Sept.$LABEL$2 +Update 25: Google #39;s IPO Price Set at \$85 Before Debut On the cusp of its voyage into public trading, Google #39;s initial stock price was set at \$85 and its market value calculated at \$23 billion - less than originally expected, but still impressive for a 6-year-old dot-com dreamed up in a garage. $LABEL$2 +Claire #39;s 2Q Earnings Are Up 48 Percent Jewelry and accessories retailer Claire #39;s Stores Inc. reported Thursday that second-quarter earnings rose 48 percent to beat Wall Street expectations, and guided above estimates for the fourth-quarter and fiscal year periods. $LABEL$2 +Google cuts price range, ends auction SAN JOSE, California - Initial shares of Google Inc. were priced late last night at \$85 US each -- the low end of estimates that the company had revised downward hours earlier. $LABEL$2 +Swisscom confirms Telekom Austria talks have ended ZURICH, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Top Swiss telecoms group Swisscom (SCMN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) confirmed takeover talks with neighbouring Telekom Austria (TELA.VI: Quote, Profile, Research) had ended without result, the group said on Thursday, crushing ...$LABEL$2 +US broadband reaches critical mass Over half of online US households are using broadband to access the internet, according to new research. $LABEL$3 +Six of Top Eight Music Players In Japan Are iPods The AP is reporting that the iPod has become so popular in Japan, despite the introduction of the Sony Walkman NW-HD1, that six of the top 8 selling music players in the country are iPod models. The AP ...$LABEL$3 +Microsoft unveils Works 8 The dictionary module has been integrated into the word processor and is also a stand-alone application in the Works Task Launcher. A thesaurus has been included, as well as the option to set parental controls. $LABEL$3 +Forget the medal count, Phelps has far exceeded expectations Two-time US Olympian Tom Dolan, who took back-to-back gold medals in the 400 IM at Atlanta and Sydney, will analyze races for SI.com throughout the Games. $LABEL$1 +Greek stars fan scandal #39;s flames by withdrawing ATHENS - On a day on which both Greece and the Olympics celebrated themselves by returning the Games to their ancient home in Olympia, two popular Greek athletes withdrew from the track and field competition amid a scandal befitting that ...$LABEL$1 +Americans fall on tennis court A US tennis team expected to collect a gold rush or at least challenge for one, instead got derailed just after coming out of the gate. $LABEL$1 +Figo has a break from international soccer match LISBON, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Portugal captain Luis Figo said here on Wednesday he was taking a break from international soccer, although he would not confirm if the decision was final. $LABEL$1 +Retailer's Share Up on Wal-Mart Interest (AP) AP - Shares of Japan's troubled supermarket chain Daiei Inc. soared 27 percent Thursday following reports that U.S. giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. planned to submit a proposal for turning the company around.$LABEL$2 +Amazon to Buy China's Biggest Internet Retailer (Reuters) Reuters - Internet giant Amazon.com Inc. is to\buy China's biggest online retailer, Joyo.com, sources familiar\with the deal said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Soap Chemical Said Found in Md. Streams (AP) AP - An anti-bacterial agent commonly found in soaps and detergents has been found in water from streams and wastewater treatment plants in the Baltimore area, a Johns Hopkins researcher said Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +N.M. Museum to Launch Names Into Space (AP) AP - The New Mexico Museum of Space History will be shipping names to the stars with the first X-Prize launch into space.$LABEL$3 +Update: Google gets IPO green light from SEC The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday gave its approval for Google Inc. to proceed with its initial public offering (IPO).$LABEL$3 +Gateway unveils Grantsdale PCI Express PCs in retail Gateway Inc. will introduce its first desktops based on Intel Corp.'s new 915G chip set through several retail outlets, the company plans to announce Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Intel Chips In for New Gateway PCs Desktops will be available at several retailers, including CompUSA.$LABEL$3 +Lawsuit Filed Over Search Gambling Ads Yahoo, Google and other major web sites have been hit with a lawsuit saying they carry online gambling ads in violation of California law. This comes after two of the major search companies earlier this year made moves that were supposed to remove online gambling ads entirely.$LABEL$3 +Nortel to Cut 3,500 Jobs to Boost Profit OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NT.TO</A> <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NT.TO</A> posted long-awaited preliminary results for the first half of 2004 on Thursday, estimating first and second quarter earnings between nil and 1 cent per share.$LABEL$2 +Oil Sets Record as New Violence Flares in Iraq LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a fresh record on Thursday, spurred higher by renewed violence in Iraq and fresh evidence that strong demand growth in China and India has not been slowed yet by higher energy costs.$LABEL$2 +Global Markets: Stocks Up Despite Oil LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks shrugged off new peaks in crude oil prices and moved slightly higher on Thursday with technology firms leading the advance, while bonds and the dollar were steady.$LABEL$2 +Ky. Park, Univ. Open Cave Learning Center (AP) AP - Mammoth Cave National Park and Western Kentucky University have opened a facility that is designed to give students a hands-on learning environment in the longest known cave system in the world.$LABEL$3 +Retail sales fall in July Retail sales fell 0.4 in July - the first monthly decline in over a year - but the underlying trend remains strong, official figures showed today. $LABEL$2 +Google #39;s IPO Price Set at \$85 Before Debut SAN JOSE, California (AP)--On the cusp of its voyage into public trading, Google #39;s initial stock price was set at \$85 and its market value calculated at \$23 billion--less than originally expected, but still impressive for a 6-year-old dot-com ...$LABEL$2 +Microsoft downplays XP SP2 flaw claims Microsoft has won the first round against security researchers digging for flaws in its Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), dismissing claims by German consultants to have identified vulnerabilities. $LABEL$3 +Technical breakthrough boosts Broadband Britain Broadband should be available through 99.4 per cent of phone lines by next summer thanks to a technical breakthrough by BT. $LABEL$3 +Israeli High Court upholds decision over Sharon graft case JERUSALEM, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli High Court of Justice upheld Thursday Attorney General Menachem Mazuz #39;s decision not to indict Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the Greek island corruption case, Haaretz website reported. $LABEL$0 +Two Polish Soldiers Killed In Iraq Avoiding Ambush WARSAW, Aug 19 (AFP) - Two Polish soldiers serving in Iraq were killed and five injured on Thursday in a car crash as they sought to escape an ambush, a military spokesman in Warsaw said. $LABEL$0 +Navistar Results Rise on Truck Demand CHICAGO (Reuters) - Commercial truck maker Navistar International Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NAV.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NAV.N</A> said on Thursday quarterly earnings rose as it boosted sales and controlled costs.$LABEL$2 +Basketball: Americans Behind Again at Halftime ATHENS (Reuters) - The U.S. men's basketball team were once again in danger of defeat at the Olympic tournament on Thursday, trailing Australia 51-47 at the end of the first half.$LABEL$1 +Doping Casts Shadow Over Olympics -- Again ATHENS (Reuters) - Five weightlifters were banned from the Olympics after failing drugs tests, officials said on Thursday, as doping scandals continued to dominate the first week of the Games.$LABEL$1 +UK Police Arrest One Man Under Anti-Terror Laws (Reuters) Reuters - Police arrested a man in central England\on Thursday under anti-terrorism laws.$LABEL$0 +Ex-Chess Champ Fischer's Marriage Plans Hit Snag TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese chess great who plans to marry former world champion Bobby Fischer and help him avoid deportation home to the United States declared herself on Thursday to be a pawn seeking to become a queen.$LABEL$0 +Gay Couples Plan to Appeal Mass. Ruling BOSTON - A state judge upheld a 1913 law that prohibits out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage between residents has been legal since May. The eight couples who filed the lawsuit - from Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and New York - sought a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the statute, claiming it is inherently discriminatory...$LABEL$0 +Jobless Claims Dip, No Storm Effect (Reuters) Reuters - The number of Americans filing first\claims for jobless pay fell 3,000 last week, the Labor\Department said on Thursday in a report showing no impact from\Hurricane Charley which struck Florida last Friday.$LABEL$2 +Jobless Claims Dip, No Storm Effect WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing first claims for jobless pay fell 3,000 last week, the Labor Department said on Thursday in a report showing no impact from Hurricane Charley which struck Florida last Friday.$LABEL$2 +Oil Sets Record Amid New Violence in Iraq LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a fresh record on Thursday, spurred higher by renewed violence in Iraq and fresh evidence that strong demand growth in China and India has not been slowed yet by higher energy costs.$LABEL$2 +Before-the-Bell: Synopsys, DeVry Fall NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of DeVry Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=DV.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">DV.N</A>, a provider of business and technical education, fell before the bell on Thursday, a day after it reported fourth-quarter earnings that came in just shy of analysts' expectations.$LABEL$2 +Swisscom, Austrian telecom talks cut off: OeIAG (AFP) AFP - Negotiations between the Austrian privatisation agency OeIAG and the Swiss telecommunications group Swisscom for a stake in Telekom Austria ended without a deal, OeIAG said in a statement.$LABEL$0 +Oil Sets Record as New Violence Flares in Iraq LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a fresh record on Thursday, spurred higher by renewed violence in Iraq and fresh evidence that strong demand growth in China and India has not been slowed yet by higher energy costs. $LABEL$2 +Nortel to Cut 3,500 Jobs to Boost Profit OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. (NT.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) posted long-awaited preliminary results for the first half of 2004 on Thursday, estimating first and second quarter earnings between nil and 1 cent per share. $LABEL$2 +Stocks to Watch on Thursday, August 19 Clothing retailer Limited Brands, whose chains include the Limited, Express, Victoria #39;s Secret and Bath amp; Body Works, posted a sharply higher quarterly profit on Thursday. The company saw a rise in sales at stores open at least a year. Its shares closed ...$LABEL$2 +Net nearly doubles, helped by stronger results at Hutchison HONG KONG Cheung Kong (Holdings), the holding company of the billionaire Li Ka-shing, said Thursday that first-half profit almost doubled, spurred by higher earnings from its Hutchison Whampoa unit and a surge in property sales. $LABEL$2 +Parmalat to sue auditors PARMALAT, the bankrupt Italian food company, is suing outside auditors Grant Thornton and Deloitte amp; Touche, seeking 5.5 billion in damages. $LABEL$2 +Broadband Breaks 50 Of Mass, Marks A Critical Pass More than half (51) of the American online population accessed the Internet via broadband connections in July--up from only 38 percent in July 2003, according to estimates released Tuesday by Nielsen//NetRatings. $LABEL$3 +Micro Focus lifts and shifts Cobol to Linux Micro Focus has extended its #39;Lift and Shift #39; legacy Cobol migration service, adding the option of migrating CICS-based mainframe Cobol applications to HP and IBM Unix and Linux servers. $LABEL$3 +Doping Casts Shadow Over Olympics -- Again ATHENS (Reuters) - Five weightlifters were banned from the Olympics after failing drugs tests, officials said on Thursday, as doping scandals continued to dominate the first week of the Games. $LABEL$1 +England soon lose opener Strauss LONDON, England (Reuters) -- England lost opener Andrew Strauss as they reached 53 for one at lunch on the first day of the fourth and final test against West Indies at The Oval. $LABEL$1 +Another slow start, another fast finish for US women South Korea took an early lead, so did the Czech Republic. Hey, even New Zealand had the US women #39;s basketball team down for a while. $LABEL$1 +Pakistan serves the US heads, not tales KARACHI - Tiring of the carrot and stick approach, and with US presidential elections only a few months away, the US has taken an aggressive role in Pakistan in the hunt for quot;big-name quot; al-Qaeda figures. $LABEL$0 +Jobless Claims Drop for 3rd Straight Week The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits edged down last week for a third consecutive time, signaling that the labor market may be improving after hitting a speed bump in June and July.$LABEL$2 +Survey Notes Rise in U.S. Broadband Users (AP) AP - The number of Americans who get on the Internet via high-speed lines has now equaled the number using dial-up connections.$LABEL$3 +Lindows postpones public offering CEO Michael Robertson says the Linux company ""won't be forced into a cut-rate IPO.$LABEL$3 +Violent Standoff in Najaf Continues Negotiations over the embattled city of Najaf took a new and complicated turn Thursday when an official of Iraq's interim government issued fresh demands to be met by rebellious Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, accompanied by warnings of an imminent military offensive at the shrine where Sadr's militia is holed up.$LABEL$0 +Retailer's Shares Up on Wal-Mart Interest (AP) AP - Shares of Japan's troubled supermarket chain Daiei Inc. soared 27 percent Thursday following reports that U.S. giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. planned to submit a proposal for turning the company around.$LABEL$2 +No Frills, but Everything Else Is on Craigslist (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Ernie Miller, a 38-year-old software developer in Silver Spring, offers a telling clue as to how www.craigslist.org became the Internet's go-to place to solve life's vexing problems.$LABEL$3 +N.Y. to Sell Wireless Cos. Lamppost Space (AP) AP - Further proof New York's real estate market is inflated: The city plans to sell space on top of lampposts to wireless phone companies for #36;21.6 million a year.$LABEL$3 +Google Rises in Market Debut (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Google Inc. (GOOG.O) rose 15\percent to #36;98 in the first minutes of their Nasdaq stock\market debut on Thursday after the year's most anticipated\initial public offering priced far below initial estimates.$LABEL$2 +August Mid-Atlantic Factory Output Slows (Reuters) Reuters - Output at U.S. Mid-Atlantic factories\slowed in August as new orders dropped sharply, suggesting\recent weakness in the economy is likely to persist into coming\months.$LABEL$2 +30-Year Mortgage Rates Lowest Since April (Reuters) Reuters - Interest rates on U.S. 30-year\mortgages stayed under 6 percent for a third straight week,\mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said on Thursday,\remaining at their lowest averages since early April.$LABEL$2 +Leading Indicators, Jobless Claims Dip (AP) AP - A closely watched measure of future economic activity fell in July for the second consecutive month, reinforcing evidence that the nation's financial recovery is slackening.$LABEL$2 +SEC: Staffer Heading to Private-Sector Job (AP) AP - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Thursday that a top staffer overseeing the #36;7.6 trillion mutual-fund industry will step down for a private-sector position.$LABEL$2 +Google Rises in Market Debut NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> rose 15 percent to \$98 in the first minutes of their Nasdaq stock market debut on Thursday after the year's most anticipated initial public offering priced far below initial estimates.$LABEL$2 +August Mid-Atlantic Factory Output Slows NEW YORK (Reuters) - Output at U.S. Mid-Atlantic factories slowed in August as new orders dropped sharply, suggesting recent weakness in the economy is likely to persist into coming months.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Sink, Dragged by High Oil Prices NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as investor worries about high energy costs hurting corporate profits kept indexes lower after oil prices broke through \$48 a barrel.$LABEL$2 +Court Deals Blow to Movie Studios LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major movie studios and music companies by ruling several Internet file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright infringement.$LABEL$2 +Nortel to Cut 3,500 Jobs to Boost Profits OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NT.TO</A> <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NT.TO</A> earned stock market applause on Thursday as it slashed more jobs, released on-target profit estimates, and took steps to clean up its accounting mess.$LABEL$2 +Navistar Profit Rises, But Shares Fall CHICAGO (Reuters) - Commercial truck maker Navistar International Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NAV.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">NAV.N</A> reported higher quarterly earnings on Thursday, but its shares fell more than 5 percent as the market focused on lower-than-expected profit from its core manufacturing operations.$LABEL$2 +UAL: Pension Plan Terminations Likely CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines, which has said it plans to miss nearly \$500 million in pension contributions this fall, said in bankruptcy court papers it likely will be necessary to cancel and replace all of its pension plans.$LABEL$2 +Medtronic Drops, Results Fail to Inspire CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of Medtronic Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">MDT.N</A> fell on Thursday as the company's fiscal first-quarter results, released after the market closed on Wednesday, failed to inspire investors.$LABEL$2 +Petsmart Earnings Rise, But Shares Slump NEW YORK (Reuters) - Petsmart Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=PETM.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">PETM.O</A>, the top U.S. pet supplies chain, on Thursday said quarterly earnings rose on improved pet services sales, but its stock sank as much as 12 percent as results lagged analysts' expectations.$LABEL$2 +Google Shares Begin Trading on Nasdaq Shortly before noon today, Google Inc. stock began trading under the ticker symbol GOOG on the Nasdaq stock market. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Set New High, Again Crude futures climbed above \$48 a barrel Thursday as market fears of sabotage against the Iraqi oil infrastructure outweighed assurances from Baghdad that exports would increase in coming days.$LABEL$2 +Europe joins Citigroup bond probe France and Germany's market watchdogs say they are looking into Citigroup bond trades already under scrutiny in the UK.$LABEL$2 +Ireland raises growth forecasts Ireland is poised to grow faster with a smaller deficit thanks to the global economic recovery, the government says.$LABEL$2 +Amazon moves into China US internet giant Amazon.com is buying China's largest web retailer Joyo.com, in a deal worth \$75m (41m).$LABEL$2 +French output steps up the pace Europe's bigger economies register yet more productivity growth, while the UK starts to fall behind.$LABEL$2 +Apple warns about bad batteries Apple is recalling 28,000 faulty batteries for its 15-inch Powerbook G4 laptops.$LABEL$2 +Aer Lingus unveils cost cut plans Irish airline Aer Lingus offers workers at least 40,000 euros each to take voluntary redundancy under cost cutting plans.$LABEL$2 +Bangladesh wins \$2bn India deal Indian conglomerate Tata is to invest \$2bn in a power plant in Bangladesh, the country's single largest foreign investment ever.$LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Hit \$48 a Barrel as Iraq Violence Flares Oil prices struck a fresh record today on violence in Iraq and evidence that strong demand growth in China and India has not slowed due to higher energy costs.$LABEL$2 +Leading Indicators and Jobless Claims Dip A closely watched measure of future economic activity fell in July for the second consecutive month, reinforcing evidence that the nation's financial recovery is slackening.$LABEL$2 +Being Frugal With Google Google begins trading. Finally. Bill Mann's pretty tired of the navel-gazing.$LABEL$2 +A Plastic, Fantastic Gem Claire's Stores continue to crank up sales and get more profitable along the way.$LABEL$2 +The Value of Star Power Coca-Cola lets basketball star LeBron James create a new version of Powerade.$LABEL$2 +Kroger's Profit Up, But Price Cuts Weigh NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kroger Co., the top U.S. grocer, on Tuesday posted a 29 percent rise in quarterly profit due to cost controls, but price cuts to lure shoppers caused earnings to miss Wall Street estimates and shares fell.$LABEL$2 +New Device: Flying Robot Seiko Epson hopes the tiny robot will help in security, disaster and rescue and space exploration. Also: Apple recalls batteries from its 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops hellip;. Sony unveils eight new flat-screen TVs hellip;. and more.$LABEL$2 +Apple to Recall 28,000 Laptop Batteries (Reuters) Reuters - Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL.O) has\agreed to recall about 28,000 batteries used in its 15-inch\PowerBook G4 laptop computers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety\Commission said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Drugstore Offers New Wave of Disposable Cameras (Reuters) Reuters - Pharmacy chain CVS Corp. on Thursday\said it would offer the world's first disposable digital camera\with a bright color viewing screen that allows consumers to\instantly preview pictures.$LABEL$3 +AT amp;T dials up VoIP service with cable deals (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - AT amp;T (T) is teaming with America's big cable TV operators to offer phone service over their broadband Internet lines, marking the telecom giant's first big move since it announced plans to abandon its traditional consumer long-distance business.$LABEL$3 +Court Deals Blow to Movie Studios (Reuters) Reuters - A federal appeals court on Thursday\delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major\movie studios and music companies by ruling several Internet\file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright\infringement.$LABEL$3 +Online Games Could Be Next Big Thing, But Not Yet (Reuters) Reuters - Video games makers searching\for the next big thing to pull in players at Europe's biggest\computer games fair hope to tempt more gamers to pit their wits\against one other online as Web technology improves.$LABEL$3 +India's leading IT company TCS to list stock next week after share offer (AFP) AFP - Top Indian software exporter Tata Consultancy Services will list its share on the Bombay Stock Exchange next week following its successful maiden share offer, an official said.$LABEL$3 +Apple recalls PowerBook batteries (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday issued a recall for PowerBook batteries sold from January 2004 through August 2004 for use with 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) notebook computers. The batteries, made by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea, could overheat, posing a fire hazard -- Apple said they have received four such reports, although no injuries have been reported.$LABEL$3 +Chimps From Dutch Lab Face Housing Crisis (AP) AP - Dozens of chimpanzees from a Dutch laboratory face a housing crisis after plans for their early retirement on the Spanish coast collapsed because of residents' fears they would carry infectious diseases.$LABEL$3 +Scientists to Study Effects of Ship Waste (AP) AP - A team of scientists is traveling a 600-mile stretch of the Inside Passage this month to study the effects of cruise ship waste and other contaminants in Southeast Alaska waters.$LABEL$3 +Australian Wheat Farmers Brace for Huge Locust Plague (Reuters) Reuters - Australia's wheat farmers, fresh from\battling the country's worst drought in a century, are now\threatened by a plague of locusts which have already begun to\hatch from a sprawling ""nursery"" in the country's outback.$LABEL$3 +Subway Sandwiches: quot;Warum sind die Amis so fett? quot; That would be ""Why are the Yanks so fat?"" to you and I. This was the slogan used in Germany for a recent Subway/Super Size Me joint advertising campaign. Accompanying the advert was a rounded looking image (full size) of the Statue of Liberty carrying burgers and fries. Did Subway go too far in this campaign, or were they unfairly vilified for their jest?$LABEL$3 +Alienware evolves from gamers to corporates Revamped website signals desire for broader customer base$LABEL$3 +Stocks Slightly Ahead, Lower Oil Helps NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were slightly higher on Tuesday, with lower oil prices helping support markets, but Johnson Johnson <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JNJ.N</A> dragged on the Dow following a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GDT.N</A>.$LABEL$2 +Grades sent by videophone Alexandra Cook is told her A-level results while on holiday in Australia - by her mum 12,000 miles away.$LABEL$3 +Napster launches download chart Online music service Napster teams up with Virgin Radio to launch a music download chart.$LABEL$3 +Apple to Recall 28,000 Laptop Batteries WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=AAPL.O qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">AAPL.O</A> has agreed to recall about 28,000 batteries used in its 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptop computers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +EA Video Game 'Madden' Tops 1.3 Million First Week LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - ""Madden NFL 2005,"" the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=ERTS.O qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">ERTS.O</A> pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal figures.$LABEL$3 +Google's IPO: Grate Expectations Google plans to raise as much as \$1.67 billion in its public stock offering today, but even that impressive estimate doesn't hide the fact that the hype surrounding the search engine's IPO is only half as hot as yesterday. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2""\ color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +No Frills, but Everything Else Is on Craigslist A freewheeling Internet marketplace, <a href=""http://www.craigslist.org"">www.craigslist.org</a> fulfills its users' varied needs. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-Leslie Walker</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Amazon to Buy Chinese Retailer Joyo.com Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. said on Thursday that it will buy Joyo.com Ltd., which\runs some of China's biggest retail Web sites, for about \$75 million to gain entry into China's fast-growing market.$LABEL$3 +US Army Deserter, Family Arrive In Wife #39;s Japanese Hometown SADO. Japan -- A North Carolina man who deserted the US Army for North Korea nearly 40 years ago says today is the first day of the last chapter of his life.$LABEL$0 +Center Nurtures Newborn Security Cos. The Chesapeake Innovation Center is an Annapolis incubator focused solely on developing homeland security technologies.$LABEL$3 +Demand Helps CACI Profit Increase 56 CACI International Inc. said increased demand for its homeland security and intelligence services helped boost fourth-quarter profit by 56 percent over the same period a year earlier.$LABEL$3 +IPod Music Player Winning Over Japan Fans When Sony Corp. President Kunitake Ando showed off the new Walkman meant to counter the assault by Apple's iPod portable music player, he held the prized gadget at the gala event upside down.$LABEL$3 +Vogue Adds Online Shopping Feature While Vogue's September issue is still offering its famously dramatic images of 6-foot beauties clad in high fashion, the publication is adding an extra element that is a bit more utilitarian - online shopping.$LABEL$3 +Review: Robovacs No Match for Vacuum A new generation of robotic vacuums is ready to do battle with dirt, dust and dog hair with more cleaning power and cunning than their ancestors could muster. Faced with the usual obstacles - furniture, stairs, low-hanging bed skirts and stray socks - they intelligently and acrobatically extricate themselves from most tight spots and largely avoid getting stuck or sucking in what they shouldn't.$LABEL$3 +Nortel to Cut 3,500 Jobs to Boost Profit <p></p><p> OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. <NT.TO> <NT.TO>posted long-awaited preliminary results for the first half of2004 on Thursday, estimating first and second quarter earningsbetween nil and 1 cent per share.</p>$LABEL$3 +Seiko Epson Develops Micro Flying Robot Seiko Epson Corp. is developing a flying robot that looks like a miniature helicopter and is about the size of a giant bug. The company hopes it'll prove handy for security, disaster rescue and space exploration.$LABEL$3 +Wash. Man Forms E-Mail Rejection Service NEW YORK - Attention, ladies: If that guy hitting on you just won't quit until you surrender your e-mail address, feel free to call upon Paper Napkin.$LABEL$3 +EA Video Game 'Madden' Tops 1.3 Million First Week <p></p><p> LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - ""Madden NFL 2005,"" the latestversion of Electronic Arts Inc.'s <ERTS.O> pro football videogame franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its firstweek of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internalfigures.</p>$LABEL$3 +Antarctic craters reveal strike Scientists map enormous impact craters hidden under the Antarctic ice sheet using satellite technology.$LABEL$3 +Mars hill find hints at wet past Nasa's robotic rover Spirit has found evidence that water washed and altered rocks in the hills it has been exploring on Mars.$LABEL$3 +Animal shortage 'slows science' A shortage of laboratory apes and monkeys could be holding back research into new drug treatments and genetics, it is claimed.$LABEL$3 +Tech's impact on sport success Sports science has allowed athletes to prepare for this Olympiad using technology beyond their predecessors' wildest dreams.$LABEL$3 +Locusts ravage northern Nigeria The locusts swarming across West Africa reach northern Nigeria, devastating fields of crops.$LABEL$3 +Walking in the Void of Space NASA -- Venturing into the vacuum of space, with its extreme temperatures and the challenges of weightlessness in what amounts to a personal spacecraft, can never become routine. Yet humans have made more than 250 spacewalks, 142 of them by NASA astronauts...$LABEL$3 +New Mexico Museum to Launch Names Into Space ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) -- The New Mexico Museum of Space History will be shipping names to the stars with the first X-Prize launch into space...$LABEL$3 +Cooking on a Comet...? European Space Agency -- One of the ingenious instruments on board Rosetta is designed to smell the comet for different substances, analysing samples that have been cooked in a set of miniature ovens. ESAs Rosetta will be the first space mission ever to land on a comet...$LABEL$3 +Sex and Drugs Go Together for Teens By LAURA MECKLER WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's not just a cliche: Sex and drugs often do go together, says a survey of U.S. teenagers...$LABEL$3 +Scientists to Study Effects of Cruise Ship Waste JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- A team of scientists is traveling a 600-mile stretch of the Inside Passage this month to study the effects of cruise ship waste and other contaminants in Southeast Alaska waters. The \$450,000 project is part of a nationwide look at the environmental health of coastal waters...$LABEL$3 +Separate Genes Responsible for Drinking, Alcoholism By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- Some people can drink a lot of alcohol without becoming addicted, and specific genes may help explain why, researchers say. In a new study of Australian twins, scientists found that separate genes appear to be responsible, to some degree, for dependence on alcohol -- addiction -- and how much people drink...$LABEL$3 +An Aspirin a Day -- Good Medicine For Many Most people have heard that taking a small dose of aspirin a day is good for the heart. Doctors routinely recommend it for patients who've had a heart attack or stroke, and studies show its blood-thinning affects can help prevent a repeat of such potentially deadly cardiovascular events.$LABEL$3 +Protein Found to Regulate Sleep, Anxiety Brain peptide may be target for new drugs to treat insomnia, ADHD HealthDayNews -- A brain protein that regulates sleep and anxiety may offer a target for the development of new drugs to treat conditions such as sleep and anxiety disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. In research with rodents, University of California, Irvine scientists found that neuropeptide S (NPS) increases alertness, suppresses sleep and controls stress response...$LABEL$3 +Tomato Juice May Cut Clotting in Diabetics By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- For people with type 2 diabetes, tomato juice may help stave off the heart troubles that often complicate the disease. Researchers have found that drinking tomato juice for three weeks had a blood-thinning effect in people with the disease...$LABEL$3 +IBM asks for Linux ban on SCO No, the SCO Group is the copyright violator, according to Big Blue's latest filing.$LABEL$3 +Cisco flaw opens networks to attacks A router software bug could lead to denial-of-service attacks--but only techies could launch one, an analyst says.$LABEL$3 +Businesses: Routers, shmouters After seeing revenue growth for five quarters in a row, waning interest in the enterprise market results in a drop.$LABEL$3 +VoIP firm tussles with states over phone numbers Dispute between regulators and SBC IP Communications highlights an endangered species: the 10-digit number.$LABEL$3 +Ring tones, phone games to rake it in Revenue from wireless data services could reach \$189 billion in 2009, according to a new report.$LABEL$3 +Nortel to lay off 3,500 The scandal-beset company will also lay off about 10 percent of its work force.$LABEL$3 +Apple recalls overheating batteries The Mac maker says it will replace about 28,000 batteries in one model of PowerBook G4 and tells people to stop using the notebook.$LABEL$3 +Update: Nortel to lay off 10 percent of staff Nortel Networks Corp. will cut 10 percent of its workforce, or around 3,500 jobs, to reduce costs.$LABEL$3 +UK government to extend 3-year contract with Microsoft LONDON -- In a deal that appears to buck the growing trend among governments to adopt open-source alternatives, the U.K.'s Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is negotiating a renewal of a three-year agreement with Microsoft Corp.$LABEL$3 +Next-Gen DVD Camps Prep for Price War HD-DVD backers say their format is cheaper and easier to produce than rival Blu-ray.$LABEL$3 +Google IPO Shares Surge in Market Debut Shares of Google Inc. (GOOG) surged nearly 22 percent in their market debut Thursday, the culmination of a unique and bumpy initial stock offering for the 6-year-old dot-com dreamed up in a college dorm room.$LABEL$3 +XBox and EA Sports to Stage Interactive World Cup LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s XBox video game system will team up with software maker Electronic Arts Inc...$LABEL$3 +Amazon.com to Acquire Joyo.com SEATTLE (AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) said Thursday it has agreed to buy Joyo.com Ltd., China's largest online retailer of books, music and videos, for \$72 million...$LABEL$3 +N.Y. to Sell Wireless Companies Lamppost Space By ELLEN SIMON NEW YORK (AP) -- Further proof New York's real estate market is inflated: The city plans to sell space on top of lampposts to wireless phone companies for \$21.6 million a year. The equipment would be attached to 18,000 of the city's 200,000 lampposts...$LABEL$3 +In Hurricanes Aftermath, Google is a Priority In Hurricanes Aftermath, Google is a Priority\\It wasnt so much the inability to take a hot shower. It wasnt the inconvenience of having to run to 7-11 for coffee in the morning. It wasnt the fact that we couldnt wash clothes, couldnt watch TV or couldnt get cool (other than ...$LABEL$3 +Yahoo Builds the Yahoo Search Blog Yahoo Builds the Yahoo Search Blog\\When I logged on this morning and checked my daily referral stats I noticed a multiple number of referring links from a domain that was not familiar - YSearchBlog.com. Not only one referral or a handful, but multiple multiple referrals.. my first thought - WOW, ...$LABEL$3 +Should Google blame Foot in Mouth disease, or Evil Bankers? <strong>Analysis</strong> Lost in Space$LABEL$3 +News: South Pole 'cyberterrorist' hack wasn't the first Internal reports show that Romanian cyber extortionists weren't the first to penetrate the South Pole Research Station, but cast doubt on the U.S. claim that life support systems were compromised in the attack.\$LABEL$3 +News: Number crunching boffins unearth crypto flaws Cryptographic researchers have discovered weaknesses in the encryption algorithms that underpin the security and integrity of electronic signatures.\$LABEL$3 +News: DIY phishing kits hit the Net Do-it-yourself phishing kits are being made available for download free of charge from the Internet, according to anti-virus firm Sophos.\$LABEL$3 +Boxer Bowe to Launch Comeback in Sept. (AP) AP - Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe is coming out of retirement after a 17-month prison stint, with a scheduled return to the ring Sept. 25.$LABEL$1 +Cavaliers Sign Varejao to Three-Year Deal (AP) AP - The Cavaliers signed Brazilian rookie forward Anderson Varejao to a three-year contract Thursday.$LABEL$1 +American Amanda Beard Snatches the Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - Amanda Beard, twice an Olympic silver medallist back in 1996, finally won individual Olympic gold when she snatched victory from Australia's Leisel Jones in the 200 meter breaststroke Thursday.$LABEL$1 +The Art of Controlled Aggression ATHENS (Reuters) - The word judo means ""Way of Gentleness"" in Japanese.$LABEL$1 +Conquering Man -- and Beast -- Is Crawford's Goal ATHENS (Reuters) - Conquering man's fastest runners at the Olympics is not the only sprint show that may await American Shawn Crawford; his agent is talking about another go at the animal kingdom.$LABEL$1 +Hamilton's career highlights Won 1999 Tour of Denmark Finished 10th in individual time trial in 2000 Olympics at Sydney$LABEL$1 +Wheels are spinning in Marblehead It didn't take long for word of Tyler Hamilton's Olympic gold medal to spread throughout his hometown of Marblehead.$LABEL$1 +Hungary Race Debrief: Fernando solidly best of the rest A closer look at the data from Sundays race shows Fernando full deserved his third place at the Hungaroring after a flawless drive.$LABEL$1 +Fernando Alonso: A job well done The Spaniard didnt quite repeat last years achievement, but his Hungarian podium left him satisfied all the same.$LABEL$1 +Budapest, Race: Renault on the podium Fernando Alonso finished third in the Hungarian Grand Prix, behind two unbeatable Ferraris.$LABEL$1 +Hungarian Grand Prix, Race Fernando finishes third in Hungary, and scores the team's sixth podium of the year.$LABEL$1 +Peirsol's Medal Restored American Aaron Peirsol reclaims the gold medal Thursday night in the 200-meter backstroke after his disqualification was reversed.$LABEL$1 +Owners Extend Selig Owners vote to extend Bud Selig's term as baseball commissioner for three years through 2009 in a unanimous vote Thursday.$LABEL$1 +Expansion Alters Format With the expansion of the ACC, the men's basketball schedule will not incorporate the double round robin format in which each school plays every other twice.$LABEL$1 +Hungary Ends America's Winning Run Defending Olympic champion Hungary hands the United States its first loss in water polo preliminaries Thursday, beating the Americans 7-5.$LABEL$1 +Najaf, Scarred by Urban Warfare, Prepares for More (Reuters) Reuters - If U.S. and Iraqi troops launch a\major assault on radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's militants,\they will have to pass through sniper-infested streets to root\them out of a mosque they can't afford to harm.$LABEL$0 +Annan Vows to Protect U.N. Staff from Attacks (Reuters) Reuters - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called\at an emotional tribute on Thursday for the prosecution of\those behind the ""cold-blooded murder"" of 22 people at the\United Nations office in Baghdad one year ago.$LABEL$0 +Stonehenge Tunnel Faces Tough Road Ahead (Reuters) Reuters - Whoever built Stonehenge,\the 5,000-year-old circle of megaliths that towers over green\fields in southern England and lures a million visitors a year,\couldn't have planned for the automobile.$LABEL$0 +Iraq's South Oil Co. Headquarters Torched (AP) AP - Shiite militants loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr broke into the headquarters of Iraq's South Oil Co. on Thursday and set the company's warehouses and offices on fire, witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +Egypt Air and Gulf Air sign strategic alliance (AFP) AFP - Egypt Air and Gulf Air signed a strategic alliance to boost their cooperation, especially in the Middle East.$LABEL$0 +Two NCSSM students win national team science competition Two students at the Durham NC School of Science and Mathematics will split \$100,000 in scholarship money for their cancer research.$LABEL$3 +Sen. Zell Miller to Be GOP Keynote Speaker (AP) AP - Get ready for some more ""Zell zingers"" from the political convention in New York. But this time, a Bush will be the beneficiary, not the target.$LABEL$0 +FEC Says Corzine Can Give Unlimited Funds (AP) AP - Wealthy members of Congress can give unlimited amounts of their own money to groups for get-out-the-vote drives even though they are barred from raising big checks for their campaigns or others, election officials said Thursday.$LABEL$0 +The youth vote: Hard to tell how it will turn out (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - The youth vote, perhaps the most elusive quarry in U.S. politics, is being Rocked, Smacked Down, Rapped and otherwise goosed by everyone from blinged-out rappers to Harvard professors to the League of Women Voters.$LABEL$0 +Error Puts Kennedy on Airline No-Fly List (AP) AP - The Senate Judiciary Committee heard this morning from one of its own about some of the problems with airline ""no fly"" watch lists. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., says he had a close encounter with the lists when trying to take the U.S. Airways shuttle out of Washington to Boston. The ticket agent wouldn't let him on the plane. His name was on the list in error.$LABEL$0 +UK Police Arrest One Man Under Anti-Terror Laws LONDON (Reuters) - Police arrested a man in central England on Thursday under anti-terrorism laws.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan Arrests Two Al Qaeda Suspects PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani police arrested an Algerian and one other foreigner suspected of links with al Qaeda on Thursday in the northern city of Peshawar after a shoot-out, intelligence officials said.$LABEL$0 +Darfur Rebels Hold Out in Remote Camps CORCHA CAMP, Sudan (Reuters) - Abdul Karim Abdalla pounds the earth with a metal cane in a rebel camp in western Darfur, passionately imploring his fellow fighters to defend the land of their fathers from Arab invaders.$LABEL$0 +Iraq's Sistani Leaves London Hospital After Operation LONDON (Reuters) - Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shi'ite cleric, was discharged from a London hospital on Thursday after heart surgery, but will stay in Britain for the time-being, his spokesman said.$LABEL$0 +Iraq mortar fire hits US mission A mortar round hits the roof of the US embassy in Baghdad, slightly injuring two emplyees, a spokesman says.$LABEL$0 +Dollar Slips to New Low Vs Euro NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell to a new record low against the euro on Tuesday as investors, tiring of tough talk on exchange rates by European officials, dismissed new warnings from euro zone officials.$LABEL$2 +Kerry Calls Ad Group a 'Front for the Bush Campaign' John Kerry made the comments after weeks of standing by as a group of Vietnam veterans criticized his wartime record.$LABEL$0 +Gov't Gives Najaf Militants 'Final Call' NAJAF, Iraq - Prime Minister Ayad Allawi issued a ""final call"" Thursday to Shiite insurgents to disarm and withdraw from a revered shrine after his government threatened a massive onslaught by Iraqi forces. As the peace deal for Najaf unraveled, militants bombarded a police station with mortar rounds, killing seven police and injuring 31 others...$LABEL$0 +Leading Indicators, Jobless Claims Dip NEW YORK - A closely watched measure of future economic activity fell in July for the second consecutive month, reinforcing evidence that the nation's financial recovery is slackening. The Conference Board said Thursday its Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators dropped by 0.3 percent in July to 116.0, following a revised decline of 0.1 percent in June...$LABEL$0 +Kerry: Bush Lets Groups Do 'Dirty Work' BOSTON - Sen. John Kerry accused President Bush on Thursday of relying on front groups to challenge his record of valor in Vietnam, asserting, ""He wants them to do his dirty work."" Defending his record, the Democratic presidential candidate said, ""Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts."" ""Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth...$LABEL$0 +Phelps Dominates 200 IM for Fourth Gold ATHENS, Greece - American Michael Phelps won his fourth gold medal of the Olympics in the 200-meter individual medley Thursday night, leading the entire race. Phelps finished in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 57.14 seconds, lowering his own mark of 1:58.52 set in the semifinals one night earlier...$LABEL$0 +United Likely to Terminate Pension Plans CHICAGO - Cash-strapped United Airlines said in a bankruptcy court filing Thursday that it ""likely"" will be necessary to terminate and replace its employee pension plans. The carrier cited the size of further cost cuts and the need to find bankruptcy-exit financing as reasons for such a drastic move...$LABEL$0 +Jackson Lawyers Call Accuser's Stepfather SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Michael Jackson's defense lawyers aim to find out whether authorities violated his attorney-client privilege when they broke into the office of a private investigator hired by the pop star...$LABEL$0 +Dream Team Pulls Away to Beat Australia ATHENS, Greece - LeBron James eyed Shawn Marion's pass coming toward him and made a split-second decision to redirect the ball. One nifty touch pass later, Dwyane Wade converted it into a layup...$LABEL$0 +Error Puts Kennedy on Airline No-Fly List WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee heard this morning from one of its own about some of the problems with airline ""no fly"" watch lists. Sen...$LABEL$0 +Google Shares Surge Nearly 18 Percent NEW YORK - Shares of Google Inc. surged nearly 18 percent in their market debut Thursday, in the culmination of a unique and bumpy initial stock offering for the 6-year-old dot-com dreamed up in a college dorm room...$LABEL$0 +Kerry: Bush Lets Groups Do 'Dirty Work' BOSTON - Sen. John Kerry accused President Bush on Thursday of relying on front groups to challenge his record of valor in Vietnam, asserting, ""He wants them to do his dirty work."" Fighting back, Kerry said if Bush wants to ""have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: 'Bring it on.'"" Bush served stateside in the Texas Air National Guard during the war...$LABEL$0 +Price-Gouging New Worry in Charley's Wake ORLANDO, Fla. - The oak tree in Ilyse Kusnetz's back yard caused one headache when it crashed into her house during Hurricane Charley...$LABEL$0 +Court Deals Blow to Anti-Piracy Efforts (Reuters) Reuters - A federal appeals court on Thursday\delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major\movie studios and music companies, ruling that several major\online file-sharing software companies are not liable for\copyright infringement.$LABEL$2 +Google Rises in Market Debut NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> made their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, rising more than 20 percent to over \$100 after an initial public offering marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions.$LABEL$2 +Court Deals Blow to Anti-Piracy Efforts LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major movie studios and music companies, ruling that several major online file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright infringement.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Sag as Oil Marches Higher NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks tumbled on Thursday as oil prices marched above \$48 a barrel, but Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> provided some excitement after shares of the Internet search company surged on their debut.$LABEL$2 +Barnes Noble a Hit in 2Q The bookseller beats core earnings estimates and raises its full-year guidance.$LABEL$2 +Web Sites Agree to Be Accessible to Blind (AP) AP - In one of the first enforcement actions of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the Internet, two major travel services have agreed to make sites more accessible to the blind and visually impaired.$LABEL$3 +European Winters Could Disappear by 2080 - Report (Reuters) Reuters - Europe is warming up\more quickly than the rest of the world, and cold winters could\disappear almost entirely by 2080 as a result of global\warming, researchers predicted Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Charter Schools and Testing Collide The education policy of the Bush administration is founded on two pillars: standardized testing and charter schools. However, as reported in this New York Times article (see also the audio archive at NPR or nonsubscription coverage at the Boston Globe) , the US Department of Education's own testing data show that nationwide, charter schools are, in aggregate, lagging their public counterparts.$LABEL$3 +Court Ruling Favors Music-Sharing Networks Music file-sharing companies are not legally responsible for the swapping of copyright content through their file-sharing software, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a blow to movie studios and record labels. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-Associated Press</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Can Angling Save World's Largest Salmon? Conservationists say the survival of Mongolia's fabled taimen salmon may depend on an unusual ecotourism venture involving Western anglers.$LABEL$3 +Nanotechnology Material May Supercharge Internet Scientists have manipulated carbon atoms to create a material that could be used to create light-based, versus electronic, switches. The material could lead to a supercharged Internet based entirely on light, scientists say.$LABEL$3 +Charley a Harbinger of Busy Hurricane Season? The killer storm that slammed into Florida on August 13 made two things clear: Hurricanes can still surprise forecasters, and the rest of the 2004 hurricane season probably is going to be quite active.$LABEL$3 +The start of something big? CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos says start-ups and their innovative ideas are the lifeblood of Silicon Valley.$LABEL$3 +How eight pixels cost Microsoft millions Insensitivity to cultural issues has led to some of the software giant's products being banned in some countries.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: EA to take World Cup soccer to Xbox roundup Plus: IBM chalks up two health care wins...Vonage users dial 311 for city info...Mozilla makes Japanese push...Macromedia offers Flash video tool.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft sends security update to home PCs The first Windows XP owners have started to get the SP2 patch--but it'll be a while till Microsoft can get round to everyone.$LABEL$3 +AT T strikes VoIP deals with cable Company points potential Net phone customers to cable giants for broadband--all part of Ma Bell's aggressive VoIP plans.$LABEL$3 +Tech industry split in its political donations The IT industry has two horses in the U.S. presidential race this year.$LABEL$3 +NetSuite relaunches, Oracle delays small business suite Two months after ending a licensing deal with Oracle Corp., midmarket business applications vendor NetSuite Inc. is using its entry-level software relaunch to woo customers of Intuit Inc.'s QuickBooks.$LABEL$3 +Infocus: Valuing Secure Access to Personal Information This article seeks to answer the question: is your personal data safe? Or do you give it away during almost every transaction you make with government or commercial entities?$LABEL$3 +Columnists: Infected In Twenty Minutes What normally happens within twenty minutes? That's how long your average unprotected PC running Windows XP, fresh out of the box, will last once it's connected to the Internet.$LABEL$3 +Selig Receives Three-Year Extension (Reuters) Reuters - Owners on Thursday\unanimously voted to extend the term of baseball commissioner\Bud Selig for three years through 2009.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Soccer Team Playing With Confidence (AP) AP - They play with a confident air these days, even a swagger, more befitting the Brazilians and Germans. And, for the U.S. men's soccer team, that's good #151; very good.$LABEL$1 +3 Schools Set to Join Sun Belt Conference (AP) AP - This is the last season the Sun Belt Conference will be scattered across the country.$LABEL$1 +Amanda Beard Finally Comes of Age in Athens ATHENS (Reuters) - Amanda Beard credited her new-found maturity for ending an eight-year wait for a second Olympic gold medal in Athens Thursday.$LABEL$1 +Selig Receives Three-Year Extension PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Owners on Thursday unanimously voted to extend the term of baseball commissioner Bud Selig for three years through 2009.$LABEL$1 +Former Champ Bowe Eyes a Return to the Ring SHAWNEE, Oklahoma (Sports Network) - Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe is eyeing a return to the ring after hanging up the gloves in 1996.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Aircraft Pound Shi'ite Rebels in Najaf (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. aircraft, apparently AC-130\gunships, pounded positions held by Shi'ite militiamen in the\Iraqi holy city of Najaf Thursday and large orange multiple\flashes lit the night sky.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Oil Exports Unchanged After Basra Attack (Reuters) Reuters - Iraq's oil exports are still flowing at\one million barrels per day through southern terminals despite\an attack on the South Oil Company headquarters on Thursday, an\oil official at the company said.$LABEL$0 +Canada Says G7 Not Doing Enough to Help Africa (Reuters) Reuters - Leaders from the Group of Seven rich\industrialized nations need to do more to aid poor African\countries, Canadian Finance Minister Ralph Goodale said on\Thursday.$LABEL$0 +Rice Counsels Patience During Iraq War (AP) AP - Defending President Bush's foreign policies, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice counseled Americans to be ""less critical of every twist and turn"" in Iraq.$LABEL$0 +Kerry Says Bush Uses Surrogates to Do 'Dirty Work' (Reuters) Reuters - John Kerry accused President Bush of\using surrogates to ""do his dirty work,"" as the Democratic\presidential challenger hit back on Thursday at a Republican\assault on his Vietnam War record.$LABEL$0 +Border Patrol Training Moves Near Mexico (AP) AP - Incoming Border Patrol agents will train closer to the U.S.-Mexican border when the federal government relocates their academy to Artesia, N.M., Customs and Border Protection announced Thursday.$LABEL$0 +S.Korea's Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father's Past SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea's ruling Uri Party resigned Thursday, an unexpected first casualty of President Roh Moo-hyun's call for an inquiry into who benefited from working with Korea's Japanese colonial rulers.$LABEL$0 +Jackson Accuser Kin Wanted Compensation SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The stepfather of the boy who accused Michael Jackson of molestation testified Thursday that he asked for payment from Jackson for the family's participation in a video interview intended to restore Jackson's reputation...$LABEL$0 +Stocks End Down as Oil Tops #36;48 a Barrel (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks ended lower on Thursday as\oil prices climbed above #36;48 a barrel, prompting investor worry\about the effect of high fuel costs on corporate profits and\consumer demand.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Execs Plan More Hiring - Survey (Reuters) Reuters - Most senior executives at large U.S.\companies plan to increase hiring and investments over the next\12 months amid growing optimism about the economy, according to\a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers released on Thursday.$LABEL$2 +US Court Rejects Movie, Music Makers' Piracy Claims LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major movie studios and music companies, ruling that several online file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright infringement.$LABEL$2 +Parmalat Adds CSFB to Banks Being Sued MILAN (Reuters) - Parmalat on Thursday fired off the latest lawsuit in its bid to recover billions of euros from banks that did deals with the now insolvent dairy group, suing CSFB for about 250 million euros.$LABEL$2 +Parmalat sues US bank CSFB Italian food giant Parmalat is pushing ahead with plans to sue its former auditors by taking CSFB to task over a bond deal back in 2002.$LABEL$2 +Gateway Launches PCs for Retailers (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Gateway has introduced the first products in a new line of desktop PCs\for sale at major retailers throughout North America, following through\on plans to broaden the company's reach beyond direct-sales channels.$LABEL$3 +Cingular Seeks Amendments in AT T Wireless Merger (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Cingular Wireless has begun soliciting AT T Wireless (NYSE: AWE) bondholders to consent to certain amendments in connection with Cingular's acquisition of AT T.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Releases New 64-Bit Windows Preview (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is offering the latest iteration of its 64-bit computing\platform, announcing the release of beta software for PCs and servers.\The release marks the next step in the software giant's efforts to\address the needs of high-end customers.$LABEL$3 +Compuware Blasts IBM's Legal Tactics (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Compuware accused IBM (NYSE: IBM) of improperly introducing 11th hour evidence in \order to delay a ruling in a legal battle between the two firms. \Compuware is suing IBM for allegedly stealing source code and using it \in its own software products.$LABEL$3 +RealNetworks Riles Apple Diehards (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) was outraged when RealNetworks (Nasdaq: RNWK) first announced its intentions to go after its iTunes and iPod market share. It should not have been: Its customers, apparently, are more than willing to go to bat for Apple.$LABEL$3 +California Condor Chick Dies Near Nest (AP) AP - A California condor chick that was part of an ambitious breeding program was found dead near its nest, the week after another was discovered with a broken wing and 35 bottle caps in its gullet.$LABEL$3 +IBM shows off new grid apps IBM on Friday is scheduled to make available early versions of three grid-based technologies intended to help corporate and third-party developers better manage grid-based resources as a way to solve large and compute-intensive problems.$LABEL$3 +US Web Shoppers #39; Holiday Spending Up Online consumers in the United States spent \$8.8 billion, excluding travel purchases, in November, a 19 percent jump over the \$7.4 billion spent online a year earlier, a report released on Monday said.$LABEL$2 +Bank of Canada leaves interest rates unchanged The Bank of Canada announced today it is keeping its trend-setting overnight rate at 2.5 per cent, amid fears that the falling US dollar could hurt Canada #39;s economic growth.$LABEL$2 +Navratilova Loses; Fish, Dent Advance (AP) AP - Martina Navratilova's long, illustrious career will end without an Olympic medal. The 47-year-old Navratilova and Lisa Raymond lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday night to fifth-seeded Shinobu Asagoe and Ai Sugiyama of Japan in the quarterfinals, one step shy of the medal round.$LABEL$1 +Flu-shot maker says surplus will stay in Canada The US health secretary is expected to announce an order for five million more doses of flu vaccine, but it appears they won #39;t come from Canada.$LABEL$2 +Steelers G Simmons Out for Season (AP) AP - Pittsburgh right guard Kendall Simmons will miss the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.$LABEL$1 +Adrenaline Junkie Phelps Losing Sleep at Night ATHENS (Reuters) - Adrenaline junkie Michael Phelps won his fourth gold medal of the Athens Olympics Thursday and then complained he was having trouble sleeping.$LABEL$1 +American Aaron Peirsol's Gold Restored on Appeal ATHENS (Reuters) - Aaron Peirsol was awarded gold in the men's 200 meters backstroke at the Athens Olympics on Thursday after winning an appeal against his disqualification then surviving a protest from the British and Austrian teams.$LABEL$1 +Gap Profit Off, Sees More Store Closings (Reuters) Reuters - Gap Inc. (GPS.N), the largest U.S.\specialty apparel retailer, on Thursday reported a slight\decline in quarterly profit, meeting lowered forecasts, after\summer clearance sales drew surprisingly small crowds.$LABEL$2 +Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> shares made their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, rising sharply to \$100 after an initial public offering marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions.$LABEL$2 +Gap Profit Off, Sees More Store Closings CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gap Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GPS.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GPS.N</A>, the largest U.S. specialty apparel retailer, on Thursday reported a slight decline in quarterly profit, meeting lowered forecasts, after summer clearance sales drew surprisingly small crowds.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Dip as Oil Soars; Google Shines NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks slid on Thursday, ending four days of gains as oil prices continued their march higher, but Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> created a buzz as shares of the Internet search company surged on their debut.$LABEL$2 + #39;Googlers #39; scoop up piles of cash NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- While Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin each made tens of millions of dollars selling some of their holdings in the Internet search giant, they were hardly alone. $LABEL$2 +Muni Manager Sees More Florida Bonds Ahead NEW YORK (Reuters) - As Florida attempts to recover from an estimated \$15 billion in damages left by Hurricane Charley, tax-exempt debt issuance from the state is likely to increase so Florida can replenish its Hurricane Catastrophe ...$LABEL$2 +United Airlines Likely to Terminate Pension Plans nited Airlines said today that it was likely to terminate and replace its four employee pension plans with less-generous benefits, a drastic move that the airline said was necessary to attract the financing that would allow it to ...$LABEL$2 +Qantas posts record year profit SYDNEY: Qantas Airways Ltd, Australia #39;s biggest airline, said yesterday its full-year profit doubled on cost cuts and a pick-up in passengers, but the prospect of higher fuel costs sent its shares sliding. $LABEL$2 +Israel AG Says Shift Barrier to Avoid Sanctions (Reuters) Reuters - Israel's attorney general urged the\government Thursday to swiftly reroute its barrier in the\occupied West Bank to minimize the risk of international\sanctions after the World Court deemed the project illegal.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Air, Ground Forces Pound Iraqi Militia Posts (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. aircraft and tanks pounded\Shi'ite militia positions around a holy shrine and ancient\cemetery in Najaf early on Friday, witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +DaVita ready to expand dialysis services with \$3 billion deal US dialysis company DaVita Inc., a major employer in Pierce County, is poised to buy a Swedish health care companys dialysis operations in a \$3 billion deal, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.$LABEL$2 +Efforts underway to hold Korean crisis talks: US (AFP) AFP - Diplomatic efforts are underway to hold a preparatory meeting for the six-party talks aimed at ending the nuclear crisis in the Korean peninsula, the US State Department said.$LABEL$0 +Bank of Canada missing #36;10,000; employee fired, charged with theft (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The Bank of Canada has fired an employee after #36;10,000 in cash went missing from its Toronto bank-note facility -a rare breach in an institution that prides itself on tight security.$LABEL$0 +Bush Begins Weeklong Stay at Texas Ranch (AP) AP - President Bush and first lady Laura Bush are involved in a little he-said, she-said business here at the presidential ranch.$LABEL$0 +Israel AG Says Shift Barrier to Avoid Sanctions JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's attorney general urged the government Thursday to swiftly reroute its barrier in the occupied West Bank to minimize the risk of international sanctions after the World Court deemed the project illegal.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Air, Ground Forces Pound Iraqi Militia Posts NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft and tanks pounded Shi'ite militia positions around a holy shrine and ancient cemetery in Najaf early on Friday, witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Oil Flows Unchanged After Basra HQ Attacked BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Shi'ite militiamen struck at the center of Iraq's oil industry Thursday, setting the South Oil Company headquarters in the southern port of Basra on fire and further undermining the central government authority, police and officials said.$LABEL$0 +A journey into the epicenter of the Sadr standoff We alerted the Iraqi government, the US military, and the Mahdi Army; we were planning to go to the shrine.$LABEL$0 +US troop shift: A tale of two cities Bush's plan this week to restructure US forces in Europe is stirring up a mix of worry, nostalgia, and hope.$LABEL$0 +Famous scofflaws hit Japan US chess legend Bobby Fischer is the latest in a string of problem migrants for Japan.$LABEL$0 +United Airlines Likely to Terminate Pension Plans The cash-strapped airline said in a bankruptcy court filing today that it ""likely"" will be necessary to terminate and replace its employee pension plans.$LABEL$2 +Court Rules Some File-Sharing Companies Are Not Liable Grokster and StreamCast are not liable for the swapping of copyright content through their file-sharing software, a federal appeals court ruled today.$LABEL$2 +Sunny Days for Video Games Video games were hot in July, and video game stocks should follow the trend.$LABEL$2 +Are Pests Plaguing PETsMART? Sales were lower than expected, and the quality of earnings is in question.$LABEL$2 +Manic Market? Be Like Buffett The graphs look like a nasty saw blade. The headlines are no help. What would Buffett do?$LABEL$2 +Gov't Gives Najaf Militants 'Final Call' NAJAF, Iraq - Prime Minister Ayad Allawi issued a ""final call"" Thursday to Shiite insurgents to disarm and withdraw from a revered shrine after his government threatened a massive onslaught by Iraqi forces. As a peace deal for Najaf unraveled, militants bombarded a police station with mortar rounds, killing seven police and injuring 31 others...$LABEL$0 +Church Says Girls' Communion Not Valid BRIELLE, N.J. - An 8-year-old girl who suffers from a rare digestive disorder and cannot eat wheat has had her first Holy Communion declared invalid because the wafer contained no wheat, violating Roman Catholic doctrine...$LABEL$0 +US Court Rejects Movie, Music Makers' Piracy Claims (Reuters) Reuters - A federal appeals court on Thursday\delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major\movie studios and music companies, ruling that several online\file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright\infringement.$LABEL$3 +Mars Hills, Crater Yield Evidence of Flowing Water (Reuters) Reuters - The hills of Mars yielded more\tantalizing clues about how water shaped the Red Planet in\tests by NASA's robotic geologist, Spirit, while its twin,\Opportunity, observed the deep crater it climbed into two\months ago, scientists said on Wednesday.$LABEL$3 +Google rises in market debut after bumpy IPO NEW YORK/SEATTLE, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) shares made their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, rising sharply to \$100 after an initial public offering marked by ...$LABEL$2 +Insurance Claims Moving Quickly in Fla. PUNTA GORDA, Fla. Aug. 19, 2004 It took years for many insurance claims to be paid following Hurricane Andrew in 1992. This time, technology is helping speed along the claims process for residents hardest hit by Hurricane Charley. $LABEL$2 +New York crude smashes past 48 dollars for first time NEW YORK : New York crude oil smashed past 48 dollars a barrel for the first time, menacing the 50-dollar mark, as heavy fighting gripped the Iraqi city of Najaf. $LABEL$2 +US Airways Off Course, Again Remember the 1980s movie Wall Street, starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen? For those who don #39;t know, here #39;s a recap: To impress financier Gordon Gecko, played by Douglas, Sheen #39;s Bud Fox provides inside information ...$LABEL$2 +More grunt left in BHP: chief BHP Billiton chief executive Chip Goodyear yesterday insisted this week #39;s record profit quot;isn #39;t as good as it gets quot;, as the market wrestled with how to value the stock amid speculation that its share price was near cycle peaks. $LABEL$2 +Amazon Snaps Up China #39;s Largest Web Retailer Amazon.com says it has reached an agreement to buy Joyo.com, the largest Internet retailer of books, music and videos in China, in a deal worth \$75 million. The rapid growth of broadband access in the region makes Asia a particularly ...$LABEL$2 +Credit Suisse First Boston on Parmalat #39;s lawsuit list LONDON, August 19 (New Ratings) Parmalat Finanziaria SpA (PAF.FSE) announced today that the company has filed a lawsuit against Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), seeking approximately 250 million in claims plus interest from the financial service ...$LABEL$2 +Wall Street Slices SPAM Food purveyor Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) -- owner of the SPAM canned meat bonanza -- had good news this morning, or so you would think. Sales were up 15, unit volume was up 6, and earnings, excluding a positive impact from the ...$LABEL$2 +US Economy: Leading Indicators, Manufacturing Index Slow Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The index of leading US economic indicators fell in July and Philadelphia-area manufacturing expanded at a slower pace this month, signs that record energy prices are keeping growth from accelerating. $LABEL$2 +Stock scheme sweeping nation NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Investors beware: If a wily female, apparently believing she #39;s calling someone else, leaves a message with you advising of a hot stock tip, walk away. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, it #39;s a scam. $LABEL$2 +Fleet workers get pink slips STAFF WRITER; Staff writers Alan J. Wax and Regina Marie Glick contributed to this story. As Bank of America pushes ahead with its takeover of Fleet Bank, about 1,000 jobs were cut companywide yesterday throughout the Northeast, ...$LABEL$2 +Update 1: Mylan Labs: FTC Clears Icahn Stock Buy Shares of Mylan Laboratories Inc., the largest US maker of generic drugs, surged Thursday after the company said investor Carl Icahn was given the green light by regulators to buy up to \$500 million of the company #39;s stock. $LABEL$2 +Microsoft sends security update to home PCs Microsoft has started to send out its latest major security patch to home PCs--but some people won #39;t get it for a while. $LABEL$3 +Apple Recalls Batch of PowerBook Batteries Apple, in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, said it would voluntarily recall about 28,000 rechargeable batteries used in its 15-inch PowerBook G4 notebooks. $LABEL$3 +Martian hill shows signs of ancient water LOS ANGELES - NASA #39;s Spirit rover has found more evidence of past water on the hills of Mars, while its twin, Opportunity, has observed a field of dunes inside a crater. $LABEL$3 +Broadband Rules the Internet Broadband across America Broadband has finally superseded dialup connections to the Internet, according to the latest measurements by Nielsen NetRatings. Nielsen reports broadband is used by 63 million users, or 51 percent of the ...$LABEL$3 +Hackers revive iTunes music sharing A group of anonymous programmers has released new software that allows music to be swapped via Apple Computer #39;s popular iTunes jukebox. $LABEL$3 +IBM #39;s New Motion on Linux Aims to #39;Call SCO #39;s Bluff #39; IBM is trying to use SCO as a punching bag this week as Big Blue fires off another motion for partial summary judgment in its legal slugfest over Linux and Unix copyright issues. $LABEL$3 +Loral files reorganization plan with court CHICAGO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Loral Space amp; Communications Ltd. (LRLSQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) , a bankrupt satellite operator, on Thursday said it filed its reorganization plan and it expects to emerge from bankruptcy before year #39;s end. $LABEL$3 +UK radio to chart music downloads LONDON (Reuters) - Virgin Radio and online music service Napster, combining one of the oldest music mediums with the newest, have teamed up to create the first UK radio programme counting down the week #39;s most downloaded songs. $LABEL$3 +Cisco flaw opens networks to attacks Cisco has warned in a security advisory that some networks with its routers could be vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks. $LABEL$3 +Windows installer gains .Net authoring Wise Solutions has released Wise for Windows Installer 6.0, featuring .Net support and enhanced tools for creating installations for data-driven Web applications. $LABEL$3 +Seiko Epson puts on show world #39;s lightest flying robot Seiko Epson Corp. announced Wednesday it had developed the world #39;s lightest flying microrobot, with a weight of just 8.6 grams without its battery, or 12.3 grams with the battery installed. $LABEL$3 +AT amp;T strikes VoIP deals with cable In an attempt to spark growth in its Net phone service, AT amp;T has turned to cable companies to pitch the technology to more consumers. $LABEL$3 +Drugstore Offers New Wave of Disposable Cameras NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pharmacy chain CVS Corp. (CVS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it would offer the world #39;s first disposable digital camera with a bright color viewing screen that allows consumers to instantly preview pictures. $LABEL$3 +DARPA awards robot aircraft deal Officials at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a \$1 billion contract to an industry team led by Northrop Grumman Corp. to build three robotic reconnaissance aircraft and a computer operating system to help fly them for the Air ...$LABEL$3 +Digital Angel Renews Distribution Deal Digital Angel Corp., which makes implantable microchips used to track animals, said Thursday that it renewed a contract with a unit of Schering-Plough Corp. for exclusive distribution of its US pet-identification products. $LABEL$3 +USPTO Close to Rejecting Plug-in Patent The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) moved a step closer to overturning a Web browser plug-in patent at the heart of a multi-million dollar dispute between Microsoft (Quote, Chart) and Eolas Technologies. $LABEL$3 +Linux Scales New Test Platform Testing has always been a critical part of IT and certainly has become a fundamental component of Linux adoption. One of the most critical core pieces of Linux testing got a significant upgrade this week, courtesy of the Open Source Development Lab ...$LABEL$3 +Sony Unveils New Flat TVs, Aims to Boost Share TOKYO (Reuters) - Electronics conglomerate Sony Corp. unveiled eight new flat-screen televisions on Thursday in a product push it hopes will help it secure a leading 35 percent of the domestic market in the key month of December. $LABEL$3 +Hamm Has Little Time to Savor All-Around Victory THENS, Aug. 19 It was nearly 3 am and Paul Hamm was alone on his porch at the Olympic village, sky dark, grounds quiet, gold medal hanging around his neck. $LABEL$1 +Reversal Gives Peirsol Gold; Phelps Wins 200 IM THENS, Aug. 29 Swimming #39;s technique critic came in for some criticism of his own tonight in the shark tank disguised as the Olympic pool. But all #39;s well that ends well on the medal stand and, despite being disqualified shortly ...$LABEL$1 +Gymnastics Gold Evens the US with China ATHENS (Reuters) - American swimmer Michael Phelps grabbed a fourth gold at the Athens Olympics Thursday with a clear victory in the 200 meters medley and gold for 16-year-old gymnast Carly Patterson leveled the US with China at 14 ...$LABEL$1 +Olympics-Mayo knocked out, women prosper ATHENS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Gold medal favourite Carlos Moya joined the exodus of big name tennis players from the Olympics on Thursday, crumbling in the men #39;s quarter-finals against Chile #39;s Nicolas Massu. $LABEL$1 +SHOT PUT Bizarre turn of fortune A shot put competition unique in Olympic history -- ancient or modern -- turned into one of the strangest competitions in the Games history Wednesday evening as the sun was setting on the ancient stadium. $LABEL$1 +Greek Gov #39;t: Games Will Top \$8.5 Billion ATHENS, Greece - Costs for the Athens Olympics are climbing again, expected to top \$8.5 billion because of the massive security and overruns in the last-minute scramble to get venues ready. $LABEL$1 +Soccer: Portugal title hopes end VOLOS, Greece At least the Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson, will be pleased that he has Cristiano Ronaldo back early from the Olympics. If only Ronaldo were happy to see him. $LABEL$1 +Team USA #39;s big-bopper is tearing it up at the Games Team USA third baseman Crystl Bustos has been called the Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa of softball, but a more apt comparison would be to Freddy and Jason. $LABEL$1 +Cleric Tells Militia to Turn Over Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - An aide to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said the militant leader instructed his followers late Thursday to turn over the keys of the revered Shiite shrine they were hiding in to top religious ...$LABEL$0 +UN Staff Marks Baghdad Bomb Anniversary with Security Demand United Nations employees marked the anniversary of the Baghdad bombing with a demand for better security. The fear of further attacks hangs heavy as the world body anticipates a greater role in Iraq, and other world hot spots. $LABEL$0 +S.Korea #39;s Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father #39;s Past SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea #39;s ruling Uri Party resigned Thursday, an unexpected first casualty of President Roh Moo-hyun #39;s call for an inquiry into who benefited from working with Korea #39;s Japanese colonial rulers. $LABEL$0 +Shaukat Aziz Wins By-Election, now Prime Minister-Designate LAHORE, Pakistan: August 19, 2004 (PNS) - Current Federal Finance Minister, Mr. Shaukat Aziz won by-election on his way to officially becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan. As a member of ruling Muslim League and finance minister he is credited with ...$LABEL$0 +How can Tutsi and Hutu divisions be resolved? The massacre of over 160 Congolese Banyamulenge Tutsis in Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi has once again brought to the fore the ethnic problem in Africa #39;s Great Lakes Region. $LABEL$0 +Poor nations pledge to reform UN DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) - Developing countries have pledged to band together to force the West to help tackle their problems, ranging from poverty to reform of the United Nations. $LABEL$0 +Bird flu outbreak in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Malaysian agriculture officials confirmed Thursday bird flu has been detected in two chickens in the northern state of Kelantan. $LABEL$0 +Hungary #39;s Socialists Dump PM, Forint Falls BUDAPEST, Hungary (Reuters) - Hungary #39;s ruling Socialists dumped Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy Thursday, in an attempt to strengthen their hold on a government which has slipped despite a stronger economy and entry into ...$LABEL$0 +Rite Aid Nov. Sales Fall, Bleak Forecast Rite Aid Corp. (RAD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the third-largest US drugstore chain, on Tuesday warned that if current sales trends continue its fiscal 2005 results would fall below expectations it gave in September.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft Issues 2nd SQL Server 2005 Public Beta On Friday, Microsoft issued its second Community Technology Preview (CTP) release of SQL Server 2005, while providing public testers with a new beta release as well, SQL Server 2005 Express Manager, a new, free database management tool.$LABEL$3 +Amazon.com to Acquire Joyo.com for \$72M Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday it has agreed to buy Joyo.com Ltd., China's largest online retailer of books, music and videos, for \$72 million.$LABEL$3 +Nortel Networks to Eliminate 3,500 Jobs Nortel Networks said on Thursday it will slash its work force by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits.$LABEL$3 +CACI Shares Climb on Positive Earnings Shares of CACI International Inc. surged nearly 14 percent Thursday after the company, which provided private interrogators at Abu Ghraib prison and elsewhere in Iraq, reported a 56 percent jump in earnings.$LABEL$3 +REVIEW: Olympics Online Coverage Though NBC is blanketing seven networks with 1,210 hours of Olympics coverage, there's this pesky, bill-paying task called work that keeps me from fully enjoying the televised competition.$LABEL$3 +Wall St seen starting higher as oil price drops Wall Street futures crept higher in pre-market trading on Tuesday as the price of oil continued its slide and investors assessed the merits of possible acquisition of cardiac-stent maker Guidant by Johnson amp; Johnson.$LABEL$2 +XBox, EA to Stage Interactive World Cup Microsoft Corp.'s XBox video game system will team up with software maker Electronic Arts Inc. to stage an online Interactive World Cup tournament later this year, the companies announced Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Nordstrom Profit Up But Shares Fall NEW YORK (Reuters) - Upscale department store chain Nordstrom Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JWN.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JWN.N</A> said on Thursday quarterly earnings rose 62 percent as it controlled inventory and reduced expenses, but the results fell short of Wall Street's expectations.$LABEL$2 +KDE updates Linux desktop The KDE Project has released version 3.3 of its Linux desktop interface software.$LABEL$3 +Content software targets small publishers Snapbridge Software brings content management to the little guys.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: KDE updates Linux desktop roundup Plus: EA to take World Cup soccer to Xbox...IBM chalks up two health care wins...Vonage users dial 311 for city info.$LABEL$3 +Google rises in market debut The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday approved Google Inc.'s IPO plans, and the company's stock jumped 20 on its first day of trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange.$LABEL$3 +Wi-Fi emerges as emergency communications alternative in Fla. Wi-Fi hot spots emerged as a new emergency communications alternative in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, with traffic at some outlets up 50.$LABEL$3 +HP to deliver vulnerability scanning service by year's end Hewlett-Packard Co. plans to deliver by the end of the year a new vulnerability service designed to help companies proactively detect and fix flaws that could be used in a malicious attacks.$LABEL$3 +U.S. intelligence overhaul eyed amid concerns for antiterror fight Congressional hearings raised more questions than answers about impending organizational changes in the intelligence community and their impact on efforts to improve the nation's antiterror fight.$LABEL$3 +Apple Remote Desktop 2 'well worth the money' Computerworld columnist Yuval Kossovksy takes Apple Remote Desktop 2 out for a spin and finds that its new management features make it an upgrade well worth considering.$LABEL$3 +OSDL introduces improved Linux kernel development tool Open Source Development Lab has upgraded a key Linux kernel development tool, the Scalable Test Platform, with new features to improve simulations of enterprise data centers on the Linux kernel.$LABEL$3 +Nortel to lay off 10 of staff Nortel plans to cut about 3,500 jobs, most of them affecting middle managers, in a move to save \$450 million to \$500 million per year.$LABEL$3 +U.K. government to extend three-year contract with Microsoft The U.K.'s Office of Government Commerce is negotiating a renewal of a three-year agreement with Microsoft Corp. that will focus on services and support.$LABEL$3 +Apple recalls 15-in. PowerBook batteries Apple Computer Inc. has issued a recall for about 28,000 PowerBook batteries sold between January and August for use with its 15-in. PowerBook G4 computers$LABEL$3 +Job cutting worst in 2-1/2 years NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Employers announced 104,530 job cuts last month, capping the worst three months for cutbacks since early 2002, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray amp; Christmas Inc.$LABEL$2 +EDS settles contract dispute with U.K.'s NHS The U.K. National Health Service and Electronic Data Systems reached a settlement after the NHS terminated a contract for the company to supply a secure e-mail and directory system.$LABEL$3 +Peer-to-Peer Companies Win in Court Grokster, Morpheus not liable for user's actions, appeals court says.$LABEL$3 +File-Sharing Networks Found Not Guilty By DAVID KRAVETS SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc...$LABEL$3 +Travel Web Sites Agree to Be Accessible to Blind By MICHAEL GORMLEY ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- In one of the first enforcement actions of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the Internet, two major travel services have agreed to make sites more accessible to the blind and visually impaired...$LABEL$3 +Oil Prices Hit New High The price of this key commodity has risen by about a third just since the beginning of July. In London, oil closed at \$43.80 a barrel, while in New York oil closed at \$48.70, up three percent. $LABEL$2 +Delta plan includes job and wage cuts The much-awaited #39;Transformation Plan #39; for Delta Air Lines Inc., one of Tampa International Airport #39;s largest carrier, will include further job cuts, wage and benefit reductions and a new strategy that will help Delta revitalize its entire business. $LABEL$2 +Pace of Mid-Atlantic Factories Moderates NEW YORK (Reuters) - Factories in the US Mid-Atlantic region slowed a little in August but remained at solid levels, although new orders fell sharply in a warning sign for future growth, a report showed on Thursday. $LABEL$2 +Parmalat adds CSFB to list of banks being sued MILAN, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Parmalat on Thursday fired off the latest lawsuit in its bid to recover billions of euros from banks that did deals with the now insolvent dairy group, saying it had sued CSFB for ...$LABEL$2 +UPDATE: NZ #39;s Sky Network TV, INL Enter Merger Talks WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--New Zealand #39;s monopoly pay television operator Sky Network Television Ltd. (SKY.NZ) said Thursday it is in merger talks with its majority shareholder Independent Newspapers Ltd. (INL.NZ). $LABEL$2 +Apple recalls 15-in. PowerBook batteries AUGUST 19, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Apple Computer Inc. has issued a recall for about 28,000 PowerBook batteries sold between January and August for use with its 15-in. PowerBook G4 computers. The batteries, which were made by LG Chem Ltd. of South Korea, ...$LABEL$3 +Wheel Woes For Mars Rover (AP) PASADENA, Calif. (AP) The Mars rover Spirit has developed a problem with one of its six wheels, but NASA officials said Tuesday they believe the robot geologist can continue working. $LABEL$3 +Brazil Tribe Has Great Excuse for Poor Math Skills WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some people have a great excuse for being bad at math -- their language lacks the words for most numbers, US-based researchers reported on Thursday. $LABEL$3 +Pieter van den Hoogenband #39;s name may be too long, but he #39;s compelling Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands missed qualifying for the semis in the 50 freestyle this morning, and the world #39;s headline writers heaved a sigh of relief. When the Flying Dutchman was beaten by Australia #39;s Ian Thorpe in the 200 freestyle on ...$LABEL$1 +Dope and Kenteris hold focus A weightlifting drugs scandal and yet another twist to the saga of disgraced Greek sprinter Kostadinos Kenteris dominated the Olympics on Thursday as China extended their lead at the top of the medal table. $LABEL$1 +Flyers #39; Kapanen gets contract extension Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers Thursday agreed to a two-year contract extension with veteran forward Sami Kapanen. Financial terms were not disclosed. $LABEL$1 +USA beats Australia For three quarters the US Men #39;s Olympic Team (2-1) chased Australia (1-2) and still heading into the final 10 minutes the Americans trailed 67-65. Stepping up its defense, the US reeled off 10 consecutive points to take control of the game and went on to ...$LABEL$1 +Americans falter, while Ward faces an uphill climb Andre Ward was in the hallway waiting to fight when he got his first glimpse of the fighter standing between him and an Olympic medal. $LABEL$1 +Kobe Defense Opposes Releasing Statements (AP) AP - Defense attorneys argued that Kobe Bryant's statements to investigators after the NBA star was accused of rape last summer should be kept secret because it is not yet certain they will be used in his trial.$LABEL$1 +ACC Picks Jacksonville to Host Title Games (AP) AP - The Atlantic Coast Conference chose Jacksonville on Thursday to host its first two championship games.$LABEL$1 +Eight Wild Cards Added to U.S. Open (AP) AP - Alex Bogomolov Jr., ranked 110th, was among eight young American men given U.S. Open wild cards Thursday.$LABEL$1 +Moyo Knocked Out, Women Prosper ATHENS (Reuters) - Gold medal favorite Carlos Moya joined the exodus of big name tennis players from the Olympics on Thursday, crumbling in the men's quarterfinals against Chile's Nicolas Massu.$LABEL$1 +Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations (AP) AP - The makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works swapped online by their users, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a stinging blow to the entertainment industry.$LABEL$3 +Salesforce.com maintains profitability and growth Salesforce.com Inc. on Thursday released its first quarterly results since going public, posting income of \$1.2 million on revenue of \$40.6 million for the three months ended July 31.$LABEL$3 +Basketball: U.S. Wins, Spain Reaches Playoffs ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States finally showed signs of coming together as a team but still needed a late surge to beat Australia 89-79 in the men's Olympic basketball tournament Thursday.$LABEL$1 +AP: Kids Left in Africa Begged for Change (AP) AP - Allegedly abandoned by their American mother in Africa as she took up military contract work in Iraq, seven children from Texas begged small change to buy food and shuttled from a neglectful stranger's care to a concrete-block orphanage, Nigerians said Thursday.$LABEL$0 +Nichols Declines to Appeal Convictions PONCA CITY, Okla. - Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols will not appeal his state murder convictions for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building, his attorney said Thursday...$LABEL$0 +Insurance Claims Moving Quickly in Fla. PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - It took years for many insurance claims to be paid following Hurricane Andrew in 1992...$LABEL$0 +Mbeki: Ivory Coast Parties Agree to Push for Peace South African President Thabo Mbeki said Monday he had reached agreement with all sides in Ivory Coast #39;s conflict on measures which should speed up implementation of a French-brokered peace accord.$LABEL$0 +Report: Mladic Gets \$520-A-Month Serb Army Pension BELGRADE (Reuters) - Top war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic is getting about \$520 a month in pension payments from the Serbia and Montenegro military, the Belgrade daily Blic reported Wednesday.$LABEL$0 +Dance, Music to Liven German Building (AP) AP - Where communist East German legislators once ruled, modern dance and club music are taking over.$LABEL$0 +Georgia Forces Announce Big Gain Over Separatists TBILISI, Georgia (Reuters) - Georgian forces seized strategic heights from separatist fighters in rebel South Ossetia Thursday and President Mikhail Saakashvili promised more such victories to fulfill a pledge to reunite his fractious country.$LABEL$0 +Google #39;s New Stock Rises to \$100 Mark Description: In the first day of trading in shares of the Internet search engine company Google, the stock rises to above \$100. After much anticipation over the public offering, Google set its initial price at \$85 for Thursday #39;s debut. NPR #39;s Laura Sydell ...$LABEL$2 +HCC Insurance Expects \$10M Charley Losses HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. on Thursday said it expects its third-quarter losses related to Hurricane Charley after reinsurance recoveries will be less than \$10 million, or 10 cents per share. $LABEL$2 +Jetstar boosts Qantas turnover BUDGET airline Jetstar has helped propel Qantas to a record post-tax profit of \$648.4 million. Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon paid tribute to the subsidiary domestic carrier during a formal profit announcement yesterday. $LABEL$2 +Mylan shares spike on interest by Icahn PHILADELPHIA, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Shares of Mylan Laboratories Inc. (MYL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) surged more than 10 percent on Thursday after billionaire investor Carl Icahn got federal regulatory approval to buy up 11.9 percent of ...$LABEL$2 +Peer-to-Peer Companies Win in Court A US federal appeals court ruled in favor of peer-to-peer software makers this week, stating that the companies behind the Grokster and Morpheus services are not liable for copyright infringement due to the actions of their users. $LABEL$3 +Apple Recalls Batteries In G4 Laptops Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday recalled the batteries used in 15-inch PowerBook G4 computers, due to an internal short that can cause the batteries to overheat and pose a fire hazard to consumers. $LABEL$3 +American Aaron Peirsol #39;s Gold Restored on Appeal ATHENS (Reuters) - Aaron Peirsol was awarded gold in the men #39;s 200 meters backstroke at the Athens Olympics on Thursday after winning an appeal against his disqualification then surviving a protest from the British and Austrian teams. $LABEL$1 +Simmons #39; season in jeopardy Latrobe, PA (Sports Network) - Pittsburgh Steelers starting guard Kendall Simmons is expected to miss the entire 2004 season after apparently suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. $LABEL$1 +Big Indian Dream comes crashing down Two positive drug tests and Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi playing as if they were on tranquilisers. India had a nightmare day at the Olympics today. $LABEL$1 +England #39;s middle order saves the day England #39;s middle order came up trumps today after early wickets fell in the 4th and final npower test at the Oval. $LABEL$1 +The Changing Face Of Al-Qaeda In a series of apparently well-coordinated raids, British and Pakistani security forces arrested a number of terrorism suspects in early August. Some of the men arrested in the United Kingdom were charged with quot;conspiring...to cause fear, panic, and ...$LABEL$0 +Famous scofflaws hit Japan TOKYO For a country that shut out foreigners for hundreds of years, Japan has proved strangely attractive for problem migrants of late. $LABEL$0 +What Low-Carb Dieters May Be Missing (AP) AP - Low-carb dieters may be missing key nutrients when they eliminate or restrict certain food groups, according to health experts:$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Recommends Throttling Back SUS For SP2 Microsoft on Wednesday posted advice for enterprises relying on Software Update Services (SUS) to prevent network slowdowns and server bottlenecks as they update thousands of PCs to Windows XP Service Pack 2 ...$LABEL$3 +Apple Recalls PowerBook Batteries Apple Computer this week launched a voluntary worldwide 15-inch PowerBook G4 battery exchange program to deal with 28,000 potentially faulty units. $LABEL$3 +Browsing for secure alternative browsers AUGUST 18, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Web browsers are our windows to the Internet. They enable us to navigate about the Internet with ease and they help secure us and protect our privacy when we conduct online transactions. $LABEL$3 +BlackBerrys sync with Mac OS X Software developer Information Appliance Associates announced Thursday the release of an application synchronizing Research In Motion #39;s BlackBerry devices with Apple #39;s Mac OS X. $LABEL$3 +Men #39;s volleyball: US falls to Russia Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - The United States men #39;s volleyball team fell below .500 Thursday night with a four-set loss to Russia in Pool B action. $LABEL$1 +Selig #39;s continued reign is bad for baseball In a move that defies logic, a vision for the future and good taste, baseball owners voted unanimously to extend the contract of commissioner Bud Selig through 2009. As a baseball fan, this makes me want to lower the blinds, wear black and listen to my ...$LABEL$1 +Nepal asks Maoists for talks With the Maoist blockade of Kathmandu completing its second day, the Nepal government on Thursday asked the rebels to resume peace talks. $LABEL$0 +New Rules for 'Soft Money' Groups in 2006 (AP) AP - Non-party groups spending millions of dollars in unlimited donations on ads and get-out-the-vote drives in this year's presidential race will face some new ground rules starting with the 2006 election.$LABEL$0 +Google Shares Hit \$100.34 in Market Debut SAN JOSE, Calif. - In a debut vaguely reminiscent of the dot-com boom, shares of Internet search giant Google Inc...$LABEL$0 +Jackson Accuser's Kin Asked for Payment SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The stepfather of the boy who accused Michael Jackson of molestation testified Thursday that he asked for payment for the family's participation in a video interview intended to restore Jackson's reputation...$LABEL$0 +Church Says Girl's Communion Not Valid BRIELLE, N.J. - An 8-year-old girl who suffers from a rare digestive disorder and cannot eat wheat has had her first Holy Communion declared invalid because the wafer contained no wheat, violating Roman Catholic doctrine...$LABEL$0 +Follow-Through (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Last year's FORBES E-Gang (see p. 144 for this year's group) featured five luminaries in the field of wireless communication. Two of our picks have left their jobs, while three are steaming ahead.$LABEL$3 +Party Crasher (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Not long ago most corporate computer managers viewed open-source programs like MySQL as toys fit only for hobbyists. But then Linux, an open-source operating system, became a smash hit in corporate sites. Now the folks who embraced Linux are snapping up other bargain programs such as Apache, which serves up Web pages, the MySQL database and scripting languages like PHP, Perl and Python, which are used to create Web pages. So many companies use the combination of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (or Perl or Python) that they're described with the acronym LAMP.$LABEL$3 +Obsolete (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - AVOCENT (27, AVCT) is by far the market leader in KVM (keyboard, video, monitor) devices, which allow technicians to run multiple servers using a single computer terminal. Avocent has outsize gross margins (58) on this stuff. In the first half sales rose 23 to #36;174 million, though it lost #36;5 million due to an acquisitions-related charge. The stock's multiple: 73.$LABEL$3 +The Song Remains the Same (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - In an August memo typed from his hospital bed, Steve Jobs--Apple's chief executive, patriarch and media impresario--let his employees know he would be out for a month to recover from surgery to remove a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Patients with this type of cancer, called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, have a 90 survival rate, especially if treated early. Apple says Jobs is due back in September.$LABEL$3 +Cherry-Picking Growth (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Rural hospitals, car insurers and furniture stores aren't exactly the first businesses that come to mind when talking about growth stocks, but fund manager Richard Aster Jr. picks through such sleepy industries to find growing companies that others have ignored.$LABEL$2 +House Call (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - It says something when the world's largest home-improvement retailer, with #36;65 billion in sales, is willing to risk its reputation on an #36;800 fee. Home Depot customers do 25 million transactions each week, and most are happy enough to come back. But the relationship has always ended at the store's threshold. It left to plumbers, electricians and handymen the mud tracks in the living room, the punctured pipes in the basement and the inevitable budget overruns.$LABEL$2 +Relief funds almost spent, says Soliman Stunned residents in General Nakar, Quezon, picked their way through a wasteland of mud and rubble to leave storm-ravaged areas Tuesday as the government said it has run out of money to pay for relief services.$LABEL$0 +Pilots to Pluck Space Capsule From Air (AP) AP - The Genesis space capsule carrying solar wind particles will be plucked from nearly a mile above the Utah desert by stunt helicopter pilots who've replicated the retrieval, without fumbles, in nearly a dozen practice runs.$LABEL$3 +New Genetic Link Found to Crib Deaths (Reuters) Reuters - A collection of genes involved in\early development may help explain why black babies are more at\risk of sudden infant death syndrome than other U.S. groups,\researchers said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Patterson Wins All-Around Gold Carly Patterson became the first American woman to win the gymnastics all-around competition since Mary Lou Retton in 1984.$LABEL$1 +Update 2: Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations The makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works swapped online by their users, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a stinging blow to the entertainment industry. $LABEL$2 +Moscow Court Rejects Yukos Appeal A Moscow court has rejected a request to drop part of the criminal case against the jailed former chief of Yukos oil company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. $LABEL$2 +United Airlines Says It May Terminate Pension Plans (Update3) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- UAL Corp. #39;s United Airlines, trying to attract financing to exit bankruptcy, said it probably will terminate and replace all its pension plans. $LABEL$2 +Search industry welcomes Google IPO, sees growth SEATTLE, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) competitors large and small welcomed the Web #39;s most popular search engine into their ranks as a publicly traded company on Thursday, saying the search industry ...$LABEL$2 +Hibernia to Sell Mortgage Portfolio Hibernia Corp., the holding company for Hibernia National Bank, said Thursday that it signed a letter of intent to sell its \$10 billion, third-party residential mortgage servicing portfolio to a unit of Citigroup Inc. $LABEL$2 +One China, May Exporters (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - China beckons stock investors with the lure of brisk economic growth. Yet a school of prominent China watchers, led by Morgan Stanley strategist Andy Xie, warns that the domestic overheating could lead to a ""hard landing"" in sectors ranging from steel to real estate. The Chinese government, worried about that very thing, is trying to rein in the torrid expansion.$LABEL$2 +Court Rejects Movie, Music Makers' Piracy Claims LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major movie studios and music companies, ruling that several online file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright infringement.$LABEL$2 +So you want to be a cybercrook... Web villains post do-it-yourself phishing kits to help any amateur become an online con artist.\$LABEL$3 +Google has strong first day of public trading After a bumpy ride toward becoming a publicly traded company, Google Inc. finally saw its stock start trading on the Nasdaq exchange at around noon Eastern Daylight Time Thursday and with a strong opening at \$100.01, up from its \$85 initial offering price. The stock, which trades under the GOOG ticker symbol, closed at \$100.34, up 18 percent.$LABEL$3 +Embarcadero, Ixiasoft focus on data management Embarcadero is shipping Embarcadero Performance Center 1.9, a version of its multiplatform database monitoring product that adds a Web client and management functions for Linux and Unix databases.$LABEL$3 +Tibetans accuse China of meddling in film festival (AFP) AFP - Tibetan activists in India claimed that five films on Tibet have been dropped from the upcoming Asian Film Festival in Bombay under pressure from the Chinese embassy in India.$LABEL$0 +Vanguard Group Closes Int'l Explorer Fund NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Vanguard Group, the second-biggest U.S. mutual fund firm, said on Thursday it has closed the \$1.4 billion Vanguard International Explorer Fund to thwart speculative short-term investors and protect long-term shareholders.$LABEL$2 +Movie, Music Makers' Piracy Claims Denied LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major movie studios and music companies, ruling that several online file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright infringement.$LABEL$2 +Mets Beat Rockies 10-3 to Open Twinbill (AP) AP - Mike Cameron homered and drove in four runs, and Kris Benson pitched six solid innings to lead the New York Mets past the Colorado Rockies 10-3 Thursday in the first game of a doubleheader.$LABEL$1 +Our kids losing ground in math, science OTTAWA -- Canadian students have slipped in the rankings of an international test in reading, math and science, dropping out of the top five in math and science.$LABEL$0 +Google goes public, shares surge nearly 20 percent on first day In the most highly anticipated Wall Street debut since the heady days of the dot-com boom, shares of Google surged nearly 20 percent on their first day of public trading Thursday as the quirky Internet company completed its much-hyped initial stock ...$LABEL$2 +Update 1: US Airways Union Says Labor Deal Is Near Union leaders representing US Airways pilots said Thursday that a new labor agreement could be struck soon, telling their rank and file a new deal is quot;our last opportunity to control the fate of our airline and our careers. quot; ...$LABEL$2 +Delta Air #39;s Revival Plan Preaches Austerity Delta Air Lines (DAL:NYSE - commentary - research) will cut employees and benefits but give a bigger-than-expected role to Song, its low-cost unit, in a widely anticipated but still unannounced overhaul, TheStreet.com has learned. $LABEL$2 +Boston Scientific Stent Gets Extension Medical-device maker Boston Scientific Corp. said Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration approved an extended shelf life of nine months for its Taxus Express2 drug-eluting coronary stent system in the United States, up from six months. $LABEL$2 +Helicopter Stunt Pilots to Snag Stardust for NASA PASADENA, Calif. (Reuters) - NASA has recruited two Hollywood helicopter stunt pilots for an especially tricky maneuver -- snagging a capsule full of stardust as it parachutes back to Earth next month, mission managers said on Thursday. $LABEL$3 +So you want to be a cyber-crook... Some Web sites are now offering surfers the chance to download free quot;phishing kits quot; containing all the graphics, Web code and text required to construct the kind of bogus Web sites used in Internet phishing scams. $LABEL$3 +IE Drag-and-Drop Flaw Warning A security bug in Microsoft Internet Explorer #39;s drag-and-drop feature could put millions of Web surfers at risk of malicious hacker attacks, researchers warned on Thursday. $LABEL$3 +This lying, sneaky spirit of the Games THE struggle for the soul of the Olympics is still not won, not in a thousand years and more. On Wednesday, token events took place on the sacred site where the original Games took place in Ancient Olympia hundreds of years before Christ. $LABEL$1 +Too tall, too old, too artistic, Khorkina makes grand Olympic exit ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The diva does not warm up before her performance. Not much, anyway. That is something that other gymnasts do, and Svetlana Khorkina will never be confused with one of those. $LABEL$1 +Loos? Not in Becks #39; vocab HOW fares Sven-Goran Eriksson? After all his nocturnal romping, were England just as rampant against the Ukraine? Why, certainly. $LABEL$1 +US men #39;s soccer team carries itself with a swagger They play with a confident air these days, even a swagger, more befitting the Brazilians and Germans. $LABEL$1 +15-inch PowerBook G4 Battery Exchange Apple is voluntarily recalling certain lithium ion rechargeable batteries that were sold worldwide from January 2004 through August 2004 for use with 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) notebook computers. The affected batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard. Aug 19$LABEL$3 +Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. shares made their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, rising sharply to \$100 after an initial public offering marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions.$LABEL$2 +Google makes market debut IN A debut vaguely reminiscent of the dot.com boom, shares of internet search giant Google surged in their first day of public trading. $LABEL$2 +Court Rejects Movie, Music Makers #39; Piracy Claims LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major movie studios and music companies, ruling that several online file-sharing software companies are not liable for ...$LABEL$2 +Drug store offers new wave of disposable cameras NEW YORK--Pharmacy chain CVS Corp. on Thursday said it would offer the world #39;s first disposable digital camera with a bright color viewing screen that allows consumers to instantly preview pictures. $LABEL$3 +Hall upset over snub ATHENS Gary Hall Jr. resurfaced for the first time since being left off the medal race in the 4x100-meter sprint relay last weekend, and as expected, he had an opinion. $LABEL$1 +Men #39;s Singles : Chile and USA secure medals ATHENS, 20 August - The semifinal line-up in the men #39;s singles has been settled with both contests featuring a Chile v USA match-up, so each nation is assured of at least one Singles medal. $LABEL$1 +Anno breaks Olympic jinx with judo gold ATHENS Four-time judo world champion Noriko Anno broke her Olympic jinx by winning gold in the women #39;s 78-kilogram event Thursday at the Athens Games but defending Olympic champion Kosei Inoue was dealt shock defeats to miss out on a medal in the ...$LABEL$1 +American Patterson overcomes Russian for all-around Olympic title The 20-year wait is over. America has its new Mary Lou, and her name is Carly Patterson. The 16-year-old dynamo beat Russian superstar Svetlana Khorkina to give the United States another Olympic all-around champion Thursday night, closing with a dazzling ...$LABEL$1 +A new generation of US sprinters take their marks As track and field begins at the Games, it is up to athletes like Lauryn Williams to set right a sport seared by scandal. $LABEL$1 +Sharon #39;s leadership in crisis as Likud rejects settler plan Ariel Sharon #39;s political obituary was being written yesterday as opponents in Labour and his own Likud party turned their backs on the embattled Prime Minister, putting his plan for a staged withdrawal of settlers from the West ...$LABEL$0 +UK welcomes corncrake's comeback The rare corncrake is starting to return to England, but several other birds are still in serious trouble.$LABEL$3 +Dust 'is hidden climate problem' The amount of dust blowing around the world may have serious environmental effects, geographers say.$LABEL$3 +New worm uses IM to lure victims A new version of the worm that spread from infected Microsoft Corp. Internet Information Services (IIS) Web servers in June has been identified and is using instant messages (IMs) and infected Web sites in Russia, Uruguay and the U.S. to spread itself, according to one security company.$LABEL$3 +AMD sneaks strained silicon into chips The design twist will let the company increase the performance of its processors.$LABEL$3 +Your regularly scheduled software patch Oracle follows Microsoft and decides to roll patches out on a monthly timetable, but does that make customers more secure?$LABEL$3 +REVIEW: Olympics Web Coverage Disappoints (AP) AP - Though NBC is blanketing seven networks with 1,210 hours of Olympics coverage, there's this pesky, bill-paying task called work that keeps me from fully enjoying the televised competition.$LABEL$3 +Mission Studying Lionfish Off N.C. Coast (AP) AP - When divers first reported lionfish off the North Carolina coast four years ago, biologist Paula Whitfield thought it must be a mistake or an aberration. The poisonous, carnivorous Indo-Pacific lionfish is native to tropical waters half a world away #151; not the seas off the Outer Banks.$LABEL$3 +Parmalat adds Credit Suisse Extraordinary commissioner Enrico Bondi has filed a claim against CSFB in a Parma court in connection with a forward sale agreement between the bank and Parmalat dating from January 2002. $LABEL$2 +Google has strong first day of public trading After a bumpy ride toward becoming a publicly traded company, Google Inc. finally saw its stock start trading on the Nasdaq exchange at around noon Eastern Daylight Time Thursday and with a strong opening at \$100.01, ...$LABEL$2 +Microsoft Gets Good Grades on SP2 Microsoft has begun sending Windows XP Service Pack 2 to home users via of its automatic update system. Despite a few flaws that already have been found in the massive patch, the update will strengthen system security for most Windows XP ...$LABEL$3 +Do-It-Yourself Phishing Kits Lead To More Scams Do-it-yourself phishing kits are freely available on the Internet, a security firm said Thursday, and they will lead to more scams sent to online consumers. $LABEL$3 +Phelps adds 200-medley to his tally of gold ATHENS Michael Phelps certainly will not beat Mark Spitz #39;s record seven Olympic swimming gold medals in Munich in 1972, but the American youngster is still racking up the gold in Athens. $LABEL$1 +James Lawton: Khorkina the fallen tsarina loses to American princess Svetlana Khorkina was born in a poor industrial town on the Ukraine border, but not in her mind. There, she inhabited the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, surrounded by fawning courtiers and Faberg eggs. It showed here last night as the walls of her ...$LABEL$1 +In badminton, two deserving champions ATHENS As they lunged and lobbed with astonishing skill on Thursday, it was difficult to know whose personal journey had made them the worthier Olympic women #39;s badminton champion. $LABEL$1 +Beckham - played well on Tyneside (Getty Images) Sven-Goran Eriksson hailed David Beckham #39;s strength of character in recovering from his Euro 2004 woes as he said: quot;Criticism only makes him stronger. quot; ...$LABEL$1 +Devils re-sign Brylin Brylin, entering his 11th NHL season, agreed to a multiyear deal. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games last year, and had 14 goals and 19 assists. $LABEL$1 +Lara must lead by example or face losing the captaincy The West Indian players and their supporters must be sick to death of reading comments that are highly critical of the way they have played in this series. $LABEL$1 +Balancing the risks in holy Najaf Ayad Allawi #39;s ultimatum yesterday to the rebel Shia cleric Moqtada al Sadr - who is holed up with his fighters in the holy city of Najaf - was notable for one thing: the lack of a deadline. $LABEL$0 +Opp will be taken along on all issues: Shaukat ISLAMABAD: Newly elected member of the National Assembly and prime minister-designate, Shaukat Aziz, said on Thursday that Mr Aziz said the government would make sure the opposition stayed abreast of it on all important national issues. $LABEL$0 +DPRK negative #39;over US offer on nuclear weapons HONG KONG: North Korea shows no sign of accepting US incentives to give up its nuclear weapons programmes, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in remarks released on Thursday. $LABEL$0 +Reversal Gives Peirsol Gold; Phelps Wins 200 IM Despite being disqualified shortly after his final, Aaron Peirsol was eventually reinstated as the winner of the 200-meter backstroke event.$LABEL$1 +Mets Open Doubleheader With Victory Mike Cameron homered and drove in four runs, and Kris Benson pitched six solid innings to lead the Mets past Colorado.$LABEL$1 +US stocks: Market dips as oil rises and Google shines NEW YORK - US stocks slid on Thursday, ending four days of gains as oil prices continued their march higher, but Google Inc. created a buzz as shares of the internet search company surged on their debut. $LABEL$2 +Enter your e-mail: System administrators who have been installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 on their own PCs and on test systems are reporting the results of their practice runs to the SANS Institute Web site--and the failure rate seems to be pretty high. $LABEL$3 +Your regularly scheduled software patch The database maker confirmed on Thursday that it plans to start releasing patches on a specific day each month. The move mimics Microsoft #39;s decision last October to release patches for its software on the second Tuesday of each month. $LABEL$3 +AMD sneaks strained silicon into chips Advanced Micro Devices has begun to incorporate a form of strained silicon into its chips, a design twist that will let the company increase the performance of its processors. $LABEL$3 +Precision and Pressure in a Classic Stadium THENS, Aug. 19 The two finalists in the men #39;s archery strode out this afternoon and took their positions side-by-by side between the twin columns topped with the two-faced busts of Hermes that mark the start and finish lines in the ...$LABEL$1 +Sportsview: Khorkina makes grand exit ATHENS, Greece (AP) The diva does not warm up before her performance. Not much, anyway. That is something that other gymnasts do, and Svetlana Khorkina will never be confused with one of those. $LABEL$1 +Dodgers acquire Dessens for bullpen Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right- handed pitcher Elmer Dessens and cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league outfielder Jereme Milons on Thursday. $LABEL$1 +Moore, seven others advance at Amateur MAMARONECK, NY -- NCAA Division I champion Ryan Moore advanced to the quarterfinals Thursday at the US Amateur at Winged Foot Golf Club. $LABEL$1 +UN peace chief warns of more violence after Burundi massacre UNITED NATIONS : The UN #39;s peacekeeping chief warned of a surge in violence after the massacre of Congolese refugees in Burundi and called on all parties to step back from the brink of war. $LABEL$0 +AL: Paul, Guerrero, Erstad Guide Angels to Win (Reuters) Reuters - Josh Paul, Vladimir Guerrero and Darin\Erstad hit multi-run homers to lead the Anaheim Angels to a\10-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg\Thursday.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Uses Lethal Aircraft to Try to Break Sadr (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. military pounded positions\held by radical clerical Moqtada al-Sadr's lightly armed\militiamen early Friday, unleashing one of its most terrifying\aircraft in a bid to break their will to fight.$LABEL$0 +NL Wrap: Maddux, Sosa Help Cubs Beat Brewers NEW YORK (Reuters) - Greg Maddux overcame a shaky start to post his 301st career win while Sammy Sosa hit his 566th career home run as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-6 in Milwaukee Thursday.$LABEL$1 +Canadian flagbearer Gill bids hasty exit from Olympic judoka event (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - ATHENS (CP) - Montreal's Nicolas Gill will now play the role of spectator at the Summer Games.$LABEL$0 +Israel's Peres Urges Election, Pressures Sharon JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's opposition Labor Party leader pushed an already embattled prime minister to the wall by advocating early elections a day after Ariel Sharon's Likud party barred him from coalition negotiations.$LABEL$0 +Analysis: Doctors a Part of Iraq Abuse LONDON - Doctors working for the U.S. military in Iraq collaborated with interrogators in the abuse of detainees at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, profoundly breaching medical ethics and human rights, a bioethicist charges in The Lancet medical journal...$LABEL$0 +Yahoo fixes two flaws in mail system Online portal says bugs could have let attackers alter appearance of pages and access a victim's data.\$LABEL$3 +Tokyo's Nikkei Average Falls TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average fell 0.46 percent early morning on Friday with technology shares such as Fujitsu Ltd. leading the way, following a retreat in their U.S. peers and on worries over record-breaking oil prices.$LABEL$2 +Same-Day Doctor Visits Gain Steam in U.S. Life changed for Steve Lunt and his wife when they called Dr. Gordon Moore, who is among a growing number of doctors nationwide who have adopted same-day service. The idea, which experts say is gaining steam, is that scheduling patients immediately for even routine physicals will keep them healthier and happier.$LABEL$3 +Groups Weigh in on Revisions to Food Pyramid By IRA DREYFUSS WASHINGTON (AP) -- Keep the food pyramid but make it more understandable, food industry and consumer group officials told a panel of Agriculture Department officials on Thursday. The department is revising its nutrition graphic to reflect new eating guidelines that are due out early next year by a dietary guidance advisory committee...$LABEL$3 +Health Highlights: Aug. 19, 2004 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: ----- Doctor Who Was Focus of Anthrax Probe Loses Job A doctor who has recently become the focus of federal agents investigating the unsolved 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States has lost his job at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr...$LABEL$3 +Scientist says numeracy theories don #39;t add up Language moulds our thoughts so much that we cannot conceptualise ideas for which we do not have words, according to an American researcher. $LABEL$3 +Sony brings new technology to TV line Sony said Thursday that it would begin selling eight new television models outfitted with semiconductors designed to produce sharper images, including two with a lighting system that the company says is the world #39;s first. $LABEL$3 +Napster UK teams with Virgin Radio British radio station Virgin Radio (which is not part of Virgin Group anymore) has teamed up with Napster UK to launch an online music chart called (very creative..) The Napster Online Music Chart. $LABEL$3 +Hewitt advances Lleyton Hewitt of Australia moved into the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Alejandro Falla of Colombia in Washington. $LABEL$1 +Patterson overcomes low vault score to win all-around gold ATHENS, Greece In gymnastics style and personality, it was like watching an American high school cheerleader bringing down the Russian prima ballerina, a dynamo dusting off a diva. At night #39;s end, US teenager Carly Patterson simply ...$LABEL$1 +3 countries will appeal in eventing ATHENS France, Britain and the United States issued a joint challenge Thursday to Germany #39;s gold medal in equestrian team three-day eventing. $LABEL$1 +NL Wrap: Maddux, Sosa Help Cubs Beat Brewers NEW YORK (Reuters) - Greg Maddux overcame a shaky start to post his 301st career win while Sammy Sosa hit his 566th career home run as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-6 in Milwaukee Thursday. $LABEL$1 +Football: US-Jamaica CONCACAF Semifinal Qualifier Ends in Draw Second-half substitute Brian Ching scored the first goal of his international career in the 89th minute to give the United States national soccer team a 1-1 come-from-behind draw against Jamaica in Kingston. $LABEL$1 +Shutdown of the Uffizi is threatened over cuts ROME Italy #39;s culture minister has threatened to shut down the Uffizi museum if the government does not scale back planned spending cuts. $LABEL$0 +Google Shares Hit #36;100.34 in Market Debut (AP) AP - In a debut vaguely reminiscent of the dot-com boom, shares of Internet search giant Google Inc. surged in their first day of public trading Thursday as investors who avoided the company's auction-based offering readily jumped into the familiar territory of the stock market.$LABEL$3 +Olympics Internet Coverage Disappoints The Internet is good for getting results and learning the mechanics of obscure sports but it fails to capture the full glory and personalities that make the Olympics so special.$LABEL$3 +Apple's iPod a Huge Hit in Japan The iPod is proving a colossal hit on the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant's home ground. The tiny white machine is catching on as a fashion statement and turning into a cultural icon here, much the same way it won a fanatical following in the United States.$LABEL$3 +Auction Debate to Outlive Google Debut (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc. (GOOG.O) debuted as a\public company on Thursday, but that did not stop the debate\over whether its auction-based IPO was a success or will\influence future IPOs.$LABEL$2 +Al-Sadr Tells Militia to Turn Over Shrine (AP) AP - Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his fighters Thursday to hand control of a revered Najaf shrine to top Shiite religious authorities, hours after U.S. forces bombed militant positions and Iraq's prime minister made a ""final call"" for the cleric's militia to surrender.$LABEL$0 +AP: Kids Left in Africa Begged for Change (AP) AP - Allegedly abandoned by their American mother in Africa, seven children from Texas begged small change to buy food and shuttled from a neglectful stranger's care to a concrete-block orphanage, Nigerians said Thursday.$LABEL$0 +AP: Kids Left in Africa Begged for Change IBADAN, Nigeria - Allegedly abandoned by their American mother in Africa, seven children from Texas begged small change to buy food and shuttled from a neglectful stranger's care to a concrete-block orphanage, Nigerians said Thursday. Eventually, the children proved their American citizenship to a passing missionary from Texas by singing ""The Star-Spangled Banner."" He notified U.S...$LABEL$0 +Baseball Gives Selig Contract Through 2009 PHILADELPHIA - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig received a contract extension through 2009 Thursday as owners praised his 12-year reign, but dissension surfaced among teams in the decision to launch a World Cup tournament. Selig, who has presided over revolutionary changes in the most traditional of major U.S...$LABEL$0 +India fight back to beat Germany in Champions Trophy (AFP) AFP - India came from behind to defeat new-look Germany 3-1 and remain in contention for a podium finish in the men's Champions Trophy field hockey tournament here.$LABEL$0 +Baseball Gives Selig Contract Through 2009 (AP) AP - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig received a contract extension through 2009 Thursday as owners praised his 12-year reign, but dissension surfaced among teams in the decision to launch a World Cup tournament.$LABEL$1 +UConn Aide Put on Leave After Sex Bust (AP) AP - Connecticut placed assistant men's basketball coach Clyde Vaughan on paid administrative leave Thursday after his arrest in a prostitution sting.$LABEL$1 +COWBOYS 43, SEAHAWKS 39 Jones had 198 yards rushing and three touchdowns, helping Dallas erase a 10-point deficit with less than three minutes to play as the visiting Cowboys stunned the Seattle Seahawks, 43-39, last night.$LABEL$1 +Google shares top 100 on debut NEW YORK Despite voluble skepticism among investors, Google #39;s stock jumped about 18 percent to \$100.01 a share when it debuted Thursday on the Nasdaq stock market. $LABEL$2 +Update 11: Crude Oil Prices Climb Above \$48 a Barrel Crude futures climbed above \$48 a barrel Thursday as market fears of sabotage against the Iraqi oil infrastructure outweighed assurances from Baghdad that exports would increase in coming days. $LABEL$2 +StreamCast, Grokster escape suit AP - A US court says the makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works swapped online by their users, in a stinging blow to the entertainment industry. $LABEL$2 +Wal-Mart looking at Japan #39;s Daiei TOKYO Wal-Mart Stores is considering taking a stake in the heavily indebted Japanese retailer Daiei, a move that could greatly expand the presence of the world #39;s largest retailer in the world #39;s second-largest retail market. $LABEL$2 +Hibbett 2Q Earnings Drop 6 Percent Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc. on Thursday said its second-quarter results dropped 6 percent year-over-year on weaker licensed apparel and fitness-equipment sales, missing industry estimates. $LABEL$2 +Delta faces tricky task in restructuring debt NEW YORK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is taking steps toward restructuring at least some of its roughly \$20 billion of total debt in a bid to avoid bankruptcy, but it will face an uphill battle, ...$LABEL$2 +Market little changed at open THE sharemarket was virtually flat at the open today as losses in the financial sector and News Corp nullified gains in resources and gold stocks. $LABEL$2 +Michael Hill sparkles Jeweller Michael Hill International has seen its annual profit rise 30 due to increased sales, the company says. $LABEL$2 +Mars Exploration Rovers Update During the last four weeks, the Mars Exploration Rovers have braved the Martian winter to continue their geologic field work, sending home more evidence of past liquid water on the Red Planet and images of bizarre geologic formations the likes ...$LABEL$3 +RealNetworks Riles Apple Diehards RealNetworks #39; campaign to grab digital-music market share away from Apple #39;s iTunes service -- most recently, with cut-rate, 49-cent song downloads -- is raising the ire of Apple loyalists. A petition placed online by Real was swamped with ...$LABEL$3 +Casual approach, shot selection land Anthony seat on Team USA bench The question of what #39;s up between coach Larry Brown and nailed-to-the-bench young forward Carmelo Anthony is not, to be sure, the most important one facing the United States men #39;s basketball team. The team #39;s poor shooting -- after going 3-for-17 in ...$LABEL$1 +Granville crushes Czech LAURA GRANVILLE of the United States crushed fifth-seeded Denisa Chladkova of the Czech Republic 6-1 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA event here today. $LABEL$1 +Peres Calls for Israeli Elections After Likud Rejects Talks Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Shimon Peres, chairman of the opposition Labor Party, said Israel should have early elections after the ruling Likud Party voted against coalition talks. $LABEL$0 +San Diego Zoo's Panda Celebrates Birthday (AP) AP - On his first birthday Thursday, giant panda cub Mei Sheng delighted visitors by playing for the first time in snow delivered to him at the San Diego Zoo. He also sat on his ice cake, wrestled with his mom, got his coat incredibly dirty, and didn't read any of the more than 700 birthday wishes sent him via e-mail from as far away as Ireland and Argentina.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Patches the Patch (PC World) PC World - Windows XP Service Pack 2 gets a 'hotfix' for VPNs, part of the\ never-ending process of software development.$LABEL$3 +Groups Eager to Meet With Bush, Kerry (AP) AP - Organizations representing the nation's 3 million scientists, engineers and doctors have invited the two major presidential candidates to have a word with them #151; online.$LABEL$3 +Auction Debate to Outlive Google Debut NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) debuted as a public company on Thursday, but that did not stop the debate over whether its auction-based IPO was a success or will influence future IPOs. $LABEL$2 +Judges rule file-sharing software legal update A federal appeals court has upheld a controversial court decision that said file-sharing software programs such as Grokster or Morpheus are legal. $LABEL$2 +US Air CEO denies liquidation talk CHICAGO (Reuters) - The chief executive of US Airways said Thursday that a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing is still a possibility for the ailing carrier but that talk of an impending liquidation was unfounded. $LABEL$2 +Investors See Only Negatives Some say indexes dropped Thursday because investors are idling until some good news comes around. Maybe so, but the trading volume of the Nasdaq-100 tracking stock, which we use to get a better feel for how individual tech shares are selling, ...$LABEL$2 +US Economy Recovery slows, leading indicators drop NEW YORK (AP) - Offering more evidence that the US economic recovery is losing steam, a closely watched gauge of future business activity has fallen for the second consecutive month. $LABEL$2 +Microsoft Patches the Patch Windows XP Service Pack 2 gets a #39;hotfix #39; for VPNs, part of the never-ending process of software development. $LABEL$3 +Apple recalls notebook batteries Apple Computer Inc. issued a recall of about 28,000 batteries that were being used in its 15 quot; PowerBook notebook computers. The batteries in question were produced between the January and August time frame. The batters were manufacturered by a Korean firm ...$LABEL$3 +DALE McFEATTERS: Just another work sol on Mars (SH) - While we go about our days, rather amazingly 34 million or so miles away our pair of Mars Rovers are still going about their days, although theirs are 45 minutes longer and are called quot;sols. quot; ...$LABEL$3 +Ford Shelves Oracle-Based Procurement System After nearly five years of development work, Ford Motor Co. will dismantle an Oracle-based procurement application and shift back to earlier technology, a company spokesman confirmed Thursday. $LABEL$3 +Eolas Says Browser Patent Fight Isn #39;t Over Yet Despite reports saying that Microsoft and the W3C have Eolas Technologies on the ropes in their patent battle over basic browser technology, Eolas sounded an upbeat note Thursday. $LABEL$3 +Clearly Carly in women #39;s all-around As Carly Patterson waited for her final routine Thursday night, her coach looked into her eyes and saw a fire that burned brighter than the Olympic flame. $LABEL$1 +Even in win, nasty vibes ATHENS -- As you saw yesterday, they #39;re fighting back now. Not with the world, but with themselves. When you #39;ve been humiliated at your own game, ridiculed and laughed at back home and can #39;t intimidate Australia anymore, someone #39;s bound to mope. $LABEL$1 +Second Wave for US Makes the Difference INGSTON, Jamaica, Aug. 19 - Sixty minutes into Wednesday #39;s World Cup qualifying match against Jamaica, with the United States trailing by 1-0, Brian Ching stood on the sideline, waiting to enter, more excited than nervous. $LABEL$1 +UConn assistant coach placed on administrative leave Connecticut placed assistant men #39;s basketball coach Clyde Vaughan on paid administrative leave Thursday after his arrest in a prostitution sting. $LABEL$1 +Najaf stand-off has beginnings in earlier US failures in Fallujah The battle of Najaf, in which Iraq #39;s fledgling government is being held to ransom by the occupation of Shia Islam #39;s holiest site, can be traced to American political and military failures in recent months. $LABEL$0 +Blair confined to quarters after bomb discovery Italian newspapers claimed yesterday that the Blair family had been confined to their luxury Tuscan quarters following the discovery of a time bomb in a Sardinian resort close to the villa where Silvio Berlusconi regaled Tony and Cherie Blair with ...$LABEL$0 +Global warming on the rise The European Environment Agency reported global climate change, including frequent floods, droughts and heat waves, are severe and will continue to worsen. $LABEL$0 +Natural Gas Seems Headed the Way of Oil: More Demand, Less Supply, Higher Cost At a time when the nation is chafing at its dependence on foreign oil, it is becoming clear that the United States may be headed for the same situation with natural gas.$LABEL$2 +Kmart: Rich in Cash and Real Estate but Not in Sales Kmart looks like a true retail oddity: simultaneously losing ground with the American shopper and generating cash like a slot machine.$LABEL$2 +Google jumps 18 pc on debut NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -- Google stock jumped 18 percent in its long-awaited but rocky debut Thursday. $LABEL$2 +Crude oil soar above \$48 a barrel in NY NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Crude oil futures jumped to new record high Thursday as market concerned that Iraqi exports might drop further because of clashes in southern Iraq between US troopsand fighters loyal to Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada ...$LABEL$2 +Vanguard closes international fund SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Responding to a torrent of new money into its top-performing Vanguard International Explorer fund, the Vanguard Group closed the foreign stock portfolio Thursday to new investors. $LABEL$2 +Hamm Faces Future and Savors Moment THENS, Aug. 19 - It was nearly 3 am, and Paul Hamm was alone on his porch at the Olympic Village, sky dark, grounds quiet, gold medal hanging around his neck just hours after he had won it. $LABEL$1 +With Duncan Providing a Beat, the US Finds Its Rhythm THENS, Aug. 19 - Tim Duncan nearly tore the backboard from its moorings when he dunked the basketball on Thursday, hanging on the rim for emphasis, stretching out his frame for all of Helliniko Indoor Arena to see. $LABEL$1 +Notes: Ichiro CAT scan proves OK KANSAS CITY -- A precautionary CAT scan taken on Ichiro Suzuki on Thursday afternoon was quot;completely normal quot; and the right fielder could continue his pursuit of another 50-hit month Friday night in Detroit. $LABEL$1 +Journalists journey into the center of the storm NAJAF, Iraq What we were about to do was more than risky. It was foolish. Thursday, several journalists began organizing a delegation to enter the Imam Ali shrine in ...$LABEL$0 +ICJ ruling on Israeli fences may lead to sanctions: Attorney General JERUSALEM, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said Thursday that the Hague ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israeli security fences could lead to sanctions against the country, local newspaper Ha #39;aretz ...$LABEL$0 +Japanese Stocks Edge Lower TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese stocks edged lower by mid-morning on Friday as a retreat on Wall Street and worries about record-high oil prices prompted profit-taking in some technology and bank shares following the market's recent gains.$LABEL$2 +Rewards Have Risks on the Tehran Stock Exchange The Tehran Stock Exchange has performed magnificently, but the market's list of risks is outsized.$LABEL$2 +7 More Managers Fired Over Nortel Accounting The company announced the firings on Thursday along with a restructuring plan that included layoffs of about 3,500 employees.$LABEL$2 +Tokyo Stocks Treading Water TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks spent Friday morning treading water as worries over record-breaking oil prices and their possible impact to the global economy overshadowed renewed hopes that Japan's economy is still on track for sustained growth.$LABEL$2 +Apple Powerbook G4 Batteries Recalled Thousands of rechargeable batteries for use in Apple #39;s Powerbook G4 laptop are being recalled. The batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard. However, no injuries have been reported. $LABEL$3 +Another medal, two records ATHENS -- Attention, ladies and gentlemen. For his next act, Michael Phelps will break an Olympic record, hurry to the warm-down pool for a swim, run to the locker room, pull on a warm-up suit, walk out to the pool deck and take part in ...$LABEL$1 +Day 6 Roundup: China back on winning track After two days of gloom, China was back on the winning rails on Thursday with Liu Chunhong winning a weightlifting title on her record-shattering binge and its shuttlers contributing two golds in the cliff-hanging finals. $LABEL$1 +ATHENS 2004/Inoue crashes out ATHENS-In one of the biggest shocks in Olympic judo history, defending champion Kosei Inoue was defeated by Dutchman Elco van der Geest in the men #39;s 100-kilogram category Thursday. $LABEL$1 +20 Years Later, #39;the Next Mary Lou #39; Takes Her Place After months of carrying around the pressure to win an Olympic all-around gymnastics title, after being dubbed the next Mary Lou Retton so long ago, Patterson finished her floor exercise Thursday and nearly floated off the floor, leaping ...$LABEL$1 +Athens Olympics Games: Expensive and Over-Hyped Olympics? JEDDAH, 20 August 2004 First, let me make it clear that I have always enjoyed watching the Olympic Games on television ever since I was a child. The problem nowadays is that the Olympics have been turned into gigantic business proposition both for the ...$LABEL$1 +Owen given warm welcome at first Real Madrid session MADRID, Aug 19 (Reuters) - England striker Michael Owen was given a warm welcome by his new Real Madrid team mates and waiting fans on Thursday when he took part in his first training session since joining the club last week. $LABEL$1 +Latham on the mend Federal Labor leader Mark Latham is up and walking around this morning and his office says there is every indication he will leave hospital in the next 48 hours. $LABEL$0 +'Oil Shock' Has Some Economists Worried With growth slowing in China, Europe and Japan, some worry that rapidly escalating prices will trigger a self-reinforcing spiral of falling demand.$LABEL$2 +Sen. Kennedy Flagged By Secret No-Fly List Sen. Edward M. ""Ted"" Kennedy said Thursday that he was stopped and questioned at airports on the East Coast five times last March.$LABEL$2 +United Says Pensions' Termination Likely Cash-strapped UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, continues efforts to further cut costs and emerge from bankruptcy.$LABEL$2 +After Months of Hoopla, Google Debut Fits the Norm In the stock #39;s first day of trading, investors bought, sold and flipped shares at a furious pace, with the price ending just above \$100 - 18 percent above where it started. $LABEL$2 +Update 1: Qantas Says Oil Prices Will Boost Charges Australian flag carrier Qantas on Friday raised fuel surcharges on domestic and international tickets, blaming the skyrocketing price of crude oil prices. $LABEL$2 +US press hit by new circulation figures scandal The company behind the Dallas Morning News agreed on Monday to hand back \$23m (12.5m) to advertisers after admitting circulation figures for the daily and Sunday editions had been inflated. $LABEL$2 +US rates on 30-year mortgages down to a 4-month low WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The average interest rate of 30-year mortgages in the United States declined to the lowest level in four months this week, US mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported on Thursday. $LABEL$2 +One, two, ... er, too many Researchers claim to have solved the mystery of the people who simply do not count. It could be because they are lost for words. $LABEL$3 +Americans Carly Patterson, Michael Phelps Win Gold (Update10) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Carly Patterson became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in the women #39;s all-around gymnastics competition since Mary Lou Retton in 1984, while US swimmer Michael Phelps won a fourth gold medal in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Khorkina #39;s Final Act Centers on Bitterness THE other competitors eagerly chatted with their coaches using high-pitched voices in need of WD-40; Svetlana Khorkina hardly spoke at all as she overemoted like a silent film star while glaring and sulking as usual, even topping herself ...$LABEL$1 +Spectre of closure haunts the Uffizi One of the world #39;s greatest art museums, the Uffizi gallery in Florence, may be forced to close by huge government spending cuts, the Italian heritage minister said yesterday. $LABEL$0 +NYMEX Crude Strikes Record \$48.90 SINGAPORE (Reuters) - NYMEX crude oil futures struck another record at \$48.90 a barrel on Friday before the prompt-month expiry, as surging violence in Iraq sparked fresh concerns over supply disruptions.$LABEL$2 +Loss Widens at Wet Seal et Seal Inc., a retailer of clothing for young women, said yesterday that its second-quarter loss widened after the company recorded a \$75.5 million expense to write down the value of certain assets. $LABEL$2 +Earnings Climb 62 at Hormel Foods he Hormel Foods Corporation posted a 62 percent increase in quarterly profit yesterday, though higher grain costs kept profit below analysts #39; expectations. $LABEL$2 +Agfa-Gevaert, Photo Pioneer, to Sell Film and Lab Business RUSSELS, Aug. 19 - Agfa-Gevaert, one of the oldest names in the photography business, said on Thursday that it was selling its consumer film and photo labs business to the team running it to focus on its more profitable medical imaging and ...$LABEL$2 +World #39;s lightest flying micro-robot unveiled BEIJING, Aug.20(Xinhuanet) -- The world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot has been developed by Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corporation. $LABEL$3 +FINA rejects protest over Peirsol #39;s reinstatement ATHENS, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- FINA, the swimming #39;s world governing body, has rejected protest from national federations of Britain and Austria over American Aaron Peirsol #39;s reinstatement after he was disqualified in the 200m backstroke final at the ...$LABEL$1 +Indian doubles pair crash out India #39;s hopes of an Olympic tennis gold medal evaporated last night when Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi lost 6-2, 6-3 to Germany #39;s Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler in the doubles semi-finals. $LABEL$1 +American Patterson takes women #39;s all-around gymnastics gold ATHENS, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- American Carly Patterson, runner-up in the 2003 Worlds, took the women #39;s individual all-around gymnastics gold medal with 38.387 points at the Athens Olympics here Friday evening. $LABEL$1 +Missed target Unfavorable exchange rates and fear of terrorism are keeping many would-be spectators at home. ATHENS-An uninformed spectator stumbling into the Athens Olympic Sports Complex on Wednesday night could have been forgiven for ...$LABEL$1 +The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Athens, Greece -- LeBron James snuck behind Australia #39;s zone defense in the fourth quarter and quickly made eye contact with Stephon Marbury, who lobbed the ball high above the rim. James catapulted into the air and jammed it home with both hands. $LABEL$1 +Liverpool set for flurry of transfers Rafael Benitez could continue the flurry of activity at Anfield before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. $LABEL$1 +Minister #39;s poll triumph puts him in line to be Pakistan #39;s next PM Three weeks after surviving an assassination attempt, Pakistan #39;s finance minister, Shaukat Aziz, confirmed his place as the country #39;s next prime minister, after coasting to victory in a byelection. $LABEL$0 +US Airways Asks Pilots for Pay Cut WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Airways <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=UAIR.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">UAIR.O</A>, struggling to avoid a second bankruptcy, has asked pilots for a 16.5 percent pay cut, USA Today reported in its Friday editions.$LABEL$2 +Global LCD Oversupply to Peak in Q3 SEOUL (Reuters) - A global oversupply of large-sized liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is forecast to peak in the third quarter of this year, but it will balance out by the fourth quarter, a U.S.-based research firm said on Friday.$LABEL$2 +United Warns It May Jettison Pension Plans to Stay Afloat United Airlines said the termination of its four employee pension plans was needed to attract the financing that would allow it to emerge from bankruptcy protection.$LABEL$2 +File-Sharing Sites Found Not Liable for Infringement A court ruled that the distributors of software used by millions of people to exchange music files over the Internet cannot be held liable for aiding copyright infringement.$LABEL$2 +Google shares surge in first day after IPO price cut NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Shares of Google Inc. closed sharply higher Thursday on their first day of trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market after the company cut its IPO (initial public offering) price Wednesday. $LABEL$2 +Nortel cutting 3,500 jobs, fires 7 executives Nortel Networks is eliminating 3,500 jobs and has fired seven more top executives as it struggles to deal with an accounting scandal that has prompted a criminal investigation. $LABEL$2 +Words may limit ideas According to the Telegraph, the Pirah quot;have little social structure, no art, and they barter instead of using currency. Their language is limited to just 10 consonants and vowels. quot; The only words they have for numbers are quot;one, quot; quot;two quot; and quot;many. quot; ...$LABEL$3 +Do-it-yourself phishing kits found on the internet, reveals Sophos Sophos experts have discovered that do-it-yourself phishing kits are being made available for download free of charge from the internet. $LABEL$3 +Phelps wins fourth gold at Athens Olympics ATHENS, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Michael Phelps won his fourth gold medal at the Olympic Games in the men #39;s 200m individual medley here on Thursday. $LABEL$1 +Tourists award gold to Athens ATHENS (Reuters) - The Olympic hosts are winning rave reviews after the first week of the Athens Games, with foreign visitors expressing delight with the friendly, clean and well-organised Greek capital. $LABEL$1 +NFL ROUNDUP Flutie Eases Back in After Knee Surgery an Diego Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie participated yesterday in his first full practice since having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Aug. 5. $LABEL$1 +Determined Davenport continues winning streak NEW YORK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Top seed Lindsay Davenport recovered from a set down to battle past American compatriot Lilia Osterloh 4-6 6-4 6-1 in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday. $LABEL$1 +Blast rocks Nepal police post KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Maoist guerrillas have set off a bomb at an empty police post near Kathmandu, police say, and the Nepali capital remains cut off by land for the third day due to a rebel blockade call. $LABEL$0 +Global LCD Oversupply to Peak SEOUL (Reuters) - A global oversupply of large-sized liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is forecast to peak in the third quarter of this year, but it will balance out by the fourth quarter, a U.S.-based research firm said on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Hits Fresh 4-Week Low Versus Yen TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar hit a fresh four-week low against the yen on Friday on stronger-than-expected Japanese data and as Tokyo stock prices showed resilience in the face of weaker U.S. peers.$LABEL$2 +OPEC Chief: Concerned with Oil Price Rise JAKARTA (Reuters) - OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Friday he was concerned with the continuing rise in global oil prices, but the cartel had not yet seen a cost-driven increase in inflation.$LABEL$2 +EA Video Game 'Madden' Tops 1.3 Million First Week (Reuters) Reuters - ""Madden NFL 2005,"" the latest\version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s (ERTS.O) pro football video\game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first\week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal\figures.$LABEL$3 +Japan #39;s Topix Index Gains; Retailers Led by Daiei Inc. Advance Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese retail stocks rose as Daiei Inc. surged on optimism a possible investment by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. may help it avoid going to a government bailout agency. $LABEL$2 +Stunt pilots to aid NASA in catching a piece of the sun Moonlighting Hollywood stunt pilots and NASA scientists are teaming up to snatch a returning space capsule in midair over central Utah next month. $LABEL$3 +India #39;s Pratima, four others suspended for doping : Five weightlifters, including India #39;s Pratima Kumari, were Thursday suspended by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for failing drug tests conducted at the Olympic Games Thursday, reports Xinhua. $LABEL$1 +Reds with a Spanish spine Rafael Benitez would not have imagined a more troubled introduction to his debut Premiership season following Michael Owen #39;s shock transfer. NANTHA KUMAR examines the tough transition period at Liverpool.LIVERPOOL Football Club were not the only party ...$LABEL$1 +Going extra innings Ten years ago, Bud Selig was commissioner of a sport shut down in a bitter labor dispute and headed for the darkest period in its long, illustrious history. $LABEL$1 +White House pays tribute to UN envoy killed in Iraq WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The White House on Thursday paid tribute to United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello who was killed in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad one year ago. $LABEL$0 +OPEC Chief: Concerned with Oil Price Rise (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro said\on Friday he was concerned with the continuing rise in global\oil prices, but the cartel had not yet seen a cost-driven\increase in inflation.$LABEL$2 +Oil Marches Toward #36;50, Weighs on Stocks (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices marched toward #36;50 a\barrel on Friday, weighing on Asian stock markets as investors\fretted over the impact of high energy costs on corporate\profits, consumer spending and economic growth in general.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Dip as Oil Soars; Google Shines (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks slid on Thursday, ending\four days of gains as oil prices continued their march higher,\but Google Inc. (GOOG.O) created a buzz as shares of the\Internet search company surged on their debut.$LABEL$2 +Gap Profit Off, Sees More Store Closings (Reuters) Reuters - Gap Inc. (GPS.N), the largest U.S.\specialty apparel retailer, on Thursday reported a 7 percent\decline in quarterly profit, meeting lowered forecasts, after\summer clearance sales drew surprisingly small crowds.$LABEL$2 +Google shares soar 18 percent on first day In the stock #39;s first day trading, investors bought, sold and flipped shares at a furious pace, with the price ending just above \$100 -- 18 percent higher than where it started. $LABEL$2 +Nortel Will Cut Workforce by 10 Percent TORONTO, Aug. 19 -- Nortel Networks Corp. said Thursday it will slash its workforce by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits. $LABEL$2 +Qantas Boosts Flight Surcharges as Fuel Prices Soar (Update2) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest airline, increased a surcharge on all tickets as the cost of jet fuel soared to a record. Qantas shares rebounded from a three-month low. $LABEL$2 +Appeals Court Ruling Favors File-Sharing SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19 -- The makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for copyrighted works swapped online by their users, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a blow to the entertainment industry. $LABEL$2 +Nordstrom #39;s profits up 62; stock falls Nordstrom Inc. #39;s second-quarter profit surged 62 percent on sales of fashions such as tweed jackets and ponchos, but the company missed analyst expectations, sending its shares down in after-hours trading yesterday. $LABEL$2 +Brokerage Gets Fine, 1-Month Ban on Opening New Accounts NEW YORK, Aug. 19 -- National Securities Corp., a Seattle brokerage firm, has agreed to a one-month ban on opening mutual fund accounts and must pay \$600,000 in fines and restitution to settle allegations that its employees helped ...$LABEL$2 +Ohio sues Best Buy, alleges deceptive sales practices Best Buy Co., the biggest electronics retailer in the nation, was sued yesterday by Ohio #39;s attorney general, who accused the company of deceptive sales practices such as repackaging used merchandise and selling it as new. $LABEL$2 +NASA prepares to catch a falling star sample NASA #39;s three-year effort to bring some genuine star dust back to Earth is set for a dramatic finale Sept. 8 when Hollywood helicopter pilots will attempt a midair retrieval of a descending space capsule. $LABEL$3 +Americans playing it cool in the pool ATHENS Michael Phelps might receive his last gold medal of the Athens Olympics in a way no one would envision. $LABEL$1 +Anno Captures Japan #39;s 6th Judo Gold; Inoue Fails to Win Medal Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Noriko Anno, four-time world champion, won Japan #39;s sixth judo gold medal Thursday, defeating China #39;s Liu Xia in the women #39;s 78-kilogram class. $LABEL$1 +Patterson makes it an all-around sweep for US Two decades later, it #39;s time to make room for Carly Patterson as America #39;s next reigning champion of Olympic women #39;s gymnastics. $LABEL$1 +Manning Does His Part to Start a Controversy HARLOTTE, Aug. 19 - Eli Manning was handed his first chance to prove he could be a starting quarterback in the NFL Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. If Manning #39;s performance was any indication, the Kurt Warner era with the ...$LABEL$1 +Dismal weather takes control of NEC AKRON, Ohio -- Golf was supposed to be the headliner Thursday at Firestone Country Club in Akron. What turned out to be the featured performer, instead, was a nasty line of weather that made golf secondary to a lot of other things. $LABEL$1 +Thursday #39;s Golf Capsules Stewart Cink made five birdies on his first 10 holes and led by one shot over Rod Pampling before the rain-delayed first round of the NEC Invitational was suspended by darkness Thursday. $LABEL$1 +Sports: Yankees 13 Twins 10 MINNEAPOLIS The New York Yankees coughed up a 9-to-3 lead before rallying in the ninth inning to beat Minnesota 13-to-10. $LABEL$1 +Standoff Continues with Militant Cleric in Najaf Fighting continues in Najaf even though Iraq #39;s Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has made a final call to Shi #39;ite militants to lay down their weapons and leave the holy Imam Ali shrine in Najaf. Militants threaten to kill a Turkish hostage and missing American ...$LABEL$0 +Russia Accuses Georgia of Violating Cease-Fire Government forces battled separatists for strategic areas near South Ossetia #39;s main city as Georgia sought the upper hand in some of the worst fighting in the breakaway region since a war more than a decade ago. $LABEL$0 +Hungary Crisis Deepens as Prime Minister Quits Moving to end a political crisis with its government coalition partner, Hungary #39;s Socialist Party has announced that Prime Minister Medgyessy is no longer head of the government and that it plans to nominate his replacement next week. $LABEL$0 +Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc. shares jumped 18\percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday,\after a scaled-down #36;1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and\lackluster market conditions.$LABEL$2 +Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions.$LABEL$2 +Google #39;s Auction Loosens Wall Street #39;s Grip on High-Priced IPOs Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. #39;s share sale has put Wall Street on notice: The old way of doing business may be ending. $LABEL$2 +The Aftermath Of Charley: The Most Expensive States To Insure Your Home There are always trade-offs to every place people choose to live. If you live in New York, it #39;s too expensive. If you live in Montana, it #39;s too remote. If you live in Florida, you #39;re going to be slammed with hurricanes all the time. $LABEL$2 +Paul Hamm #39;s example PAUL HAMM #39;S fall and rise are what make the Olympics so much more than a sports event. The US gymnast who spun despair into gold on Wednesday gives hope to the whole human endeavor by defusing the word quot;loser. quot; ...$LABEL$1 +All-American girl ATHENS -- That was then and this is now. That was there and this is here. So which is a bigger moment? Mary Lou Retton #39;s quot;No-Fault Vault quot; that produced America #39;s first Olympic all-around gold medal in women #39;s ...$LABEL$1 +Security Officials Relieved, Vigilant ATHENS, Aug. 19 -- Worried about the potential for a terrorist catastrophe, Greece is spending about \$1.5 billion on security for the Olympic Games. The biggest threats so far? Foreign journalists and a Canadian guy dressed in a tutu. $LABEL$1 +Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions. $LABEL$2 +US Airways asks pilots for 16.5 cut in pay Struggling US Airways (UAIR) has asked its pilots to accept a 16.5 pay cut while giving them the chance to recoup some of the money by flying more. $LABEL$2 +Daiei shares soar as Wal-Mart confirms interest in ailing retailer TOKYO : Shares in ailing Japanese retailer Daiei Inc. jumped 16 percent after US giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. confirmed it was interested in aiding the firm #39;s revival. $LABEL$2 +FDA to Inspect Boston Scientific Stent Plant -WSJ NEW YORK (Reuters) - The US Food and Drug Administration expects to inspect Boston Scientific Corp. #39;s Galway, Ireland factory in the quot;near future quot; as part of its probe into the company #39;s coronary stent recall, the Wall Street Journal said on Friday. $LABEL$2 +BofA lays off 1,000 at Fleet Boston, MA, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Bank of America has issued pink slips to 1,000 Fleet Boston employees across the Northeast and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said he would investigate. $LABEL$2 +Tokyo Stocks Flat in Late Trade TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks were flat in afternoon trade on Friday as worries about record high oil prices took the edge off investors' appetite for recently battered high tech issues such as Sharp Corp$LABEL$2 +Chevron to appeal pipeline ruling ChevronTexaco, America's second-biggest oil company, is to appeal a court ruling ordering it to pay damages from a pipeline leak, reports say.$LABEL$2 +Hong Kong police look into prank e-mail service (AFP) AFP - Hong Kong police said they were investigating an Internet service that posts bogus e-mails to unwitting recipients claiming to be from the police and other official organisations.$LABEL$3 +Militants Bomb Two Churches in Mosul (AP) AP - Militants bombed two churches Tuesday in Mosul, wounding three people in a coordinated attack apparently aimed at stirring trouble between religious groups in this ethnically diverse northern city.$LABEL$0 +Insiders Get Rich Through Google IPO The biggest individual winners are the top three executives, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt as each make \$41 million.<br><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Researchers Turn to Adult Stem Cells Biotech firms face skepticism as they try to show that their research can work as medicine and as a business. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +China Declares War on Electronic Porn Even for authoritarian rulers, the decree that plugged-in Chinese must be back on the sexual straight and narrow by Oct. 1 will not become reality easily.$LABEL$3 +Mars Exploration Rovers Driving Into the Sunset The Mars rovers fuel their instruments by following the sun and as their energy budget gets tighter during the winter, their terrestrial drivers get more skilled at driving towards the light.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Patches the Patch Windows XP Service Pack 2 gets a 'hotfix' for VPNs, part the never-ending process of software development.$LABEL$3 +Apple Remote Desktop 2 Reviewing Apple Remote Desktop 2 in Computerworld, Yuval Kossovsky writes, #147;I liked what I found. #148; He concludes, #147;I am happy to say that ARD 2 is an excellent upgrade and well worth the money. #148; Aug 19$LABEL$3 +Braves Edge Dodgers 6-5 (AP) AP - Johnny Estrada homered, drove in three runs and started Atlanta's go-ahead rally in the ninth inning, and the Braves beat Eric Gagne and the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 Thursday night.$LABEL$1 +Yankees Blow Lead but Beat Twins 13-10 (AP) AP - Gary Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a seesaw, 13-10 win over the Minnesota Twins.$LABEL$1 +Manning Decent in Debut but Giants Lose (AP) AP - Although the spotlight was on Eli Manning, Jake Delhomme shone the brightest.$LABEL$1 +Agassi Moves Into Legg Mason Quarters (AP) AP - Andre Agassi breezed into the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kristian Pless on Thursday night.$LABEL$1 +Trend plans mobile antivirus in 05 Trend Micro Inc is planning to release antivirus software aimed at the mobile carrier and handset maker markets next June, an executive said as the firm launched a free antivirus-antispam package aimed at the end user.$LABEL$3 +Yankees' Closing Acts Resolve All Plot Twists It was a surreal and stomach-turning night for the Yankees against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, and when it ended, it was also a successful night.$LABEL$1 +Bugel's Fine Line Redskins assistant head coach Joe Bugel returns to turn his new group of ""Dirt Bags"" into a mirror image of his ""Hogs"" of the 1980s.$LABEL$1 +Fields Treasures Job After missing all of the Carolina Panthers' 2004 Super Bowl season with Hodgkin's disease, linebacker Mark Fields appreciates every second he spends on the field.$LABEL$1 +Davis Starts Anew Virginia Tech defensive end Jim Davis is ready for a big senior season after missing all of last year with a torn pectoral muscle.$LABEL$1 +Owens, Lewis Face Off After an offseason of verbal jousting when wide receiver Terrell Owens shunned the Ravens for the Eagles, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Owens take it to the field on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Hewitt Doesn't Miss Athens Australian Lleyton Hewitt is disappointed at the timing of the Olympics as it related to the tennis schedule and is happy he skipped the Games.$LABEL$1 +Improved Pitching Has the Keys Finishing on an Upswing As the season winds down for the Frederick Keys, Manager Tom Lawless is starting to enjoy the progress his pitching staff has made this season.$LABEL$1 +Bowe Re-Enters Ring Fresh from being released from federal prison last May, former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe has set up his first comeback bout for Sept. 25$LABEL$1 +April trial date set for Australian accused of murdering British tourist (AFP) AFP - An Australian mechanic will stand trial next April over the outback murder three years ago of British tourist Peter Falconio, court officials said.$LABEL$0 +Kean Leaving Drew U., No N.J. Run Planned (AP) AP - The chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean, will retire as president of Drew University in the spring, the school announced Thursday. Kean will have spent 15 years at the liberal arts school in Madison.$LABEL$0 +Kerry Legal Team Member Is Issued Citation (AP) AP - A member of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's national legal team received a citation on accusations he solicited a prostitute, but the aide said it was the result of a misunderstanding.$LABEL$0 +Five Killed in U.S. Bombing of Iraq's Falluja FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - A U.S. bombing raid on the restive Iraqi town of Falluja, west of Baghdad, overnight killed five people and wounded six, a hospital doctor said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Kerry attacks 'Vietnam tactics' John Kerry accuses George W Bush of using a front group to launch attacks on his Vietnam war record.$LABEL$0 +Stocks little changed on IBM, J amp;J news Stocks are little-changed in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down five points in today #39;s early going. Losing issues on the New York Stock Exchange hold a narrow lead over gainers.$LABEL$2 +Day Seven preview: Athletics begins Latest updates as Denise Lewis prepares her bid for heptathlon gold.$LABEL$0 +Key US forces to stay in Germany The US military says it will keep its European command in Germany amid plans for a broader pull-out.$LABEL$0 +Anarchists Emerge as the Convention's Wild Card New York police consider self-described anarchists the unknown factor in whether the Republican convention demonstrations remain under control.$LABEL$0 +Yankees Blow Lead but Beat Twins 13-10 MINNEAPOLIS - Gary Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a seesaw, 13-10 win over the Minnesota Twins. Down 9-3 and minus Gold Glove center fielder Torii Hunter after he crashed into the fence, the Twins came back and almost swept the three-game series between AL division leaders...$LABEL$0 +Producer Sues Over 'Rings' Trilogy Profits LOS ANGELES - Pay up, Frodo. So says Saul Zaentz, a Hollywood producer who has sued New Line Cinema for \$20 million in royalties from the blockbuster ""Lord of the Rings"" trilogy...$LABEL$0 +Jackson's Lavish Lifestyle Put on Display SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The elegant life of Michael Jackson was put on display in a courtroom Thursday when defense attorneys showed videotaped scenes from last year's raid on the pop star's lavish Neverland estate...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Struggles to Win Muslim Hearts, Minds The Bush administration is facing growing criticism that it has failed to move aggressively enough in the war of ideas against al Qaeda and other Islamic extremist groups over the three years since the 9/11 attacks.$LABEL$0 +Court verdict: WTC terror attacks were two occurrences for <b>...</b> A New York court ruled that the World Trade Center terrorist attacks were two separate event, meaning leaseholder Larry Silverstein stands to collect up to \$2.2 billion from nine insurers.$LABEL$2 +South Korea in growth spurt South Korea's economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, but growth is still held back by poor domestic demand.$LABEL$2 +'Madden' Week No. 1 Game Sales Top 1.3 Million (Reuters) Reuters - ""Madden NFL 2005,"" the latest\version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s pro football video game\franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week,\giving a strong kick-off to one of EA's top sellers, the\company said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +'Madden' Week No. 1 Game Sales Top 1.3 Million LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - ""Madden NFL 2005,"" the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week, giving a strong kick-off to one of EA's top sellers, the company said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +'We're Done' Can be Predicted Before 'I Do' By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- It seems the seeds of divorce are sown long before a couple recites their wedding vows. New research shows certain relationship skills -- or the lack of them -- can predict whether two people are headed for marital bliss or a painful breakup...$LABEL$3 +Dietary Supplement Industry Hops on Low-Carb Diet Trend By ALICIA CHANG (AP) -- Stroll down any pharmacy aisle these days and you'll find that the low-carb craze has invaded the \$20 billion dietary supplement industry. From multivitamins to starch blocker pills, loosely regulated supplements are popping up in the burgeoning low-carb market dominated by food companies...$LABEL$3 +San Diego Zoo's Baby Panda Celebrates First Birthday On his first birthday Thursday, giant panda cub Mei Sheng delighted visitors by playing for the first time in snow delivered to him at the San Diego Zoo. The cub has become quite a little celebrity since his birth a year ago. He is only the second panda born in the United States to survive to his first birthday.$LABEL$3 +Google, Now Much Wealthier, Enters New Phase Google Inc. (GOOG) will have plenty to celebrate at its annual company summer picnic Friday - its debut as a public company gave it an immediate cash infusion of \$1.16 billion, not to mention all the millionaires it made of employees and insiders.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Chain Store Sales Rise NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. chain store sales rose in the week ended December 4, as average sales were generally ahead of last year, but customer counts were down, a report said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Guidant Shares Up on J J Deal Report CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of medical device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GDT.N</A> jumped on Tuesday after a report saying the company was in advanced talks to be acquired by health products maker Johnson Johnson <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JNJ.N</A> for more than \$24 billion.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Plane Launches Airstrike in Fallujah (AP) AP - U.S. forces launched an airstrike Friday in the troubled Iraqi city of Fallujah, witnesses said. A U.S. plane fired at least one missile into an industrial area of the city, located 40 miles west of Baghdad, witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.$LABEL$0 +Rebels Explode Two Bombs in Katmandu (AP) AP - Suspected rebels shot and wounded a policeman and detonated two powerful bombs in Katmandu on Friday as the guerrilla blockade of the Nepali capital entered its third day. No one was injured in the explosions.$LABEL$0 +GOP Convention Delegation More Diverse (AP) AP - Republicans point to record levels of diversity among delegates to their upcoming convention, though the GOP isn't close to matching the makeup of the U.S. population overall or the Democratic delegation that met last month in Boston.$LABEL$0 +Kathmandu hit by 'rebel' blasts Suspected Maoist rebels in Nepal explode two bombs in Kathmandu, on the third day of a blockade of the capital.$LABEL$0 +India weightlifters test positive Pratima Kumari and Sanamacha Chanu become the first Indians to fail a drugs test at an Olympics competition.$LABEL$0 +Braves Edge Dodgers 6-5 LOS ANGELES - Johnny Estrada homered, drove in three runs and started Atlanta's go-ahead rally in the ninth inning, and the Braves beat Eric Gagne and the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 Thursday night. In a matchup of division leaders, the Dodgers had scored twice in the eighth to tie it 5-5...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Open Flat NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed in early trade on Tuesday, as a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GDT.N</A> by Johnson Johnson <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JNJ.N</A> and easing oil prices provided support.$LABEL$2 +Nortel Turns a Tiny Corner The Canadian telecom equipment maker has issued its first post-accounting-scandal financial update. So far, so good ...$LABEL$2 +Crude Oil May Rise From Record on Supply Threats (Update1) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil futures in New York will probably rise next week, after setting records every day except one since July, on concern that shipments will be curtailed as demand grows, a Bloomberg survey of traders and analysts showed. $LABEL$2 +Qantas raises fuel surcharge Qantas Airways has raised its fuel surcharge on domestic and international tickets by \$4 and \$7, respectively, because of the high price of oil. $LABEL$2 +Tokyo Stocks Flat in Late Trade Retailers such as Ito-Yokado got a lift after government data showed activity in Japan #39;s service sector rose in June as a wide range of businesses including retailers and restaurants enjoyed a recovery in customers. $LABEL$2 +Update 4: Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works their users swap online. $LABEL$2 +United wants out United Airlines told a federal bankruptcy court it likely would have to terminate its employee pension plans and replace them with leaner retirement benefits in order to survive. $LABEL$2 +Jury holds Texaco liable for 1955 leak SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW ) -- A jury has ordered Texaco to pay \$15 million to finish the cleanup of a 1955 gas pipeline spill in a small town in Montana, and to pay \$25 in punitive damages, according to published reports. $LABEL$2 +Delta fare plan now seems fair Delta Air Lines #39; decision to reduce fares out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is good news for the region, but the key will be whether the airline is committed to sustaining the reasonable rates. $LABEL$2 +Apple Recalls 28,000 PowerBook Batteries Apple notes that the model and serial numbers are located on the label on the bottom of the battery, and can be viewed by removing the battery from the computer. Apple is providing an online form for consumers to begin the battery recall ...$LABEL$3 +High-Speed Internet Shouldn #39;t Be Delayed Back in the go-go days of the tech boom, there was a lot of talk about fast Internet connections enabling consumers to do all manner of useful and fun things, from online banking to viewing movies online. Well, guess what? Despite the following tech bust, ...$LABEL$3 +AT amp;T keeps expanding Net-phone service The Bedminster-based company yesterday said it was pushing into 21 new markets with the service, AT amp;T CallVantage, and extending an introductory rate offer until Sept. 30. In addition, the company is offering in-home installation of up to five ...$LABEL$3 +Agassi waltzes into Washington quarter-finals Top-seed Andre Agassi easily advanced to the quarter-finals of the Washington ATP tournament overnight, with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kristian Pless. $LABEL$1 +In Greece, an Inside Track for Some Costas #39; nerves are on edge. It #39;s 10:45 am, and he can #39;t get his usual frappe, a coffee-and-milk concoction that #39;s one of Greece #39;s most popular picker-uppers. Twenty-five-year-old Costas is working at the cafe in the Olympic Village international zone for ...$LABEL$1 +US gymnasts double the gold ATHENS, GREECE - Twenty years ago in Los Angeles, it was Mary Lou Retton and the vault without fault. $LABEL$1 +Yankees beat Nathan to avoid Minny sweep Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Gary Sheffield tied the game in the ninth inning with his second homer of the game and Hideki Matsui singled home Alex Rodriguez with the go-ahead run, as the New York Yankees rallied for a 13-10 victory over the ...$LABEL$1 +Braves get a win off Gagne LOS ANGELES -- It wasn #39;ta save situation. But the Braves made sure Eric Gagne enjoyed a second consecutive depressing night, with some help from Johnny Estrada, who enjoyed another successful evening in his native state. $LABEL$1 +Woods near top of soaked NEC AKRON, OHIO - Tiger Woods was cruising at one of his favorite courses before a pair of dropped shots cost him a share of the lead at the weather-delayed WGC-NEC Invitational on Thursday. $LABEL$1 +Two Wounded in Second Bomb Blast in Nepal Capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Two people were wounded after a second bomb exploded in Nepal #39;s capital on Friday, the third day of a blockade of the commercial center called by Maoist rebels. $LABEL$0 +Darfur plan #39;difficult #39; The United Nations is seeking to disarm both rebels and government-backed militias in Darfur, a senior UN official says. $LABEL$0 +Typhoon Megi slams into northern Japan TOKYO (Reuters) - Typhoon Megi has killed one person as it slammed ashore in northern Japan, bringing the death toll to at least 13 and cutting power to thousands of homes before heading out into the Pacific. $LABEL$0 +Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party dumps PM BUDAPEST, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party said Thursday that it accepted Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy #39;s resignation and has named a candidate for the post. $LABEL$0 +ANALYSIS-China Uses Deng Xiaoping Centenary to Laud Reform BEIJING (Reuters) - The architect of China #39;s dramatic economic reforms. A benevolent leader who rehabilitated millions purged in the chaotic 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. A military genius. An avid bridge player. A family man. $LABEL$0 +Nikkei Ends Flat, Oil Concerns Weigh TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday as worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off investors' appetite for recently battered technology issues such as Sharp Corp.$LABEL$2 +Oil Near \$49 on Mounting Iraq Violence SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Global oil prices rallied to fresh highs on Friday with U.S. crude approaching \$49, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India.$LABEL$2 +Yen Hits 4-Week High Versus Dollar TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen hit a fresh four-week high against the dollar and edged up against the euro on Friday as stronger-than-expected Japanese data gave the currency a belated boost.$LABEL$2 +IMF's Rato Sees World GDP 4.6 Percent MADRID (Reuters) - IMF Managing Director Rodrigo Rato sees world economic growth of ""around 4.6 percent"" in 2004 and 2005, according to an interview published in a Spanish newspaper interview on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Olympics boosts WPP growth WPP, the world's third largest advertising services group, has reported 15 growth in profits in the first half of the year.$LABEL$2 +Blogging Across America (PC World) PC World - Who needs postcards? Use high-tech ways to stay in touch while you're\ traveling.$LABEL$3 +Oil Near #36;49 on Mounting Iraq Violence (Reuters) Reuters - Global oil prices rallied to fresh\highs on Friday with U.S. crude approaching #36;49, driven by\escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from\China and India.$LABEL$2 +Google stockowner for a day: a memoir One week ago, I submitted a bid for Google Inc. stock that overestimated the eventual auction price of the computer search company #39;s initial public offering by nearly 30 percent. But I sold my shares shortly ...$LABEL$2 +Oil Near \$49 as Iraq Violence Escalates SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday with U.S. crude approaching \$49, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India.$LABEL$2 +Stent recalls could hit inventory The three recalls of Boston Scientific Corp. cardiac stents since July 2 affected many more units than the company has previously disclosed, raising concerns among stock analysts about future inventory levels.$LABEL$2 +Google gets a bounce, ends its first day up 18 percent Shares of Google leaped \$15.34, or 18 percent, to \$100.34 on the Nasdaq exchange yesterday in an opening day of trading that harkened back to the wild run-ups of the dot-com era.$LABEL$2 +Google stockowner for a day: a memoir If only the rest of my investments worked out this way. One week ago, I submitted a bid for Google Inc. stock that overestimated the eventual auction price of the computer search company's initial public offering by nearly 30 percent. But I sold my shares shortly after Google stock began trading yesterday and still walked away with a nice profit, ...$LABEL$2 +Oil prices flare up amid Iraq violence WASHINGTON -- Crude futures plowed to a new high near \$49 a barrel yesterday as the threat of sabotage to Iraqi oil infrastructure loomed larger than promises from Baghdad to boost exports in coming days.$LABEL$2 +State's consumer confidence rises Consumer confidence in Massachusetts jumped to its highest level in more than two years as an improving outlook on the economy and job market sparked consumers' spirits.$LABEL$2 +United Airlines likely to end pension plans UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, trying to attract financing to exit bankruptcy, said it probably will terminate and replace all its pension plans.$LABEL$2 +Where's the WiFi? Park's developer wants to know Ten years ago, Boston real estate developer Norman B. Leventhal spearheaded the transformation of a grungy Financial District garage into a park that's become a downtown oasis.$LABEL$2 +Nortel Networks to cut 3,500 TORONTO -- Nortel Networks said yesterday it will slash its workforce by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits.$LABEL$2 +FDA approves lung cancer drug WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved a cancer drug made by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer in patients who have undergone chemotherapy.$LABEL$2 +Notebook: Six weightlifters caught using steroids ATHENS Weightlifting #39;s governing body isn #39;t about to give up its aggressive pursuit of drug cheaters, even if it jeopardizes the sport #39;s future in the Olympics, the group #39;s top official said yesterday after six more ...$LABEL$1 +Britain target Beijing gold British badminton star Nathan Robertson has set his sights on Olympic gold in Beijing following his silver medal with Gail Emms at the Athens Games. $LABEL$1 +Eli Manning outplays Warner in 1st NY start CHARLOTTE, NC Eli Manning stepped to the line, pointing out the defense just like brother Peyton. $LABEL$1 +Major League Baseball News The Yankees had to venture into improbable territory Thursday night to avoid their first sweep by the Twins since 1991. But like they #39;ve done so many times this season, the Yankees found the heroes to turn lemons into lemonade, winning 13-10. $LABEL$1 +Al-Sadr is sent #39;final call #39; BAGHDAD, Iraq - Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi issued a quot;final call quot; yesterday for Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to agree to a new set of conditions issued by the government and end his rebellion. $LABEL$0 +Peres calls for early general election The leader of the opposition Labour party in Israel, Shimon Peres, has called for an early general election. $LABEL$0 +Kathmandu hit by #39;rebel #39; blasts Suspected Maoist rebels in Nepal have set off two bombs in Kathmandu, on the third day of a blockade of the capital. $LABEL$0 +Power struggle also to blame for Sudan violence KHARTOUM, Sudan - The violence in Sudan #39;s western province of Darfur, where more than 30,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced, is widely portrayed as an ethnic-cleansing campaign by Arab militias ...$LABEL$0 +Typhoon leaves 18 missing or dead in Japan, South Korea The casualty toll from a typhoon that has lashed South Korea and Japan this week has reached at least 18 dead or missing. $LABEL$0 +Hungarian Parliament to Elect Premier on Sept. 6, Kovacs Says Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Hungary #39;s parliament will elect a new prime minister on Sept. 6 to succeed Peter Medgyessy, who is quitting after the junior coalition partner withdrew its confidence, outgoing Socialist Chairman Laszlo Kovacs said on state ...$LABEL$0 +Mbeki urges reform of global agencies His call came at the end of his opening address to the ministerial conference of the grouping of 114 developing nations. $LABEL$0 +New flaws found in Microsoft security (AFP) AFP - Internet security experts have found two ""flaws"" with Microsoft Corp's long-awaited security update for its Windows XP operating system, but the software behemoth insists that the new SP2 is secure.$LABEL$3 +An IPO Afterglow in Googleland The most hyped new issue since Netscape chalked up a very tidy gain on its first day of trading. Peace reigns in the Valley ...$LABEL$2 +Nortel Networks to cut 3,500 TORONTO -- Nortel Networks said yesterday it will slash its workforce by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal ...$LABEL$2 +Oil barrels toward \$50 Next stop, fifty bucks. Analysts said crude futures could climb that high today, pushed to the psychological barrier of \$50 US a barrel by speculative buying amid escalating threats to Iraq #39;s oil infrastructure. $LABEL$2 +Qantas Boosts Flight Surcharges as Fuel Prices Soar (Update5) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest airline, increased a surcharge on all tickets as the cost of jet fuel soared to a record. Qantas shares rebounded from a three-month low. $LABEL$2 +Delta #39;s debt plan raises concerns; US Airways labor deal due Delta Air Lines #39; plan to restructure some of its debt outside of bankruptcy has raised concerns among credit analysts who believe the move could be tantamount to defaulting on the money the struggling carrier owes. $LABEL$2 +Nikkei Ends Flat, Oil Concerns Weigh TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday as worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off investors #39; appetite for recently battered technology issues such as Sharp Corp. $LABEL$2 +Peer-to-peer networks win ruling Companies providing software that helps music and movie lovers trade files with each other can #39;t be held financially responsible for copyright theft resulting from the trading, a federal court in Los Angeles ruled yesterday. $LABEL$2 +Zurich Financial nearly doubles profit Swiss insurance giant Zurich Financial Services has reported a first-half net profit of \$US1.5 billion (\$A2.1 billion), up 93 per cent from \$US752 million (\$A1.05 billion) in the same period last year, and roughly in line with analysts #39; expectations. $LABEL$2 +Bank of America puts name on Celebrity Series of Boston A day after laying off hundreds of Fleet bank workers, Bank of America received a boost of positive publicity from the arts world. $LABEL$2 +United #39;likely #39; to end pensions For the first time, United Airlines has acknowledged that it is quot;likely quot; to terminate its pension plans, a move the carrier said it needs to attract financing to emerge from bankruptcy. $LABEL$2 +Nordstrom profit soars in quarter, but not enough for Wall St. Nordstrom reported a strong second-quarter profit as it continued to select more relevant inventory and sell more items at full price. $LABEL$2 +Amazon to purchase Chinese on-line retailer Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to buy Joyo.com, China #39;s largest on-line retailer of books, music and videos, for \$75-million (US) to gain access to the world #39;s second-biggest Internet market. $LABEL$2 +Mike #39;s mailbag I got lots of mail this week about my Tuesday column about the Windows XP Service Pack 2 update from Microsoft. $LABEL$3 +Pilots prepare for mid-air catch of Genesis capsule LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- When a capsule from NASA #39;s Genesis spacecraft appears in the sky above the Utah desert on the morning of Sept. 8, it will have withstood more than three years in space and will contain samples of the ...$LABEL$3 + #39;Psst...want the tools to be a cybercriminal? #39; Some websites are now offering surfers the chance to download free quot;phishing kits quot; containing all the graphics, web code and text required to construct the kind of bogus sites used in internet phishing scams. $LABEL$3 +Nortel goes under the knife again WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- The latest corporate overhaul by Nortel Networks will shear the company of all its manufacturing operations and leave it with 70 percent fewer workers than it had four years ago. $LABEL$3 +American claims Khorkina crown ATHENS -- With a dazzling routine on the floor, American Carly Patterson staked her claim last night as the new queen of gymnastics. Patterson, 16, spoiled Russian superstar Svetlana Khorkina #39;s final chance at Olympic gold in gymnastics #39; premier event and ...$LABEL$1 +Turnabout fair play for Peirsol On a night when a disqualification was posted, protested, counterprotested twice and ultimately tossed out, the American swimmers claimed their largest medal haul of the meet so far. $LABEL$1 +Woods #39; No. 1 is safe for now Tiger Woods lost the lead to Stewart Cink yesterday but his world ranking is safe for the moment. Free from the burden of trying to make the Ryder Cup team, Cink looked at ease on a marathon day at the NEC Invitational that ended with ...$LABEL$1 +Phelps on way to great 8 That #39;s the goal now, with two events remaining in what already has been a grueling Olympic schedule for this 19-year-old US swimming star. $LABEL$1 +Weight of drugs felt Weightlifting #39;s aggressive pursuit of drug cheaters will continue even if it jeopardizes its future in the Olympics, its top official said yesterday following six more positive doping cases in what is again becoming the Games #39; dirtiest sport. Five ...$LABEL$1 +Olympic diary: Day seven British support in the badminton arena on Thursday caught everyone by surprise, not least the Chinese. $LABEL$1 +Olympic Notes Costs for the Athens Olympics are climbing again, expected to top \$8.5 billion US because of the massive security and overruns in the last-minute scramble to get venues ready, a government official said yesterday. $LABEL$1 +Let gymnasts be kids, not athletic lab rats DAY 6: Canadian sprinter Macro-man (Nic Macrozonaris) told a news conference yesterday that he had a dream in which he won the 100-metre sprint in 9.83 seconds. He has never broken 10 seconds flat. $LABEL$1 + #39;Peg psychologist helps Ford focus ATHENS -- Of the 10,000 athletes in the Athens Olympics, David Ford may be the only one who brought his own personal psychologist. quot;Probably, quot; Roger Friesen said. $LABEL$1 +Stop that blame game ATHENS -- Adam van Koeverden has a message for his fellow Canadian athletes -- quit whining about circumstances you can #39;t control. quot;You can #39;t fall into a corner and cry and say the Canadian sports system has let me down. You have to do things for ...$LABEL$1 +US tanks #39;encircle Najaf shrine #39; American tanks have reportedly encircled the Imam Ali shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf, after intensively bombarding rebel positions overnight. $LABEL$0 +Annan vows to protect UN staff from attacks GENEVA - Those behind the quot;cold-blooded murder quot; of 22 people at the United Nations office in Baghdad one year ago must be held to account, no matter how long it takes to find them, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday. $LABEL$0 +Pakistan hunts for key Al Qaeda figure ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani security forces are hunting a Libyan Al Qaeda leader whom senior intelligence officials see as a possible key to finding Osama bin Laden and others in the terrorist ...$LABEL$0 +Oil price hits new high on Iraq violence In the SINGAPORE story headlined quot;Oil hits new high on Iraq violence quot; please read in the 13th paragraph .... as its imports in the first seven ...$LABEL$0 +Improved Latham to leave hospital Federal Labor leader Mark Latham will leave hospital on Saturday at midday after being given the all-clear by doctors. $LABEL$0 +Blogging Across America Who needs postcards? Use high-tech ways to stay in touch while you're traveling.$LABEL$3 +Virtual veins give nurses a hand \A virtual reality hand, complete with vital veins, that ""feels"" could help trainee nurses practice their jabs.$LABEL$3 +Court stops Shrek 2 bootlegs London's High Court imposes an injunction against 12 defendants accused of bootlegging copies of Shrek 2.$LABEL$3 +When a Bridge Becomes a Lifeline Fifteen years after an earthquake damaged San Francisco's Bay Bridge, engineers are attempting to replace it with a stronger span. The project is said to be the most ambitious in state history. Part 1 of 2. By Amit Asaravala.$LABEL$3 +Cell Phone Users Are Finding God Mobile phone owners are blessed with more than just free weekend minutes, as religious institutions and telcos roll out new services to help the observant practice their faith. By Elizabeth Biddlecombe.$LABEL$3 +Finding Nemo by Microchip Armed with tagging devices and satellite tracking, marine scientists follow hundreds of sea animals around the Pacific Ocean, monitoring everything from location and depth to speed and water temperature. By Randy Dotinga.$LABEL$3 +US: Time Running Out in Airbus-Boeing Row PARIS (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday it may soon take legal action in a trade row over government help for Airbus and Boeing, particularly as the European aircraft maker was seeking support for a new project. Washington and Brussels have so far resisted launching legal action at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in their battle over allegations of illegal subsidies to the aviation rivals, but that option may now be just weeks away.$LABEL$2 +Campaign Game Mimics Real Life A new simulated election game that lets you play campaign manager to a presidential candidate is both thrillingly and disturbingly similar to real-world politics. A review by Jason Silverman.$LABEL$3 +Stem Cells Rise in Public Opinion More Americans know about stem cell research, and more approve of it this year than in 2001, according to a new Harris Poll. By Kristen Philipkoski.$LABEL$3 +Waiting For Google NEW YORK - Benjamin Franklin, that annoying know-it-all, famously said, quot;Never put off until tomorrow that which you can do today. quot; ...$LABEL$2 +Court rules two software firms not liable for file-share claims San Francisco (AP) -- Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc. are not liable for the swapping of copyright content through their file-sharing software, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a blow to movie studios and record labels. $LABEL$2 +Swiss Re, Zurich peg Charley costs LONDON (CBS.MW) - The costs of Hurricane Charley in Florida to the insurance industry were becoming clearer on Thursday after two major Swiss insurers estimated their claims stemming from the storm last week. $LABEL$2 +State #39;s hospitals can get money if illegal immigrants give status During the next four years, hospitals in the state of Washington could be reimbursed nearly \$13 million for emergency care they provide to uninsured illegal immigrants. $LABEL$2 +AMD #39;s new budget processors AMD #39;s new Sempron range of desktop and notebook CPUs is targeted squarely at Intel #39;s competing Celeron family. $LABEL$3 +Italy #39;s Brugnetti Upstages Perez in 20km Walk ATHENS (Reuters) - Italy #39;s former world champion Ivano Brugnetti returned to the limelight to upstage favorite Jefferson Perez and win the Olympic men #39;s 20km race walk on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Late surge lifts US past Aussies ATHENS -- The Mason #39;s Union membership cards should be arriving any day now, but while they wait for them to be distributed, the United States men #39;s basketball team was able to concoct a winning formula by ...$LABEL$1 +For starters, Eli makes case CHARLOTTE - Kurt Warner may still be the favorite to start the regular-season opener for the Giants. But Eli Manning isn #39;t making Tom Coughlin #39;s decision very easy. $LABEL$1 +ACC game gets home BLACKSBURG -- Jacksonville, Fla., will be the home for the ACC #39;s first two championship games in football in 2005 and #39;06, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Thursday. $LABEL$1 +Youngsters Ready to Make Mark in Track A new wave of talent will be on display when track and field takes center stage at the Olympic Games. $LABEL$1 +Sporadic gunfire in Najaf after aide says radical cleric orders fighters to leave Najaf shrine NAJAF, Iraq (AP) Sporadic gunfire echoed through Najaf on Friday after a night of heavy US bombing that saw radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr order his fighters to hand control of a revered Najaf ...$LABEL$0 +Bombs Explode in Nepal Capital as Rebel Siege Bites KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Suspected Maoist guerrillas set off two bombs in and around Nepal #39;s capital on Friday, wounding two people as the commercial center remained cut off for a third day by a rebel-imposed blockade. $LABEL$0 +Cleric prays #39; for freelancer #39;s freedom Rogue Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr has called for the release of an American freelance journalist with New England roots who was seized in Nasiriyah Friday. $LABEL$0 +Darfur humanitarian crisis easing, UN says KHARTOUM, Sudan While violence remains a major concern, the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region is easing and large-scale deaths from malnutrition and disease are likely to be averted as international assistance pours in, UN ...$LABEL$0 +Australia #39;s Howard rules out snap election while rival still ill SYDNEY : Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would not call a snap general election while opposition leader Mark Latham was ill as he wanted to beat him fair and square. $LABEL$0 +Plant operators grilled by safety panel probing Japanese nuclear plant explosion TOKYO The operators of a Japanese nuclear plant say there was no evidence of danger at the plant before a deadly explosion this month. $LABEL$0 +All-American girl That was then and this is now. That was there and this is here. So which is a bigger moment? Mary Lou Retton's quot;No-Fault Vault quot; that produced America's first Olympic all-around gold medal in women's gymnastics 20 years ago in Los Angeles? Or Carly Patterson's quot;Dream Beam quot; here last night that clinched the second?$LABEL$1 +Message loud and clear A funny thing happened as Orlando Cabrera triumphantly rounded the bases after he knocked in Johnny Damon with his walkoff double off the Green Monster in Tuesday's 5-4 thriller over the Blue Jays. In the stands, Cabrera's wife, Eliana, noticed during the celebration her cellphone ringing. And ringing. And ringing.$LABEL$1 +Atlanta rallies to top Dodgers Johnny Estrada homered, drove in three runs, and started Atlanta's go-ahead rally in the ninth, and the Braves beat Eric Gagne and the Dodgers, 6-5, last night in Los Angeles.$LABEL$1 +Selig gets three-year extension Baseball commissioner Bud Selig received a contract extension through 2009 yesterday as owners praised his 12-year reign, but dissension surfaced among teams in the decision to launch a World Cup tournament.$LABEL$1 +New York averts sweep by Twins Gary Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning last night, sending the New York Yankees to a seesaw 13-10 win over the Minnesota Twins at Minneapolis.$LABEL$1 +For Colvin, it's hip hip hooray For so long, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin couldn't do what he wanted, couldn't play football. Now, he feels he can do whatever his coach wants him to.$LABEL$1 +Help is on the way Former English Premier League rivals Steve Howey and Joe-Max Moore are expected to be available for the Revolution's regular-season stretch run.$LABEL$1 +Lawyers ask to seal Bryant interview EAGLE, Colo. -- Defense attorneys argued in a court filing that Kobe Bryant's statements to investigators after the basketball player was accused of rape last summer should be kept secret because it is not certain they will be used in his trial.$LABEL$1 +Cink gets drop on soggy NEC field Free from the burden of trying to make the Ryder Cup team, Stewart Cink looked at ease yesterday at the NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio. The marathon day ended with his name atop the leaderboard.$LABEL$1 +Defeat for GB canoeists British canoeists Nick Smith and Stuart Bowman are out of the men's C2 doubles.$LABEL$1 +Upbeat De Bruijn Fastest in 50 Freestyle Heats ATHENS (Reuters) - Inge de Bruijn, two of her three Olympic titles already lost, showed her determination to cling on to the last when she posted the fastest time in the 50 meters freestyle heats in Athens on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Phelps on Track for Sixth Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps, one more Olympic title to the good, aims to hoist his gold medal tally to five when he takes on fellow American Ian Crocker in the 100 meters butterfly final on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Late Bogies Hurt Woods at Rainy NEC Invitational AKRON, Ohio, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods returned to form at one of his favorite venues before a pair of dropped shots cost him a share of the lead at the weather-affected WGC-NEC Invitational on Thursday.$LABEL$1 +AL Wrap: Paul, Guerrero, Erstad Homers Guide Angels NEW YORK (Reuters) - Josh Paul, Vladimir Guerrero and Darin Erstad hit multi-run homers to lead the Anaheim Angels to a 10-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St Petersburg on Thursday.$LABEL$1 +Job Cuts Rise Further in Nov. - Report NEW YORK (Reuters) - Planned job cuts at U.S. firms climbed during November, a report said on Tuesday, in a further sign of sluggishness in the labor market.$LABEL$2 +Sheppard makes semi-finals Britain's Alison Sheppard coasts into the women's 50m freestyle semi-finals.$LABEL$1 +Productivity Growth Slows; Store Sales Dip WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. business productivity grew more slowly in the third quarter than first thought, a government report showed on Tuesday, while chain store sales fell in the crucial shopping week after Thanksgiving.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Warplanes Bomb Iraq's Falluja Again (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. warplanes attacked targets\in Iraq's Sunni Muslim city of Falluja for a second time on\Friday, witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +European diplomats ask to meet detained activists in Maldives (AFP) AFP - European nations have requested the Maldives authorities to give them access to activists detained after last week's pro-democracy demonstrations, diplomatic sources said.$LABEL$0 +Kerry defends Vietnam record, challenges Bush (AFP) AFP - Democratic Senator John Kerry accused President George W. Bush of using a front group to do the ""dirty work"" of attacking his Vietnam War record.$LABEL$0 +'Soft Money' Groups Face New Ground Rules (AP) AP - Interest groups spending big donations on ads and voter outreach in the presidential race will face new limits after the fall election under rules approved by federal regulators. Campaign watchdogs criticized them as too little, too late.$LABEL$0 +N.Korea Says U.S.-S.Korea War Games Undermine Talks SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Friday annual war games staged by the United States and South Korea were undermining six-party nuclear talks and forcing it to raise the ""quality and quantity"" of its own military deterrent.$LABEL$0 +Oil Swamps Stocks, Supports Bond Prices LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks slipped and the dollar softened on Friday as the rise in crude oil prices toward \$50 a barrel raised the prospect of slower economic growth, which supported bond prices.$LABEL$2 +Oil Near \$49 as Iraq Violence Escalates LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday carrying U.S. crude close to \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India.$LABEL$2 +Oil Near \$49 as Iraq Violence Escalates LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday carrying US crude close to \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India. $LABEL$2 +Qantas slaps new fuel surcharge on fares SYDNEY (Reuters) - Qantas Airways, Australia #39;s biggest airline, says it will raise ticket prices for the second time in three months to help tackle rising fuel costs, just a day after posting a record annual profit. $LABEL$2 +File-sharers win court case TWO FILE SHARING companies have been told by a court that they are not liable for people in their networks swapping illegal content. $LABEL$2 +Nikkei Ends Down, Oil Worries Weigh TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks ended slightly lower on Friday as worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off investors #39; appetite for recently battered technology issues such as Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. $LABEL$2 +Texaco to appeal Sunburst ruling ChevronTexaco, ordered to pay more than \$41 million to more than 75 Sunburst residents who filed a pollution-liability suit, will file a motion for a new trial in the next month, a company spokesman said. $LABEL$2 +Apple #39;s flaming batteries recalled MUCH LOVED music firm Apple has had to recall more than 28,000 rechargeable batteries that it jacks into its aluminium 15-inch PowerBook G4 because they may overheat. $LABEL$3 +Oracle has patch day DATABASE COMPANY Oracle is trying to liven up the sleepy and dull database industry by having a patch day. $LABEL$3 +Reversal of fortune: Upon review, go ATHENS - Aaron Peirsol was reminded last night of a lesson he probably learned as a child: It doesn #39;t pay to make the umpire angry. $LABEL$1 +Deakes wins bronze in 20km walk Australian walker Nathan Deakes has won the Olympic bronze medal in the 20 kilometre walk, Australia #39;s first walking medal in almost half a century. $LABEL$1 +Davenport advances in Cincinnati Mason, OH (Sports Network) - Lindsay Davenport shook off a sluggish start to rally for a three-set victory over unheralded Lilia Osterloh at the inaugural Western amp;amp;amp; Southern Financial Group Women #39;s Open. $LABEL$1 +Bengals brace for old teammate Dillon FOXBORO, Mass. New England Patriots running back Corey Dillon darted up the middle, bounced off one tackler, then made it a point to crash into two more defenders. It hardly mattered to Dillon that this training camp session ...$LABEL$1 +Sadr Militia in Contacts to Hand Over Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Top aides of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr prepared to hand over control of a holy shrine at the center of a crisis in Najaf on Friday to representatives of Iraq #39;s top ayatollah, a Sadr spokesman said. $LABEL$0 +Peacekeepers in S. Ossetia will disarm militia TSKHINVALI. Aug 20 (Interfax) - Russian peacekeepers deployed in South Ossetia plan to collect weapons from militia units in Ossetian and Georgian villages in the self-proclaimed republic. $LABEL$0 +Bomb Blasts Rock Kathmandu Nepal #39;s Maoist rebels opened fire and set off bombs at a government office in Kathmandu Friday, the third day of a blockade of the capital by Maoist rebels. $LABEL$0 +'Deal nearer' in BA strike talks Talks to avoid a crippling strike at British Airways are set to resume on Friday with unions and the airline ""hopeful"" of reaching a deal.$LABEL$2 +MForma buys FingerTwitch (TheDeal.com) TheDeal.com - The Kirkland, Wash., cell-phone game maker will use some of its #36;19 million to buy wireless specialist FingerTwitch Inc.$LABEL$3 +Kazaa owner takes heart from US copyright ruling Sharman Networks, parent company of the peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing software Kazaa, is rejoicing at the US court ruling that found two similar P2P programs, Grokster and Morpheus, do not violate US copyright law. However, the company concedes that the ...$LABEL$2 +United: Pension end is likely United Airlines said termination and replacement of all of its pension plans quot;likely will be required quot; for the company to exit bankruptcy and attract financing. $LABEL$2 +300,000 seek 3,000 dockworker jobs LOS ANGELES Longshore union and port shipping officials yesterday sifted through 300,000 applications submitted as part of a special lottery for 3,000 lucrative temporary dockworker jobs at the nation #39;s largest port complex. $LABEL$2 +Apple recalls 28,00 PowerBook batteries due to fire hazard Apple is recalling 28,000 PowerBook batteries after it was discovered that the batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard. $LABEL$3 +So you want to be a cybercrook... According to security firm Sophos, the kits allow users to design sites that have the same look and feel as legitimate online banking sites that can then be used to defraud unsuspecting users by getting them to reveal the details of their financial ...$LABEL$3 +Partisan Feud Deepens Over History Body The ruling and opposition parties on Friday continued to lock horns over the establishment of a committee to explore the truth of the nation #39;s modern history a day after Uri Party leader Shin Ki-nam resigned because of his father #39;s ...$LABEL$0 +Four Indonesian political parties form National Coalition JAKARTA Aug 19 - Four Indonesian political parties - Golkar, Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP), United Development Party (PPP) and Peace and Prosperity Party (PDS) - declared a national coalition on Thursday in their bid to form a good ...$LABEL$0 +Clean-up works on Norfolk Broads The Norfolk Broads are on their way to getting a clean bill of ecological health after a century of stagnation.$LABEL$3 +A Bridge Suspended in Controversy When an earthquake knocked down a section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, engineers vowed to make a stronger span. But years later, that plan is still mired in controversy. Part 2 of 2. By Amit Asaravala.$LABEL$3 +Techies Praised for E-Vote Work At a meeting of technologists developing new standards for e-voting systems, the head of the nation's new elections commission lauds computer scientists for the work they're doing on the nation's behalf. By Kim Zetter.$LABEL$3 +The War Room Inside the fully immersive proving ground where tomorrow's soldiers are being trained by coalition forces of the Pentagon, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. By Steve Silberman from Wired magazine.$LABEL$3 +Game Mixes Racing and Role Play In Street Racing Syndicate, a video game scheduled for release at the end of the month, players can test their role-playing mettle in the illegal street-racing scene without the nasty risk of going to jail. A review by Chris Kohler.$LABEL$3 +Google Stock's Wacky Debut After a false start that makes the search giant's stock appear to soar, the company's IPO on the Nasdaq settles down to a more reasonable price, just north of \$100 per share.$LABEL$3 +File-sharing systems in legal win A US court has ruled that file-sharing firms are not responsible for what users do with their software.$LABEL$3 +Talks to resume in BA dispute Talks to avoid a crippling strike at British Airways will resume on Friday with unions and the airline ""hopeful"" of reaching a deal.$LABEL$2 +Asian Stocks: Japan #39;s Topix, Taiwan #39;s Taiex Climbed This Week Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Japan #39;s Topix stock index rose for the first week in three. Retailers such as Ito-Yokado Co. gained after a government report showed service industries expanded more than economists forecast in June, suggesting a pickup in ...$LABEL$2 +Navistar #39;s profit more than triples Navistar International Corp., the world #39;s fourth-largest truckmaker, said profit in the fiscal third quarter more than tripled as truck sales rose and retirement and medical costs declined. $LABEL$2 +Chief economist leaving Bank One Diane Swonk, for years one of the most visible executives at Bank One, said Thursday she #39;s resigning as its chief economist as of Sept. 30. $LABEL$2 +Microsoft SP2 release delayed by security threats within pack In a series of continuing twists, Microsoft has now announced that their Internet release of Service Pack 2 will be delayed in light of serious complaints from current users who have installed it. $LABEL$3 +Lycoris 1.4 integrates Windows apps support Running Windows applications on a Linux desktop has become a little easier with the release of PowerPak 1.4 by Linux vendor Lycoris. Following a deal with software developer CodeWeavers in June, Window-to-Linux software has been integrated with Lycoris #39; ...$LABEL$3 +Eolas patent on Web plug-in technology rejected The controversial Eolas Technologies patent looks like it is about to be rescinded by the US Patent Office. The office has confirmed that it has rejected all of the 10 patent claims that it re-examined. $LABEL$3 +Patterson has golden glow ATHENS - Mary Lou Retton left her phone number for Carly Patterson. Call me, she said, after the Olympic all-around competition. $LABEL$1 +Brugnetti upsets the field to win 20km walk Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - The first official track event took place this morning and Italy #39;s Ivano Brugnetti won the men #39;s 20km walk at the Summer Olympics in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Engelsman, Lenton surge to 50m semis Australians Michelle Engelsman and Libby Lenton have both qualified for the women #39;s 50 metres freestyle semi-finals at the Athens Olympics. $LABEL$1 +Woodgate to Face Stringent Medical Jonathan Woodgate #39;s medical with Real Madrid is by no means a formality, despite the confidence of Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd. $LABEL$1 +Ain #39;t over till it #39;s over MINNEAPOLIS - Gary Sheffield insists George Steinbrenner is the only person who could tell him to rest his ailing left shoulder, but you can be sure that wasn #39;t on The Boss #39; mind last night. Not after Sheffield once again injected life ...$LABEL$1 +Eli has his moments CHARLOTTE, NC - The Eli Manning Summer School took its first field trip last night, an outing designed to ramp up an educational process that is reaching a critical stage. $LABEL$1 +US track tries to turn the page ATHENS, Greece -- American Lauryn Williams pours down the track in the 100 meters, going faster and faster, smoothly pulling away from the pack, leg muscles bulging, arm muscles straining. She smiles while crossing the finish line, arms in the air. She ...$LABEL$1 +Yanks, Rangers have second thoughts on Loaiza MINNEAPOLIS - The Yankees have held discussions with the Texas Rangers about trading Esteban Loaiza for prospects, but both sides have reservations. $LABEL$1 +Garland, Sox can #39;t tame Tigers The White Sox are sending for pitching help, only the call isn #39;t going out to replace Jon Garland in the rotation -- not yet, anyway. $LABEL$1 +German Press Review: Dilemmas for Sharon and Scientists The difficulties faced by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shared editorial space with the debate surrounding human cloning in the German press Friday. $LABEL$0 +Nepal rebels attack blockaded capital Maoist rebels have opened fire on the security forces and bombed a government building in the heart of Kathmandu amidst a blockade they have enforced on the Nepalese capital. $LABEL$0 +Pakistan #39;s PM-designate declared winner in two by-elections ISLAMABAD : Pakistan formally declared Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz the winner of two by-elections held to clear his path to the prime ministership. $LABEL$0 +Iraq's Sadr Prepares to Hand Over Najaf Shrine (Reuters) Reuters - A radical cleric prepared to hand\control of a shrine at the heart of a Shi'ite uprising in Iraq\to religious authorities on Friday, but still rejected demands\by the interim prime minister to disband his militia.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Abductors Vow to Free U.S. Journalist (AP) AP - A top aide to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who appealed to kidnappers to free a Western journalist, said Friday they had promised to release him. The pan-Arab television station Al-Jazeera reported Thursday that a militant group calling itself the Martyrs Brigade had abducted New York journalist Micah Garen and threatened to kill him within 48 hours unless U.S. pulled out of the wear-shattered city of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Tokyo Stock Index Ends Lower, Dollar Down (AP) AP - Tokyo's main stock index ended lower Friday amid profit-taking of technology issues and concerns about soaring oil prices. The U.S. dollar was down against the Japanese yen.$LABEL$0 +Iraq's Sadr Prepares to Hand Over Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - A radical cleric prepared to hand control of a shrine at the heart of a Shi'ite uprising in Iraq to religious authorities on Friday, but still rejected demands by the interim prime minister to disband his militia.$LABEL$0 +Typhoon Megi Slams North Japan, Death Toll Hits 13 TOKYO (Reuters) - Typhoon Megi killed one person as it slammed ashore in northern Japan on Friday, bringing the death toll to at least 13 and cutting power to thousands of homes before heading out into the Pacific.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan holds al-Qaeda suspects Police in the Pakistani city of Peshawar say they have arrested two foreign al-Qaeda suspects.$LABEL$0 +Death and Sorrow Stalk Sudanese Across Border Hundreds of new refugees from Sudan have poured into overwhelmed camps in Chad. This latest influx is an alarming barometer of the violence inside Darfur.$LABEL$0 +Al-Sadr Tells Militia to Turn Over Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Sporadic gunfire echoed through Najaf on Friday after a night of heavy U.S. bombing that saw radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr call on his fighters to hand control of a revered Najaf shrine to top Shiite religious authorities...$LABEL$0 +Kerry Takes Job Creation Message to N.C. CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry came to the heart of a conservative state hit hard by job losses over the past four years to tout his plan for curbing the export of jobs by cutting corporate taxes and enforcing trade agreements...$LABEL$0 +Argentina's Women Sail Into Hockey Semi-Finals ATHENS (Reuters) - Top-ranked Argentina booked their berth in the women's hockey semi-finals at the Athens Olympics on Friday but defending champions Australia now face an obstacle course to qualify for the medal matches.$LABEL$1 +Now free, Jenkins arrives to live on Japanese island with family US deserter and former Army Sgt. Charles Jenkins arrived Tuesday on a remote Japanese island, where he said he hoped to quot;live my remaining days with my wife and children.$LABEL$0 +North Korea Urges Refugees to Return to 'Warm Home' (Reuters) Reuters - North Korea appealed to refugees who have\sought asylum in the South to return to the impoverished state,\avoiding for once labeling them ""human scum"" and saying a warm\home awaits them.$LABEL$0 +Kidnappers Set to Free US Journalist A top aide to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said today that kidnappers who abducted and threatened to kill a US journalist had promised to set him free. $LABEL$0 +Russian textbooks omit Soviets #146; dark chapters MOSCOW -- If you can judge a book by its cover, then the quot;History of Russia and the World in the 20th Century quot; tells students that the Soviet past was all pride and glory: Three of four cover photos invoke Soviet propaganda.$LABEL$0 +Sharon and Arafat defy supporters JERUSALEM -- Embattled leaders Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat rebuffed demands from their backers yesterday, holding steadfast to positions posing great political risk: Sharon insisted he will press on with efforts to pull out of Gaza despite a stinging rebuke from his party, while Arafat refused to sign reform legislation.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan hunts for key Al Qaeda figure ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani security forces are hunting a Libyan Al Qaeda leader whom senior intelligence officials see as a possible key to finding Osama bin Laden and others in the terrorist network's inner circle.$LABEL$0 +At ancient site, a very modern debate -- over traffic SALISBURY, England -- Whoever built Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old circle of megaliths that towers over green fields in southern England and lures a million visitors a year, could not have planned for the automobile.$LABEL$0 +Doctors involved in abuse at Abu Ghraib, report LONDON -- Doctors working for the US military in Iraq collaborated with interrogators in the abuse of detainees at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, profoundly breaching medical ethics and human rights, a bioethicist charges in The Lancet medical journal.$LABEL$0 +UN marks year since deadly bombing of Iraq headquarters GENEVA -- The bombing that wrecked UN offices in Baghdad and killed 22 colleagues a year ago was agony for the United Nations, but terrorist threats won't deter it from helping the victims of conflict, Secretary General Kofi Annan said yesterday at a memorial.$LABEL$0 +North Korea Urges Refugees to Return to 'Warm Home' SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea appealed to refugees who have sought asylum in the South to return to the impoverished state, avoiding for once labeling them ""human scum"" and saying a warm home awaits them.$LABEL$0 +Sadr's aides urge militants to free kidnapped journalist BAGHDAD -- Top aides to firebrand Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on kidnappers yesterday to free a Western journalist they are threatening to kill unless US forces withdraw from the holy city of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Media companies lose file-sharing case SAN FRANCISCO Grokster and StreamCast Networks are not liable for the swapping of copyright content like movies and music through their file-sharing software, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, in a blow to film studios and record labels. $LABEL$2 +24-hour push for NI powersharing Talks to revive powersharing in Northern Ireland have entered a final 24-hour push as Britain and Ireland prepared to publish their painstakingly negotiated peace plans.$LABEL$0 +Apple recalls 28,000 overheating PowerBook batteries Apple is recalling about 28,000 batteries that shipped this year in its PowerBook G4 portable computers. $LABEL$3 +Failure in demand causes LCD sales slump IT #39;S OFFICIAL. People didn #39;t flock to buy LCD units in the second quarter which is disappointing news for manufacturers, which are now awash with the fancy thin film transistor glass. $LABEL$3 +Hochschorner brothers win C2 gold Pavol and Peter Hochschorner took the gold medal once again in pairs canoe slalom Friday, winning by more than 3 seconds. $LABEL$1 +Greek Police Hand Kenteris Crash Report to Prosecutor ATHENS (Reuters) - Traffic police have handed their report to Athens prosecutors on the motorcycle crash reported by disgraced Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, a police source said on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Brit relay teams go through Britain's men's and women's relay teams qualify for their 4x100m medley finals.$LABEL$1 +Colombian Charged in Fla. With Buying Guns (AP) AP - A Colombian arms broker was charged with trying to buy #36;4 million in grenade launchers, machine guns, other high-powered weapons and munitions for a leftist rebel group and promising 2 tons of cocaine as partial payment.$LABEL$0 +WHO and FAO kept in dark on bird flu virus found in pigs in China (AFP) AFP - UN health and agriculture officials in China said they were not informed by the government of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus being found in pigs, the first such discovery in the world.$LABEL$0 +30,000 More Sudanese Threaten to Cross to Chad -UN GENEVA (Reuters) - Some 30,000 Sudanese, victims of fresh attacks by Arab militia inside Darfur, have threatened to cross into Chad, the U.N. refugee agency warned on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Jackson's Lavish Lifestyle Put on Display SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Michael Jackson's elegant home with its lavish playground for children was placed on display in a courtroom as defense attorneys showed a judge videotapes of a raid last year on the pop star's Neverland estate...$LABEL$0 +Nichols Won't Appeal State Convictions PONCA CITY, Okla. - Deciding at the last possible moment not to appeal his conviction, Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols brought his case to a final close, saying he hoped it would begin a ""long-awaited healing process."" For Nichols, it means a life in prison with no further recourse...$LABEL$0 +Terror List Snag Nearly Grounds a Kennedy WASHINGTON - A top Homeland Security official has apologized to Sen. Edward M...$LABEL$0 +Sheffield, Yanks Rally for Win Over Twins The New York Yankees wasted a six-run lead and were about to get swept by the Minnesota Twins until Gary Sheffield saved them - just as he has so often this season. Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the Yankees to a seesaw, 13-10 victory in Minnesota...$LABEL$0 +Al-Sadr Aide: We Will Surrender Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Followers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Friday they were preparing to hand control of the revered Imam Ali Shrine to top Shiite religious authorities in a bid to end a two-week-old uprising in the holy city of Najaf. Al-Sadr aide Ahmed al-Shaibany said he was on his way to the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, to offer to present officials there with keys to the shrine...$LABEL$0 +Steroid scandal will be given lip service Do you assume this raging scandal will be enough to overhaul Major League Baseball #39;s laughable drug policy? If so, you must think Bill Clinton didn #39;t have sex with that woman.$LABEL$1 +Legal peer-to-peer services: Gimmick or Genius? Few in the tech world need an introduction to Napster #39;s founder, the college dropout whose revolutionary file-swapping technology shook the foundations of the \$11bn record industry.$LABEL$3 +Stocks to Open Lower on Oil Concerns NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are seen slightly lower at the open Friday as oil's latest push into record territory continues to unnerve investors...$LABEL$0 +Congo Pulls Diplomats Out of Burundi (Reuters) Reuters - The Democratic Republic of Congo has\pulled all of its diplomats out of neighboring Burundi\following the slaughter of Congolese Tutsi refugees there last\week, its foreign minister said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Stocks to Watch on Aug. 20 (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks to watch: GOOGLE INC.\(GOOG.O) Google shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited\stock market debut on Thursday after a scaled-down #36;1.67\billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market\conditions. The stock closed at #36;100.34.$LABEL$2 +'Mean Creek': A familiar flow (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - This tiny shot-on-video downer hits theaters at the same time as a more deluxe home version of Martin Scorsese's career-making melodrama Mean Streets comes to DVD. The timing is probably coincidence, because Creek's anti-urban setting (largely a boat in rocky waters) has far more in common with several other well-known movies, which is part of its problem.$LABEL$3 +China Mobile Suspends Chinadotcom Mobile Services (Reuters) Reuters - Chinadotcom (CHINA.O) said on Friday\that its Go2joy mobile messaging unit has been sanctioned by\China Mobile (CHL.N), as part of a broad crackdown on\aggressive marketing by it and 21 other companies.$LABEL$3 +Stocks May Fall at Open, Oil Weighs NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are seen falling for a second-straight day on Friday on concerns the economy and corporate profits will slow after crude futures touched another record in overnight trading.$LABEL$2 +Oil at New High Over \$49 LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday, carrying U.S. crude over \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India.$LABEL$2 +Stocks to Watch on Aug. 20 NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks to watch: GOOGLE INC. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> Google shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions. The stock closed at \$100.34. $LABEL$2 +Congo Pulls Diplomats Out of Burundi KINSHASA (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo has pulled all of its diplomats out of neighboring Burundi following the slaughter of Congolese Tutsi refugees there last week, its foreign minister said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Brugnetti Strides to First Gold in 20km Walk ATHENS (Reuters) - Italian Ivano Brugnetti strode to victory in the first athletics final of the Athens Olympics on Friday with a commanding performance in the men's 20km walk.$LABEL$1 +Bankruptcy Survivable, US Airways CEO Says A ""frustrated"" chief executive of US Airways Group Inc. told employees yesterday that despite recent assertions from the airline's chairman, the carrier could survive a second bankruptcy filing -- but only with revised labor agreements.$LABEL$2 +Developing countries invest abroad Developing countries are starting to flex their financial muscles and invest overseas.$LABEL$2 +Union sets Eurostar strike date Eurostar workers will stage a 24-hour walk-out over a pay dispute on August 28, their union announces.$LABEL$2 +India orders Olympic dope probe Sports Minister Sunil Dutt says action will be taken after two weightlifters fail a drugs test at the Athens Olympics.$LABEL$0 +Lewis drops off pace Denise Lewis makes a stuttering start to the heptathlon, as fellow Briton Kelly Sotherton storms into second place.$LABEL$1 +China Mobile Suspends Chinadotcom Mobile Services NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chinadotcom <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=CHINA.O qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">CHINA.O</A> said on Friday that its Go2joy mobile messaging unit has been sanctioned by China Mobile <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=CHL.N qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">CHL.N</A>, as part of a broad crackdown on aggressive marketing by it and 21 other companies.$LABEL$3 +Have Blood, Will Travel The radiation astronauts encounter in deep space could put vital blood-making cells in jeopardy.$LABEL$3 +Two rebel infiltrators killed, separatists detained in Kashmir (AFP) AFP - Indian troops shot dead two rebels who had infiltrated into Indian Kashmir from the Pakistan-controlled zone, while two separatists and nine other people were detained in the region, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Stumbling over SP2 CNET News.com's Mike Ricciuti says Microsoft has no choice but to get the Windows XP update on solid footing--and soon.$LABEL$3 +McDonald's serves up film blitz McDonald's takes out ads in the UK to say a film about its food is ""slick"" and ""well-made"" - but unrealistic.$LABEL$0 +Google Closes Over \$100 After IPO Google Inc #39;s first day as a public company was branded a success by many yesterday. While shares failed to reach the \$135 heights anticipated over recent weeks, the IPO price of \$85 per share was boosted to over \$100 by the end of the day. $LABEL$2 +Nortel #39;s new chief gets down to business William Owens, the new chief executive of Nortel Networks Corp., is putting his personal stamp on the organization. $LABEL$2 +Auto-body chain settles fraud suit An auto-body repair chain with several locations in San Diego County agreed yesterday to pay \$5.8 million to settle a consumer fraud lawsuit alleging that it charged customers for work it never performed. $LABEL$2 +Kerry Takes Job Creation Message to NC CHARLOTTE, NC Aug. 20, 2004 Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry came to the heart of a conservative state hit hard by job losses over the past four years to tout his plan for curbing the export of jobs by cutting corporate taxes and enforcing ...$LABEL$2 +PUC delays decision to shift power costs here San Diego Gas amp; Electric Co. customers won a reprieve yesterday when the state utilities commission delayed a decision that could shift \$1 billion in crisis-related power costs to local consumers and cause a major rate increase. $LABEL$2 +'Final Call' for Rebel Iraqi Cleric Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr rejected one of the government's two key demands, increasing the prospect of an intensified military attack against his militia.$LABEL$0 +Stumbling over SP2 People have Bill Gates all wrong. He doesn #39;t want to rule the world (or at least the computerized portion of it). And although he may secretly hope that all Linux source code spontaneously combusts, that isn #39;t his biggest wish. $LABEL$3 +Hollywood stunt pilots hope to snag a falling NASA craft PASADENA To snag a spacecraft as it plummets to Earth after a three-year mission to collect bits of the sun, NASA has turned to Hollywood stunt pilots. $LABEL$3 +Global LCD Oversupply to Peak -Report SEOUL (Reuters) - Excess supplies of large liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are forecast to peak in the third quarter of this year, but will balance out by the fourth, a US research firm said on Friday. $LABEL$3 +Survey Notes Rise in US Broadband Users The number of Americans who get on the Internet via high-speed lines has now equaled the number using dial-up connections. $LABEL$3 +Napster Jumps on Chart Bandwagon Napster will be launching its own downloaded music chart on Virgin Radio at 7pm on August 29th. The chart will be compiled from the top 20 most popular tracks bought each week from Napster UK service. The chart will also include tracks that have been ...$LABEL$3 +Lindows halts stock release Linux supplier Lindows has announced it has called a halt to the initial public offering of its common stock after filing for registration in April. $LABEL$3 +DIY phishing kits found on the internet Do-it-yourself phishing kits are being made available for download free of charge from the internet, security watchers have warned. $LABEL$3 +EA game #39;Madden #39; tops 1.3 million first week quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts #39; pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said Thursday, citing internal figures. $LABEL$3 +Pool of utter mix-ups Athens -- Thursday night at the pool featured a disqualification, then a reversal of the disqualification, then protests of the reversal of the disqualification. Not to mention some nationalistic innuendo, a judge with a language barrier he couldn #39;t ...$LABEL$1 +US gymnast shines ATHENS, Greece -- In the biggest competition of her young life, Carly Patterson made a four-inch balance beam look as wide as a sidewalk. And she danced, leapt and tumbled her way across it Thursday to become only the second American to win ...$LABEL$1 +Brugnetti Strides to First Gold in 20km Walk ATHENS (Reuters) - Italian Ivano Brugnetti strode to victory in the first athletics final of the Athens Olympics on Friday with a commanding performance in the men #39;s 20km walk. $LABEL$1 +Have your say John Robertson today spoke of his pride at seeing son Nathan scoop an Olympic silver medal and insisted: quot;We are definitely celebrating, rather than commiserating. quot; ...$LABEL$1 +IOA sets up committee to probe dope scandal Athens, Aug 20. (PTI):In a belated damage-control exercise, the Indian Olympic Association today announced setting up of a Committee to probe into the Olympic Games doping scandal and suggest stringent measures to curb the menace. $LABEL$1 +FACTBOX-Jonathan Woodgate factbox MADRID, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Factbox on England defender Jonathan Woodgate who will sign for Real Madrid on Saturday after passing a medical on Friday. $LABEL$1 +British canoe pair lose out ATHENS (Reuters) - Slovakian twins Peter and Pavol Hochschorner have paddled to a stunning victory in the men #39;s two man canoe to retain the title they won in Sydney. $LABEL$1 +World News gt; Indians unfazed by Kathmandu blockade - but panic in India: Kanaiyalal Jiwanlal, a businessman from Valsad in Gujarat, has seen sectarian violence and a killer earthquake devastate parts of the western Indian state. Compared to such upheavals, the blockade of Kathmandu, called by Maoists, holds no terror for him. $LABEL$0 +Militants reportedly promise to free kidnapped Western journalist Garen BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) A top aide to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who appealed to kidnappers to free a Western journalist, said Friday they had promised to release him. $LABEL$0 +Israel given double warning over impact of West Bank policies JERUSALEM : The Israeli government was given a double warning over its policies in the West Bank as its top legal officer said it faced a real threat of sanctions over its controversial separation barrier and the United States condemned the latest ...$LABEL$0 +Tropical storm death toll hits 13 TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Tropical storm Megi swept over northern Japan on Friday, knocking over a street sign that killed one man, cutting off electricity to 123,000 homes and dumping heavy rains, officials said. $LABEL$0 +Pakistan prime minister-designate declared official victor in by-elections ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan #39;s election commission on Friday officially declared Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz victor in two by-elections, paving the way for him to become the next prime minister. $LABEL$0 +13 injured in plant fire in Japan TOKYO, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Fire broke out Friday at a tire plant belonging to Bridgestone Corp. in Amagi, western Fukuoka Prefecture of Japan, leaving 13 people injured. $LABEL$0 +Twenty-Five Hurt as Azores Plane Avoids Collision (Reuters) Reuters - Twenty-five TAP-Air Portugal passengers\and crew were slightly injured when the plane made a hasty\maneuver to avoid a mid-air collision just before landing on an\island in The Azores on Friday, TAP said.$LABEL$0 +General Growth Properties to Buy Rouse NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Growth Properties Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GGP.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GGP.N</A>, the No. 2 U.S. shopping mall owner, on Friday said it would buy Rouse Co. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=RSE.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">RSE.N</A> for \$7.2 billion, expanding its holdings of regional shopping centers and commercial property.$LABEL$2 +UAPB Gets #36;2.5M Science Grant From NSF (AP) AP - The National Science Foundation has awarded a #36;2.5 million grant to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to steer minority students into the sciences, math and technology.$LABEL$3 +Study: Development Endangers Coastal Bays (AP) AP - Maryland's coastal bays support a wide range of aquatic life but are threatened by intense development pressures, according to the first comprehensive study of the chain of shallow bays that separate Ocean City and Assateague Island from the mainland.$LABEL$3 +Oracle moves to monthly patching schedule Weeks after coming under criticism for sitting on patches for multiple holes in its database software, Oracle Corp. has announced that it is moving to a monthly patch release schedule.$LABEL$3 +Cherry to launch keyboard for Linux users Linux users in German-speaking countries and the U.K. will have an opportunity to buy keyboards specially designed for the open source operating system in late September, when Cherry GmbH launches what the company claims is the world's first Linux keyboard.$LABEL$3 +Virtual veins give nurses a hand \A virtual reality hand, complete with vital veins, that ""feels"" could help trainee nurses practise their jabs.$LABEL$3 +Bill Clinton Helps Launch Search Engine Former United States President Bill Clinton speaks at the conclusion of a forum titled New Thinking on Energy Policy: Meeting the Challenges of Security, Development, and Climate Change, at New York University in New York, Monday, Dec. 6, 2004.$LABEL$2 +General Growth Properties to Buy Rouse (Reuters) Reuters - General Growth Properties Inc.\(GGP.N), the No. 2 U.S. shopping mall owner, on Friday said it\would buy Rouse Co. (RSE.N) for #36;7.2 billion, expanding its\holdings of regional shopping centers and commercial property.$LABEL$2 +Police Investigate Sex Play (Reuters) Reuters - German police are investigating a\Spanish theater troupe under obscenity laws after displays of\graphic sex and bestiality in a controversial play called\""XXX,"" authorities said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +US, South Korea fail to hammer out deal over troop cut timetable (AFP) AFP - The United States and South Korea failed to hammer out a deal over a timetable for the planned reduction of US troops here, with Seoul asking for the cut to be delayed, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Researchers to Probe Algae on Lake Shore (AP) AP - Researchers are going scuba diving in Lake Michigan later this month to try to learn why an increasing amount of stinky green algae is accumulating on the shore.$LABEL$3 +Ga. Science Museum to Suspend Operations (AP) AP - After years of declining attendance and contributions, the Science and Technology Museum of Georgia is suspending operations this weekend.$LABEL$3 +30,000 More Sudanese Threaten to Cross to Chad - UN GENEVA (Reuters) - Some 30,000 Sudanese, victims of fresh attacks by Arab militia inside Darfur, have threatened to cross into Chad, already stretched with 200,000 refugees from the conflict, the United Nations said Friday.$LABEL$0 +'Miracle baby' home raid in Kenya Kenyan police seize 10 children from an evangelist's home and quiz his wife over child-trafficking allegations.$LABEL$0 +DaVita to acquire Gambro #39;s US clinics for \$3.1bn NEW YORK, December 7 (newratings.com) - DaVita Inc (DVA.NYS) has agreed to acquire Gambros dialysis clinics in the US for \$3.1 billion in cash, a Bloomberg article said today.$LABEL$2 +Teens Claim to Set New TV-Viewing Record GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A pair of teenagers who spent more than two straight days publicly glued to a television set say they have set a new world record for uninterrupted TV viewing...$LABEL$0 +Al-Sadr Followers Offer to Leave Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Followers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Friday they were prepared to hand control of the revered Imam Ali Shrine to top Shiite religious authorities, and Iraq's interim prime minister said he would not storm the holy site. The moves came after a day and night of fighting in Najaf that killed 77 people and wounded 70 others, as al-Sadr militiamen mortared a police station and U.S...$LABEL$0 +Neuros II 20GB HDD music player <strong><cite>Reg</cite> Review</strong> The world's first easily upgradeable MP3 device?$LABEL$3 +Bioenvision Files for Drug OK in Europe (Reuters) Reuters - Bioenvision Inc. (BIVN.O) said on\Friday it has submitted an application to European regulators\to market its experimental leukemia drug.$LABEL$0 +India cuts duties as inflation hits new high (Reuters) Reuters - India's wholesale price inflation surged to a new 3-1/2-year high of 7.96 percent in the week ended August 7 due to higher energy and manufactured product prices, prompting the government to slash duties on steel.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Softball Team Posts Shutout No. 7 (AP) AP - Cat Osterman struck out 10 in six innings, Crystl Bustos homered and the United States completed a perfect run through the preliminary round with a 3-0 win over Taiwan on Friday, setting up a U.S.-Australia showdown in the semifinals.$LABEL$1 +Paul Hamm's example PAUL HAMM'S fall and rise are what make the Olympics so much more than a sports event. The US gymnast who spun despair into gold on Wednesday gives hope to the whole human endeavor by defusing the word quot;loser. quot;$LABEL$1 +NBC relies on storytelling for continuity The seven-hour time difference between here and Athens creates strange viewing patterns in NBC's all-Olympics-all-the-time world. As host Bob Costas said in signing off Wednesday at midnight Boston time (7 a.m. Athens time): quot;Good night, good morning . . . take your choice. quot;$LABEL$1 +This weekend on TV, radio TODAY AUTO RACING 1 p.m. -- NASCAR Busch Series Cabela's 250 qualifying at Brooklyn, Mich., Speed Channel 3 p.m. -- NASCAR Nextel Cup GFS Marketplace 400 qualifying at Brooklyn, Mich., TNT LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL 1 p.m. -- World Series: Midwest vs. Southeast at Williamsport, Pa., ESPN 5 p.m. -- World Series: Latin America vs. Canada at Williamsport, Pa., ESPN2 8 ...$LABEL$1 +Russia blocks bid by US Russia is one of the biggest, most powerful men's volleyball teams in the world. Already well aware, the United States received another reminder.$LABEL$1 +Late surge lifts US past Aussies The Mason's Union membership cards should be arriving any day now, but while they wait for them to be distributed, the United States men's basketball team was able to concoct a winning formula by relying on their unquestioned athletic superiority over the Australians yesterday.$LABEL$1 +Story has familiar ring The United States Boxing team isn't fighting its opponents any more. It's fighting self-doubt.$LABEL$1 +Fencer Smart can't find winning touch Twice Keeth Smart charged, his opponent attacked and both lights went off. Twice, Smart was left standing on the strip, helmet in hand, after American losses.$LABEL$1 +Finally, events are in track spotlight After a week of swimming, gymnastics, synchronized diving, and beach volleyball, the Olympic menu will offer a steady diet of its bread-and-butter sport beginning this morning.$LABEL$1 +Cannons' Gill fit for playoffs The Boston Cannons lost their last regular-season game but it really didn't matter. They had already clinched a spot in the Major League Lacrosse playoffs. What mattered was that attackman Conor Gill went down with a left knee injury in the fourth quarter and was out for the rest of the game.$LABEL$1 +Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball: Suspended Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for two games and fined him an undisclosed amount for his comments to the media regarding umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Major League Owners: Voted to extend the contract of Bud Selig, commissioner, for three years through 2009. Chicago (NL): Signed INF Neifi Perez to a minor league contract and assigned ...$LABEL$1 +A winning situation Pleasantly Perfect lost his last race, but that didn't diminish his standing as the top handicap runner in the country. It will take more than one defeat to knock the horse who won the \$4 million Breeders' Cup Classic in October and the \$6 million Dubai World Cup in March off his perch. He has a chance to get back ...$LABEL$1 +Entries just can't keep pace As expected, none of the four United States entries survived yesterday's second set of Olympic rowing semifinals, leaving just four boats -- the men's and women's eights, the men's double sculls and the women's quadruple sculls -- going for medals this weekend, five fewer than in Sydney four years ago.$LABEL$1 +Peirsol golden in beating field, controversy By the time Aaron Peirsol made his last turn and headed into the final 50 meters of the 200 backstroke, he had a body-length lead and was chasing his own world record en route to his second gold of the Games.$LABEL$1 +Israel court orders barrier reply Israel's High Court orders the government to respond to a World Court ruling on the West Bank barrier.$LABEL$0 +Oil Prices Are at New High, Over \$49 LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday, carrying U.S. crude over \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated fuel demand growth from China and India.$LABEL$2 +Report: Johnson amp; Johnson in talks to buy Guidant Johnson amp; Johnson (JNJ), the drug and health care products company, is reportedly in advanced negotiations to buy Guidant (GDT), a leading maker of devices to treat heart and circulatory illnesses, for more than \$24 billion.$LABEL$2 +Stunt pilots to hook falling stardust sample A piece of the Sun is set to fall to Earth and be captured by Hollywood stunt pilots in a tricky mid-air manoeuvre, NASA announced on Thursday. $LABEL$3 +Oracle moves to monthly patching schedule Weeks after coming under criticism for sitting on patches for multiple holes in its database software, Oracle Corp. has announced that it is moving to a monthly patch release schedule. $LABEL$3 +Seiko Epson unveil updated micro flying robot Seiko Epson have unveiled their latest wireless flying micro-robot named the FR-II. The successor to the FR robot the latest micromechatronic contraption has a number of improvements. It is 2.3g heavier than the original FR at 12.3g but does away with the ...$LABEL$3 +Gateway spreads out at retail Gateway computers will be more widely available at Office Depot, in the PC maker #39;s latest move to broaden distribution at retail stores since acquiring rival eMachines this year. $LABEL$3 +For Peirsol, a DQ, a wait amp; a reward ATHENS -- The celebration had begun for Aaron Peirsol. He had just become the fifth person in Olympic history to win both backstroke events, adding the 200-meter race to his 100 win from earlier in the week. $LABEL$1 +Woodgate to join Real after passing medical MADRID, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Newcastle United defender Jonathan Woodgate will sign for Real Madrid after passing a medical on Friday, joining the Spanish club on a four-year deal for a reported 20 million euros (\$24.74 million). $LABEL$1 +Judge rejects injunction by organizers over use of Olympic symbols The local issue of Playboy remained on newsstands Friday, after a judge rejected a request for a temporary injunction filed by Athens Games #39; organizers over the magazine #39;s use of Olympic symbols in a photo spread. $LABEL$1 +Greeks deny failed drug test reports ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Olympics officials say they are unaware of any team member failing a drugs test after media reports that the International Olympic Committee had found a Greek competitor had taken banned substances. $LABEL$1 +Fergie #39;s View: Norwich Sir Alex Ferguson faced another nail-biting few days this week as ten of his depleted squad went out on international duty. $LABEL$1 +USA plays inspired, but falls to No. 1 Hungary in water polo ATHENS, Greece With flag-waving, chanting Hungarians creating a chaotic atmosphere at the Olympic Aquatic Center yesterday morning, a young water polo team from the United States discovered something about itself. $LABEL$1 +Men #39;s C2 Canoe Double: Slovakian twins repeat as gold medallists ATHENS, 20 August - Slovakian twins Pavol and Peter HOCHSCHORNER won their second consecutive gold medal in the Men #39;s C2. $LABEL$1 +S.Korea, US End Troop Cut Talks Without Agreement SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States closed a round of defense talks in Seoul on Friday aimed at scheduling a reduction of US troops on the Korean peninsula without agreeing on the timeline of the realignment. $LABEL$0 +China: Deadly Bird Flu Strain Found in Pigs Chinese scientists say they have discovered a deadly strain of the bird flu virus in pigs. Speaking at an international conference on avian flu and SARS in Beijing Friday, Chinese animal research facility official, Chen Hualan said the deadly H5N1 virus ...$LABEL$0 +Korea #39;s tortured reckoning with collaborators It has only just begun and already South Korea #39;s program of historical reckoning of the often brutal Japanese occupation and colonization has produced its first victim. With no small amount of irony, it was the chairman of the governing ...$LABEL$0 +China hands out quot;green card, quot; winning acclaim of foreigners BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- China is granting some foreigners permanent residence in the country with a quot;green card, quot; a credit card-sized photo ID that was revealed to the public at a press conference here Friday. $LABEL$0 +Earnings alert: Novell sees weakness in IT spending Plus: Salesforce reports rise in profit...Nortel to lay off 3,500...Intuit posts loss while revenue rises...BEA earnings rise amid internal turmoil.$LABEL$3 +Briefly: Mitsubishi expands solar production roundup Plus: KDE updates Linux desktop...EA to take World Cup soccer to Xbox...IBM chalks up two health care wins.$LABEL$3 +Oracle puts patches on a schedule Following Microsoft's lead, software maker opts to issue fixes on a monthly timetable. But does that make customers more secure?$LABEL$3 +Oil Tops \$49 On Renewed Iraq Violence LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday, carrying US crude close to \$49.16 a barrel up 46 cents, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India. $LABEL$2 +This unconventional IPO has a familiar ring Google, like so many dot-coms before it, came roaring out of the IPO gate Thursday priced at the low end of expectations and promptly surged in value as investors piled onto the much-hyped share offering. $LABEL$2 +Scandal-hit Nortel to make worker cuts NORTEL Networks plans to slash its workforce by 3500, or ten per cent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits. $LABEL$2 +Before the Bell- Rouse Co. shares jump 32 percent NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Shares of The Rouse Co. (RSE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) jumped before the bell after General Growth Properties Inc. (GGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 US shopping mall owner, on Friday said it would buy Rouse for ...$LABEL$2 +Update 1: Mylan Comments on Icahn Clearance Mylan Laboratories Inc., the largest US maker of generic drugs, cautioned investors Friday that Thursday #39;s jump in share price was likely driven by investor Carl Icahn #39;s clearance to buy a large amount of company stock and fails to reflect quot;negative ...$LABEL$2 +United signals it may end pensions United Airlines has signaled that it may terminate and replace employee pension plans, a move its parent company says is needed before it can emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. $LABEL$2 +Layoffs at Fleet THE LAYOFFS at Fleet seem to be a microcosm of the economy as a whole. Good, higher-paying, full-time jobs, presumably with benefits, are replaced by lower-paying, part-time jobs that may not have the same health care plans. $LABEL$2 +Industry report Delta Air Lines Inc. #39;s plan to restructure some of its debt outside of bankruptcy has raised concerns among credit analysts who say the move could be tantamount to defaulting on the money the struggling carrier owes. $LABEL$2 +Apple recalls 28,000 PowerBook batteries Apple Computer Inc. Thursday morning launched a voluntary worldwide 15-inch PowerBook G4 battery exchange program to deal with 28,000 potentially faulty units.$LABEL$3 +Computer Experts Vie in Hacking Contest (AP) AP - Armed with laptops, modems, hard disk drives and sandwiches, 12 computer experts hunkered down Friday for a seven-hour contest to find the best hacker in tech-savvy Singapore.$LABEL$3 +Pakistani Islamists rally against custodial killing, raids on seminaries (AFP) AFP - Thousands of Islamists demonstrated across Pakistan after Friday prayers against the death of a cleric in detention over suspected links to Al Qaeda and against raids on seminaries.$LABEL$0 +Report: Bush Spent Nearly #36;46M in July (AP) AP - A fresh wave of ads pushed President Bush's spending to nearly #36;46 million for July, the Republican's highest level since he launched the first ad blitz of his re-election campaign in March, a campaign finance report filed Friday shows.$LABEL$0 +Judge Maintains Peirsol Broke Rules ATHENS (Reuters) - The swimming judge who disqualified gold medal winner Aaron Peirsol at the Athens Olympics is standing by his claim that the American backstroker broke the rules.$LABEL$1 +Annan Vows to Protect U.N. Staff from Attacks (Reuters) Reuters - Those behind the ""cold-blooded murder""\of 22 people at the United Nations office in Baghdad one year\ago must be held to account, no matter how long it takes to\find them, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday.$LABEL$0 +General Growth to buy Rouse for \$7.2bn In the latest big deal among US real estate companies, General Growth will pay \$67.50 per share in cash for each share in Rouse, a premium of 33 per cent over its closing stock price of \$50.61 in Thursday New York Stock Exchange trade. $LABEL$2 +Qantas to raise fuel surcharge AUSTRALIAN airline Qantas has upped its prices for the second time in three months, blaming rising oil prices, while budget airline Ryanair insists it will not impose fuel surcharges on customers. $LABEL$2 +File-sharing firms record a win The film and music industries yesterday again lost a legal battle to hold file-sharing companies liable for copyright infringement, setting up an expected confrontation in the Supreme Court. $LABEL$2 +Chinadotcom #39;s Text-Messages Suspended Chinadotcom Corp. said Friday that China #39;s state-controlled wireless carrier fined the company \$160,000 and suspended its text-message services on charges that the cell-phone service provider #39;s Go2joy unit charged inactive users and switched customers #39; ...$LABEL$2 +Report: FDA to relabel antidepressants Agency wants to learn if drugs can lead to suicide in young people; most major drugmakers impacted. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration is expected to call for changes to labels for antidepressants to reflect a new agency analysis ...$LABEL$2 +Apple recalls laptop batteries In cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Apple has voluntarily recalled some of its laptop batteries. The batteries in question are found in 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) laptops. The recall is a result of four reports that the ...$LABEL$3 +Brazil tribe prove words count When it comes to counting, a remote Amazonian tribespeople have been found to be lost for words. Researchers discovered the Piraha tribe of Brazil, with a population of 200, have no words beyond one, two and many. $LABEL$3 +Researchers spot XP SP2 security weakness Security researchers believe they have discovered a weakness in the new security given to Windows XP by the recently unveiled Service Pack 2 (SP2). $LABEL$3 +Somebody else #39;s spam A FEW WEEKS back I spent three days locked up in a room full of Internet experts, pioneers, and thinkers to contemplate the question of how to prevent what the conference #39;s convenors grandly called the quot;Internet meltdown quot;. I was hoping for a particularly ...$LABEL$3 +Finally sync your BlackBerry with your Mac Research In Motion couldn #39;t be bothered to ever get around to doing this themselves, but Information Appliance Associates has just come out with some software which should finally let Mac users satisfy their CrackBerry addictions. There #39;s no support ...$LABEL$3 +Judge Maintains Peirsol Broke Rules ATHENS (Reuters) - The swimming judge who disqualified gold medal winner Aaron Peirsol at the Athens Olympics is standing by his claim that the American backstroker broke the rules. $LABEL$1 +Woodgate joins Real Madrid England international defender Jonathan Woodgate passed his medical and will sign a four-year contract with Real Madrid on Saturday, the Spanish giants said. $LABEL$1 +Live on Sky Sports 2, 5pm (KO 5.15pm) This is, in my opinion, one of the biggest games Manchester United have played for years. It may sound strange ahead of what is only the second game of the season, but don #39;t think this is one they can afford to lose. $LABEL$1 +Race driver killed in crash Race car driver Tommy Baldwin was killed in a crash at Thompson International Speedway during a Featherlite modified race. $LABEL$1 +Tanks encircle shrine in US blitz on rebels UNITED States tanks today encircled the sacred Imam Ali shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf, after an intense bombardment of rebel positions overnight. $LABEL$0 +Bombings Hit Kathmandu, as Blockade Starts to Affect Prices The Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has been hit by bomb blasts on the third day of a blockade called by Maoist rebels. Nepalese business leaders are calling for a cease-fire between the government and the rebels. $LABEL$0 +Kazaa Owner Cheers File-Swapping Decision (AP) AP - The distributor of file-swapping giant Kazaa on Friday welcomed a U.S. court's ruling that two of its rivals are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works shared online by their users.$LABEL$3 +Violence in blockaded Kathmandu as Nepal agrees to meet Maoists halfway (AFP) AFP - Maoist rebels who have cut off Kathmandu for three days attacked security forces and bombed buildings inside the Nepalese capital, as the government partially agreed to guerrilla demands for lifting the blockade.$LABEL$0 +Stocks Set to Fall Amid High Oil Price NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are poised to fall for a second-straight day on Friday on concerns the economy and corporate profits will slow after crude futures touched another record and inched toward \$50 per barrel.$LABEL$2 +Weak El Nino Seen Affecting U.S. This Fall, Winter (Reuters) Reuters - A weak El Nino, the weather anomaly\that distorts wind and rainfall patterns worldwide, is expected\to develop and affect the United States this fall and winter,\U.S. government weather experts said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Treasuries Yields Near Recent Lows NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yields on U.S. Treasuries held near recent lows on Friday as oil topped \$49 a barrel, threatening the outlook for both the economy and stocks.$LABEL$2 +Magna Int'l Names Mark Hogan as President TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Magna International <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MGa.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">MGa.TO</A>, the world's seventh-largest auto-parts supplier, named Mark Hogan as its president on Friday and said he will be based in Detroit.$LABEL$2 +Khan crushes Stilianov British boxer Amir Khan outpoints European champion Dimitar Stilianov in style.$LABEL$1 +Advanced Neuromodulation takes stake in Cyberonics CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANSI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said it took an equity stake in Cyberonics Inc. (CYBX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and initiated discussions about combining the two companies. $LABEL$2 +Enter your e-mail: Well, here #39;s the next development in the fee-based music download wars: RealNetworks is selling songs for 49 cents apiece through labor day, undercutting the ITunes Music Store #39;s price by 50 cents. $LABEL$3 +You don #39;t use a yardstick to measure grit ATHENS, Greece Grit is now available in an economy size. It can be found in Carly Patterson, and in spades. $LABEL$1 +Five more suspended by weightlifting body ATHENS -- Weightlifting #39;s aggressive pursuit of drug cheaters will continue even if it jeopardizes its future in the Olympics, its top official said yesterday after six more positive doping cases in what is again becoming the Games #39; dirtiest sport. Five ...$LABEL$1 +Emmons wins gold in prone rifle American Matt Emmons won the gold medal Friday in the 50-meter prone rifle competition with a score of 703.3. $LABEL$1 +Russia Welcomes Georgian Troops #39;Pullout from South Ossetia In its statement issued on August 20 Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed Georgia #39;s decision to pull out its extra troops from the South Ossetian conflict zone. $LABEL$0 +Bomb Blasts Hit Kathmandu, as Rebel Blockade Continues The Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has been hit by bomb blasts on the third day of a blockade called by Maoist rebels. Nepalese business leaders are calling for a cease-fire between the government and the rebels. $LABEL$0 +Crude oil nears \$50 a barrel Oil prices continue to climb, with a record of \$48.98 reported overnight for US light crude. While prices have fallen back to \$48.56 a barrel, with Brent crude oil at \$44.43, crude seems destined to climb to \$50 a barrel for the first time. $LABEL$0 +Treasuries Yields Near Recent Lows (Reuters) Reuters - Yields on U.S. Treasuries held near\recent lows on Friday as oil topped #36;49 a barrel, threatening\the outlook for both the economy and stocks.$LABEL$2 +Khan moves into quarter-finals (AFP) AFP - Teenage boxer Amir Khan moved into the quarter-finals of the Olympic lightweight division with a storming points win against European champion Dimitar Stilianov of Bulgaria.$LABEL$0 +Kallis, Boucher boost South Africa in Colombo one-dayer (AFP) AFP - Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher slammed half-centuries as South Africa posted a competitive 263-9 in the first one-dayer against Sri Lanka at the Premdasa Stadium here.$LABEL$0 +Oil at New High Over \$49, Iraq Violence Escalates LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday, carrying U.S. crude over \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated fuel demand growth from China and India.$LABEL$2 +Oil Tops \$49 Amid Iraq Supply Worries Crude oil prices passed \$49 per barrel today, striking fresh record levels amid heightened concern about supplies in Iraq.$LABEL$2 +World is #39;in more danger #39; PAKISTAN #39;S president has warned that the war on terror has made the world a more dangerous place. Gen. Pervez Musharraf said the world was quot;absolutely quot; less safe because military action had done nothing to tackle the causes of terrorism.$LABEL$0 +Greek athlete fails test A spokesman for Greece's Olympic team confirms that a Greek athlete has failed a dope test.$LABEL$1 +Sadr May Have Escaped Najaf Mosque-Iraq Official BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr may have escaped the U.S.-led military siege of the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Scientists Say Risk of Water Wars Rising STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The risk of wars being fought over water is rising because of explosive global population growth and widespread complacency, scientists said on Friday. $LABEL$3 +British Considering Protest of Peirsol #39;s Gold Medal Victory ATHENS, Aug. 20 -- The British Olympic Association is considering whether to bring its protest of an American swimmer #39;s gold medal-winning performance before an international arbitration panel, potentially keeping alive a fiasco that ...$LABEL$1 +Suzuki advances to semis Japan #39;s world open-weight champion, aiming to make up for compatriot Kosei Inoue #39;s shock loss in a lighter men #39;s division, defeated Yury Rybak. $LABEL$1 +Jake White #39;s Springboks Are On the Cusp of a Historic First On Saturday against the Wallabies, they will accomplish what no previous Bok team has managed - winning the Tri-Nations despite losing both away matches. $LABEL$1 +Peres demands early Israeli elections Israel #39;s opposition leader, Shimon Peres, today called for early elections that would effectively rule his party out of joining a coalition to prop up the prime minister, Ariel Sharon. $LABEL$0 +Bomb blasts hit Kathmandu Suspected Maoist rebels today shot and wounded a policeman and detonated two powerful bombs in Kathmandu as the blockade of the Nepalese capital entered its third day. $LABEL$0 +Is Israel planning to attack Iran? JERUSALEM Ariel Sharon may be on the warpath again and the target is Iran. In the past, the Israeli prime minister has focused attention on Iran by claiming that it presents the greatest threat to Israel. More than once, defense officials in Jerusalem ...$LABEL$0 +UN: Chad Could See More Darfur Refugees GENEVA Aug. 20, 2004 Tens of thousands more refugees might flee Sudan #39;s Darfur region into neighboring Chad because of persistent attacks and rapes by Arab militias, the United Nations said Friday. $LABEL$0 +US warplanes strike Falluja: Report FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) US forces launched two airstrikes today on the troubled Iraqi city of Falluja, hospital officials and witnesses said. $LABEL$0 +Israeli court orders reply for Hague JERUSALEM The Israeli Supreme Court ordered the government to produce a statement in the next 30 days that assesses the ramifications of a nonbinding ruling by the International Court of Justice in the Hague that declared the Israeli security barrier ...$LABEL$0 +Cleric #39;s Aides: Kidnapped Journalist Will Be Freed Baghdad, Iraq -- Some of Muqtada al-Sadr #39;s aides in Iraq say kidnappers have promised to release a Western journalist, perhaps as early as Friday. $LABEL$0 +Women Lay Claim to #39;Miracle Children #39; Three women sensationally turned up yesterday at the Nairobi CID headquarters and laid claim on some of Archbishop Deya #39;s quot;miracle babies. quot; ...$LABEL$0 +Court to hear medal appeal Britain will find out on Saturday whether its equestrian medals will be upgraded.$LABEL$0 +Guatemala to pay paramilitaries Guatemala's government agrees to pay millions of dollars to former paramilitaries, who some accuse of war crimes.$LABEL$0 +Particle collider edges forward Physicists take a key decision on the technology to be used in the International Linear Collider, one of the grand scientific projects of the 21st Century.$LABEL$0 +Oil Futures Rise to Record as Iraq Fighting Threatens Exports Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil futures rose to a record, surpassing \$49 a barrel in New York, on concern clashes in southern Iraq between US troops and Shiite Muslim militiamen may cut exports. $LABEL$2 +General Growth Properties to acquire Rouse for \$12.6 bn NEW YORK, August 20 (New Ratings) General Growth Properties Inc (GGP.NYS), the second-largest shopping mall operator in the US, has agreed to buy Rouse Company (RSE), in a cash and debt assumptions deal worth about \$12.6 billion. $LABEL$2 +Cyberonics #39; Shares Jumps on Stock Buy Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc. reported Friday that it purchased 3.5 million shares of Cyberonics Inc., taking a 14.9 percent stake in the Houston-based medical device maker, and expressed an interest in combining the two companies. $LABEL$2 +United set to drop pension plans United Airlines has said it will very likely terminate its four employee pension plans and replace them with less generous benefits. United said the drastic move was needed to attract the financing that would allow it to emerge from bankruptcy. $LABEL$2 +Magna Int #39;l Names Mark Hogan as President TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada #39;s Magna International (MGa.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s seventh-largest auto-parts supplier, named Mark Hogan as its president on Friday and said he will be based in Detroit. $LABEL$2 +Dim Reality at Sharper Image Shares of Sharper Image (SHRP:Nasdaq - news - research) were under pressure Friday after the company unexpectedly predicted it will lose money in its third quarter and was downgraded by JP Morgan. $LABEL$2 +Lottery for Longshore Jobs Draws More Than 300,000 Description: Union and shipping company officials at the Port of Los Angeles held a lottery Thursday to fill 300,000 longshore jobs. More than 300,000 people applied for the dangerous but lucrative jobs. Results of the lottery will be posted on the Web ...$LABEL$2 +Prehistoric Desert Town Found in Western Sahara (Reuters) Reuters - The remains of a prehistoric town\believed to date back 15,000 years and belong to an ancient\Berber civilization have been discovered in Western Sahara,\Moroccan state media said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Eta rebels explode peace hopes ETA triggered a series of explosions across Spain yesterday in a show of force by a faction within the Basque terrorist organisation opposed to a peace deal with the Socialist Government.$LABEL$0 +Ghana leader looks set to win second term Accra - Ghana #39;s leader, John Kufuor, is expected to win a second and final four-year term when voters in the world #39;s second-biggest cocoa grower choose their leader in a presidential election on Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Software Doesn't Break Laws... ... People do. Or at least that's what two makers of file-sharing software argued successfully in federal court, shifting the balance in the Internet piracy wars away from the Hollywood and the RIAA. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Web Sites Agree to Be Accessible to Blind In one of the first enforcement actions of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the Internet, two major travel services have agreed to make sites more accessible to the blind and visually impaired.$LABEL$3 +Blunt Talk on Union Web Site Spotlights Frustration Over Labor Relations Changes Ron Ault, the president of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, describes himself as ""a very plain-spoken person."" He isn't kidding.$LABEL$3 +Nokia taps Coke exec to refresh brands The hope is that Keith Pardy will put some fizz back in the company's market share stats.$LABEL$3 +Cherry Readies Linux Keyboard \$50 device will feature hot keys designed for the alternative operating system.$LABEL$3 +Japan Court Ex-Chess Champ Fischer Can Be Deported (Reuters) Reuters - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a\request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have\Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, Kyodo news\agency reported.$LABEL$0 +Software Doesn't Break Laws... (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - What do file-sharing companies and the National Rifle Association have in common? A common legal argument, that's what.$LABEL$3 +Stocks Near Flat as Oil Price Hits Record NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on Friday as investors worried high crude prices will hurt the economy and corporate profits, but oil production companies like Exxon Mobil Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=XOM.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">XOM.N</A> and ChevronTexaco Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=CVX.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">CVX.N</A> got a boost as the price of crude inched toward \$50 per barrel.$LABEL$2 +New Blast Rocks Texas Natural Gas Unit HOUSTON (Reuters) - A new explosion rocked an underground natural gas storage site early Friday, sending a fireball into the sky and prompting the evacuation of homes near the blaze, which has raged since early Thursday.$LABEL$2 +Iraqi Police Enter Najaf Shrine, Arrest Militiamen NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi police took control of the Imam Ali Mosque in the holy city of Najaf on Friday after entering the shrine and arrested some hundreds of militiamen, Interior Ministry and an Iraqi government source said.$LABEL$0 +Japan Court Ex-Chess Champ Fischer Can Be Deported TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, Kyodo news agency reported.$LABEL$0 +Second Explosion Rocks Texas Gas Facility MOSS BLUFF, Texas - A second explosion in less than 24 hours rocked a burning underground gas storage facility early Friday, prompting authorities to expand an evacuation zone around the site. The fire at Duke Energy's Moss Bluff natural gas facility intensified overnight, an official said...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Women Beat Spain in First Real Test ATHENS, Greece - Seriously challenged for the first time in these Olympics, the U.S. women's basketball team fought through foul problems and long stretches of frigid shooting to clinch first place in its preliminary group with a 71-58 victory over Spain on Friday...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Up Despite Oil Nearing \$50 a Barrel NEW YORK - Stocks edged higher in early trading Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, even as crude reached new highs and neared \$50 per barrel. A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$49.33, up 63 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange, continuing a climb that has sent new intraday highs with every quote...$LABEL$0 +An Elusive Peace in Najaf The standoff is driven by Moqtada Sadr's political ambitions. But how good is his poker game?$LABEL$0 +File Sharing Companies Ruled Not Liable A federal appeals court yesterday ruled that two developers of file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the copyrighted content their users swap online. $LABEL$2 +Update 1: Cyberonics #39; Shares Jump on Stock Buy Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc. reported Friday that it purchased 3.5 million shares of Cyberonics Inc., taking a 14.9 percent stake in the Houston-based medical device maker, and expressed an interest in combining the two companies. $LABEL$2 +Kmart #39;s store sales might cost jobs Report: Retailer could terminate as many as 1,200 positions stemming from stores sold to Home Depot. $LABEL$2 +WPP Profit Rises; Company Ponders Bid for Grey Global (Update5) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- WPP Group Plc, the world #39;s second- largest advertising and marketing company, said first-half profit rose 11 percent as demand increased in the US and Asia, and reiterated it #39;s looking into buying Grey Global Inc. $LABEL$2 +Flaws and a Delay for XP SP2 Just one day after Microsoft delayed the delivery of its Windows XP Service Pack 2 (XP SP2) update for the Professional Edition, a German research firm announced the discovery of two security flaws in the application. $LABEL$3 +RealNetworks Doesn #39;t Rock NEW YORK - It #39;s never a smart move to pick a public fight with Apple Computer, and it #39;s doubly unwise if that fight involves the iPod in some way. $LABEL$3 +BlackBerry in sync with Mac OS X Software developer Information Appliance Associates announced on Thursday the release of an application synchronising Research In Motion #39;s BlackBerry devices with Apple #39;s Mac OS X. $LABEL$3 +Nokia taps Coke exec to refresh brands Nokia is bringing in a Coca-Cola executive to take over brand management as part of its plan for regaining market share. $LABEL$3 +Probe expanded into Greek sprinters #39; crash, coach #39;s past The state drug agency asked for a warrant Friday to search a warehouse belonging to the coach of two disgraced Greek sprinters who withdrew from the Olympics after they missed a doping test. $LABEL$1 +Rathbone is #39;like Gregan #39; AUSTRALIAN coach Eddie Jones rates winger Clyde Rathbone a potential successor to Wallaby captain George Gregan as the pair reach Test career milestones tonight against South Africa in Durban. $LABEL$1 +Two more Americans fail to master Olympic boxing style No chance, Dad. The best amateur boxers know just how to move and exactly when to pounce -- and three Americans who failed to match that style are out of the Olympics. $LABEL$1 +USA women #39;s basketball team pulls away to beat Spain Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - The US women #39;s basketball team continued its impressive play at the Olympics, pulling away from previously-unbeaten Spain for a 71-58 victory on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Twenty-Five Hurt as Azores Plane Avoids Collision LISBON (Reuters) - Twenty-five TAP-Air Portugal passengers and crew were slightly injured when the plane made a hasty maneuver to avoid a mid-air collision just before landing on an island in The Azores on Friday, TAP said. $LABEL$0 +Holes found in Windows XP update Security firms are starting to find loopholes and bugs in the SP2 security update for Windows XP.$LABEL$3 +Search Engine Forums Spotlight Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: How Do You Compete With the Fortune 500s - Google Prices Stock at \$85 Per Share - MSN Block-Level Link Analysis - Slickest Link Building Tricks - Your Message to New SEOs - How To Handle AdWords With Thousands Of Keywords$LABEL$3 +Amazon to Purchase Chinese Retailer Joyo.com Amazon to Purchase Chinese Retailer Joyo.com\\Amazon.com agreed to buy Joyo.com which is China's largest online retailer of books, music and videos. The agreed purchase will be at \$75 million for Amazon to enter the world's second largest populated Internet market.\\Amazon will pay \$72 million in cash and assume employee stock ...$LABEL$3 +Court Rules File Sharing Legal Court Rules File Sharing Legal\\A federal appeals court has upheld a controversial decision which ruled that file sharing software such as Kazaa, Morpheus or Grokster are indeed legal. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Los Angeles ruled on Thursday that peer-to-peer software developers were not liable for any ...$LABEL$3 +Basketball: U.S. Women Win After a Tough Test ATHENS (Reuters) - The unbeaten U.S. women's basketball team had their sternest test of the Olympic tournament so far Friday, needing an eight point run in the third quarter to pull away and beat Spain 71-58.$LABEL$1 +FDA Sees Changes to Antidepressant Labels WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to update antidepressant labels to reflect studies that suggest a link between the drugs and suicide in youth, according to documents released on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Holes found in Windows update Security firms are starting to find loopholes and bugs in the SP2 security update for Windows XP.$LABEL$0 +Is Netflix Doomed? A Netflix mailer may be black and white and red all over, but that's not the only punch line.$LABEL$2 +Iraqi Police in Control of Najaf Shrine, According to Reports Hundreds of militiamen were arrested today when police entered the Imam Ali Mosque, but rebel Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr was not found, Iraqi officials said.$LABEL$0 +Avian flu 'discovered in pigs' Scientists in China say they have discovered the highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu in pigs.$LABEL$3 +Advanced Neuromodulation takes stake in Cyberonics CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANSI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said it took a 14.9 percent equity stake in Cyberonics Inc. (CYBX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , expressing interest in combining the two companies, ...$LABEL$2 +Mylan Explains Trading Surge That #39;s what Mylan Laboratories (MYL :Nasdaq - news - research) sort of did Friday in addressing a surge in trading volume Thursday. $LABEL$2 +Nordstrom shares are hammered after earnings miss CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Shares of Nordstrom Inc. (JWN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) dropped 9 percent early on Friday after the luxury retailer missed Wall Street #39;s earnings target and forecast disappointing profits for the current quarter. $LABEL$2 +Dollar Rises; Traders Drop Bets Currency to Reach One-Month Low Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar climbed against the euro after some traders abandoned bets that a slowdown in growth reflected in economic reports this week would push the US currency to a one-month low. $LABEL$2 +Ohio sues Best Buy for alleged unfair business practices YESTERDAY THE STATE OF OHIO sued Best Buy for alleged unfair and deceptive business practices. Ohio state is claiming the company repackaged used goods and sold them as if they were new, as well as not honouring rebates, refunds, exchange programs and ...$LABEL$2 +Holes found in Windows XP update Barely hours after home users started securing their PCs with a key update for Windows XP, security experts have found ways around it. $LABEL$3 +Probe Set to Return with Sun Sample Aug. 20, 2004 A small science satellite dispatched to just beyond Earth #39;s magnetosphere returns to the home planet next month to deliver a most unique package: particles of the sun. $LABEL$3 +Greek Athlete Tests Positive for Drugs ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek pride was dealt another blow Friday when one of their athletes failed a drugs test at the Olympics just 48 hours after its two top sprinters pulled out of the Games in a doping scandal. $LABEL$1 +Fergie undecided over Ronaldo Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is still unsure whether to field Cristiano Ronaldo in Saturday #39;s Premiership clash against Norwich. $LABEL$1 +Israel Faces New Pressure Over Security Barrier The Israeli government is facing new pressure over its controversial West Bank security barrier, which the World Court has ruled is illegal and should be dismantled. $LABEL$0 +Japan Court Ex-Chess Champ Fischer Can Be Deported TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, Kyodo news agency reported. $LABEL$0 +UN Official Warns of #39;Spiral of Violence #39; Following Burundi Massacre The United Nation #39;s top peacekeeping official says there is quot;real danger quot; of a new war in central Africa following the massacre of Congolese refugees in Burundi. $LABEL$0 +Latham to be released from hospital Mr Latham is due to leave St Vincent #39;s hospital in Sydney after being treated for pancreatitis. Mr Latham says he is feeling much better and expects to be back at work next week. $LABEL$0 +Google Shares Jump 18 In NASDAQ Debut Google Shares Jump 18 In NASDAQ Debut\\Google stock shares rose 18 percent in their NASDAQ stock market debut yesterday, after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions. Google co-founder Larry Page and chief executive Eric Schmidt showed up at the Nasdaq stock market as Google ...$LABEL$3 +Yahoo Now Powers OptusNet of Australia and New Zealand Yahoo Now Powers OptusNet of Australia and New Zealand\\Yahoo Search now powers the search engine results for OptusNet, Australia's second largest Internet service provider. The Age reports that Optus signed an agreement with Yahoo's Australia and New Zealand divisions where in Yahoo! Search Technology will power the OptusNet dialup ...$LABEL$3 +Lithuanians face US NBA stars in Olympic basketball showdown (AFP) AFP - A struggling United States basketball team coming off two narrow escapes and a epic loss faces its toughest Olympic test yet Saturday against unbeaten Lithuania, which is playing like the team to beat for gold.$LABEL$1 +Iran Urges Meeting on Iraq 'Catastrophe' (AP) AP - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called on Muslim countries Friday to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the ""catastrophe"" in Iraq, particularly the 2-week standoff in the holy city of Najaf.$LABEL$0 +Feds Subpoena Fannie Mae -Source WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators investigating Fannie Mae's accounting practices have sent subpoenas to the No. 1 U.S. mortgage finance company in connection with the probe, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Anadarko to Sell Gulf Assets for \$1.3 Bln NEW YORK (Reuters) - Anadarko Petroleum Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=APC.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">APC.N</A> has agreed to sell oil properties in the Gulf of Mexico to Apache Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=APA.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">APA.N</A> and a royalty interest to Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. for a total of \$1.31 billion as part of its plan to slash debt and buy back stock, the company said on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Kerry touts job-creation plans (AFP) AFP - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry promised to help boost US job growth and take a harder line on alleged abuses by China as he touted his economic plan.$LABEL$0 +Scalpers Sell Athens Tickets at Face Value ATHENS (Reuters) - The Athens 2004 Games which will have a place in history as the Olympics' homecoming may also be remembered as the Games that redefined a ticket scalper's job.$LABEL$1 +Japan Court: Bobby Fischer Can Be Deported TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have the Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, his lawyer said.$LABEL$0 +Champions League matches in Group A Liverpool: 22-Chris Kirkland; 17-Josemi, 23-Jamie Carragher, 4-Sami Hyypia, 6-John Arne Riise; 18-Antonio Nunez, 8-Steven Gerrard, 14-Xabi Alonso, 10-Luis Garcia; 7-Harry Kewell, 5-Milan Baros.$LABEL$1 +Sony's TV Plans Take Shape New 46-inch LCD is just one of eight flat-panel models launched this week.$LABEL$3 +Beyonce's Hair Is Worth Millions (AP) AP - Beyonce reportedly makes up to #36;4.7 million for just 10 days of work a year #151; and that's just her hair. But she has to inform L'Oreal of ""any radical change to her hair any concert tour may necessitate"" and keep it in excellent condition, according to The Smoking Gun Web site, which has posted the contract between the singer and the cosmetic giant.$LABEL$3 +Sony's TV Plans Take Shape (PC World) PC World - New 46-inch LCD is just one of eight flat-panel models launched this week.$LABEL$3 +Airline Stops Three-Day Weekend Bookings (AP) AP - British Airways said Friday it has stopped taking bookings for the three-day weekend at the end of August because of a threatened strike over pay by check-in staff and baggage handlers.$LABEL$0 +Midway Could Be Viacom Acquisition Target (Reuters) Reuters - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc.\(VIAb.N) is considering expanding into the video game business\and could acquire publisher Midway Games Inc. (MWY.N),\according to a regulatory filing on Friday by Viacom chief\Sumner Redstone, who owns a controlling stake in Midway.$LABEL$2 +Qantas, Jetstar fares rise with oil Qantas domestic and international air fares will rise by \$4 and \$7 respectively from next week as the airline lifts its fuel surcharge to offset soaring oil prices. Despite posting a record annual net profit of \$648.40 million on ...$LABEL$2 +Rouse Co. to be sold for \$7.2 billion Another of Greater Baltimore #39;s marquee companies will soon have out-of-state ownership, as Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc. announced Friday morning it will buy the Rouse Co. for \$7.2 billion. $LABEL$2 +Advanced Neuromodulation initiates merger talks with Cyberonics NEW YORK, August 20 (New Ratings) Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc (ANSI.NAS) has acquired a 14.9 equity stake in Cyberonics Inc (CYBX), while initiating talks for combining the two companies. $LABEL$2 +Midway Could Be Viacom Acquisition Target LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=VIAb.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">VIAb.N</A> is considering expanding into the video game business and could acquire publisher Midway Games Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MWY.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">MWY.N</A>, according to a regulatory filing on Friday by Viacom chief Sumner Redstone, who owns a controlling stake in Midway.$LABEL$2 +Apple recalls 28,000 PowerBook G4 batteries Apple has recalled 28,000 of the batteries used in its 15in aluminium PowerBook G4 laptop computers sold earlier this year in the US and via its online and retail stores, after receiving four reports of the batteries overheating. $LABEL$3 +Deakes takes a walk into history The 27-year-old took out bronze in the men #39;s 20km walk -- winning Australia #39;s first Olympic medal for walking in almost 45 years. $LABEL$1 +Harmison strikes twice for dominant England LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Steve Harmison took two cheap wickets to leave West Indies reeling on 54 for three on the second day of the fourth test at The Oval on Friday after England #39;s wagging tail had pushed the hosts to 470 all out. $LABEL$1 +Us Grand Prix Is Back The United States Grand Prix is to return to the MotoGP calendar next year after an 11-year absence. $LABEL$1 +UN remembers Iraq staff, a year after bombing GENEVA: Tears flowed as the United Nations marked the first anniversary yesterday of the bombing that shattered its Baghdad headquarters. $LABEL$0 +PM: Australia aims to keep good relations with both US, China Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday that Australia #39;s policy is aimed at keeping good relations with both the United States and China. $LABEL$0 +Dell's Secret Earnings Engine The company gets its highest profit margins from a conspicuously old economy business.$LABEL$2 +Confusion Surrounds Seizure of Iraqi Mosque NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - The fate of a radical Shi'ite rebellion in the holy city of Najaf was uncertain Friday amid disputed reports that Iraqi police had gained control of the Imam Ali Mosque.$LABEL$0 +US: Time Running Out in Airbus-Boeing Row (Reuters) Reuters - The United States said on Tuesday it may\soon take legal action in a trade row over government help for\Airbus and Boeing, particularly as the European aircraft maker\was seeking support for a new project. Washington and Brussels\have so far resisted launching legal action at the World Trade\Organization (WTO) in their battle over allegations of illegal\subsidies to the aviation rivals, but that option may now be\just weeks away.$LABEL$2 +Militants Remove Arms From Najaf Shrine BAGHDAD, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday removed their weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf as part of an arrangement aimed at ending a 2-week-old anti-U.S. uprising centered on the holy site...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Women's Basketball Team Beats Spain ATHENS, Greece - The U.S. women's basketball team got just what it wanted against Spain - a victory and a test...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Up Despite Oil Nearing \$50 a Barrel NEW YORK - Stocks edged higher in early trading Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, even as crude reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel. A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.97, up 27 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after setting a new intraday record earlier in the session at \$49.40...$LABEL$0 +Tigers #39; Monroe facing theft charge in Charlotte County Detroit Tigers outfielder Craig Monroe was arrested for allegedly stealing a \$29.99 belt from a department store, a records clerk at Charlotte County jail said Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Insiders Get Rich Through IPO (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Google's Wednesday initial public offering, despite its failure to price as high or sell as many shares as the company had hoped, still made a host of existing stockholders instant millionaires and billionaires.$LABEL$3 +Google AdWords Dynamic Keyword Insertion Google AdWords Dynamic Keyword Insertion\\Just another tip on improving conversion rates with Google AdWords. When search words appear in a Google ad they are bolded. A good way to improve click through rate (and thus lower price per click) is to place keywords in the ad.\\Sometimes it may not be ...$LABEL$3 +Pakistan to rest speed duo Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq said he #39;d likely rest Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami for Tuesday #39;s limited-overs match against an Australian Chairman #39;s XI as Pakistan continues to ease its pace bowlers into the tour.$LABEL$1 +Movie Studios Lose In Case Against File-Sharing Apps The decision is likely to force the industry to take the more costly and less-popular route of going directly after file-swappers. $LABEL$2 +BHP had talks on India steel MINING giant BHP Billiton has confirmed it held preliminary talks with the Government of India #39;s Orissa state and Korean steel maker Posco about options for its iron ore business on the sub-continent. $LABEL$2 +Ceradyne shares surge on Army contract award NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Shares of Ceradyne Inc. (CRDN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , a maker of ceramic body armor, surged to an all-time high on Friday on news that the company has won a US Army contract worth up to \$461 million. $LABEL$2 +Bush hasn #39;t decided on tax reform-Treasury #39;s Snow WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has not decided on whether wholesale changes to the US tax code would be a focus of administration policy if he won a second term, US Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Friday. $LABEL$2 +Alcatel Spreading DSL Wealth in China Building on a longstanding relationship, Alcatel (Quote, Chart) will help China Telecom deploy 1.3 million DSL (define) lines, the latest in a slew of recent industry deals from emerging markets. $LABEL$3 +Microsoft HotFixes Flaw In XP Fix Microsoft has released yet another hotfix #39;to fix a newly discovered problem in its XP Service Pack2 (XP SP2) release. $LABEL$3 +Washing your hands with soap could damage the environment Washing your hands with soap may clean them for you, but according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, toxic chemicals used in hand soaps, cleaners and other personal care products to kill germs are deposited and remain ...$LABEL$3 +Greek athlete tests positive Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - A member of the Greek Olympic team has tested positive for a banned substance, this according to a news bulletin released by the Hellenic Olympic Committee on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Scalpers Sell Athens Tickets at Face Value ATHENS (Reuters) - The Athens 2004 Games which will have a place in history as the Olympics #39; homecoming may also be remembered as the Games that redefined a ticket scalper #39;s job. $LABEL$1 +Peschier wins gold in kayak Benoit Peschier was aggressive and precise while a British medal hopeful was timid when the French dominated the men #39;s slalom Olympic kayaking on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Aussie woman takes 500 time trial in the velodrome ATHENS (AP) Anna Meares of Australia won the gold medal Friday in the 500-meter time trial with a world-record time of 33.952 seconds. $LABEL$1 +Detroit Tigers Team Report - August 20 Detroit comes into tonight #39;s tilt on a winning note after Bobby Higginson homered twice to lead the Tigers to an 8-4 pasting of the Chicago White Sox. $LABEL$1 +Anaheim Angels Team Report - August 20 (Sports Network) - The Anaheim Angels try to make it three straight wins this evening when they start a three-game set with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. $LABEL$1 +Maoist rebels bomb Nepalese capital KATHMANDU - Suspected Maoist rebels exploded two bombs in Kathmandu on Friday, the third day of their blockade of Nepal #39;s capital city. $LABEL$0 +Japan Court: Bobby Fischer Can Be Deported TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have the Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, his lawyer said. $LABEL$0 +PM clarifies Downer #39;s ANZUS comments MAXINE MCKEW: The Prime Minister has gently steered his Government back onto the official diplomatic line about Australia #39;s military obligations to America. $LABEL$0 +News: Download.Ject-style worm spreads via IM A Download.Ject-style worm which spreads through instant messages is spreading across the Net, according to intrusion prevention firm PivX.\$LABEL$3 +Taiwan's Economy Expands at Fast Pace (AP) AP - Taiwan's economy expanded at its fastest pace in four years during the second quarter as the global economy recovered, boosting foreign trade and increasing manufacturing output, the government said Friday.$LABEL$2 +Advocate Or Promoter? (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - As the second employee of InfoSpace, Jean-Remy Facq saw the value of his stock inflate and then collapse. Now he's suing in federal court in Seattle for a #36;4.5 million refund of 1999 federal income tax. He's just one of 200 tech workers who have hired Seattle tax lawyer/CPA Brian G. Isaacson in the hope his novel theories will help them slash old (and sometimes unpaid) tax bills from their exercise of stock options for shares that later tanked.$LABEL$2 +Crushing the Little Guys (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - In 1999 a wave of novice broadcasters tried to start several thousand new ""low-power"" FM radio stations, fledgling outfits that would fill gaps in the FM radio band. One group sought a license to air Baptist homilies in Connecticut, another for jazz in Oklahoma, another for Vietnamese talk shows in Minnesota.$LABEL$2 +Cheapware (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Craig Murphy has had enough. As chief technology officer at Sabre Holdings, which runs the world's largest airfare and ticketing network, Murphy has spent millions of dollars on database and other software from companies like Oracle. But last year, when Sabre was building a new computer system for online shoppers, Murphy took a flyer on a database program from a little-known company in Sweden that charges only #36;495 per server computer, versus a #36;160,000 list price for Oracle. Guess what? The Swedish stuff works great. ...$LABEL$3 +Greek Athlete Tests Positive for Drugs ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek pride was dealt another blow on Friday when one of their athletes failed a drugs test at the Olympics just 48 hours after its two top sprinters pulled out of the Games in a doping scandal.$LABEL$1 +General Growth to Buy Rouse for \$7.2 Billion A Chicago developer of regional shopping malls said today it will buy Maryland's The Rouse Co. for about \$7.2 billion.$LABEL$2 +Baseball must clean up its act B aseball #39;s dirty little secret is leaking out all over now. Steroids known as the quot;clear quot; and the quot;cream quot; have gushed into the news, staining the reputations of stars such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, and $LABEL$1 +General Growth Set to Buy Rouse for \$7.2B COLUMBIA, Md. Aug. 20, 2004 General Growth Properties Inc., a Chicago-based developer of regional shopping malls, said Friday it will buy the Rouse Co. for about \$7.2 billion. The deal will provide it with more leverage in negotiations with top ...$LABEL$2 +Best Buy sued for #39;ripping off #39; consumers Giant US electronics retailer Best Buy has been sued by the State of Ohio over alleged unfair and deceptive business practices. $LABEL$2 +Insurance giant Aetna to buy Columbia company for \$250 million (Hartford, Connecticut-Dow Jones/AP) Aug. 20, 2004 - Health-insurance giant Aetna says it #39;s agreed to buy Strategic Resource Company of Columbia for \$250 million. $LABEL$2 +BlackBerry in Sync with Apple Mac fans now can sync their BlackBerry devices with their PCs using software from Information Appliance Associates. The BlackBerry platform has developed a broad following in the enterprise, delivering wireless access to e-mail and ...$LABEL$3 +NASCAR driver killed Veteran NASCAR driver Tommy Baldwin was killed in a wreck at Thompson International Speedway in Conn. Thursday night. $LABEL$1 +Jamaica #39;s Fuller joins Portsmouth LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Jamaica striker Ricardo Fuller has joined Portsmouth from Preston North End on a two-year contract, the Premier League club said on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Chicago White Sox Team Report - August 20 (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox were handed an 8-4 setback by the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Bobby Higginson homered twice to lead Detroit. $LABEL$1 +Georgian troops pull out from conflict zone after intense fighting MOSCOW, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- All Georgian troops have withdrawn from the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone following a week-long battle between the two sides, Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze said on Friday. $LABEL$0 +US Hostage in Good Health - Jazeera Tape DUBAI (Reuters) - A US hostage in Iraq Micah Garen, appearing on a videotape, has called on the United States to stop the bloodshed in the Iraqi city of Najaf, Al Jazeera television said Friday. $LABEL$0 +Marrying the Ideal to the Real (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Rajiv Laroia was handed a dream assignment at Lucent's Bell Labs in 1997: Invent a way to put a broadband Internet in the sky. Don't worry about existing cell phone systems, just do it right.$LABEL$3 +Stocks Higher as Oil Eases NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks traded slightly higher on Friday, even as oil flirted near the \$50-per-barrel mark, suggesting that investors were snatching up beaten-down shares and growing confident that oil prices may be leveling off.$LABEL$2 +Tigers' Craig Monroe Facing Theft Charge (AP) AP - Detroit Tigers outfielder Craig Monroe was arrested for allegedly stealing a #36;29.99 belt from a department store, a records clerk at Charlotte County jail said Tuesday.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Higher As Oil Nears \$50 a Barrel NEW YORK - Stocks moved slightly higher Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, even as crude reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel. A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.90, up 20 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after setting a new intraday record earlier in the session at \$49.40...$LABEL$0 +Militants Remove Arms From Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday removed weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf in a step aimed at ending the 2-week-old uprising centered on the holy site. Iraq's highest Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, agreed to take control of the shrine, which al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia turned into a stronghold and refuge during their fight with U.S...$LABEL$0 +NFL Game Tackles Competition Madden NFL 2005 sells more than 1.3 million copies in its first week. Also: Viacom considers buying Midway Games hellip;. China Mobile sanctions Go2joy mobile messaging unit hellip;. and more.$LABEL$2 +Google shines on second day Shares of Google are on the way up again on their second day of trading.$LABEL$3 +Dollar Up Vs. Most Except Yen NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose against almost every one of its main counterparts except the yen on Friday, as technically focused investors shifted positions and considered the implications of spiking oil prices.$LABEL$2 +N.C. Co. Develops Germ-Fighting Clothes (AP) AP - Deep in the Atlantic Ocean, undersea explorers are living a safer life thanks to germ-fighting clothing made in Kinston.$LABEL$3 +Brazil Tribe Has Great Excuse for Poor Math Skills (Reuters) Reuters - Some people have a great excuse for\being bad at math -- their language lacks the words for most\numbers, U.S.-based researchers reported on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Strong growth for Linux servers End-user adoption of Linux servers for enterprise workloads hosting ISV applications and databases is ramping up rapidly, with newly published data indicating that uptake of the operating system has doubled over the past year.$LABEL$3 +Apple Recalls PowerBook Batteries Both the CPSC and Apple advised G4 customers affected by the fault to contact Apple immediately. Apple said it has made provision to supply replacement batteries free of charge by arrangement with the battery #39;s South Korean manufacturer, ...$LABEL$3 +Researchers Spot XP SP2 Security Weakness Microsoft believes that any hacker looking to exploit this issue would have to rely on considerable help from users. The company said an attacker would need to first entice the user to visit a specific Web site and then entice them to drag ...$LABEL$3 +Reports criticize DHS for lack of progress on IT AUGUST 20, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - As the debate about adding a national intelligence director proceeds, two government reports are shedding new light on an existing dilemma: If DHS CIO Steven Cooper can #39;t wrestle the agency #39;s sprawling bureaucracy into ...$LABEL$3 +Yahoo fixes two flaws in mail system News.com: Yahoo fixed two flaws in its free mail system that could have allowed a malicious user to read a victim #39;s browser cookies and change the appearance of some pages, Yahoo said Thursday. $LABEL$3 +Massu beats Dent to reach gold medal match Nicolas Massu beat Taylor Dent of the United States 7-6 (5), 6-1 Friday in the tennis semifinals to move within one victory of giving Chile its first Olympic gold medal in any sport. $LABEL$1 +Swansong for Gebrselassie Gebrselassie has already won everything under the sun. Twice an Olympic champion, in Atlanta and Sydney, the 10,000m legend has dominated the event for nearly ten years. By the time of Atlanta 1996, Gebrselassie was already the reigning world record ...$LABEL$1 +Meares, Hoy win cycling gold in record times Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Track cyclists Anna Meares of Australia and Chris Hoy of Great Britain won time trial gold medals Friday afternoon with record times. $LABEL$1 +Sadr #39;s aide denies entering of Iraqi police into Najaf shrine BAGHDAD, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A top aide to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr denied a government announcement that Iraqi police entered Imam Ali shrine in Najaf on Friday, Al-Jazeera TV channel reported. $LABEL$0 +Syrian, Algerian arrested over Madrid train bombings A Syrian and an Algerian have been arrested in Spain in connection with the March 11 Madrid train bombings, the Spanish interior ministry said. $LABEL$0 +Second Chance on Lone Star Matt Richey weighs in on Lone Star Steakhouse's roundtrip from \$22 to \$33 back to \$22.$LABEL$2 +EU's incoming antitrust chief says honorary degree won't affect view of Gates (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union's incoming antitrust chief said Friday she thought Microsoft chairman Bill Gates was doing a ""good job"" when she awarded him an honorary degree eight years ago as head of a Dutch business school.$LABEL$0 +Iraqi footballers' fury at Bush Iraq's Olympic footballers attack President Bush, accusing him of exploiting their success.$LABEL$0 +Venezuela audit 'confirms' result Venezuelan officials say first results of an audit of the vote on President Chavez's rule show no fraud.$LABEL$0 +Napster Founder Introduces New File Sharing Service In yet more file sharing news, NME is reporting that Napster founder Shawn Fanning is planning another legal music download service that will reportedly have an almost limitless amount of tracks.$LABEL$3 +Thunderbird 1.0 takes on Entourage, Eudora Weeks after the launch of its Firefox 1.0 Web browser, the Mozilla Foundation on Tuesday is set to release version 1.0 of its Thunderbird e-mail client.$LABEL$3 +Analysts spot slump in LAN switch market But the overall market should still show growth over the year, researchers say.$LABEL$3 +Rouse Jumps on General Growth Buyout Commercial real-estate developer Rouse (RSE ) agreed to be acquired by General Growth Properties (GGP ), the No. 2 US shopping-mall owner, in a \$12.6 billion deal, which includes the assumption of \$5.4 billion of existing debt. Terms: \$67.50 cash per ...$LABEL$2 +Stocks in Motion: Wet Seal Shares of Wet Seal (WTSLA:Nasdaq - news - research) were among the Nasdaq #39;s losers Friday after the company posted a wider-than-expected second-quarter loss, warned that third-quarter results would be weaker than expected, and said that it is considering ...$LABEL$2 +Berlusconi hair mystery revealed by Italian surgeon (AFP) AFP - The mystery of Silvio Berlusconi's rapper-style bandana was explained when plastic surgeon Piero Rosati told the Milan daily Corriere della Sera that he had performed a hair transplant operation on the Italian prime minister.$LABEL$0 +Xbox to Stop Making Some Sports Games (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox video game business will lay off 76 workers and stop making some sports games, the company said.$LABEL$3 +Birders Flock to See Rare, Lonesome Falcon (Reuters) Reuters - Hundreds of U.S. bird-lovers have\flocked to a New England resort island to catch a glimpse of a\rare falcon that appears to have made a wrong turn, ended up\half a world away and may never find its way home.$LABEL$3 +Oil Producers Emerging to Sell at Record Prices LONDON (Reuters) - Oil producers are emerging to lock in record high prices for their future crude output, but activity is modest as firms still fear calling a premature end to this year #39;s stunning price rise, traders said on Friday. $LABEL$2 +Dollar Up Vs. Most Except Yen NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose against almost every one of its main counterparts except the yen on Friday, as technically focused investors shifted positions and considered the implications of spiking oil prices. $LABEL$2 +Soft Demand for TFTs Affects Prices TFT LCD panel prices are expected to fall significantly for larger area 17 inch and 19 inch panels for LCD TVs, but the cost of products in the shops is still seen as a barrier to high volume consumer demand, according to ...$LABEL$3 +New Download.Ject Attack Hits IM Networks The Download.Ject malware attack has resurfaced, using the popular AIM and ICQ (define) instant messaging networks to spread itself. $LABEL$3 +Carly Patterson, Paul Hamm help define these Games Quick, what athlete defines the Olympics more than any other? Bruce Jenner? Maybe. Carl Lewis? Possibly. Jesse Owens? Could be. Mark Spitz? Nice choice. $LABEL$1 +Hoy wins gold by a whisker Cyclist Chris Hoy today secured Britain #39;s second gold medal of the Games by winning the men #39;s 1km time trial in a new Olympic-record time. $LABEL$1 +Bombs explode in Nepal capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal #39;s embattled government has offered to meet a demand by Maoist rebels to end their blockade of the capital after the guerrillas set off two bombs in and around Kathmandu. $LABEL$0 +Prints lead to two Madrid arrests Algerian Abdelkrim Beghdali, 41, and Syrian Safwan Sabagh, 41, were arrested days after the 11 March attacks but released because of lack of evidence. $LABEL$0 +UAL, Creditors Agree to 30-Day Extension (Reuters) Reuters - UAL Corp.'s (UALAQ.OB) United Airlines\on Friday said it has agreed with its creditors committee to a\30-day extension on the period in which it can file an\exclusive bankruptcy reorganization plan.$LABEL$2 +NFL Suspends Saints' Hodge for 4 Games (AP) AP - New Orleans Saints linebacker Sedrick Hodge has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating its substance abuse policy.$LABEL$1 +Swimming: Shibata Wins Women's 800m Freestyle ATHENS (Reuters) - Japan's Ai Shibata prevailed in a sprint finish to win the women's 800 meter freestyle gold medal at the Athens Games Friday.$LABEL$1 +Webb Ousted in Prelim Alan Webb is outmaneuvered and outrun as he failed to make it out of the preliminary round in the 1,500 meters.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Soccer Team Fights Past Japan 2-1 THESSALONIKI, Greece - Abby Wambach will never score an easier goal. From one foot away, she tapped the ball into the net and put the United States into the Olympic semifinals...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Move Higher As Oil Prices Decline NEW YORK - Stocks moved slightly higher Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, helped in afternoon trading by falling oil prices that had earlier reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel. A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.42, down 28 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after hitting a record intraday high earlier in the session at \$49.40...$LABEL$0 +Nature and Nurture, the Recipe for Olympic Gold Olympic champions have their parents to thank for their physiology #151;but no one is born a world-record holder. That also requires training, nutrition, desire, and determination.$LABEL$3 +Maine Program Asks Sea-Kayakers to ""Leave No Trace In this week's <I>TravelWatch</I> column, <I>National Geographic Traveler</I> geotourism editor Jonathan B. Tourtellot examines a stewardship program that keeps Maine's ocean islands untrampled.$LABEL$3 +Airfares to rise as cost of fuel reaches record Air passengers are set to pay for record oil prices as airlines move to increase ticket prices. Qantas said yesterday it would increase the fuel surcharge it includes in the cost of tickets and Air New Zealand is expected to follow. $LABEL$2 +The Rouse Co. sold for \$12.6 billion General Growth Properties is going mall shopping, as it announced plans Friday to buy shopping mall owner The Rouse Co. $LABEL$2 +UAL, creditors agree to extend exclusivity 30 days CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - UAL Corp. #39;s (UALAQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) United Airlines on Friday said it has agreed with its creditors committee to a 30-day extension on the period in which it can file an exclusive bankruptcy reorganization plan. $LABEL$2 +Anadarko to sell Gulf of Mexico shelf properties for \$1.3B Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has agreed to sell its Gulf of Mexico shelf properties in two deals that total \$1.312 billion. $LABEL$2 +Highland buys Tremont Boston in four-hotel deal worth \$227M The 322-room Tremont Boston was sold to Highland Hospitality Corp., a Virginia-based real estate investment trust that purchased the hotel along with three others for \$227 million from Wyndham International Inc. $LABEL$2 +US #39;s Snow-dollar to remain top reserve currency DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug 20 (Reuters) - High foreign ownership of US debt is quot;a healthy situation quot; and the dollar will remain the world #39;s preferred reserve currency, Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Friday. $LABEL$2 +NASA Recruits Stunt Pilots To Catch Sun Capsule NASA has enlisted the aid of Hollywood stunt pilots to retrieve a space capsule as it falls to Earth. The Genesis probe has collected tiny particles of the sun -- a stream of charged atoms known as quot;solar wind quot; -- from a region located about ...$LABEL$3 +Canon unveils new digital camera quartet Canon is today adding four new digital cameras to its range, including the launch of flagship professional and entry-level models in its PowerShot series. $LABEL$3 +Phelps wins duel with Crocker ATHENS, Greece -- American Michael Phelps won the gold medal Friday in the 100-meter butterfly with an Olympic-record time of 51.25 seconds. $LABEL$1 +Security for Olympics Successful, Greek Defense Minister Says Greece #39;s defense minister says his country #39;s security preparations for the Athens Olympics have been so successful that it is now in a position to advise China, the host of the 2008 Summer Games, on how to avoid terrorist attacks. But the minister says ...$LABEL$1 +Not Roddick, but Fish reaches finals ATHENS, Greece - Despite early disappointment in the Olympic tennis tournament, the US by was treated by Mardy Fish to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Fernando Ganzalez in the semifinal match. $LABEL$1 +USA women pass first big test: Spain ATHENS The USA women #39;s basketball team sailed through their first three games as though they were on a Mediterranean cruise, trouncing opponents by more than 30 points a game. $LABEL$1 +Father of crew chief killed in crash Thompson, CT (Sports Network) - Tom Baldwin, 57, father of Nextel Cup driver Kasey Kahne #39;s crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr., was killed in a crash at the Thompson International Speedway. He was driving in a Featherlite modified race on Thursday night. $LABEL$1 +Confusion Surrounds Seizure of Iraqi Mosque NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq #39;s interim government said it had defused a Shi #39;ite rebellion in Najaf on Friday without a shot being fired, but rebel militiamen denied police had seized the city #39;s sacred Imam Ali Mosque from their control. $LABEL$0 +Report: Japanese court dismisses request to halt deportation of chess legend Bobby Fischer TOKYO Japan #39;s main news agency reports a Tokyo court has dismissed a request to stop the deportation proceedings against fugitive chess master Bobby Fischer. $LABEL$0 +Australian opposition leader to leave hospital SYDNEY: Mark Latham, leader of Australia #39;s opposition Labor party, will leave hospital today and plans to be back at work next week after suffering an inflammation of the pancreas just months out from a general election. $LABEL$0 +Sensei's World (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Walk the hilly campus of Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, Calif. and you enter the fabulous world of the international nonprofit. The three-year-old school has so far put about #36;300 million into its 103 suburban Orange County acres, and this is still a work in progress. As of this fall, only 400 students will meander among the rich, Romanesque architecture.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Vets Make Case for Kerry in Vietnam (AP) AP - Vietnam veterans supporting John Kerry for president made their case Friday in the heart of what was once enemy territory.$LABEL$0 +Group Finds Ancient Ships Off Italy Coast (AP) AP - Archaeologists exploring the bottom of the sea off the island of Capri have found the wrecks of three ancient ships that once plied the Mediterranean between Rome and northern African colonies.$LABEL$3 +EU commissioner admits Gates link The EC's new competition commissioner admits that she once gave an honorary degree to Bill Gates, founder of the firm that is battling Brussels on anti-trust issues.$LABEL$2 +Phelps Wins 100-Meter Butterfly American Michael Phelps won the gold medal Friday in the 100-meter butterfly with an Olympic-record time of 51.25 seconds.$LABEL$0 +Maker of disposable RFID tags gets millions The Swedish Industrial Development Fund has invested about \$4 million in Cypak, which makes throwaway RFID tags.$LABEL$3 +Best Software strategizes for midmarket dominance For a company that owns two of the most widely used midmarket software packages for sales and contact management, Best Software Inc. has been a fairly low-key competitor in the market over the past few years.$LABEL$3 +Mood Mixed Among Darfur Rebels Ahead of Talks (Reuters) Reuters - A Sudanese rebel commander\in a camp in Darfur tells his troops he is hoping for peace.\But just a few hours march away, young men say they are\convinced Sudan wants to drive them off the land.$LABEL$0 +Two Blasts Rock Market in Ukraine Capital, 13 Hurt (Reuters) Reuters - Two blasts rocked a wholesale market in\the northern suburbs of Ukraine's capital Kiev on Friday,\wounding 13, two seriously, an Emergencies Ministry official\said.$LABEL$0 +Yanks' Giambi Gets Groin Strain Treatment (AP) AP - Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi is getting treatment for a strained left groin and might resume running outdoors next week.$LABEL$1 +Guilty plea from N.B. man who allegedly planned shooting spree rejected (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - A New Brunswick man who was allegedly planning a shooting spree before it was thwarted by a friendly dog was sent back to jail Friday after prosecutors refused to let him plead guilty to weapons charges.$LABEL$0 +Pirates' Wells to Miss 2nd Straight Start (AP) AP - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kip Wells will skip his second straight start after tests Friday indicated rest would help his injured elbow.$LABEL$1 +Phelps Captures Fifth Gold, Seventh Medal ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps clinched his fifth gold medal and became the first man since Mark Spitz to hold four individual Olympic swimming titles when he won the 100 meter butterfly final Friday.$LABEL$1 +Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine -Witnesses NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi'ite fighters appeared still to be in control of a holy shrine in Najaf on Friday after Iraq's interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being fired.$LABEL$0 +US E-Commerce Sales Rise in Second Quarter (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. retail sales over the Internet\rose 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2004 and gained 23.1\percent compared with the same period last year as consumers\continued to turn to e-commerce to make purchases, a government\report showed on Friday.$LABEL$3 +Italian deputies drowned out in mobile phone clampdown: report (AFP) AFP - Thwarted so far in his attempts to clamp down on mobile telephone use among deputies, the speaker of the Italian parliament has hit upon a sophisticated way of getting tough, a weekly newspaper reported.$LABEL$3 +Death Watch (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Soka University in Japan trains students for government employment exams and touts their success. Might a presence of followers in the civil service be of more than spiritual use to Soka Gakkai? Consider this case from the files of the Tokyo civil courts.$LABEL$2 +UAL, creditors agree to 30-day extension CHICAGO - UAL Corp. #39;s United Airlines Friday said it has agreed with its creditors committee to a 30-day extension on the period in which it can file an exclusive bankruptcy reorganization plan. $LABEL$2 +Mall Retailers Trim Estimates Some shoddy reports trickling in Thursday night threw a wrench into an otherwise uneventful second-quarter earnings season for retailers. At least one analyst thinks its a harbinger, as consumers get cautious about spending money on anything that isn #39;t ...$LABEL$2 +Highland Buys Four Hotels From Wyndham Highland Hospitality Corp. a lodging real estate investment trust, said Friday that it bought four hotels from Wyndham International Inc. for \$227 million, plus closing adjustments. $LABEL$2 +Apple Recalls 28,000 G4 Laptop Batteries Apple announced a recall of some 28,000 lithium-ion rechargeable batteries used in the 15-inch model of its PowerBook G4 laptops. The computer maker said the batteries could overheat, creating a fire hazard. They will be replaced at no ...$LABEL$3 +Google #39;s ups and downs Google #39;s long-awaited public offering finally made it to the street, but the search is still on for Microsoft #39;s Windows update. $LABEL$3 +AMD To Add #39;Strained Silicon #39; To Processors Advanced Micro Devices will add quot;strained silicon quot; to its microprocessor lineup this quarter, a company spokesman confirmed Friday, an esoteric technique used to improve performance. $LABEL$3 +Phelps adds yet another gold Michael Phelps collected his fifth gold medal of the Games with victory in the men #39;s 100 metres butterfly today. $LABEL$1 +America #39;s great hope in 1,500 can #39;t make it out of first round Alan Webb, who was supposed to end America #39;s streak of mediocrity in middle-distance races, got outmaneuvered and outrun as he failed to make it out of the preliminary round in the 1,500 meters. $LABEL$1 +US women #39;s soccer through to semifinals Thessaloniki, Greece (Sports Network) - The United States women #39;s soccer team advanced to the final four of the Olympics with a narrow 2-1 victory over Japan Friday. $LABEL$1 +Chad: Hepatitis E Breaks Out As More Refugees Threaten to Cross Border The deadly viral infection Hepatitis E has broken out among refugees from Sudan #39;s Darfur region at two camps in eastern Chad and may have passed into the local community, aid workers said on Friday. $LABEL$0 +Briefly: Gmail delivered to desktops roundup Plus: Maker of disposable RFID tags gets millions...Mitsubishi expands solar production...KDE updates Linux desktop...EA to take World Cup soccer to Xbox.$LABEL$3 +Oil Falls from #36;49, Iraq Violence Peaks (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices hit fresh highs on Friday,\lifting U.S. crude above #36;49 a barrel, driven by escalating\violence in Iraq and unabated fuel demand growth from China and\India.$LABEL$2 +Bills' McGahee Said to Ask for Trade (AP) AP - Running back Willis McGahee has asked the Buffalo Bills to trade him if he is not their starter on opening day, a source told The Associated Press on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Golfer Thatcher Leads at Reno-Tahoe Open (AP) AP - Mark Calcavecchia briefly took the lead Friday before a double bogey left him one stroke behind leader Roland Thatcher after the first round of the rain-delayed Reno-Tahoe Open.$LABEL$1 +Thirty-three injured when Air Portugal plane dives to avoid collision (AFP) AFP - A TAP-Air Portugal airliner dived sharply to avoid a mid-air collision with a smaller aircraft just before landing on the mid-Atlantic Azores islands, slightly injuring 33 people.$LABEL$0 +Three Indicted in Raising Funds for Hamas (AP) AP - A look at the three men charged with financing terrorist activities in Israel:$LABEL$0 +Giving Voice to A Billion Things (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - When Robert Poor looks at the world, he sees 50 billion embedded microcontrollers, the workhorse chips inside cars, traffic lights and air conditioners, doing their jobs in splendid isolation. Then he imagines what will happen when they all can talk to one another.$LABEL$2 +Japanese Court Dismisses Fischer Request (AP) AP - A Japanese court dismissed a request to halt deportation proceedings against fugitive chess legend Bobby Fischer, his lawyers said Friday.$LABEL$0 +C-USA Officials Vote on League Title Game (AP) AP - Conference USA athletic directors have voted unanimously to recommend holding the league's inaugural football championship game in 2005.$LABEL$1 +Militants Remove Arms From Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday removed weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf in a step aimed at ending the 2-week-old uprising centered on the holy site. Al-Sadr's followers remained in control of the walled shrine compound, but kept their guns outside...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Edge Higher As Oil Prices Fall NEW YORK - Stocks moved slightly higher Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, helped in afternoon trading by falling oil prices that had earlier reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel. A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.15, down 55 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after hitting a record intraday high earlier in the session at \$49.40...$LABEL$0 +Nortel: Nowhere To Go But Up NEW YORK - It certainly sounds like bad news when a company fires seven executives for financial malfeasance, lays off 3,500 employees and advises investors that it expects sluggish market growth for the year. But for Ontario-based Nortel Networks, it #39;s ...$LABEL$2 +Unions #39;close to BA deal #39; Union negotiators today claimed they were close to agreeing a pay deal with British Airways to avoid a bank holiday strike and the resulting travel chaos. $LABEL$2 +Rouse Co. to be sold for \$7.2 billion Rouse Co., the Baltimore-based real estate investment trust that owns the Mall St. Matthews, is being sold to Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc. for \$7.2 billion, according to a report in the Baltimore Business Journal. $LABEL$2 +Chinadotcom Gets Sanctions From China Mobile Communication NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Chinadotcom Corp. (CHINA) said government-controlled China Mobile Communications Corp. imposed sanctions on its Go2joy mobile applications unit for alleged offenses in its business practice. $LABEL$2 +Bank of America quiet regarding local layoffs While they have been quick to say how much customers will enjoy doing business with Bank of America now that it has taken over Fleet branches, bank officials have had little information to offer about how jobs will be impacted by the ...$LABEL$2 +NASA turns to stunt pilots to snag solar stardust PASADENA, CALIF. - Two helicopter stunt pilots from Hollywood will try to snag a capsule of stardust in midair, NASA has announced. $LABEL$3 +Ancient Mask, #39;Olympic #39; Ring Found in Thracian Tomb SHIPKA, Bulgaria (Reuters) - A Bulgarian archaeologist has unearthed an ancient gold mask and a ring featuring an quot;Olympic quot; rower in what he called an unrivalled find in the study of classical antiquity. $LABEL$3 +Broadband Use Passes Dial-Up Just over half of US Internet users now connect through broadband, according to a new survey. Nielsen/Netratings reports that in July, 51 percent of Internet users had DSL, cable, or other fast connections, up dramatically from 38 percent in ...$LABEL$3 +Greek weightlifter tests positive ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece looks set to lose the first medal it won at the Athens Olympics after bronze-winning weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis failed a drugs test. $LABEL$1 +Hall defends 50m crown American Gary Hall has defended his Olympic 50m freestyle title in a hotly-contested race in Athens. $LABEL$1 +Harmison takes eight, England near clean sweep LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Steve Harmison took eight wickets against a hapless West Indies to leave England in sight of a seventh successive victory on day two of the fourth test at the Oval on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Cyclists find fast track as competition begins ATHENS, Greece -- Erin Mirabella of the United States predicted a fast track for the opening day of track cycling competition at the Olympic Velodrome on Friday. $LABEL$1 +America #39;s great hope in 1,500 has early exit, Devers squeaks into 100 semis Alan Webb, who was supposed to end America #39;s streak of mediocrity in middle-distance races, got outmaneuvered and outrun as he failed to make it out of the preliminary round in the 1,500 meters. $LABEL$1 +Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine -Witnesses NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi #39;ite fighters appeared still to be in control of a holy shrine in Najaf on Friday after Iraq #39;s interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being ...$LABEL$0 +Putin Calls on Tbilisi, Tskhinvali for a Compromise Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope on August 20, that the Georgian and South Ossetian sides will show political will and follow undertaken commitments over ceasefire. $LABEL$0 +Prime Minister #39;s Expected Resignation Overshadows Hungary #39;s National Day BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party confirmed Friday, August 20, it had accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy and will shortly name a successor. The government crisis overshadowed Friday #39;s celebrations ...$LABEL$0 +2 held over Madrid train bombings Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Police arrested two men on Friday in eastern Spain for alleged links to the Madrid train bombings last March, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman told CNN. $LABEL$0 +Super search Accoona.com launched in US and China The New Jersey-based Accoona Corporation, an industry pioneer in artificial intelligence search technology, announced on Monday the launch of Accoona.$LABEL$2 +Raiders, Cowboys Look to Improve Games (AP) AP - Mistakes defined Oakland's dismal 2003 season opener, and they showed up again in the team's exhibition opener: costly penalties and boneheaded decisions abounded.$LABEL$1 +Germany drops junta prosecutions Germany drops proceedings against ex-Argentine junta officials thought to be involved in the killing of Germans.$LABEL$0 +Is United Taking Aim at Retirees? The airline's plan to emerge from bankruptcy may include canceling its pension plans.$LABEL$2 +Deduct IRA Losses? In Some Cases If the market has made a dent in your retirement account, there are instances when you may deduct the losses.$LABEL$2 +Stocks stall at open NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Stocks stalled at the open Tuesday as investors shrugged off the impact of weaker crude prices and reports that Johnson amp; Johnson is seeking to buy Guidant in a \$24 billion deal.$LABEL$2 +Contracting Riches For Nation's Capital The metropolitan Washington region is reaping the rewards of Uncle Sam's procurement spending, with last year marking the highest growth rate of federal contract dollars in the area since the Beltway Bandit days of the 1980s. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-washingtonpost.com</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Xbox to Stop Making Some Sports Games Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox video game business will lay off 76 workers and stop making some sports games, the company said.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Shuts Sports Video Games Unit (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) has closed\a studio operation that made some of its sports video games,\cutting 76 positions, a spokeswoman said on Friday.$LABEL$3 +List of Foreigners Taken Hostage in Iraq (AP) AP - Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped dozens of people in their campaign to drive out coalition forces and hamper reconstruction:$LABEL$0 +UAL, Creditors Agree to Extend Exclusivity 30 Days CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines on Friday said it has agreed with its creditors' committee to a 30-day extension, subject to court approval, of the period during which it can exclusively file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.$LABEL$2 +NASA Researchers, Stunt Pilots Prepare for Genesis Probe's Return (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A team of NASA scientists, navigators and helicopter stunt pilots is ready to snatch a space sample canister out of the sky next month when the Genesis spacecraft returns to Earth.$LABEL$3 +Scan the Summer Sky for the Archer (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - On these late summer evenings \ after the Sun has set, look low in the south for the classical Archer, Sagittarius.$LABEL$3 +Kerry Stirs Gasoline Debate Amid Record Oil Prices (Reuters) Reuters - Crude oil prices near #36;50 a barrel\spurred an attempt by John Kerry's campaign on Friday to\re-inject gasoline price concerns into the election-year\debate.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Stocks Gain as Oil Eases NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks made gains in light volume on Friday as investors were encouraged about the prospects for corporate profits after oil prices eased from their peak.$LABEL$2 +Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine - Witness NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi'ite fighters appeared to be in control of a holy shrine in Najaf on Friday hours after Iraq's interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being fired.$LABEL$0 +Feds Subpoena Fannie Mae in Probe-Source WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators investigating Fannie Mae's accounting practices have sent subpoenas to the No. 1 U.S. mortgage finance company in connection with the probe, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.$LABEL$2 +US arrests two Hamas 'racketeers' US authorities arrest two alleged members of Palestinian militant group Hamas on racketeering and terrorism charges.$LABEL$0 +FDA to Inspect Boston Scientific Stent Plant -WSJ (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration\expects to inspect Boston Scientific Corp.'s Galway, Ireland\factory in the ""near future"" as part of its probe into the\company's coronary stent recall, the Wall Street Journal said\on Friday.$LABEL$3 +Music Piracy Lawsuits Wend Through Court (AP) AP - A woman in Milwaukee and her ex-boyfriend are under orders to pay thousands to the recording industry. A man in California refinanced his home to pay an #36;11,000 settlement. A year after it began, the industry's legal campaign against Internet music piracy is inching through the federal courts, producing some unexpected twists.$LABEL$3 +Saints' Hodge Is Suspended for Four Games (Reuters) Reuters - Linebacker Sedrick Hodge of\the New Orleans Saints was suspended for four games by the NFL\for violating the league's substance abuse policy.$LABEL$1 +Money Out of a Pipeline (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Martha and the Vandellas recorded A 1965 Motown classic that began: ""Nowhere to run to, baby/Nowhere to hide."" With the stock and bond markets not going much of anywhere, you may despair of finding any good liquid investment for your cash. Of course, you can tie up your money for long periods with hedge funds and their ilk, hoping for decent returns. But there are some good alternatives, particularly in the energy sector. In this issue, fellow columnist Richard Lehmann discusses royalty trusts, which focus on oil and gas extraction (see p. 206).$LABEL$2 +Oil Falls from Highs After Missing \$50 LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices eased from new highs on Friday as dealers pocketed profits from a long record-breaking run after escalating violence in Iraq took U.S. crude close to \$50 a barrel.$LABEL$2 +ACC Football Begins New Era With Miami (AP) AP - The Miami Hurricanes spent the last year preparing to move to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Are they ready? ""The way I see it, we're just playing easier teams,"" defensive end Bryan Pata said. ""We're going to dominate each and every game.$LABEL$1 +UAL, Creditors Agree to 30 Day Extension CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines on Friday said it has agreed with its creditors' committee to a 30-day extension, subject to court approval, of the period during which it can exclusively file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Rise as Oil Retreats from High NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained ground in light volume on Friday as investors were encouraged about the prospects for corporate profits after oil prices fell from their peak.$LABEL$2 +Treasuries Edge Down as Oil Retreat NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices edged lower on Friday as oil prices retreated from record highs, but trading was thin as a dearth of data prompted many investors to take off for an early weekend.$LABEL$2 +Brazil finds true value of art The Brazilian government and a United Nations agency team up to help the country reap more financial rewards from its ""creative industries"".$LABEL$2 +Jobs cut in Credit Suisse reshuffle Credit Suisse today announced that up to 300 jobs will be lost in an overhaul of its troubled investment banking business. The company said its investment arm - Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) - would be $LABEL$2 +Phelps' Fourth Individual Gold Ties Spitz ATHENS, Greece - Mark Spitz, you've got company after all. Michael Phelps matched Spitz's record of four individual gold medals in the Olympic pool with a stirring comeback in the 100-meter butterfly, nipping rival and teammate Ian Crocker at the wall Friday night...$LABEL$0 +Militants Still in Control of Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr removed weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf but remained in control of the holy site Friday amid efforts to end their 2-week-old uprising. Fighters from al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia were inside the shrine but left their guns outside...$LABEL$0 +United Argues It May Terminate Pensions CHICAGO - United Airlines would be within its rights to terminate its employee pension plans but hasn't yet decided to do so, an attorney for the carrier said Friday, as two unions urged a judge to block a financing plan they say is predicated on the airline halting fund contributions. The hearing came a day after the release of court papers in which United warned it ""likely"" will have to end those pension funds in order to secure the loans it needs to get out of bankruptcy...$LABEL$0 +Briefly: Linux release features Windows support roundup Plus: Gmail delivered to desktops...Chinadotcom mobile services suspended...Maker of disposable RFID tags gets millions...Mitsubishi expands solar production.$LABEL$3 +PostgreSQL 8.0 will run on Windows Open-source database to jump from beta testing to production within three months.$LABEL$3 +Linux release features Windows support Release makes use of technology from CodeWeavers to let customers run applications from Microsoft.$LABEL$3 +AMD using strained silicon on 90-nanometer chips Advanced Micro Devices(AMD) will implement the strained silicon manufacturing technique on its upcoming 90-nanometer processors as well as 130-nanometer processors released this quarter, an AMD spokesman said Friday.$LABEL$3 +Groups Meet to Discuss Climate Change New strategies to confront global warming took center stage in Buenos Aires on Monday, where thousands of environmentalists and government policy-makers gathered for an international conference on climate change.$LABEL$0 +Which Candidates Do Tech Companies Support? Technology employees are donating slightly more money to the Republican party.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Sends XP SP2 Home OS security fix is being rolled out to users who have enabled Automatic Updates.$LABEL$3 +UAL, Creditors Agree to 30 Day Extension (Reuters) Reuters - United Airlines on Friday said it has\agreed with its creditors' committee to a 30-day extension,\subject to court approval, of the period during which it can\exclusively file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.$LABEL$2 +Analysts See Grim Future for Wet Seal (Reuters) Reuters - Wet Seal Inc. (WTSLA.O) may have little\choice but to close hundreds of its teen-oriented stores and\convert dozens more to its upscale Arden B. brand if it hopes\to stay out of bankruptcy, analysts said on Friday.$LABEL$2 +Fact and Comment (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - The news from Iran is grim. This islamic dictatorship--the biggest source of terrorist training and financing in the world and the nation that's doing all it can to stir up trouble in already combustible Iraq--is clearly on the cusp of becoming a nuclear power. The clerical fascists running the country have dropped just about all pretense of their atomic programs being energy-related only. Tehran announced in July that it had resumed making the centrifuges needed to produce highly enriched uranium, a key ingredient for nuclear bombs. ...$LABEL$2 +White House Deals With Detainee Legalities (AP) AP - The Bush administration is taking the narrowest possible view of legal rights the Supreme Court gave to terrorism detainees while trying to fend off any new court challenges. Ultimately the high court probably will weigh in again, lawyers said.$LABEL$0 +Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine -- Witness NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi'ite fighters appeared to be in control of a holy shrine in Najaf Friday, hours after Iraq's interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being fired.$LABEL$0 +Constantine and the rise of Christianity The history of how Christianity became an accepted mainstream religion is an interesting one. If you have never heard the story of the Roman Emperor Constantine and his effect on the world's current religious landscape, read on to learn how one mans actions during his rise to power changed the world forever. $LABEL$3 +Electronic Arts Breaking Out The company's stock is not as popular as Madden NFL 2005, with its top sales numbers. Yet.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft benches sports games Turn out the lights, the party's over for unit that created mainstream sports games for the Xbox. Seventy-six workers lose jobs.$LABEL$3 +Kazaa Owner Cheers Court's File-Swapping Decision By MIKE CORDER SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- The distributor of file-swapping giant Kazaa on Friday welcomed a U.S. court's ruling that two of its rivals are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works shared online by their users...$LABEL$3 +Yahoo Mail Fixes Security Flaws Yahoo Mail Fixes Security Flaws\\Yahoo reportedly fixed two flaws in Yahoo Mail which had the potential to allow a hacker to read a victim's browser cookies and change the appearance of some pages, Yahoo told news services. A Yahoo representative said the flaws were fixed last month by making changes ...$LABEL$3 +News: Slow-moving lawsuits over music downloads producing court twists The Associated Press By Ted Bridis$LABEL$3 +Bloody Battle Dulls Cleric's Heroic Image (AP) AP - Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has emerged from a bloody, two-week showdown with U.S. forces with his militia intact but his heroic image in question.$LABEL$0 +Why Tech Stocks Stink (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - The wit who dubbed August ""the dog days of summer"" could have been looking at 2004's tech stocks in his crystal ball. Just what is ailing these critters? Let's look at all of the possible explanations. Perhaps by eliminating the foolish and transient we can discover a theme and pick up some bargains.$LABEL$2 +Hanes Opens Unmentionables Market in China (AP) AP - Hanes is entering the lucrative consumer market of the world's most populous nation, China.$LABEL$0 +GOP Convention Light on Stars (AP) AP - The Republicans will have one sure Hollywood star for their convention #151; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger #151; along with performers to keep the country music fans happy. But they'll be hard-pressed to match the Democratic convention's appeal to young voters led by Ben Affleck.$LABEL$0 +Stocks End Higher as Oil Eases NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished higher on Friday, as investor worry about high fuel costs crimping consumer spending and hurting company profits eased after crude oil prices fell from their peak.$LABEL$2 +Swimming: Fifth Gold, Seventh Medal for Phelps ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps won his fifth gold medal at the Athens Olympics Friday to claim a place alongside Mark Spitz as one of the greatest swimmers in Olympic history.$LABEL$1 +Bush Spending Spree Continues, More Cash to Burn (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush's campaign spent\ #36;45.8 million in July, the bulk of it on advertising, but he\still had about #36;32.5 million left to spend before he accepts\his party's nomination next month, according to a filing\released on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Swimming: Shibata Joins Japanese Gold Rush ATHENS (Reuters) - Ai Shibata wore down French teen-ager Laure Manaudou to win the women's 800 meters freestyle gold medal at the Athens Olympics Friday and provide Japan with their first female swimming champion in 12 years.$LABEL$1 +Congo Former Foes Head to S.Africa for Talks KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Reuters) - Former rebels and loyalists now in Congo's transitional government headed to South Africa on Friday for talks on reviving the country's shaky peace process and improving regional security, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Blast at Police Post in Nassiriya, Three Dead NASSIRIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - A blast ripped through a police station in the town of Nassiriya in southern Iraq on Friday, killing three police and wounding others, police said.$LABEL$0 +UN warns of Sudan refugee exodus Some 30,000 Sudanese refugees might cross into Chad to escape persecution by Arab militia, the UN warns.$LABEL$0 +Miami Struggles on Offense The Redskins on Saturday will face a Dolphins team facing a number of issues on offense.$LABEL$1 +Phelps to Forgo Final Race of Olympics ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps is done for the Olympics. Shortly after winning his fifth gold medal and seventh overall, Phelps told U.S...$LABEL$0 +IRS: Rose Owes Nearly \$1M in Unpaid Taxes MIAMI - Pete Rose is back in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, which says the baseball great owes nearly \$1 million in unpaid taxes. The IRS filed a federal tax lien in Broward County on Tuesday alleging that baseball's all-time hits king owes \$973,693.28 in back taxes from 1997 to 2002...$LABEL$0 +Spectrum of Stormy Saturn Seeing Saturn in different wavelengths gives mission scientists a new and stormy picture of weather on the gas giant. While the view in ultraviolet highlights the stratosphere, the view in infrared shows swirling patterns from rotating cloud bands...$LABEL$3 +DNA Project May Reunite Adoptees with their Parents By MITCH STACY SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- Linda Hammer has helped thousands of adoptees find birth families through her people-finding Web site, weekly radio show and newspaper column...$LABEL$3 +Drag-and-drop flaw mars Microsoft's latest update An independent researcher finds an Internet Explorer vulnerability that could turn drag-and-drop into drag-and-infect.$LABEL$3 +Report: Consumers tuning in to plasma TVs Shipments go up, prices go down...with more of the same on the horizon.$LABEL$3 +'Doom 3' Game Unlikely for Xbox This Year - Id CEO (Reuters) Reuters - The Xbox version of ""Doom 3,"" the\long-awaited PC video game recently released to wide acclaim,\is not likely to be released in 2004 dealing a blow to\enthusiastic game players who are anxiously awaiting it.$LABEL$3 +Federal Court Rules for P2P Networks (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - A federal appeals court has ruled that two peer-to-peer online music-sharing networks, Grokster and StreamCast, are not liable for the illegal swapping of copyrighted music and other entertainment files on their networks.$LABEL$3 +Apple Recalls 28,000 PowerBook Batteries Due to Overheating Concern (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has issued a warning related to potential problems with the\batteries in some 28,000 of its 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptop computers,\telling customers that the batteries may pose a fire hazard due to\overheating.$LABEL$3 +Nokia Taps Ex-Coke Exec for Branding Help (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - On the heels of -- and perhaps in response to -- its recent struggles with declining market share, mobile-handset maker Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has signed former Coca-Cola executive Keith Pardy to head up its branding efforts. Pardy, a 17-year Coke veteran, was vice president of the company's non-cola branding efforts.$LABEL$3 +Microsoft Gets Good Grades on SP2 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Service Pack 2 for Windows XP is one of the company's most ambitious operating system updates ever, and -- as expected -- some experts already have discovered security vulnerabilities in the giant patch.$LABEL$3 +The CRM Money Pit - Part 4 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Over the course of this five-part series, CRM Daily examines areas that tend to develop into financial black holes for companies launching or updating a CRM project.$LABEL$3 +BlackBerry in Sync with Apple (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Information Appliance Associates is offering an application that links the \BlackBerry mobile e-mail platform with Mac OS X, further extending BlackBerry's considerable reach.$LABEL$3 +Dolphins Ask Williams for #36;8.6 Million (AP) AP - The Miami Dolphins have asked Ricky Williams to return #36;8.6 million they say the running back owes the team because he has decided to retire.$LABEL$1 +'Doom 3' Game Unlikely for Xbox This Year - Id CEO NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Xbox version of ""Doom 3,"" the long-awaited PC video game recently released to wide acclaim, is not likely to be released in 2004 dealing a blow to enthusiastic game players who are anxiously awaiting it.$LABEL$3 +Reds' Graves Placed on DL With Sore Back (AP) AP - Cincinnati Reds closer Danny Graves was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of lower back spasms that flared up during his last outing.$LABEL$1 +Swimming: Phelps Wins Fifth Gold, Seventh Medal ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps clinched his fifth gold medal and became the first man since Mark Spitz to hold four individual Olympic swimming titles when he won the 100 meter butterfly final Friday.$LABEL$1 +Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine -- Witnesses NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi'ite fighters appeared to be in control of a holy shrine in Najaf Friday hours after Iraq's interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being fired.$LABEL$0 +Vagrant Killings Raise Fears of Brazil Death Squad SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - The beating to death of four vagrants and the battering of several others in downtown Sao Paulo have raised suspicions of death squads as crime soars in this vast South American city, officials said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Belgium impounds Ukraine plane A Nato-chartered Ukrainian cargo plane is detained in Brussels after a court ruling in a financial dispute.$LABEL$0 +Bush Aide Says White House Is Not Linked to Anti-Kerry Ad The president's spokesman said the White House had nothing to do with accusations John Kerry lied about his military service.$LABEL$0 +Kerry Says Bush Ignores 'Average Folks' CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Friday traced North Carolina's job loss over the past four years to President Bush's fixation on tax cuts for the wealthy and indifference to the needs of everyday Americans.$LABEL$0 +Online sales continue to rise, up 23.1 from a year ago While they're still a sliver of overall U.S. retail sales, retail online sales continued to rise in the second quarter of the year to \$15.7 billion, according to figures released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce.$LABEL$3 +J.D. Edwards users still aren't sold on PeopleSoft's takeover Based on interviews with J.D. Edwards users and an informal poll conducted by Computerworld, PeopleSoft has yet to win over the new customer base it inherited after buying its former competitor one year ago.$LABEL$3 +Possible security breach seen at AOL An AOL user who logged on to check his online financial portfolio was given access to someone else's data and is calling on AOL to correct what he sees as a security breach. AOL acknowledged an ""issue,"" but said corrective action has been taken.$LABEL$3 +Former Microsoft COO: Intelligence overhaul means crushing 'fiefdoms' Ending turf battles and ""fiefdoms"" will be as important as IT investments if the U.S. intelligence community is to be successfully overhauled, said Bob Herbold, former executive vice president and COO at Microsoft.$LABEL$3 +Reports criticize DHS for lack of progress on IT The GAO and the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general have issued critical reports about IT at the DHS -- a development that calls into question whether a proposed consolidation of U.S. intelligence agencies would lead to the same kinds of problems.$LABEL$3 +Oracle moves to monthly patching schedule After coming under criticism for sitting on patches for multiple holes in its database software, Oracle has announced that it will move to a monthly patch release schedule, though it hasn't said when.$LABEL$3 +New Download.Ject worm variant appears A new version of the Download.ject worm has begun spreading on the Internet, according to security firm PivX.$LABEL$3 +Reporter's notebook: HP World users disdain offshore support move This week's HP World is over, and users at the event had a lot of things on their minds.$LABEL$3 +Tech industry split in its political donations Tech industry political action committees and employees from computer and Internet companies have contributed just over \$1.6 million to President George Bush, and almost the same amount to Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry.$LABEL$3 +More money for fuel cells Neah Power Systems, which develops fuel cells for notebooks, raises \$12 million in venture funding.$LABEL$3 +Phelps Adds New Olympic Triumph (Reuters) Reuters - American teen-ager Michael Phelps, one\of the superstars of the 2004 Athens Games, added a seventh\medal Friday night to his collection of Olympic keepsakes but\new doping scandals tarnished world sporting's greatest event.$LABEL$0 +N.S. submariner recalls harrowing experiences in career spent underwater (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - HALIFAX (CP) - As Sam Jennings started to regain consciousness, he saw the dark smoke billowing through his submarine.$LABEL$0 +White House Says It Is Not Behind Attack Ads (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush and a top\adviser have long-standing ties to people behind advertisements\claiming Sen. John Kerry lied about his war record, but the\campaign denied any part in the ads on Friday and criticized\Kerry for ""losing his cool.$LABEL$0 +IRS: Rose Owes Nearly \$1M in Unpaid Taxes MIAMI - Pete Rose is back in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, which says the baseball great owes nearly \$1 million in unpaid taxes. The IRS filed a federal tax lien in Broward County on Tuesday alleging that baseball's all-time hits king owes \$973,693.28 in back taxes from 1997 to 2002...$LABEL$0 +Stocks Edge Higher As Oil Prices Fall NEW YORK - A welcome slide in oil prices set off a relief rally on Wall Street Friday, with stocks posting a healthy advance as crude approached but then fell back from the \$50 a barrel mark. The major indexes all ended the week higher...$LABEL$0 +FCC Issues Rate Freeze for Phone Networks (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. communications regulators on\Friday issued interim rules that would freeze for six months\the wholesale rates for leasing access to the major U.S. local\telephone networks.$LABEL$2 +Stocks Jump as Oil Retreats from High NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks jumped higher on Friday, as investor worry about high fuel costs crimping consumer spending and hurting company profits eased after crude oil prices fell from their peak.$LABEL$2 +General Growth to Buy Rouse for \$7.2 Bln NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Growth Properties Inc. on Friday said it would buy Rouse Co. for \$7.2 billion, adding such swank shopping centers as Chicago's Water Tower Place and Boston's Fanueil Hall to what is already the nation's second largest mall portfolio.$LABEL$2 +United Air Raises Fuel Surcharge NEW YORK (Reuters) - UAL Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=UALAQ.OB target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">UALAQ.OB</A> , the parent of United Airlines, said on Friday it would raise its existing \$10 each-way fuel surcharge by an additional \$5 due to soaring fuel costs.$LABEL$2 +SEC Proxy Access Plan Stalled WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 10 months after moving boldly to boost the power of U.S. shareholders in choosing corporate directors, the Securities and Exchange Commission has become mired in disagreement.$LABEL$2 +Kerry takes legal action against Vietnam critics (AFP) AFP - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry's campaign formally alleged that a group attacking his Vietnam war record had illegal ties to US President George W. Bush's reelection bid.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Treasury Prices Edge Lower NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices edged lower on Friday as oil prices retreated from record highs, but trading was thin as a dearth of data prompted many investors to take off for an early weekend.$LABEL$2 +Briefly: More money for fuel cells roundup Plus: Linux release features Windows support...Gmail delivered to desktops...Chinadotcom mobile services suspended...Maker of disposable RFID tags gets millions...Mitsubishi expands solar production.$LABEL$3 +UAL Wins OK for Exclusivity Extension (Reuters) Reuters - A U.S. bankruptcy court judge on Friday\approved a 30-day exclusivity extension for United Airlines,\giving the carrier another month to file its own reorganization\plan without competing plans from creditors.$LABEL$2 +Gas stoppage may have caused deadly Belgian blast: TV report (AFP) AFP - A Belgian gas explosion in which 20 people were killed may have resulted from a combination of a halt in the gas circulation in a pipeline and existing damage to the main, Belgian television said.$LABEL$0 +UAL Wins OK for Exclusivity Extension CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy court judge on Friday approved a 30-day exclusivity extension for United Airlines, giving the carrier another month to file its own reorganization plan without competing plans from creditors.$LABEL$2 +McGahee Pressures Bills According to the Associated Press, second-year running back Willis McGahee has asked the Buffalo Bills to trade him if he is not named the starter for opening day.$LABEL$1 +Briefly: Glitches hit some EarthLink-hosted sites roundup Plus: More money for fuel cells...Linux release features Windows support...Gmail delivered to desktops.$LABEL$3 +A chat check list for IT managers There are hundreds of considerations when selecting and implementing an IM management solution -- from product features and technology to pricing. Still, IM security consultants and vendors agree that the following points apply across the board.$LABEL$3 +Enterprise IM: Dangerous by default Organizations frequently pick a corporate-grade IM system -- IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing, Jabber Messenger, or Microsoft LCS (Live Communications Server), for example -- thinking that internal-only IM is immune from threats.$LABEL$3 +Reining in public IM There is no question that IM is entrenched in the enterprise. More than 90 percent of businesses report IM activity, according to Osterman Research. A main reason, as we discovered in ""Getting serious about enterprise IM,"" is the improved productivity and reduced communications costs that IM delivers. What should concern CIOs is that unsanctioned consumer IM networks -- such as those from America Online, ICQ, Microsoft, and Yahoo -- make up 80 percent of corporate IM use today, and the number of users of these unsecured IM networks is growing at a fast clip, according to The Radicati Group. True, public IM networks offer enterprises some protection, such as very basic identity control. But organizations are still exposed to a multitude of security risks, including viruses and breached firewalls.$LABEL$3 +Kennedy, Kendall Suspended for Brawling (AP) AP - Colorado Rockies pitcher Joe Kennedy was suspended Friday for five games and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Kendall four for their parts in a bench-clearing brawl Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Tennessee May Start Freshman QB in Opener (AP) AP - Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer are trying to accomplish a feat that even Peyton Manning couldn't pull off at Tennessee #151; start at quarterback in the season-opener as a freshman.$LABEL$1 +Boeing Sees EU Agreeing to End Launch Aid WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Boeing Co. official said on Friday he was optimistic the European Union would agree to end government aid to develop new aircraft, which has helped its chief rival Airbus grab more than half of the civil aircraft market.$LABEL$2 +Bekele Succeeds Mentor Gebrselassie ATHENS (Reuters) - Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele succeeded his mentor Haile Gebrselassie as the Olympic 10,000 meters champion Friday after an astonishing final lap in the longest track event.$LABEL$1 +Zimbabwe moves to restrict NGOs Zimbabwe's government unveils a bill which would ban many human rights groups and charities.$LABEL$0 +9/11 Commission Formally Disbands WASHINGTON - The Sept. 11 commission closes down Saturday, but its members plan to continue testifying before Congress and traveling the country to try to get the government to improve homeland security...$LABEL$0 +Militia Offers to Cede Control of Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - A rebel cleric's militiamen kept their guns outside a holy site Friday after issuing a surprise offer to give up control of the Imam Ali Shrine to Shiite Muslim religious leaders, but negotiators wrangled into the night over getting the militants out of the compound. The removal of weapons and pledge to hand over keys to religious authorities was seen as a big step toward a resolution of the two-week faceoff in Najaf that has killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds in fighting between Muqtada al-Sadr's militia and a joint U.S.-Iraq force...$LABEL$0 +Sanofi-Aventis becomes world's third-largest pharmaceutical company (AFP) AFP - French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Synthelabo formally announced the birth of Sanofi-Aventis, the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in Europe.$LABEL$0 +Team USA Says Labor Woes Won't Affect Cup (AP) AP - Team USA players promise NHL labor problems that could threaten the upcoming season won't be a distraction at the World Cup of Hockey.$LABEL$1 +Judge gives lawyers more time to review evidence in Regina election challenge (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - REGINA (CP) - A judge has given lawyers for former NDP MP Dick Proctor more time to pore over federal voter lists as they try to force a byelection that could, if successful, ultimately shift the balance of power in the House of Commons.$LABEL$0 +Ex-Enron CEO Seeks Separate Trial HOUSTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for former Enron Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=ENRNQ.PK target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">ENRNQ.PK</A> chief executive Jeffrey Skilling on Friday asked a federal court to separate his trial from his former boss Ken Lay's on charges linked to the downfall of the energy company.$LABEL$2 +Arch Coal: Triton Acquisition Completed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arch Coal Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=ACI.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">ACI.N</A> said on Friday it had completed the acquisition of rival Triton Coal Co. after a U.S. appeals court denied the government's bid to block the deal.$LABEL$2 +FCC Puts Hold on Wholesale Phone Rates (AP) AP - Federal regulators Friday imposed a six-month freeze on the rates regional phone companies may charge their competitors to use networks to provide local service.$LABEL$0 +Nicaragua, Taiwan open trade talks (AFP) AFP - Nicaragua and Taiwan opened talks aimed at drafting a free-trade deal by the end of 2005, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Linux Desktop Needs PC Vendor Support (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Opinion: If the Linux desktop is ever to be more than a niche player, it needs a hand from PC vendors, including real support from the ones that already claim to back it.$LABEL$3 +Rose Takes Big Tax Hit Pete Rose is back in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, which says the baseball great owes nearly \$1 million in unpaid taxes.$LABEL$1 +Dolphins Want a Refund From Williams The Miami Dolphins have asked Ricky Williams to return \$8.6 million they say the running back owes the team because he has decided to retire.$LABEL$1 +Rain Hampers Play at NEC Invitational Only 24 players finished the second round at Firestone South, but the forecast was for dry, cool weather the final two days.$LABEL$1 +Possible security breach seen at AOL America Online Inc. is acknowledging an ""issue"" that allowed some of its members to gain access to online financial portfolios of other members. But the Internet service provider downplayed the incident, saying no personal identifying information such as usernames or credit card numbers was ever compromised.$LABEL$3 +Ex-Enron CEO Seeks Separate Trial (Reuters) Reuters - Lawyers for former Enron Corp.\(ENRNQ.PK) chief executive Jeffrey Skilling on Friday asked a\federal court to separate his trial from his former boss Ken\Lay's on charges linked to the downfall of the energy company.$LABEL$2 +Moore Reaches U.S. Amateur Semifinals (AP) AP - Ryan Moore keeps rolling along in the U.S. Amateur, moving into the semifinals with a 3 and 2 victory over Jason Hartwick on Friday at Winged Foot Golf Club.$LABEL$1 +GM's CEO Pours Cold Water on Gas Tax Hike DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GM.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GM.N</A> on Friday said Americans had no need to worry about talk of higher federal gasoline taxes being used to curb their dependency on foreign oil.$LABEL$2 +Major League Approves Baseball Channel for TV LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Major League Baseball has approved the creation of a national cable television channel devoted to America's favorite pastime, but regular-season games may be confined to the dugouts for the network's first year, a top league official said on Friday.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Arrests Two in Hamas Financing Case WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials have arrested two men whom they accuse of funneling money to the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the past 15 years, the Justice Department said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Chilean Judge Questions Pinochet on Riggs Money SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - A Chilean judge has questioned former dictator Augusto Pinochet about secret U.S. bank accounts worth up to \$8 million, a member of Pinochet's legal defense said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Agent: Rose Making Payments on Back Taxes PLANTATION, Fla. - Pete Rose owes almost \$1 million in back federal taxes, but he is making monthly payments on the debt, his representative said Friday...$LABEL$0 +Courtney Love Pleads Innocent to Assault LOS ANGELES - Courtney Love pleaded innocent Friday to a felony assault charge for allegedly attacking a woman with a liquor bottle at her ex-boyfriend's home in April. The mercurial rocker, wearing a long black dress, was composed in court, responding to Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Dennis Mulcahy's questions with ""yes"" or ""no."" Outside, she appeared shaken while talking with reporters...$LABEL$0 +Is VoIP just chump change? AT #38;T Chief David Dorman says he expects VoIP to be a \$2 billion-a-year business, small change for his company.$LABEL$3 +Major League Approves Baseball Channel for TV (Reuters) Reuters - Major League Baseball has approved\the creation of a national cable television channel devoted to\America's favorite pastime, but regular-season games may be\confined to the dugouts for the network's first year, a top\league official said on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Beleaguered CNE hoping for banner summer as others long for days gone by (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Sweet-talking carnies wasted no time launching into their well-rehearsed patter Friday at the opening day of the Canadian National Exhibition, hoping to put the plagues of the previous summer behind them.$LABEL$0 +Judge Revokes Mine Permit in Florida (AP) AP - A federal judge Friday revoked a permit to develop a limestone mine amid 6,000 acres of habitat that could be used by the endangered Florida panther.$LABEL$3 +Court Won't Halt Arch Coal's Triton Bid WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arch Coal Inc <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=ACI.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">ACI.N</A>. on Friday pressed forward with its acquisition of rival Triton Coal Co. LLC after a U.S. appeals court denied an emergency request by antitrust authorities to block the deal.$LABEL$2 +Fischer fails to halt deportation A court in Japan rejects former chess champion Bobby Fischer's request to halt \his deportation to the US.$LABEL$0 +U-Md. Locks Up Friedgen University of Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen signed a contract extension on Friday that will keep him in College Park through 2012.$LABEL$1 +Intelligence everywhere If Y2K is remembered for getting companies to buy new hardware and upgrade old software, the latest driver of change, Sarbanes-Oxley, will be remembered for democratizing information and making accountability a companywide responsibility. Its reporting requirements make it mandatory that businesses hold everyone's feet to the fire.$LABEL$2 +Sun goes down, Empire blows up Well, I had my second date with Margot last week. It was nice. We attended a seminar on multimodal component interfaces and then went on a romantic stroll around a waste treatment facility. She says the smell of methane calms her nerves. I sure can pick em, cant I?$LABEL$2 +Javalobby removes Java specs at Suns request Javalobby, an online community of Java developers, has removed from its new JDocs documentation Web site several vital Java APIs at the request of Java founder Sun Microsystems, an official with Javalobby said on Friday.$LABEL$3 +FCC sets interim network-sharing rules ASHINGTON - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will require incumbent telephone carriers to continue offering parts of their networks to competitors while the commission rewrites those network-sharing rules.$LABEL$3 +Paes-Bhupathi lose to Ancic-Ljubicic (Reuters) Reuters - Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia beat fifth-seeded Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes of India 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 16-14 in the men's doubles bronze medal match at the Olympic Games on Friday.$LABEL$0 +NYC Denies All Central Park Rally Permits (AP) AP - The city's decision to deny a permit to protesters for a rally on Central Park's Great Lawn on the weekend before the Republican National Convention is about preserving the lawn, not suppressing speech, lawyers for the city said in federal court Friday.$LABEL$0 +Volunteer Links Anti-Kerry Flier to GOP (AP) AP - A volunteer for John Kerry said Friday he picked up a flier in Bush-Cheney headquarters in Gainesville, Fla., promoting Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group the Bush campaign has insisted for weeks it has no connection to.$LABEL$0 +30 More Days of Exclusivity for UAL OK'd (Reuters) Reuters - A U.S. bankruptcy court judge on Friday\granted United Airlines another 30 days of exclusivity, giving\it until the end of September to file its own reorganization\plan without competing plans from creditors.$LABEL$2 +Bombs Prompt Call for U.N. Afghan Pullout (AP) AP - The bombing of a U.N. election office in Afghanistan that injuring six policemen drew calls from a U.N. union Friday for a withdrawal of staffers from the embattled nation.$LABEL$0 +Greek Drugs Embarrassment Overshadows Phelps ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece was rocked by the threat of being stripped of an Athens Games medal and the host nation's team manager offered to quit on Friday, as doping overshadowed Michael Phelps' drive to be Olympic swimming's top medal winner.$LABEL$1 +Pinochet probed on bank accounts A Chilean judge questions former dictator Augusto Pinochet about secret US bank accounts.$LABEL$0 +A Sense of Security An Independent News writer tells of his switch from Windows to a 15-inch PowerBook,: #147;Two months in, I have a prevailing sense of security and safety. There #146;s been not a sniff of system meltdown. The software and security updates are easy, convenient and (via broadband) fast. The sense of considerable computing power and massive processing going on is very evident, but it feels secure behind the OS X firewall and a router; and all with no need for antivirus software. #148; Aug 20$LABEL$3 +After Five Golds, Phelps Bows Out of Relay (AP) AP - Michael Phelps ended his magnificent Olympics with a magnanimous gesture. He matched Mark Spitz's record of four individual gold medals in the pool, then gave up a coveted spot on the 400-meter medley relay team to Ian Crocker #151; whom Phelps had just beaten.$LABEL$1 +Mets' McEwing Probably Lost for Season (AP) AP - New York Mets infielder Joe McEwing is likely done for the season after breaking a bone in his left leg.$LABEL$1 +Chain Store Sales Rise in the Latest Week NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. chain store sales rose in the week ended December 4, as average sales were generally ahead of last year, but customer counts were down, a report said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Four Tied for Lead at Reno-Tahoe Open (AP) AP - Scott McCarron made four birdies in 12 holes, moving into a four-way tie for the lead in the second round of the Reno-Tahoe Open on Friday before thunderstorms forced play to be suspended.$LABEL$1 +Candidate, Party Spending Tops #36;1 Billion (AP) AP - Spending by presidential and congressional candidates and the national party committees that support them already tops #36;1 billion for the 2004 election cycle, with more than two months of campaigning to go.$LABEL$0 +Kerry, Bush Escalate Battle Over Vietnam Ads (Reuters) Reuters - Democrat John\Kerry asked the Federal Election Commission on Friday to force\a group accused of collaborating with the Bush campaign to\withdraw ads challenging his service in Vietnam as the\presidential race took a decidedly bitter turn.$LABEL$0 +Reform Advocates in China Hope for a Birthday Present The Communist Party is using the 100th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's birthday to emphasize the urgency of overhauling the one-party political system.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Now Said to Support Growth for Some West Bank Settlements The Bush administration, moving to lend support to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, has approved growth in some Israeli settlements in the West Bank.$LABEL$0 +Pinsent bids for glory British rower Matthew Pinsent will be aiming for his fourth Olympic gold when 'Super Saturday' starts in Athens.$LABEL$1 +India clears cricket team to begin Bangladesh tour (Reuters) Reuters - India said on Tuesday its national cricket team's Bangladesh tour could begin, after a threat from an Islamic militant group prompted a security review.$LABEL$0 +Court: Cos. Not Liable for Online Abuses (AP) AP - In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works their users swap online.$LABEL$3 +Hezbollah-Linked Network Ordered to Comply (AP) AP - France's highest administrative body on Friday ordered a Lebanese TV network linked to the anti-Israel group Hezbollah to adhere to broadcast regulations or face being banned from French airwaves.$LABEL$0 +Iranian diplomat, Egyptian charged over assassination plot (AFP) AFP - Egypt said it has charged an Iranian diplomat and an Egyptian national over a plot to assassinate an unidentified public figure.$LABEL$0 +Moveon.org subscriber-data leaked through search Dozens of the political action committee's subscriber pages exposed by simple Google search.$LABEL$3 +An Oil Shock That Could Be an Economic Stimulus in Disguise Despite the parallels with the oil shocks of past decades, the impact of the oil spike on the economy is likely to be much less intense than in previous surges.$LABEL$2 +Reshaping a Reshaper of Landscapes The Rouse Company, the mall developer that has reshaped the nation's landscape, agreed to be acquired by General Growth Properties for \$7.2 billion in cash.$LABEL$2 +'Doom 3' Game Unlikely for Xbox This Year - id CEO NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Xbox version of ""Doom 3,"" the long-awaited PC video game recently released to wide acclaim, is not likely to be released in 2004 dealing a blow to enthusiastic game players who are anxiously awaiting it.$LABEL$3 +'Doom 3' Game Unlikely for Xbox This Year - id CEO (Reuters) Reuters - The Xbox version of ""Doom 3,"" the\long-awaited PC video game recently released to wide acclaim,\is not likely to be released in 2004 dealing a blow to\enthusiastic game players who are anxiously awaiting it.$LABEL$3 +Sen. Kerry Nearly Matches Bush's Fund-Raising (Reuters) Reuters - Democratic presidential\contender Sen. John Kerry nearly caught up to President Bush's\record-breaking fund-raising efforts by taking in #36;233.5\million, his campaign said on Friday, just behind the\incumbent's #36;242 million.$LABEL$0 +Check your marital status Plenty of spouses would probably sometimes like to forget their nuptials, but a spate of South African single woman were recently in for the shock of their lives when they discovered that they were in fact married. This prompted the country's department of Home Affairs to launch a marital status awareness campaign, in order to clamp down on the illegal marriages.$LABEL$3 +Bearhug Politics: Careful Steps to a New Bush-McCain Alliance George W. Bush and John McCain's bearhug and smooch on the campaign trail last week was one of the odder embraces in politics in a long while.$LABEL$0 +Google Faces Challenge of Public Company Status (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Your name is synonymous with searching the Internet, and you've just raised roughly #36;1.7 billion from investors by going public. What are you going to do now?$LABEL$3 +Athletics Pound Devil Rays 9-5 (AP) AP - Eric Chavez homered twice and Bobby Crosby went 3-for-5 with a home run to break out of a length slump as the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 9-5 Friday night.$LABEL$1 +Dutch Clear Van Gogh Slay Suspects (AP) AP - Six men arrested following the slaying of filmmaker Theo van Gogh are no longer suspects in the killing, but still face charges for belonging to a terrorist group, authorities said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Google Faces Challenge of Public Company Status Your name is synonymous with searching the Internet, and you've just raised roughly \$1.7 billion from investors by going public. What are you going to do now?$LABEL$3 +Schilling Shines As Red Sox Rout White Sox (AP) AP - Curt Schilling allowed three hits in seven shutout innings for his 15th win and Manny Ramirez hit a grand slam to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Chicago White Sox 10-1 Friday night.$LABEL$1 +GI Jenkins Said Willing to Face U.S. Tribunal -Media (Reuters) Reuters - A U.S. Army sergeant accused of deserting\to North Korea in 1965 and now hospitalized in Japan is willing\to appear before the U.S. military in Japan for a plea bargain,\Japanese media reports said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Clashes Slow as Cleric's Grip on Mosque Seems to Slip Moktada al-Sadr, the rebel Shiite cleric, still retained control of a Najaf shrine, though there were signs his grip might be weakening.$LABEL$0 +Rookie Leads Falcons Past Vikings 27-24 (AP) AP - The quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons appeared comfortable in the new West Coast offense, calmly using his mobility to avoid pressure and then finding open receivers.$LABEL$1 +Phillies Top Brewers 4-2 to Stop Skid (AP) AP - Jim Thome and Bobby Abreu homered and Eric Milton pitched seven solid innings as Philadelphia ended a seven-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.$LABEL$1 +Davenport Advances at Ohio Tournament (AP) AP - Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport cruised past seventh-seeded Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-2 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Western and Southern Women's Open.$LABEL$1 +Ortiz Stifle Yankees Ramon Ortiz pitched four-hit ball for eight stellar innings to lead the Anaheim Angels over the Yankees.$LABEL$1 +Wide U.S. Inquiry Into Purchasing for Health Care The case appears to be focused on whether hospitals are fraudulently overcharging Medicare and other programs for goods.$LABEL$0 +Musharraf #39;s one-way deal is just the ticket NO WONDER that President Musharraf is pleased with his trip to London yesterday and Washington at the weekend. He has been fted as the chief ally in the War on Terror, a third implicit $LABEL$0 +Cards Top Pirates 5-3 to Sweep Twinbill (AP) AP - Scott Rolen became the third St. Louis player to hit 30 homers this season and Chris Carpenter set a career best with his 13th win, leading the Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 Friday night to complete a day-night doubleheader sweep.$LABEL$1 +Japan Tropical Storm Death Toll Hits 13 (AP) AP - Tropical storm Megi swept out to sea beyond northern Japan on Friday, leaving behind an arc of destruction that killed 13 people, left hundreds homeless and cut off power to tens of thousands, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Stocks End Week on High Note Despite rising oil prices, U.S. stocks this week had their biggest rally since October, as investors reacted to some positive economic indicators, the easing of tensions in Iraq and Google Inc.'s unexpectedly strong performance after going public.$LABEL$2 +Hundreds Report Watch-List Trials For more than a year and a half, Rep. John Lewis has endured lengthy delays at the ticket counter, intense questioning by airline employees and suspicious glances by fellow passengers.$LABEL$2 +N. Irish deal hangs on IRA arms photos Anglo-Irish attempts to seal a lasting political settlement in Northern Ireland hinge on whether the IRA will allow pictures to be taken of their weapons being destroyed.$LABEL$0 +Prominent Eatery Seeks Chapter 11 Protection Galileo, the 21st Street restaurant that's a landmark in Washington cuisine and a frequent gathering place for the rich and powerful, filed for bankruptcy reorganization this week in the face of nearly \$2.5 million in debts, including a claim by the District for more than \$1 million in unpaid taxes and penalties.$LABEL$2 +Tensions Escalate Between Israel, Iran JERUSALEM - Iran threatened this week to attack Israel's nuclear facilities. Israel ominously warned that it ""knows how to defend itself."" Tensions between the two arch enemies have suddenly escalated, underlining the other great enmity that has been bubbling on the sidelines of the Arab-Israeli conflict for more than two decades...$LABEL$0 +NBA Jazz activate Spanish guard Lopez (AFP) AFP - Utah Jazz point guard Raul Lopez, a Spaniard who has missed the past two months while battling torn right knee ligaments, was activated by the National Basketball Association club.$LABEL$1 +Eagles Beat Ravens 26-17 but Lose Runner (AP) AP - Terrell Owens caught Donovan McNabb's long pass in stride, raced into the end zone, put his hands on his hips, stared at the crowd and nodded his head.$LABEL$1 +Four Dead After Attack on Homeless Man (AP) AP - Four homeless men were bludgeoned to death and six were in critical condition on Friday following early morning attacks by unknown assailants in downtown streets of Sao Paulo, a police spokesman said.$LABEL$0 +Expos Lose Johnson, Armas to Injuries (AP) AP - Montreal Expos first baseman Nick Johnson was hit on the side of the head by a hard grounder and was carried off the field on a stretcher Friday night.$LABEL$1 +Chavez Urges Foes to Accept Defeat, Scoffs at Fraud CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday urged his opponents to recognize his recall referendum victory and pledged dialogue even with his ""most bitter enemies"" to heal the country's deep political divisions.$LABEL$0 +With Boxing Show, Fox Makes Quick Move, but Judge Reacts The Fox network tried to move the premiere of ""The Next Great Champ"" to the day before a hearing, but the judge moved the hearing to the day of the premiere.$LABEL$2 +Yankees Are Powerless, and Stadium Was, Too The big scoreboards at Yankee Stadium went dark in the seventh inning Friday night, not that the Yankees were lighting them up, anyway.$LABEL$1 +2 Ex-I.R.S. Lawyers' Licenses Suspended for Misconduct The law licenses of two former Internal Revenue Service lawyers have been suspended after they defrauded the courts so that the I.R.S. could win 1,300 tax shelter cases.$LABEL$2 +Chinese Advocates of Reform Seek Help From Deng's Spirit China's retired elders are using the 100th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's birthday to emphasize the urgency of political reform.$LABEL$0 +Dolphins Want Pay Back The Miami Dolphins have asked Ricky Williams to return \$8.6 million they say the running back owes the team because he has decided to retire.$LABEL$1 +Cink Leads Soaking NEC Leader Stewart Cink played eight holes Friday morning to polish off a first-round 7-under 63 at the NEC Invitational and was at 8 under when play was suspended.$LABEL$1 +AND1 Mix Tape Tour Hop-Steps Into MCI Tonight The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour, whose emphasis on dunks over defense and trash-talk over chalk talk has vaulted AND1 from being a niche clothing line to a major athletic apparel manufacturer, culminates tonight at MCI Center. Attendance for the tour is up 30 percent this year, averaging about 7,000 spectators per game. About 10,000 are expected at tonight's event, which begins at 7:30.$LABEL$1 +Austin Relieved His Head Wasn't Shouldering a Problem Potomac Cannons right-handed pitcher Jeff Austin said he thought we was a head case after several horrendous outings with the big league club in Cincinnati last May.$LABEL$1 +Towers Stumps O's Again Former Oriole Josh Towers beats the O's for the second time in a week after allowing one run and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings as the Blue Jays triumph, 14-4, on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Corelli author loses plot in summerhouse theft (Reuters) Reuters - Louis de Bernieres, author of the best-selling novel ""Captain Corelli's Mandolin"", faces having\to rewrite the first four chapters of his new novel because his computer was stolen from his summerhouse.$LABEL$0 +Sadr Militiamen Still in Control of Iraq Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Rebel Shi'ite fighters appeared still to be in control of the Imam Ali mosque in the Iraqi city of Najaf, but the whereabouts of their leader, the fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, were unknown on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +McGahee: Play Me or Trade Me Running back Willis McGahee has asked the Buffalo Bills to trade him if he is not their starter on opening day, a source told The Associated Press on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Ortiz Stones Yankees Ramon Ortiz pitched four-hit ball for eight stellar innings and led the Anaheim Angels over the New York Yankees, 5-0, on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Moveon.org subscribers exposed Dozens of the political action committee's subscriber pages revealed by simple Google search.$LABEL$3 +Vietnam Vets in Hanoi Back Kerry with T-Shirts (Reuters) Reuters - With the U.S. presidential race taking a\decidedly bitter turn over John Kerry's Vietnam war record,\U.S. veterans in Hanoi are selling T-shirts supporting his run\for the White House.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Begins Criminal Probe on Riggs-Paper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation into possible wrongdoing at Riggs Bank, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing a letter from the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to federal bank regulators.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Begins Criminal Probe on Riggs-Paper (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Justice Department has\begun a criminal investigation into possible wrongdoing at\Riggs Bank, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing a\letter from the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to\federal bank regulators.$LABEL$2 +Phelps Gets Five Golds, Then Steps Aside ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps doesn't mind making history while sitting in the stands. The man who dominated the attention at the Olympic pool gave up a coveted spot on the 400-meter medley relay team to Ian Crocker...$LABEL$0 +Dodgers Beat the Braves 3-2 in 11 Innings (AP) AP - Adrian Beltre tied the game in the ninth inning with a home run off John Smoltz and won it in the 11th with his major league-leading 38th homer, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.$LABEL$1 +Pettersen in Lead at Wendy's LPGA (AP) AP - A steady downpour didn't qualify as bad weather to Suzann Pettersen. Playing through heavy showers was fine to Pettersen, who took a one-stroke lead Friday at the Wendy's Championship for Children. More than an inch of rain pounded Tartan Fields Golf Club, suspending play late in the afternoon #151; as was the case in the first round.$LABEL$1 +Oil Price Comes Close to \$50 but Then It Stages a Retreat il prices climbed nearer to \$50 a barrel yesterday before retreating, as traders reacted to reports on the conflict in Iraq, concerned that growing unrest might interrupt crude oil exports. $LABEL$2 +Grokster Wins Legal Victory over Copyrights Hollywood and the entertainment industry were set back by a legal decision that was favorable to Internet file-sharing company Grokster. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday in San Francisco that distributors of ...$LABEL$2 +Good for Google GOOGLE #39;S INITIAL public stock offering, for all the talk about its unusual auction and the missteps of company executives, has produced a desirable outcome. The stock, fairly priced at \$85 a share for the 19.6 million shares, has generated a reasonable ...$LABEL$2 +Rival has deal for mall owner WASHINGTON - Rouse Co., the once-visionary real estate firm that founded the city of Columbia, Md., and revitalized Harborplace in Baltimore, is being acquired for \$7.2 billion in cash by General Growth Properties, a Chicago-based owner ...$LABEL$2 +FCC Adds 6 Months to Local Phone Line Rules The Federal Communications Commission yesterday released a set of stop-gap rules governing local phone competition that requires regional telephone companies to continue leasing their lines to rivals at discounted rates for six months. $LABEL$2 +US Begins Criminal Probe on Riggs-Paper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation into possible wrongdoing at Riggs Bank, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing a letter from the US attorney for the District of Columbia to federal bank ...$LABEL$2 +Dallas firm interested in buying Cyberonics Cyberonics, the maker of a device that treats epilepsy, has nabbed the attention of a buyer. Advanced Neuromodulation Systems of Dallas said Friday it has acquired 15 percent of the company and added that it may want to buy it ...$LABEL$2 +Sir Martin Sorrell #39;very impressed #39; with US group Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, yesterday declared he was quot;very impressed quot; with Grey Global, stoking speculation WPP will bid for the US advertising company. $LABEL$2 +Arch Coal completes Triton deal SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Arch Coal said it completed its \$364 million acquisition of Triton Coal Friday, hours after a Federal Court turned down efforts by the Federal Trade Commission to block the deal. $LABEL$2 +Bay Street gets a boost from gold and technology sectors Toronto stocks closed higher yesterday, notching their first winning week in three as technology and gold issues teamed up to boost the market. $LABEL$2 +Oil Prices Inch Back Down Oil prices fell below \$48 a barrel as tensions between US forces and rebel fighters in Iraq eased, raising hopes that attacks against the country #39;s oil infrastructure would subside. US light crude for September delivery settled at \$47.86 on the New York ...$LABEL$2 +Airways pilots extend talks Pilots for US Airways are continuing to negotiate this weekend over the Arlington airline #39;s demand for a 16.5 percent pay cut, despite a warning from management that negotiations should have concluded yesterday. $LABEL$2 +Viacom could consider acquiring Midway Games LOS ANGELES Media conglomerate Viacom is considering entering the video game business and could acquire Midway Games, Viacom chief Sumner Redstone, who owns a controlling stake in Midway, said in a regulatory filing Friday. $LABEL$2 +Marvell Posts 54 Increase in Earnings Shares of the Marvell Technology Group gained yesterday after the company said second-quarter earnings tripled as revenue rose 54 percent. $LABEL$2 +Woods looks like he #39;ll stay No. 1 _ for now Stewart Cink was atop the leaderboard, and David Toms had the lead in the clubhouse. But with only 24 players completing second-round play in the rain-delayed NEC Invitational, it was hard to tell who had control. $LABEL$1 +Bekele begins reign as world #39;s distance-running king With a breathtaking final 400 meters late Friday night, the 22-year-old Ethiopian laid claim to the Olympic 10,000-meter throne previously occupied by his countryman Haile Gebrselassie. $LABEL$1 +Mets give up six in first, can #39;t struggle back SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Noah Lowry has pitched so well that Felipe Alou now counts on the rookie to win every time out -- a standard the San Francisco skipper held only for ace Jason Schmidt in the past. $LABEL$1 +Compete against your friends, SI experts and celebrities in this pro football pickoff PHILADELPHIA -- In his own inimitable fashion, Terrell Owens made it quite clear during the offseason that, all in all, he #39;d rather be in Philadelphia. He squawked long and loud, and eventually whined his way out of Baltimore. $LABEL$1 +Cubs Blast Six Homers in Astros Mauling NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mark Grudzielanek hit two of Chicago #39;s six home runs and Glendon Rusch pitched seven strong innings to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 9-2 pasting of the Astros in Houston on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Rangers beat Royals for seventh straight KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If his inconsiderate neighbor would just lose that noisy alarm clock, there #39;s no telling how many home runs David Dellucci might hit. $LABEL$1 +Overton beats hometown favorite On a day when it would #39;ve been easy to lose, Evansville #39;s Jeff Overton instead advanced to the semifinals of the 104th US Amateur Championship. $LABEL$1 +Ortiz shines in Angels win Ramon Ortiz pitched eight shutout innings as Adam Kennedy and Garret Anderson homered to lead the Anaheim Angels to a 5-0 road win over the New York Yankees on Friday. $LABEL$1 +Major League Baseball to Create Channel OS ANGELES, Aug. 20 (Reuters) - Major League Baseball has approved the creation of a national cable television channel devoted to the sport, but regular-season games may be confined to the bench for the network #39;s first year, a top league ...$LABEL$1 +Schaub Rallies Falcons Matt Schaub threw one of his three touchdown passes to first-round pick Michael Jenkins as the Atlanta Falcons rallied for a 27-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in a pre-season game. $LABEL$1 +Red Sox Bash White Sox 10-1 (AP) AP - After struggling for three months, the Boston Red Sox are getting hot. Curt Schilling allowed three hits in seven shutout innings for his 15th win and Manny Ramirez hit a grand slam to lead Boston over the Chicago White Sox 10-1 Friday night.$LABEL$1 +The Bad Overshadows Good in Eagles Win (AP) AP - Correll Buckhalter's injury overshadowed Terrell Owens' spectacular debut with the Philadelphia Eagles. Owens caught an 81-yard TD pass from Donovan McNabb on Philadelphia's first play, and rookie J.R. Reed returned a kickoff 88 yards for a score, leading the Eagles over the Baltimore Ravens 26-17 in a preseason game Friday night.$LABEL$1 +IE Flaw Affects Windows XP SP2 Systems The quot;highly criticial quot; vulnerability affects Internet Explorer 5.01, 5.5, and 6 on fully patched PCs running either Windows XP SP1 or the newer SP2. $LABEL$3 +Hollywood to grab stardust for Nasa PASADENA (California) - Hollywood stunt pilots and Nasa scientists are teaming up to snatch a capsule full of stardust as it parachutes back to Earth next month. $LABEL$3 +Apple Announces Voluntary Recall of Powerbook Batteries Apple, in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced Thursday a voluntary recall of 15 quot; Aluminum PowerBook batteries. The batteries being recalled could potentially overheat, though no injuries relating ...$LABEL$3 +Learning to write with classroom blogs Last spring Marisa Dudiak took her second-grade class in Frederick County, Maryland, on a field trip to an American Indian farm. $LABEL$3 +E-Commerce Sales Rise in Second Quarter WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US retail sales over the Internet rose 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2004 and gained 23.1 percent compared with the same period last year as consumers continued to turn to e-commerce to make purchases, a government report ...$LABEL$3 +Lonely town holds view of space #39;s deep corners Sutherland, South Africa - It #39;s a 60-mile drive off the main highway in South Africa #39;s Northern Cape to this 19th century wool-producing town, but the desert landscape is so desolate it can feel as if the distance is 6,000 miles. The narrow ...$LABEL$3 +Moveon.org subscriber-data leaked through search Subscribers to Moveon.org #39;s mailing lists may have found their interest in the anti-Bush political site a matter of public record. $LABEL$3 +Good-looking, Lightweight #39;Push-to-Talk #39; Phone for Business Users You #39;ll either love or hate the metallic copper-tone case, but for us it is a welcome break from the generic silver or gray phones that everyone seems to have. (A silver version is also available, for the more timid.) Although by no means ...$LABEL$3 +AMD using strained silicon on 90-nanometer chips Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will implement the strained silicon manufacturing technique on its upcoming 90-nanometer processors as well as 130-nanometer processors released this quarter, an AMD spokesman said Friday. $LABEL$3 +Phone company replies to man 28 years later A Romanian man #39;s had a reply from the country #39;s state phone company 28 years after asking them to install a phone. Gheorghe Titianu from the northern town of Suceava said he was delighted when he saw the letter. However, the letter was simply ...$LABEL$3 +Blackberry in sync with Apple computers Information Appliance Associates, a software developer, announced the release of an application synchronizing Research In Motion #39;s (RIM) BlackBerry mobile devices with Apple #39;s Mac OS X. $LABEL$3 +Australian opposition leader released from hospital (AFP) AFP - Australian opposition leader Mark Latham was released from hospital Saturday after suffering from an inflamed pancreas in the lead up to national elections.$LABEL$0 +Kerry Tries to Counter Impact of Criticism WASHINGTON - Attacks on John Kerry's war record may be beginning to have an impact, polls suggest, amid raised voices and new TV ads on a subject at least temporarily dominating debate in the close presidential race. Democrats are laboring to deflect the questioning of Kerry's record with fresh ads touting his fitness for national command, even as the White House mocks the Massachusetts senator as ""losing his cool"" over claims he lied to win military medals in Vietnam...$LABEL$0 +Captors treat journalist well #39; An American freelance journalist with New England ties was shown in a video on al-Jazeera TV saying he is being treated well, #39; #39; while an aide to Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr said Micah Garen may be released soon. $LABEL$0 +Lab finds deadly H5N1 virus in pigs in China BEIJING - Chinese researchers have made the first-ever discovery of a lethal strain of bird flu in pigs, sparking concerns that the virus may mutate into an even deadlier strain and cause a new epidemic in Asia. $LABEL$0 +Maoist blockade of Kathmandu continues Bombs have exploded in Nepal #39;s capital Kathmandu in the third day of a Maoist rebel blockade which is choking the passage of supplies to the city. $LABEL$0 +Make aid a demilitarized zone OXFORD, England A year ago Thursday, I was visiting the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad with my good friend, Arthur Helton, a human rights lawyer, to investigate the human costs of the war and its aftermath. We were sitting with Sergio Vieira de ...$LABEL$0 +Muslim Nations Urged to Meet About Najaf by Iran Leader EHRAN, Aug. 20 -President Mohammad Khatami has called on Muslim countries to hold an emergency summit meeting to help stop the violence between American forces and Shiite militiamen in Najaf, the official news agency, IRNA, reported ...$LABEL$0 +Fire stops production at Bridgestone #39;s biggest tire plant in Japan TOKYO : Production at Bridgestone #39;s biggest tire plant in Japan remained suspended a day after a fire broke out at a rubber refining facility, a company spokesman said. $LABEL$0 +Australia Considers Stockpiling Crude Oil, Australian Reports Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Australia #39;s government is considering stockpiling crude oil or refined petroleum products to protect the country from disruption to oil imports, the Australian reported. $LABEL$0 +China Invokes Deng to Send Tough Taiwan Message BEIJING (Reuters) - China invoked late leader Deng Xiaoping on Saturday in its campaign to recover Taiwan, lauding his proposal to recover the island by a quot;one country, two systems quot; formula but saying he never gave up the threat of force. $LABEL$0 +Utes D coordinator has two offers SALT LAKE CITY -- Defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham is deciding whether to stay at University of Utah and accept its head coaching job or take a rival offer from Brigham Young University.$LABEL$1 +Expedition Aims to Find Lost Slave Ship (AP) AP - Archaeologists are set to begin an expedition this month in hopes of finding a Spanish ship that wrecked along the jagged reefs off the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1841 carrying a cargo of African slaves.$LABEL$0 +Rate of oil exploration slows WASHINGTON -- Despite record oil prices and strong projected demand from China and the United States, major oil firms are skimping on their exploration budgets and pocketing big profits while waiting out the storm of high prices, oil analysts say.$LABEL$2 +New Fan Pier owners may take on partners The prospective new owners of Boston's Fan Pier said yesterday they would not rule out selling sections or taking on partners to develop nonresidential components of the 3 million-square-foot project.$LABEL$2 +Firm buys Rouse in \$12.6b deal A Boston landmark changed hands yesterday, as the Rouse Company , the developer and owner of Faneuil Hall Marketplace, agreed to be purchased by General Growth Properties Inc. of Chicago.$LABEL$2 +Changes at the Herald THE REGION The Boston Herald named business columnist Cosmo Macero Jr. editor of its business section, replacing Ted Bunker, a nine-year Herald veteran, who has left the newspaper to quot;pursue other opportunities, quot; according to a Herald statement. Macero, 37, will continue to write a regular business column. Herald editorial director Ken Chandler said Macero was promoted quot;to make the section ...$LABEL$2 +Mass. job growth highest since #146;00 Massachusetts bucked the national hiring slowdown in July as the state posted its biggest monthly job gains in nearly four years and manufacturing employment surged.$LABEL$2 +Giving back in a big way WOBURN -- Few developers could build a commercial property empire of 74 debt-free office, industrial, retail, and research buildings valued at about \$800 million. Even fewer would then give most of it away.$LABEL$2 +NL notables Expos first baseman Nick Johnson was hit on the side of the head by a hard grounder in the third inning and was carried off the field on a stretcher. Johnson immediately went down face first onto the infield. The Expos said Johnson never lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital for X-rays. The Expos' starting pitcher, Tony Armas ...$LABEL$1 +Rose owes almost \$1m in back taxes PLANTATION, Fla. -- Pete Rose owes almost \$1 million in federal back taxes, but he is making monthly payments on the debt, his representative said yesterday.$LABEL$1 +Car accident can't keep coach away SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Randy Hien has spent more than two decades managing Little League baseball, and he wasn't going to miss the Lincoln (R.I.) All-Stars team's trip to the Little League World Series, even though a recent car accident nearly killed him.$LABEL$1 +Red Sox: Burly effort CHICAGO -- A year ago last night, Kevin Millar emblazoned a new slogan in the New England lexicon and the Red Sox began to turn around their season. Millar responded to waning support for the Sox after they lost 11 of their first 19 games in August by declaring, quot;I want to see somebody Cowboy Up and stand behind this ...$LABEL$1 +Ralston's position? Whatever it takes FOXBOROUGH -- Steve Ralston will be in the Revolution's starting lineup tonight against Kansas City, but his position is a mystery. Ralston has played more MLS games (271) than anyone, until recently nearly all of those matches in the same role, but Ralston has moved into three midfield positions and displayed some of his most impressive performances at right back ...$LABEL$1 +Everhart won't join Huggins The merry-go-round future of Northeastern men's basketball coach Ron Everhart slowed down, at least temporarily, yesterday when Everhart decided not to pursue a position as an assistant on Bob Huggins's staff at the University of Cincinnati.$LABEL$1 +Eagles apply some more polish Far from being a finished product after its first preseason scrimmage last Monday, Boston College's football team continued to polish its game in its second scrimmage last night at Alumni Stadium, despite a 45-minute delay because of lightning and torrential rain.$LABEL$1 +Toms not all wet at NEC David Toms finished at 4-under-par 66 just ahead of a downpour yesterday during the second round of the NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio, leaving him the clubhouse leader.$LABEL$1 +Mass. girls defend NORTH ANDOVER -- Massachusetts defended its Hockey Night in Boston Girls Summer Showcase title yesterday with a 9-3 victory over Minnesota in the championship game at Merrimack College.$LABEL$1 +As Milosevic turns 63, UN judges seek to get trial back on track THE HAGUE -- Slobodan Milosevic spent a fourth birthday in UN custody yesterday, his war crimes trial at a standstill because of his fragile health and his judges facing a dilemma on how to get it going again.$LABEL$0 +Israel #146;s AG suggests changes to barrier JERUSALEM -- Israel risks international sanctions and other serious diplomatic repercussions surrounding the barrier it is building in the West Bank and must be prepared to make further changes in the route, the nation's attorney general has warned in a report.$LABEL$0 +Hostage says he #146;s being treated well BAGHDAD -- A US journalist with Boston-area ties who was abducted by militants in Iraq and threatened with death said in a video aired yesterday that his captors were treating him well, while an Italian journalist also was reported missing in the war-torn country.$LABEL$0 +Capital professor lands lead role with UK Athletics EDINBURGH University professor Dave Collins was today appointed as the new performance director of UK Athletics. The ex-Royal Marine, who has worked with competitors across a range of sports in the Capital $LABEL$1 +On Tape, Abducted Reporter Says He's OK (AP) AP - A U.S. journalist abducted by militants in Iraq and threatened with death said in a video aired Friday that his captors were treating him well, while an Italian journalist also was reported missing in the war-torn country.$LABEL$0 +Fourth gold for Pinsent Great Britain's Matthew Pinsent claims his fourth Olympic gold as the men's coxless four triumph in a photo finish.$LABEL$0 +Across New York, a Death Penalty Stuck in Limbo A ruling by New York's highest court on the state's death penalty law has complicated the job of prosecutors and left the fate of inmates uncertain.$LABEL$0 +Golden mask sensational #39; SHIPKA, BulgariaA Bulgarian archaeologist has unearthed a 2,400-year-old golden mask in the tomb of an ancient Thracian king a find he says is unrivalled in the study of classical antiquity. $LABEL$3 +Greece Soul Searches, Phelps Nears Record ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece, an ancient nation, searched its soul over a new doping scandal on Saturday while Michael Phelps, a fresh-faced American teenager, prepared to enter the Olympic record books without having to swim a stroke. The Olympics started its eighth day with 32 gold medals up for grabs in what has been dubbed Super Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Liquor Inhaler Debuts Alcohol-Free in NYC NEW YORK - Fruit-infused water and Gatorade - not vodka and whiskey - were the inhalants offered at the Manhattan debut of a controversial new device that lets drinkers take vaporized shots of alcohol, and opponents want to make sure the machines stay liquor-free. The machine, the Alcohol Without Liquid vaporizer, or AWOL, lets its users inhale liquor by mixing it with pressurized oxygen...$LABEL$0 +Fourth gold for Pinsent Britain's Matthew Pinsent claims his fourth Olympic gold as the men's coxless four triumph in a photo finish.$LABEL$1 +Phelps #39; gesture is worth a million Just when we thought the kid couldn #39;t do anything more to amaze us, he raised the bar Friday night and did it without putting a hand in the water. $LABEL$1 +I couldn #39;t stop Woodgate - Newcastle boss Robson Newcastle United boss Sir Bobby Robson admits he is stunned at the speed of Jon Woodgate #39;s move to Real Madrid. $LABEL$1 +Greek jubilation no myth in #39;Peg Despite sluggish ticket sales and a scandal involving their star athletes, members of Winnipeg #39;s Greek community are still thrilled Greece is hosting this year #39;s Olympic Games. quot;There #39;s a lot of excitement, quot; said Chris Iacovidis, president of the Greek ...$LABEL$1 +Sox cruise past Chicago CHICAGO --- Elvis didn #39;t leave the building on Friday night, but Manny Ramirez and Orlando Cabrera both did. And Curt Schilling left the Chicago White Sox feeling quot;all shook up. quot; ...$LABEL$1 +Wily Devers snares spot in semifinals ATHENS -- The US women #39;s trio of 100-meter sprinters, including five-time Olympian Gail Devers, all raced into the semifinals with strong, controlled performances yesterday in the debut of the track and ...$LABEL$1 +Wambach #39;s boot boosts US into semifinals THESSALONIKI, Greece -- Abby Wambach will never score an easier goal. From 1 foot away, she tapped the ball into the net and put the United States into the Olympic semifinals. $LABEL$1 +In a flash, Escobedo's dream is over ATHENS -- Vicente Escobedo learned a hard lesson yesterday at Peristeri Boxing Hall. He learned you have to be ready when your moment arrives or you will chase your dream all night without ever reaching it.$LABEL$1 +'Style' scores in Spa feature SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Sense of Style lived up to her billing as the odds-on favorite and drew off through the stretch for a 6 3/4-length victory in the \$250,000 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga Race Course yesterday.$LABEL$1 +Different world NEWPORT, Vt. -- Lisa Klefos can't quite remember whether it was city life that drove her out of Boston or the beauty of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom that drew her up-country. It was either a combination of quot;drivers, politics, and taxes quot; that made it time for her to leave, or it is the overwhelming beauty of the Lake Memphremagog region she ...$LABEL$1 +Vendt's quest quashed ATHENS -- Erik Vendt's Olympics ended in the morning yesterday, when he ran out of gas in the preliminaries and failed to qualify for tonight's final of the 1,500-meter freestyle, where he's the world bronze medalist.$LABEL$1 +Cannons find target in rout The Boston Cannons said they weren't looking for revenge last night against the Baltimore Bayhawks, who drubbed the Cannons in their penultimate game of the season. That's what they said.$LABEL$1 +Heyl's spirits still afloat ATHENS -- Brett Heyl, the Norwich, Vt., native who had hopes of making the finals of the men's slalom kayak event, finished 12th in the morning heat yesterday, dropping him from the finals.$LABEL$1 +Japan's Ueno pitcher perfect vs. China ATHENS -- Yukiko Ueno pitched the first perfect game in Olympic softball history, leading Japan to a 2-0 win over China yesterday and a spot in the semifinals.$LABEL$1 +Distant memory in 10,000 ATHENS -- The two best 10,000-meter runners in history, two slender athletes from an impoverished country, met on the greatest stage of them all last night to decide if the new truly had surpassed the old.$LABEL$1 +Wadlow, Spaulding finally get a windfall ATHENS -- The fastest 49er on the Saronic Gulf yesterday was the one with the American flag spinnaker.$LABEL$1 +For Hall, a splash and dash to another gold ATHENS -- The defending champ took the blocks as if he were Apollo Creed last night, dressed in a star-spangled robe and trunks and brandishing his clasped hands like a prizefighter. And then Gary Hall Jr. went out and knocked the rest of the swimming world on its backside again, winning the 50-meter freestyle by a hundredth of a second ...$LABEL$1 +Greece Soul Searches, Phelps Nears Record ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece, an ancient nation, searched its soul over a new doping scandal on Saturday while Michael Phelps, a fresh-faced American teenager, prepared to enter the Olympic record books without having to swim a stroke. $LABEL$1 +Power outage wreaks havoc in Bronx Perhaps it won #39;t rank in the memory banks of New Yorkers to the extent the 1965, 1977 or 2003 blackouts do, but for the 53,530 in attendance at Yankee Stadium for Friday #39;s game against the Anaheim Angels, the unplugged ...$LABEL$1 +Emmons gives it best shot It would #39;ve been understandable if American Matt Emmons had a bad first Olympic experience. The way things had been going, he seemed destined for that. $LABEL$1 +Mets lose Trach in field SAN FRANCISCO - Steve Trachsel lasted only four innings and the Mets committed three errors in a 7-3 loss to the Giants last night at SBC Park. $LABEL$1 +NL notables Expos first baseman Nick Johnson was hit on the side of the head by a hard grounder in the third inning and was carried off the field on a stretcher. Johnson immediately went down face first onto the infield. The Expos said Johnson never lost ...$LABEL$1 +Murder police carry out searches Police investigating the murder of a woman in south-west London carry out house-to-house inquiries.$LABEL$0 +Report asserts Kazaa makes the rules Setting aside Sharman Networks #39; objections, an Australian judge accepted last Friday an affidavit with potentially damaging assertions about Kazaa #39;s handling of copyrighted material.$LABEL$3 +Congress Wants Rights Board Key members of Congress and the 9/11 commission make it clear that a federal board to protect civil liberties in the age of terrorism is not optional. But they're struggling to figure out how to establish it. By Ryan Singel.$LABEL$3 +Apple in iTunes.co.uk cybersquatting row Apple has been accused of bullying tactics in its battle to force a small UK firm to hand over ownership of the iTunes.co.uk web address.$LABEL$3 +You're Athletes, Not Journalists Olympians can do media interviews but they'd better not blog. The International Olympic Committee, interested in protecting lucrative broadcasting contracts, forbids any activity that might upset the networks.$LABEL$3 +Truckers defy Kathmandu blockade More lorry drivers are bringing supplies to Nepal's capital in defiance of an indefinite blockade by Maoist rebels.$LABEL$0 +Accused Hamas Leader Denies U.S. Charges DAMASCUS, Syria - A senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas indicted in the United States for conspiring to fund terror attacks against Israel denied the accusations and said the charges were driven by election-year politics in the United States. ""This is election campaigning,"" Mousa Abu Marzook, deputy chief of the Hamas political bureau, told The Associated Press in Damascus on Friday...$LABEL$0 +Riddick's mixed bag of tricks The Chronicle of Riddick franchise is very mixed in terms of success and quality.$LABEL$3 +AMD adds power saving at the high end Future Opteron processors will have power management technology from AMD #39;s laptop and desktop systems, the company has announced.$LABEL$3 +Malaysia testing 3 people for bird flu; says outbreak isolated KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian officials on Saturday were testing three people who fell ill in a village hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, after international health officials warned that the virus appeared to be entrenched in parts of ...$LABEL$0 +Iraqi captors to #39;free US journalist #39; The captors of an French-American journalist being held in Iraq have announced he will be released soon. $LABEL$0 +Truckers defy Kathmandu blockade More lorry drivers are defying the indefinite Maoist blockade of Nepal #39;s capital, Kathmandu, which is entering its fourth day. $LABEL$0 +Russian Cossacks ride for country again STAVROPOL, RUSSIA -- Once they were the outriders of the Russian empire, feared and fearless warriors who extended the Czar #39;s authority as far as their horses would carry them. $LABEL$0 +Abductions in Iraq catch Nepal government off guard Grappling with a blockade called by Maoist rebels and the closure of leading business houses, the Nepal government was caught off guard by reports of the possible abduction of 12 of its nationals in Iraq on Saturday. $LABEL$0 +As Milosevic turns 63, UN judges seek to get trial back on track THE HAGUE -- Slobodan Milosevic spent a fourth birthday in UN custody yesterday, his war crimes trial at a standstill because of his fragile health and his judges facing a dilemma on how to get it ...$LABEL$0 +Seven separatist rebels killed in restive Aceh BANDA ACEH, Aceh (AFP): Seven separatist rebels have been killed in the latest clashes to hit the troubled Indonesian province of Aceh, the military said on Saturday. $LABEL$0 +Policeman Killed as Nepal Siege Grips Capital (Reuters) Reuters - Suspected insurgents shot dead a\policeman in Nepal's capital on Saturday as the military said\it could escort food shipments into the city to ease a\rebel-inspired blockade.$LABEL$0 +Young French woman murdered in London park (AFP) AFP - A young French woman died in a London hospital on hours after being struck violently on the head with a blunt instrument while walking home across Twickenham Park, a police spokesman said.$LABEL$0 +HK heat 'risks bacteria growth' \Hong Kong scientists warn rising global temperatures may transform the city into a breeding ground for viruses.$LABEL$0 +Militiamen begin to leave Shi #146;te shrine NAJAF, Iraq -- Militia fighters began to leave the Shrine of Imam Ali yesterday, taking up positions outside the sacred site or fleeing the city, after rebellious Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr offered to return custody of the complex to moderate clerics.$LABEL$0 +US Changes West Bank Policy to Help Sharon: NYTimes (Reuters) Reuters - The Bush administration has signaled\approval of growth in some Israeli settlements in the West Bank\in a policy change aimed at helping Prime Minister Ariel\Sharon, the New York Times said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Iran Hangs Three Drug Smugglers in Public - Paper (Reuters) Reuters - Iran has hanged three drug smugglers in\a public square in the southern province of Kerman, the\Jomhuri-ye Eslami newspaper reported on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +US Changes West Bank Policy to Help Sharon: NYTimes NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Bush administration has signaled approval of growth in some Israeli settlements in the West Bank in a policy change aimed at helping Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the New York Times said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Iran Hangs Three Drug Smugglers in Public - Paper TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has hanged three drug smugglers in a public square in the southern province of Kerman, the Jomhuri-ye Eslami newspaper reported on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +UN airlifts food to Darfur town The UN drops food into remote communities in Sudan's troubled Darfur region that are cut off by rain.$LABEL$0 +Jackson search 'ignored warrant' Michael Jackson's Neverland manager claims police wanted to search areas unspecified by their warrant.$LABEL$0 +Pakistani Forces Attack Terrorist Lairs ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani troops backed by artillery and aircraft attacked two suspected terrorist hideouts near the rugged Afghan border on Saturday, killing and wounding a number of militants, Pakistan army and security officials said. The attack was launched near Shakai in the South Waziristan tribal region, scene of several military counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida fugitives and renegade tribesmen in the recent months...$LABEL$0 +Week Ahead: Stocks May Rally if Oil Eases (Reuters) Reuters - Investors will watch for oil news from\Russia and Iraq next week, but skepticism that crude prices can\stay sky-high is growing and a break in the energy market would\fuel a rally in U.S. stock markets.$LABEL$2 +Oil Unlikely to Knock Fed Off Rate Plan (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. economy may lose a step to\record high oil prices but concerns over inflation are likely\to keep the Federal Reserve on a steady course of gradually\raising interest rates, analysts say.$LABEL$2 +Week Ahead: Stocks May Rally if Oil Eases NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors will watch for oil news from Russia and Iraq next week, but skepticism that crude prices can stay sky-high is growing and a break in the energy market would fuel a rally in U.S. stock markets.$LABEL$2 +Two Blasts Hit Northwest Spain After ETA Warnings MADRID (Reuters) - Explosions rocked containers in two separate coastal cities in northwestern Spain on Saturday after a Basque newspaper received a telephoned warning in the name of the armed Basque separatist group ETA, state radio said.$LABEL$0 +German Police Detain 10 Neo-Nazis Before Hess March MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - German police detained 10 neo-Nazis on Saturday before a march marking the anniversary of the death of Adolf Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess.$LABEL$0 +UN staff call for Afghan pullout The UN staff union calls for all personnel to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, saying it has become too dangerous.$LABEL$0 +Two bombs explode in Spain's northwest, ETA suspected (AFP) AFP - Two bombs exploded in two coastal towns in northwestern Spain, after an anonymous tip-off by a caller claiming to belong to the Basque separatist organization ETA, an interior ministry spokesman told AFP.$LABEL$0 +Multifunction Devices Draw Back-To-School Crowd (Reuters) Reuters - The consumer electronics gizmo\that offers many functions in a small package is what's\compelling back-to-school shoppers to open their wallets.$LABEL$3 +Woods May Stay No. 1 - for Now (AP) AP - Stewart Cink was atop the leaderboard, and David Toms had the lead in the clubhouse. But with only 24 players completing second-round play in the rain-delayed NEC Invitational, it was hard to tell who had control.$LABEL$1 +Away on Business: Making a Difference NEW YORK (Reuters) - Working in poverty-stricken areas gives corporate travelers an up-close look at global problems such as disease, illiteracy or injustice. It also puts them in a position to bring about change.$LABEL$2 +Multifunction Devices Draw Back-To-School Crowd SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The consumer electronics gizmo that offers many functions in a small package is what's compelling back-to-school shoppers to open their wallets.$LABEL$3 +Online Satirists Pull No Punches on U.S. Election (Reuters) Reuters - Some are born to rule, others to\ridicule, is a worthy reminder to U.S presidential hopefuls\struck by an endless arsenal of satirical barbs on the Web.$LABEL$3 +Spain bombs 'follow Eta warning' Bombs explode in separate Spanish towns after a warning in the name of the armed Basque separatist group, Eta.$LABEL$0 +Phelps Bows Out With Magnanimous Gesture ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps doesn't mind making history while sitting in the stands. The man who dominated the attention at the Olympic pool gave up a coveted spot on the 400-meter medley relay team to Ian Crocker...$LABEL$0 +Bombs Explode at Rally in Bangladesh DHAKA, Bangladesh - A series of bombs exploded at an opposition rally in the Bangladesh capital Saturday, killing one person and injuring hundreds, witnesses said. The blasts occurred as the main opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was addressing the rally from atop a truck...$LABEL$0 +Judges Suspended Three judges are suspended Saturday for a mistake in scoring the men's gymnastics all-around final, but results are not be changed and American Paul Hamm keeps his gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Crawford Wins 100 Preliminaries Shawn Crawford speeds to victory in 10.02 seconds in the first round of the men's 100 meters, leading three Americans into the second round.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Beats Australia After a miserable Olympics four years ago, the U.S. men's volleyball team has guaranteed a place in the medal round.$LABEL$1 +Pinsent Wins Fourth Gold Rower Matthew Pinsent wins his fourth gold medal Saturday after his boat edges Canada by .08 seconds in the coxless four.$LABEL$1 +Ainslie clinches Finn gold Britain's Ben Ainslie retains his overall lead in the final race of the Finn class.$LABEL$1 +Blast at Bangladesh Opposition Meeting Kills 4 DHAKA (Reuters) - At least four people were killed when one or more bombs exploded as former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed addressed a public meeting outside her party headquarters on Saturday, police and witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +Two Blasts Hit Northwest Spain After ETA Warnings MADRID (Reuters) - Small explosions rattled two coastal cities in northwestern Spain on Saturday, injuring at least one person, after a telephoned warning in the name of the armed Basque separatist group ETA, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Blast hits Bangladesh party rally A bomb explodes at an opposition rally in Bangladesh, killing at least one person, witnesses and police say.$LABEL$0 +Blast at Bangladesh Opposition Meeting Kills 4 (Reuters) Reuters - At least four people were killed when one\or more bombs exploded as former Bangladesh prime minister\Sheikh Hasina Wajed addressed a public meeting outside her\party headquarters on Saturday, police and witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +Ainslie wins second Olympics yachting gold (AFP) AFP - Britain's Ben Ainslie collected his second successive Olympic Games yachting gold medal when he took victory in the Finn class.$LABEL$0 +Helicopter Stunt Pilots to Snag Stardust for NASA (Reuters) Reuters - NASA has recruited two\Hollywood helicopter stunt pilots for an especially tricky\maneuver -- snagging a capsule full of stardust as it\parachutes back to Earth next month, mission managers said on\Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Olympic Games Hit Stride with Medals Free-For-All ATHENS (Reuters) - Norway, Germany, France, Britain Romania, New Zealand and Australia all looted the gold-medal chest in the Athens Olympic rowing basin on Saturday, as Greece counted the cost of the Games in national pride and treasure.$LABEL$1 +Anderson offers England victory as Windies lose Lara, Gayle (AFP) AFP - James Anderson took the crucial wickets of Chris Gayle and Brian Lara as England pressed for victory in the fourth Test against the West Indies at the Oval here.$LABEL$0 +Court Acquits Mooning Theater Director (AP) AP - The Supreme Court has quashed charges of obscene exposure levied last year against avant-garde theater director Gerald Thomas, who mooned an audience after an opera performance.$LABEL$0 +Newspaper: U.S. Knew About Abandoned Kids (AP) AP - U.S. State Department officials learned that seven American children had been abandoned at a Nigerian orphanage but waited more than a week to check on the youths, who were suffering from malnutrition, malaria and typhoid, a newspaper reported Saturday.$LABEL$0 +For Native Alaskans, Tradition Is Yielding to Modern Customs Centuries-old traditions in Gambell, a village of 700, have been slipping away, as one of the most remote villages on earth finally contends with the modern world.$LABEL$0 +Sudan vows not to return displaced to their homes without watchdog's okay (AFP) AFP - The Sudanese government pledged that it would return none of the more than one million people displaced by the civil war in Darfur to their homes without the prior approval of the International Organisation for Migration.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan failing to keep Kashmir pledge - India (Reuters) Reuters - India's ruling Congress party accused Pakistan on Saturday of not keeping its promise to halt support for Kashmiri militants fighting against New Delhi's rule in the disputed Himalayan region.$LABEL$0 +Germans 'lose event gold' Germany is reportedly stripped of its three-day event team gold medal after a joint appeal was upheld.$LABEL$1 +High crude here to stay Oil dipping almost \$1 doesn #39;t signal the beginning of a major retreat, say commodities experts who suggest crude might never fall below \$40 US a barrel again.$LABEL$2 +Google goes public After a series of missteps, Google finally pulled off its much-hyped initial public offering Thursday. The good news about this unusual IPO, which sought to deprive Wall Street banks of full control over the $LABEL$2 +Venezuela Awaits Result of Presidential Recall Vote Audit Venezuelan election officials say they expect to announce Saturday, results of a partial audit of last Sunday #39;s presidential recall referendum.$LABEL$2 +British Airways strike averted after agreement reached A planned strike by British Airways(BA) workers on the August Bank Holiday has been called off after a pay settlement was reached between employers and BA staff, Sky TV reported Saturday.$LABEL$2 +2 Big Carriers at O #39;Hare to Cut Flights The nation #39;s two largest airlines, American and United, announced on Wednesday that they would cut flights at O #39;Hare International Airport to ease congestion that has been delaying flights from coast to coast.$LABEL$2 +US Air flying towards shutdown? US Airways faces a serious risk of going out of business, according to some leading airline analysts, despite claims by the CEO of the nation #39;s No.$LABEL$2 +Calif. Plan Aims to Add Solar Energy to Homes California should try to add solar energy systems to 1 million homes by 2017 to save electricity and cut pollution from power plants, Gov.$LABEL$2 +Nortel: Nowhere To Go But Up NEW YORK - It certainly sounds like bad news when a company fires seven executives for financial malfeasance, lays off 3,500 employees and advises investors that it expects sluggish market growth for the year.$LABEL$2 +The Aftermath Of Charley: The Most Expensive States To Insure Your <b>...</b> There are always trade-offs to every place people choose to live. If you live in New York, it #39;s too expensive. If you live in Montana, it #39;s too remote.$LABEL$2 +Medical Stocks Up 2.8 Percent on Week Medical-related stocks largely closed up Friday afternoon as Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc. bought a sizable chunk of Cyberonics Inc.$LABEL$2 +Armor Holdings Selected for DoD Program Body and vehicle armor company Armor Holdings Inc. said Friday it was selected as one of the companies to receive a Defense Department ceramic body armor contract that could be worth up to \$461 million over 36 months.$LABEL$2 +Red Cross will assist in locating relatives Local residents having difficulty reaching relatives in the areas recently hit by Hurricane Charley are urged to contact the Washtenaw County Chapter of the Red Cross for assistance.$LABEL$2 +Movie Studios Lose In Case Against File-Sharing Apps The decision is likely to force the industry to take the more costly and less-popular route of going directly after file-swappers.$LABEL$3 +Latest SP2 Flaw Bypasses IE Security Zone Security researchers have discovered another vulnerability in Windows XP Service Pack 2, but it doesn #39;t appear to be an immediate threat.$LABEL$3 +Absence of linguistic skills could hamper thinking ability Not being part of a culture with a highly developed language, could limit your thoughts, at least as far as numbers are concerned, reveals a new study conducted by a psychologist at the Columbia University in New York.$LABEL$3 +A Guidebook for Every Taste LANNING a trip involves many difficult decisions, but near the top of my list is standing in a bookstore trying to choose from a daunting lineup of guidebooks, a purchase that brands the owner $LABEL$3 +Mars Rover Finds Mysterious Rocks and More Signs of Water ith one Mars rover climbing into the hills and the other descending deep into a crater, scientists yesterday reported the discovery of several mysterious rock structures along with yet more signs that Mars was once awash in water.$LABEL$3 +NASA Researchers, Stunt Pilots Prepare for Genesis Probe #39;s Return A team of NASA (news - web sites) scientists, navigators and helicopter stunt pilots is ready to snatch a space sample canister out of the sky next month when the Genesis spacecraft returns to Earth.$LABEL$3 +Apple Announces Voluntary Recall of Powerbook Batteries Apple, in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced Thursday a voluntary recall of 15 quot; Aluminum PowerBook batteries.$LABEL$3 +Battle heightens over San Francisco bridge costs Plagued by delays and cost overruns, a \$5.1 billion renovation of San Francisco #39;s Bay Bridge has run into added problems as the state refuses to pay for $LABEL$3 +Google #39;s ups and downs Google #39;s long-awaited public offering finally made it to the street, but the search is still on for Microsoft #39;s Windows update.$LABEL$3 +Electronic Arts Breaking Out Game kingpin and Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) has another hit on its hands. Madden NFL 2005 was the top-selling game its first week on the market.$LABEL$3 +Austria backs away from privatization VIENNA Austria backed away from a full privatization of its top telecommunications company after merger talks with Swisscom failed.$LABEL$3 +Amazon to purchase Chinese on-line retailer Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to buy Joyo.com, China #39;s largest on-line retailer of books, music and videos, for \$75-million (US) to gain access to the world #39;s second-biggest Internet market.$LABEL$3 +Valley wins point on spyware Technology companies in Silicon Valley have beaten back what they saw as an overreaching attempt in the California legislature to control computer spyware and hope that a new more palatable $LABEL$3 +Survey Notes Rise in US Broadband Users The number of Americans who get on the Internet via high-speed lines has now equaled the number using dial-up connections. July measurements from Nielsen/NetRatings placed the broadband audience at 51 percent of the US online population at home.$LABEL$3 +Is VoIP just chump change? AT amp;T #39;s Net phone service may ultimately generate less than \$2 billion a year in revenue, Chief Executive David Dorman said Friday, which is chump change to a corporate giant.$LABEL$3 +Chinadotcom #39;s Text-Messages Suspended Chinadotcom Corp. said Friday that China #39;s state-controlled wireless carrier fined the company \$160,000 and suspended its text-message services on charges that the cell-phone service provider #39;s Go2joy unit $LABEL$3 +Scientists Make Malaria Drug Based on Herbal Remedy Scientists have created a synthetic drug which could offer new hope in the fight against malaria. Nearly two billion people live in areas affected by malaria.$LABEL$3 +LCD price cuts on the rise due to oversupply Prices are expected to fall for 17 and 19 inch Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TV panels based on Thin Film Technology (TFT), according to a report by Electronic News.$LABEL$3 +Sports Headlines from the Summer Olympics Saturday marks the final day of swimming at the 2004 Olympics and even though American Michael Phelps will not be in the pool for the 400-meter medley relay he will have a chance to tie an incredible record.$LABEL$1 +Monty still coming to terms with marriage split COLIN MONTGOMERIE openly admits he is losing sleep. But there are more serious things than the Ryder Cup on his mind. As he continues his bid to be part of Europes team next month, Montgomerie is still $LABEL$1 +Pittman Makes Remarkable Hurdles Comeback Thirteen days after undergoing knee surgery, world champion Jana Pittman made a remarkable comeback Saturday morning by winning her preliminary heat of the women #39;s 400-meter hurdles.$LABEL$1 +Demetra Proud of Husband #39;s Achievements Matthew Pinsent got the nod to carry on moments after winning his fourth Olympic gold medal from the person who matters most, his wife Demetra.$LABEL$1 +Tennis: Agassi, Hewitt Advance to Legg Mason Semifinals Two former world-number-one tennis stars, American Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, have advanced to the semifinals of the Legg Mason Classic in Washington.$LABEL$1 +Afghan women blaze a trail ATHENS, Greece -- At 14.14 seconds, Robina Muqimyar posted the second-slowest time among 63 women in the 100-meter trials. But she and judo competitor Friba Razayee also have achieved historic firsts -- they $LABEL$1 +World champs Serbia-Montenegro in trouble after loss to Spain Spain clinched first place in its group with a 76-68 victory Saturday, leaving Serbia-Montenegro in danger of failing to reach the quarterfinals.$LABEL$1 +Alonso the pass master Spain international Xabi Alonso is a player that epitomises the type of footballer Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez wants to have at Anfield.$LABEL$1 +West Indies Hold Up England March James Anderson took both wickets to fall as England were met with West Indian defiance on the third day of the final Test at the Oval.$LABEL$1 +Red Sox 10, White Sox 1 While Curt Schilling had a performance befitting a King on Friday night, Mark Buehrle and the White Sox were all shook up. The 38,720 fans who attended quot;Elvis Night quot; at US Cellular Field $LABEL$1 +Favorite son eliminated Hoosier Overton fends off four-time Winged Foot champ and St. John #39;s grad Svoboda in Amateur. BY MARK HERRMANN. MAMARONECK, NY - The golf phrase quot;local knowledge quot; took on new meaning this week at the US Amateur.$LABEL$1 +Cubs Blast Six Homers in Astros Mauling Mark Grudzielanek hit two of Chicago #39;s six home runs and Glendon Rusch pitched seven strong innings to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 9-2 pasting of the Astros in Houston on Friday.$LABEL$1 +Najaf Standoff Continues Shi #39;ite militiamen continue to occupy the Imam Ali shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf, despite religious authorities #39; efforts to end the 17-day standoff.$LABEL$0 +More Violence in Nepal on 4th Day of Rebel Blockade In Nepal, fresh violence has erupted in the capital, Kathmandu, on the fourth day of a blockade imposed by Maoist rebels. The rebels are not backing down, even though the government has agreed to one of their key demands.$LABEL$0 +Malaysian bird flu an isolated case A recent case of bird flu Malaysia appears to be an isolated event, the World Health Organization says. Health officials have confirmed the case, found in the poultry of $LABEL$0 +Russian Cossacks ride for country again Once they were the outriders of the Russian empire, feared and fearless warriors who extended the Czar #39;s authority as far as their horses would carry them.$LABEL$0 +Two blasts hit northwest Spain Small explosions have rattled two towns in northwestern Spain, injuring four people, after a telephoned warning in the name of the armed Basque separatist group ETA, officials said.$LABEL$0 +A balancing act: Australia #39;s diplomatic relations HAMISH ROBERTSON: The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, sparked quite an argument last week with his comments in Beijing about whether Australia would side with the United States in any war over Taiwan.$LABEL$0 +Ex-Enron CEO Seeks Separate Trial Lawyers for former Enron Corp. (ENRNQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research) chief executive Jeffrey Skilling on Friday asked a federal court to separate his trial from his former boss Ken Lay #39;s $LABEL$2 +FDA Alters Tack on Children and Antidepressants A Food and Drug Administration reexamination of data linking the pediatric use of some antidepressants to increased suicidal tendencies has once again found a connection, and the agency is $LABEL$2 +Indian, British scientists working on drug to fight malaria At least 27 people are reported to have died of malaria in Alindra, India and 293 are seriously ill with the disease which broke out after the heavy rains and floods.$LABEL$3 +Storm-tossed counties to head back to school That #39;s what happened to Charlotte High School because of Hurricane Charley. A complex with 2,200 students, slightly bigger than Tallahassee #39;s largest high school, was demolished Aug. 13 by ferocious $LABEL$3 +Kerry accuses Vietnam critics of illegal ties to Bush campaign (AFP) AFP - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry's campaign has formally alleged that a group attacking his Vietnam war record had illegal ties to US President George W. Bush's re-election bid.$LABEL$0 +Hamm Won Gymnastics Gold on Score Error: FIG ATHENS (Reuters) - American Paul Hamm, who became the first American to win the Olympics men's all-round gymnastics title, should not have been awarded the gold, the sport's governing body ruled Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Cassini Spies Two Moons Around Saturn (AP) AP - NASA's Cassini spacecraft has spied two new little moons around satellite-rich Saturn, the space agency said.$LABEL$3 +Olympics: Germans Unhorsed Amid Games Gold Binge ATHENS (Reuters) - Norway, Germany, France, Britain, Romania, New Zealand and Australia all looted the gold-medal chest in the Athens Olympic rowing basin on Saturday, as Greece counted the cost of the Games in national pride and cash.$LABEL$1 +Ruling Says Mistake Gave Paul Hamm Gold ATHENS, Greece - Paul Hamm's gold medal just lost some of its luster. A mistake in scoring of the all-around gymnastics final cost Yang Tae-young the gold that ended up going to Hamm, the International Gymnastics Federation said Saturday...$LABEL$0 +Phelps Will Finish Olympics As a Spectator ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps doesn't mind making history while sitting in the stands. The man who dominated the attention at the Olympic pool gave up a coveted spot on the 400-meter medley relay team to Ian Crocker...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Wins Sailing Gold Americans Paul Foerster and Kevin Burnham win their first Olympic titles after outmaneuvering their British rivals during the final 470 class race.$LABEL$1 +Equestrian Medal Overturned France is awarded the gold medal in the three-day equestrian team event after winning an appeal with Britain and the United States against an earlier decision that gave the victory to Germany.$LABEL$1 +Oil prices hit new high - and more to come Crude oil prices will top \$US50 (\$A69) a barrel for the first time this week, despite a slight fall in New York on Friday night, some analysts have predicted.$LABEL$2 +British Airways Averts Strike, Agrees Pay With Unions (Update2) British Airways Plc, Europe #39;s second- biggest airline, reached a pay accord with unions, averting a strike planned for the Aug. 27-30 holiday weekend by 11,000 baggage handlers and check-in staff.$LABEL$2 +Reshaping a Reshaper of Landscapes he Rouse Company, the mall developer and manager that has helped reshape the nation #39;s landscape, agreed yesterday to be acquired by General Growth Properties, the big owner of shopping centers, for \$7.$LABEL$2 +UPDATE 3-US airlines agree to cut flights at Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare US airlines have agreed to limit flights into Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare International Airport at peak periods to stem record delays that have slowed aviation nationwide, federal officials said on Wednesday.$LABEL$2 +SEC Rules Expand Disclosure Companies must disclose more information about their business deals and financial obligations starting Monday, when new Securities and Exchange Commission rules take effect.$LABEL$2 +FCC Puts Hold on Wholesale Phone Rates WASHINGTON Aug. 20, 2004 - Federal regulators Friday imposed a six-month freeze on the rates regional phone companies may charge their competitors to use networks to provide local service.$LABEL$2 +IE Flaw Affects Windows XP SP2 Systems The quot;highly criticial quot; vulnerability affects Internet Explorer 5.01, 5.5, and 6 on fully patched PCs running either Windows XP SP1 or the newer SP2.$LABEL$3 +Latest color pictures from Cassini look like artwork NASA has released three new stunning color pictures taken by the Cassini spacecraft exploring the planet Saturn. The images show the giant planet, its golden rings and several moons.$LABEL$3 +Apple Recalls PowerBook Batteries Apple Computer this week launched a voluntary worldwide 15-inch PowerBook G4 battery exchange program to deal with 28,000 potentially faulty units.$LABEL$3 +Phelps: Packing up seven medals ATHENS: Michael Phelps won gold in the 100m butterfly on Friday to take his Olympic medal tally to five gold and two bronze. A medal of any colour now will him equal the record for most medals at a single $LABEL$1 +More Home stories: Great Britain #39;s gold medal tally now stands at five after Leslie Law was handed the individual three day eventing title - in a courtroom.$LABEL$1 +Woodgate out to prove his worth at Real Madrid Jonathan Woodgate says he has learned from his past mistakes off the pitch and is now determined to make the headlines solely for his footballing prowess after completing a dream move to Real Madrid.$LABEL$1 +Forlan aiming for fresh start at Villarreal Uruguay striker Diego Forlan said he was looking for a fresh start after leaving Manchester United to join Primera Liga side Villarreal.$LABEL$1 +US basketball not only struggling team Take heart, Larry Brown. Yours is not the sole face of frustration at an Olympic basketball tournament that #39;s shaping up as the most compelling since 1988.$LABEL$1 +Spaniards can lift Liverpool: Benitez Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists his new Spanish signings will help the Reds to become contenders for the English Premiership crown.$LABEL$1 +Cricket: Anderson offers England victory as Windies lose Lara <b>...</b> LONDON : James Anderson took the crucial wickets of Chris Gayle and Brian Lara as England pressed for victory in the fourth Test against the West Indies at the Oval here.$LABEL$1 +Blast hits Bangladesh party rally A bomb has exploded at an opposition party rally in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, killing at least one person, witnesses and police say.$LABEL$0 +Six dead as Nepal rebels vow to step up blockade KATHMANDU : Maoist rebels who have cut off Nepal #39;s capital for four days pledged to expand their blockade to the Tibetan border as fresh violence left six people dead.$LABEL$0 +Two bombs explode in Spain TWO bombs exploded today in two coastal towns in northwestern Spain, after a tip-off by a caller claiming to represent the Basque separatist organisation ETA, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.$LABEL$0 +Howard says help at hand PRIME Minister Mr John Howard was yesterday forced to defend Mr Alexander Downer in relation to the Foreign Ministers comments that Australia was not bound to help the US defend Taiwan.$LABEL$0 +Burundi Agrees to Move Tutsi Refugees to Safety Following last week #39;s massacre of at least 160 Congolese Tutsis at a refugee camp near Burundi #39;s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Burundian government is speeding up efforts to help the United Nations set up more secure camps in the $LABEL$0 +US demands quick result on Airbus subsidy dispute PARIS, Dec 7 (AFP) - The United States wants rapid progress in resolving a dispute with the European Union on public aid to rival aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus, and will call for World Trade Organisation mediation if US-EU talks do not produce results $LABEL$2 +Chicago Firm Acquires Rouse for \$7.2 Billion Rouse Co., the real estate developer that transformed America #39;s suburban landscape by creating the indoor shopping mall and self-contained communities far from city centers $LABEL$2 +British equestrian team get silver Germany have lost their two gold medals in the equestrian three-day eventing competition after France, Britain and the United States won their appeal to sport #39;s highest appeal body.$LABEL$1 +UPDATE 1-England edge towards series whitewash England made slow progress towards a seventh successive test win with West Indies 274 for six on day three of the fourth test at the Oval on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Hobbled Sharon #39;s options limited despite vow to implement Gaza <b>...</b> JERUSALEM Aug 20 - Humiliated by his own party and under pressure from the opposition to call new elections, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appears in no position to ensure the implementation of his Gaza pullout plan.$LABEL$0 +Bush Touts His Education Agenda on Radio (AP) AP - In a back-to-school message, President Bush says that while many public schools aren't making the grade, he should get high marks from voters for the No Child Left Behind Act.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Chain Store Sales Rise (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. chain store sales rose in the\week ended December 4, as average sales were generally ahead of\last year, but customer counts were down, a report said on\Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +Edwards Faults Bush for Overtime Pay Cuts (Reuters) Reuters - Vice presidential candidate John\Edwards on Saturday assailed a new Bush administration policy\that excludes millions of Americans from overtime pay and\promised that the Democratic ticket would ensure that workers\are rewarded for their efforts.$LABEL$0 +'Mercenaries' avoid deportation Seventy men held in Zimbabwe accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea will not be extradited.$LABEL$0 +Edwards Denounces New Overtime Rules WASHINGTON - In blasting new overtime rules that take effect Monday, Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards says he can't understand why the Bush administration wants to undermine a system that rewards workers who toil long hours. ""If you work hard, then you should be rewarded for that effort,"" Edwards said Saturday in the Democrats' weekly radio address...$LABEL$0 +Chavez #39;s victory The reaction by Venezuela #39;s opposition to the failed effort to recall President Hugo Chavez was disorganized and misguided. The two dozen groups behind the recall never worked together on a political message $LABEL$2 +Swimming: Phelps Wins a Classic Then Steps Aside Michael Phelps, who thrilled packed crowds for a week with his record-breaking feats in the pool, bowed out in true style on the penultimate evening of the Athens Olympic swimming competition.$LABEL$1 +Cink leads from Woods after second round of NEC Ryder Cup captain #39;s pick Stewart Cink continued his assault on the \$7 million NEC Invitational after completing his rain-delayed second round in two-under-par 68 on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Judges suspended for scoring error, but Hamm keeps gold Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - American Paul Hamm will get to keep his gold medal for the all-around competition, even though the International Gymnastics Federation announced the suspension of three judges for a scoring error that would have given $LABEL$1 +Iraqi Sadr Militia Maintain Control of Najaf Shrine, BBC Says Supporters of Iraqi Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remain in control of the Imam Ali mosque in the southern city of Najaf after 16 days of fighting with US-led forces, the British Broadcasting Corp.$LABEL$0 +Nepalese rebels set off bombs in capital Kathmandu - Nepalese rebels shot a policeman and set off two bombs in Kathmandu on Friday while keeping up a blockade that has isolated the capital since midweek to press demands for the release of rebels held by the government.$LABEL$0 +Russian Peacekeepers Move Into S. Ossetia Hoping to end persistent skirmishing, peacekeepers moved into areas near South Ossetia #39;s capital to separate Georgian troops and fighters from the breakaway region, officials said Friday.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan army says Al-Qaeda-linked militants killed near Afghan <b>...</b> ISLAMABAD : Pakistani forces have killed quot;a few quot; militants in operations to flush out Al-Qaeda linked rebels in the northwestern tribal region near the border with Afghanistan, the military said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Hutu killers #39;ready for international court #39; The Hutu rebel movement which claims responsibility for last week #39;s massacre of Congolese Tutsis at a refugee camp in Burundi says, unrepentantly, it is ready to appear before an international tribunal.$LABEL$0 +Astronauts May Soon Wear Germ-Fighting Clothes KINSTON, N.C. (AP) -- Deep in the Atlantic Ocean, undersea explorers are living a safer life thanks to germ-fighting clothing made in Kinston...$LABEL$3 +Edwards denounces new overtime rules In blasting new overtime rules that take effect Monday, Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards says he can #39;t understand why the Bush administration wants to undermine a system that rewards workers who toil long hours.$LABEL$2 +Hollinger Inc. Director Rohmer May Leave Board, Post Reports Richard Rohmer, a friend of Conrad Black and director of Black #39;s holding company, Hollinger Inc., may resign from the board as early as next week because he #39;s tired of dealing with complex $LABEL$2 +Leading Indicators, Jobless Claims Fall NEW YORK Aug. 19, 2004 - Offering more evidence that the nation #39;s economic recovery is losing steam, a closely watched gauge of future business activity fell in July for the second consecutive month.$LABEL$2 +Girl-next-door Gemma is all the vogue in America NEDLANDS teenager Gemma Ward has scored one of the biggest coups of her short modelling career - the cover of style bible American Vogue.$LABEL$0 +Cricket: England whitewash England beat the West Indies by 10 wickets to seal a 4-0 series whitewash.$LABEL$0 +New Painkiller Produces Fewer Side Effects By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter HealthDayNews -- A new painkiller, one of the family of COX-2 inhibitors, appears to be as safe as certain other drugs when it comes to cardiac effects. And it's safer than other drugs that can cause gastrointestinal complications, new research contends...$LABEL$3 +Exercise Pays Off in Long Run The effects of behavior modification programs designed to encourage physical activity last for at least three months after completion of such programs, says a new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).$LABEL$3 +Google Sets Possible Precedent for Future IPOs While Google Inc. (GOOG) made some well publicized mistakes leading up to its initial public offering, the IPO still brought in \$1.1 billion for the company and more than \$450 million for its founders and initial investors. But was the company's unique Dutch auction system successful enough for other companies to follow Google's lead?$LABEL$3 +United Given New Deadline to Devise Plan A federal bankruptcy court judge on Friday gave United Airlines another 30 days to come up with a restructuring plan, but he warned the airline and its warring unions $LABEL$2 +Red Cross volunteer joins Florida efforts John Souza, a volunteer with the Boone County chapter of the American Red Cross, is the second Columbia resident to join efforts to assist people who were affected by Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley.$LABEL$2 +Treasury 10-Year Notes Hold Close to April High for Second Week US 10-year Treasury notes finished for a second week at the highest since April, on speculation record oil prices will hinder economic growth, prompting the Federal Reserve to slow the pace of interest-rate increases.$LABEL$2 +More Than 300,000 Vie for 3,000 LA Port Jobs More than 300,000 people participated in a lottery on Thursday for 3,000 well-paying longshore jobs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where shipping volumes are booming, a Pacific Maritime Association spokesman said.$LABEL$2 +South Africa win Tri-nations title DURBAN, South Africa -- South Africa beat Australia 23-19 to regain the Tri-nations title after a five-year break. Percy Montgomery and wing Breyton Paulse received yellow cards which put the Springboks under $LABEL$1 +Wambach #39;s boot boosts US into semifinals Abby Wambach will never score an easier goal. From 1 foot away, she tapped the ball into the net and put the United States into the Olympic semifinals.$LABEL$1 +Morocco Arrests 64 Migrants Trying to Reach Spain RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's navy arrested 64 Moroccans trying to reach Spain illegally on a rubber speed boat, official news agency MAP said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Google Go Lucky One of Googles earliest features was a simple button beneath its search box that reads Im feeling lucky. The intention is for info-hungry masses to enter search terms, click on the lucky button and, voila, land on precisely the web page $LABEL$2 +Chavez Urges Foes to Accept Defeat, Scoffs at Fraud Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday urged his opponents to recognize his recall referendum victory and pledged dialogue even with his quot;most bitter enemies $LABEL$2 +Google Faces Challenge of Public Company Status Your name is synonymous with searching the Internet, and you #39;ve just raised roughly \$1.7 billion from investors by going public.$LABEL$2 +Greene set to back up big talk and he has said it in London, said it in Zurich and already said it here in Athens - he only had to turn up to retain his Olympic 100 metres title.$LABEL$1 +Sudan Dismisses UN Warning Of New Refugee Exodus To Chad KHARTOUM, Aug 21 (AFP) - Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail Saturday dimissed a UN warning that some 30,000 people displaced by the civil war in Darfur were poised to join a mounting exodus to neighbouring Chad.$LABEL$0 +Opposition rejects audit of Chvez recall vote CARACAS The Venezuelan electoral authorities on Thursday conducted a random audit of the referendum that confirmed President Hugo Chvez #39;s mandate, but the opposition rejected it and said the vote was a fraud.$LABEL$2 +POLITICAL POINTS 3:33 PM Taking Care of Business resident Bush will chalk up a victory on a contentious labor issue on Monday, but Democrats intend to work overtime to make him pay a political price.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Troops Clash with Shi'ite Militia in Najaf (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. troops clashed with Shi'ite\militiamen in Najaf on Saturday, interrupting a day of relative\calm in the holy city with the sound of mortar,\rocket-propelled grenade and machinegun fire, witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +Britain's Lewis out of heptathlon (AFP) AFP - Britain's defending Olympic Games heptathlon champion Denise Lewis withdrew from the event after the fifth discipline.$LABEL$0 +Sudan vows open mind in Darfur talks -- but no magic wand in sight (AFP) AFP - Sudan has pledged an open mind going into peace talks with rebels from the war-ravaged western Darfur region and is apparently seeking to use accords it signed with southern fighters as a model to settle the conflict.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Troops Clash with Shi'ite Militia in Najaf NAJAF (Reuters) - U.S. troops clashed with Shi'ite militiamen in Najaf on Saturday, interrupting a day of relative calm in the holy city with the sound of mortar, rocket-propelled grenade and machinegun fire, witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +Google scores first-day bump of 18 Even a big first-day jump in shares of Google (GOOG) couldn #39;t quiet debate over whether the Internet search engine #39;s contentious auction was a hit or a flop.$LABEL$2 +Mastering Madden NFL isn #39;ta snap It #39;s that time of year again, when normally affable, outgoing people abandon their families for hours at a time to stare enraptured at their TV screens.$LABEL$3 +Half of US Web Users Now on Broadband -- Report More than half of all US residential Internet users reached the Web via fast broadband connections in July, outpacing use of slower, dial-up connections for the first time $LABEL$3 +Global LCD Oversupply to Peak in Q3 A global oversupply of large-sized liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is forecast to peak in the third quarter of this year, but it will balance out by the fourth quarter, a US-based research firm said on Friday.$LABEL$3 +Athletics: Olympic Record For Bekele, Webb Eliminated From 1500 <b>...</b> The biggest applause at Olympic Stadium yesterday, the first day of athletics competition, didnt come for Greek heptathlete Aryiro Strataki or triple jumper Hristos Meletoglou $LABEL$1 +Drugs found in raid on Greek coach #39;s store Greek police found nutritional supplements containing banned stimulants and steroids in a raid on premises used by the sprint coach at the centre of the Athens Olympics $LABEL$1 +Soccer: Real wanted England international Woodgate despite injury LONDON : England international defender Jonathan Woodgate, Real Madrid #39;s new recruit from Newcastle, will be out of action for a month but that did not deter the Spanish giants from signing him.$LABEL$1 +Olympics: American sprint stars throw down 100m gauntlet ATHENS : America #39;s 100 metres sprint stars threw down the gauntlet at the Olympics but their Carribean rivals replied with a double salvo of their own to give the blue riband event an added edge.$LABEL$1 +FORLAN SEALS SPANISH SWITCH Villarreal have completed the signing of Manchester United misfit Diego Forlan on a five-year deal. The Uruguayan hit-man never convinced during his time at Old Trafford following a 7.$LABEL$1 +South Africa win Tri-Nations A SECOND-HALF Springbok blitz gave South Africa their first Tri-Nations rugby title in six years with a win over Australia at Kings Park.$LABEL$1 +Sudan, UN Sign Deal on #39;Refugees Return #39; KHARTOUM, August 21 (IslamOnline.net amp; News Agencies) - Eight days before the expiry of the UN Security Council deadline on Darfur, Sudan said it would disarm militias in the troubled area gradually, and signed a deal with the United Nations saying it $LABEL$0 +Rahul the #39;darling #39; at AICC conclave New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today virtually took a back seat at the AICC session which saw many delegates hailing Rahul Gandhi as the future leader with not so subtle hints.$LABEL$0 +Surefire Google Adwords Formula Surefire Google Adwords Formula\\Success with Google Adwords isn't quite as easy as some would have you believe. Still just about anyone who is persistent can succeed if they'll but implement a consistent testing program. Since testing can produce a nearly constant improvement in your click through rate (CTR).\\Heres the surefire ...$LABEL$3 +A Key Year for Willingham, Notre Dame (AP) AP - Will Tyrone Willingham be the next Ara Parseghian or the next Bob Davie?$LABEL$1 +Judging Error Gave Hamm Gold ATHENS, Greece - Paul Hamm's gold medal just lost its luster. A scoring mistake at the all-around gymnastics final cost South Korea's Yang Tae-young the gold that ended up going to Hamm, the International Gymnastics Federation ruled Saturday...$LABEL$0 +Phelps Will End Olympics Cheering for Team ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps doesn't mind making history while sitting in the stands. The man who dominated the attention at the Olympic pool gave up a coveted spot on the 400-meter medley relay team to Ian Crocker...$LABEL$0 +Militia, Shiite Leaders Bicker Over Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered Shiite shrine at the center of the crisis in Najaf on Saturday, as they bickered with top Shiite religious leaders over how to hand the holy site over. As the standoff dragged on, heavy clashes broke out for about 45 minutes near the cemetery and the Old City on Saturday afternoon between al-Sadr's militiamen and U.S...$LABEL$0 +Oil prices slip back after coming close to \$50 level Oil prices surged closer to \$50 a barrel after hitting yet another record high in the US yesterday, as confusion reigned over the fate of Najaf, sparking fresh fears about Iraq #39;s oil supplies.$LABEL$2 +Rouse Sale Ends Independence of Unique Visionary The \$7.2 billion sale of The Rouse Co. marks the end of a fiercely independent real estate and shopping mall company that oversaw America #39;s 20th Century migration from $LABEL$2 +New OT rules to take effect In an unprecedented overhaul of the nations overtime pay rules, the Bush administration is delivering to its business allies an election-year plum theyve sought for decades.$LABEL$2 +Activities Slowly Resume in Florida Schools Hit Hard by Storm The Lemon Bay Manta Rays were not going to let a hurricane get in the way of football. On Friday, they headed to the practice field for the first time in eight $LABEL$2 +Nation-wide Truckers Strike Evokes Mixed Response New Delhi, August 21 (NNN): An indefinite nationwide strike of truckers protesting against the imposition of service tax on Saturday evoked mixed response with a section of transporters in Karnataka and Tamilnadu staying away from the protest.$LABEL$2 +Criticism heaped on Caltrans as bridge costs spiral upward \$19 <b>...</b> Demolition of the 1927 span of the Carquinez Bridge, projected by Caltrans engineers to cost \$16 million, will likely climb to about \$35 million, according to a Bechtel Corp.$LABEL$3 +Judge Revokes Mine Permit in Florida FORT MYERS, Fla. - A federal judge Friday revoked a permit to develop a limestone mine amid 6,000 acres of habitat that could be used by the endangered Florida panther.$LABEL$3 +Russia helps Malaysia develop space industry Moscow, Aug 21 (VNA) - Russian Roskosmos space agency will help Malaysia build a space and satellite controlling centre and will help develop Malaysia #39;s space programme, said Russian Federal Space Agency head Anatoly Perminov while meeting his Malaysian $LABEL$3 +Four golds in a row for Pinsent British rower Matthew Pinsent won a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal when Team GB #39;s coxless fours crew triumphed in Greece.$LABEL$1 +Afghan woman basks in Olympic moment The fireworks shot out from the top of the Olympic Stadium, the grand finale of the Opening Ceremonies lighting up the Athens sky.$LABEL$1 +Forlan confirms move Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan signed with Villareal in order to obtain regular playing time. The Uruguay international was unveiled with the Spanish outfit on Saturday after passing a medical.$LABEL$1 +US women back on right track The US Women #39;s National Team did not string together a complete 90 minutes of soccer in beating Japan 2-1 in its Olympic quarterfinal on Friday, however, it was the side #39;s finest performance of the tournament so far.$LABEL$1 +Militants bicker over surrender of shrine Najaf, Iraq - Militants loyal to firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered shrine at the centre of the crisis in Najaf on Saturday as they bickered with top Shia leaders over how to hand the holy site over.$LABEL$0 +Rwanda vows to defend against rebels based in Congo Rwanda will defend its people if armed extremists based in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) cross the border into the country to carry out similar attacks $LABEL$0 +China Invokes Deng to Send Tough Taiwan Message China invoked late leader Deng Xiaoping on Saturday in its campaign to recover Taiwan, lauding his proposal to recover the island by a quot;one country, two systems quot; formula but saying he never gave up the threat of force.$LABEL$0 +Vote Audit Confirms Chavez Recall Win Fair-Official (Reuters) Reuters - An audit done by\international observers has confirmed that President Hugo\Chavez beat a recall referendum and that the vote was fair, an\electoral council official said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Vote Audit Confirms Chavez Recall Win Fair-Official CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - An audit done by international observers has confirmed that President Hugo Chavez beat a recall referendum and that the vote was fair, an electoral council official said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Insurers Object to a Major Part of Medicare Law Private insurers have told the Bush administration that they will not expand their role in Medicare if they have to serve large multistate regions.$LABEL$0 +Tubes, Pump and Fragile Hope Keep a Baby's Heart Beating In a desperate move to save an infant, doctors sought a device they had never tried before: a miniaturized pump called the Berlin Heart.$LABEL$0 +Truckers strike to protest service tax NEW DELHI: Over three million trucks went off the Indian roads on Saturday as truckers launched their indefinite nationwide strike to protest against the imposition of a service tax on transport booking agents.$LABEL$2 +Plano Family Waits For Bobcats PLANOTexas - The traps are out as a Plano family waits to see if a bobcat #39;s kittens take the bait. The mother bobcat was captured Wednesday, and one of three kittens was captured Friday morning.$LABEL$3 +Lindows halts stock release Linux supplier Lindows has announced it has called a halt to the initial public offering of its common stock after filing for registration in April.$LABEL$3 +Great Britain wins gold again in track cycling Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - For the second straight day a Briton captured gold at the Olympic Velodrome. Bradley Wiggins won the men #39;s individual 4,000-meter pursuit Saturday, one day after teammate $LABEL$1 +Sit-In Halts Neo-Nazi March Residents of the northern Bavarian town of Wunsiedel temporarily stopped a neo-Nazi march to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the death of Rudolf Hess, Hitler #39;s deputy, who had been jailed for life in 1946.$LABEL$0 +Crawford, Four Others Post Fast 100 Times (AP) AP - It was only the second round of the 100 meters, yet the world's top sprinters already were playing a lightning-quick game of ""Can You Top This?"" Five men broke 10 seconds Saturday, with Shawn Crawford's time of 9.89 the best of the round. And several top competitors slowed before the end, which means there could be some incredibly fast times in the semifinals and final Sunday night.$LABEL$1 +Andre Rison Signs With CFL Club (AP) AP - Former Pro Bowl receiver Andre Rison signed with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts on Saturday, less than two weeks after a U.S. judge ordered his arrest for failing to pay child support.$LABEL$1 +Latin America on Alert for Terror MONTERREY, Mexico - Governments throughout Mexico and Central America are on alert as evidence grows that al-Qaida members are traveling in the region and looking for recruits to carry out attacks in Latin America - the potential last frontier for international terrorism. The territory could be a perfect staging ground for Osama bin Laden's militants, with homegrown rebel groups, drug and people smugglers, and corrupt governments...$LABEL$0 +Iraq Pulls Off Another Soccer Stunner IRAKLION, Greece - The Iraqi soccer team is one victory away from an improbable trip to the podium. Emad Mohammed's 12-yard bicycle kick in the 64th minute gave Iraq a 1-0 victory over Australia in the quarterfinals Saturday, putting the invaded, war-torn country in position to compete for only its second Olympic medal in the nation's history...$LABEL$0 +NASA prepares to catch a falling star sample NASA #39;s three-year effort to bring some genuine star dust back to Earth is set for a dramatic finale Sept. 8 when Hollywood helicopter pilots will attempt a midair retrieval of a descending space capsule.$LABEL$3 +NetApp strengthens partnership with Oracle and VERITAS By edu h. lopez. Network Appliance (NetApp) has unveiled its strategy for the Philippine market as it strengthens its strategic partnership with Oracle and VERITAS.$LABEL$3 +Broadband Use Passes Dial-Up Just over half of US Internet users now connect through broadband, according to a new survey. Nielsen/Netratings reports that in July, 51 percent of Internet users had DSL, cable, or other fast $LABEL$3 +French equestrinan protest finally upheld Four days after the competition was held, France was finally awarded a gold medal Saturday in the Olympic equestrian three-day team event.$LABEL$1 +Alonso seals Liverpool move quot;I #39;m going to a club with a lot of history and a great present, quot; Alonso told a press conference here in the presence of Real Sociedad president Jose Luis Astiarzan.$LABEL$1 +Wiggins adds Britain #39;s 2nd velodrome gold Britain #39;s Bradley Wiggins won the gold medal in men #39;s individual pursuit Saturday, finishing the 4,000-meter final in 4:16.$LABEL$1 +Cleric Maintains His Hold on Najaf Shrine, Even While Saying He #39;ll <b>...</b> The Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr remained in control of a holy shrine here on Saturday in defiance of the Iraqi government, even as his aides said they were making $LABEL$0 +At least 14 people killed, 200 injured in Bangladesh #39;s bomb blasts At least 14 people were killed and over 200 injured, as a series of bombs and grenades exploded through a rally here organized by the main opposition the Awami League Saturday $LABEL$0 +Sharon, Arafat Defy Demands From Backers JERUSALEM Aug. 19, 2004 - Embattled leaders Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat rebuffed demands from their backers Thursday, holding steadfast to positions posing great political risk: Sharon insisted he will $LABEL$0 +Swimming: Phelps Wins Eighth Medal at Athens Games ATHENS (Reuters) - American swimmer Michael Phelps won an Olympic record-equaling eighth medal at the Athens Games when the U.S. team took gold in the men's 4x100 meters medley relay Saturday.$LABEL$1 +G.O.P. Vows to Offer Detailed Agenda at Its Convention Republicans also said they would seek to turn any disruptions at the convention to their advantage, by portraying protests as Democratic-sanctioned displays of disrespect for a sitting president.$LABEL$0 +Sunday Without Favorite Comic? Not So Funny Newspapers across the country have been engaging in discussions about whether their current rosters of comics are a luxury, given the current dreary economics of the newspaper business.$LABEL$0 +Passenger #39;s horror tale illustrates the madness at O #39;Hare When you are flying out of Lambert Field, 66-year-old Norma J. Oermann has some simple advice. Avoid Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare airport at all cost.$LABEL$2 +Google #39;s Disappointment Chills Lindows #39; IPO Ardor Execs postponed their IPO after Google backed off previous estimates of how much it would charge for its own IPO. By Larry Greenemeier.$LABEL$3 +East Africans dominate day Americans lag in men #39;s 10,000 Athens -- It #39;s always a pleasure watching masters of their craft at work, and such a moment occurred Friday night on the first full day of Olympic track and field competition when men with long-distance motors lined up for the final of the 10,000 meters.$LABEL$1 +Running (Not Hiding) From the Doping Police THEY do not approach their subjects wearing lab coats to indicate a) they work behind the Clinique counter at Saks, or b) they test for drug cheats at the Olympics.$LABEL$1 +David Davies gets swimming bronze Australia #39;s Grant Hackett has won the 1500 metres freestyle at the Athens Olympics to become just the fourth man to win the race twice at the Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Crawford leads way to 100 semifinals ATHENS, Greece - United States sprinters Shawn Crawford, Justin Gatlin and Maurice Greene advanced to the semifinals of the men #39;s 100-meter race on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Aussies Upset U.S. Women in Medley Relay (AP) AP - Petria Thomas overtook Jenny Thompson on the third leg of the Olympic women's 400-meter medley relay Saturday night, helping Australia upset the United States in world-record time.$LABEL$1 +Soccer: Euphoric Iraq Reach Semi-Finals ATHENS (Reuters) - Iraq's footballers extended their fairytale run at the Athens Olympics Saturday, beating Australia 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the men's tournament.$LABEL$1 +Golf: Stewart Cink Leads NEC Invitational American golfer Stewart Cink has the lead after completing the rain-delayed second round of the World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational tournament in Akron, Ohio.$LABEL$1 +Scoring questioned in men #39;s all-around gymnastics event The International Gymnastics Federation opened an investigation Friday morning into the scoring of the men #39;s all-around competition.$LABEL$1 +Law rules after court overturns German gold Leslie Law tonight became Great Britain #39;s first eventing gold medallist since 1972 - without leaving his Hereford home. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has upheld the combined British, French and American $LABEL$1 +Woodgate move has Robson #39;s blessing Woodgate, 24, has passed a stringent medical in the Spanish capital and will today sign a four-year deal - with the option of an extra year - at the Bernabeu following his 15.$LABEL$1 +Henin-Hardenne in third round ATHENS, Aug. 17. - World No 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne, sidelined for 11 weeks by a debilitating virus, swept into the third round of the Olympic tennis tournament today with a straight sets win over Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela.$LABEL$1 +South Africa wins Tri-Nations rugby South Africa held off Australia 23-19 in a dramatic finale and won the Tri-Nations rugby title for the first time since 1998 on Saturday at King #39;s Park.$LABEL$1 +Explosions Target Bangladesh Opposition Rally In Bangladesh, a series of explosions at an opposition party rally, where a former prime minister was speaking, killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens of others.$LABEL$0 +Georgia Announces Troop Pullback in Rebel Region Georgia said on Friday its troops had withdrawn after seizing strategic ground in a rebel territory, in a move sure to be welcomed by Washington alarmed at a drift toward war in an economically vital region.$LABEL$0 +Waiting For Google NEW YORK - Benjamin Franklin, that annoying know-it-all, famously said, quot;Never put off until tomorrow that which you can do today.$LABEL$2 +How Michigan athletes fared at the Olympics Olympic events involving athletes and coaches with connections to Michigan. All listed are on Team USA unless otherwise indicated: Andre Dirrell of Flint advanced into the boxing quarterfinals, needing $LABEL$1 +Bombs Kill 12 at Bangladesh Opposition Rally At least 12 people were killed and 100 wounded in a bomb attack on Saturday on an opposition rally in Bangladesh #39;s capital, police and witnesses said.$LABEL$0 +Friends and curious turn out for goodbye to alleged Montreal Mob boss (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - At least 200 people paid their final respects Saturday to Frank Cotroni, the reputed head of the Montreal Mafia who died of cancer at the age of 72.$LABEL$0 +Judging Error Led to Paul Hamm's Gold ATHENS, Greece - Paul Hamm's gold medal just lost its luster. A scoring mistake at the all-around gymnastics final cost South Korea's Yang Tae-young the gold that ended up going to Hamm, the International Gymnastics Federation ruled Saturday...$LABEL$0 +Sampanis denies doping GREECE #39;S first Athens medallist Leonidas Sampanis today denied taking banned substances despite testing positive for the male hormone testosterone.$LABEL$1 +Puerto Ricans break Boomers #39; hearts Australia #39;s hopes of an Olympic Games men #39;s basketball quarter-final berth slumped with a heart-breaking 87-82 loss to Puerto Rico.$LABEL$1 +Harmison tops Test ratings Steve Harmison has become the first England bowler for more than two decades to lead the Test rankings. Harmison, who took 17 wickets in the series win over West Indies, has topped the PWC Ratings.$LABEL$1 +Scores killed in Bangladesh blast A series of bombs have exploded at an opposition rally in Bangladesh #39;s capital, killing at least 14 people and injuring hundreds, witnesses and news reports have said.$LABEL$0 +Rebels Explode Two Bombs in Katmandu Suspected Maoist rebels shot and wounded a policeman and detonated two powerful bombs in Katmandu on Friday to reinforce a blockade of the Nepali capital to press for the release of jailed guerrillas.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelan audit confirms victory Venezuela's electoral officials say an audit of the vote on President Hugo Chavez's rule shows it was fair.$LABEL$0 +Stocks End Week on High Note Despite rising oil prices, US stocks this week had their biggest rally since October, as investors reacted to some positive economic indicators, the easing of tensions in Iraq and $LABEL$2 +10 Killed by Bombs at Bangladesh Rally DHAKA, Bangladesh Aug. 21, 2004 - A series of bombs exploded as a top Bangladeshi opposition leader was speaking at a rally from atop a truck Saturday, killing at least 14 people and injuring hundreds, witnesses and news reports said.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan Says Holds Suspects Planning Major Attacks (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistan has arrested up to six\people, including an Egyptian national, suspected of planning\major attacks in the capital Islamabad, Information Minister\Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Dollar Hits New Low Against Euro The U.S. dollar sank to a new all-time low against the euro Tuesday as a mini-rally in the U.S. currency sputtered out.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Wins Medley Relay The United States wins the men's 400-meter medley relay in world-record time Saturday night, giving Michael Phelps his record eighth medal of the Athens Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Plane Delays From O #39;Hare Even if you never fly through Chicago, your plane may end up delayed because of congestion at the O #39;Hare Airport. Delays there cause a ripple effect through the country #39;s entire air-traffic system.$LABEL$2 +Drugstore Offers New Wave of Disposable Cameras Pharmacy chain CVS Corp. (CVS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it would offer the world #39;s first disposable digital camera with a bright color viewing screen that allows consumers to instantly preview pictures.$LABEL$3 +Smit lauds Boks resolve South Africa skipper John Smit paid tribute to his team #39;s resilience after the 23-19 victory over Australia, which won them the 2004 Tri-Nations.$LABEL$1 +Australia Sets World Record in Women #39;s 400-Meter Medley Relay Australia set a world record in the women #39;s 400-meter medley relay at the Olympics, as Giaan Rooney, Leisel Jones, Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry covered the distance in 3 minutes, 57.$LABEL$1 +Americans Fail to Qualify in Cycling Their times were fast. So were their exits. American cyclists were simply overmatched on the speedy Olympic velodrome Saturday, all getting bounced in the preliminaries.$LABEL$1 +Soldiers kill Palestinian near Gaza-Israel fence Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian as he approached a security fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, Israeli military sources said today.$LABEL$0 +Brazil tribe prove words count When it comes to counting, a remote Amazonian tribespeople have been found to be lost for words. Researchers discovered the Piraha tribe of Brazil, with a population of 200, have no words beyond one, two and many.$LABEL$3 +Sobrero Markgraf And Boxx One Win Away From Olympic Medals Former Irish soccer stars to play with Team USA in Monday #39;s semifinals vs. Germany (Aug. 23, 10:00 am South Bend time on MSNBC); Gonzalez and Mexico fall to Brazil in quarterfinals.$LABEL$1 +Kidnappers lift death threat on US journalist An aide to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says Iraqi kidnappers have lifted their death threat on a US journalist. The aide says he has spoken to mediators who say they #39;re working out a way to have Micah Garen of New York released.$LABEL$0 +German police detain 74 neo-Nazis Anti-Nazi groups held counter-demonstrations, some holding banners proclaiming quot;Neo-Nazis are a joke quot;. Hess was found hanged in his prison cell in the Spandau district of Berlin in 1987.$LABEL$0 +Absent Phelps Gets Eighth Medal ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States broke the world record to win the men's 4x100 meters medley relay at the Athens Olympics Saturday and allow Michael Phelps to match Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin's 1980 record for the most medals at one Games.$LABEL$1 +Basketball: Lithuania Shoots Down United States ATHENS (Reuters) - Sarunas Jasikevicius went on a shooting spree in the last three minutes of play to lift Lithuania to a 94-90 victory over the United States in the men's Olympic basketball tournament Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Graphic Designer Fired After Heckling Bush (AP) AP - A man who heckled President Bush at a political rally was fired from his job at an advertising and design company for offending a client who provided tickets to the event.$LABEL$0 +Olympics: Swimming Ends with U.S. and Australian Records ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States and Australia set world records in the men's and women's 4x100 medley relay races on Saturday, the final day of swimming competition at the Athens 2004 Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Henin Blasts Her Way to Gold By Ossian Shine ATHENS (Reuters) - Justine Henin-Hardenne blasted her way to Olympic gold Saturday, beating Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 6-3 in a clash of the world's top two players.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Men Set World Record, Without Phelps ATHENS, Greece - The United States won the men's 400-meter medley relay in world-record time Saturday night, giving Michael Phelps his record eighth medal of the Athens Olympics without him getting into the pool. Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Jason Lezak won in 3 minutes, 30.68 seconds, lowering the old mark of 3:31.54 set by the Americans at last year's world championships in Barcelona, Spain...$LABEL$0 +Lithuania Deals Dream Team Second Loss ATHENS, Greece - Redemption came from the perfect spot - the 3-point line - for Sarunas Jasikevicius. The Lithuanian guard, whose off-target 3-pointer kept his team from pulling off the biggest upset of the Sydney Olympics, didn't miss when it counted Saturday night against the Americans in a thrilling 94-90 victory...$LABEL$0 +Another Bad Dream Sarunas Jasikevicius shoots Lithuania's men's basketball team to a 94-90 victory over the United States on Saturday, America's second loss of the Athens Games.$LABEL$1 +Mixed response to strike AIMTC rebuts Govt claims Trucks parked at Yashwanthpur in Bangalore on Saturday following the indefinite strike called by the All-India Motor Transport Congress.$LABEL$2 +Olympics-Henin sets gold standard in thrilling comeback Justine Henin-Hardenne staged one of the greatest comebacks of her career to fight back from 5-1 down in the final set and beat French Open champion Anastasia Myskina $LABEL$1 +Pakistan foils al-Qaeda attacks PAKISTANI security agencies have arrested nearly a dozen al-Qaeda-linked terror suspects who allegedly plotted to attack key sites including military headquarters, the US embassy and parliament.$LABEL$0 +TCU, Louisville Try to Leave C-USA Champs (AP) AP - TCU helped change the Bowl Championship Series, even though its season ended at home. The Horned Frogs won their first 10 games last season, and reached sixth in the BCS standings, the highest ranking for a team not in one of the BCS conferences. A loss at Southern Miss ended TCU's bid of becoming the first BCS outsider to break into a big-money bowl game. That also cost the Frogs the Conference USA title and sent them to the inaugural Fort Worth Bowl.$LABEL$1 +Lithuania Shoots Down U.S. in Men's Olympic Basketball ATHENS (Reuters) - Sarunas Jasikevicius went on a shooting spree in the last three minutes of play to lift Lithuania to a 94-90 victory over the United States in the men's Olympic basketball tournament Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Boehner Favored in Taped Phone Call Case (AP) AP - A federal judge has sided with Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, in his six-year-old lawsuit against Rep. James McDermott, D-Wash., over an illegally recorded phone call.$LABEL$0 +Lithuania Upsets the United States The U.S. men's basketball team lost to Lithuania, 94-90, today at the Olympic Games.$LABEL$1 +Life without numbers in a unique Amazon tribe 11=2. Mathematics doesn #39;t get any more basic than this, but even 11 would stump the brightest minds among the Piraha tribe of the Amazon.$LABEL$3 +Ulmer breaks world record in qualifying New Zealand #39;s Sarah Ulmer dealt her rivals a heavy psychogical blow today, reclaiming her individual pursuit world record in magnificent fashion at a sweltering Olympic Velodrome here today.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan Says Holds Suspects Planning Major Attacks Pakistan has arrested up to six people, including an Egyptian national, suspected of planning major attacks in the capital Islamabad, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Iraqis Celebrate Olympic Victory with Bullets BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqis, weary of violence and deprivation, erupted in wild celebration Saturday after their national soccer team beat Australia 1-0 in the Athens Games.$LABEL$0 +Neo-Nazis arrested at Hess march German police detain 110 people at a march to mark the death of Adolf Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess.$LABEL$0 +Moveon.org subscriber-data leaked through search Subscribers to Moveon.org #39;s mailing lists may have found their interest in the anti-Bush political site a matter of public record.$LABEL$3 +Henin-Hardenne wins Olympic gold The world number one broke a jittery Mauresmo twice to take the opening set and the Frenchwoman failed to get a foot-hold in the second set.$LABEL$1 +Judging Error Led to Hamm #39;s Gold Paul Hamm thought his fantastic finish was too good to be true. Maybe he was right. The International Gymnastics Federation ruled Saturday that Yang Tae-young was unfairly docked $LABEL$1 +WPP Profit Up 11, Aided by Global Advertising Upturn The WPP Group, the world #39;s second-largest advertising and marketing company, reported on Friday that profit for the first half of the year rose 11 percent, providing further $LABEL$2 +Olympic Swimming Ends with U.S., Australian Records ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States and Australia set world records in the men's and women's 4x100 medley relay races Saturday, the final day of swimming competition at the Athens 2004 Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan Says It Holds Suspects Planning Big Attacks ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has arrested up to 10 al Qaeda suspects, including two Egyptians, suspected of planning major suicide attacks against the government and the U.S. embassy earlier this month, ministers said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Phelps Has Front-Row Seat for Record Swim ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps had a front-row seat at the pool, and made Olympic history without ever getting wet. Decked out in a white shirt, khaki shorts and flip-flops, Phelps led cheers and waved an American flag while his teammates did all the work in the 400-meter individual medley Saturday night...$LABEL$0 +Fight Over Kerry's War Record Escalates WASHINGTON - John Kerry's Vietnam War service records run to multiple medal commendations and a notation of ""conspicuous gallantry"" in combat. President Bush's file tracks the stateside career of a National Guard test pilot...$LABEL$0 +Judging Error Led to Hamm's Gold ATHENS, Greece - Paul Hamm thought his fantastic finish was too good to be true. Maybe he was right...$LABEL$0 +Carter Center, OAS Confirm Chavez Victory After Audit (Update1) The Carter Center and the Organization of American States said an audit of returns from Sunday #39;s recall vote won by President Hugo Chavez found no evidence of irregularities.$LABEL$2 +Edwards blasts new OT rules In Saturday radio address, VP candidate says measure curtails pay at a time workers need it. ATLANTA (CNN) - Calling to mind his days unloading tractor trailers during the summer, Sen. John Edwards blasted $LABEL$2 +Chilean Beats Dent for Tennis Bronze It #39;s safe to say Justine Henin-Hardenne is back on top of her game. She #39;s healthy for the first time in months - and has a gold medal to prove it.$LABEL$1 +MONTY ON TRACK FOR WILD CARD Barring a miracle tomorrow Colin Montgomerie will now need a wild card to be part of Europe #39;s bid to retain the Ryder Cup next month.$LABEL$1 +Vijay Singh win more than 10 million US dollars in one season Singh ended the five-year reign of Tiger Woods as world number one in September, defeating Woods in a man-to-man duel for the Deutche Bank Championship title to confirm his supremacy.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Signals Flexibility on Israeli Settlement Growth CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The Bush administration signaled on Saturday that it may accept limited growth within existing Israeli settlements in the West Bank in a shift that could help embattled Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.$LABEL$0 +Can OHare trims help Gary gain? Flight reductions announced Wednesday by 16 major airlines serving ChicagosOHare International Airport are expected to improve nationwide on-time performance but $LABEL$2 +Truckers begin All-India strike With the All India Motor Transport Congress rejecting the government #39;s last-minute bid for a negotiated settlement, truck owners have gone on an indefinite strike demanding the scrapping of service tax.$LABEL$2 +Reading Sharon #39;s Mind In a much-noted speech last week, Israels Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ostensibly made a dramatic reversal in course. But I am wondering whether to take his shift at face value.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Celebrates Surprise Win in Olympics (AP) AP - A stream of red tracer bullets cut through the night sky amid a hail of celebratory gunfire as Iraqis, exhausted from war and unending violence, celebrated their national soccer team's startling 1-0 victory over Australia in the Olympic quarterfinal.$LABEL$0 +Sudan, U.N. Sign Deal for Displaced People (AP) AP - The Sudanese government signed an agreement with the U.N. migration agency Saturday to ensure that more than 1 million people displaced by violence in the western region of Darfur can voluntarily return home #151; but cannot be forced to do so.$LABEL$0 +Bush Pressing Case for 'Ownership Society' (AP) AP - Amid signs that the economy is cooling, President Bush is showcasing initiatives for a second term under the banner of an ""ownership society"" in hopes of bolstering his economic stewardship credentials.$LABEL$0 +Olympic Soccer: Euphoric Iraq Reaches Semifinals ATHENS (Reuters) - Iraq's footballers beat Australia 1-0 Saturday to reach the semifinals of the Olympic men's tournament, triggering celebratory gunfire in their violence-racked country.$LABEL$1 +Vietnam vet springs to Kerry's defense (AFP) AFP - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry's efforts to refute charges that he embellished his Vietnam War record got a boost, as a fellow veteran said some of the accusations were untrue.$LABEL$0 +Lithuania's Perimeter Shooting Leaves U.S. Outside Looking In Larry Brown's squad could not hold back a deep and talented Lithuanian team, losing, 94-90, to fall to 2-2 in the preliminary round at the Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Nesterenko Takes Gold Yuliya Nesterenko ends two decades of American dominance in the 100 meters with a closing surge to catch Lauryn Williams.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Look to Nudge Higher; Oil Dips NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked to open a touch higher on Tuesday, with Wall Street welcoming a slip in oil prices and a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GDT.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GDT.N</A> by Johnson Johnson <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=JNJ.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">JNJ.N</A>.$LABEL$2 +Hungarian Socialists choose alternatives as new prime minister (AFP) AFP - Hungary's ruling Socialist Party approved two alternative candidates to replace outgoing prime minister Peter Medgyessy who resigned after a row with his liberal coalition partners.$LABEL$0 +Officials Forecast Hope for Victims of Hurricane State officials say the statewide slowdown caused by Hurricane Charley, with estimated losses of \$20 billion, will probably last no more than a month or two.$LABEL$2 +Mixed response to truckers strike NEW DELHI, Aug. 21. - The indefinite nationwide strike by truck operators against imposition of service tax evoked a mixed response on the first day of the stir today even as government appeared unwilling $LABEL$2 +Saturday Night #39;s Alright for Blighty Matthew Pinsents coxless four team, sailor Ben Ainslie and cyclist Bradley Wiggins all struck gold on a day to remember for Team GB at the Olympics in Athens.$LABEL$1 +Sudan: confident in convincing the UN Security Council of progress <b>...</b> Sudan #39;s foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael stressed yesterday that his country #39;s government is confident it will convince the UN Security Council of the progress it had attained in Darfur.$LABEL$0 +Bomb attack on Hasina Over a dozen people were killed and nearly 300 injured in a bomb and grenade attack on a public rally in the heart of the city that was being addressed by Awami League leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.$LABEL$0 +Airways pilots extend talks Pilots for US Airways are continuing to negotiate this weekend over the Arlington airline #39;s demand for a 16.5 percent pay cut, despite a warning from management that negotiations should have concluded yesterday.$LABEL$2 +Viacom panel to look at video-game arena NEW YORK -- Given that its chairman owns a large stake of a video-game company, media giant Viacom Inc. has appointed a three-person committee to evaluate dealings in the video-game arena and protect against potential conflicts of interest.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft Sends XP SP2 Home Microsoft this week began distributing its latest update to the Windows XP operating system to home users through its Automatic Updates feature.$LABEL$3 +Mars Rover Sniffs Out Signs of Water After a tedious crawl across the desert floor and a slow, energy-strapped hike up hills, the Mars rover Spirit has finally rewarded scientists with tantalizing $LABEL$3 +Online retail sales continue to surge Online retail sales continue to show significant growth, according to the latest figures released by the US Department of Commerce.$LABEL$3 +Bekele keeps 10,000m gold in Ethiopia Kenenisa Bekele used a breathtaking final 400 meters late Friday to claim the Olympic 10,000-meter throne previously occupied by his Ethiopian countryman, Haile Gebrselassie.$LABEL$1 +Hewitt Survives Saulnier; Agassi Rolls Past Mathieu After sweeping through his first two opponents, Lleyton Hewitt finally found a challenge at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. And it almost took the No.$LABEL$1 +Greece 88, Angola 56 Greece avoided any suspense about whether it would advance by taking an 18-point halftime lead on the way to an 88-56 victory over Angola on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +Nesterenko Wins Sprint Gold for Belarus Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus sped to an unexpected victory in the women #39;s 100 meter final at the Athens Olympics Saturday. The high-striding Belarussian clocked 10.$LABEL$1 +Clean sweep by England LONDON, Aug. 21. - England beat the West Indies by 10 wickets on the third day of the fourth and final Test at the Oval, here today giving them a 4-0 sweep.$LABEL$1 +Blast outside Bangladesh opposition HQ kills 6 DHAKA - At least six people were killed and more than 200 injured in a series of bomb blasts at a meeting of the main opposition Awami League in the capital on Saturday, witnesses and news reports said.$LABEL$0 +Veteran Backs Kerry on Silver Star Account (AP) AP - A Chicago Tribune editor who was on the Vietnam mission for which John Kerry received the Silver Star is backing up Kerry's account of the incident.$LABEL$0 +Olympic Basketball: Lithuania Guard Shoots Down U.S. ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men's basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.$LABEL$1 +Absent Phelps Gets Eighth Medal ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps got his eighth medal at the Athens Olympics Saturday without even getting wet when the United States broke the world record in the men's 4x100 meters medley relay.$LABEL$1 +Murder victim 'missed her stop' A 22-year-old French woman was killed while walking home after missing her bus stop, police believe.$LABEL$0 +Battle on Secret Evidence in Jackson Case SANTA MARIA, Calif. - In a high-stakes drama of legal gamesmanship, prosecutors and defense lawyers in the Michael Jackson child molestation case are battling over still-secret evidence that might make or break the case against the pop star...$LABEL$0 +Bush Pressing Case for 'Ownership Society' WASHINGTON - Amid signs that the economy is cooling, President Bush is showcasing initiatives for a second term under the banner of an ""ownership society"" in hopes of bolstering his economic stewardship credentials. His platform includes initiatives to help people buy homes, start businesses, hone job skills and set up tax-free retirement and health care accounts - plus a still unspecified tax-code overhaul...$LABEL$0 +Dream Team Loses Again, but Still Advances ATHENS, Greece - The U.S. men's basketball team endured another brutal loss...$LABEL$0 +Open Source, Performance, and Innovation \\At work we're mostly an OSS shop. Partly because I have a strong bias towards\OSS but cost, reliability, security, etc are all leading factors.\\For the last several months now I've been in an interesting position to prove\the benefits of OSS in a real-world environment.\\We've had to extend a number of OSS tools to fit into our production\environment. These are significant additions and non-trivial.\\Open Source allows you to STAND on the shoulders of gods. For example we've\been having a problem with the Jakarta DBCP connection pool. It was running\out of connections in highly threaded environments and is slow. Certainly\slower than would be necessary.\\Long story short. Last night ...\\$LABEL$3 +Audit Confirms Chvez Victory in Recall An audit of Venezuela #39;s recall referendum has confirmed that President Hugo Chvez won fairly and found no evidence to support fraud charges, observers and electoral council officials said Saturday.$LABEL$2 +Governor Promises Help Reopening Schools Affected By Charley One week after Hurricane Charley chewed a path from Punta Gorda to Daytona Beach, Gov. Jeb Bush promises to to use state resources to help schools damaged or destroyed by the storm to reopen quickly.$LABEL$2 +India #39;s 3 Million Truckers Strike Over Planned Tax Increase India #39;s three million truck drivers started a strike today to protest a planned tax on cargo transportation by road, prompting local units of Honda Motor Co.$LABEL$2 +Boom! Big kickoff for #39;Madden 2005 #39; EA #39;s newest version of top title sells 1.3 million copies in first week, holding off competition. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc.$LABEL$3 +Disposable Digital Camera Debuts At 1,000 CVS Pharmacies Digital disposable cameras are debuting in about 1,000 CVS stores across the nation, the retail chain said Thursday. The one-time-use cameras, which feature a color preview screen, have 25 pictures and are priced at \$19.$LABEL$3 +Cink holds lead at NEC Invitational Stewart Cink leads the NEC Invitational World Golf Championships as he nears the end of the third round. Cink is 10 under after 16 holes, just two shots clear of David Toms, eight under after 17 holes.$LABEL$1 +Explosions at Protest Rally in Bangladesh Kill 9 Several explosions ripped through a Bangladeshi opposition party rally here on Saturday, killing at least 9 people and wounding as $LABEL$0 +Sudan #39;s quest for peace Conflict seems to have become a way of life for Sudan that has struggled to find peace and stability since its independence in 1956.$LABEL$0 +Peres facing attack from Labor MKs over continued talks with Likud Labor Party Chair Shimon Peres is facing growing opposition from his party over his decision to continue coalition talks with Likud despite the Likud convention #39;s resolution last week against bringing Labor into the government.$LABEL$0 +Up to seven killed in Chechnya shootout: report (AFP) AFP - Up to seven people were killed in an attack on a police station in Grozny, the capital of the Russian breakaway republic of Chechnya, a report quoting officials said.$LABEL$0 +Jasikevicius makes most of second chance to stun US NBA stars (AFP) AFP - Lithuanian sharpshooter Sarunas Jasikevicius, snubbed by the National Basketball Association, made the most of his second chance to deliver a dagger into the hearts of a United States Olympic team of NBA talent.$LABEL$1 +Fleisher Takes Lead at Hickory Classic (AP) AP - Bruce Fleisher parlayed eight birdies into a tournament-low 65 Saturday and cruised to a 3-shot lead after the second round of the Greater Hickory Classic.$LABEL$1 +Olympic Basketball: United States Stunned Again ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men's basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Forces Keep Sh'ite Militants Guessing NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces appeared to keep Sh'ite militants guessing in the city of Najaf overnight, firing off sporadic rounds as a military aircraft flew overhead.$LABEL$0 +Chile Asks Pinochet to Explain \$8 Million US Bank Accounts Chile #39;s former dictator Augusto Pinochet reportedly is the target of an investigation in his homeland probing up US bank accounts controlled by the ex-president.$LABEL$2 +Solar power bill supported Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday threw his support behind a bill to dramatically increase the number of California homes using solar power, reviving a legislative effort that seemed all but dead last week.$LABEL$2 +World marks go in the pool ATHENS - The Australian women and American men ended the swimming competition at the Athens 2004 Olympics Games in style Saturday, both breaking world records in the 4x100 meter medley relays.$LABEL$1 +Dolphins on verge of trading Ogunleye to Bears The Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade defensive end Adewale Ogunleye to the Chicago Bears for wide receiver Marty Booker and a 2005 third-round pick, if agent Drew Rosenhaus can work out a new contract for Ogunleye by 7 pm Saturday, according to a $LABEL$1 +Najaf Fighting Flares; Sadr Forces Hold Shrine Description: US forces clash again in Najaf with fighters loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Efforts by the Iraqi government to reach a disarmament deal with Sadr are at an impasse, and his forces continue to hold the Imam Ali shrine.$LABEL$0 +Police killed in pre-poll Chechnya attacks -agency Gunmen attacked a police station and voting centres in Russia #39;s war-torn Chechnya, killing at least 11 people, Interfax news agency said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Nesterenko Speeds to Win in Women's 100-Meter Final ATHENS (Reuters) - Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus sped to an unexpected victory in the women's 100 meter final at the Athens Olympics Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Graphic Designer Fired After Heckling Bush CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A man who heckled President Bush at a political rally was fired from his job at an advertising and design company for offending a client who provided tickets to the event...$LABEL$0 +Also from this section Innovative Solutions quot;, promises the Riggs Bank slogan emblazoned across the home page of its website. quot;For over 165 years we #39;ve been developing innovative, custom-tailored solutions to improve the lives of our customers.$LABEL$2 +Two golds again in new judging debacle? Not this time A grand judging goof at the Athens Olympics cheapened American gymnast Paul Hamm #39;s historic gold and gave South Korea another good reason to cry robbery at the games.$LABEL$1 +British sport #39;s new superhero revives the Olympic spirit Matthew Pinsent was hailed as the new superman of British sport yesterday, after winning gold at his fourth consecutive Olympic Games.$LABEL$1 +Malaysia testing 3 people for bird flu; says outbreak isolated Malaysian officials on Saturday were testing three people who fell ill in a village hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, after international health officials warned that the virus appeared to be entrenched in parts of $LABEL$0 +Kroger's Profit Climbs, Misses Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - Kroger Co. , the top U.S.\grocer, on Tuesday said quarterly profit rose 29 percent as it\kept a tight rein on expenses and sales rebounded.$LABEL$2 +Blasts Shake Najaf as U.S. Planes Attack Rebels NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Strong blasts were heard in the besieged city of Najaf early Sunday as U.S. military planes unleashed cannon and howitzer fire and a heavy firefight erupted.$LABEL$0 +Ramirez, Red Sox Batter White Sox Manny Ramirez homered and drove in five runs as the Red Sox earned their fifth straight victory.$LABEL$1 +Somalia to get new parliament Somalia's first parliament for 13 years is expected to be sworn in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Audit of Venezuelan vote confirms Chavez victory CARACAS, VENEZUELA - An audit of ballots from 150 voting stations has confirmed that President Hugo Chavez won last week #39;s recall referendum, reported the Organization of American States Saturday.$LABEL$2 +Beware! Bugs can attack Net phones THEY are becoming increasingly popular because they are cheap. However, before you rush off to buy an Internet phone or Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, you should know that they are $LABEL$3 +Stunt pilots to hook falling stardust sample A piece of the Sun is set to fall to Earth and be captured by Hollywood stunt pilots in a tricky mid-air manoeuvre, NASA announced on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +World record in sights of 100-meter field quot;We #39;re going to have a party, quot; Maurice Greene said Saturday, looking forward to Sunday #39;s final in the Olympic men #39;s 100-meter dash.$LABEL$1 +Hewitt calls on fighting spirit SECOND-seed Lleyton Hewitt needed all of his famed tenacity to overcome feisty Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) and reach the semi-finals of the Washington Open.$LABEL$1 +Deng #39;s name used to pressure Jiang THE 100th birth anniversary of China #39;s late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, which falls today, has been used by influential party elders to put pressure on former president Jiang Zemin to fully relinquish authority to his successor Hu Jintao.$LABEL$0 +US Boxer Dirrell Powers Into Quarters Ron Siler had just taken a beating, and now it seemed like the whole US boxing team was down for the count. Fighters weren #39;t following directions, medal hopes were slipping $LABEL$1 +False report of Swedish king's assassination on faked BBC website (AFP) AFP - Hoaxers imitated the BBC news website on the Internet, including a fake announcement that King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden had been assassinated in Athens while attending the Olympic Games, according to reports.$LABEL$0 +Treasury Prices Take a Breather Today (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury prices paused for breath\on Tuesday after a blistering two-session rally ran out of\steam, though analysts still saw room to the upside given the\large short-base in the market.$LABEL$2 +Cink Takes Commanding Lead Over Woods at NEC AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Stewart Cink was on the verge of his fourth career win after shooting a two-under-par 68 for a five-shot lead in the third round of the \$7 million NEC Invitational Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Four Immigrants Die Trying to Reach Spanish Shore MADRID (Reuters) - Four sub-Saharan Africans trying to immigrate illegally drowned 20 feet from shore Saturday at the same Spanish beach where 33 would-be immigrants died last week, state radio said.$LABEL$0 +Unfriendly airline grounds its pension plans Fly the friendly skies may be United Airlines slogan. But employees of Americas largest carrier wont be so convinced this weekend, on the heels of it filing court documents saying it is likely to scrap its pension plans.$LABEL$2 +US Airways Chairman: Liquidation Possible US Airways Group Inc. #39;s (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) chairman said employees must agree to \$800 million in new wage and benefit cuts within 30 days or the airline might be liquidated, the New York Times said on Thursday, citing $LABEL$2 +HBOS in talks to fund 8bn Abbey bid HBOS is said to be in talks with potential financial backers over how to fund an 8bn takeover bid for Abbey National in a move to break up a takeover plan from Spain #39;s Banco Santander Central Hispano.$LABEL$2 +Update 4: Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works their users swap online.$LABEL$3 +Google Goes Public at \$85/share adpowers writes quot;It is official. Google will have its IPO debut at \$85 per share. To quote the article, #39;At that price, the low end of its recently revised range, Google raised \$1.$LABEL$3 +High-Speed Internet Shouldn #39;t Be Delayed Back in the go-go days of the tech boom, there was a lot of talk about fast Internet connections enabling consumers to do all manner of useful and fun things, from online banking to viewing movies online.$LABEL$3 +Hidayat fulfills potential with badminton gold ATHENS: Taufik Hidayat couldnt stop the tears after winning Indonesias first gold medal of the Athens Olympics. The unheralded Hidayat won the mens badminton title Saturday, beating seventh-seeded $LABEL$1 +Bush's Nephew Rips Armed Border Guards (AP) AP - President Bush's nephew, campaigning for overseas votes in Mexico on Saturday, called the federal policy of arming U.S. Border Patrol agents with plastic pellet guns ""reprehensible.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Launches Fresh Assault on Sadr Forces in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday after talks on transferring control of the mosque at the center of a two-week siege ran into difficulties.$LABEL$0 +'Tax super-rich at 50' proposal Hit the super-rich with a 50 inheritance tax and allow cuts for the middle class, says a leading think tank.$LABEL$0 +Shiites Hold Najaf Shrine; Clashes Flare NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday, raising fears that a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders. An unofficial mediator pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...$LABEL$0 +Spectator Phelps' 8th Medal Ties Record ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps won another gold medal, this time wearing khaki shorts and flip-flops. From a front-row seat at the Olympic pool, Phelps watched his teammates do all the work in the 400-meter medley relay Saturday night...$LABEL$0 +Dream Team Loses Again, but Still Advances ATHENS, Greece - The United States men's basketball team endured another brutal loss Saturday night. But because Angola is playing even worse than the Americans, the Dream Team is in the quarterfinals of the Athens Games...$LABEL$0 +Woman Chows 38 Lobsters in Eating Contest KENNEBUNK, Maine - America's top speed-eater wolfed down 38 lobsters in 12 minutes Saturday to win the World Lobster Eating Contest. Sonya Thomas, of Alexandria, Va., won \$500 and a trophy belt for her efforts, consuming 9.76 pounds of lobster meat...$LABEL$0 +US Airways asks pilots for 16.5 cut in pay Struggling US Airways (UAIR) has asked its pilots to accept a 16.5 pay cut while giving them the chance to recoup some of the money by flying more.$LABEL$2 +Competition probe would see Santander turn its back on Abbey Banco Santander would walk away from its 8.2bn offer for Abbey National, the mortgage bank, if a rival bid from one or more UK banks led to a lengthy investigation by the competition authorities.$LABEL$2 +Google Shares Gain in Market Debut Shares of Google Inc. made their market debut on Thursday and quickly traded up 19 percent at \$101.28. The Web search company #39;s initial public offering priced at \$85 $LABEL$3 +Springboks beat Australia in tr-nations rugby South Africa has defeated Australia in the final match of the rugby Tri Nations series. Africa correspondent Sally Sara reports, the Springboks won 23 to 19 in front of a home crowd in Durban.$LABEL$1 +Johnson probably out for season with broken cheekbone Montreal Expos first baseman Nick Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a broken right cheekbone and is probably out for the rest of the season.$LABEL$1 +Moore versus List in US Amateur final Mamaroneck, NY (Sports Network) - Ryan Moore, the medalist in stroke play, dispatched Jeff Overton, 3 amp; 2 in one of Saturday #39;s semifinal matches to reach Sunday #39;s 36-hole final at the US Amateur Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club.$LABEL$1 +Praying for Sistani #39;s Good Health ast week, the Iraqi city of Najaf teetered between hopes for a truce and threats of an all-out government assault to rout the rebel Islamic cleric Moktada al-Sadr.$LABEL$0 +Hasina escapes unhurt as Dhaka blast kills 14 DHAKA: Bangladesh opposition leader and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina had a narrow escape as a powerful blast at a rally of her Awami League party killed 14 people and injured 200 here on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan Says It Has Foiled Terror Plots Pakistan has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy, officials announced Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Rebels attack Chechen police station, several people killed Several people were killed and a few others wounded when rebels attacked a police station in the capital of Russia #39;s breakaway Chechen republic on Saturday, Russian news agencies reported, citing officials.$LABEL$0 +British military to get first Muslim chaplain: report (AFP) AFP - Britain's army forces are to get their first Muslim chaplain, a defense ministry source was quoted as saying.$LABEL$0 +Indian mother swims home from Sri Lanka (AFP) AFP - A 34-year-old Indian mother of one has fulfilled her dream to swim seven seas after crossing the Palk Strait dividing India and Sri Lanka in a marathon 14-hour feat, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Airport workers strike BA pay deal More than 10,000 British Airways staff will be balloted by their unions this week over a last-ditch pay deal that has lifted the threat of bank holiday travel chaos at Heathrow.$LABEL$2 +Nobody is neutral about the great Google gamble The initial public offering of Google brings to mind one of the great one-liners offered by Clint Eastwood in one of his Dirty Harry films: quot;Opinions are like a**holes, quot; Harry says.$LABEL$2 +Gloves are off as Abbey war turns dirty ANYONE who thought the battle for Marks amp; Spencer had plumbed the depths of City depravity with its stories of fisticuffs in Baker Street and allegations of interference with mobile phone records may have to draw breath as the banking battle gets serious.$LABEL$2 +Online hits climb the charts as radio embraces the internet age THE online music generation will become the legitimate test of the top 20 chart toppers next week when Virgin and BBC Radio One launch shows featuring tracks downloaded from the internet.$LABEL$3 +Epson develops worlds lightest flying robot The micro-robot weighs a mere 8.6 grams without battery, or 12.3 grams with the battery attached. It measures 13.6 centimeters in diameter and 8.5 centimeters in height.$LABEL$3 +Pieces of eight for Phelps How far do you have to go to win an Olympic title? How about eight titles? If you #39;re Michael Phelps, you would have to go a long way, 70 kilometres in fact, because that is how far the American golden boy of the pool has swum at these Games.$LABEL$1 + #39;Testosterone oozed from the screen #39; Forget those chariots, this was Rowing Boats Of Fire. The heart-stopping, edge-of-the-seat, photo finish victory for the men #39;s coxless four was without a doubt one of the Great British Sporting Moments.$LABEL$1 +American Sprinters Show a Mix of Bluster and Speed Shawn Crawford of the United States left the baseball cap at home and no longer needed the showy sunglasses he wore in Saturday morning #39;s first heat.$LABEL$1 +South Africa 23 - 19 Australia When Percy Montgomery sent his third and last penalty of the afternoon sailing between the uprights to take South Africa out to 23-7 after 63 minutes, it seemed safe to contemplate the remarkable idea that South Africa were to be Tri Nations champions.$LABEL$1 +Belarus Breaks US Hold in 100m Dash For the first time in 20 years, an American woman did not win gold in the 100m dash. On Saturday that honor went to Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus.$LABEL$1 +Green flexes muscles vs. Braves Shawn Green hit a grand slam in the first inning and a solo homer in the third to lead the Dodgers to a 7-4 victory Saturday against the Atlanta Braves $LABEL$1 +US Launches Fresh Assault on Sadr Forces in Najaf US forces launched a fresh assault on Shi #39;ite rebels in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday after talks on transferring control of the mosque at the center of a two-week siege ran into difficulties.$LABEL$0 +Sudan, UN agree on right of return of Darfur displaced The Sudanese government and the UN migration agency here Saturday signed an agreement ensuring right of return of Darfur displaced.$LABEL$0 +Four people injured in bomb explosions in Spain Four people were wounded on Saturday when two bombs exploded at the tourist localities of Sanjenjo and Baiona, in Galicia, north Spain.$LABEL$0 +IDF troops kill man close to Gaza fence Israeli troops spotted a Palestinian in the security zone about 50 meters from the fence separating Gaza from Israel and shot him dead early yesterday.$LABEL$0 +The rivers of blood still run deep in Africa #39;s Great Lakes region The Great Lakes region, which has paid Africa #39;s highest price in human lives and destruction from ethnic conflict, could soon be plunged again into wholesale war as a result of the recent massacre of 160 Congolese Tutsis in Burundi by Hutu militias.$LABEL$0 +China takes a great leap backwards for Deng IN LIFE he was feared and revered, but in death the father of Chinas 20-year economic miracle and crusher of Tiananmen Square had assumed iconic status.$LABEL$0 +The Fischer defence Last week as Bobby Fischer languished in a detention centre in Japan, his new fiancee announced their impending nuptials. Andrew Alderson reports on the latest twist in the bizarre life $LABEL$0 +British Airways in Pact With Unions British Airways PLC reached a pay accord early Saturday with two unions, averting a planned strike during the Aug. 27-30 holiday weekend by 11,000 baggage handlers and check-in workers.$LABEL$2 +Johnson Leaves Game With Strained Hip (AP) AP - Detroit Tigers right-hander Jason Johnson left his start Saturday against the Seattle Mariners with a strained left hip.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan says holds suspects planning big attacks (Reuters) Reuters - UPDATE 3-Pakistan arrests up to 10 al Qaeda suspects$LABEL$0 +Kerry Camp Makes Video to Defuse Attacks (AP) AP - Sen. John Kerry's campaign released a video Saturday comparing the controversy over Kerry's Vietnam service to attacks on John McCain during the 2000 Republican primaries.$LABEL$0 +McDonald's: CEO Resting After New Surgery WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chief executive of McDonald's Corp. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MCD.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">MCD.N</A> is recuperating after another surgery, the world's largest fast-food company said on Saturday.$LABEL$2 +Good Samaritans Aiding Hurricane Victims PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Hundreds of local residents and some from across the nation have turned out to provide a vast array of free aid since Hurricane Charley ravaged the area on Aug...$LABEL$0 +Militants Hold Najaf Shrine; Bombing Heard NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday, raising fears that a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders. An unofficial mediator pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...$LABEL$0 +Red Sox Top White Sox Manny Ramirez homered and drove in five runs as the Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 10-7 Saturday for their fifth straight win.$LABEL$1 +Hewitt Thunders to Final Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the finals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Robby Ginepri on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Offense Is Steamrolled Quarterback Aaron Polanco took a brutal hit in the back during Navy's scrimmage, symbolizing the Mids' mediocre offensive effort Saturday.$LABEL$1 +ON THE CONTRARY Energy Answers, Left Unspoken F you #39;re worried about the nation #39;s energy future, you can take heart in the positions of both major parties #39; presidential candidates.$LABEL$2 +Paul Hamm gold an error n American Paul Hamm, who become the first American to win the Olympics mens all-around gymnastics title, should not have been awarded the gold, the sports governing body ruled on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Valencia downs Zaragoza in Spanish Supercup Spanish international Vicente Rodriguez struck from a 62nd-minute free kick Saturday to earn Valencia a 1-0 victory over Zaragoza in the first leg of the Spanish Supercup.$LABEL$1 +Colts WR Walters Breaks Left Arm Vs. Jets (AP) AP - Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Troy Walters broke his left arm on the first series of Saturday night's preseason game against the New York Jets.$LABEL$1 +Bucks Acquire Guard Maurice Williams (AP) AP - The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Maurice ""Mo"" Williams after the Utah Jazz did not match the offer sheet the guard signed on Aug. 6.$LABEL$1 +Angels Rattle Loaiza, Blast Yankees 6-1 (AP) AP - Esteban Loaiza is pitching his way out of the New York Yankees' rotation.$LABEL$1 +McDonald's: CEO Resting After New Surgery WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chief executive of McDonald's Corp. is recuperating after another surgery, the world's largest fast-food company said on Saturday.$LABEL$2 +Kerry Makes 'Non-Political' Florida Visit (AP) AP - Presidential candidate John Kerry may have won a few votes during his tour of neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Charley, but he said #151; as any politician must #151; that strengthening support in a battleground state was not the reason for his visit.$LABEL$0 +Meth Cooks May Be Caught Pink-Handed (AP) AP - It may fall a shade shy of catching thieves red-handed, but for farmers fed up with methamphetamine cooks filching their fertilizer, staining them pink will do just fine.$LABEL$3 +Chilean Pair Win Country's First Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez won Chile's first gold medal at an Olympics in a five-set tennis marathon that ended at 2:37 a.m. on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +French reporters vanish in Iraq Paris confirms two French journalists are missing in Iraq as concern grows for the safety of an Italian.$LABEL$0 +MLB: Los Angeles 7, Atlanta 4 Shawn Green hit two home runs Saturday, including a grand slam, to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves.$LABEL$1 +Dropped Fly Lets Mets Nip Giants in 12th (AP) AP - Dustan Mohr allowed two runs to score when he dropped a fly ball in the 12th inning, and the New York Mets overcame a shaky return by Tom Glavine and a team-record six double plays to beat the San Francisco Giants 11-9 Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Police Killed in Pre-Poll Chechnya Attacks -- Agency MOSCOW (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked a police station and voting centers in Russia's war-torn Chechnya, killing at least 11 people, Interfax news agency said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +In Mr. Bush's Neighborhood, a Peculiar Intersection The relationship between President Bush and Wall Street has always been a tangled one, layered with paradox and outright contradiction.$LABEL$2 +Video Game Makers Go Hollywood. Uh-Oh. Seeking to establish the medium as a mass market form of entertainment instead of a niche technology, the game industry has taken the playbook of the movie business.$LABEL$2 +That Not-So-Distant Thunder in the Bond Market HEN investors consider the bond market these days, the low level of interest rates should be more cause for worry than for gratitude.$LABEL$2 +Hewitt overcomes Ginepri to reach Washington final Australian Lleyton Hewitt eased into the final of the Washington Classic on Saturday with a 6-3 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded American Robby Ginepri.$LABEL$1 +Usual suspects could be challenged The pressure on IRL IndyCar Series championship leaders Tony Kanaan and Buddy Rice is beginning to increase with the end of the 2004 season just eight weeks -- or five races -- away.$LABEL$1 +Bomb attack kills 12 at Bangladesh rally At least 12 people were killed and 100 wounded in a bomb attack yesterday on an opposition rally in Bangladesh #39;s capital Dhaka.$LABEL$0 +Fatal accidents damage Japan #39;s nuclear dream On the coast of the Japan Sea, two and a half hours by train from Kyoto, is the quiet fishing village of Mihama. Noted for its harbour and beautiful beaches, it draws tourists from all over the country.$LABEL$0 +Wall St.'s Nest Egg - the Housing Sector (Reuters) Reuters - If there were any doubts that we're\still living in the era of the stay-at-home economy, the rows\of empty seats at the Athens Olympics should help erase them.$LABEL$2 +Pakistan Says It Has Foiled Terror Plots (AP) AP - Pakistan has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the U.S. Embassy, officials announced Saturday.$LABEL$0 +AUDIT CONFIRMS CHAVEZ VICTORY An audit of last week #39;s recall vote in Venezuela has found no evidence of fraud in the process that endorsed President Hugo Chavez as leader.$LABEL$2 +Charlie Bell recovering from second colorectal surgery CHICAGO McDonald #39;s President and CEO Charlie Bell is resting comfortably today after undergoing a second colorectal procedure.$LABEL$2 +ANALYSIS-Indo-Pak peace bid runs into rough water Pakistan #39;s President Pervez Musharraf is quot;confused quot; and not a little impatient. India is concerned, and Kashmiris are increasingly pessimistic.$LABEL$0 +Al-Qaida Said to Recruit in Latin America MONTERREY, Mexico - Governments throughout Mexico and Central America are on alert as evidence grows that al-Qaida members are traveling in the region and looking for recruits to carry out attacks in Latin America - the potential last frontier for international terrorism. The territory could be a perfect staging ground for Osama bin Laden's militants, with homegrown rebel groups, drug and people smugglers, and corrupt governments...$LABEL$0 +Mistakes Are Abundant Missed tackles, penalties and other assorted errors marked Maryland's intrasquad scrimmage Saturday, a dire portent of another slow start.$LABEL$1 +Cink Excels at NEC Stewart Cink used a 2-under 68 on Saturday to extend his lead at the NEC Invitational to five shots while Tiger Woods and David Toms faded.$LABEL$1 +Blue Jays Drub O's Carlos Delgado homered and drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays handed the Baltimore Orioles their fifth straight loss, 10-4, on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +New Orleans Quarterback Aaron Brooks Tweaks Strained Right Thigh in Game Against Green Bay (AP) AP - New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks tweaked his strained right thigh and hobbled off the field in the second quarter of the Saints' game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +NL: Green Homers Lift Los Angeles Past Atlanta (Reuters) Reuters - Shawn Green hit two home runs,\including a grand slam, as Los Angeles defeated the Atlanta\Braves 7-4 in a battle of National League division leaders at\Dodger Stadium Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Han Shoots Par, Leads Wendy's Championship (AP) AP - Hee-Won Han was back atop the leaderboard at the Wendy's Championship for Children. Han, the defending champion and 2002 runner-up, shot an even-par 72 in the third round Saturday to take a two-shot lead. The South Korean had earlier rounds of 66 and 70 at the rain-soaked and muddy Tartan Fields Golf Club and was at 8-under-par 208.$LABEL$1 +Chemical may cause muscle disease Scientists say a defect in a key protein may cause the muscle-wasting disease muscular dystrophy.$LABEL$0 +McDonald #39;s: CEO Resting After New Surgery The chief executive of McDonald #39;s Corp. (MCD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is recuperating after another surgery, the world #39;s largest fast-food company said on Saturday.$LABEL$2 +Enter your e-mail: I just spent an enjoyable afternoon at the Classic Gaming Expo in San Jose--a place where Pac-Man and Donkey Kong are revered, the Atari 2600 and Intellivision are respected gaming platforms, and the men and women who created titles such as Centipede and $LABEL$3 +Controversy Again Taints Olympic Games ATHENS, Greece - Bad judging has become a tradition at the Olympics, almost its own event really. From the robbery of Munich, where officials stole a basketball gold from the United States and gave it to Russia $LABEL$1 +Unknown Nesterenko Makes World Headlines Belarus #39; Yuliya Nesterenko won the top women #39;s athletics gold medal at the Olympics on Saturday, triumphing over a field stripped of many big names because of doping woes to win the 100 meters.$LABEL$1 +Concerns mount for reporters missing in Iraq A freelance Italian journalist who had been working in the troubled Iraqi city of Najaf is missing and his driver has reportedly been killed, government and aid officials said on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Aircraft Make New Attack on Rebels in Najaf (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. aircraft launched a fresh\assault on Shi'ite rebels in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf\early Sunday after talks on transferring control of the mosque\at the center of a two-week siege ran into trouble.$LABEL$0 +Two French Journalists Missing in Iraq - Ministry (Reuters) Reuters - Two French journalists are missing in\Iraq and have not been heard from since Thursday, the Foreign\Ministry in Paris said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Carter Out for Season for Seminoles (AP) AP - Florida State tight end Donnie Carter will miss the upcoming season with a torn right knee ligament, coach Bobby Bowden said Saturday.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Aircraft Make New Attack on Rebels in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf early Sunday after talks on transferring control of the mosque at the center of a two-week siege ran into trouble.$LABEL$0 +Two French Journalists Missing in Iraq - Ministry PARIS (Reuters) - Two French journalists are missing in Iraq and have not been heard from since Thursday, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Venezuela finds no fraud in election Venezuela #39;s electoral authorities said Saturday an audit of the vote on President Hugo Chavez #39;s rule found no proof of fraud.$LABEL$2 +Matfield turns the Aussie tide A rugby nation lifted its head once more last night. The surprise was that it was South Africa, not Australia or New Zealand, who emerged into the light clutching the coveted Tri-Nations trophy.$LABEL$1 +NL: Green Homers Lift Los Angeles Past Atlanta Shawn Green hit two home runs, including a grand slam, as Los Angeles defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-4 in a battle of National League division leaders at Dodger Stadium Saturday.$LABEL$1 +American Says He Was on bin Laden's Trail (AP) AP - An American on trial for allegedly torturing Afghan terror suspects in a private jail claimed Saturday in his first interview from custody that he was hot on the heels of Osama bin Laden and other militant leaders when he was arrested on July 5.$LABEL$0 +Dutch arrest in Iraq genocide case A 62-year-old Dutchman will be charged for war crimes and as an accomplice to genocide for supplying lethal chemicals to Saddam Hussein #39;s regime, prosecutors said Tuesday.$LABEL$0 +Former Swift Boat Commander Backs Kerry on Vietnam (Reuters) Reuters - A journalist who commanded a boat\alongside John Kerry in Vietnam broke a 35-year silence on\Saturday and defended the Democratic presidential candidate\against Republican critics of his military service and\integrity.$LABEL$0 +Bush pressing case for #39;ownership society #39; Amid signs that the economy is cooling, President Bush is showcasing initiatives for a second term under the banner of an quot;ownership society quot; in hopes of bolstering his economic stewardship credentials.$LABEL$2 +Rules for Overtime Pay to Take Effect After months of heated debate, a major revision, protests and an unsuccessful legislative assault, the most sweeping changes to the nation #39;s overtime rules in more than 50 years take effect tomorrow.$LABEL$2 +Indian truckers launch strike NEW DELHI: India #39;s largest truckers #39; union began a nationwide strike yesterday, disrupting shipment of goods, to protest a government plan for a service tax on transport booking agents.$LABEL$2 +Bank One Chief Economist to Step Down Bank One said Thursday that its chief economist is leaving the company, less than two months after it was purchased by JP Morgan Chase amp; Co.$LABEL$2 +Nortel Will Cut Workforce by 10 Percent TORONTO, Aug. 19 -- Nortel Networks Corp. said Thursday it will slash its workforce by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits.$LABEL$2 +Workers at Mexico #39;s Volkswagen plant end strike, accept 4.5 wage <b>...</b> Workers at Volkswagen #39;s Mexico plant agreed to end their three-day-old strike and accept a pay package close to the company #39;s original offer, officials said after talks that stretched into the early hours of Saturday.$LABEL$2 +High-Speed Users Move Into Majority Web users with fast broadband connections have finally muscled aside dial-up users to form a majority of the American Internet population, according to Nielsen/Net Ratings.$LABEL$3 +Yosemite National Park to use from GM hybrid technology Hybrid engines manufactured by General Motors Corp. will be used to power some buses in California #39;s Yosemite National Park -- a move aimed at curbing emissions in the pristine reserve.$LABEL$3 +Inside Lines: Athens brings out the Games #39; feminine side Have you noticed how women are beginning to dominate these Olympics? A week ago it was Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki who was a star of the show at the opening ceremony.$LABEL$1 +Bangladesh Blasts Kill 13, Injure Opposition Leader, AFP Says A series of explosions at a political rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh killed more than 13 people and injured up to 80, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Agence France-Presse $LABEL$0 +Rebels in Nepal Kill Policeman as the Capital Endures a Siege Suspected insurgents shot dead a policeman on Saturday in Katmandu, Nepal #39;s capital, as the military said it could escort food shipments into the city to ease a blockade inspired by antigovernment guerrillas.$LABEL$0 +Four injured in blasts MADRID: Two bombs exploded in coastal towns in northern Spain yesterday injuring four people after a local paper received a warning in the name of the Basque separatist organisation ETA.$LABEL$0 +More violence ahead of Chechen election There has been more violence in the strife-torn republic of Chechnya, just days before the Russian region is due to elect a new president.$LABEL$0 +Kazaa Owner Cheers File-Swapping Decision (AP) AP - The distributor of file-swapping giant Kazaa welcomed a U.S. court's ruling that two of its rivals are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works shared online by their users.$LABEL$3 +Brunell, Redskins Shellac Dolphins 17-0 (AP) AP - Mark Brunell directed two touchdown drives, and the Washington Redskins controlled the ball for 41 minutes to beat the Miami Dolphins 17-0 Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +Global LCD Oversupply to Peak -Report Excess supplies of large liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are forecast to peak in the third quarter of this year, but will balance out by the fourth, a US research firm said on Friday.$LABEL$3 +Hewitt goes through in Washington Second-seed Lleyton Hewitt moved into the quarterfinals of the Washington Open with a routine 6-3 6-2 win over Colombian Alejandro Falla.$LABEL$1 +Bekele wins 10,000m gold as Gebrselassie #39;s era ends Kenenisa Bekele stormed to the men #39;s 10,000 meters title as his once all-conquoring fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie ended at the Olympic Games on Friday night.$LABEL$1 +Bayliss in spat with Ducati boss Bayliss was reportedly involved in a heated argument in the pits at the German Grand Prix last month with team boss Livio Suppo. An uneasy relationship has developed between the former world $LABEL$1 +Harmison rated best Test bowler ENGLAND fast bowler Steve Harmison is the world #39;s number one bowler, according to the latest PwC Test ratings. The Durham quick #39;s match-winning nine-wicket haul in the fourth and final Test against the West $LABEL$1 +STOCKS amp; BONDS Investors Regain Optimism as Crude Oil Prices <b>...</b> tocks climbed yesterday as a drop in crude oil prices from their peak eased investors #39; worries that high fuel costs would crimp consumer spending and hurt company profits.$LABEL$2 +Mars rovers still phoning home While we go about our days, an amazing 34 million or so miles away our pair of Mars Rovers are still going about their days, although theirs are 45 minutes longer and are called quot;sols.$LABEL$3 +Muller, Hewitt for final UNHERALDED Gilles Muller spoiled a star-studded finals scenario at the Washington Open today, muscling aside Andre Agassi 6-4, 7-5 to move into a match-up with Lleyton Hewitt.$LABEL$1 +Bangladesh Awakes in Shock as Blast Toll Hits 16 (Reuters) Reuters - Extra armed police patrolled the streets\of the Bangladeshi capital and traffic was light on Sunday, a\working day, as shocked Bangladeshis woke up to the aftermath\of grenade blasts that killed at least 16 people.$LABEL$0 +Explanation Sought for Lobster Decline (AP) AP - Maine's lobstermen have been hauling up phenomenal numbers for almost 15 years. Their 62.3 million pounds in 2002 set a record #151; triple the typical catch during the 1980s. That's more than #36;200 million worth of lobster and by far the dominant share of the Northeast's most valuable fishery. But can it last?$LABEL$3 +Redskins Execute, Roll The Redskins were crisp on offense and defense, holding the ball for 41 minutes and allowing 98 total yards in a complete 17-0 victory in Miami.$LABEL$1 +Wizards End Skid Davy Arnaud scored his ninth goal of the season in the 66th minute to give the Kansas City Wizards a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +Is United Taking Aim at Retirees? The story for bankrupt air carrier United Airlines (OTC BB: UALAQ) is a simple one: It doesn #39;t have enough cash on hand to take care of all of its obligations.$LABEL$2 +Violence in Iraq drives oil to new high of over \$49 Oil prices raced to fresh highs Friday, carrying US crude to over \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated fuel demand growth from China and India.$LABEL$2 +Agassi, Davenport move into semifinals of separate tournaments Agassi, Hewitt advance: Andre Agassi continued to make quick work of the field at the Legg Mason tournament in Washington, DC, winning 6-4, 6-4 yesterday over Paul-Henri Mathieu to reach the tournament #39;s semifinals for the seventh consecutive year.$LABEL$1 +Woodgate: A dream come true The England international completed his 13.4million move from Newcastle to the Spanish giants on Friday and was officially unveiled to the media on Saturday afternoon.$LABEL$1 +American League Game Summary - Cleveland At Minnesota Minneapolis, MN -- Cristian Guzman drove in three runs to lead Minnesota to an 8-1 win over Cleveland in the middle contest of a crucial three-game set at the Metrodome.$LABEL$1 +NL Wrap: Green Homers Lift Los Angeles Past Atlanta NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shawn Green hit two home runs, including a grand slam, as Los Angeles defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-4 in a battle of National League division leaders at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Radcliffe shrugs off pressure Britain's gold medal hope in the women's marathon Paula Radcliffe insists she is focused ahead of the race.$LABEL$0 +Houllier praises Rafa #39;s new Liverpool Gerard Houllier was angry to read reports about his criticism of Rafael Benitez in the Sunday papers, and insists he believes the Spaniard is doing well at Anfield.$LABEL$1 +Stocks Edge Higher As Oil Prices Fall A welcome slide in oil prices set off a relief rally on Wall Street Friday, with stocks posting a healthy advance as crude approached but then fell back from the \$50 a barrel mark.$LABEL$2 +Google shares rise in debut Shares in Google rose \$15.01 or 17.7 percent, to open at \$100.01 its public debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The jump was a surprise, given the initial \$85 price of the shares and the unusual style of the sale.$LABEL$2 +RealNetworks Doesn #39;t Rock NEW YORK - It #39;s never a smart move to pick a public fight with Apple Computer, and it #39;s doubly unwise if that fight involves the iPod in some way.$LABEL$3 +College established for Internet game industry A college to provide training for the Internet games industry has been opened in Beijing. China #39;s Ministry of Information Technology, the Hong Kong Vocational Training Council, and a Beijing Internet company devised the new college as a joint venture.$LABEL$3 +Virgin to launch online music chart ahead of Radio One LONDON - Virgin Radio is to broadcast weekly chart rundowns using Napster online sales figures from August 29, beating BBC Radio One to the punch.$LABEL$3 +Henin-Hardenne beats Mauresmo; Gonzalez #39;s long day yields gold <b>...</b> Healthy at last, Justine Henin-Hardenne is back at the top of her game. And she has a gold medal to prove it. In a No. 1 vs. No. 2 final that wasn #39;t really close, the top-ranked Henin-Hardenne overwhelmed $LABEL$1 +Dodgers 7, Braves 4 Los Angeles, Ca. -- Shawn Green belted a grand slam and a solo homer as Los Angeles beat Mike Hampton and the Atlanta Braves 7-to-4 Saturday afternoon.$LABEL$1 +Pak in fresh assault on terror hideouts Islamabad, Aug. 21: Pakistani security forces today attacked suspected terrorist hideouts in the border regions of South Waziristan after rocket attacks on military positions from different areas of Shakai valley.$LABEL$0 +US swimmer Phelps puts on show for the ages As of Saturday, the end of the swimming competitions, he had eight medals: Six gold and two bronze. In comparison, Canada has won two silver and a bronze.$LABEL$1 +Golf: Cink seizes five-shot lead at Akron golf AKRON : American Stewart Cink carded a two-under-par 68 on Saturday to seize a five-stroke lead after the third round at the seven million dollar World Golf Championship Invitational tournament.$LABEL$1 +Australia #39;s Molik wins women #39;s singles tennis bronze Unseeded Alicia Molik of Australia upset No. 3 Anastasia Myskina of Russia 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to win the Olympic women #39;s singles tennis bronze medal.$LABEL$1 +Tigers Edge Mariners in 11 Wild Innings (AP) AP - Craig Monroe hit an RBI single with one out in the 11th inning, leading the Detroit Tigers to a wild 11-10 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +Kerry Raises #36;2M for Democrats in N.Y. (AP) AP - John Kerry raised #36;2 million for Democrats in just a few hours Saturday, making two stops in this understated and elegant vacation destination for the Northeastern well-to-do.$LABEL$0 +Green's Slam Lifts L.A. Shawn Green connects on a grand slam and a solo homer to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves 7-4 on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Stranded Afghan Refugees Find a Home in Canada TORONTO -- Habibullah Abdul Ghafar is drinking black tea and resting after arriving in Canada from Kyrgyzstan, the Central Asian country where he and his family were stranded as refugees. Inside his one-bedroom apartment on the east side of Toronto, the furniture is sparse. A sofa, chair and kitchen table the Canadian government gave them line the room.$LABEL$0 +Wells of Life Run Dry for Sudanese Trauma and malnutrition leave many refugee mothers unable to breast-feed.$LABEL$0 +Tigers Call Up Dingman, Option Novoa (AP) AP - The Detroit Tigers optioned reliever Roberto Novoa to Double-A Erie and called up relief pitcher Craig Dingman from Triple-A Toledo.$LABEL$1 +Australian Taliban and bin Laden bodyguards to face US military justice (AFP) AFP - The United States will this week start controversial military proceedings against an Australian Taliban fighter and three bodyguards for Osama bin Laden.$LABEL$0 +British give shrink an Olympian job LONDON (AFP) - British athletics chiefs have named sports psychologist David Collins as the new Performance Director with the job of producing medal winners at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Insurers Object to New Provision in Medicare Law Private insurers have told the Bush administration that they will not expand their role in Medicare if they have to serve large multistate regions.$LABEL$2 +Overtime rules go in effect Monday Whether they #39;ve been ready for months or are frantically working overtime to catch up, employers of all stripes have until Monday to conform to new labor regulations.$LABEL$2 +Dollar Mainly Gains, Shrugs Off Oil, Gold The dollar strengthened against most major currencies on Friday as dealers shrugged off soaring gold and oil prices and bought the currency largely on technical and positioning grounds.$LABEL$2 +Cink increases lead in Ohio USA Ryder Cup wildcard Stewart Cink increased his lead to five shots after three rounds of the WGC Invitational at the Firestone Country Club in Ohio.$LABEL$1 +US runners display dashing look on oval: Williams finds silver <b>...</b> Lauryn Williams #39; magical summer began with her winning the NCAA 100-meter championship in June in Austin, Texas. It continued at the US Trials in July, where $LABEL$1 +Tennis: Hewitt cruises into Washington quarter-finals Second-seed Lleyton Hewitt moved into the quarterfinals of the Washington Open tennis tournament with a routine 6-3 6-2 win over Colombian Alejandro Falla today.$LABEL$1 +World champion Rossi set to dent Honda morale in Brno BRNO (Czech Republic): World champion Valentino Rossi is 22 points clear in the title race but the Yamaha rider will not be taking it easy at this weekends Czech Grand Prix.$LABEL$1 +Crude oil may rise on supply threats Crude oil futures in New York, after passing US\$49 a barrel, may rise further next week on increasing concern that shipments will be curtailed just as demand accelerates, a Bloomberg survey of traders and analysts showed.$LABEL$2 +Greenback gains on euro even as US economy slips The US dollar climbed against the euro after some traders abandoned bets that a slowdown in growth reflected in economic reports this week would push the US currency to a one-month low.$LABEL$2 +Pinsent and crew take rowing honors Matthew Pinsent won his fourth successive Olympic gold medal amid tears of joy and relief yesterday as the British coxless four beat Canada in one of the closest rowing finals ever.$LABEL$1 +Jets 31, Colts 7 The New York Jets found a winning combination Saturday night -- a near-perfect game from Chad Pennington and an opportunistic defense.$LABEL$1 +Rookie has become #39;the man #39; Any lingering doubts as to whether rookie Julius Jones possesses the necessary toughness to be the Cowboys #39; carry-the-mail back now, and in years to come, were disposed of Monday night in Seattle.$LABEL$1 +Springboks win Tri-Nations title to complete amazing recovery (AFP) AFP - South Africa completed one of the great u-turns in rugby union history by beating Australia 23-19 to lift the Tri-Nations trophy a second time.$LABEL$0 +South Africa Win Second Tri-Nations Title DURBAN (Reuters) - South Africa survived two late yellow cards to win their second Tri-nations title with a rousing 23-19 triumph over Australia in Durban on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Kerry comrade breaks war silence A US officer who fought alongside presidential candidate John Kerry in Vietnam condemns his critics.$LABEL$0 +UK teacher wins US ultra-marathon \A Cornish teacher claims one of sport's endurance crowns by winning a 3,100-mile race across the US.$LABEL$0 +Palmer Passes Test Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer enjoyed his breakthrough game at the expense of the Super Bowl champion Patriots, racking up 179 yards on 12-of-19 passing in a 31-3 triumph on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +Lost Votes in N.M. a Cautionary Tale Four years ago, about 2,300 voters cast their ballots before Election Day on state-of-the-art, push-button electronic voting machines. For 678 of them, their votes were never recorded.<br><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Online Ticketing The percentage of online sales for movie tickets tripled in the past three years, and growth should continue at least through 2008, the most recent data from Jupiter Research show.<br><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +T-Mobile's Sidekick II Strikes a Functional Balance of Voice, Data Uses Wireless-industry types like to talk about ""smart phones"" as if these souped-up, Internet-capable, multifunction cell phones all have the same IQ. But they don't.<br><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Prices Fluctuate in a Flash Prices for flash memory cards -- the little modules used by digital cameras, handheld organizers, MP3 players and cell phones to store pictures, music and other data -- are headed down -- way down. Past trends suggest that prices will drop 35 percent a year, but industry analysts think that rate will be more like 40 or 50 percent this year and next, due to more manufacturers entering the market.$LABEL$3 +Int #39;l observers #39; audit backs Venezuelan referendum results An audit by the international observers supported the official results of the recall referendum on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Cesar Gaviria, the secretary general of $LABEL$2 +Workers face new overtime rules Salaried workers who have been getting overtime pay should take notice: The rules are about to change. Under new federal regulations that go into effect tomorrow, some white-collar workers $LABEL$2 +Unheralded Nesterenko captures 100m gold glory Athens -- If there is a more obscure Olympic 100-meter champion than Yuliya Nesterenko, let her step forward and identify herself.$LABEL$1 +Golf Roundup Han leads by two in Wendy #39;s tourney Han, the 2003 champion and 2002 runner-up, shot an even-par 72 in the third round yesterday to take a two-shot lead. Han had earlier rounds of 66 and 70 at the rain-soaked and muddy Tartan Fields Golf Club and was at 8-under-par 208.$LABEL$1 +Sox slap a high-five for beating ChiSox After tiptoeing through a minefield of controversy, upheaval and unexpected mediocrity for more than three months, the Red Sox stats, schedule finally have their strut back.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan: Arrests spoil major al-Qaida plot Pakistan has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy, officials announced Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party names 2 candidates for PM Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party named Peter Kiss and Ferenc Gyurcsany as candidates for prime minister on Saturday, two days after the party accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy.$LABEL$0 +Cowboys Rally to Beat Raiders, 21-20 (AP) AP - Kerry Collins' one completion covered almost as many yards as Rich Gannon's seven. That's one reason why he might be a better fit in the Oakland Raiders' new offense. Collins' 89-yard scoring strike to Doug Gabriel in the third quarter was the biggest play of the game before the Dallas Cowboys rallied to beat Oakland 21-20 on Tony Romo's 1-yard keeper with six seconds left Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +Earthquakes Rattle Burn 3-0 (AP) AP - Brian Ching scored a team-best 11th goal of season to lead the San Jose Earthquakes past the Dallas Burn 3-0 on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +Heed Those Wary Instincts When it comes to your money (or anything else, for that matter), I believe you should trust your gut.$LABEL$2 +Learning Is a Dangerous Thing to Deduct Tax law has long allowed a taxpayer to deduct the cost of work-related education if it maintains or improves skills needed in his or her present job or business, or if it is required by an employer.$LABEL$2 +Coming Soon, a 24-Plex Not So Near You There's something special about a night at the movies -- it's all about friends, American pop culture and escape. And it's accessible to just about everyone.$LABEL$2 +Nepal rebels storm mountain town Hundreds of Maoist rebels swoop on the Nepalese town of Khalanga, killing at least one soldier.$LABEL$0 +Bills RB Henry Knocked Out in Preseason (AP) AP - Bills running back Travis Henry bruised his ribs in Saturday night's preseason game against Tennessee.$LABEL$1 +Audit Finds No Fraud In Venezuelan Election The referendum on Aug. 15, 2004 rejected the petition to revoke the mandate of President Hugo Chavez. The observation of The Carter Center mission confirms the results announced by the National Election Council $LABEL$2 +China lures Amazon.com, other online e-commerce giants Going store-to-store hunting for bargains holds no appeal for Wang Qin, a busy securities industry employee who says he would rather spend his time and energy on work.$LABEL$3 +Michael Phelps: A very nice guy finishes first At 8:41 pm Thursday, Greek time, Michael Phelps was on the medal stand, the champion of the 200-meter individual medley. He was wearing his official $LABEL$1 +Getting Greene #39;s GOAT a chore worthy of an Olympic medal The tattoo on Maurice Greene #39;s right shoulder succinctly sums up where he feels he ranks in the world of sprinting. quot;Greatest of all time, quot; he will shout after a victory while thumping it.$LABEL$1 +Profile: Chen Qi/Ma Lin, China #39;s new amp;quotgolden pair quot; From Seoul 1988 to Athens 2004, China has pocketed every gold for men #39;s doubles in the Olympic table tennis tournament and, more amazingly, each time the gold has gone to a different pair of players.$LABEL$1 +GAME DAY RECAP Saturday, August 21 But Desi Relaford #39;s ninth-inning drive with two runners on and two out settled into the glove of right fielder Gary Matthews Jr.$LABEL$1 +Grenades kill 18 at Dhaka rally Police and paramilitary are patrolling the streets of the Bangladeshi capital after several grenades exploded near former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she spoke at a party rally Saturday, killing at least 18 people and $LABEL$0 +Calf Problem Rules Ruud Out Of Turkish Trip Ruud van Nistelrooy will not travel to Turkey for United #39;s Champions League group D finale against Fenerbahce. The Dutch striker missed out on Saturday #39;s 3-0 win over Southampton at Old Trafford, and Sir Alex $LABEL$1 +Mars Hills, Crater Yield Evidence of Flowing Water The hills of Mars yielded more tantalizing clues about how water shaped the Red Planet in tests by NASA (news - web sites) #39;s robotic geologist, Spirit, while its twin $LABEL$3 +PAULA HOLDS MEDAL HOPES Long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe is tipped to add to Britain #39;s Olympic gold medal tally when she competes in the women #39;s marathon today.$LABEL$1 +Muller upsets Agassi in semis Luxembourg #39;s Gilles Muller is ranked so low he has to qualify next week just to see if he can even get into the US Open in less than two weeks.$LABEL$1 +Green Bay Packers GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- Darren Sharper returned one his team #39;s three interceptions 90 yards for a touchdown, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 19-14 preseason victory over the New Orleans Saints .$LABEL$1 +Game On For Classic Gaming Expo 2004 jm writes quot;The Classic Gaming Expo 2004 kicks off this weekend, with over 60 industry guests. This year the CGE is being held at San Jose #39;s McEnery Convention Center, August 21st amp; 22nd.$LABEL$3 +Tremendous Victory In Venezuela WHILE India was celebrating its Independence Day, another important event was taking place on the other side of the world, in Venezuela.$LABEL$2 +Olympic gold provides inspiration Britain #39;s Olympic success and gold medal tally gives the papers an excuse to wax lyrical on Sunday. Matthew Pinsent #39;s fourth rowing gold and his team #39;s success in the coxless four is the cause of many quot;oar-some quot; puns.$LABEL$1 +SI.com SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Josh Beckett helped himself to his first win in over three months. Beckett doubled in the sixth inning to tie the game and scored the go-ahead run on Juan Pierre #39;s home run one batter $LABEL$1 +Lights-out putting ends Overton run By STEVE FORD Courier amp; Press staff writer 464-7511 or sfordevansville.net. Jeff Overton #39;s run in the 104th US Amateur at Winged Foot Golf Club near New York City ended one day too soon.$LABEL$1 +Mohr is less in loss to Mets San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Dustan Mohr dropped a fly ball with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the 12th inning to allow two runs to score, and the New York Mets went on to defeat the San Francisco Giants 11-9 in the see-saw middle $LABEL$1 +Brees Passes Chargers Past Cardinals 38-13 (AP) AP - Drew Brees continued his strong exhibition season, passing the San Diego Chargers to a big halftime lead and a 38-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +In Op-Ed Piece, McGreevey Defends Choice (AP) AP - In a newspaper opinion piece published Sunday, New Jersey's embattled governor says his decision not to leave office immediately because of a sex scandal was ""difficult"" to make but one he will not change.$LABEL$0 +Sportsview: Manning Assaults NFL Records (AP) AP - There are traces of Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino, Joe Montana and Steve Young in Peyton Manning, not to mention the DNA of dear old dad, Archie. They're all there in his arm, his accuracy, his eyes, his brains.$LABEL$1 +Lavish times in oil patch? Not a chance Dude, where #39;s my boom? That #39;s a question a lot of Hous- tonians are asking as oil crowds the \$50-a-barrel mark. Where #39;s the frenetic hiring as oil companies staff up for the good times?$LABEL$2 +New hospital design aids healing, cuts errors Greeters direct new arrivals at the elevators. Wireless telephone systems and Internet access are available. And every guest room is private, cheerful and has a fold-out chairbed.$LABEL$2 +EIGHTH IS EASIEST Swimmer Michael Phelps might have turned in his most wonderfully uplifting performance of the Olympics last night. And he didn #39;t even get wet.$LABEL$1 +Scoring goof taints gold One of the feel-good stories of the Olympics turned sour Saturday, becoming the latest in a long line of scoring controversies that seem to show up in every Games.$LABEL$1 +De Bruijn, Hall retain 50m titles DEFENDING champion Inge de Bruijn of Holland won the women #39;s 50m swim final in 24.58 seconds last night. It was the 30-year-old #39;s first gold in Athens and the fourth of her career.$LABEL$1 +Bobble by Mohr costs Giants game SAN FRANCISCO - Dustan Mohr of the San Francisco Giants sat in front of his locker with his head buried in his hands. Even in a new ballpark, right field in San Francisco remains treacherous territory.$LABEL$1 +18 killed in grenade attacks in Bangladesh At least 18 people were confirmed killed, and some 300 were injured as unidentified assailants hurled over ten grenades toward a rally organized by the main opposition $LABEL$0 +Pakistan foils Al-Qaeda linked plot for assassinations, attacks ISLAMABAD : Pakistan has busted an Al-Qaeda linked plot to kill high profile civil and military officials and attack key sites including the US embassy and the military headquarters, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Chua: Three free from bird flu KUALA LUMPUR: The three people warded at the Kota Baru Hospital on Thursday are confirmed to be free from bird flu. Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said tests conducted by Institute of Medical Research $LABEL$0 +Militants #39; positions bombed WANA, Aug 21: Fighter planes and helicopter gunships carried out strikes on militants #39; positions in South Waziristan on Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan awaiting formal US consent for new envoy: Kasuri ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri on Saturday said the government was awaiting a formal consent from the US government over the nomination of General (retd) Jehangir Karamat as Pakistans new ambassador.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan spin India to defeat (AFP) AFP - Pakistan spinners Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik took seven wickets between them to bowl their side to a 66-run win over arch-rivals India in the opening match of the triangular event here.$LABEL$0 +Williams stunned by Belarus runner Lauryn Williams never saw her coming. Not as a contender in the weeks and months leading up to the Olympics. Not as a blur whooshing up on her right.$LABEL$1 +Athens Games halfway home free Staggering traffic problems, nightmarish security concerns and incomplete construction of sports venues that would cause an embarrassment to the host country.$LABEL$1 +Padres doomed by big innings The Marlins used a pair of three-run innings to ease past the Padres for an 8-2 victory Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 44,149 at PETCO Park.$LABEL$1 +Nallen Loses in Playoff TUCSON, Ariz. (ussid) Former University of Arizona men #39;s golfer Chris Nallen lost in 19 holes in the semifinals of match play at the 2004 United States Amateur Championship Saturday at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, NY.$LABEL$1 +Rolen #39;s 31st HR gives Cards 3-0 lead Despite piling up impressive offensive numbers, the St. Louis Cardinals aren #39;t ready to bask in their success just yet. The Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-6 on Saturday night, moving $LABEL$1 +Putin lays wreath at Akhmad Kadyrov #39;s grave TSENTOROI, Chechnya. Aug 22 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Chechen village of Tsentoroi on Sunday morning and laid a wreath at the grave of former Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov.$LABEL$0 +Cisco sees momentum in CRS-1 sales Executives at networking giant Cisco Systems say the company #39;s new CRS-1 core Internet router is ahead of revenue targets, just as the company announced on Sunday a smaller version of the product.$LABEL$3 +Nortel battles back Nortel Networks is only a shadow of what it was three years ago. It has shed 61,500 workers worldwide, and announced last week another 3,500 are slated to go.$LABEL$2 +Qantas points to upbeat outlook Barring negative impacts on the aviation industry, such as global terrorism, Australia #39;s flagship carrier had an upbeat future, Qantas #39; chief executive Geoff Dixon said.$LABEL$2 +Red Cross Calls For More Help For Hurricane Victims MANCHESTER, NH -- More victims of Hurricane Charley returned to the devastation Friday, Red Cross officials said more help is needed.$LABEL$2 +Internet phone service seen as growth industry Rising broadband penetration is keeping equipment makers for Internet phone service on their toes in light of their aggression participation in the upcoming Taipei telecom show, event organizers said yesterday.$LABEL$3 +Lindows Delays IPO In the latest setback for IPO hopeful tech companies, San Diego-based Lindows (www.lindows.com) has indefinately postponed its IPO.$LABEL$3 +Campbell takes bronze ATHENS, Greece - Veronica Campbell snatched Jamaica #39;s first Olympic medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games with a third-place finish in the women #39;s 100-metre final last night.$LABEL$1 +On deck: Marlins (60-60) at Padres (65-56), 7:05 tonight The Skinny: Beckett is facing the Padres for the first time in San Diego. In two career starts in Florida, Beckett is 2-0 against the Padres with a 1.93 ERA.$LABEL$1 +A wary sense of relief in Athens ATHENS At the end of the first week of the Olympic Games, security officials are generally pleased, even surprised, by the calm so far, though they caution that a safe opening ceremony and first week may encourage a laxness that could yet give terrorists $LABEL$1 +French reporters vanish in Iraq Two veteran French journalists have gone missing in Iraq as concern mounts over the fate of an Italian reporter. George Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper and Christian Chesnot of French radio have not been $LABEL$0 +Tibetans say Dalai Lama may not return in this life It is 45 years since Tibet #39;s god-king, the Dalai Lama, fled his homeland on horseback as Chinese shells rained down on his capital.$LABEL$0 +Burundian rebels: we #39;re ready to defend ourselves in court in <b>...</b> Leaders of a Burundian rebel group said Friday they were ready to defend themselves in an international court against war crimes charges after they took responsibility for the massacre of 163 refugees, their spokesman said.$LABEL$0 +Aziz calls for resolution of Kashmir issue ISLAMABAD: Pakistan #39;s prime minister-designate said he wants the dispute over Kashmir to be resolved according to the wishes of people living in the region.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Would Allow 720 Snowmobiles Daily at Yellowstone With federal courts in disagreement over how many snowmobiles should be permitted in Yellowstone National Park, the National Park Service proposed a temporary option.$LABEL$3 +Antidepressant Study Seen to Back Expert A government scientist had concluded last year that most antidepressants are too dangerous for children because of a suicide risk and a new study appears to confirm his findings.$LABEL$3 +Sir Godfrey Hounsfield, Who Helped Develop the CAT Scanner, Dies at 84 Sir Godfrey Hounsfield was a British electrical engineer whose work in creating the CAT scan won him a Nobel Prize.$LABEL$3 +Mars Rover Finds Mysterious Rocks and More Signs of Water Both rovers, the Spirit and the Opportunity, have more than doubled their intended lifetimes of three months.$LABEL$3 +Facing Middle Age and AIDS Although AIDS is thought of as a disease of the young, in the United States it is rapidly becoming one of the middle-aged and even the old.$LABEL$3 +The Making of an X Box Warrior The military has quietly become an industry leader in video-game design, creating games to train and even recruit the soldiers of the PlayStation generation. Will virtual boot camp make combat more real or more surreal?$LABEL$3 +When the Computer Opens the Closet For many women who marry gay men, the truth comes out late at night, not in the bedroom but in front of the family's computer screen.$LABEL$3 +Entrepreneurial Success via the Internet It took the death of his business partner at 21 for Josh Mohrer to get serious about trying to make their fledgling internet business a success.$LABEL$3 +Bangladesh in Shock as Blast Toll Hits 17 (Reuters) Reuters - Extra armed police patrolled the streets\of the Bangladeshi capital and traffic was light on Sunday, a\working day, as shocked Bangladeshis woke up to the aftermath\of grenade blasts that killed at least 17 people.$LABEL$0 +Nepal Seeks to Break Rebel Siege with Air Patrols (Reuters) Reuters - Military helicopters provided air\cover to vehicles ferrying crucial supplies to the Nepali\capital on Sunday, as a blockade called by Maoist rebels\stretched into its fifth day, a senior army officer said.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan PM shrugs off Indian allegations of cross-border infiltration (AFP) AFP - Pakistani Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain played down accusations by India's ruling party that Islamabad had not stopped militants from infiltrating Indian-controlled Kashmir.$LABEL$0 +Bangladesh in Shock as Blast Toll Hits 17 DHAKA (Reuters) - Extra armed police patrolled the streets of the Bangladeshi capital and traffic was light on Sunday, a working day, as shocked Bangladeshis woke up to the aftermath of grenade blasts that killed at least 17 people.$LABEL$0 +Car bomb explodes in north Iraq Two people die in a car bombing apparently targeting a provincial official in the Iraqi town of Baquba.$LABEL$0 +Qantas Doesn #39;t Need an Airline Replacement for BA, Dixon Says Qantas Airways Ltd. should not seek another airline to replace British Airways Plc if the UK carrier sells its stake in the business, Qantas Chief Executive Geoff Dixon said.$LABEL$2 +World #39;s Fastest Men Take Center Stage at Games For 10 pulsating seconds, the fastest men on earth take center stage on Sunday at the Olympics to run for the ultimate prize -- the 100 meters gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Vandy #39;s List gets in final of Amateur MAMARONECK, NY - Luke List has already made it further than he ever thought, so why stop now? That #39;s the attitude of the 19-year-old Vanderbilt sophomore, who continued his string of US Amateur upsets with $LABEL$1 +BEARS CAPTURE BOOKER The Chicago Bears have acquired hold-out Pro Bowl defensive end Adewale Ogunleye from the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Marty Booker and a 2005 third-round pick.$LABEL$1 +Boks snatch Tri-Nations The Springboks have won the Tri-Nations title with a 23-19 win against the Wallabies in Durban. In a tense finish, the Wallabies scored twice in the final 10 minutes with the Springboks reduced to 13 men, but the home side held on for a deserved victory.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan sweep nets bomb suspects Pakistan has arrested more than five suspects in a plot to bomb several high-profile targets in Islamabad, including the US Embassy and the official residences of Pakistan #39;s president, Gen.$LABEL$0 +China celebrates Deng centenary China is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Deng Xiaoping, its late supreme leader. For most Chinese the diminutive figure was the man who set the country on a pragmatic reformist $LABEL$0 +Religion Feeds Sudan's Fire Political rivalries, ethnic strife and poverty have fueled the clashes, but that has not stopped combatants from invoking religion and challenging the devotion of their rivals.$LABEL$0 +Venezuela audit reveals no fraud - observers International observers in Venezuela say an audit of the referendum results which confirmed President Hugo Chavez #39;s mandate in office has revealed no evidence of fraud.$LABEL$2 +THE WEEK ON THE STREET NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- It sure isn #39;t the Goldilocks Economy of yesteryear -- you know, not too hot, not too cold, but just right.$LABEL$2 +After Storm, a New Look at Stiffer Building Codes When structural engineers from Miami pushed the rest of Florida to adopt much stricter building codes after Hurricane Andrew, the response was generally blas.$LABEL$2 +Wal-Mart plaintiff tells story Melissa Howard hated the trips to Hooters for Wal-Mart management meetings. But the strip clubs were even worse, she said. While the store manager of a Wal-Mart in Bluffton, Howard traveled $LABEL$2 +Amazon \$75m purchases Chinese Joyo After quite a few of negotiations, China #39;s non-state-run Joyo.com Ltd. has finally reached a deal with Amazon.com Inc., the US E-commerce giant, which possibly meant a beginning $LABEL$3 +AT amp;T strikes VoIP deals with cable In an attempt to spark growth in its Net phone service, AT amp;T has turned to cable companies to pitch the technology to more consumers.$LABEL$3 +Cink still afloat AKRON -- What #39;s already been a great week for Stewart Cink could get even better today if he can finish the job he started Thursday in the \$7 million NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club.$LABEL$1 +Woodgate Windfall Will Be Well Spent - Shepherd Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has sought to reassure the Magpies fans that the money brought in by the sale of Jonathan Woodgate will be spent wisely.$LABEL$1 +Dhaka tense after grenade blasts kill 16 Police are patrolling the streets of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, after a series of grenade blasts killed at least 16 people. At least seven grenades were thrown at a rally yesterday of more than 3,000 supporters of the main opposition Awami League.$LABEL$0 +Car Bomb Explodes North of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq - Police say a car bomb has exploded north of the Iraqi capital, killing two people and injuring four others, including a deputy provincial governor.$LABEL$0 +18 Killed by Bombs at Bangladesh Rally (AP) AP - Soldiers and armed police patrolled the Bangladeshi capital on Sunday, a day after more than a dozen grenades were thrown at an opposition rally, killing at least 18 people and injuring hundreds.$LABEL$0 +Chavez urges opposition to recognize results of referendum CARACAS, August 22 (Itar-Tass) -- President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez has called on the opposition to recognize the results of a referendum on confidence in the president held on August 15.$LABEL$2 +IPO thrusts Google into new direction There #39;s the multibillion-dollar auction that snubs Wall Street #39;s powerful investment banks. There #39;s the IPO manifesto with the pledge to change the world.$LABEL$2 +Overtime changes create potential minefield Labor unions say 6 million workers could lose overtime pay when a redefinition of overtime regulations -he most sweeping change to wage-and-hour laws in half a century -es effect tomorrow.$LABEL$2 +Truckers strike, prices to soar NEW DELHi, AUGUST 21: Truckers went on a nation-wide strike from Saturday to protest against the imposition of the 10 per cent service tax in the Budget.$LABEL$2 +Make all mobile homes safer during hurricanes While the complete post-mortem about Hurricane Charley will take months to complete, some conclusions already are apparent. For one, houses fared much better in the Category 4 winds than mobile homes.$LABEL$2 +Brazil Tribe Has Great Excuse for Poor Math Skills Some people have a great excuse for being bad at math -- their language lacks the words for most numbers, US-based researchers reported on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Judges suspended in gymnastics scandal The International Gymnastics Federation suspended three judges Saturday for a mistake in scoring the men #39;s all-around final but said results won #39;t be changed and American Paul Hamm will keep his gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Belgian makes golden comeback ATHENS, GREECE - Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium won the singles gold medal in tennis, beating Amelie Mauresmo of France 6-3, 6-3 in the final.$LABEL$1 +Listen to Greene roar ATHENS -- Maurice Greene flexed his arms, thumped his chest and gathered the media for a post-race announcement. quot;We #39;re going to have a party tomorrow and everybody #39;s invited -- I #39;m buying, quot; said the defending $LABEL$1 +Sluggish Seahawks buried by Broncos If last night #39;s Seahawks-Broncos exhibition game was a Super Bowl preview, as some have predicted, the Seahawks are in trouble.$LABEL$1 +Glavine shaky in first start since taxi crash SAN FRANCISCO - Mets left-hander Tom Glavine endured a shaky return in his first pitching appearance since he lost two front teeth in a taxi accident, as New York beat San Francisco 11-9 in 12 innings yesterday.$LABEL$1 +Angels win tale of 2 games They played a day-night singleheader at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, one game that felt like two, each with their own distinct heroes for the Angels.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan in #39;al-Qaeda #39; arrests At least five suspected terrorists, with alleged links to al Qaeda, have been arrested in Pakistan. It is claimed they had been plotting to launch suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy.$LABEL$0 +2 killed in car bomb explosion north of Baghdad Two people were killed and four others injured when a car bomb went off on Sunday near Baquba, 65 km north of Baghdad, police sources said.$LABEL$0 +Over 100 undocumented asylum seekers rescued in Italy More than 100 undocumented asylum seekers claiming to be Palestinians rest after being rescued by the Italian Coast Guard off Sicily 21 August 2004 in the harbour of the Italian island of Lampedusa.$LABEL$0 +China college for Internet game industry A college to provide training for the Internet games industry has been opened in Beijing. Xinhua, China #39;s main government-run news agency, reported Saturday that China #39;s Ministry $LABEL$3 +Quite a spread JAY, Vt. -- From the top of the gondola building, 4,000 feet up on the summit of Jay Peak, the rolling hills of the Northeast Kingdom fade into the distance of hazy summer air. The forestland of this mountain gives way to a patchwork of fields, barns, and silos, with white steeples marking a village green. At the base, brown ...$LABEL$1 +Maine's Crocker part of record-setting team ATHENS -- Michael Phelps was sitting in the bleachers in his team shirt and shorts last night, waving a small American flag and exulting in every gold medal. Especially the one he got without swimming a stroke.$LABEL$1 +No gain on this return CINCINNATI -- At the height of his efforts to get out of this town, Corey Dillon declared, quot;Rudi ain't no C.D. quot; Dillon, now a Patriot, genuinely liked his former backup with the Bengals -- Rudi Johnson -- and really didn't mean it the way it sounded.$LABEL$1 +If this keeps up, they just may be able to swing it CHICAGO -- This national TV stuff, Terry Francona still has some work to do. quot;I showed up for the wrong inning, quot; said the Red Sox manager, who had been lined up to do a between-innings interview by Fox yesterday and eventually got on, but just a little later than he thought he would.$LABEL$1 +Costantino leads R.I. to win SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Chris Costantino struck out Jacob Maxwell with the bases loaded to end the game as Lincoln, R.I., held on to beat Davenport, Iowa, 3-2, last night in Little League World Series action. Costantino finished with 15 strikeouts and allowed just four hits in picking up the win.$LABEL$1 +Lakewood company in \$3B deal The Swedish company Gambro AB will sell its Lakewood-based division to a California company for \$3.05 billion in cash. The division, Gambro Healthcare US, operates clinics for patients undergoing kidney dialysis and has 565 clinics and 43,200 patients.$LABEL$2 +Loaiza elicits boos Esteban Loaiza is pitching his way out of the New York Yankees' rotation. Jose Guillen and Jeff DaVanon homered off the newest target of booing at Yankee Stadium, and Loaiza failed to make it out of the fourth inning yesterday in the Angels' storm-interrupted 6-1 win over New York.$LABEL$1 +Revolution lack magic touches FOXBOROUGH -- Taylor Twellman regained his scoring touch last night, but the Revolution squandered the lead in falling, 2-1, to the Kansas City Wizards, their first loss since July 4.$LABEL$1 +Footing shaky in San Jose The San Jose Earthquakes, winners of two of the last three MLS Cups, could be leaving the Bay Area after this season.$LABEL$1 +A breath of fresh heir at BU Incoming Boston University freshman Chris Bourque recently filled out the Terriers' standard player form that is kept on file at the school's sports information office. quot;It's all the usual stuff -- date of birth, height, weight, and all that, quot; said Ed Carpenter, who has headed up the sports information department for some 30 years. quot;But the part I liked best ...$LABEL$1 +State regulators, in a bid to ensure accurate auction ads, target firms Three companies accused of falsely advertising multimillion-dollar estate sales and auctions of property seized by the federal government or county sheriffs have signed settlement agreements with Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly.$LABEL$2 +Payton profile? Let George do it For the benefit of those who believe Gary Payton will arrive in Boston sometime before the start of training camp Oct. 4 (read: Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers), here is a primer of sorts on the veteran point guard. Everyone knows what Payton has done over a 14-year career that includes just about everything except an NBA championship. Everyone knows ...$LABEL$1 +Coming: IT that adapts to users' requirements The march of information technology into the workplace has been greeted with a mix of awe and resistance. For all their promise of productivity gains, computers, business software, and telecommunications gear have disrupted processes at the core of a company's identity.$LABEL$2 +La Salle selects Giannini PHILADELPHIA -- La Salle's monthlong search for a head men's basketball coach is over. Maine coach John Giannini will be named the coach at La Salle tomorrow, according to a source familiar with the school's coaching search.$LABEL$1 +Cink putts his way to 5-shot lead Stewart Cink seized control of the NEC Invitational with six straight one-putt greens and a chip-in from 50 feet for birdie on the 18th hole yesterday for a 2-under-par 68, giving him a five-shot lead over a trio of Ryder Cup teammates.$LABEL$1 +The Bush team's stealthy assault on tax policy You have to say this for President Bush and his advisers: They are not a timid bunch.$LABEL$2 +Modern technology for an ancient sport One sport that relies increasingly on GPS technology is horseback riding ( quot;Space-age sport, quot; Aug. 16). Horseback riders who practice trail riding for pleasure, or the more demanding cross country sports, are beginning to use GPS in large numbers.$LABEL$2 +Lawsuits hold good news for investors If you are looking for the most interesting fallout from the mutual fund scandals of the past year, don't go looking in old headlines. Look instead at some fairly new court cases.$LABEL$2 +Via a grave site, Spain relives harsh divisions GRANADA, Spain -- On a hillside overlooking the Sierra Nevada mountains, a gnarled olive tree and a simple granite marker stand where historians believe Spain's most celebrated 20th-century poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, was summarily executed and dumped in a communal grave.$LABEL$0 +Clashes in Najaf threaten peace bid NAJAF, Iraq -- Loyalists to Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remained in control of the gold-domed Imam Ali shrine yesterday after failing to reach an agreement with representatives of Iraq's most senior Shi'ite leader on how to hand over the holy site.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan says suicide-attack plot on leaders, embassy foiled ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- At least five Al Qaeda-linked terrorists suspected of plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy have been arrested by Pakistan, officials announced yesterday.$LABEL$0 +Mideast, N. Africa terror warning set On the heels of a US indictment of Hamas figures, the State Department issued an updated warning yesterday that Americans in the Middle East and North Africa could be targets of terrorist attacks. quot;Anti-American violence could include possible terrorist actions against aviation, ground transportation, and maritime interests, quot; the department said. The indictment was unsealed Friday in Chicago against a political ...$LABEL$0 +Bombings kill 14 at a rally by Bangladesh opposition DHAKA, Bangladesh -- A series of bombs exploded yesterday as a Bangladeshi opposition leader was speaking at a rally. At least 14 people were killed and hundreds were wounded, witnesses and news reports said.$LABEL$0 +US shows flexibility on Israeli settlements CRAWFORD, Texas -- The Bush administration confirmed yesterday that it may accept limited growth within existing Israeli settlements in the West Bank in a shift that could help embattled Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.$LABEL$0 +China hails 100th anniversary of birth of nation #146;s modernizer GUANGAN, China -- Deng Xianyan ran his fingers over a bottle of Deng family liquor as he mulled the legacy of his famous cousin, the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, on the 100th anniversary of his birth.$LABEL$0 +Rolling through rural China, train of doctors restores sight KASHGAR, China -- Impatiently, Gopur Samat stood at the ready as a nurse stripped the bandage from his right eye and steered his attention toward a chart 20 feet away. Smiling, Gopur pointed up. Still smiling as the nurse gestured toward another symbol, he pointed down. Then left, then right. Gopur, 68, suddenly could see clearly again.$LABEL$0 +Sampanis stripped of bronze Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis is stripped of his bronze medal after testing positive for drugs.$LABEL$1 +Unclear on overtime rules In a landmark overhaul of pay eligibility, the Labor Department and unions clash over how much clarity has really been attained. By JEFF HARRINGTON, Times Staff Writer.$LABEL$2 +Big deals alter face of mall industry In the late 1980s, developers were breaking ground for new shopping centers in the United States at the rate of four a day. In 2004, only three regional malls are expected to open the whole year.$LABEL$2 +... we #39;d better get ready The argument against strengthening building requirements is simple: It would cost too much. And poor people couldn #39;t afford it.$LABEL$2 +Indian PM pledges to check spiraling inflation rate Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said that controlling record-high inflation, which has soared in recent weeks to touch a new three-and-a-half year high, was $LABEL$2 +Sports:Greek weightlifter stripped of medal ATHENS, Greece Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis has been stripped of his bronze medal for a doping offense. It was the first medal to be stripped from an athlete in Athens because of doping.$LABEL$1 +Our performance was 100 per cent #39; SCHINIAS, GreeceFor a few anxious moments, not knowing the colour of the Olympic medal he had just won was the best part of these Games for Canadian rowing star Barney Williams.$LABEL$1 +Moore ousts Overton in US Amateur Moore, a senior at UNLV who has already won the NCAA Division I, US Amateur Public Links and Western Amateur titles, will face Luke List, who beat Chris Nallen in 19 holes, in today #39;s 36-hole final.$LABEL$1 +Nepal capital at mercy of unseen menace in the mountains NAUBISE, Nepal : Somewhere on the other side of the mist-covered green hills that guard Nepal #39;s ancient capital Kathmandu, Maoist rebels are grinning.$LABEL$0 +Bird Flu Believed Endemic in Asia, Spreads to Pigs The discovery of a deadly bird flu strain in Malaysia after cases elsewhere in Southeast Asia signaled a major winter outbreak was likely, international health experts said on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Rolling through rural China, train of doctors restores sight Impatiently, Gopur Samat stood at the ready as a nurse stripped the bandage from his right eye and steered his attention toward a chart 20 feet away.$LABEL$0 +J amp;J Reportedly Eyes Guidant Johnson amp; Johnson (JNJ:NYSE - news - research) reportedly is negotiating to buy Guidant (GDT:NYSE - news - research) for \$24 billion, a transaction that would unite two big manufacturers of coronary devices.$LABEL$2 +The Rovers The Issue: Two vehicles are still puttering around the surface of Mars. Our View: Their mission is paying off in knowledge. While we go about our days, rather amazingly 34 million or so miles away, our pair $LABEL$3 +Surviving the IPO From Hell Months ago, when the idea of Google #39;s inevitable IPO could be discussed by its leaders only in hypothetical terms, cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were trying to explain $LABEL$2 +Overtime law clarification is hard to figure Depending on who is doing the analysis, either an additional 1.3 million American workers will be eligible for overtime beginning tomorrow, or 6 million will be stripped of that right.$LABEL$2 +World #39;s lightest flying micro-robot unveiled The world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot has been developed by Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corporation. The 12-gram robot resembles a small helicopter and is about 136 millimetres wide $LABEL$3 +IOC Bans Greek Medallist From Games The Olympics are less than a week away and organizers are pulling the pieces together for the Aug. 13 opening. Dana Vollmer will be one of those tales of courage that come up during the Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Bangladesh paralysed by strikes Opposition activists have brought many towns and cities in Bangladesh to a halt, the day after 18 people died in explosions at a political rally.$LABEL$0 +India withdraws patronage to EU visits in J amp;K Furious with a quot;biased quot; and interventionist report by a European parliamentary delegation, whose leader called Jammu and Kashmir quot;the world #39;s most beautiful prison, quot; India has withdrawn official patronage to such visits.$LABEL$0 +Zito Silences D-Rays' Bats in A's 5-0 Win (AP) AP - Barry Zito scattered four hits over eight shutout innings, leading the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics past the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5-0 on Saturday night.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Aircraft Make New Attack on Rebels in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the Iraqi city of Najaf early on Sunday after talks on surrendering control of the gold-domed mosque at the center of an 18-day siege ran into trouble.$LABEL$0 +Tigers Edge Mariners in 11 Wild Innings DETROIT - Craig Monroe hit an RBI single with one out in the 11th inning, leading the Detroit Tigers to a wild 11-10 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night. The teams combined for a Comerica Park-record 36 hits, including 21 by Seattle...$LABEL$0 +Militants Hold Najaf Shrine; Bombing Heard NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine as clashes flared in Najaf on Sunday, raising fears a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders. An unofficial mediator and distant relative of the cleric pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Men End 40-Year Rowing Drought ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States stormed to their first Olympic men's eights title in 40 years on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Greece Shamed Again at Their Own Games ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greeks were shamed again at their own Olympics on Sunday when bronze medal weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis was kicked out after failing a dope test.$LABEL$1 +Venezuela Audit Results Support Vote Count (AP) AP - The results of an audit support the official vote count showing that President Hugo Chavez won this month's recall referendum in Venezuela, the head of the Organization of American States said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +China Executes Man for Killing Rapists (Reuters) Reuters - China has executed a 25-year-old\university dropout for killing six men, four of whom had raped\him after getting him drunk, the Beijing Youth Daily said on\Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Nepal Seeks to Break Rebel Siege with Air Patrols KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Military helicopters provided air cover to vehicles ferrying crucial supplies to the Nepali capital on Sunday, a senior army officer said, as a blockade called by Maoist rebels stretched into its fifth day.$LABEL$0 +N.Korea Dubs South 'Wicked Terrorist' Over Refugees SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has denounced South Korean authorities as ""wicked terrorists"" who orchestrated the airlift of 468 North Korean refugees as part of a plot to bring down the communist system.$LABEL$0 +Residents Return to Darfur After Fleeing Attack SANI DELAIBA, Sudan (Reuters) - ""Only God saved us when the Janjaweed attacked. We had to walk to safety and 12 men were killed,"" said Khultoum Eissa Abdallah, now back in her hometown in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.$LABEL$0 +Palestinians Denounce U.S. Over Settlement Shift RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians accused the United States on Sunday of destroying hopes of negotiations with Israel for a Palestinian state, after Washington signaled it could accept some growth of settlements in the West Bank.$LABEL$0 +Charley hurts Disney workers Walt Disney World escaped serious storm damage from Hurricane Charley last weekend, but many central Florida residents, including employees of the Magic Kingdom and other Orlando theme parks, weren #39;t so lucky.$LABEL$2 +Tooele grapples with Wal-Mart Wal-Mart didn #39;t completely kill downtown Tooele - but it came pretty darn close. Today, 14 years after the giant retailer opened one of its first Utah stores here, Tooele #39;s old $LABEL$2 +Utah a Clean Air Act offender, study says A new national study identifies Utah as one of at least 29 states that have loopholes in their laws allowing for quot;accidental quot; pollution emissions beyond the limits of the federal Clean Air Act.$LABEL$3 +Apple Recalls 28,000 Faulty Batteries Sold with 15-inch PowerBook Apple has had to recall up to 28,000 notebook batteries that were sold for use with their 15-inch PowerBook. Apple reports that faulty batteries sold between January 2004 and August 2004 can overheat and pose a fire hazard.$LABEL$3 +Sampanis confirmed positive The IOC executive board met early on Sunday to rule on the case, which shocked the host nation days after its top sprint pair withdrew after missing an eve-of-Games dope test.$LABEL$1 +Olympic Soccer: Euphoric Iraq Reaches Semifinals Iraq #39;s footballers beat Australia 1-0 Saturday to reach the semifinals of the Olympic men #39;s tournament, triggering celebratory gunfire in their violence-racked country.$LABEL$1 +Roundup: Chelsea #39;s tactics yield another shutout win Chelsea beat Birmingham 1-0 yesterday on Joe Cole #39;s 68th-minute goal for its second straight shutout in the English Premier League.$LABEL$1 +Maoist rebels bomb government buildings Police in Nepal say more than 1,000 Maoist rebels have stormed a district headquarters in the country #39;s northwest, bombing government buildings and killing at least one soldier.$LABEL$0 +Police: Car Bomb Expodes North of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq - A car bomb exploded north of the Iraqi capital on Sunday, killing two people and injuring four others, including a deputy provincial governor, police said.$LABEL$0 +Preparing your business for the unexpected That #39;s the estimate of how much damage Hurricane Charley has wracked upon Florida. Much of that has been done to small businesses.$LABEL$2 +Phelps simply a cut above Michael Phelps has proven he is the best swimmer ever -- in and out of the pool. Yesterday, the 6-ft. 5-in. 19-year-old from Baltimore won his sixth gold medal to add to his two bronze, making him the swimmer $LABEL$1 +South Korea to File Petition With CAS on Gymnast #39;s Case The South Korean delegation to the Athens Olympics will file a petition on the case of Yang Tae-young, bronze medallist in gymnastics mens individual all-around event, with the Court of $LABEL$1 +One gamble Bears really had to take The Bears traded Marty Booker to Miami for Adewale Ogunleye because they had no choice but to do so. Talent levels being equal, a defensive end is more valuable than a wide receiver.$LABEL$1 +Five terrorists arrested in Pak. Islamabad, Aug. 22. (PTI): Pakistan #39;s security agencies have arrested five al Qaeda-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on senior leaders and key installations in the country, including the $LABEL$0 +Shell shuts 30,000 bpd more due to Nigeria protest Royal Dutch/Shell has shut in another 30,000 barrels per day of oil output in Nigeria due to a protest by villagers over jobs, bringing its total cut to 100,000 bpd, a spokesman said on Tuesday.$LABEL$2 +He's running with it When NBC first called Bob Neumeier, he was asked if he'd be willing to work on Olympics wrestling and rowing coverage in Athens. quot;I was flattered and grateful for the opportunity, quot; he said. He was willing to learn the nuances of those sports at the Olympic level and start mastering the pronunciation of hundreds of new names.$LABEL$1 +Today's schedule Pro baseball: Eastern League -- Trenton vs. Portland (2) at Hadlock Field, Portland, Maine, 1 p.m.; New Hampshire vs. New Britain at New Britain (Conn.) Stadium, 1:30 p.m.; Northeast League -- North Shore vs. New Haven at Yale Field, New Haven, 2 p.m.; Elmira vs. Brockton (2) at Campanelli Stadium, Brockton, 5 p.m.$LABEL$1 +Santana exception to rule The next time you're inclined to dismiss baseball's Rule 5 draft in December as an exercise of little consequence, remember that Johan Santana, the pitcher Pedro Martinez said reminded him of a younger version of himself, only with better stuff, was a Rule 5 pick five years ago.$LABEL$1 +Transactions BASEBALL Kansas City (AL): Activated P Jeremy Affeldt from the 15-day DL; optioned P Jorge Vasquez to Wichita (Texas League).$LABEL$1 +Notables The Twins were 3 for 4 on stolen bases and lead the majors with 39 steals in 49 attempts since the All-Star break.$LABEL$1 +Green lifts Dodgers past Braves Shawn Green hit a grand slam and a solo homer to lead the host Los Angeles Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves, 7-4, yesterday, snapping Mike Hampton's string of seven straight wins.$LABEL$1 +The Missing Shoppers Something odd happened on the way to global recovery. The shoppers are not turning out the way they normally do when things start to look up.$LABEL$2 +Greek weightlifter stripped of medal for drugs Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis, Greece #39;s first medal winner at the Athens Olympics, was stripped of his bronze medal and excluded from the Games Sunday for a doping offense, another big blow for the host nation which is welcoming the homecoming $LABEL$1 +DAVENPORT HANDED FINAL PLACE Lindsay Davenport will face Vera Zvonareva in the final of the Cincinnati Open, after Marion Bartoli was forced to withdraw with a hand injury.$LABEL$1 +Three tested for bird flu discharged from Malaysian hospital KUALA LUMPUR : Three Malaysians who fell ill in a village hit by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain have been discharged from a hospital after tests showed no sign of the virus, a senior official said.$LABEL$0 +Rate hikes by Fed work in two ways If you #39;ve noticed that the price of everything from milk to gasoline to automobiles seems to be going up, you #39;re as observant as Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.$LABEL$2 +Santander May Drop Abbey on Competition Inquiry, Telegraph Says Santander Central Hispano SA, the biggest bank in Spain and Latin America, may drop its 8.2 billion (\$14.9 billion) offer to buy Abbey National Plc if rival bids lead to a long competition $LABEL$2 +Smart little suckers A new generation of robotic vacuums is ready to do battle with dirt, dust and dog hair with more cleaning power and cunning than their ancestors could muster.$LABEL$3 +Relaxed atmosphere lifts Moore, List into final At the US Amateur, players wear shorts and spectators get to walk right down the fairways. So compared with the US Open, which is run by the same outfit, everything about this championship is decidedly relaxed.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan cuffs Al-Qaida-linked terrorists ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Military forces arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists plotting to launch suicide attacks on the US Embassy and Pakistani leaders, the government said yesterday.$LABEL$0 +Law: No feud with coach CINCINNATI -- Ty Law responded last night to reports published last week that he and coach Bill Belichick were feuding over a bonus for showing up at training camp in shape.$LABEL$1 +Cleaning up Washington #39;s #39;Iraqi problem #39;: invest authority in <b>...</b> Is there a quot;Sunni problem quot; in Iraq, as the United States would like us to believe? If there is, it is entirely of Washington #39;s making.$LABEL$0 +French victim's family come to UK The family of a French woman murdered in south-west London are travelling to the UK to meet detectives.$LABEL$0 +Pinsent considers future British rower Matthew Pinsent is undecided whether to go for a fifth gold medal in Beijing.$LABEL$1 +Volkswagen #39;s Mexican Workers Accept Pay Increase, Reforma Says Mexican union workers for Volkswagen AG, Europe #39;s largest carmaker, accepted the company #39;s offer for a 6.1 percent pay increase and will return to work today after going on strike Wednesday, Reforma newspaper said.$LABEL$2 +Bad news? It #39;s good news for Bush It is now official: The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Last week #39;s Congressional Budget Office tax-burden study confirms what the eye can see: John Edwards #39; quot;two Americas quot; continues to grow.$LABEL$2 +US men hot-foot it in heats On target and on fire, the US men #39;s 100-meter sprinters scorched the Olympic Stadium #39;s fast track through two rounds yesterday to advance to today #39;s $LABEL$1 +Agassi knocked out in surprising semifinal The top-seeded Agassi was eliminated in the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on Saturday in Washington by unseeded Gilles Muller.$LABEL$1 +Spain #39;s win puts Serbia on brink Spain clinched first place in Group A with a 76-68 victory yesterday in Athens, leaving Serbia-Montenegro in danger of failing to reach the quarterfinals.$LABEL$1 +Canada losing swagger In 1904 at the St. Louis Olympic Games, Canada won gold in soccer. In 1936 in Berlin, our nation won silver in basketball. That #39;s it for traditional team sports.$LABEL$1 +People flee storm-ravaged Philippine towns as rescuers search for <b>...</b> Panicked residents scrambled to flee three storm-ravaged coastal Philippine towns on Sunday while rescuers made last-ditch attempts to find survivors of the powerful storm that left more than 1,100 dead and missing.$LABEL$0 +In Mars rock, telltale ripples and mysteries NEW YORK With one Mars rover climbing into the hills and the other descending deep into a crater, scientists reported the discovery of several mysterious rock structures, along with yet more signs that Mars was once awash in water.$LABEL$3 +PINSENT WEIGHS UP FUTURE British rowing hero Matthew Pinsent is in no hurry make a decision over whether he will compete at the next Olympics in Beijing. Pinsent guided Britain to first place in the coxless fours at the Athens games $LABEL$1 +Some 50 rebels killed in Chechnya: spokesman Russian troops killed some 50 rebels in a recent operation in Russia #39;s breakaway republic of Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported Sunday, quoting.$LABEL$0 +Sporadic Violence in Bangladesh After Rally Attack DHAKA (Reuters) - Angry mobs ransacked a railway station and burned train coaches in Bangladesh on Sunday, officials said, as sporadic violence erupted after grenade attacks on an opposition party rally killed at least 17 people.$LABEL$0 +Nesterenko of Belarus wins women #39;s 100m Olympic gold Belarus #39; Yuliya Nesterenko became the fastest woman in the world, winning the 100m gold medal at the Olympic Games here Saturday evening.$LABEL$1 +News Briefs Stewart Cink seized control of the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio, with six straight one-putt greens and a chip-in from 50 feet for birdie on the 18th hole Saturday for a 2-under 68, giving him a five-shot lead over a trio of Ryder Cup teammates.$LABEL$1 +HK wins first Olympic medal since 1997 Table tennis players Li Ching and Ko Lai Chak won here Saturday the first Olympic medal for Chinese Hong Kong since the former British-occupied territory returned to China on July 1, 1997.$LABEL$1 +Young French woman murdered in London park LONDON, Aug 21 (AFP) - A young Frenchwoman has been bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument in a park on the outskirts of London and police do not rule out that she was the victim of an unknown serial killer, they said Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Three more Malaysians face bird flu checks Three children of a Malaysian vet have joined her in hospital for checks to see if they have bird flu, state media reported on Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Israel Bus Blast Said Mechanical Problem (AP) AP - An Israeli bus exploded in a Jerusalem neighborhood early Sunday, but officials said the blast had been caused by a mechanical problem. There were no injuries.$LABEL$0 +China's President Hails Deng Xiaoping (AP) AP - Speaking to hundreds of top leaders and ordinary citizens, China's President Hu Jintao hailed Deng Xiaoping as the architect of China's economic reforms on Sunday, the 100-year anniversary of the late supreme leader's birth.$LABEL$0 +Rivals: Cisco's tactics unfair (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - Cisco Systems' substantial influence over the #36;8 million technology plan for San Jose's new City Hall reflects a deliberate strategy by the networking giant: get involved in the planning process early to win more business down the road.$LABEL$3 +Workplace beware THE Labor Department #39;s trumpeting of its new regulations governing overtime, which go into effect this week, sounds a little tinny.$LABEL$2 +Metro briefs A Bolingbrook firm is recalling 406,000 pounds of frozen beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli, officials said. The Quantum Foods beef, including frozen patties and steaks, were produced June 23 and 24 and distributed nationwide.$LABEL$2 +The world is Borders #39; oyster Borders Group Inc. made \$120 million in profits in 2003, hauling in most of that money from its 450 Borders superstores in the United States.$LABEL$2 +Competition Probe Threatens Abbey Deal The Spanish bank poised to take over Abbey National will walk away if the 8.2 billion deal is stalled by competition concerns, it was reported today.$LABEL$2 +Greek weightlifter stripped of bronze Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis on Sunday was stripped of the bronze medal he won last week and banished from the Athens Games for failing an antidoping test.$LABEL$1 +Baffling day in baffling race It was another glorious opportunity for the Giants to provide an answer to the burning question of the day, namely, quot;How the hell are these guys in the wild-card race?$LABEL$1 +WOMENS POLE VAULT A huge comedown for defending champ Dragila Athens -- Stacy Dragila, the first great woman pole vaulter and 2000 Olympic champion, will not be defending her gold medal in Athens.$LABEL$1 +US military launches attack outside Najaf shrine US troops and warplanes pounded Mehdi Army positions outside the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf early Sunday, US military officials said.$LABEL$0 +Prime Minister says he #39;s satisfied Guantanamo Bay offers <b>...</b> Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday he remains satisfied that the US military trial awaiting Australian terror suspect David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be consistent with Australian criminal justice.$LABEL$0 +EA game #39;Madden #39; tops 1.3 million first week quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts #39; pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said Thursday, citing internal figures.$LABEL$3 +Germany #39;s Schumann wins pistol gold : Germany #39;s Ralf Schumann Saturday claimed his third Olympic gold when he won the men #39;s 25 metres rapid pistol event scoring 694.$LABEL$1 +Critical penalty costs Raiders quot;There have been a lot of BS calls, just like that one, quot; Scott said, referring to the new interpretation of the 5-yard rule.$LABEL$1 +World News gt; US launches fresh offensive against Iraqi rebels: US aircrafts Sunday pounded positions held by militants loyal to Iraq #39;s radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the besieged sacred city of Najaf, Xinhua reports.$LABEL$0 +BA staff call off holiday strikes A planned strike by British Airways staff that threatened to disrupt the travel plans of half a million people was halted yesterday after management and workers reached an agreement.$LABEL$0 +Taking stock During the salad days of the Internet frenzy, it was common to hear murmurings like this in Silicon Valley: quot;That house on the corner was listed for \$1.$LABEL$2 +Hamid Karzai to arrive Islamabad on Monday ISLAMABAD : Afghan President Hamid Karzai is arriving in Islamabad on Monday on a two day visit to Pakistan. He will have talks with President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Ch.$LABEL$2 +Gary airport development vital to entire state The US government made this clear in recent weeks as the Federal Aviation Administration held meetings to get the big airlines to reduce the number of flights they put through O #39;Hare.$LABEL$2 +Seiko Epson Develops Micro Flying Robot Seiko Epson Corp. is developing a flying robot that looks like a miniature helicopter and is about the size of a giant bug. The company hopes it #39;ll prove handy for security, disaster rescue and space exploration.$LABEL$3 +Phelps watches and wins Phelps tied the record for most medals by an athlete at a single Olympics, matching the achievement of Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin in the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games.$LABEL$1 +Williams happy with silver in 100 Nesterenko, a Belarusian who had never broken 11 seconds before the Olympics but did it in all four rounds here, won gold in 10.93 seconds.$LABEL$1 +Raiders #39; revamped defense still needs tinkering An online scouting service recently rated the Dallas Cowboys in a tie with the 49ers as the second least-talented offense in the NFL.$LABEL$1 +Everton to meet on Monday to discuss new funding Everton #39;s board of directors will meet on Monday to discuss new investment in the hard-up English Premier League side, the club said on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Ten al-Qaeda suspects arrested in Pakistan for planned attacks Islamabad, Aug 22 (DPA) Pakistan #39;s Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said today that the security agencies have arrested at least ten suspected al-Qaeda operatives who were planning to attack important government and US targets in Islamabad last week.$LABEL$0 +Greenspan in Focus This Week LONDON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan will hog the limelight in financial markets this week as investors seek clues on how quickly U.S. interest rates will rise as soaring oil prices start to affect economic activity.$LABEL$2 +Google Roadshows Left Small Investors Out NEW YORK (Reuters) - The initial public offering of Internet search engine Google Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=GOOG.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"">GOOG.O</A> was billed as a bonanza for millions of U.S. investors -- but the little guy, with check in hand, was left out of the party.$LABEL$2 +U.S. OKs Status of 10 Guantanamo Prisoners GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - U.S. military review panels have decided not to release 10 Guantanamo Bay detainees, concluding they were properly classified as ""enemy combatants,"" a military official said Saturday...$LABEL$0 +Oil Falls from Highs After Missing \$50 Oil prices eased from new highs on Friday as dealers pocketed profits from a long record-breaking run after escalating violence in Iraq took US crude close to \$50 a barrel.$LABEL$2 +Business View: It #39;s looking like Madrid or bust for Abbey No Mates Are cracks appearing in the Abbey-Santander romance? Certainly, the engaged couple do not seem as close as they were a few days ago.$LABEL$2 +Judges rule file-sharing software legal update A federal appeals court has upheld a controversial court decision that said file-sharing software programs such as Grokster or Morpheus are legal.$LABEL$3 +Maine #39;s new gold standard Michael Phelps gave Ian Crocker a gift and Crocker made the most of it Saturday. As Phelps watched from the stands, cheering and waving a small American flag, Crocker $LABEL$1 +Profile: Chen Qi/Ma Lin, China #39;s new quot;golden pair quot; This time in Athens, the quot;golden pair quot; China had prepared for its rivals was Chen Qi and Ma Lin, two Olympic rookies. In the final match played in the Galatsi Olympic Hall in northwest Athens Saturday afternoon $LABEL$1 +Dhaka Rally Attack Kills 14, Injures Hundreds A grenade attack at a rally for the Awami Union Party in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka left 14 people dead and more than 300 injured.$LABEL$0 +As countdown goes on, so does the killing SO, JUST the nine days to go. Nine days for the Sudanese government to clean up its act, disarm the Janjaweed militia and make Darfur safe for the 1.2 million people driven from their homes by the campaign $LABEL$0 +Peres demands early Israeli elections Israel #39;s opposition leader, Shimon Peres, today called for early elections that would effectively rule his party out of joining a coalition to prop up the prime minister, Ariel Sharon.$LABEL$0 +Competition rules could scupper Abbey deal The Spanish bank poised to take over Britain #39;s Abbey National will walk away if the 8.2bn (12.1bn) deal is stalled by competition concerns, it was reported today.$LABEL$2 +US court: Software can #39;t commit piracy Truly decentralised peer-to-peer (P2P) software can #39;t be held accountable for its misuse, according to a US federal appeals court.$LABEL$3 +Pinsent victory sparks gold rush Rower Matthew Pinsent has won a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the coxless four, while Britain picked up further gold medals in the sailing, cycling and three-day eventing.$LABEL$1 +Cubs face music after suffering heartbreak Usually after a heartbreaking loss, the losing team #39;s locker room is as quiet as a tomb. Cubs closer LaTroy Hawkins, who allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth and suffered the $LABEL$1 +US tanks advance toward Najaf shrine: Arabiya TV US military tanks advanced to a few hundred meters away from Imam Ali shrine for the first time during Najaf crisis, al-Arabiya TV channel reported on Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Straw to urge Sudan to end Darfur crisis and reach settlement with <b>...</b> Britain #39;s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw flies to Sudan on Monday to press the government to end the humanitarian crisis engulfing the western region of Darfur.$LABEL$0 +Washington Post Details Ex-Uri Party Head #39;s Downfall The resignation of Uri Party chairman Shin Ki-nam after disclosures that his father was a Japanese collaborator is an example showing that the memory of Japanese imperialism is still alive in China and South Korea, the Washington Post reported on Friday.$LABEL$0 +Greenspan in Focus This Week (Reuters) Reuters - Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan\will hog the limelight in financial markets this week as\investors seek clues on how quickly U.S. interest rates will\rise as soaring oil prices start to affect economic activity.$LABEL$2 +Google Roadshows Left Small Investors Out (Reuters) Reuters - The initial public offering of\Internet search engine Google Inc. (GOOG.O) was billed as a\bonanza for millions of U.S. investors -- but the little guy,\with check in hand, was left out of the party.$LABEL$2 +Uma Bharti to quit over rioting charges (Reuters) Reuters - The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh has sought to resign after a court ordered her arrest in connection with a 10-year-old rioting case, the head of her Hindu nationalist party said on Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Softball: U.S. Thrashes Australia, Japan Wins ATHENS (Reuters) - The red, white and blue U.S. softball machine are one win away from their third straight gold medal after rolling over Australia 5-0 in their semi-final on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Palestinian Carries Tune and His People's Dreams Palestinians are utterly consumed by the fate of the 26-year-old man who will compete in Lebanon in the final of the televised contest to be named the Arab worlds finest singer.$LABEL$0 +Please hand the opposition the silver bullet ... so it may finally <b>...</b> University de Los Andes (ULA) lecturer Jutta Schmitt writes: In the wake of the Presidential recall referendum and as soon as the preliminary results had been announced by the National Elections Council (CNE) in the early morning hours of Monday, August 16 $LABEL$2 +Pinsent will retire ... and then return: Redgrave Matthew Pinsent is to announce his retirement, according to Sir Steven Redgrave, but is likely to follow in his footsteps by changing his mind and returning to the sport.$LABEL$1 +Duvall rider, teammates awarded bronze medal ATHENS, Greece -- Duvall #39;s Amy Tryon will return home from the 2004 Olympics with a medal after all. Tryon and the other members of the US equestrian team earned the bronze medal in the team-eventing competition $LABEL$1 +Mob sets train on fire in Bangladesh DHAKA: An angry mob set fire to a passenger train in central Bangladesh Sunday, injuring at least 20 people after a grenade attack on an opposition rally that killed 18 people and wounded hundreds, police said.$LABEL$0 +Munch #39;s quot;The Scream quot; stolen Armed robbers have stolen masterpieces by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch from a museum in Oslo and national radio said a version of quot;The Scream quot; was part of the haul.$LABEL$0 +22 killed, several injured in Chechen separatist attack in Grozny MOSCOW: Attacks by Chechen militants in Grozny, left 22 people dead including policemen and injured several others. Several Chechen guerrillas attacked a police station and polling station in the north of $LABEL$0 +Palestinians Say U.S. Destroys Hope Over Settlements (Reuters) Reuters - Palestinians accused the\United States on Sunday of destroying the Middle East peace\process after Washington signaled it could accept some growth\of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.$LABEL$0 +Arsenal gunning to equal unbeaten record and take on Europe (AFP) AFP - English Premiership champions Arsenal play their first home game of the new season against Middlesbrough hoping to extend their unbeaten run to 42 league games, equalling a 26-year-old record.$LABEL$0 +Clashes Near Iraq's Najaf Kill 40 People-Govt. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 40 Iraqis were killed on Saturday in fierce clashes near the southern city of Najaf, where Shi'ite militias are involved in a standoff with U.S.-led forces, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Iran's Bushehr Atomic Power Plant Faces More Delays TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran on Sunday announced a further substantial delay in the long overdue project to complete its first nuclear power plant, part of a program which Washington says could be used to make atomic arms.$LABEL$0 +Arsonists Set Fire to Parisian Jewish Soup Kitchen PARIS (Reuters) - Arsonists set fire to a Jewish soup kitchen in central Paris early on Sunday morning and daubed Nazi symbols on the building, police said, in the latest anti-Semitic act in France.$LABEL$0 +You Say You Wanna Revolution Do you hate the government? Do you want to smash the corporate slave state? Are you an anarchist, punk, eco-freak with a bad haircut and attitude? Is your idea of a fun hobby sitting in your basement practicing your bomb-making skills? Do you listen to Rage Against the Machine all the time and have your walls lined with posters of Che Guevara? Do you actually want to do something to bring about the Revolution instead of getting stoned and rambling about the Zapatistas? Well here's something easy and powerful you can do to help bring the walls down: Vote for Bush.$LABEL$3 +GB boss defends swimmers Britain's swimming coach Bill Sweetenham defends his team's record in Athens.$LABEL$1 +A Bridge Suspended in Controversy In the history of ambitious bridge projects, doubt -- and the controversy that stems from it -- tends to make regular appearances.$LABEL$2 +British Wiggins wins men #39;s individual pursuit at Athens Olympics New Olympic record holder British cyclist Bradley Wiggins won the men #39;s individual pursuit at the Athens Olympics with a time of 4:16.$LABEL$1 + #39;The Scream #39; stolen from museum Armed men stormed into an art museum Sunday, threatened staff at gunpoint and stole Edvard Munch #39;s famous paintings quot;The Scream quot; and quot;Madonna quot; before the eyes of stunned museum-goers.$LABEL$0 +Palestinians criticize US shift on settlements Palestinian officials on Sunday accused the United States of harming prospects for Mideast peace after the latest indications that Washington is ready to accept some Israeli expansion of West Bank settlements.$LABEL$0 +Programs: Turbine Builds the Buzz for 'Middle-Earth Online' (Reuters) Reuters - The people crammed into a\meeting room at the Providence Convention Center were\contemplating a long visit to an exotic land. They wanted to\know about the shape of the mountains and what the weather\would be like. They asked if the natives would be approachable.$LABEL$3 +Google Roadshows Left Small Investors Out NEW YORK (Reuters) - The initial public offering of Internet search engine Google Inc. was billed as a bonanza for millions of U.S. investors -- but the little guy, with check in hand, was left out of the party.$LABEL$2 +Wiggins Overcomes Mcgee Fear Bradley Wiggins had dreamed of winning an Olympic gold since he was 12, but the Londoner got the fright of his life when Brad McGee returned to track racing two years ago.$LABEL$1 +Attack On Israeli Army Backfires Militants attacking an Israeli armored bulldozer inadvertently killed three other Palestinians Tuesday during an Israeli operation to destroy weapons-smuggling tunnels from Egypt.$LABEL$0 +Report: Arafat seeking Abbas #39; return to activity Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is interested in returning former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to activity, according to Fatah central committee member Sacher Habash.$LABEL$0 +Car Bomb in Iraq Kills 2, Wounds 4 Two Iraqis have been killed and at least four others wounded in a car bomb explosion north of the capital, Baghdad. The attack occurred in al-Khalis, a town just north of the volatile city of Baquba.$LABEL$0 +Tom Plate The Latest China Syndrome You can bet they have been salivating, waiting patiently for the delicious, divisive moment: for Cultural Revolution Two or Tiananmen Square Two.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Beats Australia, 5-0 Lisa Fernandez pitches a three-hitter Sunday and as the Americans roll to their eighth shutout in eight days, 5-0 over Australia, putting them into the gold medal game.$LABEL$1 +Munch's Famous 'Scream,' 'Madonna' Stolen OSLO, Norway - Armed men stormed into an art museum Sunday, threatened staff at gunpoint and stole Edvard Munch's famous paintings ""The Scream"" and ""Madonna"" before the eyes of stunned museum-goers. The thieves yanked the paintings off the walls of Oslo's Munch museum and loaded them into a waiting car outside, said a witness, French radio producer Francois Castang...$LABEL$0 +Hamm Goes for More Gold Amid Controversy ATHENS, Greece - Despite the controversy surrounding his gold medal in the all-around, Paul Hamm has a chance to win two more golds Sunday. The American will compete in the finals of the pommel horse and the floor exercise - the latter against his twin brother, Morgan...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Wins Rowing Gold The American men's elite eight crew ends a four-decade drought in rowing gold medals Sunday, pulling out to a big lead and fending off a late charge by the Netherlands.$LABEL$1 +Word Champion ATHENS -- With his big, thick right hand, Pete Clentzos slaps his belly. The hand bounces off.$LABEL$1 +Programs: Turbine Builds the Buzz for 'Middle-Earth Online' PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - The people crammed into a meeting room at the Providence Convention Center were contemplating a long visit to an exotic land. They wanted to know about the shape of the mountains and what the weather would be like. They asked if the natives would be approachable.$LABEL$3 +It's a Bird, It's a Planet, It's the Space Station When the space station passes across the Sun or moon, the scene offers an interesting demonstration of how planet hunter's look for new candidates by measuring the periodic dimming of a parent star.$LABEL$3 +Water on Mars: More Evidences The Mars Exploration Rover mission is part of NASA #39;s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Softball Team Wins, Closes in on Gold (AP) AP - One more victory and U.S. softball team will have its goal: a third Olympic gold. Right now, the Americans aren't just a Dream Team #151; they're more like the Perfect Team. Lisa Fernandez pitched a three-hitter Sunday and Crystl Bustos drove in two runs as the Americans rolled to their eighth shutout in eight days, 5-0 over Australia, putting them into the gold medal game.$LABEL$1 +Athens Track Set for Sizzling Men's 100 (AP) AP - The preliminaries in the 100 meters were perhaps just a sample of what's to come Sunday, when a talented group of qualifiers #151; including Americans Shawn Crawford, Justin Gatlin and defending champion Maurice Greene #151; will try to turn their competition into the fastest show at the Athens Games.$LABEL$1 +Airline, pilots trying for deal US Airways and its pilots #39; union failed to announce a tentative labor agreement on Friday, but both sides said they remained optimistic that a bargain would be struck soon.$LABEL$2 +Big week ahead for Bay Area in Legislature In an 11th-hour twist, the Bay Area is at the epicenter of political quakes that jolted lawmakers over the weekend and will rock the Legislature #39;s annual frenzied wrap-up this week.$LABEL$2 +Tech pros on what Google IPO means for Silicon Valley The initial public offering of Internet search leader Google riveted the attention of the technology world and served as a reminder that Silicon Valley remains a unique place in the business world.$LABEL$3 +US men fall again A stake in the heart of USA mens basketball was delivered Saturday by a player who was inches from doing it four years ago in Sydney, Australia.$LABEL$1 +Hamm Goes for More Gold Amid Controversy Despite the controversy surrounding his gold medal in the all-around, Paul Hamm has a chance to win two more golds Sunday. The American will compete in the finals of the pommel $LABEL$1 +Victor victorious led from the front They drank the champagne, bore smiles the width of the Vaal River and took the plaudits of a nation. And they deserved every single moment of the adulation.$LABEL$1 +Ogunleye traded for Bear receiver A messy contract holdout and the need for a top-flight wide receiver prompted the Dolphins to agree on a trade Saturday that will send defensive end Adewale Ogunleye to the Chicago Bears for Marty Booker and a 2005 third-round draft pick.$LABEL$1 +Fightings Continue in Najaf Militant supporters of radical Iraqi Shi #39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a sacred religious shrine Sunday as fighting flared around the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad.$LABEL$0 +Al Qaeda plot to blow up key installations in Pak foiled: Rashid : With the arrest of six Al Qaeda suspects, law enforcement agencies here claimed to have foiled a plot to blow up key sites, including President #39;s House, military headquarters, the US embassy and parliament, the country #39;s Information Minister Sheikh Rashid $LABEL$0 +BA plane makes emergency landing in Canada (AFP) AFP - A London-bound British Airways plane carrying 302 passengers from Phoenix, Arizona was diverted to Montreal for technical reasons, a spokesman for the airline told AFP.$LABEL$0 +Error Helps Mets Defeat Giants in 12 (AP) AP - Dustan Mohr allowed two runs to score when he dropped a fly ball in the 12th inning, and the New York Mets overcame a shaky return by Tom Glavine and a team-record six double plays to beat the San Francisco Giants 11-9 Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Angels Rough Up Loaiza in Win Over Yanks (AP) AP - Jose Guillen and Jeff DaVanon homer off Esteban Loaiza, who failed to make it out of the fourth inning Saturday, as the Anaheim Angels defeated the New York Yankees 6-1 in a storm-interrupted game.$LABEL$1 +Wrong target drama costs US shooting gold China #39;s Jia Zhanbo claimed the gold medal in the men #39;s 50-metre rifle three-position target event at the Athens Olympics, after American Matthew Emmons was ruled to have fired at the wrong target on the verge of victory.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Tanks Move Toward Najaf Shrine, Clashes Kill 40 NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. tanks rumbled to within 800 meters (yards) of a holy shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday as fierce clashes with Shi'ite rebels in a nearby town killed at least 40 Iraqis, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Table tennis: Gold for China Zhang Yining beats North Korea's Kim Hyang-Mi to win the table tennis women's singles.$LABEL$0 +Ciena Posts Wider 3Q Loss on Charges Ciena Corp., a maker of fiber optic products and services, posted a wider third-quarter loss Thursday on restructuring and acquisition charges, and warned that fourth-quarter revenue would be flat with third-quarter results due to quot;ongoing customer $LABEL$3 +Rampant England eye top spot after seven wins in a row Despite having won 10 out of 11 tests so far this year, England are still a long way from being the best team in the world. Arch-rivals Australia hold sway at the $LABEL$1 +Berlusconi to visit Libya ITALY #39;S Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said this weekend he would meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Wednesday to discuss clandestine immigration and also reparation claims covering nearly two decades of Italian occupation of Libya.$LABEL$0 +Koch: I Support Bush, His Stance on Iraq (AP) AP - Calling himself a ""liberal with sanity,"" former mayor Ed Koch #151; a lifelong Democrat #151; said he decided to support President Bush in the 2004 election because of Bush's stance on Iraq.$LABEL$0 +Shooting: 'Wrong Target' Drama Costs U.S. Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - American Matthew Emmons fired at the wrong target on the verge of victory in the Olympics men's 50-meter rife three-position target event to surrender an almost certain gold medal to China's Jia Zhanbo on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Clashes Across Bangladesh After Rally Attack DHAKA (Reuters) - Clashes between police and opposition supporters erupted across Bangladesh on Sunday in the aftermath of grenade attacks on a rally that killed 17.$LABEL$0 +Iconic Munch Painting Stolen from Museum in Norway Edvard Munch's paintings ""The Scream"" and ""Madonna"" were stolen from an art museum Sunday while armed men threatened the staff at gunpoint.$LABEL$0 +Athens Track Set for Sizzling Men's 100 ATHENS, Greece - The preliminaries in the 100 meters were perhaps just a sample of what's to come Sunday, when a talented group of qualifiers - including Americans Shawn Crawford, Justin Gatlin and defending champion Maurice Greene - will try to turn their competition into the fastest show at the Athens Games. Five men broke 10 seconds in qualifying Saturday, led by Crawford's time of 9.89...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Warplanes Bomb Najaf's Old City NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. warplanes bombed Najaf's Old City and gunfire rattled on Sunday amid fears a plan to end the standoff with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr could collapse...$LABEL$0 +Seiko Epson develops tiny flying robot Seiko Epson is developing a flying robot that looks like a miniature helicopter and is about the size of a giant bug. The company hopes it #39;ll prove handy for security, disaster rescue and space exploration.$LABEL$3 +US wins silver in 50m rifle; China gets gold Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Michael Anti of the United States won the silver on Sunday in the men #39;s 50m rifle 3-position event at the Summer Olympics in Athens.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan: Al-Qaida Plot Intercepted Pakistani authorities say they have intercepted a plot by the al-Qaida terror network to kill high profile civil and military officials and attack key sites, including military headquarters and the US embassy in Islamabad.$LABEL$0 +The aftermath of the Grozny bomb Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprise visit to wartorn Chechnya ahead of presidential elections next week. He laid a wreath at the grave of the province #39;s recently assassinated Russian-backed leader.$LABEL$0 +Amelie killer #39;may be local #39; The killer of French woman Amelie Delagrange may be a local man with knowledge of the area, police said today. Detectives are examining the possibility based on the advice of an offender profiler who has been called in on the murder hunt.$LABEL$0 +NAM boycott stirs sanctions fears in Israel Measures adopted by the Non-Aligned Movement to boycott Israeli settlers and firms building the West Bank barrier have stirred real worries in the Jewish state of a broader sanctions campaign.$LABEL$0 +Cheney Is a Quiet Force Behind Bush Presidency (Reuters) Reuters - Dick Cheney is one of the most\powerful vice presidents in U.S. history, regarded as a driving\force behind the Iraq war and the Bush administration's\industry-friendly energy policy.$LABEL$0 +Building code back in hot seat With insurance claim projections from Hurricane Charley climbing above \$11 billion, some in the building industry believe the hurricane standards in the uniform Florida Building Code may $LABEL$2 +UPDATE 1-Gibernau cruises to victory at Czech GP Spaniard Sete Gibernau cruised to his third win of the season in the Czech MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off a tough challenge from championship leader Valentino Rossi.$LABEL$1 +Singapore #39;s new PM delivers national day rally speech Singapore #39;s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday night delivered his first National Day Rally speech since he was sworn in as the country #39;s third Prime Minister.$LABEL$0 +Marks and Spencer loses crown as Britain's top clothing retailer (AFP) AFP - Marks and Spencer has been overtaken as Britain's biggest clothing retailer by supermarket giant Asda, which is owned by the world's largest retail store Wal-Mart, industry figures showed.$LABEL$2 +Gymnast Khorkina Says 'Judges Robbed Me' MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Svetlana Khorkina, who was second to American Carly Patterson in the women's all-round gymnastics competition, has accused the judges of robbing her of the gold medal and said ""everything was decided in advance.$LABEL$1 +Stocks May Rally if Oil Eases NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors will watch for oil news from Russia and Iraq this week, but skepticism that crude prices will stay sky-high is growing and a break in the energy market would fuel a rally in the U.S. stock market.$LABEL$2 +COTE D IVOIRE: All sides pledge commitment to peace process again <b>...</b> ABIDJAN, 7 December (IRIN) - South African President Thabo Mbeki ended his mediation in Cote d #39;Ivoire having wrangled promises from all sides to revive the flagging peace process.$LABEL$0 +Palestinians Chide U.S. Over Settlements JERUSALEM - Palestinian leaders on Sunday accused the United States of harming prospects for Mideast peace after the latest indications that Washington is ready to accept some Israeli expansion of West Bank settlements. The New York Times reported Saturday that the United States will now tacitly support construction in built-up areas of major Jewish settlements, while remaining opposed to housing activity in undeveloped areas...$LABEL$0 +Greek Weightlifter Stripped of Olympic Medal, Ejected From Athens <b>...</b> The International Olympic Committee has stripped a Greek weightlifter of his bronze medal and expelled him from the Athens Games for a doping offense.$LABEL$1 +England humble Windies ONCE the tailenders of world cricket, England thumped the West Indies by 10 wickets at the Oval to complete a 4-0 whitewash yesterday and are now snapping at Australia #39;s heels for world dominance.$LABEL$1 +Iraq clashes kill 40, handover talks stall US tanks rumbled to within 800 metres of a holy shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf today as fierce clashes with Shiite rebels in a nearby town killed at least 40 Iraqis, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Train set ablaze as violence spreads in Bangladesh Dhaka, Aug 22. (PTI, UNI, AP): Angry opposition protestors set fire to a passenger train and clashed with police in southern Bangladesh today amid general strikes in several cities to protest the series of $LABEL$0 +North Korea Denounces Mass Defection North Korea has denounced as quot;wicked terrorists quot; the South Korean officials who orchestrated last month #39;s airlift to Seoul of 468 North Korean defectors.$LABEL$0 +Judge gives United temporary reprieve A federal bankruptcy judge has given United Airlines a 30-day quot;test period quot; to show it can cooperate with its unions on a restructuring plan, rejecting union calls to open the process up to rival proposals immediately because United has not $LABEL$2 +UPDATE 1-Gibernau storms to pole for Czech GP Spaniard Sete Gibernau stormed into pole position for Sunday #39;s Czech MotoGP Grand Prix, edging out Brazilian Alex Barros at the end of the rain-affected second qualifying session.$LABEL$1 +Swiss pair eliminates Holdren, Metzger Stein Metzger screamed, as if the noise would somehow keep the ball off the sand for an extra split second. He threw his body parallel to the ground, but the ball bounced inches out of his reach, as partner Dax Holdren looked on.$LABEL$1 +Mob sets fire to train in protest at attack An angry mob set fire to a passenger train in central Bangladesh yesterday, injuring at least 20 people, in retaliation for a grenade attack on an opposition rally that killed 22 people and wounded hundreds, police said.$LABEL$0 +BA prepares new sick leave deal British Airways says it will introduce a company-wide sick leave policy giving managers greater powers to monitor employees #39; absence under a deal hammered out with unions to avert a 24-hour strike.$LABEL$2 +Asda clothing overtakes M amp;S Marks amp; Spencer is no longer the UK #39;s largest clothing retailer after losing its crown to supermarket chain Asda. Industry figures for the 12 weeks to July 25 are understood to show that Asda now has a leading $LABEL$2 +India News gt; Trucker #39;s strike enters second day: The Delhi government Sunday braced to tackle a rise in prices of essential commodities and vegetables as an indefinite nationwide truckers #39; strike entered its second day.$LABEL$2 +Amazon.com to Acquire Retailer Joyo.com Internet retail giant Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Joyo.com Ltd., China #39;s largest online retailer of books, music and videos, in a deal worth about \$75 million.$LABEL$3 +EPA must close loopholes in emissions law Loopholes in state laws that regulate hazardous emissions pose a serious risk to the health of millions of Americans and need to be revised, according to a report published this week.$LABEL$3 +Korea #39;s chances for duplicate gold appear slim The satisfaction of knowing they should have won gymnastics gold might be all the South Koreans get. While the country #39;s Olympic team met with lawyers Sunday to plan its appeal over the medal given to American $LABEL$1 +Baseball Today Minnesota at Texas (8:05 pm EDT). Kenny Rogers (15-5) goes for his 16th win as Texas resumes its AL West title chase. * Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek, Red Sox.$LABEL$1 +Russian President Visits Chechnya Russian President Vladimir Putrin has made an unannounced trip to Chechnya to honor the memory of the assassinated leader of the restive southern republic, one week before a scheduled vote to replace him.$LABEL$0 +China executes man who killed his rapists Beijing - China has executed a university dropout for killing six men - four of whom had raped him, state media reported on Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Malaysia Teenager in Hospital for Bird Flu Checks A teenager from the village at the center of a bird flu outbreak has been hospitalized with cold symptoms, Malaysia #39;s health minister said on Friday, as poultry farmers counted their losses.$LABEL$0 +Iraq Keeps South Oil Pipeline Shut BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Authorities kept a main oil pipeline in southern Iraq shut on Sunday rather than risk it being attacked, restricting the country's exports to half normal levels, a South Oil Official said.$LABEL$2 +Volleyball: China Clinches Top Spot, U.S. Faces Crunch ATHENS (Reuters) - China underlined their gold medal ambitions in Olympic women's volleyball on Sunday, clinching top spot in Pool B with a straight sets win over Russia.$LABEL$1 +Schwarzenegger wins car ad case Arnold Schwarzenegger has settled a dispute with an Ohio car company which used photos of him in an advertising campaign without his permission.$LABEL$2 +JK gaffe costs Microsoft dear LONDON: It was a tiny software slip up - just eight pixels symbolising Jammu and Kashmir, which were coloured a different shade of green from the rest of India.$LABEL$3 +Athens champion album - Aug. 21 (1) Britain #39;s Yngling crew Shirley Robertson (M), Sarah Webb (R) and Sarah Ayton celebrate at award ceremony after winning the first title at the Athens Olympic Games on August 21, 2004.$LABEL$1 +New York Mets Team Report - August 22 (Sports Network) - Matt Ginter will get the start for an injured Victor Zambrano this afternoon when the New York Mets conclude their three-game series with the San Francisco Giants at SBC Park.$LABEL$1 +British Air to monitor sick leave British Airways PLC said Sunday it would introduce a company-wide sick leave policy giving managers greater powers to monitor employees #39; absence under a deal hammered out with unions to avert a 24-hour strike.$LABEL$2 +Marks and Spencer loses crown as Britain #39;s top clothing retailer LONDON : Marks and Spencer has been overtaken as Britain #39;s biggest clothing retailer by supermarket giant Asda, which is owned by the world #39;s largest retail store Wal-Mart, industry figures showed.$LABEL$2 +Inside the Yukos Endgame As in so many murder mysteries, the killing of the Russian oil giant Yukos - which began last fall with the arrest of its CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and could climax at any time with the firm #39;s bankruptcy or forced sale of assets -s being committed $LABEL$2 +Stumbling over SP2 People have Bill Gates all wrong. He doesn #39;t want to rule the world (or at least the computerized portion of it). And although he may secretly hope that all Linux source code spontaneously combusts, that isn #39;t his biggest wish.$LABEL$3 +AT amp;T will offer VoIP service in Hampton Roads The firm #39;s new Internet calling plan is cheaper than traditional phone service and has more features. AT amp;T has followed its recent announcement that it #39;s not marketing new residential telephone service by $LABEL$3 +EA Video Game #39;Madden #39; Tops 1.3 Million First Week quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc. #39;s ERTS.O pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal figures.$LABEL$3 +China college for Internet game industry A college to provide training for the Internet games industry has been opened in Beijing. Xinhua, China #39;s main government-run news agency, reported Saturday that China #39;s Ministry of Information Technology, the $LABEL$3 +Youth Movement for the US Begins The tattoo on Lauryn Williams #39;s right hip is new this year, but it is already dated. It is Mickey Mouse, baton in hand, dashing through the University of Miami logo.$LABEL$1 +Hewitt to face the unexpected Lleyton Hewitt has an unexpected rival in the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic after Andre Agassi was beaten in straight sets by unheralded Luxembourg player Gilles Muller on Saturday.$LABEL$1 +Gymnast Khorkina Says #39;Judges Robbed Me #39; Russia #39;s Svetlana Khorkina, who was second to American Carly Patterson in the women #39;s all-round gymnastics competition, has accused the judges of robbing her of the gold $LABEL$1 +Springboks prove passion is back SOUTH AFRICA completed their resurrection from international disgrace to rugby power with their most important win since the World Cup final in 1995, which briefly united the Rainbow Nation.$LABEL$1 +Venezuela plane crash #39;kills 25 #39; A Venezuelan air force plane has crashed, killing all 25 passengers and crew, aviation officials say. The aircraft came down in bad weather in a mountainous region in Carabobo state, west of the capital, Caracas, Reuters quoted an official as saying.$LABEL$0 +Google Roadshows Left Small Investors Out (Reuters) Reuters - The initial public offering of\Internet search engine Google Inc. was billed as a bonanza for\millions of U.S. investors -- but the little guy, with check in\hand, was left out of the party.$LABEL$2 +Iraq Keeps South Oil Pipeline Shut (Reuters) Reuters - Authorities kept a main oil pipeline in\southern Iraq shut on Sunday rather than risk it being\attacked, restricting the country's exports to half normal\levels, a South Oil Official said.$LABEL$2 +Pope Condemns Unethical Science, Cloning (AP) AP - Pope John Paul II warned in a statement released Sunday that humanity's speedy progress in science and technology risks overlooking moral values, citing with particular concern experiments in human cloning.$LABEL$3 +U.S. Aircraft Hit Militias in Najaf as Tanks Near Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. helicopter gunships pounded Shi'ite militias in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday as tanks rumbled to within 800 meters (yards) of a holy shrine at the center of a near three-week insurgency.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Rolls Into Softball Gold-Medal Game ATHENS, Greece - Right now, the Americans aren't just a Dream Team - they're more like the Perfect Team. Lisa Fernandez pitched a three-hitter Sunday and Crystl Bustos drove in two runs as the Americans rolled to their eighth shutout in eight days, 5-0 over Australia, putting them into the gold medal game...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Soldiers, Militiamen Clash in Najaf NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. warplanes bombed Najaf's Old City and troops clashed with Shiite militiamen Sunday amid fears a plan to end the standoff could collapse...$LABEL$0 +Auction Remains Dutch Mainstay Google #39;s so-called Dutch auction may have intrigued Wall Street, but nobody here was buying it, figuratively or literally. Instead, Dutch people, the butts $LABEL$3 +Making A Splash What a week! Here #39;s to Phelps, Thorpe and all the other breakout stars - especially the unheralded Africans. It was an irresistible formula for concocting the most popular Olympic event of the first week.$LABEL$1 +Mactier collects pursuit silver Australian cyclist Katie Mactier has won silver behind New Zealand world champion Sarah Ulmer in the women #39;s 3000 metre individual pursuit at the Athens Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Lack of a successor clouds future after Arafat YASSER Arafat seems to have held off one more challenge to his rule. But his latest victory does not answer the question of what will happen when he finally does leave the political scene.$LABEL$0 +Stocks #39; second thoughts Indexes are up so far this week, but another record oil price could put some of those gains at risk. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - US stock markets were set for a little slip at Friday #39;s open, but it would take a $LABEL$2 +The biggest Mac is resting THE Australian chief executive of McDonald #39;s is recuperating after more surgery, the world #39;s largest fast-food company said.$LABEL$2 +Schwarzenegger, auto dealer settle An Ohio auto dealership and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have settled a legal dispute over the use of his photograph in a series of car advertisements, officials announced Friday.$LABEL$2 +EA Video Game #39;Madden #39; Tops 1.3 Million First Week quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc. #39;s pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal figures.$LABEL$3 +Seiko Epson unveil updated micro flying robot Seiko Epson have unveiled their latest wireless flying micro-robot named the FR-II. The successor to the FR robot the latest micromechatronic contraption has a number of improvements.$LABEL$3 +Powerful Nesterenko seizes the moment It was the final of the forgotten. Those who raced it, this weirdest of women #39;s 100-metres dashes, were a largely unknown lot; the winner, Yuliya Nesterenko, ran into history from the comfortable starting blocks of near-total anonymity.$LABEL$1 + #39;Who says we can #39;t play? #39; say goldstruck British papers From tail-dragging despair to unabashed joy, Britain #39;s newspapers rebounded on Sunday, swelling with pride after five gold medals in one day erased the pain of the first Olympic week in Athens.$LABEL$1 +Patterson answers history and defending champ ATHENS - She did not have the magnetic power of Mary Lou Retton, or the dizzy charm of Sarah Hughes, but Carly Patterson did have one final dance in front of her, one last chance to prove that her face belonged on those 70 million McDonald #39;s bags and $LABEL$1 +Straw to press Sudan on violence Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will seek to intensify the pressure on the government of Sudan to tackle the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Darfur region.$LABEL$0 +Car bomb kills two in Baghdad A car bomb exploded north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad today, killing two people and injuring four others, including a deputy provincial governor, police said.$LABEL$0 +Abdullah flies flag of Mid-East reform HIGH above white-walled, seven-hilled Amman, in the heart of the Jordanian royal palace compound, a national flag flies in the desert breeze.$LABEL$0 +Greek Weightlifter Out Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis is stripped of his bronze medal and expelled from the Olympics for a doping offense.$LABEL$1 +Still Under Wraps Although Joe Gibbs is back in Washington, we're unlikely to see any elements of his offensive system on display until Opening Day.$LABEL$1 +Emmons Loses Gold American shooter Matt Emmons fired at the wrong target on his final shot Sunday, blowing a commanding lead in the Olympic 50-meter three-position rifle event and allowing Jia Zhanbo of China to take the gold$LABEL$1 +New Doping Scandal at Games ATHENS (Reuters) - Almost 100 runners set out on Sunday to recreate history's legendary Marathon while a modern day doping scandal threatened the gold medal won by Russia at the first Olympic event held at Ancient Olympia in 1,600 years.$LABEL$1 +Vegetable prices shoot up due to truckers #39; strike Prices of vegetables, fruits and other perishable commodities shot up on Sunday though movement of essential goods across the country by and large remained unaffected as the truckers #39; strike to protest imposition of service tax entered the second day.$LABEL$2 +SAP migration part of Nortel #39;s cost-cutting plans A standartisation to SAP is part of Nortel Networks #39; restructuting plans and is part of a move that will also see 10 of its workforce, or around 3500 jobs, eliminated.$LABEL$3 +Nesterenko surprises field with speed Winning the 100 meters at the Olympics isn #39;t simply a tradition carried on by generations of American women sprinters, it #39;s an exercise in domination.$LABEL$1 +Mental lapse costs American shooting gold An almost unthinkable lapse of concentration Sunday cost American Matt Emmons an Olympic shooting gold medal. Emmons, far ahead going into his final shot in the three-position $LABEL$1 +OBL still untraced, says Pakistan Pakistan said Sunday it still has no information about the whereabouts of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his close associates.$LABEL$0 +One dead, six missing after Maoist attack More than 1000 Maoist rebels stormed a district headquarters in Nepal #39;s north-western mountains, bombing government buildings and killing at least one soldier, as they kept up a blockade $LABEL$0 +Israel PM vows to bring Labour into government despite vote by <b>...</b> JERUSALEM : Beleaguered Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon persisted with plans to form a new government including the main opposition Labour party, bolstered by Washington #39;s backing for the expansion of West Bank settlements.$LABEL$0 +25 dead in Venezuela military plane crash CARACAS : A military airplane crashed in a mountainous region in northeastern Venezuela killing all 25 passengers, a spokesman for the air rescue service told AFP.$LABEL$0 +Thousands Registered to Vote in 2 States-Report (Reuters) Reuters - About 46,000 people are registered to\vote in two states, New York and Florida, a violation of both\states' laws that could affect the outcome of the November\presidential election, according to an investigation by the\Daily News.$LABEL$0 +Dollar May Fall on Concern Climbing Oil Prices Will Slow Growth The dollar may fall against the euro for a third week in four on concern near-record crude oil prices will temper the pace of expansion in the US economy, a survey by Bloomberg News indicates.$LABEL$2 +Our swimming saviours A FAST finish in the pool at Athens has delivered Australia #39;s best swimming medal haul since the 1956 Melbourne Games. A heroic butterfly leg from Petria Thomas in the women #39;s medley relay yesterday snared the team #39;s seventh and final gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Ulmer wins gold in pursuit cycling Sarah Ulmer of New Zealand continued her dominance of pursuit racing Sunday, breaking her own world record to win the Olympic gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Moore And List Advance To US Amateur Final Mamaroneck, NY - Ryan Moore, 21, of Puyallup, Wash., the NCAA Division I champion who has won all four golf events he has entered since late May, and Luke List, 19, of Ringgold, Ga.$LABEL$1 +Car bomb explodes near military convoy A car bomb detonated near a US military convoy on Sunday outside the northern city of Mosul, the military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.$LABEL$0 +Arafat refuses to sign anti-corruption legislation Ramallah (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Yasser Arafat refused to sign anti-corruption legislation as demanded by Palestinian law-makers. In a long and tense speech to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the $LABEL$0 +Let UN chief get on with job: Blair TONY Blair threw his weight behind Kofi Annan yesterday amid a growing clamour in the US for the UN Secretary-General to resign over the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Rolls Into Softball Gold-Medal Game ATHENS, Greece - Right now, the Americans aren't just a Dream Team - they're more like the Perfect Team. Lisa Fernandez pitched a three-hitter Sunday and Crystl Bustos drove in two runs as the Americans rolled to their eighth shutout in eight days, 5-0 over Australia, putting them into the gold-medal game against the Aussies...$LABEL$0 +Pursuit team secure medal Britain's team pursuit quartet will race off for gold against Australia on Monday.$LABEL$1 +UK takes lead role in stem cell research POTTERS BAR, England At the end of a winding country road lined with hedgerows and tidy brick homes sits a new prefabricated building chock-full of monitors and filters.$LABEL$3 +User, beware of new XP patch Microsoft has a massive patch for some of the many bugs and security holes in Windows XP. If you #39;re using Windows XP, you might want to download the software patch and install it.$LABEL$3 +Ulmer wins gold in cycling Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Sarah Ulmer of New Zealand won the women #39;s individual pursuit competition in track cycling Sunday at the Olympics.$LABEL$1 + #39;Sold out #39; signs going up at Games events In the midst of the heaving throng of more than 100,000 who turned out in Athens to welcome home the victorious Greek soccer team last month, someone asked how Athens would deal with the crowds during the Olympics.$LABEL$1 +China #39;s Zhang a gold medalist again in table tennis Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - China #39;s Zhang Yining, already a gold medalist here with doubles partner Wang Nan, won the women #39;s singles title Sunday with a four-set victory over Hyang Mi Kim of North Korea.$LABEL$1 +Travelers Could Soon Report to Work Mid-Flight (Reuters) Reuters - Business travelers will be able to\surf the Web securely on long-distance flights by combining\services from Boeing Co. (BA.N) and iPass Inc. (IPAS.O), the\companies plan to announce on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Brands Change Course to Combat Atkins NEW YORK (Reuters) - The biggest U.S. weight loss companies are taking aim at the low-carb diet craze with new programs, products and marketing campaigns they hope will boost membership rolls and revitalize sales.$LABEL$2 +U.S. Planes Hit Militias as Tanks Near Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. helicopter gunships pounded Shi'ite militias in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday as tanks rumbled to within 800 meters (yards) of a holy shrine at the center of a near three-week insurgency.$LABEL$0 +Travelers Could Soon Report to Work Mid-Flight NEW YORK (Reuters) - Business travelers will be able to surf the Web securely on long-distance flights by combining services from Boeing Co. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=BA.N qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">BA.N</A> and iPass Inc. <A HREF=""http://www.reuters.co.uk/financeQuoteLookup.jhtml?ticker=IPAS.O qtype=sym infotype=info qcat=news"">IPAS.O</A>, the companies plan to announce on Monday.$LABEL$3 +Not All Dutch Auctions Are Equal Jeff Stacey, managing director of researcher IPO Monitor in Los Angeles, says Dutch auctions are designed to set the price accurately right away.$LABEL$2 +Update 1: Net Rivals Rise and Fall on Google IPO Rivals to Internet search giant Google Inc. rode the momentum of its long-awaited initial public offering and saw mixed gains in early trading Thursday, but sank near the closing bell as Google #39;s shares remained $LABEL$3 +American hits wrong target and loses gold Matthew Emmons is a trained accountant but he got his numbers terribly wrong at the Olympics. The American sharpshooter was just one shot away from a second Olympic gold $LABEL$1 +Car bomb explodes near military convoy A car bomb detonated near a US military convoy on Sunday outside the northern city of Mosul, the military said. Two children were injured in the blast, said Dr.$LABEL$0 +Iran delays nuclear plant opening Iran says it has delayed plans to start up its first nuclear reactor by a year - but it plans to build more plants with Russian help.$LABEL$0 +Singapore backs Beijing on Taiwan SINGAPORE #39;S new leader tried to mend fences with China today, saying the city-state would back Beijing if Taipei quot;provoked quot; armed conflict across the Taiwan Strait.$LABEL$0 +Blazers' Randolph Questioned by Police (AP) AP - Portland Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph was questioned by police after witnessing the shootings of three men inside a bar early Sunday.$LABEL$1 +British Airways plane makes emergency landing in Montreal (AFP) AFP - A British Airways 747 en route from Phoenix, Arizona to London made an emergency landing in Montreal following a mechanical problem with the plane, a company spokesman told AFP.$LABEL$0 +I spy with my little... This state-of-the-art spy helicopter features its own computer, a digital camera and Bluetooth wireless technology so it can transmit instant pictures.$LABEL$3 +Ulmer gives New Zealand historic gold Athens - Sarah Ulmer gave New Zealand their first ever Olympic cycling gold medal and only their second of the Athens Games on Sunday, breaking her own world record for the women #39;s 3-km individual pursuit in the process.$LABEL$1 +Celtic tunes up with win over Inverness Aberdeen, Scotland (Sports Network) - Celtic remained perfect in Scottish Premier League play this season with a 3-1 win over Inverness at the Pittodrie.$LABEL$1 +Injured Gail Devers Can't Finish Hurdles (AP) AP - Gail Devers, the most talented yet star-crossed hurdler of her generation, was unable to complete even one hurdle in 100-meter event Sunday #151; failing once again to win an Olympic hurdling medal.$LABEL$1 +Martin meeting with Liberal caucus early test in art of compromise (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - This week's gathering of federal Liberals will allow Paul Martin to hone his skills for the consensus-building exercise that is minority government.$LABEL$0 +Senate Republicans Weigh Dismantling CIA WASHINGTON - Senate Intelligence Committee Republicans proposed removing the nation's largest intelligence gathering operations from the CIA and the Pentagon and putting them directly under a new national intelligence director. Sen...$LABEL$0 +Palestinians Chide U.S. Over Settlements JERUSALEM - Palestinian leaders reacted angrily on Sunday to Washington's apparent readiness to allow construction inside Israeli settlements in the West Bank, warning that it would destroy the peace process. U.S...$LABEL$0 +Injured Gail Devers Can't Finish Hurdles ATHENS, Greece - Gail Devers, the most talented yet star-crossed hurdler of her generation, was unable to complete even one hurdle in 100-meter event Sunday - failing once again to win an Olympic hurdling medal. Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the hurdles but has always flopped at the Olympics, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle...$LABEL$0 +Audit of referendum supports Chavez An audit by international observers supported official elections results that gave President Hugo Chavez a victory over a recall vote against him, the secretary-general of the Organisation of American States announced.$LABEL$2 +M amp;S overtaken as top UK clothes retailer Marks amp; Spencer is no longer the UKs largest clothing retailer after losing its crown to supermarket chain Asda, it was reported today.$LABEL$2 +TXT-to-pay parking gets green light Wellington City Council will this week start replacing 1300 parking meters with 300 pay-and-display machines that can accept payments from mobile phones or credit cards.$LABEL$3 +Judge #39;s ruling too close to home quot;IG has verified that Colombian judge Oscar Buitrago Reyes, one of three officials suspended by the FIG (world gymnastics body) on August 21, has lived and worked in Ohio for several years, quot; the magazine #39;s website said on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Rowing: Pinsent #39;s emotions run free after gold medal No 4 and it beat anything the 20th could offer either. A fourth successive gold medal for Matthew Pinsent by only just 0.08s. Barney Williams $LABEL$1 +Bears, Dolphins swap former Pro Bowlers The Chicago Bears have sent wide receiver Marty Booker and a 2005 third-round draft pick to the Miami Dophins for disgruntled defensive end Adewale Ogunleye.$LABEL$1 +Celtic reclaim lead with 3-1 win over 10-man Inverness Celtic returned to the top of the Scottish Premier League on Sunday with Wales striker John Hartson scoring twice for the champions in a 3-1 win over 10-man Inverness Caledonian Thistle.$LABEL$1 +Aggressive Springboks revive memories of World Cup win Two discards held centre stage yesterday as the Springboks revived memories of their World Cup triumph when they nailed the Tri-Nations title.$LABEL$1 +Palestinians say US destroys hope over settlements RAMALLAH: Palestinians yesterday accused the United States of destroying hopes of negotiations with Israel for a Palestinian state, after the US signalled it could accept some growth of settlements in the West Bank.$LABEL$0 +This gold tarnished Federation rules that judges #39; mistake cost S. Korea #39;s Yang a victory, but Hamm gets to keep medal. ATHENS, Greece - Paul Hamm was erroneously awarded the gold medal in the men #39;s all-around Wednesday night because $LABEL$1 +Hungarian fencing referee suspended for two years A Hungarian fencing referee was expelled from the Olympics and suspended for two years Sunday after making several errors during Saturday night #39;s gold-medal match in men #39;s team foil.$LABEL$1 +Injured Devers Can't Finish Hurdles (AP) AP - Gail Devers, the most talented yet star-crossed hurdler of her generation, failed once again in the Olympics as she was struck by injury before the first hurdle. Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the 100-meter hurdles, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle. She sat on the track for about two minutes, rubbing her left leg and grimacing.$LABEL$1 +Pope Condemns Unethical Science, Cloning CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II warned in a statement released Sunday that humanity #39;s speedy progress in science and technology risks overlooking moral values, citing with particular concern experiments in human cloning.$LABEL$3 +Greek weightlifter stripped of bronze for doping In another embarrassing incident for the Olympic host nation, a Greek weightlifter has been stripped of his bronze medal for a doping offence.$LABEL$1 +Ulmer surprised with record time Sarah Ulmer #39;s blitzing gold medal ride at the Olympic Velodrome on Monday has left her eating her own words. Ulmer broke the women #39;s 3000m individual pursuit world record for the second time in two days in the final.$LABEL$1 +Paula Radcliffe gives up Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn in tears after just over two hours of the Olympic women #39;s marathon. The world record holder and big favourite was in fourth place at the time but was losing ground.$LABEL$1 +Jaguars Release Sack Leader Brackens (AP) AP - The Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday released defensive end Tony Brackens, the team's all-time sack leader.$LABEL$1 +Chicago Orders Cubs to Fix Wrigley Field (AP) AP - The protective netting in place to protect fans from falling concrete at Wrigley Field must be replaced with a permanent solution if the Chicago Cubs want to play at the stadium next spring.$LABEL$1 +Halliburton Awaits Decision on Payments (AP) AP - After a week of flip-flops by the Army, Halliburton is waiting for a final decision on whether the military will withhold 15 percent of payments for some of its work in Iraq.$LABEL$0 +IOC Taking Back Women's Shot Put Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - Women's Olympic shot put champion Irina Korzhanenko of Russia will lose her gold medal after testing positive for a banned steroid, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee's anti-doping body said Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Radcliffe suffers marathon agony An exhausted Paula Radcliffe fails to finish in Athens as Japan's Mizuki Noguchi wins the women's marathon.$LABEL$0 +Google #39;s woes shouldn #39;t bury IPO auction idea Google Inc. #39;s stumbles shouldn #39;t be used to write off the idea of employing auctions to sell stock to the public. Certainly, the initial public offering of the Internet search $LABEL$2 +Arsenal equal record Arsenal came back from two goals down to equal Nottingham Forest #39;s 42-match unbeaten run that has stood for 25 years. The Gunners went ahead in the 26th minute through Thierry Henry, but Arsenal were stunned $LABEL$1 +Dope tests catch medallists A Greek Olympian has been stripped of his bronze medal after testing positive for drugs, and a Russian gold medallist has also reportedly failed a test.$LABEL$1 +Olympics: Ulmer smashes world record to bag pursuit cycling gold ATHENS : New Zealand #39;s Sarah Ulmer smashed her second world record in as many days on the way to claiming the 3000-metre individual pursuit cycling gold medal at the Athens Olympics.$LABEL$1 +Kastor takes bronze in marathon; Japan #39;s Noguchi wins American Deena Kastor crosed the finish line crying as she captured the bronze medal in the marathon Sunday. She finished the course in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 19 seconds.$LABEL$1 +Boston at Chicago Sox, 8:05 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox will go for a three-game sweep when they face the Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field on Sunday night.$LABEL$1 +Mob sets Bangladesh train alight An angry mob set fire to a passenger train in central Bangladesh yesterday as they protested against a grenade attack on an Opposition rally that killed at least 18 people and injured hundreds.$LABEL$0 +Kadyrov absolutely rejected extreme forms of Wahhabism Putin MOSCOW, August 22 (Itar-Tass) --Akhmad Kadyrov was absolutely against the extreme forms of Wahhabism, which some forces are still trying to plant on our land, President Vladimir Putin said in the RTR documentary, Akhmad Kadyrov.$LABEL$0 +Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq Is Released (AP) AP - U.S. journalist Micah Garen, who was kidnapped in Iraq more than a week ago, was released Sunday in the southern city of Nasiriyah. Garen spoke to Al-Jazeera television, confirming he was freed.$LABEL$0 +Noguchi Reduces Radcliffe to Tears, Kastor Wins Bronze ATHENS (Reuters) - Japan's diminutive Mizuki Noguchi put on an extraordinary display of front-running to win the Olympic women's marathon title on Sunday as Paula Radcliffe's challenge ended in bitter tears.$LABEL$1 +Murkowski Braces for Alaska Sen. Primary (AP) AP - Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she has not asked Alaskans to like the way she got her job #151; she was appointed by her father, Gov. Frank Murkowski.$LABEL$0 +Singapore 'would not back Taiwan' Singapore's new PM says he would not back Taiwan if it provoked a war with China over independence.$LABEL$0 +Irish sunken wreck likely Cromwell's flagship, archaeologists say (AFP) AFP - The wreck of a 17th-century ship found preserved in a sandbar in southern Ireland five years ago could well be the navy flagship of England ruler Oliver Cromwell, according to a Irish government archaeologist.$LABEL$0 +25 People Killed in Venezuela Plane Crash (AP) AP - A military plane crashed into a mountain in central Venezuela, killing 25 people, including five children, the air force rescue team said in a statement Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Injured Devers Can't Finish Hurdles ATHENS, Greece - Gail Devers, the most talented yet star-crossed hurdler of her generation, failed once again in the Olympics as she was struck by injury before the first hurdle. Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the 100-meter hurdles, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Prepares for Guantanamo Arraignments GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - One man allegedly worked as an al-Qaida accountant. Another, a poet, is accused of crafting terrorist propaganda...$LABEL$0 +Henry wants silverware Arsenal striker Thierry Henry insisted there must be an end product to the Gunners #39; record-breaking run. As Arsenal equalled Nottingham Forest #39;s 42-game unbeaten League run Henry said: quot;Even on the pitch we didn #39;t realise what we had done.$LABEL$1 +Ticket Scalpers Not Doing Good Business in Athens The perennial Olympics pariah, commonly known as the ticket scalper, is having a hard time in Athens. Scalpers normally buy hard-to-get tickets, with hopes of selling them later at highly inflated prices.$LABEL$1 +Swiss Pair Eliminates Holdren, Metzger Dax Holdren could only watch helplessly as partner Stein Metzger made a desperate dive for the ball, screaming as if the noise could stop it from hitting the sizzling sand.$LABEL$1 +Family #39;s farewell to Amelie The devastated parents and sister of murdered French woman Amelie Delagrange left a heart-rending farewell at the scene where she was brutally attacked.$LABEL$0 +Singapore #39;s PM Backs China Over Taiwan Independence Singapore #39;s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned Taiwan against moving toward independence, saying he supports the quot;one China quot; policy.$LABEL$0 +Oil addicts It lubricates all our lives. But can we live without the black stuff, asks Heather Stewart. Sky-high oil prices are already taking their toll, eating into consumers #39; spending power and squeezing corporate margins $LABEL$2 +Olympians pursuit of marketing gold begins long before medals <b>...</b> For millions of Americans, gymnast Paul Hamm #39;s fame began only when the broad-shouldered Olympian shrugged off a fall in the vaulting competition last week and made an inspired comeback to win gold.$LABEL$2 +Reporting to Work Mid-Flight Business travelers will soon take advantage of airborne internet if two companies have their way. Boeing and software maker iPass plan to use satellite and Wi-Fi to connect high fliers to the office.$LABEL$2 +Arsenal matches record of 42 league games without a loss Defending champion Arsenal matched a 25-year-old record of 42 league games without a loss in the top tier of English soccer by rallying past Middlesbrough 5-3 Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Najaf police: a thin blue line between foes US troops encircled the Shrine of Ali Sunday as fighting resumed. The standoff leaves Iraqi police with few allies. By Scott Baldauf Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.$LABEL$0 +Iran Announces Delays in First Nuclear Reactor Coming on Line Iran says its first nuclear reactor, being built with the help of Russia, will not go on line until October 2006, a year later than planned.$LABEL$0 +Family mourn quot;angel quot; slain in London The family of a French woman who police think might have been slain by a serial hammer killer have paid tribute to an quot;angel quot; who found happiness during her time in London.$LABEL$0 +25 people killed in Venezuela plane crash A military plane crashed into a mountain in central Venezuela, killing 25 people, including five children, the air force rescue team said in a statement Saturday.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelan Vote Audit Backs Chavez, Finds No Fraud An audit of Venezuela #39;s referendum results has confirmed President Hugo Chavez won the poll fairly and found no evidence to support the opposition #39;s claims $LABEL$2 +Venezuela plane crash kills 25 A Venezuelan air force plane carrying three crew members and 22 passengers has crashed in bad weather in central Venezuela, killing all on board, an aviation official said Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Injured Devers Can't Finish Hurdles (AP) AP - Gail Devers failed once again in the Olympic 100-meter hurdles, falling to injury just steps into her first race. Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the event, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Japanese Woman Wins Marathon; Kastor Third (AP) AP - Mizuki Noguchi of Japan held on for the gold and American Deena Kastor used a late burst for a stunning bronze medal finish Sunday night in the Olympic marathon. Kastor's third place gave the United States its first marathon medal since Joan Benoit's gold in Los Angeles 20 years ago.$LABEL$1 +AP Reporter Recalls Deng for His Humor (AP) AP - Many Americans remember the late Deng Xiaoping as a little man with big ideas at a Houston, Texas, barbecue grinning up at the cameras from under a ten-gallon hat.$LABEL$0 +Women's Hoops Cruises America's Katie Smith reinjures her right knee early in a dominating 100-62 women's basketball victory over China on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +A Rash Product That Sells Itself COVINGTON, La. - Retired Louisiana pharmacist George Boudreaux hasn't needed Madison Avenue pitchmen to get the word out about his concoction to treat diaper rash...$LABEL$0 +4 U.S. Marines Killed in Iraq Incidents NAJAF, Iraq - Four U.S. Marines assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force have been killed in separate incidents in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, the military announced Sunday...$LABEL$0 +Smith Reinjures Knee in U.S. Hoops Win ATHENS, Greece - This latest victory for the U.S. women's basketball team came with a scare - from an injury, not the opponent...$LABEL$0 +Injured Devers Can't Finish Hurdles ATHENS, Greece - Gail Devers failed once again in the Olympic 100-meter hurdles, falling to injury just steps into her first race. Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the event, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle Sunday...$LABEL$0 +General Growth to become stronger with acquisition of Rouse General Growth Properties, the company that owns Ala Moana Center, Victoria Ward Ltd., and Hilo #39;s Prince Kuhio Plaza, stands to gain even more leverage with national retail chains after acquiring the Rouse Co.$LABEL$2 +Santos May Report 40 Drop in First-Half Profit as Output Fell Santos Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest natural gas producer, may report first-half profit fell 40 percent after a fire on New Year #39;s Day at its gas processing plant in central Australia cut production.$LABEL$2 +Agfa-Gevaert quits camera film business One of the best-known names in camera film, Agfa-Gevaert, is quitting the industry due to the booming popularity of digital cameras.$LABEL$2 +Santos increases gas fields SANTOS has moved to consolidate its gas exploration and production business in offshore Victoria, picking up a dominant position in the southern Gippsland Basin.$LABEL$2 +Microsoft pays dearly for insults through ignorance INSENSITIVE computer programmers with little knowledge of geography have cost the giant Microsoft company hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business and led hapless company employees to be arrested by offended governments.$LABEL$3 +Travel sites agree to changes for the blind Priceline.com and Ramada.com have agreed to make their Web pages easier to navigate for the blind and visually impaired as part of a settlement with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.$LABEL$3 +Noguchi wins marathon, Kastor gives United States a surprising <b>...</b> Mizuki Noguchi of Japan held on for the gold and American Deena Kastor used a late burst for a stunning bronze medal finish Sunday night in the Olympic marathon.$LABEL$1 +US Pressures Rebels in Najaf as Talks to End Fighting Stall As negotiations between Moktada al-Sadr and the interim Iraqi government stalled today, American forces intensified pressure on rebels loyal to Mr.$LABEL$0 +Murder shows parallels with Marsha killing In a murder case echoing that of student Marsha McDonnell, police found the body of a young woman bludgeoned to death in Twickenham.$LABEL$0 +Make our case Last week, Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz submitted a reportedly dire study to the government on the ramifications of the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the security fence, and warned that it could result in sanctions against Israel.$LABEL$0 +Car blast targets Iraqi official A car bomb has exploded north of the Iraqi capital, killing two people and injuring four others, including the deputy provincial governor of Diyala.$LABEL$0 +Indictment Said Issued in Colo. Scandal (AP) AP - A state grand jury has handed down an indictment regarding the use of prostitutes to entice football recruits to the University of Colorado, according to a published report.$LABEL$1 +Sudan Delegations in Nigeria for Peace Talks (Reuters) Reuters - Sudanese Darfur rebels arrived in Nigeria\on Sunday ahead of peace talks under the African Union (AU) to\resolve a conflict that has killed up to 50,000 and displaced\more than a million people.$LABEL$0 +El Guerrouj and Kaouch Lead Into 1,500 Final ATHENS (Reuters) - Moroccan duo Hicham El Guerrouj and Adil Kaouch led the way into the Olympic men's 1,500 meters final when they each won one of Saturday's semi-finals.$LABEL$1 +Sudan Delegations in Nigeria for Peace Talks ABUJA (Reuters) - Sudanese Darfur rebels arrived in Nigeria on Sunday ahead of peace talks under the African Union (AU) to resolve a conflict that has killed up to 50,000 and displaced more than a million people.$LABEL$0 +Jones Leads Cowboys to Stunning Win Over Seahawks Julius Jones scored on a 17-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds left as the Dallas Cowboys scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes to stun the Seattle Seahawks 43-39 in the National Football League Monday.$LABEL$1 +Ringtone chartshow to air on British TV (FT.com) FT.com - A new weekly music television show that will showcase charts for mobile phone ringtones and music downloads is to be aired on ITV1 in a sign of the growing influence of both the mobile phone and the internet on music sales.$LABEL$3 +Evocative, and Steamy, Marathon Goes to Japanese Woman ATHENS, Aug. 22 The marathon was inspired by suffering, and on the day an event that is as much a test of character as a test of endurance returned to its Olympic roots, the suffering returned, too.$LABEL$0 +Asda Tops Mark amp; Spencer on UK Clothing Sales, Telegraph Says Wal-Mart Stores Inc. #39;s Asda, the UK #39;s second biggest supermarket chain, surpassed Marks amp; Spencer Group Plc as Britain #39;s largest clothing retailer in the last three months, according to the Sunday Telegraph.$LABEL$2 +Olympics: New Doping Scandal, Judging Scandals at Games Japan #39;s Mizuki Nogushi won the first Olympic marathon raced from the historic site in 108 years on Sunday, but for Britain the race turned into heartbreak as its top runner quit in tears.$LABEL$1 +Khorkina Bitter at All-Around Defeat Svetlana Khorkina, who was second to American Carly Patterson in the women #39;s all-around gymnastics competition, has accused the judges of robbing her of the gold medal and said quot;everything was decided in advance.$LABEL$1 +Clashes break out in Najaf, but government says it hopes to <b>...</b> By Abdul Hussein Al-Obeidi, Associated Press, 8/22/2004 15:32. NAJAF, Iraq (AP) Explosions and gunfire shook Najaf #39;s Old City on Sunday in a fierce battle between US forces and Shiite militants, as negotiations $LABEL$0 +Putin Flies to Chechnya Ahead of Vote A week before the Chechen presidential election, President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Chechnya on Sunday to lay red carnations on the grave of slain Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov.$LABEL$0 +E-Vote Machines: Secret Testing Even though tax money pays for voting machines, the three companies that certify the nation's voting technologies operate in secret. The reason? Their contracts with the voting machine makers specify secrecy.$LABEL$2 +Athletics: Powell leads the way into wide-open 100 final ATHENS - Asafa Powell led the way into what appears to be a wide-open Olympic 100m final on Sunday as the Jamaican won his semifinal in 9.95 seconds.$LABEL$1 +Australian Newbery wins women #39;s platform Olympic gold Chantelle Newbery won Australia #39;s first gold medal in diving since 1924 Sunday night, easily holding off China #39;s Lao Lishi and Aussie teammate Loudy Tourky in women #39;s 10-meter platform.$LABEL$1 +Sudanese Darfur Rebels Arrive for Peace Talks Rebel delegates from Sudan #39;s western Darfur region have arrived in Nigeria for talks with Sudanese officials on ending violence sparked by a rebel uprising 18 months ago.$LABEL$0 +Munch's famous painting The Scream stolen from Norway museum - again (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OSLO, Norway (AP) - Armed men stormed into an art museum Sunday, threatened staff at gunpoint and stole Edvard Munch's famous paintings The Scream and Madonna before stunned museum-goers.$LABEL$0 +Mets Recall Ginter, Option 1B Brazell (AP) AP - The New York Mets recalled right-hander Matt Ginter from Triple-A Norfolk in time for him to start Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants.$LABEL$1 +Leg Injury Knocks Devers Out of Hurdles ATHENS, Greece - Gail Devers failed once again in the Olympic 100-meter hurdles, falling to injury just steps into her first heat. Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the event, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle Sunday...$LABEL$0 +Boudreaux's Butt Paste Sells Itself COVINGTON, La. - Retired Louisiana pharmacist George Boudreaux hasn't needed Madison Avenue pitchmen to get the word out about his concoction to treat diaper rash...$LABEL$0 +Amazon buys into growing Chinese online retail market Amazon.com, the world #39;s biggest online retailer, is to buy Chinese rival Joyo.com for about \$75m in a deal that will give it a substantial presence in China #39;s growing internet market.$LABEL$3 +Michael Phelps Wins 6 Gold Medals in Swimming in Athens The eight days of Olympic swimming competition ended Saturday night at the Athens Summer Games. And the big star was American Michael Phelps.$LABEL$1 +Gatlin Wins 100 Meters; Greene Third Justin Gatlin ran the race of his life, barely holding off the field Sunday night to win the 100 meters in 9.85 seconds. Francis Obikwelu of Portugal got the silver $LABEL$1 +Ulmer has golden glow Exhausted cyclist Sarah Ulmer is still on a high from taking gold at the Olympics in world record time. She is back at the Olympic village and still cannot believe the number of New Zealanders at the velodrome to cheer her on.$LABEL$1 +Lleyton Hewitt beats Gilles Muller to win title in Washington Lleyton Hewitt strong first serve and excellent court coverage ended the best week of Gilles Muller #39;s career. Hewitt beat the Luxembourg player 6-3, 6-4 Sunday in the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.$LABEL$1 +Newbery Wins Platform Diving Gold for Australia Chantelle Newbery became the first Australian to win the Olympic women #39;s platform diving title with a clearcut victory in the final on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Molina ties career high with four hits BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- Kelvim Escobar was the latest Anaheim Angels #39; pitcher to subdue the New York Yankees. Escobar pitched seven strong innings and Bengie Molina tied a career-high with four hits, including $LABEL$1 +Bears have edge in Ogunleye trade (Aug. 22, 2004) -- The Miami Dolphins desperately needed a receiver. The Chicago Bears desperately needed a defensive end. But take a closer look, and it seems clear that the Bears came out on top in the deal -- by a lot.$LABEL$1 +Group frees US journalist hostage in Iraq fiance who spent three months with me in Nassiriya, quot; Garen told Arab satellite television Al Jazeera by telephone. He was speaking from the Nassiriya office of rebel Shi #39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.$LABEL$0 +Tramps victim to suspected Brazil death squad One vagrant died and three were badly beaten in overnight attacks in Brazil #39;s biggest city of Sao Paulo, raising the number of victims of a suspected death squad to 14 in four days.$LABEL$0 +Wood, Baker, Oswalt Tossed From Game (AP) AP - Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, manager Dusty Baker and Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt were ejected Sunday during the NL Central rivals' final game of a three-game series.$LABEL$1 +Pakistan defeats Chairman #39;s XI at Lilac Hill An impressive century by opening batsman Salman Butt helped Pakistan notch up their first tour win with a 43-run victory over a Cricket Australia Chairman #39;s XI at Lilac Hill in Perth.$LABEL$1 +Noguchi wins Olympic marathon as tearful Radcliffe crashes out (AFP) AFP - Mizuki Noguchi kept the Olympic Games women's marathon title in Japan when she clinched gold here in a time of 2hrs 26min 20sec.$LABEL$0 +9/11 Commission Details Lax U.S. Controls (AP) AP - A new report from the now-defunct Sept. 11 commission details the lax controls on immigration and customs that the hijackers exploited to carry out their plot.$LABEL$0 +In Mr. Bush's Neighborhood, a Peculiar Intersection The relationship between President Bush and Wall Street has always been layered with paradox and outright contradiction.$LABEL$0 +Oil price a concern for US economy High oil prices, which have been a factor in virtually all US recessions over the past three decades, are surging again this year.$LABEL$2 +Taste solution to pigeon predators Pigeon fanciers in Britain, tired of having their prize racing birds snatched by predators, have a plan to save them - by making them taste too nasty for other birds to eat.$LABEL$3 +Can Radcliffe Rise from Athens Ashes? So Paula Radcliffe is mortal, and probably now destined never to win an Olympic gold medal. For the past two years she has run like a goddess inexorably heading towards Athens glory.$LABEL$1 +Stefan Holm win #39;s high jump gold Stefan Holm of Sweden won the Olympic high jump Sunday, clearing 7 feet, 8 inches (2.36 meters) as Sweden took three gold medals in the first two days of competition.$LABEL$1 +Raffarin pledges to be quot;extremely severe quot; against anti-semitism <b>...</b> French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin declared Sunday that quot;France will be extremely severe against those who perpetrate anti-semitism, quot; after visiting the Jewish social $LABEL$0 +Blue Jays Beat Orioles 8-5 for Sweep (AP) AP - Eric Hinske and Vernon Wells homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with an 8-5 victory Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Gatlin Takes 100 Meter Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - American Justin Gatlin shot to victory in the Olympic 100 meters final on Sunday in an atmosphere of fevered excitement.$LABEL$1 +Gatlin Wins 100 Sprint America's Justin Gatlin runa the race of his life, barely holding off the field Sunday to win the 100 meters in 9.85 seconds.$LABEL$1 +Blue Jays Sweep O's Miguel Tejada went 4 for 5 with a homer, three doubles and five RBI for the Orioles, but it could not prevent the O's from being swept by the now hot-hitting Blue Jays, 8-5, on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Gatlin Takes 100 Meters Gold ATHENS (Reuters) - American Justin Gatlin shot to victory in the Olympic 100 meters final on Sunday in an atmosphere of fevered excitement.$LABEL$1 +New Afghan Army asserts itself Rivals in western Afghanistan agreed to a cease-fire last week after the arrival of the Afghan National Army.$LABEL$0 +Series of explosions mark ETA's return At least seven small bombs have exploded in Spain's seaside resorts this month.$LABEL$0 +Moscow on the Mediterranean? Russia's yacht craze Yachting is one of the new luxuries for Moscow's superrich.$LABEL$0 +France: A year after the heatwave Is the country better prepared to prevent a repeat of last August's deadly crisis?$LABEL$0 +Doctor, heal thyself During a recent visit to Jaipur I was informed that in the last two years the clinics and nursing homes of over 30 doctors had been attacked by attendants and friends of patients and the public.$LABEL$2 +Novell Turns A Q3 Profit Novell Inc. is reporting a big turnaround in its financial picture. The networking company is reporting a third-quarter profit of \$23.$LABEL$3 +Evocative, and Steamy, Marathon Goes to Japanese Woman The marathon was inspired by suffering, and on the day an event that is as much a test of character as a test of endurance returned to its Olympic roots, the suffering returned, too.$LABEL$1 +US hold on 100 broken ATHENS - Lauryn Williams never heard of Yuliya Nesterenko until this weekend. The same might be said about the Belarussian #39;s knowledge of the 20-year-old American.$LABEL$1 +Sudan jails some Darfur security forces - report Sudan said it had imprisoned some Darfur militia and police for crimes including rape, the first admission that government security forces have committed human rights abuses there, a Khartoum daily said on Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan Details Suicide Attacks Plot ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Aug. 22, 2004 - Security forces hunted for more terror suspects, officials said Sunday, as Pakistan revealed it has arrested a dozen al-Qaida-linked militants planning to launch simultaneous $LABEL$0 +War Crimes Hearings to Begin for 4 Guantanamo Prisoners Four suspected al Qaeda fighters will be formally charged with war crimes this week as the US military opens the first legal hearings for foreign $LABEL$0 +Dole Questions Kerry's Vietnam Wounds CRAWFORD, Texas - Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole suggested Sunday that John Kerry apologize for past testimony before Congress about alleged atrocities during the Vietnam War and joined critics of the Democratic presidential candidate who say he received an early exit from combat for ""superficial wounds."" Dole also called on Kerry to release all the records of his service in Vietnam...$LABEL$0 +Munch's Iconic 'Scream' Stolen in Norway OSLO, Norway - Armed, masked thieves burst into a lightly guarded Oslo museum Sunday and snatched the Edvard Munch masterpiece ""The Scream"" and a second Munch painting from the walls as stunned visitors watched in shock. It was the second time in a decade that a version of the iconic ""Scream,"" which depicts an anguished, opened-mouthed figure grabbing the sides of its head, had been stolen from an Oslo museum...$LABEL$0 +Gatlin Takes 100 Meter Gold American Justin Gatlin shot to victory in the Olympic 100 meters final on Sunday in an atmosphere of fevered excitement. Gatlin flew across the line in 9.85 seconds, one $LABEL$1 +Underneath the competition, sportsmanship ethic prevails Many athletes exude ideals of Games, from embraces in the pool to a fencing timeout. By Mark Sappenfield Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.$LABEL$1 +Sharing the Gold After years of sacrificing, athletes don #39;t come to the Olympics to put self-interest aside; they come to be No. 1. Get all of today #39;s headlines, or alerts on specific topics.$LABEL$1 +Americans lose again ATHENS, Greece - Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, whose off-target three-pointer kept his team from pulling off the biggest upset of the Sydney Olympics, didnt miss when it counted on Saturday night against the Americans in a thrilling 94-90 $LABEL$1 +US jets hit Sadr men as tanks near Najaf shrine NAJAF (Iraq) - US helicopter gunships pounded supporters of Moqtada Al Sadr in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf yesterday as tanks rumbled to within 800 metres of a holy shrine at the centre of a near three-week insurgency.$LABEL$0 +Singapore #39;would not recognise #39; independent Taiwan Singapore #39;s new Prime Minister, in his first policy speech since taking office, has warned of the dangers of war if Taiwan makes a miscalculation in its relations with China.$LABEL$0 +A monkey off their back Danielle Rhoades still remembers the taste of debt: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and tuna fish. That #39;s mainly what she subsisted on for a year - after living more extravagantly during her first year $LABEL$2 +Record-breaking Kiwi relegates Mactier to silver Southern stars: 3000 metres women #39;s pursuit gold medallist Sarah Ulmer, right, hug #39;s Australia #39;s silver medallist Katie Mactier after beating her in a record breaking final.$LABEL$1 +Sri Lankas finest hour Sri Lankas emphatic victory over the South Africans must count among the finest in their cricketing history. Graeme Smiths side were taken apart with the efficiency of crew changing tyres at a car race.$LABEL$1 +UPDATE 2-Gibernau beats Rossi in Czech GP revenge Spaniard Sete Gibernau cruised to his third win of the season in the Czech MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off a tough challenge from championship leader Valentino Rossi.$LABEL$1 +Ramirez Hits 3-Run Homer, Cubs Beat Astros (AP) AP - Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer, Moises Alou also homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros 11-6 on Sunday in the testy conclusion of a three-game series between the NL Central rivals.$LABEL$1 +Islamic group posts alleged pictures of Nepalese abducted in Iraq (AFP) AFP - An Islamic militant group published on a website the alleged pictures of twelve Nepalese citizens whom it said it had abducted for cooperating with US forces in Iraq.$LABEL$0 +Gymnastics: Misery for Hamm, Khorkina ATHENS (Reuters) - All-round champion Paul Hamm's Olympic fortunes took a downward turn on Sunday when he was outdone by the mastery of Kyle Shewfelt and Teng Haibin in the men's apparatus finals.$LABEL$1 +Bush campaign aide resigns amid controversy over campaign ads (AFP) AFP - The highly-charged debate over John Kerry's record in the Vietnam War raged, after a veteran working to help re-elect incumbent president George W. Bush resigned, while the Democratic challenger lodged a formal complaint with election authorities.$LABEL$0 +Exhausted Agassi Withdraws from Long Island Tournament NEW YORK (Reuters) - American Andre Agassi has withdrawn from the TD Waterhouse Cup, starting on Monday on Long Island, citing fatigue.$LABEL$1 +Nigeria Wants AU Troops to Disarm Darfur Rebels ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday proposed to give a greater role to African Union (AU) troops in restoring peace to Sudan's Darfur region on the eve of talks between the Sudanese government and rebels.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Planes Hit Militias as Tanks Near Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. helicopter gunships pounded Shi'ite militias in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday as tanks rumbled to within 800 meters (yards) of a besieged shrine at the center of a near three-week insurgency.$LABEL$0 +India reduces steel import tax to rein in prices MUMBAI India has cut the import tax on steel for a third time this year and canceled customs duty on raw materials to contain prices after they rose to their highest in a decade.$LABEL$2 +Foul Taste to Keep Pigeons Safe Racing pigeon owners are planning to make their birds less tasty in a bid to stop them being eaten by peregrine falcons, it was revealed today.$LABEL$3 +100-meter winners are new crew ATHENS Justin Gatlin of the United States held off a late charge by Francis Obikwelu, a Nigerian-born Portuguese, on Sunday to win one of the fastest 100-meter finals in Olympic history.$LABEL$1 +Where it all began, Noguchi wins marathon ATHENS The marathon was inspired by suffering, and on the day an event that is as much a test of character as a test of endurance returned to its Olympic roots and the evocative marble horseshoe that is Panathanaiko stadium, the suffering returned, too.$LABEL$1 +Cyclist gets gold plus the record ATHENS Capping a perfect year, Sarah Ulmer of New Zealand set a stunning world record and won Olympic gold to add to her world title in the three-kilometer pursuit on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +I was robbed, Khorkina tells Russian paper MOSCOW Russia #39;s Svetlana Khorkina, who was second to Carly Patterson of the United States in the women #39;s all-round gymnastics competition, has accused the judges of robbing her of the gold medal, saying quot;everything was decided in advance.$LABEL$1 +Strike is averted by deal with British Airways LONDON British Airways and union leaders said over the weekend that they had agreed to a three-year pay deal for check-in employees and baggage handlers and that a strike scheduled for Friday had been suspended.$LABEL$0 +Basketball: U.S. Women Win Again, Greece Qualify ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States ran their preliminary round record to a perfect 5-0 with a 100-62 drubbing of China at the women's Olympic basketball tournament on Sunday, remaining on course for a third consecutive gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Angels Take Third Straight From Yankees Bengie Molina went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer, Kelvim Escobar outpitched Kevin Brown and the Anaheim Angels completed a three-game sweep.$LABEL$1 +Update 12: Judge Won #39;t Block United Pension Plans A federal bankruptcy judge approved United Airlines #39; amended financing plan Friday, rejecting union arguments that United didn #39;t try hard enough to come up with an alternative that would continue company contributions to employee pension funds.$LABEL$2 +German group Nanno and two US groups buy Agfa-Gevaert photo <b>...</b> German private equity firm Nanno and two US groups have reportedly joined forces to back the management buy-out of the troubled consumer photo business from Belgian-based Agfa-Gevaert for a reported E175m.$LABEL$2 +Tribe has great excuse for poor math skills Some people have a great excuse for being bad at math -- their language lacks the words for most numbers, US-based researchers reported on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +No news is good news on Athens #39; security front The 17-day Olympic Games passed the halfway point this weekend, and the best news on the security front was that there was no news at all.$LABEL$1 +Final scores from 2004 US Amateur Semifinals - Saturday, August 21 ----- Ryan Moore (1) def. Jeff Overton (20), 2 and 1 Luke List (6) def. Chris Nallen (10), 19 Holes.$LABEL$1 +Twins finish homestand with sweep Brad Radke pitched seven strong innings while Torii Hunter had three hits and three RBIs as the Twins knocked down the Indians again with a 7-3 victory Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Nigeria Wants AU Troops to Disarm Darfur Rebels Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday proposed to give a greater role to African Union (AU) troops in restoring peace to Sudan #39;s Darfur region on the eve of talks between the Sudanese government and rebels.$LABEL$0 +Bogus Degrees Lawsuit An online university that supposedly granted a business degree to a cat has been sued for consumer fraud. The lawsuit was filed by the Pennsylvania Attorney General #39;s Office against Dallas-based Trinity Southern $LABEL$3 +India News: Truckers #39; strike enters second day (NIGHT LEAD) The finance minister said he suspected a role for transport booking agents in misguiding the truck operators and inciting them to go on strike.$LABEL$2 +ZOYSA PUTS SOUTH AFRICA TO THE SWORD Nuwan Zoysa ripped through South Africa #39;s upper order to power Sri Lanka to a 37-run victory in the second One Day International in Colombo.$LABEL$1 +Fierce gunfire erupts in Najaf after mortar fire NAJAF: A fierce gunbattle erupted between US troops and radical Shi #39;ite militants near Najaf #39;s holy shrine this morning, a Reuters witness said.$LABEL$0 +Three Dead In Roadblock Incident In Afghanistan 22 August 2004 -- The US-led coalition forces said that troops fired on a truck that attempted to run through a joint Afghan National Army and coalition checkpoint near Ghazni, killing three and wounding two others.$LABEL$0 +Moribund 'lad mag' market in Britain gets a boost (AFP) AFP - A decade ago, Britain's magazine market was shaken up by a series of men's titles which offered an unsubtle mix of football, humour and scantily-clad women. Now a new revolution has begun, using much the same formula.$LABEL$0 +Fiorentina, Atalanta Win at Italian Cup (AP) AP - Fiorentina, Atalanta, Messina and Livorno all won their first-round matches of the Italian Cup on Sunday, stepping closer to qualification for the next round.$LABEL$1 +Kerry, Bush battle for crucial military vote (AFP) AFP - Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry are battling feverishly for the support of soldiers and veterans, but Bush seems to have gained the upper hand as Kerry's military past comes under attack.$LABEL$0 +Shuttle repair plan remains in the works The space shuttle may begin flying before NASA has a reliable plan to fix damage similar to that which doomed the Columbia shuttle in February 2003, the manager of the shuttle program said Monday.$LABEL$3 +Transport owners wrongly advised: FM NEW DELHI: Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Sunday said truck operators and owners, who are on strike protesting the imposition of service tax, have been wrongly advised and misguided by goods transport agents even as the government $LABEL$2 +Pope Condemns Human Cloning and Arrogance of Man Pope John Paul on Sunday condemned human cloning as an arrogant attempt to improve on God #39;s creation. quot;The sense of power that every technical progress inspires in man is $LABEL$3 +Sony tries to win back flat-panel TV market TOKYO - Sony Corp is attempting to claw back market share of the domestic flat-panel TV market with the launch of eight new televisions.$LABEL$3 +One, two, ... er, too many Researchers claim to have solved the mystery of the people who simply do not count. It could be because they are lost for words. The Piraha of the Amazon have almost legendary status in language research.$LABEL$3 +Web sites agree to be accessible to blind In one of the first enforcement actions of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the Internet, two major travel services have agreed to make sites more accessible to the blind and visually impaired.$LABEL$3 +Earnings Grow at Salesforce Salesforce.com (CRM:NYSE - commentary - research), a provider of Internet-based customer relationship management software, posted its first quarterly profit as a public company after the bell Thursday.$LABEL$3 +Hewitt ends drought LLEYTON HEWITT further fine-tuned his game ahead of the US Open with a convincing 6-3 6-4 win over Gilles Muller to capture the Washington Open today.$LABEL$1 +Mactier #39;s pursuit halted by Kiwi gold CHAMPION Kiwi cyclist Sarah Ulmer denied Victorian Katie Mactier the Olympic Games 3000m individual pursuit gold medal today by smashing the world record.$LABEL$1 +Super Saturday Britain finally struck gold at the Athens Games. Germany lost two golds but won one more in equestrian. Swimming events concluded and track and field heated up on day eight.$LABEL$1 +Arsenal win thriller, equal Notts record LONDON, AUGUST 22: Arsenal equalled Nottingham Forests 42-match unbeaten league record in heart-stopping style on Sunday when the Premier League champions roared back from 1-3 down to beat Middlesbrough 5-3 at Highbury.$LABEL$1 +Edgar powers streak to four The Cardinals may or may not ever see the dominant Matt Morris of 2001 ever again, the pitcher who finished third in Cy Young balloting and was the undisputed No.$LABEL$1 +Violence erupts following Bangladesh attack Sporadic violence has erupted in Bangladesh in response to a deadly grenade attack on an opposition rally, which killed at least 19 people and wounded more than 100.$LABEL$0 +Calling the shots KATHMANDU, AUGUST 22: Nabil bank chairman Satyendra Shrestha, who earlier headed the RBI equivalent, the Rashtra Bank of Nepal, cant understand that the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA), which is performing wonders under the UN mission in Congo, is still to $LABEL$0 +Report: Consumers tuning in to plasma TVs First-quarter shipments of plasma televisions in the United States more than doubled from the previous year, according to research firm iSuppli.$LABEL$3 +Helicopter Stunt Pilots to Snag Stardust for NASA NASA has recruited two Hollywood helicopter stunt pilots for an especially tricky maneuver -- snagging a capsule full of stardust as it parachutes back to Earth next month, mission managers said on Thursday.$LABEL$3 +US e-commerce sales rise in second quarter WASHINGTON - US retail sales over the Internet rose 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2004 and gained 23.1 percent compared with the same period last year as consumers continued to turn to e-commerce to make purchases, a government report showed on $LABEL$3 + quot;Microsoft #39;s Actions Validate Our Linux Strategy Every Day, quot; Says <b>...</b> Novell earned \$23 million, or six cents a share, on revenues of \$305 million in its fiscal third quarter ended July 31. It derived \$12 million in revenues from its presumably unprofitable SUSE Linux business $LABEL$3 +American Gatlin becomes world #39;s fastest man Justin Gatlin of the United States became the fastest man in the world after winning the men #39;s 100 meters dash at the 28th Olympic Games here on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Surfing rides new wave of popularity in Britain's lukewarm seas (AFP) AFP - The teenage girls squint into the sun, watching the surfer expertly ride a rolling wave into the shoreline. ""He's good,"" one says to the other. ""And cute,"" comes the giggled response.$LABEL$0 +AL Wrap: Molina Leads Angels to Sweep of Yankees (Reuters) Reuters - Bengie Molina had four hits, including\a three-run homer, as the Anaheim Angels completed a three-game\series sweep with a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees on\Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Music Mogul Davis Challenges Retailers (AP) AP - Legendary music mogul Clive Davis has some advice for music retailers looking to persuade music fans to return to traditional record shops: Make shopping more fun.$LABEL$2 +AL Wrap: Molina Leads Angels to Sweep of Yankees NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bengie Molina had four hits, including a three-run homer, as the Anaheim Angels completed a three-game series sweep with a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Blasts, Gunfire Shake Najaf As Talks Drag NAJAF, Iraq - Explosions and gunfire shook Najaf's Old City on Sunday in a fierce battle between U.S. forces and Shiite militants, as negotiations dragged on for the handover of the shrine that the fighters have used for their stronghold...$LABEL$0 +U.S. Gymnasts Win 3 Medals; Hamm Angry ATHENS, Greece - Three got medals, and Paul Hamm got mad. The United States upped its gymnastics medal haul to seven Sunday night, the most since the Americans won 16 at the boycotted Los Angeles Games in 1984...$LABEL$0 +Thieves Grab 'The Scream' From Museum OSLO, Norway - Armed, masked thieves burst into a lightly guarded Oslo museum Sunday and snatched the Edvard Munch masterpiece ""The Scream"" and a second Munch painting from the walls as stunned visitors watched in shock. It was the second time in a decade that a version of the iconic ""Scream,"" which depicts an anguished, opened-mouthed figure grabbing the sides of its head, had been stolen from an Oslo museum...$LABEL$0 +Venezuelan president appeals for unity Pledging to respect private wealth and fight corruption, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has told his opponents they should not fear his left-wing quot;revolution quot;.$LABEL$2 + #39;Dutch auction #39; finds few takers in the Netherlands NIJMEGEN, Netherlands Google #39;s so-called Dutch auction may have intrigued Wall Street, but nobody here was buying it, figuratively or literally.$LABEL$3 +Sony unveils new flat-screen TVs TOKYO - Electronics conglomerate Sony have unveiled eight new flat-screen televisions in a product push it hopes will help it secure a leading share of the domestic market.$LABEL$3 +Climbing Back Up Mary Meeker can tell you first hand about bubbles bursting. For much of the 1990s, she was called quot;Queen of the Net, quot; for her knack for picking tech stocks and helping companies like Netscape go public.$LABEL$3 +Outsider wins marathon JAPAN #39;S Mizuki Noguchi foiled premature British celebrations to win the women #39;s marathon today, beating world record-holder and scorching favourite Paula Radcliffe.$LABEL$1 +Men #39;s Singles : Interview with N. MASSU (CHI) NICOLAS MASSU: Yeah, I think it #39;s I #39;m so happy and I cannot believe this. Is too much in two days to win two medals, gold medals.$LABEL$1 +Olympic Basketball: Lithuania Guard Shoots Down US The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men #39;s basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.$LABEL$1 +Silver to McGee, Mactier into final There were a couple of near misses for Australia on the second night of track cycling competition, with a silver medal to Brad McGee in the 4000m individual pursuit and fourth place to the team sprint trio.$LABEL$1 +Track and field: Big night for Lauryn Williams Moments after the women #39;s Olympic 100-meter final last night, US sprinter Lauryn Williams looked up at the giant scoreboard in Olympic Stadium and saw an inspiring image, captured $LABEL$1 +Four-in-row to Davenport AMERICAN Lindsay Davenport won her fourth consecutive title of the year today, beating second seed Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-2 in the final of the Cincinnati Open.$LABEL$1 +Arsenal fight back to match record Arsenal equaled Nottingham Forest #39;s 42-match unbeaten league record by battling back from 3-1 down to beat Middlesbrough 5-3 at Highbury, with French international striker Thierry Henry scoring twice.$LABEL$1 +Biffle, Martin give Roush 1-2 punch at Michigan BROOKLYN, Mich. (SportsTicker) - Greg Biffle took over the lead with 17 laps left and held off teammate Mark Martin to win the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Key moments in the Darfur rebellion KHARTOUM, Aug 22 (AFP) -- Since early 2003, Sudan #39;s western Darfur region has been in the throes of armed conflict between government forces backed by Arab militias and several rebel movements.$LABEL$0 +PA in talks with World Bank over Gaza after pullout The Palestinian Authority is negotiating with the World Bank and, indirectly, with Israeli representatives, regarding economic and administrative arrangements for the post-disengagement Gaza Strip.$LABEL$0 +Braves Score 8 in 2nd Inning, Beat Dodgers (AP) AP - Chipper Jones' three-run homer capped an eight-run second inning, J.D. Drew hit a two-run double and the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-1 on Sunday for a split of the four-game series.$LABEL$1 +U.N. Says Darfur Camps in Chad Close to Capacity (Reuters) Reuters - Refugee camps in Chad housing\200,000 Sudanese fleeing fighting in Darfur are near capacity\and placing a huge burden on Sudan's impoverished western\neighbor, the United Nations said Friday.$LABEL$0 +Apple recalls 15in PowerBook batteries Apple has asked anyone who has a certain 15in PowerBook G4 models to return the battery, which could be faulty. The recall follows four complaints made to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding batteries that have overheated.$LABEL$3 +BHP Billiton, Alcoa to Sell Shares in Metal Distribution Unit BHP Billiton, the world #39;s biggest mining company, and Alcoa Inc. said they plan to sell shares in their metal-processing and distribution venture.$LABEL$2 +Santander plans 2,500 Abbey cuts Banco Santander will today tell Abbey National #39;s union that about 2,500 jobs will go if the Spanish bank is successful in its takeover bid.$LABEL$2 +Most allowed to return home after gas fire MOSS BLUFF -- Hundreds of people who were evacuated last week when a tower of burning natural gas began roaring from an underground storage cavern were allowed to return home this morning.$LABEL$2 +Cink cruises to wire-to-wire victory If anyone had questions about Stewart Cink being chosen for the Ryder Cup team, he answered them with authority Sunday at the NEC Invitational, never letting anyone within two shots and becoming the first wire-to-wire winner this year on the PGA Tour.$LABEL$1 +NEWBERY DIVES AND BINGS UP GOLD Chantelle Newbery has jumped into sporting history by winning Australias first Olympic diving gold medal since 1924 in the women #39;s 10 metre platform in Athens.$LABEL$1 +Major attack by rebels on Nepalese town KATHMANDU - Hundreds of Maoist rebels stormed a town in the north-west of Nepal yesterday, bombing government buildings and killing a soldier, while others kept up a blockade on roads surrounding the capital, Kathmandu, for a fifth day.$LABEL$0 +Hicks #39; dad just wants to hug son THE parents of Australian terrorist suspect David Hicks are headed for Cuba for an emotional reunion with their son, who has been in US military detention for almost three years.$LABEL$0 +Pavano Homers As Marlins Beat Padres 8-3 (AP) AP - Carl Pavano pitched six solid innings, hit a home run and drove in two runs to lead the Florida Marlins to an 8-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Truckers #39; stir evokes mixed response New Delhi, Aug 21.(PTI): The indefinite nationwide truckers #39; strike protesting the imposition of service tax today evoked mixed response with a section of transporters in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu staying away from the protest.$LABEL$2 +Gold a family affair for champion Newbery Chantelle Newbery gave up diving after her son was born, but she returned to the sport, and on Monday morning she became the first Australian to win an Olympic diving title in 80 years.$LABEL$1 +Secrecy shrouds US e-vote machines THE three companies that certify the US #39; voting technologies operate in secrecy, and refuse to discuss flaws in the ATM-like machines to be used by nearly one in three voters in the presidential poll in November.$LABEL$2 +Foster #39;s Group Probably Turned to Second-Half Loss on Charges Foster #39;s Group Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest beer and winemaker, probably turned to a loss in the second-half after taking charges to restructure its Beringer Blass wine business, analysts said.$LABEL$2 +Cink eases to four-shot win at NEC Invitational Stewart Cink maintained his composure to register an even par final round score of 70 for a four-shot victory at the \$7 million WGC-NEC Invitational on Sunday, his second win of the season.$LABEL$1 +Gatlin Wins Olympic 100 Meters; Greene Finishes Third (Update4) Justin Gatlin of the US ran the fastest time in the world this year to become the youngest Olympic 100 meters champion for 36 years.$LABEL$1 +Arsenal equal record Arsenal matched Nottingham Forest #39;s record of 42 consecutive league games without defeat at Highbury on Sunday afternoon after defeating a stubborn Middlesbrough side in an extraordinary eight goal thriller.$LABEL$1 +Tanks close in on sacred shrine as US launches fresh assault on <b>...</b> US forces renewed their assault yesterday on Mehdi Army positions in and around Najaf #39;s old city with an early morning bombing raid and an advance which brought tanks at some points $LABEL$0 +Violence spreads after rally ends in 19 deaths Violence spread across Bangladesh yesterday, as mobs set railway coaches on fire and smashed cars in retaliation for grenade attacks on an opposition rally in Dhaka that left 19 people dead and 200 injured.$LABEL$0 +Vet and three children show no bird flu symptoms SEREMBAN: A veterinarian and three of her children, who have been warded for observation at the Kota Baru Hospital, do not have a persistent fever or sore throat - the common symptoms of avian influenza.$LABEL$0 +Karzai set for visit to Pakistan Afghan President Hamid Karzai is due to arrive in Pakistan on Monday for a two-day official visit, originally scheduled for last month.$LABEL$0 +Crude Oil Steady as Fighting in Southern Iraq Limits Exports Crude oil futures were little changed in New York after falling Friday on expectations reduced fighting in Iraq #39;s holy city of Najaf may enable the country to restore oil exports to full capacity.$LABEL$2 +Strike Ends at VW Factory in Mexico Workers at Volkswagen #39;s Mexico plant agreed to end a three-day-old strike Saturday and accept a pay package very close to the company #39;s original offer, officials $LABEL$2 +Japanese Stocks May Gain After Oil Declines; Toyota May Advance Japanese stocks may rise after oil prices fell from a record in New York, easing concern higher energy costs will damp consumer spending and corporate profits.$LABEL$2 +Sorry Hamm Flops on Apparatus Paul Hamm had hoped to continue the American gymnastics carnival at the Olympics Games on Sunday. Instead, as well as facing a battle to hold onto the individual gold that $LABEL$1 +Noguchi wins marathon as Radcliffe pulls up World record holder Paula Radcliffe pulled up in tears before the end of the women #39;s marathon today as Mizuki Noguchi ensured the gold medal would be returning to Japan.$LABEL$1 +Parks Canada sends managers from Ottawa to Alberta to help during strike (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - BANFF, Alta. (CP) - Parks Canada brass from Ottawa are trading their three-piece suits for park uniforms to help relieve managers in Alberta who have been working without a break since a strike began over a week ago.$LABEL$0 +Jolts of Electricity Reviving Coral Reef (AP) AP - As the late-afternoon sun bathes the beach with a soft warmth, gentle waves lap quietly at the shore #151; and strollers occasionally stumble over a thick wad of white cables embedded in the fine, black sand.$LABEL$3 +NL Wrap: Ramirez Lifts Cubs Over Astros After Wood Exit NEW YORK (Reuters) - Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer as the Chicago Cubs survived the ejection of starting pitcher Kerry Wood to defeat the Astros 11-6 in National League play in Houston on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +Bush advisers wary of oil In shift of tone, White House says high energy prices are now dragging on US economy. CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush #39;s economic advisers are warning that high energy prices have become a drag on $LABEL$2 +10 seconds that change everything ATHENS - Ten seconds. Barely time enough to tie a shoe, wash a glass, get the paper off the porch. But when the moment comes, and eight men kneel at their blocks and peer down the empty, waiting track, it is as if the entire Olympics stop to watch.$LABEL$1 +Giant Gilles slays Andre WASHINGTON: Luxembourg #39;s Gilles Muller stunned top-seeded Andre Agassi 6-4, 7-5 to reach the final of the Washington Classic on Saturday, depriving the American veteran an opportunity of picking up a sixth victory at this event.$LABEL$1 +Wenger #39;s dashing Musketeers cut Middlesbrough to pieces Try telling Arsenal the Premiership is a marathon not a sprint. The champions have come out of the blocks at an extraordinary pace, racking up nine goals in two games and $LABEL$1 +Juanjo #39;s early exit paves way for Celtic joy Cliches and elbows were out in force yesterday. quot;I honestly didn #39;t see it, quot; said Celtic manager Martin O #39;Neill, but Caley coach John Robertson did.$LABEL$1 +Franchitti wins Pikes Peak after pit mishap Although Dario Franchitti was criticized for making the jump to the IRL from the former CART series, his decision is starting to look like a good one.$LABEL$1 +Nine held in plot to attack key buildings ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Sunday that law enforcement agencies had arrested nine people including Farooq Usman and Ghulam Mustafa in connection with the plot to blow up key buildings in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.$LABEL$0 +SOMALIA ENDS 13 YEARS OF ANARCHY International mediators have sworn in all the main warlords who will become members of Somalia #39;s new parliament in a major step towards ending 13 years of anarchy.$LABEL$0 +Settlers #39; compensation board formed A disengagement administration that would handle compensation to the evacuated Gaza Strip and northern West Bank settlers was established Sunday.$LABEL$0 +Analysts Debate Effect of High Oil Prices High oil prices, which have been a factor in virtually all US recessions over the past three decades, are surging again this year.$LABEL$2 +Child soldiers square up to US tanks Struggling to lift a Kalashnikov, a 12-year-old with the Mahdi army militia said he could do anything in battle except fly a helicopter.$LABEL$0 +Four Dead After Attack on Homeless Man Four homeless men were bludgeoned to death and six were in critical condition on Friday following early morning attacks by unknown assailants in downtown streets of Sao Paulo, a police spokesman said.$LABEL$0 +Cink Eases to Four-Shot Win at NEC Invitational AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Stewart Cink maintained his composure to register an even par final round score of 70 for a four-shot victory at the \$7 million WGC-NEC Invitational on Sunday, his second win of the season.$LABEL$1 +Tokyo Stocks Open Higher TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.67 percent at the opening on Monday after crude oil dropped back from record highs above \$49 a barrel, encouraging some investors to return to the Tokyo stock market in search of bargains.$LABEL$2 +Beach Volleyball: Brazil Veterans Reach Semis ATHENS (Reuters) - Veterans Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede beat Sandra Pires and Ana Paula Connelly in an all-Brazil women's beach volleyball contest on Sunday, showing experience counts as they advanced to the Olympic semi-finals.$LABEL$1 +Underwater Archaeologists Dig for History (AP) AP - Instead of wearing khakis, students this summer at Croton Point Park donned wet suits and scuba gear as they dug up discoveries beyond the reach of landlocked archaeologists.$LABEL$3 +More Tramp Victims of Suspected Brazil Death Squad SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - One vagrant died and three were badly beaten in overnight attacks in Brazil's biggest city of Sao Paulo, raising the number of victims of a suspected death squad to 14 in four days.$LABEL$0 +Gatlin Blazes to 100 Gold; Greene Third ATHENS, Greece - Justin Gatlin ran the race of his life Sunday night, barely holding off the fastest Olympic 100 field in history to win the gold in 9.85 seconds. Francis Obikwelu of Portugal got the silver in 9.86...$LABEL$0 +Parks Canada sends managers from Ottawa to Alberta to help during <b>...</b> BANFF, Alta. (CP) - Parks Canada brass from Ottawa are trading their three-piece suits for park uniforms to help relieve managers in Alberta who have been working without a break since a strike began over a week ago.$LABEL$2 +Blumenthal to examine hospital medical supply charges NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is working with federal investigators to examine whether Yale-New Haven Hospital and other nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut are overcharging government agencies for medical supplies.$LABEL$2 +Google #39;s debut in the stock market sends a mixed signal A weaker-than-expected premarket auction, followed by two brisk days of trading, tell a tale of tech IPO market. By Daniel B. Wood Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.$LABEL$2 +Daiei slipping away The latest twist on the thrashings of dying retail giant Daiei developed last week when it emerged that Wal-Mart has been in talks with the IRCJ, the government #39;s turn-around fund, to possibly taking a position in Daiei.$LABEL$2 +Make inheritance tax fairer, urges thinktank Tony Blair and Gordon Brown will today be urged to risk the wrath of wealthier voters by reforming the tax laws on inheritance so as to close loopholes on gifts that allow the better-off to escape the Treasury #39;s grip.$LABEL$2 +Qantas in talks with Singapore Air on A380 cost cuts SYDNEY: Australia #39;s flagship carrier, Qantas, said yesterday it is talking with Singapore Airlines on ways to cut costs as both prepare to roll out the colossal A380 jet.$LABEL$2 +College-savings plan will gain flexibility The tax-sheltered plan, cited as one of the nation #39;s worst by researcher Morningstar Inc., could feature mutual funds from Fidelity Investments by early 2005, and more flexible account options are on the way.$LABEL$2 +Kiwi gold beats Mactier #39;s effort SARAH ULMER gave New Zealand its first ever Olympic cycling gold medal and only their second gold of the Athens Games overnight. And she broke her own world record for the women #39;s 3km individual pursuit.$LABEL$1 +Shot put earns a dubious distinction as first and last test <b>...</b> The executive board of the IOC will meet at 5am for the second day running, this time to take away the women #39;s shot put gold medal from Russian Irina Korzhanenko.$LABEL$1 +Evening Attire spoils Funny Cide homecoming The other gutsy gelding in the field ruined Funny Cide #39;s homecoming Sunday at Saratoga. Evening Attire, a 6-year-old gelding, ended a year of frustration by returning $LABEL$1 +NL Wrap: Ramirez Lifts Cubs Over Astros After Wood Exit Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer as the Chicago Cubs survived the ejection of starting pitcher Kerry Wood to defeat the Astros 11-6 in National League play in Houston on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +European team starts to take shape Luke Donald made an early charge in a late bid to make his first Ryder Cup team, but now must wait one week to see if European captain Bernhard Langer finds him worthy of a captain #39;s pick.$LABEL$1 +Singapore announces relaxation of rules on political expression Singapore #39;s new Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, has announced a partial relaxation of rules on political expression. But, he warns race and religion will remain sensitive issues subject to restrictions.$LABEL$0 +25 arrested ahead of Karzais visit ISLAMABAD: Twenty-five people were arrested in raids at Afghan slums on the outskirts of Islamabad on Sunday and illegal weapons were seized from them, police said.$LABEL$0 +News in brief More than 20 passengers were injured when a train was set ablaze yesterday near Bhairab, 50 miles east of Dhaka in central Bangladesh, apparently in retaliation for 22 deaths and hundreds of injuries caused by explosions at an opposition rally.$LABEL$0 +Arson attack raises fears of anti-Semitic epidemic in France An arson attack destroyed a Jewish social club in the heart of Paris yesterday, alarming and infuriating French politicians and Jewish leaders who are struggling to halt an epidemic of anti-Semitic incidents across France.$LABEL$0 +Somalians sworn in NAIROBI International mediators swore in members of Somalia #39;s new Parliament on Sunday, a move seen as a crucial step toward establishing the first central government in the country since 1991.$LABEL$0 +Pakistan and Egypt favourites for World Team Squash title ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt will start their campaign as top seeds for the 22-country 13th PIA World Junior Mens Team Squash Championship starting at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Monday (today).$LABEL$0 +Arkansas Farm Produces Most U.S. Goldfish (AP) AP - There is a good chance that the colorful carp you won at the county fair or picked up at the local pet shop came from Pool Fisheries, which sits in the middle of an Arkansas field in Lonoke County, the self-proclaimed baitfish capital of the world where more than 6 billion minnows and goldfish are bred each year.$LABEL$3 +Agassi Withdraws from Long Island Tournament NEW YORK (Reuters) - American Andre Agassi has withdrawn from the TD Waterhouse Cup, starting in Long Island on Monday, citing fatigue.$LABEL$1 +Biffle Dominates at GFS Marketplace 400 Greg Biffle drove to an easy victory, pulling away from gambling teammate Mark Martin at the end of the Nascar Nextel Cup race Sunday in Michigan.$LABEL$1 +Tokyo Stocks Open Higher Japan #39;s Nikkei average rose 0.67 percent at the opening on Monday after crude oil dropped back from record highs above \$49 a barrel, encouraging some investors to return to the Tokyo stock market in search of bargains.$LABEL$2 +Will hydrogen soon kill Middle East crude? driven by the continuing power struggle in Iraq, by fears for the solvency of the Russian oil giant Yukos, and by surging demand for oil in Asia, notably in China.$LABEL$2 +Australia #39;s Fortescue China Deal On Pilbara Rail MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--Australian iron ore company Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (FMG.AU) said Monday it has entered into a contract with China Railway Engineering Corp.$LABEL$2 +Shewfelt's shining moment: Calgary gymnast gives Canadians reason to cheer (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - (CP) - Kyle Shewfelt is Canada's golden boy.$LABEL$0 +Gatlin Sprints from Unknown to Olympic Gold American Justin Gatlin roared from virtual unknown to win the blue ribband Olympic men #39;s 100 meters race on Sunday, upstaging defending champion Maurice Greene and other more illustrious rivals.$LABEL$1 +Roundup: Colts receiver Walters might need surgery Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Troy Walters might need surgery on his broken right arm that he injured in Saturday #39;s night preseason game against the New York Jets.$LABEL$1 +Graham Admits Sending THG Syringe to USADA Trevor Graham, the coach of Olympic 100 meters champion Justin Gatlin, admitted on Monday he had been the unidentified coach who sent a syringe of the designer steroid THG (tetrahydrogestrinone) to the United States Anti-Doping Agency $LABEL$1 +Human rights group have criticised hearings Four suspected al Qaeda fighters held at Guantanamo Bay will be formally charged with war crimes this week. The men, captured during the war in Afghanistan, will be arraigned before a panel of US military officials on Tuesday at the base in Cuba.$LABEL$0 +Deng work goes on, says Hu The achievements and theories of the late leader Deng Xiaoping will continue to change and influence China and the world, President Hu Jintao said yesterday.$LABEL$0 +Independent judges vital A series of prohibitions recently issued by the Higher People #39;s Court of the Beijing Municipality on judges #39; dealings with cases are expected to help maintain justice if strictly implemented, says an article in Beijing Youth Daily.$LABEL$0 +Marks And Spencer Loses Crown As Britain #39;s Top Clothing Retailer LONDON, Aug 22 (AFP) - Marks and Spencer has been overtaken as Britain #39;s biggest clothing retailer by supermarket giant Asda, which is owned by the world #39;s largest retail store Wal-Mart, industry figures showed Sunday.$LABEL$2 +Mizuki Noguchi of Japan wins women #39;s marathon gold Japan #39;s Mizuki Noguchi captured the gold medal in the women #39;s marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens on August 22. Noguchi, silver medalist in last year #39;s world championships in Paris, took over the lead $LABEL$1 +Hearn Earns First Nationwide Tour Victory (AP) AP - David Hearn of Canada earned his first Nationwide Tour victory Sunday, closing with a 1-under 71 and beating David Mckenzie by a stroke at the Alberta Classic.$LABEL$1 +Santander soothes unions #39; fears over Abbey jobs The chairman of Santander Central Hispano, the Spanish bank which is bidding for Abbey National, will tell unions today that a successful acquisition by his company will result in less than $LABEL$2 +Snapshots from the men #39;s 100 I wrote down my picks before the race started and I had them in this order: Asafa Powell, Shawn Crawford, and Maurice Greene. I picked Justin Gatlin for fourth.$LABEL$1 + #39;She isn #39;ta quitter... it was heartbreaking sight #39; The former mile world record holder Steve Cram claimed last night that Paula Radcliffe should not be considered quot;a quitter quot; for failing to complete the marathon in Athens yesterday.$LABEL$1 +Athletics: Suspended judge lives near Hamm ATHENS - The Colombian judge suspended for giving South Korea #39;s Yang Tae-young an incorrect score in the Olympic men #39;s all-round event lives in gold medallist Paul Hamm #39;s home state, International Gymnast magazine reported on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +The Sputtering Yankees Look for a Jump Start ne bad breaking ball did in the Yankees yesterday. Usually, one mistake does not cost them so dearly, but the Yankees are not usually scrounging for hits either.$LABEL$1 +Insider Racing News Nextel Cup and NASCAR are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. This web site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASCAR.$LABEL$1 +China celebrates Deng anniversary BEIJING, China -- China has hailed its late former leader Den Xiaoping on the 100th anniversary of his birth. President Hu Jintao praised Deng as a man who made the people #39;s interests a priority.$LABEL$0 +US Forces Kill 3 Afghans at Checkpoint KABUL, Afghanistan Aug. 22, 2004 - US soldiers sprayed a pickup truck with bullets after it failed to stop at a roadblock in central Afghanistan, killing two women and a man and critically wounding two other $LABEL$0 +Germany repeats rowing glory in Athens German rowers repeated their Olympic glory in Athens with two gold medals in women #39;s quadruple sculls and women #39;s single sculls.$LABEL$0 +NYMEX Oil Ticks Higher on Iraq Fighting (Reuters) Reuters - NYMEX crude futures traded\slightly higher on Sunday amid fresh violence in the holy Iraqi\city of Najaf.$LABEL$2 +Palestinians Cheer 'Superstar' Contestant (AP) AP - Worn down by four years of bloody conflict with Israel, Palestinians found a welcome diversion Sunday: watching Ammar Hassan, one of their own, compete for the title of best singer in the Arab world.$LABEL$0 +Report: Indictment in Colo. Football Case (AP) AP - A state grand jury has handed down an indictment regarding the use of prostitutes to entice football recruits to the University of Colorado, according to a published report.$LABEL$1 +Tokyo Stocks Firmer as Oil Drops Back TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.91 percent in early trade on Monday after crude oil dropped back from record highs above \$49 a barrel, encouraging some investors to return to the Tokyo stock market in search of bargains.$LABEL$2 +Mother of Dead UK Soldier to Sue Government -Report LONDON (Reuters) - The mother of a young British soldier killed in Iraq plans to sue the government for breaching its duty of care to her son by not supplying key defensive equipment, the Guardian newspaper reported on Monday.$LABEL$0 +Tokyo Stocks Open Up on Oil Price Retreat TOKYO - Tokyo stocks opened higher Monday as investors regained confidence from Wall Street's rally and a retreat in surging oil prices. The U.S...$LABEL$0 +Tata Steel springs surprise price cut Mumbai, Aug. 22: Ratan Tata rousted industry shoguns out of their Sunday siestas with the announcement that Tata Steel would reduce prices by Rs 2,000 per tonne in a decision that takes immediate effect.$LABEL$2 +Overtime Rules Change I have been talking about this for a month, and I am finally starting to see more stories about the remarkable changes that begin today.$LABEL$2 +Qantas #39;must open its register #39; if BA sells QANTAS should open up its share register rather than seek another airline owner if British Airways ever decided to sell its stake, Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said yesterday.$LABEL$2 +Rail defect likely case of Pilbara derailment The company managing Rio Tinto iron ore #39;s rail lines in the Pilbara, in north-west Western Australia, says equipment failure rather than human error is to blame for a major derailment last week.$LABEL$2 +Stock market advances THE local stock market advanced today after a slide in oil prices sparked a rally on Wall Street on Friday. A fall in the price of crude oil was expected to ease investor concerns about high fuel costs crimping $LABEL$2 +New dossier fans flames of Collins Stewart row with analyst The battle between Collins Stewart and its former employee James Middleweek took yet another bizarre twist this weekend, as a new dossier containing refuted allegations of insider dealing against $LABEL$2 +How Google floated past Wall St By going Dutch, the geeks of the search engine taught the bankers a lesson in finance, writes John Naughton. If you were seeking a case study in schadenfreude, then last week #39;s coverage of the Google flotation $LABEL$3 +Fertilizer thieves targeted with stain Farmers fed up with methamphetamine cooks stealing their fertilizer may soon catch them pink handed, thanks to a new dye developed by a Southern Illinois farmer.$LABEL$3 +Cink wins by four shots STEWART CINK cruised to a comfortable four-shot win at the NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio today. Cink started the day with a five-shot cushion and, while it wasn #39;t all smooth sailing, Rory Sabbatini was the $LABEL$1 +SA coach Simons could quit South Africa coach Eric Simons is considering resigning because of the team #39;s poor performances in Sri Lanka. South Africa drew the first Test but lost the second by 313 runs and they have already been defeated in the first one-day international.$LABEL$1 +Oswalt #39;s ejection untimely Roy Oswalt received the backing of his teammates when it looked like Michael Barrett was heading toward the mound for an unfriendly visit.$LABEL$1 +Nepalese struggle to break rebel hold on capital Essential supplies were being ferried into Kathmandu yesterday under the protection of military helicopters, after Maoist rebels cut off Nepal #39;s capital from the rest of the Himalayan kingdom for the fifth day.$LABEL$0 +We Are the People For politicians who remember 1989 and the fall of the Berlin wall, the historic echo must be deafening. It all began in Leipzig, where in a Monday-night ritual marchers took $LABEL$0 +Captured mercenaries escape mass execution Seventy suspected mercenaries standing trial in Harare escaped a possible death sentence yesterday when Zimbabwe announced that they will not be extradited to Equatorial Guinea.$LABEL$0 +Mystery of Wales turtle 'solved' Scientists think they may know why the world's largest leatherback turtle was washed up on a Welsh beach.$LABEL$3 +Santander may cut 4,500 jobs as part of 8bn Abbey National <b>...</b> Emilio Botin, head of Banco Santander Central Hispano, is today expected to tell union officials that the Spanish bank #39;s 8bn takeover of Abbey National might cause up to 4,500 job losses over three years.$LABEL$2 +Why Bush is on the carpet with Hoover We are likely to hear a lot about former United States president Herbert Hoover in the coming months as the US election approaches in November.$LABEL$2 +Catching Meth Cooks Pink-Handed WICHITA, Kan. -- It may fall a shade shy of catching thieves redhanded, but for farmers fed up with methamphetamine cooks filching their fertilizer, staining them pink will do just fine.$LABEL$3 +Gatlin dethrones Greene in 100 meters ATHENS, Greece -- Greek quot;sirtaki quot; music that starts slow and finishes fast whipped the Olympic Stadium audience into a frenzy Sunday night before the most exciting 10 seconds in sports.$LABEL$1 +Questions Remain for the Jets ith half the preseason over and the annual ritual of facing the Giants looming, the Jets seem to possess a powerful offense, but their now-speedy defense is still having trouble halting the run.$LABEL$1 +Germans mass against benefit changes Tens of thousands of Germans are expected on the streets of Berlin today for the latest of a series of demonstration which the organisers say will continue until the government withdraws its plans to cut social benefit payments.$LABEL$0 +Mugabe refuses extradition Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe #39;s president, has rejected a request from Equatorial Guinea for the extradition of 70 alleged mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in the west African country.$LABEL$0 +U.S. Gymnasts Win 3 Medals; Hamm Angry (AP) AP - Three got medals, and Paul Hamm got mad. The United States upped its gymnastics medal haul to seven Sunday night, the most since the Americans won 16 at the boycotted Los Angeles Games in 1984. And they might not be finished yet.$LABEL$1 +Asian Stocks Rise After Oil Drops From Record; Toyota Gains Asian stocks advanced after oil prices fell from a record Friday in New York, easing concern higher energy costs will damp consumer spending and corporate profits.$LABEL$2 +Brown accused of #39;baby bonds bribe #39; A treasury plan to distribute baby bond vouchers worth almost 1 billion weeks before the likely date of the next election was condemned by the Tories last night as a quot;cynical bribe quot;.$LABEL$2 +Chilean #39;s Endurance Feat Frustrates the US Again Somehow, Nicolas Massu of Chile summoned the strength and the shots to win his second gold medal of the Olympic Games. That is twice as many medals as the entire United States tennis team won.$LABEL$1 +Gatlin turns on the power to take gold When Justin Gatlin became entangled in the drug-testing net three years ago, he managed to wriggle out of it on the grounds of suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.$LABEL$1 +Franchitti climbs to IRL triumph at Pikes Peak FOUNTAIN, Colo. (SportsTicker) - It appears Dario Franchitti is getting the hang of the Indy Racing League. Franchitti dominated Sunday #39;s Honda Indy 225 at Pikes Peak International Raceway for his second IRL win of the season.$LABEL$1 +Sunday #39;s Golf Capsules Stewart Cink closed with an even-par 70 to beat Tiger Woods and Rory Sabbatini by four strokes Sunday at the NEC Invitational, becoming the first wire-to-wire winner on the PGA Tour this year.$LABEL$1 +The Call Is Cheap. The Wiretap Is Extra. Wiretapping Internet phones to monitor criminals and terrorists is costly and complex, and potentially a big burden on new businesses trying to sell the phone service.$LABEL$3 +Google Is One for the Books, Leaving Some With Regrets Top Silicon Valley venture capitalists who missed out on the Google deal are scratching their heads.$LABEL$3 +Ideas for Buyers and Renters An idea to make it easier to purchase a house, and another idea to make it easier to pay rent.$LABEL$3 +Fantasy Leagues Attract Money From Advertisers Free or low-cost services from AOL, NFL.com and even Best Buy are attracting advertising dollars for fantasy sports leagues.$LABEL$3 +Lawsuit Claims Free Speech for Online Casino Ads An Internet company that publishes information about online gambling has asked a judge to decide whether advertisements for Internet casinos are protected forms of speech.$LABEL$3 +Arsonists Destroy Jewish Center in Paris (AP) AP - Arsonists destroyed a Jewish community center in eastern Paris before dawn on Sunday, leaving behind red graffiti with menacing anti-Semitic messages such as ""Jews get out.$LABEL$0 +Panthers Contending With Banged Up O-Line (AP) AP - Once considered a rebuilding project, the Carolina Panthers' offensive line has become a concern as injuries mount.$LABEL$1 +U.S. Journalist Held in Iraq Is Released (AP) AP - U.S. journalist Micah Garen, who was kidnapped in Iraq more than a week ago, was released Sunday in the southern city of Nasiriyah. Garen spoke to Al-Jazeera television, confirming his release.$LABEL$0 +Sudan says it will cut number of paramilitary forces operating in Darfur (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - In a goodwill gesture on the eve of peace talks in Nigeria, Sudan said Sunday it will cut the number of paramilitary forces operating in Darfur by 30 per cent in a bid to ease tensions in the troubled region, where an 18-month conflict has claimed the lives of an estimated 30,000 people.$LABEL$0 +A New Way to Spell Pain Relief: M-I-N-T-Y F-R-E-S-H Tylenol Cool Caplets, adult-strength headache tablets with a strong mint taste, are hoped to make the brand more hip.$LABEL$2 +Trip to Olympics or Feel-Good Talk? The Answer Was a Surprise to Many Michael Weisman, producer of some of the biggest games in sports, has become the executive producer of ""The Jane Pauley Show.$LABEL$2 +Wal-Mart Unit Passes Rival in Britain Asda, a unit of Wal-Mart, has overtaken Marks Spencer as Britains biggest clothing retailer, industry figures showed.$LABEL$2 +Supermarket giant usurps title MARKS amp; Spencer has lost its much-coveted crown as the UKs largest clothing retailer, to the supermarket chain Asda. Industry figures for the 12 weeks to 25 July show that Asda now has a leading 9.4 per $LABEL$2 +New twist in Middleweek saga as FSA enters fray FINANCIAL regulators will today examine fresh allegations about the professional conduct of James Middleweek, the analyst who has been embroiled in a bitter feud with former employer Collins Stewart.$LABEL$2 +Post-9/11 Mergers Brought Problems Government service firms often leaped before they looked as they scrambled to buy their way into the booming intelligence and anti-terrorism field.<br><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +Toyota's Prius Proving to Be the Hotter Hybrid The trouncing of the Civic calls into question the depth of the hybrid phenomenon, suggesting that what seems like a new consumer appetite for clean technology could be more a hunger for one cool car.<br><FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$3 +California Beats N. Carolina 9-2 in LLWS (AP) AP - Danny Leon hit a two-run homer, and Tyler Carp and John Lister added solo homers to lead Conejo Valley Little League to a 9-2 victory over Morganton, N.C., on Sunday in the Little League World Series.$LABEL$1 +Rookie Taylor Wins Playoff at Reno-Tahoe (AP) AP - Rookie Vaughn Taylor claimed his first PGA Tour victory Sunday, rolling in an 11-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to win a four-way playoff at the Reno-Tahoe Open.$LABEL$1 +Death and taxes are certain - but so are con tricks quot;INHERITANCE tax to rise 50 per cent, quot; thundered some Sunday newspapers. quot;Blair plans relief from inheritance tax, quot; suggested others.$LABEL$2 +Parks strike helping Alta. town business The rotating strike by workers at Canada #39;s national parks is having an unexpected impact in some places: it #39;s helping -- not hurting -- business.$LABEL$2 +The Call Is Cheap. The Wiretap Is Extra. t first glance, it might seem like the simple extension of a standard tool in the fight against the bad guys. But in fact, wiretapping Internet phones to monitor criminals and terrorists is costly $LABEL$3 +Thwarting Meth Kansas could be getting some help soon in its fight against methamphetamine. That #39;s thanks to a new product that could deter thefts of the fertilizer anhydrous ammonia, a component of meth production.$LABEL$3 +Hackers revive iTunes music sharing - OurTune A group of anonymous programmers has released new software that allows music to be swapped via Apple Computer #39;s popular iTunes jukebox.$LABEL$3 +Gatlin becomes world #39;s fastest man Justin Gatlin became the fastest man in the world after winning the men #39;s 100 meters dash at the 28th Olympic Games Sunday evening.$LABEL$1 +Korea to lodge appeal South Korea confirmed yesterday they will lodge an appeal with sport #39;s supreme legal body over scoring errors at the Olympic gymnastics tournament which robbed them of a gold medal.$LABEL$1 +Olympia champion has drug positive The Russian who made history when she became the first woman to win a gold medal at the sacred site of ancient Olympia has tested positive for an anabolic steroid.$LABEL$1 +Davenport reaches Cincinnati Open final CINCINNATI (Ohio): American Lindsay Davenport advanced to the final of the WTA Cincinnati Open on Saturday after Frances Marion Bartoli pulled out with a blister on her right hand.$LABEL$1 +Arsenal equal Nottingham Forest #39;s 42-match unbeaten record with a <b>...</b> It was not enough for Arsenal to make their mark by pulling level with Nottingham Forest #39;s record of 42 League matches undefeated.$LABEL$1 +Train set on fire by mob DHAKA: A mob torched a train in central Bangladesh yesterday as anger over a grenade attack which killed 19 people and narrowly missed opposition leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed erupted in violence and protests, officials said.$LABEL$0 +Guantanamo alert for terror hearings GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE: US military authorities yesterday defended the special trials for war on terror detainees that start this week as they stepped up security at the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba for the hearings.$LABEL$0 +Somalia swears in new MPs SOMALIA, the only country without a national government, took a step towards ending its failed-state status yesterday as international mediators swore in members of its new parliament.$LABEL$0 +Lee eases curbs on political expression SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore yesterday announced a partial relaxation of rules on political expression but warned that race and religion will remain sensitive issues subject to restrictions.$LABEL$0 +Schrder #39;s Best quot;PR Campaign quot; The German chancellor #39;s decision to adopt a young child has unleashed massive media coverage. Schrder #39;s been fighting revelations about his private life but the current attention could help rather than harm his career.$LABEL$0 +Ashour Conquers World Junior Squash Title ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Aug 23 (PNS) - Egypt Ramy Ashour became the newest World Junior Squash Champion following a 3-0 finals victory in the PIA 13th World Junior Squash Championships against Yasir Butt of Pakistan at the Mushaf Ali Mir Squash Complex $LABEL$0 +Post-9/11 Mergers Brought Problems Government service firms often leaped before they looked as they scrambled to buy their way into the booming intelligence and anti-terrorism field. <FONT face=""verdana,MS Sans Serif,arial,helvetica"" size=""-2"" color=""#666666""><B>-The Washington Post</B></FONT>$LABEL$2 +Anaheim Claims Sweep The red hot Angels completed their first sweep of the Yankees since the 1999 season with a 4-3 win, their fifth straight, Sunday in New York.$LABEL$1 +NBC's Five-Ring Circus If Roone Arledge invented the modern TV Olympics, Dick Ebersol has imploded it. Everyone wants to watch the Olympics, but they're just too unwatchable -- too much, too fragmented, too staged, too jingoistic, too hyped, too commercialized, too long, too <em>everything</em>. The Olympics no longer feel Olympian. They feel like a sweeps-week sports reality show.$LABEL$1 +THECHAT <em> Dean Cain has spent much of his life in a uniform. He's done time as an all-American safety at Princeton (where he established a since-broken single-season Division I-AA record for interceptions), an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills (before a preseason knee injury ended his football career), a sportsman of the future (in the aptly named movie ""Futuresport"") and an iconic superhero (in television's ""Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman""). Next up is a set of pinstripes -- Cain plays star third baseman Conrad Dean in the CBS drama ""Clubhouse,"" which is scheduled to debut next month. </em>$LABEL$1 +Title No.22 for Hewitt in Washington Australian Lleyton Hewitt has claimed his third title of the year with victory in the Legg Mason Classic in Washington. The South Australian No.$LABEL$1 +Honda Indy 225 Top-Three Finishers Transcript DAN WHELDON: Especially following last week, it was one of the most challenging races of the year. The flag was just changing completely the whole day.$LABEL$1 +Funny Cide Finishes Second in His Return Home Because of setbacks in his training, Funny Cide didn #39;t have the chance to run in the Travers Stakes last summer after he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.$LABEL$1 +US planes pound militants in Najaf NAJAF: US planes pounded Iraqi militias in Najaf last night after tanks rumbled to within 800 metres of a holy shrine at the centre of a near three-week insurgency.$LABEL$0 +Putin flies to Chechnya for tribute to slain president THE Russian president, Vladimir Putin, made an unannounced visit to Chechnya yesterday to lay flowers at the grave of the regions assassinated president a week before the election to replace him.$LABEL$0 +Venezuelan president reshuffles cabinet Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Sunday appointed new ministers of interior and justice and information, a cabinet reshuffle after his victory in a recall referendum.$LABEL$2 +Australia #39;s Woolworths second-half profit up Australian supermarket giant, Woolworths, beat forecasts on Monday with a 12 per cent rise in second-half profit on vigorous cost savings and its ability to drive margins despite a competitive onslaught.$LABEL$2 +US economy buffeted by record high oil prices High oil prices, which have een a factor in virtually all US recessions over the past three decades, are surging again this year. And the higher crude oil prices climb, the more risk energy $LABEL$2 +Ministers deny interest in raising inheritance tax Downing Street distanced itself last night from reports that inheritance tax will rise to 50 per cent for the wealthiest families.$LABEL$2 +THE REVIEW It #39;s easy to spot ESPN NFL 2K5 on the shelf: It #39;s the one that #39;s \$20, making it the least expensive sports video game available for PlayStation2 and Xbox.$LABEL$3 +Track team is tops for NBC NBC #39;s Olympic track and field production and announcing unit needed just three days of competition to show it is one of the network #39;s best groups in Athens.$LABEL$1 +Mets #39; Aggressive Bonds Strategy Backfires Barry Bonds lounged in his personal leather recliner, watching his personal big-screen television, flanked by three of his devoted handlers.$LABEL$1 +Reporter Freed as Rebel Cleric Brokers a Deal A kidnapped American journalist was released Sunday after the intervention of the cleric Moktada al-Sadr, even as his Shiite militia engaged $LABEL$0 +Nikkei Up Over 1 Percent at Midday TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei stock average rose 1.02 percent by midsession on Monday as investors were encouraged to seek bargains by a recovery in U.S. stocks after crude oil prices retreated from record highs.$LABEL$2 +Mets' Aggressive Bonds Strategy Backfires The Mets attacked Barry Bonds as if they had a brand-new scouting report on him, and he basically deposited it in McCovey Cove.$LABEL$1 +Reporter Freed as Rebel Cleric Brokers a Deal A kidnapped American journalist was released, even as Moktada al-Sadr's militia engaged in heavy fighting in Najaf.$LABEL$0 +A G.O.P. Senator Proposes a Plan to Split Up C.I.A. The proposed legislation would break up the C.I.A. and divide its responsibilities among three new spy agencies.$LABEL$0 +Kerry TV Ad Pins Veterans' Attack Firmly on Bush The ad blames President Bush for a campaign by a ""front group"" of veterans that Senator John Kerry said had smeared his Vietnam record.$LABEL$0 +Nikkei Up Over 1 Percent at Midday The Nikkei stock average rose 1.02 percent by midsession on Monday as investors were encouraged to seek bargains by a recovery in US stocks after crude oil prices retreated from record highs.$LABEL$2 +Google #39;s Offering Proves Stock Auctions Can Really Work t worked. Google #39;s auction process, both criticized and feared on Wall Street, could have gone much more smoothly, and investors might yet regret putting money into a company that plans to go its own way regardless of what others think.$LABEL$3 +Pigeon fanciers use taste to ward off falcons London - British pigeon fanciers are developing methods to make their birds taste so awful that peregrine falcons in the wild are put off preying on them, the Sunday Telegraph reported.$LABEL$3 +Windows upgrade helps hold down the fort Are you nervous about viruses, worms, spyware and other threats to your computer? Wish you had the power to appoint an intelligence czar to safeguard your PC?$LABEL$3 +Shot-putter Korzhanenko to be stripped of gold: Russians Russian Olympic shot put champion Irina Korzhanenko will lose her gold medal after testing positive for a banned steroid, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee #39;s anti-doping body said overnight.$LABEL$1 +Young drivers rule in today #39;s Indy Racing League Last week at Kentucky Speedway, 41-year-old Adrian Fernandez became just the second driver older than 30 to win a race this season.$LABEL$1 +Berths in Semifinals for Two Americans On aqua-colored walls and giant blue columns, Patricia Miranda saw all she needed to see. The message was written in white inside Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, even next to the wrestling mats in case anyone forgot.$LABEL$1 +Four Marines killed in Anbar province BAGHDAD, Iraq Four Marines have been killed in separate incidents in Iraq #39;s volatile Anbar province. The US military says one Marine was killed in action yesterday, while two others died of wounds sustained $LABEL$0 +Oil raises economists #39; concerns WASHINGTON - Crude oil prices soaring to nearly \$50 a barrel have heightened concerns that sustained high energy costs could drag the slowing US and world economies into a more serious downturn.$LABEL$2 +Advanced Model of World #39;s Smallest Flying Microrobot from Epson Epson has long been engaged in the research and development of microrobots and in the development of applications for their enabling technologies.$LABEL$3 +Which Candidates Do Tech Companies Support? In a down year for tech industry contributions to political groups, political action committees (PACs) and employees from computer and Internet companies have contributed just over \$1.$LABEL$3 +Moore battles back to top List at US amateur championship Ryan Moore staged a remarkable comeback to overhaul Luke List in the 36-hole final of the US amateur championship at the Winged Foot Golf Club on Sunday.$LABEL$1 +CMS Energy to Offer \$200 Million Notes CMS Energy Corp., the holding company for utility Consumers Energy, said Tuesday that it plans to offer \$200 million of convertible senior notes due 2024, subject to market conditions.$LABEL$2