news

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  Obama to vow greenhouse emissions cuts in Denmark

  Putting his prestige on the line, President Barack Obama will personally commit the U.S. to a goal of substantially cutting greenhouse gases at next month's Copenhagen climate summit. He will insist America is ready to tackle global warming despite resistance in Congress over higher costs for businsses and homeowners.

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  China says premier will attend climate summit

  China says Premier Wen Jiabao will take part in next month's Copenhagen climate summit.

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  Prime suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders

  A scion of a powerful pro-government clan suspected in the massacre of 57 people in an election caravan in the southern Philippines turned himself in Thursday amid mounting pressure on the president to crack down on lawlessness and warlords.

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  AP IMPACT: A stream of WH health care visits

  President Barack Obama's top aides met frequently with lobbyists and health care industry heavyweights as his administration pieced together a national health care overhaul, according to White House visitor records obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

• Israel's Lieberman says ball in Palestinian court

  Israel's foreign minister said Thursday it is up to the Palestinians to decide whether to resume Mideast peace talks now that Israel has announced a settlement freeze.

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  Asian stocks fall as dollar slides; gold at record

  Asian stock markets dropped Thursday as mostly positive economic news in the U.S. failed to inspire investors and the dollar tumbled to a 14-year low against the Japanese yen.

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  Tight economy forces some to stay home for holiday

  There's still family, turkey and football, but one Thanksgiving tradition is taking a hit this year. Millions of Americans are spending the holiday at home, saying the poor economy has made it unaffordable to hit the road or board a plane.

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  Couple slips though security to crash state dinner

  Crashing a state dinner at the White House apparently takes a security breakdown as well as some kind of nerve.

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  Ex-CNN host Lou Dobbs weighs Senate run in NJ

  Former CNN host Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2012 as a stepping stone to a possible White House bid — a congressional matchup that would pit one of illegal immigration's biggest critics against a champion for immigrant rights.

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  Nets' losing streak at 15 with loss to Blazers

  Rafer Alston lamented that it's gotten so bad for the New Jersey Nets after 15 straight losses that there's nothing more to say for inspiration.

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  U.S. will be out of Afghanistan by 2017: White House

  The United States will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort.

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  No Thanksgiving rest for retailers in sales race

  U.S. shoppers may stretch tight budgets this year to reward loved ones after months of thrift, a softening of heart that store chains hope will erase the holiday season sales debacle of 2008.

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  A year after, India remembers Mumbai attacks

  Mumbai's police paraded past some of the city's landmarks in a show of strength as India's financial hub marked the first anniversary of militant raids that killed 166 people and ratched up tensions with Pakistan.

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  Israel halts some settlement, urges Abbas to talk

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a 10-month freeze on some building in West Bank settlements on Wednesday, pleasing the United States but Palestinians said it was not enough to restart peace talks.

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  Obama's agenda runs into economic angst in Congress

  President Barack Obama is paying a price for a recession that began before he took office, and fellow Democrats have started to balk at his legislative agenda and demand greater efforts to create jobs.

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  Exclusive: ElBaradei says West won't meet Iran atom demand

  Iran's demand for changes to a nuclear fuel deal is unacceptable because it could mean Tehran keeping enough enriched uranium for possible use in an atom bomb, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said in an interview.

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  Obama offers U.S. climate cut, to attend Copenhagen

  The United States unveiled its proposal to cut greenhouse gases by 2020 on Wednesday and said President Barack Obama will attend U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen next month -- before other world leaders show up.

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  Honduras Supreme Court backs Zelaya ouster

  Honduras' Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that ousted President Manuel Zelaya cannot legally return to office, dimming the possibility of his reinstatement after a June coup, court sources said.

• Uninvited guests crash White House dinner

  The Secret Service is investigating how an uninvited couple was admitted to U.S. President Barack Obama's White House state dinner, penetrating layers of security, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

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  Two journalists kidnapped in Somalia released

  Two freelance journalists released in Somalia Wednesday after 15 months captivity said they were tortured and feared being sold on to hardline rebels in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation.

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  Tight economy forces some to stay home for holiday

  There's still family, turkey and football, but one Thanksgiving tradition is taking a hit this year. Millions of Americans are spending the holiday at home, saying the poor economy has made it unaffordable to hit the road or board a plane.

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  Mom befriends wife of PTSD vet charged with murder

  When the envelope arrived, Windy Horner was talking with her husband, Nick — Windy on a cell phone, Nick in the Blair County jail.

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  Mom of teen set on fire: Son focused on recovery

  In the days after 15-year-old Michael Brewer was set on fire by a group of teens, his mother, Valerie Brewer, sat at his hospital bedside and worried.

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  Year after NY stampede, Black Friday gets makeover

  Victoria Rogers had originally planned to make an early stop the day after Thanksgiving last year at the Walmart store in Valley Stream on Long Island. Her last-minute decision against it might have saved her life.

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  Activist group posting 573,000 9/11 pager messages

  An activist group has begun posting 573,000 pager messages purportedly sent on Sept. 11, 2001, from "Second World Trade Center tower collapses" to "I'm ok & love you..xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox."

• Search crew working to free man stuck in cave

  Rescuers chipped away with air-powered tools in a narrow tunnel Wednesday in a frustrating daylong effort to free a man trapped upside-down deep inside in a popular Utah cave.

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  Drywall investigation expands into US products

  A federal probe of tainted Chinese drywall has broadened because a small number of homeowners are reporting that American-made drywall is causing some of the same problems: a sickening, sulfurous stench and corroded pipes and wiring.

• CDC: Swine flu vaccine safe; no big problems seen

  There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine.

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  Wind-driven California blaze mostly contained

  Santa Ana winds fanned a fire across 80 acres of Southern California hills before firefighters reduced it Wednesday to a smoldering — but still dangerous — black scar.

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  Ex-CNN host Lou Dobbs weighs Senate run in NJ

  Former CNN host Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2012 as a stepping stone to a possible White House bid — a congressional matchup that would pit one of illegal immigration's biggest critics against a champion for immigrant rights.

More

• 
  China says premier will attend climate summit

  China says Premier Wen Jiabao will take part in next month's Copenhagen climate summit.

• 
  Prime suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders

  A scion of a powerful pro-government clan suspected in the massacre of 57 people in an election caravan in the southern Philippines turned himself in Thursday amid mounting pressure on the president to crack down on lawlessness and warlords.

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  Israel's Lieberman says ball in Palestinian court

  Israel's foreign minister says it is now up to the Palestinians to decide whether peace negotiations resume.

• Contractor helicopter missing in Afghanistan

  A helicopter belonging to an international military contractor has gone missing in Afghanistan, officials said Thursday.

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  Mumbai commemorates anniversary of attacks

  A police parade showcasing new armored vehicles and weapons, a mournful candlelight vigil and a blood donation drive brought Mumbai residents together Thursday as they remembered the city's worst terror attack a year ago that left 166 people dead.

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  A year after, India remembers Mumbai attacks

  Mumbai's police paraded past some of the city's landmarks in a show of strength as India's financial hub marked the first anniversary of militant raids that killed 166 people and ratched up tensions with Pakistan.

• 
  Israel halts some settlement, urges Abbas to talk

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a 10-month freeze on some building in West Bank settlements on Wednesday, pleasing the United States but Palestinians said it was not enough to restart peace talks.

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  Main suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders

  A member of a powerful political family in the southern Philippines, suspected to be behind the massacre of 57 people in an election-related feud, surrendered to police Thursday, an army official said.

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  Chavez calls Israel "murderous" U.S. arm

  Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez used a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday to brand Israel as a murderous agent of Washington.

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  Fear of low China target casts cloud over climate talks

  China is preparing to unveil a target to curb carbon emissions ahead of a major climate summit in Copenhagen next month, but experts and negotiators worry Beijing's much-anticipated figure may disappoint.

More

• 
  Obama to vow greenhouse emissions cuts in Denmark

  Putting his prestige on the line, President Barack Obama will personally commit the U.S. to a goal of substantially cutting greenhouse gases at next month's Copenhagen climate summit. He will insist America is ready to tackle global warming despite resistance in Congress over higher costs for businsses and homeowners.

• 
  AP IMPACT: A stream of WH health care visits

  President Barack Obama's top aides met frequently with lobbyists and health care industry heavyweights as his administration pieced together a national health care overhaul, according to White House visitor records obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

• 
  Ex-CNN host Lou Dobbs weighs Senate run in NJ

  Former CNN host Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2012 as a stepping stone to a possible White House bid — a congressional matchup that would pit one of illegal immigration's biggest critics against a champion for immigrant rights.

• 
  Couple slips though security to crash state dinner

  Crashing a state dinner at the White House apparently takes a security breakdown as well as some kind of nerve.

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  Obama will unveil Afghan troops move at West Point

  President Barack Obama plans to announce a redrawn battle plan for Afghanistan, including what the military says could be a roughly 50 percent increase in U.S. forces, in a national address Tuesday night from the U.S. Military Academy.

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  U.S. will be out of Afghanistan by 2017: White House

  The United States will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort.

• 
  Obama offers U.S. climate cut, to attend Copenhagen

  The United States unveiled its proposal to cut greenhouse gases by 2020 on Wednesday and said President Barack Obama will attend U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen next month -- before other world leaders show up.

• 
  Obama's agenda runs into economic angst in Congress

  President Barack Obama is paying a price for a recession that began before he took office, and fellow Democrats have started to balk at his legislative agenda and demand greater efforts to create jobs.

• Credit card usury bill coming soon in House

  Several congressional Democrats said on Wednesday they plan to introduce legislation next week to cap credit card interest rates.

• Health public option fight - symbol over substance

  The fight over a U.S. government-run public insurance plan may be getting louder and noisier, but for now the program's political symbolism far exceeds its practical impact on expanding health coverage.

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• CDC: Swine flu vaccine safe; no big problems seen

  There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine.

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  UNAIDS: Sex main cause for HIV spreading in China

  The virus that causes AIDS is now spreading fastest in China through heterosexual sex, a trend demanding new strategies to stave off a rebound in the epidemic after years of progress in containing it, a United Nations report said.

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  Comatose for 23 years, Belgian feels reborn

  Helped by a therapist, Rom Houben's outstretched finger tapped with surprising speed on a computer touchscreen, spelling out how he felt "alone, lonely, frustrated" in the 23 years he was trapped inside a paralyzed body.

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  CDC warns: Holiday could bring more swine flu

  Let us give thanks — and pass the Purell.

• Docs say formerly conjoined twins recovering well

  Formerly conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna are enjoying a favorite DVD and trying new foods as they continue their recovery from marathon separation surgery, doctors said.

• UN: HIV outbreak peaked in 1996

  The number of people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS — about 33 million — has remained virtually unchanged for the last two years, United Nations experts said Tuesday.

• China reports 8 cases of mutated swine flu virus

  China has detected eight people infected with mutated forms of the swine flu virus, a health official said Wednesday, but flu drugs and vaccines still work against it.

• Trying last-ditch lung bypass for worst swine flu

  A technology originally developed for premature babies may be helping to save some of the sickest swine flu patients by rerouting their blood so their lungs can rest.

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  Schumer says failure not an option on health care

  Failure is not an option on health care, a leading Democratic senator said Monday, even as Republicans turned up the heat on moderates who hold the fate of the legislation in their hands.

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  Health reform: Is tax on 'Cadillac' plans fair?

  Schoolteacher Kinzi Blair makes only $46,000 a year, but she has what many would consider a "Cadillac" health plan, now targeted for a big tax increase by health reformers.

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• Curbing global warming saves lives, studies say

  Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, new research suggests.

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  Obama to vow greenhouse emissions cuts in Denmark

  Putting his prestige on the line, President Barack Obama will personally commit the U.S. to a goal of substantially cutting greenhouse gases at next month's Copenhagen climate summit. He will insist America is ready to tackle global warming despite resistance in Congress over higher costs for businsses and homeowners.

• Invading camels to be shot in Australian town

  State authorities plan to corral about 6,000 wild camels with helicopters and gun them down after they overran a small town in Australia's Outback in search of water, trampling fences, smashing tanks and contaminating supplies.

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  Shuttle Atlantis leaves space station, headed home

  Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station early Wednesday and headed home with one astronaut eager to hold his newborn daughter for the first time and another who's been away from her young son since the summer.

• Experts think toxic algae harming endangered fish

  Scientists say they believe toxins from a blue-green algae plaguing lakes and rivers around the West are harming an endangered fish in the Klamath Basin, adding another obstacle to restoring species that have forced irrigation shutoffs for farmers.

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  Atlantis leaves station as NASA eyes shuttles' end

  Space shuttle Atlantis left the International Space Station on Wednesday after a seven-day stay to deliver gear to keep the outpost operating after the shuttle program is retired next year.

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  Experts scan disease links with Chinese "gene map"

  A large analysis of the genes of 8,200 ethnic Chinese has revealed subtle genetic differences between inhabitants in northern China and southern China, and even between different Chinese dialect groups.

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  Darwin debate rages on 150 years after "Origin"

  Even 150 years after it first appeared in print, Charles Darwin's "On The Origin of Species" still fuels clashes between scientists convinced of its truth and critics who reject its view of life without a creator.

• Hormones, incentive, experience "make best traders"

  British scientists say a perfect combination of testosterone, experience and a hunger for a share of profits can produce financial traders who consistently outperform the market -- even during a crisis.

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  Big Bang machine achieves first particle collisions

  ZURICH (Reuters) -- Scientists have smashed together proton beams for the first time in a 27-kilometre tunnel under the French-Swiss border in an initial step toward discovering how the universe came into existence, they said on Monday.

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• Dog with name tag 'works' drive-through window

  Customers at one Gulf coast gas station might be surprised at who responds to the counter when they pull up to the drive-through window: The store owner's dog. Dozens of times each day, Cody the chocolate Labradaor retriever will pop up on two paws behind the counter at a BP gas station and convenince store in Clearwater.

• Man accused of ramming car into hot dog stand

  Police said a North Carolina man rammed his car into a hot dog stand when the vendor refused to sell him a hot dog and drink for a dollar. WRAL-TV reported 23-year-old David Kelbaugh of Rolesville was charged Wednesday with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run, driving while intoxicated and inury to property.

• Police seek bald man who swiped family's turkey

  Jackson police are working to crack a case of fowl play. They're searching for a man who broke into an apartment about 11 p.m. Tuesday and stole a family's holiday turkey. Police Lt. Christopher Simpson told the Jackson Citizen Patriot the suspect ran into the kitchen and stole the turkey out of th freezer.

• Police: Barefoot thief steals shoes for left feet

  It didn't take Knoxville police gumshoes to track down a suspected shoe thief. He was sauntering barefoot through the parking lot of a Knoxville store called the Shoe Show Wednesday morning when an employee identified him as the man who crammed shoes into his pockets and pushed her out of his way a he walked out Tuesday night.

• Pa. suspect's sweet tooth results in felony charge

  Police said a serial shoplifter from central Pennsylvania has taken three sweet steps over the line and now faces a felony charge. Sonya Mosey, 33, was jailed on a felony retail theft charge for allegedly stealing three snack cakes worth $4.27 from a convenience store on Oct. 27. Police said she tok a Hostess doughnut and two Tastykake items from the store, though she did pay for a soda pop.

• That hissing in the kitchen? Snake!!!

  Betty Corey first thought the hissing from her Lakebay, Wash., kitchen might be one of her dogs. Wrong. It was a 4-foot-long ball python. Not a fan of snakes, Corey called 911 and a Pierce County Animal Control officer removed the snake Tuesday morning. Officer Brian Boman said the agency will hous the snake at its shelter, keeping it warm and close at hand if its owner is looking for it.

• Not so jolly package causes TN Capitol evacuation

  A package for Tennessee's governor turned out not too jolly for staffers at the Capitol. Safety Department spokesman Mike Browning says officials evacuated the building for almost two hours Wednesday when the mail room found a package addressed to Gov. Phil Bredesen that contained moving parts.

• La. police say man broke into home to cook meal

  Alexandria police have arrested a man they said broke into an home to cook a meal. The Alexandria Daily Town Talk reported Wednesday that 29-year-old man, who told police he was homeless, was arrested and charged with burglary.

• Police: Dad leaves boy and goes into strip club

  A man was arrested after police said he left his 5-year-old son in a tractor-trailer while he ducked into an Indianapolis strip club to drink. The 39-year-old was arrested at 1:15 a.m. Tuesday on child neglect and public intoxication charges after calling police to report his truck stolen and his cild missing.

• Utah man makes wrong turn, sees train approaching

  A man whose car became stuck on a set of railroad tracks bailed out before a commuter train plowed into it. Danny Ray Olsen, 62, said he took a wrong turn in Ogden and got his 1998 Nissan Sentra high-centered between two sets of rails Monday evening. He said he saw lights approaching in his rearvie mirror and decided to get out.

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• Time Warner Cable asks help on rising program fees

  Time Warner Cable Inc. is asking the public for help as it tries to curtail increases in the programming fees it has to pay to carry cable channels and broadcast stations on its systems.

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  AT&T and Verizon ads duel on airwaves and in court

  What would the holidays be without bickering between siblings? AT&T and Verizon are swamping TV with ads attacking facets of each other's wireless networks. While the ads stick fairly close to the truth, there's a lot they don't say.

• US online ad revenue down 5.4 pct in third quarter

  Online advertising revenue in the U.S. fell 5.4 percent in the third quarter from a year ago, as the sputtering economy kept its tight grip on even the fastest growing segment of industry, according to a report released Wednesday.

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  Facebook creates dual-class structure, but no IPO

  Facebook has created a dual-class stock structure designed to give founder Mark Zuckerberg and other existing shareholders control over the company.

• Microsoft says cost-cutting CFO to step down

  Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday said its chief financial officer is departing at the end of the year and will be replaced by the man now responsible for the books at the division that produces Microsoft Office and other business programs.

• Google apologizes for offensive first lady image

  Google Inc. is apologizing for a racially offensive image of the first lady that appears at the top of the list when users search for pictures of Michelle Obama on its site.

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  Review: A riff on robotics with self-tuning guitar

  New cars have been tuning themselves for the better part of two decades now, so it should feel less impressive that Gibson has built a guitar that can smoothly do the same.

• Senators press EU to speed its Oracle-Sun probe

  U.S. senators are pressuring European antitrust regulators to hurry their investigation of Oracle Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc., citing Sun's "precarious" financial condition and fears about more layoffs at the struggling computing company.

• EU assembly adopts Internet, phone user rights

  The European Parliament has endorsed new telecom rules that would give phone and Internet users more rights and allow them to appeal to national courts if they are cut off for illegal file-sharing.

• Internet activists push for greater democracy

  The Internet can be a powerful medium for politicians to get their message across but it is also a vital means for civilians to have a say in what politicians do, participants in a political conference say.

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  Report: Iverson set to retire

  With no apparent interest from NBA teams, Allen Iverson is set to retire, according to an online report.

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  Nets' losing streak at 15 with loss to Blazers

  Rafer Alston lamented that it's gotten so bad for the New Jersey Nets after 15 straight losses that there's nothing more to say for inspiration.

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  Report: Buffalo Bills meet with Shanahan

  Two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan met with the Buffalo Bills to discuss their head coaching vacancy, according to a published report.

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  APNewsBreak: Chairs of NFL concussion panel resign

  Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a wide-ranging memo about concussions to NFL teams, saying the co-chairmen of the league's committee on brain injuries have resigned and that he is examining potential rule changes "to reduce head impacts."

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  LeBron scores 34 in Cavs' 98-88 win vs. Pistons

  LeBron James scored 12 of his 34 points in the first quarter, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers build a cushion it used to cruise to a 98-88 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

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  Browns QB Quinn backs embattled Weis

  Brady Quinn's best game as a pro seemed to make him nostalgic about his college days.

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  Wall scores 23, No. 5 Kentucky tops Stanford in OT

  Freshman sensation John Wall scored a season-best 23 points, including clutch shots in the final minute that sent the game to overtime, and No. 5 Kentucky closed with an eight-point run for a 73-65 victory over gritty Stanford on Wednesday night in the championship game of the Cancun Challenge at te Moon Palace Resort.

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  Scheyer leads No. 7 Duke over Arizona State 64-53

  Jon Scheyer had 16 points and six assists, and No. 7 Duke used a 19-3 second-half run to take control of a 64-53 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday night in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

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  Gonzaga wins Maui title, beats Cincinnati in OT

  Robert Sacre scored 14 points and Gonzaga won the Maui Invitational for the first time in three tries, beating Cincinnati 61-59 in overtime Wednesday night at the Lahaina Civic Center.

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  Kidd moves to 2nd all-time in assists in Mavs' win

  Jason Kidd moved into second place on the NBA's career assists list, Jason Terry scored 27 points and the Dallas Mavericks shot 65.5 percent in a 130-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

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