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/ 11 February 2008

Yahoo! set to rebuff Microsoft bid as too low

Yahoo! is set to reject Microsoft’s unsolicited bid, now worth -billion, as too low, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Saturday — the first clear signal the board might be prepared to negotiate and sell the internet media giant. The Wall Street Journal had quoted an unnamed source as saying Microsoft’s offer of per share was an attempt to ”steal” the company.

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/ 11 February 2008

Jaws actor Roy Scheider dead at 75

Actor Roy Scheider, a two-time Oscar nominee best known for his roles as a small-town police chief in Jaws and his portrait of famed choreographer Bob Fosse in All That Jazz, died on February 10 at age 75. Scheider died of complications from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells.

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/ 8 February 2008

Force of blast killed Bhutto, not bullet

British police have concluded that Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed by the force of a suicide bomb and not by an assassin’s bullet, he New York Times reported in its Friday editions. The findings, if confirmed, would support the Pakistani government’s explanation of Bhutto’s death.

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/ 7 February 2008

Clinton, Obama wage money war

Republican frontrunner John McCain on Thursday offered an olive branch to his conservative enemies, as Democrat Hillary Clinton struggled to match Barack Obama’s multimillion-dollar money machine. Clinton faced reports she is stuck in a cash crunch after loaning her campaign -million.

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/ 7 February 2008

Tornadoes shatter southern US states

The death toll from a series of tornadoes that swept the southern United States was rising on Wednesday night while rescuers continued to sift the rubble of flattened buildings. At least 54 people were killed and hundreds more injured, many critically, as the deadliest twisters for more than 20 years struck before dawn.

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/ 6 February 2008

Ledger died of prescription drug abuse, say officials

Australian actor Heath Ledger’s death was an accident caused by the abuse of prescription drugs, six of which were found in his body, the New York City medical examiner’s office said on Wednesday. Ledger (28), renowned for his role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain, was found dead in bed at his Manhattan apartment on January 22.

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/ 6 February 2008

Super Tuesday: The winners and the losers

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama dug in for a protracted slog for the Democratic White House nomination in the United States after battling to a brutal draw in their Super Tuesday showdown. John McCain, meanwhile, strode closer to the top of the Republican ticket, as Mitt Romney failed to halt his charge and Mike Huckabee picked up the slack.

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/ 6 February 2008

Clinton, Obama draw; McCain leads in vote

Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton battled to a draw on Super Tuesday and John McCain took charge of the Republican race in coast-to-coast presidential nominating battles in 24 US states. In their Democratic duel, Obama won 13 states and Clinton took eight, ensuring a protracted battle for the nomination.

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/ 5 February 2008

Voters flock to polls on Super Tuesday

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton slugged out a neck-and-neck Democratic feud and John McCain sought a chokehold on the Republican race on Super Tuesday, a coast-to-coast White House nominating clash unique in United States history. Super Tuesday embraces millions of voters from across racial, religious, social and income barriers.

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/ 3 February 2008

The little crocodile that conquered the US

French ”sports chic” label Lacoste wowed the crowd with a ski-themed show on Saturday at New York Fashion Week, kicking off the 75th year of the little crocodile that conquered the United States. Lacoste was one of the first designers to put its logo — the iconic green crocodile — on the outside of its garments.

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/ 2 February 2008

Beatles to be beamed across the universe

The songs of The Beatles have always enjoyed a global appeal. Now one of their best-loved recordings is to be beamed into the galaxy in an attempt to introduce the Fab Four’s music to alien ears. Nasa will broadcast the song, Across the Universe, through the transmitters of its deep-space communications network on Monday.

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/ 2 February 2008

Yahoo! was king of the net — then came Google

With a market value of -billion, Google’s power has become awe-inspiring. Its profits rocketed by 40% to ,2-billion last year and it swallowed the popular video-sharing website YouTube. Through Microsoft’s ,6-billion takeover bid for Yahoo!, the technology establishment hit back at Google’s seemingly unstoppable rise.

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/ 1 February 2008

US state weighs gun lessons for schoolchildren

West Virginia is considering a Bill to teach schoolchildren how to handle a gun and hunt safely. Its proponent hopes this will increase state revenues from hunting licences, a state lawmaker said on Thursday. "We will teach a hunting safety course during their physical education class," state Senator and Bill sponsor Billy Wayne Bailey said.

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/ 1 February 2008

Clinton, Obama make peace with eye on history

Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton shared a debate stage alone for the first time on Thursday, striking a cordial tone and highlighting their opportunity to make history as the next United States president. ”Just by looking at us, you can tell we aren’t more of the same,” said Clinton, a New York senator who would be the first woman US president.

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/ 31 January 2008

Britney Spears rushed to hospital again

Troubled pop icon Britney Spears was rushed to hospital in an ambulance early on Thursday morning for the second time this month for an involuntary mental health evaluation, United States media reported. Spears was taken to the UCLA Medical Centre at about 1.30am local time, celebrity website TMZ.com said.

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/ 31 January 2008

Margaret Truman, daughter of US president, dies

Margaret Truman Daniel, the only child of former United States president Harry S Truman who was known for her mystery novels and singing career, died on January 29 after a brief illness. Truman was in college when her father, who was serving as vice-president, became the president following the death of Franklin D Roosevelt in 1945.

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/ 31 January 2008

Mugabe’s nephew, Zim spy chief blacklisted by US

The United States Treasury said on Wednesday it had blacklisted the chief of Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation and a nephew of President Robert Mugabe. The Treasury identified Zimbabwe’s spy chief as Happyton Bonyongwe in a statement that also announced that Leo Mugabe would be subjected to targeted US financial sanctions.

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/ 30 January 2008

US economic growth weakest in five years

United States growth skidded lower in the fourth quarter and was the weakest in five years for all of 2007, according to a government report on Wednesday that highlighted the toll an enfeebled housing sector has taken on the national economy. The dollar’s value declined against other major currencies on the soft GDP data.

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/ 30 January 2008

Edwards drops out of White House race

Democratic candidate John Edwards abandoned his United States presidential bid on Wednesday, while among Republicans challenger Mitt Romney vowed to keep up his struggle to overtake newly crowned front-runner John McCain. Edwards’s decision effectively narrows both the Democratic and Republican field to two realistic candidates apiece.

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/ 28 January 2008

YouTube goes mobile

YouTube on Thursday began making all of its videos available on the latest-generation cellphones as people increasingly shift to accessing the internet on the go. YouTube for Mobile lets people view any of the popular website’s videos, provided their cellphones can stream the data and are linked to a high-speed 3G network.