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Americans sought out more bargains and cheaper goods in July, leaving the nation’s biggest retailers bracing for a painful back-to-school shopping season.
Ex-Bin Laden Aid Sentenced To Five and a Half Years
Rejecting a prosecution request for a severe sentence, a panel of military officers on Thursday sentenced a former driver for Osama bin Laden convicted of a war crimes charge to five and a half years in prison. The sentence means that the first detainee convicted after a war crimes trial here could complete his punishment by the end of this year.
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The Environmental Protection Agency rejected on Thursday a request to cut the federal government’s quota for the use of ethanol in cars, concluding, at least for now, that the national goal of reducing oil use trumps any effect on food prices from making fuel from corn.
Unlikely Partners Produce Olympic Spectacle
For much of the past quarter century, the Chinese director Zhang Yimou made films that showcased his country’s struggle against poverty, war and political misrule to the outside world — films that Chinese, for the most part, never saw.
Cool Pattern Continues
Those without air conditioning may rejoice — high temperatures for this weekend and next week look to remain near or below the average high of 80°F for this time of year. Today, the wind continues to blow from the east, bringing cold air from above the ocean. Temperatures will top out in the low 70s, accompanied by clouds and a chance for more thunderstorms. Saturday looks to be quite pleasant, as winds change to westerly and we get the warmer inland air. We should finally get some sunshine, as well as lower dew points (the dew point is a measure of the absolute moisture content of the air). The chance for thunderstorms returns Sunday night, with a chance of showers each day next week.
From Helper to Top Suspect In Anthrax Case
In December 2002, federal investigators scoured an icy pond on a snow-covered mountain near Frederick, Md., hunting for clues that would lead to the anthrax killer.
Oil Prices Plunge for Second Consecutive Day Yesterday
Oil prices headed in an unusual direction — down — for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, leaving energy experts to wonder whether the drop is the beginning of a lasting trend or just a brief pause before another surge.
Fed Sees Turmoil Lasting Longer Than Expected
Federal policymakers have concluded that the turmoil plaguing the housing and financial markets is likely to spill deep into 2009, becoming one of the most significant domestic problems to confront the next president when he steps into the Oval Office in January.
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A senior Iranian official was quoted Tuesday as threatening that Iran would respond to any military attack by striking Israel and America’s vital interests around the globe.
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The suicide bombing on Monday outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul was the latest and most audacious attack in recent months on Indian interests in Afghanistan, where New Delhi, since helping to topple the Taliban in 2001, has staked its largest outside aid package ever.
U.S. and Czechs Sign Accord on Ballistic Missile Shield
The United States and the Czech Republic signed a landmark accord on Tuesday to allow the Pentagon to deploy part of its widely debated anti-ballistic missile shield on territory once occupied by Soviet troops.
Issues Remain for Beijing Games, Says Int’l Olympic Committee
With a month remaining before the Beijing Olympics, the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday praised the city’s preparations but also cited two “open issues” that remain: whether the city can deliver good air quality and fulfill promises to allow television networks to broadcast from non-Olympic sites.
Hurricane Season Underway
Although the Atlantic Ocean sees the lion’s share of its hurricanes August through October, hurricanes have been observed to form in July. Last week, a strong and consolidated area of thunderstorms emerged off Africa and quickly developed into Tropical Storm Bertha. On Monday, Bertha strengthened into a hurricane and underwent a period of rapid intensification becoming a category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph (190 kph). While hurricanes in July aren’t remarkable, the location of Bertha is. Bertha has set records for the farthest east a tropical storm, hurricane, and major hurricane have formed so early in the hurricane season (though reliable records date back to only the early ’70s).
Richest Nations Pledge To Halve Greenhouse Gas
President Bush and leaders of the world’s richest nations pledged Tuesday to “move toward a low-carbon society” by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, the latest step in a long evolution by a president who for years played down the threat of global warming.
Guantanamo Camp Remains, But Not Its Legal Rationale
The Guantanamo Bay detention center will not close today or any day soon.
House Passes Extension of Unemployment Benefits
The House took another step Thursday in a running political fight over unemployment insurance by ignoring a veto threat from President Bush and easily approving an extension of benefits for idled workers whose aid is running out.
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Microsoft’s four-month-long courtship of Yahoo has finally thrown Yahoo into the arms of their biggest common rival, Google.
Japan Wages War on Its Widening Waistlines
Japan, a country not known for its overweight people, has undertaken one of the most ambitious campaigns ever by a nation to slim down its citizenry.
Zimbabwe Detains Opposition Leader Again, and Aide Is Held On
The standard-bearer for Zimbabwe’s opposition was twice detained by the police on Thursday, and one of his most important deputies was arrested to face treason charges.
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A leading Sunni political party’s headquarters in western Iraq was blown up early Thursday morning while in southern Iraq, where Shiite factions have been fighting one another, a powerful bomb was discovered on the road to an important Shiite shrine.