LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The NHL Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Nashville Predators to a group of local businessmen, the league said in a statement.

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Confronted with mounting privacy protests, Facebook.com has scaled back a Web monitoring feature that notifies one’s friends when the Facebook user visits affiliated Web sites, the company said on Thursday.

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DALLAS (Reuters) - The Dallas Cowboys beat the Green Bay Packers 37-27 on Thursday to clinch a playoff berth and take top spot in the National Football Conference.

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MOUNT AIRY, Maryland (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Friday announced a trip to Africa early next year for a first-hand look at U.S.-sponsored HIV/AIDS programs and pressed Congress to approve a doubling of funds to combat the disease globally.

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DETROIT (Reuters) - Veteran left-hander Kenny Rogers has agreed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers, the team said on Friday.

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LONDON (Reuters) - A new rapid test for chlamydia, the world’s most common sexually transmitted infection, has proved successful in trials and could help rein in a worrying rise in the disease, British scientists said on Friday.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Genetic tests to assess disease risk are proliferating but many are a waste of money and tell people little more than they would know from studying family history, medical experts said on Friday.

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WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand police are questioning a man alleged to be the leader of a cyber crime network that infiltrated computers worldwide and brought down the system at a U.S. university.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shift workers and firefighters have a higher risk of cancer than the general population and such work should be classified as probably or possibly carcinogenic, the International Agency for Research on Cancer said on Friday.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Catcher Jorge Posada and the New York Yankees finalized a four-year $52.4 million deal on Thursday that will keep the catcher in pin stripes through the 2011 season.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Colorado Rockies and catcher Yorvit Torrealba have agreed terms on a two-year contract worth nearly $7 million.

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BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Hu Jintao visited a number of AIDS patients and their families on Friday, a public show of solidarity in a country where HIV/AIDS sufferers still face widespread stigmatization.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski has been suspended for one game for striking forward Marian Gaborik on the head during a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, the National Hockey League said on Friday.

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MIAMI (Reuters) - Daredevil Evel Knievel, who dodged death in a series of spectacular motorcycle leaps and crashes that made his name synonymous with showmanship, died on Friday at the age of 69, according to a message on his Web site.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Facebook is good for keeping up with high-flying buddies, MySpace is for teenage offspring and the BlackBerry is a full-time addiction, according to top media executives who were quizzed on their personal media habits at this week’s Reuters Media Summit.

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SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean police say what they thought had been a death caused by an exploding mobile phone was actually a ruse used by a co-worker to cover up an accidental vehicular homicide.

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ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG’s richly-valued stock could take a significant hit next week if a U.S. regulatory panel advise against approving its key Avastin drug in breast cancer, analysts said.

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BEIJING (Reuters) - Asia-Pacific countries are not doing enough to tackle a growing AIDS crisis among men who have sex with men, hampered by social stigma and discriminatory laws, according to an advocacy group.

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COLLEGE PARK, Maryland (Reuters) - Public health advocates on Thursday called for tighter restrictions on salt content in food, arguing that cutting the nutrient’s overuse by most Americans could save thousands of lives annually.

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BOSTON (Reuters) - The Boston Celtics, led by 21 points each from Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, soared to a bruising 104-59 victory over the beleaguered New York Knicks on Thursday.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. economic recession could hammer those media and entertainment companies that rely heavily on advertising next year, curtailing experimentation when the industry needs it most.

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MIAMI (Reuters) - Police in Florida appear to be questioning three people in connection with the murder of Sean Taylor, a star defensive player with the National Football League’s Washington Redskins, local media and Taylor’s former lawyer said on Friday.

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SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google Inc said on Friday that the company would bid on coveted airwaves to launch a U.S. wireless network, pitting it against established telecommunications players AT&T and Verizon.

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SUN CITY, South Africa (Reuters) - England’s Justin Rose fired a seven-under 65 to move into a share of the lead after the second round of the Sun City Challenge at Gary Player Country Club on Friday.

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp’s PlayStation 3 outsold Nintendo Co Ltd’s Wii game console in Japan in November for the first time, raising the prospect that Sony might regain its dominance in the global videogame market.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A program backed by U.S. health authorities brought HIV tests to about 24,000 people at high risk for infection who otherwise might have been missed by AIDS prevention efforts, officials said on Thursday.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice may rule on the proposed acquisition of XM Satellite Radio by rival Sirius Satellite Radio as early as Friday, a Bear Stearns analyst said.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers aiming to establish whether high cholesterol raises the risk of stroke said on Thursday they were baffled by findings indicating lower cholesterol levels were not linked to reduced stroke deaths.

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As I prepare for my days of College, anxiety seems to be hitting me. The fact that I am trying to finance my entire College education by myself, without the help of my parents, worries me. Working at a fast food restaurant doesn’t quite provide the income I really need. I may just have to find a new job.

Inflation is what’s killing me. My income stays the same, yet everything around me is going up price wise, and now my college search has even worse news. The price of an education keeps going up and is reaching some record levels, as seen on a report of the most expensive Colleges. The study, compiled by CampusGrotto on their College Blog is the most updated list yet, as all the prices of tuition are current as of now. What I like is not only do they list the most expensive Colleges tuition wise, but also by tuition and room and board. There is actually quite a difference between the two lists, as where a College is at can play a huge role and factor in the total costs of an education. Obviously a student attending a College in California or the highly populated northeast (Boston, New York) will be paying more room and board wise, as the cost of living is higher.

For me this is a list of Colleges not to consider because these prices are off the charts! One wonders how a University will factor in the cost of an education. It is clear that an expensive College does not necessarily make it one of the Best Colleges, so then why the high tuition? This could also be branched off into a whole new discussion on what makes the best colleges. One thing is clear though, I need to find a cheap College.

Luckily I have good grades and an assortment of extracurricular activities, which has already gotten me some financial aid cash and will help me greatly when I apply for College Scholarships. Still, I keep seeing all these extra costs of going off to school, and it makes me wonder what I can do if I get into a financial bind. My parents have already told me they can’t really help me out.

Luckily a student loan is one of the easiest loans to obtain, and I won’t have to pay it back until I graduate, if that ever happens. I think the main reason I am stressed is that my SAT Exam is coming up. While I have had plenty of practice, I am still nervous because a low score could keep me out of a college I want to go to. When it’s all said and done, I am looking forward to going to College.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most governments are working quickly to attack avian flu when it pops up among birds but the virus is now entrenched in at least three countries, the United Nations and World Bank reported on Thursday.

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - “Metal Gear Solid 4″ is not only one of the most eagerly awaited games for Sony’s PlayStation 3, it is also among the last of a dying breed — games designed exclusively for one gaming console.

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LAKE FOREST, California (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton makes a rare foray into the U.S. evangelical community on Thursday with an address to an AIDS conference that is seen as a bid to woo the religious right.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Though some have blamed the U.S. obesity problem on the corn syrup ubiquitous in processed foods, a new study casts some doubt on this idea.

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BERLIN (Reuters) - British director Stephen Frears’ film “The Queen” could add a basket full of prizes at the European Film Awards on Saturday to the Oscar, Golden Globes and BAFTAs that it has already harvested.

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BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s Oledong Sithsanerchai pulled off a shock points victory over compatriot Eagle Den Janlapan to win the WBC strawweight title on Thursday.

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HELSINKI (Reuters) - Worldwide mobile telephone subscriptions reached 3.3 billion — equivalent to half the global population — on Thursday, 26 years after the first cellular network was launched, research firm Informa said.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials received thousands of complaints earlier this year about pets killed by contaminated pet food, but veterinarians said on Thursday they had been able to confirm just 224 deaths.

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ROME (Reuters) - Italian politicians and culture figures criticized a private television channel on Thursday and urged it to cancel the final episode of a series about a Mafia boss, because, they said, it portrayed the killer as a hero.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is engaged to be married to her boyfriend, Scottish actor Ross McCall, 32, Usmagazine.com reported on Wednesday.

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LONDON (Reuters) - A “cyber cold war” waged over the world’s computers threatens to become one of the biggest threats to security in the next decade, according to a report published on Thursday.

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DETROIT (Reuters) - The Detroit Pistons raced to a 109-74 victory over Cleveland after the Cavaliers standout player LeBron James was injured on Wednesday. James sprained his left index finger in the second quarter and the Pistons outscored the Cavaliers by 30 points in the second half.

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LONDON (Reuters) - He’s jumping off tall buildings again, but this time it is just rehearsals ahead of the next James Bond blockbuster due in theatres in 2008.

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LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In a strike-related scheduling move, NBC will launch midseason comedy-drama “Lipstick Jungle” in “ER’s” Thursday 10 p.m. slot.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Mohamed al-Fayed was convinced Princess Diana and his son Dodi were victims of an assassination plot the moment he heard they had died in a Paris car crash, the inquest into their deaths was told on Thursday.

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PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - The United States should hit top form in front of a capacity home crowd in this week’s Davis Cup final against holders Russia, U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe said.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Suited executives, grungy teens and even some savvy grannies are already using Wi-Fi to wirelessly link their laptops to the Internet. It may not be long before the short-range high-speed technology is just as popular for those looking to connect music players, phones, cameras, game consoles and more.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Tycoon Donald Trump was left “surprised and disappointed” after Scottish authorities rejected his plan for a $2-billion golfing development on Thursday, the project’s director said.

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CHICAGO (Reuters Health) - Stereoscopic digital mammography, which gives a 3-dimensional view of the inner structures of the breast, cuts the number of falsely diagnosed tumors in half, compared with conventional mammography, researchers reported here this week.

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LONDON (Reuters) - A sticky molecule previously linked to inflammation also helps seal vital insulation around peripheral nerves, making it a potential target for new drugs against nerve disorders, scientists said on Thursday.

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - After 25 years of successive increases, obesity rates in the United States are holding steady, government health officials said on Wednesday.

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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard extended its lead over rival Dell in the global PC market in the third quarter, thanks to a strong network of resellers and focus on notebooks, iSuppli said on Thursday.

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