Cricket Cool

Crude was steady near a six-week trough below $75 a barrel, on weak US economic data.

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Oil steady near 6-week low

The government said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has spent over Rs 53,202 crore on road projects during the last three financial years.

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NHAI spent Rs 53k crore on road projects

India can’t escape US meltdown: HSBCHSBC’s Arjuna Mahendran says that Indian markets have been doing much better than China this year and that pattern will continue.

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India can’t escape US meltdown: HSBC

Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath has hit out again at Plan panel, saying it needs structural changes.

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‘Planning Commission needs to transform itself’

Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors NV, which had a difficult IPO debut in the United States this month, swung to a second quarter operating profit compared with a loss last year.

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NXP swings to Q2 operating profit

Orders and sales at New York manufacturers decreased in August for the first time in more than a year and US homebuilders turned more pessimistic, indicating the economic slowdown is becoming broad-based.

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US factory orders falter, housing mood sours

RSA Insurance Group Plc had offered to buy Aviva’s general insurance businesses in the UK, Ireland and Canada excluding RAC and Health, for a cash consideration of five billion pounds.

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Aviva rejects offer for insurance biz

The government on Monday ruled out banning export of iron ore from the country.

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Govt not to ban export of iron ore

After years of banging their heads against China?s bureaucratic Great Wall, global media giants like News Corp are getting the message: Beijing doesn?t want them owning its airwaves.

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Global media titans hit China wall

With sony rolling out playstation move in sept & Microsoft launching xbox kinect console in nov, indian gamers will soon have their hands full.

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MS to launch xbox kinect console in nov

8 of top-10 cos lose over Rs 37K cr in m-cap MMTC suffered the maximum loss and saw its m- cap fall by Rs 18,050 crore to Rs 1,39,570 crore in the week ended August 13.

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8 of top-10 cos lose over Rs 37K cr in m-cap

‘US should innovate, not protect market’Gururaj Deshpande, appointed recently as co-chairman of US president Barack Obama’s National Advisory Council on innovation and entrepreneurship, said the US would suffer if the country became protectionist, instead of innovating.

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‘US should innovate, not protect market’

Sensex rose for the second week in August, as it closed 0.5% higher on Friday, lifted by firm Asian stocks and led by gains in SBI.

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Q1 nos, firm Asia keep Sensex in bull

Goldman Sachs Group Inc said top company officials, including Chairman and Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein, exercised stock options this week and obtained millions of dollars of profits by selling the resulting shares.

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Goldman CEO gets mn from options

Essar Shipping will issue one equity share for every three equity shares they hold in the existing company.

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Essar Shipping unveils demerger plan

Gujarat HC has ordered transfer of probe to SC-appointed SIT.

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Ishrat encounter probe goes to SIT

LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish authorities defended the doctor who said Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi had three months to live, after U.S. senators asked them to release the Libyan’s medical records.

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Scotland defends Lockerbie bomber prognosis doctor

Government has decided to expedite road infrastructure works along the border areas with China, revising its old military doctrine.

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Govt to expedite infra on China border

An afternoon of cooking with my father – teaching him to cook that is, as he has very little experience in the kitchen – gets off to a worse start than expected. We’re making a bacon and egg pie, which is technically an open tart, but a bold, filling, macho start to a cooking lesson, in my opinion

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Teaching Dad to cook

Infotech Enterprises announced it has acquired US-based network engineering and management firm Wellsco Inc in an all-cash deal to raise its business from the telecom sector.

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Infotech Enterprises acquires US firm

Three private equity companies will buy the stake in the tower company. WTTIL has around 39,000 towers with an average of 1.7 tenants per tower.

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Quippo eyes Rs 1.7k cr from stake sale

The fund will be used for developing skillsets of rural producers and artisans.

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SIDBI gets 36 mn pound from UK fund

Like the different sets of data, experts too seem to be divided over the state of the US economy and the recovery or lack of it.

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US economy still struggling?

‘Volatility of volatility’ confuses US investors Unusual intraday swings on the implied move may be giving out mixed messages this earnings seasons.

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‘Volatility of volatility’ confuses US investors

Don’t hold your breath waiting for Beatles songs to go on sale at iTunes or other online retailers, Yoko Ono said on Thursday.

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‘Beatles, iTunes deal still at impasse’

A 64-year-old English daily in Thailand ‘The Bangkok Post’ today published a 3-D newspaper, the first of its kind in the country.

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Bangkok Post publishes 3D newspaper

Zardari has been accused of helping to steal paintings of a Pak artist.

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Pak President Zardari accused of theft

Check out the top contenders for Ratan Tata’s placeFive wise men will soon choose a new head for the $71 bn Tata empire. This is India’s biggest CEO search ever.

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Check out the top contenders for Ratan Tata’s place

United States will hold technical talks with the United Arab Emirates and other countries on the pending ban on Blackberry Messenger.

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US to discuss Blackberry with UAE

Pick-up in sales of passenger cars and two-wheelers in the domestic market has resulted in buoyant production growth for auto component makers during the June ?10 quarter.

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Auto ancillary: Await earnings signal

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has no desire to sign “the second best player in the world” - which in his opinion is Barcelona’s Lionel Messi - or Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney this summer. Related Stories Fabregas deal moves closer for Barca

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Real Madrid not interested in Rooney

Can Oracle’s Larry Ellison whip IBM in real life?

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Can Oracle’s Larry Ellison whip IBM in real life?

Ten government-backed news websites in China, where the media still face strict controls and censorship, could go public as early as this year, state media said.

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China news websites to go public: Report

We all, sadly, feared it: that the Liberal Democrat surge in the opinion polls following the first leaders’ television debate would dissipate, and, in the end, the slow puncture was more like a catastrophic blow-out. Related Stories Leading article: A result that confirms our electoral system is broken Leading article: He must hold out for PR

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Leading article: Clegg must hold out for PR

LONDON (Reuters) - UK Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage has been injured after his light aircraft crashed in central England, his party said on Thursday.

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UKIP’s Farage injured in plane crash

LONDON (Reuters) - Wm Morrison Supermarkets posted a steep drop in underlying sales growth due to the disappearance of food price inflation, pegging back its long-standing outperformance of rivals and hitting its shares.

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Morrison’s sales outperformance fades

Indian developer BPTP Ltd has received approval from the markets regulator for an initial public offering to raise about 15 billion rupees ($325 million), two sources with direct knowledge said on Thursday.

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BPTP gets nod for $325 mn IPO

LONDON (Reuters) - The rate of pay growth rose slightly in the three months to March and the proportion of companies freezing remuneration fell, a study of pay deals by Incomes Data Services showed on Thursday.

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Wage growth rises but public sector lags - IDS

Conjoined twins Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf were reunited today for the first time since the mammoth operation to separate them.

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Twins reunited after separation surgery

There was chaos and confusion at UK airports today as the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud wreaked yet more havoc with flight schedules. Related Stories Fresh concerns over ash cloud travel disruption Ash could disrupt air travel for a year, says government adviser Volcanic ash cloud continues to bring travel chaos Volcanic ash cloud brings further travel chaos Few UK hotels ranked among world’s best

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Travellers stranded as flights grounded by ash cloud

A broker must pay £20 million damages awarded to a financial trader he deceived and defrauded, the Court of Appeal ruled today. Related Stories More job vacancies underline economic recovery Store price inflation highest since January UK budget deficit ’set to outstrip Greece’ Footsie falls again amid further Greek unrest FSA talks delay Prudential cash call

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Lying broker must pay £20m damages to City trader

Two women who were killed when an inflatable artwork broke free and flipped into the air suffered accidental deaths, an inquest jury ruled today.

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Inflatable artwork deaths an accident, inquest rules

Insurance giant Prudential today suffered a setback in its launch of a record 21 billion US dollar (£13.8 billion) fundraising and mammoth Asian takeover. Related Stories Goldman agrees to pay fine over claims it broke short selling rules More job vacancies underline economic recovery Store price inflation highest since January UK budget deficit ’set to outstrip Greece’ Footsie falls again amid further Greek unrest

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FSA talks delay Prudential cash call

Michael Schumacher is adamant he remains “extremely motivated” despite the barrage of criticism he has so far faced on his return to Formula One. Related Stories Schumacher must win over the critics

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Schumacher unfazed by criticism

Police investigating violence which erupted after an FA Cup tie arrested 11 men today in a series of dawn raids. Related Stories Smash-and-grab jewel raiders strike at Westfield shopping centre Death crash court hearing postponed Student ‘hit gay man to protect female friend’ Torture case brothers lose sentence appeal Guru raped meditation woman, court told

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11 arrested over FA Cup tie violence

Gary Neville has admitted Manchester United will only have themselves to blame if their bid for a record fourth successive league title fails on Sunday.

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Manchester United can only blame themselves says Neville

A self-styled guru accused of being a serial rapist told one woman she needed to be healed as he assaulted her, a court was told today. Related Stories ‘Suspicious’ blaze at historic hotel Smash-and-grab jewel raiders strike at Westfield shopping centre Death crash court hearing postponed Student ‘hit gay man to protect female friend’ Torture case brothers lose sentence appeal

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Guru raped meditation woman, court told

A proposal to legally ban a teenager from wearing his trousers so low that the public could see his underpants has been rejected, it was revealed yesterday. Related Stories A night to remember: How to plan your election viewing A guide to hung parliaments The fourth debate: You ask the questions to the leaders of the three main parties TV debates clouded election campaign, says Brown The Independent guide to tactical voting

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Teenager avoids ban on trousers which show off underpants

The best short-term solution to bottling up a disastrous oil spill threatening sealife and livelihoods along the Gulf Coast should be arriving today in the form of a specially built giant concrete-and-steel box designed to siphon the oil away. Related Stories Steel dome to contain oil leak will be ‘ready in days’ Kent State marks 40th years since shootings US court defends right to tell mother-in-law jokes Eight inmates killed in Venezuela prison riot Kent State marks 40 years since shootings

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Giant dome for Gulf oil leak is next best solution

A student accused of killing a gay man in Trafalgar Square said he punched the victim because he saw him strike a girl and feared she might get hurt.

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Student ‘hit gay man to protect female friend’

A woman who struggles to leave her home due to panic attacks will spend much of her £4.5 million National Lottery fortune on her children, she revealed today.

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Panic attacks sufferer to spend Lottery jackpot on children

Oscar winner Russell Crowe stars as the legendary figure known by generations as Robin Hood, whose exploits have endured in popular mythology and ignited the imagination of those who share his spirit of adventure and righteousness. Related Stories Greek tragedy: It’s not the end of the underworld TV drama: Britain’s got talent Watercress: Best of the bunch The six skills every cook really needs

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Exclusive clip: Robin Hood leads the charge

Protesters tried to storm Greece’s parliament and hurled paving stones at police today as tens of thousands of outraged Greeks took to the streets of Athens to protest at harsh new spending cuts aimed at saving their country from bankruptcy. Related Stories Merkel links Europe’s future to Greek aid plan Strike shuts down opera productions Strike paralyses Greek public services Investigators sacked after prison death in Russia Police use tear gas as protesters storm parliament

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Police use tear gas as protesters storm Greek parliament

Protesters tried to storm Greece’s parliament and hurled paving stones at police today as tens of thousands of outraged Greeks took to the streets of Athens to protest at harsh new spending cuts aimed at saving their country from bankruptcy. Related Stories Merkel links Europe’s future to Greek aid plan Strike shuts down opera productions Strike paralyses Greek public services Investigators sacked after prison death in Russia Police use tear gas as protesters storm Greek parliament

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Police use tear gas as protesters storm parliament

They misspelled Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ name on her Hollywood Walk of Fame star, but the Emmy-winning star of “Seinfeld” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” seemed tickled by the typo. Related Stories Turner Prize has grown up, says head judge Picasso sells at auction for record £70 million Film4 boosted by 20% budget increase Intel revamps Atom platform for smartphone push Supermarkets slash beer prices

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ name mispelt on Hollywood Walk of Fame

The UK borrowing deficit will outstrip any other country in the EU this year, according to figures from the European Commission today. Related Stories Pearson set for acquisitions after selling IDC to private equity firms for $2bn Goldman investors line up for lawsuits Goldman agrees to pay fine over claims it broke short selling rules More job vacancies underline economic recovery Store price inflation highest since January

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UK budget deficit ’set to outstrip Greece’

A court hearing involving a teenager charged over a crash in which a 10-year-old boy was killed has been postponed. Related Stories Fan charged over post-match clashes Pipe bomb explodes outside police station Teenager in court over death crash ‘Suspicious’ blaze at historic hotel Smash-and-grab jewel raiders strike at Westfield shopping centre

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Death crash court hearing postponed

Cardiff will be given more time to pay off their £1.9million debt to HM Revenue and Customs after their case to avoid a winding-up order was adjourned for the fourth time.

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Cardiff winding-up order adjourned

Related Stories Potter quits Saints for return Down Under

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Dave Hadfield: Farewell to Edinburgh

Manchester City have consulted their legal team over Harry Redknapp’s claim that they stopped Tottenham from trying to sign Craig Bellamy in January 2009.

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Manchester City deny Redknapp transfer claim

Supermarkets are cutting the price of beer to the equivalent of as little as 48p a pint. Related Stories Spielberg to make film of ‘War Horse’ Turner Prize has grown up, says head judge Picasso sells at auction for record £70 million Film4 boosted by 20% budget increase Intel revamps Atom platform for smartphone push

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Supermarkets slash beer prices

An airline battle sparked by Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 returned to the High Court in London today - six years after the emirate won a judgment against Iraqi Airways which now stands at 1.2 billion dollars.

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Kuwait invasion airline battle back in court

Smash-and-grab raiders targeted jewellers at Europe’s largest urban shopping centre in the early hours of today.

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Smash-and-grab jewel raiders strike at Westfield shopping centre

With Labour and the Liberal Democrats each unlikely to secure an overall majority in the Commons tomorrow, tactical voting could play a major role in stopping David Cameron reaching Downing Street. Here, we present a guide to the key seats in which tactical voting may be crucial in securing a progressive majority in the Commons.

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The Independent guide to tactical voting

Eoin Morgan’s latest demonstration of his talents had few consequences as England scraped through to the ICC World Twenty20 Super Eight stages with a no-result against Ireland. Related Stories New Zealand qualify after Styris and McCullum shine with the ball Sutton defies doubters to keep Lancashire upright County Championship round-up: Hampshire’s wretched start salvaged by Carberry England stumble through after rain has the final say once again

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Collingwood praises ‘versatile’ Morgan

Steve Bates insists he is proud of Newcastle’s achievements this season despite having his contract terminated as Falcons rugby director. Related Stories World Cup winner Catt announces retirement Newcastle sack director Bates Newcastle sack coach Bates despite winning relegation battle

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Bates proud of Newcastle achievements

Carlos Tevez hopes both he and Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini are still at Manchester City next season. Related Stories Wenger dismisses Spurs’ bid to snatch third place Benitez’s rift with boardroom grows wider Ferguson plans to ‘freshen’ United side over summer Foster resigned to Manchester United exit Evans on verge of new Manchester United deal

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Tevez gives Mancini his backing

Barcelona defender Dani Alves quickly switched his attention to Saturday’s showdown with Sevilla following last night’s 4-1 defeat of Tenerife, describing the clash with his former club as “key”.

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Alves focused on Barcelona run-in

Ben Foster has accepted he will have to leave Manchester United to revive his flagging career. Related Stories Wenger dismisses Spurs’ bid to snatch third place Benitez’s rift with boardroom grows wider Ferguson plans to ‘freshen’ United side over summer Tevez gives Mancini his backing Evans on verge of new Manchester United deal

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Foster resigned to Manchester United exit

Intel, the world’s largest semiconductor company, unveiled a new version of its Atom platform, promising lower power consumption, cheaper cost and smaller size to better target smartphones. Related Stories Naomi Campbell: My temper may stem from childhood abandonment Spielberg to make film of ‘War Horse’ Turner Prize has grown up, says head judge Picasso sells at auction for record £70 million Film4 boosted by 20% budget increase

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Intel revamps Atom platform for smartphone push

A teenager will appear in court today to face charges in connection with a crash in which a 10-year-old boy was killed. Related Stories Alert lifted after central London area halted Jamaica calls in Met boss to help cut soaring murder rate Jockey blaze deaths accused ‘was angry’ Fan charged over post-match clashes Pipe bomb explodes outside police station

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Teenager in court over death crash

Annual shop price inflation hit its highest level since January last month as soaring petrol costs pushed up food prices, figures revealed today.

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Store price inflation highest since January

An inquest will resume today into the death of a British soldier killed in an explosion in Afghanistan.

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Inquest reopens for soldier killed in Afghan blast

Vacancies for permanent and temporary jobs continued to increase last month, showing that the employment market was continuing on the road to recovery, according to a report today. Related Stories Shop price inflation jumped again in April Adidas hopes to score big profits at World Cup Pearson set for acquisitions after selling IDC to private equity firms for $2bn Goldman investors line up for lawsuits Goldman agrees to pay fine over claims it broke short selling rules

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More job vacancies underline economic recovery

Channel 4 is ramping up its film financing budget, with new films involving Danny Boyle, Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in the pipeline. Related Stories Florence And The Machine lead field for Mojo awards Naomi Campbell: My temper may stem from childhood abandonment Spielberg to make film of ‘War Horse’ Turner Prize has grown up, says head judge Picasso sells at auction for record £70 million

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Film4 boosted by 20% budget increase

A 1932 Pablo Picasso painting of his mistress has sold for $106.5 million (£70 million), a world record price for any work of art at auction.

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Picasso sells at auction for record £70 million

A riot at one of Venezuela’s most violent prisons left eight inmates dead and three injured. Related Stories No explanation for bomb suspect boarding airliner New York bomb suspect ‘went to training camp in Pakistan’ Steel dome to contain oil leak will be ‘ready in days’ Kent State marks 40th years since shootings US court defends right to tell mother-in-law jokes

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Eight inmates killed in Venezuela prison riot

A pipe bomb exploded outside a police station in Northern Ireland, police said today.

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Pipe bomb explodes outside police station

The relatives of four students killed by National Guard troops at Kent State University remembered their loved ones along with hundreds of people who gathered at the site 40 years later.

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Kent State marks 40th years since shootings

Flights to and from Greece were grounded, trains and ferries suspended their routes and public services were paralysed today as angry workers went on strike in protest over huge spending cuts.

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Greek strike paralyses Greek public services

The Icelandic ash cloud caused further havoc for passengers today as yet more flights were grounded. Related Stories ‘Wake-up call’ as travellers reject UK destinations Flights resume after ash cloud travel misery Fresh concerns over ash cloud travel disruption Ash could disrupt air travel for a year, says government adviser Volcanic ash cloud continues to bring travel chaos

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Volcanic ash cloud brings further travel chaos

In anticipation of the World Cup, The Independent will be running down the key people and factors to keep an eye out for in South Africa with our World Cup Watch series.

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World Cup Watch: The big name managers

In 1930, the 16-year-old George Nissen watched in awe as trapeze artists performed their daring stunts at a travelling circus in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Seeing them dismount at the end of their routines, dropping from their swinging bars and bouncing into a safety net below set the keen gymnast and swimmer thinking about how the performers’ act would be even more spectacular if they could continue bouncing and doing more tricks

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George Nissen: Inventor of the trampoline

Pearson, the group that owns the Financial Times and Penguin Books, has sold its stake in Interactive Data Corporation (IDC) to two private equity companies in a deal worth $2bn (£1.3bn) to the publisher. Related Stories Essar suffers worst IPO in eight years Prudential set to offer shares at 40 per cent discount Shop price inflation jumped again in April Adidas hopes to score big profits at World Cup Goldman investors line up for lawsuits

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Pearson set for acquisitions after selling IDC to private equity firms for $2bn

Adidas raised its sales forecasts for the year yesterday, as it gave a more optimistic outlook for the World Cup on the back of strong first-quarter results. Related Stories Essar suffers worst IPO in eight years Prudential set to offer shares at 40 per cent discount Shop price inflation jumped again in April Pearson set for acquisitions after selling IDC to private equity firms for $2bn Goldman investors line up for lawsuits

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Adidas hopes to score big profits at World Cup

Apple’s iPhone has come under scrutiny from the US competition authorities, amid complaints that the tech giant is building a monopoly by unfairly locking out software rivals and advertisers. Related Stories Prudential set to offer shares at 40 per cent discount Shop price inflation jumped again in April Adidas hopes to score big profits at World Cup Pearson set for acquisitions after selling IDC to private equity firms for $2bn Goldman investors line up for lawsuits

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Competition watchdogs take a closer look at Apple’s rules on iPhone apps

Recovery hopes shielded Millennium & Copthorne as the market lurched lower last night, with the FTSE 100 suffering its worst one-day fall since November last year. Related Stories Investment Column: Go for G4S if you’re still feeling insecure

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Market Report: Millennium & Copthorne sidesteps market slump

Voters vented their anger at Conservative jibes about Gordon Brown in Newcastle during yesterday afternoon’s Independent soapbox hustings. Audience members were annoyed after Tory candidate Nick Holder quoted a Labour party member in an ill-advised joke about the prime minister’s track record. Related Stories Brown’s legacy may be a party never again able to rule alone Ashcroft gave Tories a further £123,464 donation, figures reveal Clegg will use strong poll result as mandate for electoral reform Cameron embarks on marathon tour of Britain in last-ditch bid for votes Election result still in doubt with four in 10 voters as yet undecided

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Voters vent their anger on Independent soapbox

Oh, the excitement

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Nevin’s Notes (05/05/10)

The Tories are showing that anything Gordon can do they can do better, longer, later and further. So they’re staying up until half-past 42 in the morning and will get up before they go to bed on election night.

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The Sketch: Farewell, unFlash Gordon and hello Bible Brown

New figures released by the election watchdog show the Conservatives accepted £123,464 from Lord Ashcroft, the deputy chairman of the party, who is spearheading the battle for the key marginal seats. Related Stories Brown’s legacy may be a party never again able to rule alone Clegg will use strong poll result as mandate for electoral reform Cameron embarks on marathon tour of Britain in last-ditch bid for votes Voters vent their anger on Independent soapbox Election result still in doubt with four in 10 voters as yet undecided

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Ashcroft gave Tories a further £123,464 donation, figures reveal

Investigators in the US and Pakistan were working yesterday to piece together the motives and the movements of the 30-year-old accused of trying to set off a car bomb in the heart of Times Square, who was pulled off a plane leaving New York just moments before it was due to take off. Related Stories 28 killed in US storms California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger no longer backs offshore oil plan Times Square bomb suspect set for court appearance Times Square bomb suspect cooperating and will face terror charges No explanation for bomb suspect boarding airliner

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New York bomb suspect ‘went to training camp in Pakistan’

Chelsea’s youth side kicked off what could become a historic 11-day period for the club by clinching the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 49 years with victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

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FA Youth Cup Final: Clifford takes chance to end long Chelsea wait

Goldman Sachs has been fined over allegations that it broke the short selling rules introduced to protect financial firms at the height of the market panic in 2008. Related Stories Prudential set to offer shares at 40 per cent discount Shop price inflation jumped again in April Adidas hopes to score big profits at World Cup Pearson set for acquisitions after selling IDC to private equity firms for $2bn Goldman investors line up for lawsuits

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Goldman agrees to pay fine over claims it broke short selling rules

Student fees will have to rise to £7,500 a year to maintain standards in higher education, a leading university vice-chancellor warns today. Related Stories Watching TV ‘makes toddlers less intelligent’ Conservatives back fines for parents who falsely accuse teachers

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Vice-chancellor warns: top-up fees must double

A fresh corruption scandal cast a shadow on Silvio Berlusconi’s government yesterday when a cabinet minister quit after an investigation into the purchase of his luxury apartment in Rome.

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Berlusconi ally quits over apartment allegations

Sir Alex Ferguson indicated last night that there may be some fundamental changes to his side this summer as he spoke of a need to “freshen”, with one or two players possibly on their way out of the club. Related Stories Redknapp fires first shot: City’s bully tactics ruined our bid to sign Bellamy Mancini tells his side to ‘change the club’s history’ in one game Benitez has had no Juve offer, says his agent Wenger dismisses Spurs’ bid to snatch third place Benitez’s rift with boardroom grows wider

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Ferguson plans to ‘freshen’ United side over summer

Nothing can quite match the culmination of a rain-affected cricket match for that elusive combination of low farce and high drama. It is a piece of theatre beyond the most illustrious thespians, but with which any cricketer worth his jock-strap is well accustomed. Related Stories Rain dampens England’s spirits to set up knockout tie with Irish Collingwood wants perfect performance New Zealand qualify after Styris and McCullum shine with the ball Sutton defies doubters to keep Lancashire upright County Championship round-up: Hampshire’s wretched start salvaged by Carberry

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England stumble through after rain has the final say once again

At one point earlier this year it looked as though Election Night 2010 might be a rather subdued affair. Around a quarter of Returning Officers wanted to delay the count in their constituencies until the following day, to save money and reduce the risk of error through exhaustion. But swingometer addicts insisted that the loss of excitement was too high a price to pay

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A night to remember: How to plan your election viewing

Last week’s election broadcast by the Conservatives is one of the most unusual to grace any campaign in living memory. We are accustomed to politicians attacking the policies of other parties, or the personalities of rival leaders – but this one was dedicated to attacking a theoretical possibility: a hung parliament. Related Stories Cameron embarks on marathon tour of Britain in last-ditch bid for votes Voters vent their anger on Independent soapbox Election result still in doubt with four in 10 voters as yet undecided A night to remember: How to plan your election viewing The fourth debate: You ask the questions to the leaders of the three main parties

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A guide to hung parliaments