Yahoo! News: World News

Iran's president intervened in American's release (AP)
AP - An Iranian news agency says Saturday's planned released of one of three Americans jailed for more than a year is a result of intervention by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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Afghans protest, Fla. pastor plans to meet NY imam (AP)
AP - As thousands of Afghans protested a tiny Florida church's plan to burn the Muslim holy book, the church's pastor said he won't follow through with the burning if he's able to meet Saturday with the organizers behind a mosque planned near ground zero in New York.

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Day of mourning for Russian car bomb victims (AP)
AP - Flags flew at half-staff in the southern Russian city of Vladikavkaz on Friday and stunned residents laid flowers in a square where a suicide car bombing killed 17 people and wounded more than 140.

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Yahoo! Sports

Saints beat Vikes to open title defense (AP)
The New Orleans Saints -- the top offense in the league last year -- had just enough in Thursday's opener against the Minnesota Vikings to take a 14-9 lead after three quarters. Drew Brees, who drove the Saints 77 yards to open the game, started the third quarter with a 74-yard scoring drive to regain the lead.

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Pats make Brady NFL's top earner at $18M (AP)
A day that started badly for Tom Brady turned out to be a pretty good one after all. After a morning crash left Brady's car damaged but the New England Patriots quarterback unhurt, he came to terms on a contract that will make him the highest paid player in the NFL. Two people with knowledge of the contract said Thursday night that Brady has agreed to a four-year extension beginning in 2011.

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Top seed Nadal advances to Open semis (AP)
Most signs point toward Rafa vs. Roger in the U.S. Open final. If that does come to pass, Fernando Verdasco knows who he'd pick. After losing in straight sets to No. 1 Rafael Nadal on yet another semi-miserable, windblown night in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday, Verdasco walked away more impressed by the conditions -- and by Roger Federer -- than anything Nadal did.

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Yahoo! News: Business News

Energy to lead Wall Street higher, semis eyed (Reuters)
Reuters - Stocks were set to rise at the open on Friday after posting gains in six of the last seven sessions, buoyed by a jump in crude oil prices.

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Nokia brings in Microsoft exec to replace CEO (Reuters)
Reuters - Nokia has hired Stephen Elop, a Canadian Microsoft executive of Silicon Valley pedigree, to replace its embattled chief executive and renew its drive to compete with Apple.

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SEC probing certain investment advisory firms: report (Reuters)
Reuters - The securities regulator is investigating investment advisory firms that channel investors' money into hedge funds, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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Yahoo! News: Most Viewed

Afghans protest, Fla. pastor plans to meet NY imam (AP)
AP - As thousands of Afghans protested a tiny Florida church's plan to burn the Muslim holy book, the church's pastor said he won't follow through with the burning if he's able to meet Saturday with the organizers behind a mosque planned near ground zero in New York.

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U.S. slips in WEF's competitiveness rankings (Reuters)
Reuters - Switzerland remains the world's most competitive economy, while the United States has fallen from second to fourth after losing the top spot last year, according to the World Economic Forum's annual rankings issued on Thursday.

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Pilots who faked resumes back in the air (Reuters)
Reuters - Chinese pilots who had lied about their flying experience have been allowed to return to work after they took remedial action to make up their hours, according to the country's aviation watchdog.

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