Arsenal mulling over shock swoop for Vieira

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has refused to rule out a sensational swoop for the English Premier League club’s former midfield general Patrick Vieira. The veteran France international is expected to leave Italian champions Inter Milan, and has been linked with a return to Arsenal following rumors that he is also wanted by north London rivals Tottenham

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Schumacher in frame to replace improving Massa

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher could be set to make a shock return to Formula One as Ferrari look for a short-term replacement for the injured Felipe Massa. The 28-year-old Brazilian is currently in intensive care at the AEK military hospital in Budapest after suffering a fractured skull in a freak accident in qualifying for Saturday’s Hungarian Grand Prix

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Amanpour: Dented Khamenei faces battle of wills

Despite his threats of "consequences" and the subsequent beatings and shooting deaths by government agents, the open protests on Iran’s streets by hundreds of thousands of people have dented the shield of invincibility of Iran’s Supreme religious Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, say sources in Iran. Chants of “Death to Khamenei” broke a state-imposed, and a self-imposed absolute prohibition on criticizing a leader believed to be wielding the wisdom and authority of God himself. But right now, the massive network of Iran’s intelligence agents, Revolutionary Guard, paramilitary Basij, and police of all sorts, are cracking down.

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Can Federer finally flourish at the French Open?

World tennis number two Roger Federer has given his fans some hope that this year could be the year he finally conquers all at Roland Garros. The 27-year-old from Switzerland has won 13 Grand Slam titles, but never the clay court-contested French Open. Federer’s nemesis, Rafael Nadal, has already claimed the Australian Open in a strong start to 2009, and his preparations towards a fifth consecutive French Open title seemed to be all in order until the Swiss player struck at the Madrid Open this week

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Ronaldo drops stay at Man Utd hint

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to end speculation about his Manchester United future by dropping a clear hint that he intends to stay at Old Trafford. The World Player of the Year has been consistently linked with a switch to Real Madrid and looked set for a move to the Bernabeu last summer before pledging his future to United where he is contracted until 2012. With Florentino Perez pledging to build a new superteam as part of his campaign to be elected Real Madrid club president, inevitably talk has turned to a new bid to sign the Portuguese star.

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Four jailed in landmark Web piracy case

Four men behind a Swedish file-sharing Web site used by millions to exchange movies and music have been jailed for a year for collaborating to violate copyright law in a landmark court verdict in Stockholm. The four defendants — Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi and Carl Lundstrom, three founders and one patron of The Pirate Bay — were also ordered to pay 30 million kronor ($3.6 million) in damages to several major media companies including Warner Brothers, Columbia, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony BMG and EMI. The Pirate Bay allows users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software, but does not host the files itself.

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Verdict due in major Internet piracy case

The founders of a Swedish file-sharing Web site could face jail time and multimillion-dollar fines if convicted of copyright infringement. A verdict is expected Friday in the landmark copyright case between major movie studios and The Pirate Bay, one of the world’s most popular file-sharing Web sites. The site allows users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software, but does not host the files itself.

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The Beleaguered Banks Get Ready for Their Big Test

Bank nationalization is the phrase on everyone’s lips at the moment — with Alan Greenspan, Chris Dodd and Paul Krugman among the leading lights of the unlikely coalition in favor of it, and members of the Obama Administration repeatedly denying that it’s in their plans. It’s a misleading debate, though, given that the U.S

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