Arsenal join Utd in Champs last 8 after pens

Holders Manchester United swept into the last eight of the Champions League with a 2-0 second leg victory over Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan — and Arsenal joined them after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win at Roma. That means all four Premier League contenders are in the quarterfinal draw on March 20 after Liverpool and Chelsea triumphed on Tuesday.

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Mini-summit aims to smooth Arab differences

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria will meet in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a mini-summit designed to improve relations between the countries, according to a Saudi government official who did not want to be identified. The three leaders are Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Saudi King Abdullah. The source said “an open invitation” has been issued “for the leaders of any Gulf country and the leader of Jordan to attend the summit.” There has been tension between Saudi Arabia and Syria over Syria’s ties to Iran, its support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and allegations over Syrian links to the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

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Rare Harry Potter book fetches $19,000 at auction

A first-edition Harry Potter book was sold for about $19,000, according to an auction house in Dallas, Texas. The soft-cover book was one of 200 copies printed and is a rarity compared with later editions of the popular series that were printed in the millions, the Heritage Auction Galleries said. The book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” includes an autograph from author J.K

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Ferdinand boost for United quintuple bid

Manchester United received a major boost in their quest for an unprecedented quintuple as injury doubts over central defender Rio Ferdinand lifted ahead of their Champions League last 16 return tie against Inter Milan on Wednesday. Ferdinand turned his ankle in the 4-0 thrashing of Fulham which put United into the semifinals of the FA Cup on Saturday and was rated a major doubt for the the second leg with the two teams tied 0-0 after their San Siro clash a fortnight ago. “Rio is a bit of a concern,” manager Alex Ferguson had told United’s television channel MUTV

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China says U.S. ship violated international law

A U.S. surveillance ship violated Chinese and international laws during patrols more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the Chinese coast over the weekend, China’s state-run media reported Tuesday. “China has lodged serious representations with the United States, as the USNS Impeccable conducted activities in China’s special economic zone in the South China Sea,” said Ma Zhaoxu, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman.

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Brown condemns killing of N. Irish policeman

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Tuesday condemned the "murderers" who shot dead a police officer in Northern Ireland but pledged there would be "no return to the old days" when such killings were common. The officer was shot late Monday, just two days after two British troops were killed at a military base in the province. Police said 48-year old Stephen Paul Carroll was shot in the head in Craigavon, a town southwest of Belfast

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