NYT > Asia Pacific

• Japan Sees a Chance to Promote Its Energy-Frugal Ways
  Japan?s single-minded dedication to reducing energy use, which dates to the 1970s, has given it the potential to play a rare leadership role on a pressing global issue.
  
  


• 9 Terrorism Suspects Detained in Indonesia After a Raid Uncovers Bombs
  Indonesian police transferred nine suspected terrorists, bound and wearing black hoods, to Jakarta after their arrest in southern Sumatra.
  
  


• Flights Begin From China to Taiwan
  The flights, the latest breakthrough in warming cross-strait relations, mark the first time that ?ordinary? Chinese citizens will be allowed to visit Taiwan as tourists.
  
  


• Bush to Attend Opening Ceremony in Beijing
  The president?s decision was fraught with international symbolism that quickly drew criticism from advocates for human rights.
  
  


• China Agrees to More Talks on Tibet
  Tibetan envoys left Beijing on Thursday after two days of private meetings with a pledge for more talks.
  
  


• Leadership Void Seen in Pakistan
  Confusion over the lack of leadership is allowing militants to consolidate their sanctuaries along the border area of the country.
  
  


• Old-Line Taliban Commander Is Face of Rising Afghan Threat
  An attack has revealed the way former mujahedeen leaders combine forces with foreign terrorist groups.
  
  


• Inside Gate, India?s Good Life; Outside, the Servants? Slums
  Many members of India?s upper middle class have moved to gated communities, with servants who live in nearby slums.
  
  


• Taliban Leader Flaunts Power Inside Pakistan
  An appearance by the reclusive Baitullah Mehsud shows the wide latitude Pakistan has granted the militants.
  
  


• Taliban Make Afghan Stability a Distant Goal
  Some local officials say NATO must strike the Taliban while they are weak, to prevent a summer offensive.
  
  

NYT > College Basketball

• Groce Hired as Men?s Coach at Ohio University
  John Groce had been the top assistant under Ohio State coach Thad Matta for the past four years. He also worked under Matta at Xavier University and at Butler University.
  
  


• Pacific-10 Commissioner to Announce His Retirement
  The Pacific-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen will announce his retirement on Monday afternoon, in the second major change to college athletics leadership in less than a week.
  
  


• Basketball: Player Caught in a Web Not of His Spinning
  Bol Kong has received a scholarship offer from Gonzaga, but he has been denied a visa because of his origins in Sudan, a state sponsor of terrorism.
  
  


• High School Ranks Have Been Infiltrated by Agents
  The report last week that O. J. Mayo received thousands of dollars in extra benefits in high school ultimately was not a shock to those in college basketball circles.
  
  


• Associate Says Mayo Received Gifts
  A former associate of U.S.C. freshman O. J. Mayo claims Mayo received thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts that would violate N.C.A.A. rules.
  
  


• Alan Seiden, a Key to a St. John?s N.I.T. Title, Is Dead at 71
  Mr. Seiden was an all-American guard who helped lead the St. John?s basketball team to the 1959 National Invitation Tournament.
  
  


• Will Robinson, Top Scout, Dies at 96
  Mr. Robinson broke racial barriers as a college basketball coach and discovered talented players as a scout for both professional basketball and football teams.
  
  


• Papers Show Tennessee Turned In Connecticut
  Tennessee filed more than 30 pages of documents with the Southeastern Conference in 2006 complaining of the recruiting practices of the Connecticut women?s basketball program.
  
  


• Off-Season of Problems for New Indiana Coach
  As if Tom Crean did not have enough to worry about with an N.C.A.A. investigation, he is wrestling with an academic problem that threatens to cost the program up to two scholarships.
  
  


• TV Sports: Women Are Finding Their Voices Behind the Mike
  Doris Burke?s success as an analyst and sideline reporter for college and professional basketball symbolizes notable progress in a profession that is still male-oriented.
  
  

NYT > College Football

• John Pont, Who Coached Indiana to Rose Bowl, Dies at 80
  Mr. Pont was a football-coaching lifer who was best remembered for taking Indiana University to its first bowl game in 1968.
  
  


• A Game Changer Left Unchanged by the Game
  In an era when high school prospects increasingly seek handouts and entourages, Jamarkus McFarland, college football?s top defensive recruit, stands out.
  
  


• College Football: NBC Remains Faithful to Struggling Notre Dame
  Notre Dame and NBC Sports reached a deal Thursday guaranteeing that the university?s home football games will remain on the network through the 2015 season.
  
  


• Pacific-10 Commissioner to Announce His Retirement
  The Pacific-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen will announce his retirement on Monday afternoon, in the second major change to college athletics leadership in less than a week.
  
  


• Tranghese, Commissioner of Big East, to Step Down in 2009
  Mike Tranghese joined as the Big East?s first full-time employee in 1979, and has served as commissioner since his friend and mentor Dave Gavitt left in June 1990.
  
  


• Presidents Seem Ready to Punt on B.C.S. Playoff
  Talk about change in the postseason structure had percolated through the bowl season, but no major changes appear to be on the horizon.
  
  


• Question of Age Is Getting Old for Paterno
  With spring practice having ended Saturday with an intrasquad game, Penn State Coach Joe Paterno and the university he brought into the spotlight are facing turbulent times.
  
  


• In Ivy League, New Career Path Leads to N.F.L.
  Paul Raymond, the only Ivy League player with a decent chance of being drafted this year, could join a tiny, but slowly growing gridiron fraternity: Ivy League education, N.F.L. job.
  
  


• Mendenhall Leaves a Gap for Illinois
  Illinois began spring practice three weeks ago wondering who would replace Rashard Mendenhall after he packed his bags for the N.F.L. draft and a likely first-round selection.
  
  


• Long in the Shadows, a Player?s Legacy Is Restored
  Jackie Walker, an all-American linebacker at the University of Tennessee, had faded from the record books, largely because he was gay. But on Sunday, he will become part of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.
  
  

NYT > Environment

• Japan Sees a Chance to Promote Its Energy-Frugal Ways
  Japan?s single-minded dedication to reducing energy use, which dates to the 1970s, has given it the potential to play a rare leadership role on a pressing global issue.
  
  


• Seasonal Factor Seen in Melting and Ice Shifts in Greenland
  A study using 17 years of satellite measurements suggests that the movement of glacial ice is not as rapid as had been feared.
  
  


• U.S. Lifts Moratorium on New Solar Projects
  Under increasing public pressure, the federal government lifted a freeze on new solar projects, barely a month after it was put into effect.
  
  


• Possible Flaws in State Plan to Rescue the Everglades
  Skeptics of Florida?s proposed purchase of a large swath of the Everglades fear the oft-fertilized farmland could take at least a decade and billions of dollars to rehabilitate.
  
  


• Deal Is Struck in Montana to Preserve Forest Areas
  A huge patchwork of privately owned forest in northwest Montana will be permanently protected from development.
  
  


• Georgia Judge Cites Carbon Dioxide in Denying Coal Plant Permit
  Both opponents of coal use and the company that wants to build the plant said it was the first time a court decision had linked carbon dioxide to an air pollution permit.
  
  


• Solution, or Mess? A Milk Jug for a Green Earth
  A simple change to the design of the gallon milk jug keeps the milk fresher and holds costs down.
  
  


• Can Weeds Help Solve the Climate Crisis?
  Weedy ancestors of our food crops, some scientists predict, will cope far better with coming climatic changes than their domesticated descendants.
  
  


• Garden Is a Seedbed for Green Cosmetics
  The maker of the cosmetics brand Dr. Hauschka is one of dozens of German companies benefiting from a growing global appetite for environmentally friendly products.
  
  


• Citing Need for Assessments, U.S. Freezes Solar Energy Projects
  The freeze has caused widespread concern in the industry, forcing fledgling solar companies to wait just as demand for alternative energy is accelerating.
  
  

NYT > Europe

• 2nd Terror Suspect Released in Britain
  The release of the unnamed Algerian was the second time in a little more than two weeks that a suspect named by prosecutors as having close ties to Osama bin Laden has been freed on bail in Britain.
  
  


• Berlin Journal: An American Nest Returns to Its Historic German Perch
  The opening of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin marks the final chapter in more than a decade of an often bitter process between the city and American diplomats.
  
  


• A Surprised France Prepares a Welcome
  A jubilant France prepares to welcome Ingrid Betancourt, the French-Colombian politician freed on Wednesday after six years of captivity by rebels in the Colombian jungle.
  
  


• Criminal Charges Against Continental in Deadly Concorde Crash
  Continental Airlines and two of its employees have been ordered to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges related to the 2000 crash.
  
  


• A Billionaire Governor Resigns in Russia
  Roman A. Abramovich, an investor, soccer club owner and yachtsman, has resigned his post as governor of Chukotka, an impoverished, icy expanse of Russia?s far east.
  
  


• Seasonal Factor Seen in Melting and Ice Shifts in Greenland
  A study using 17 years of satellite measurements suggests that the movement of glacial ice is not as rapid as had been feared.
  
  


• Two Killed in South Ossetia Bombardment
  Six people were also wounded in heavy exchanges of fire that the Georgian government and the separatists blamed on one another, media reports and officials said.
  
  


• World Briefing | Europe: Turkey: Court Challenge for Leaders
  The deputy prime minister defended his party in court against charges that it was steering Turkey toward Islamic rule.
  
  


• World Briefing | Europe: Germany: Wish You Were Here
  A German woman missing from a retirement home for more than two months has been found safe, sunning herself on a beach in the Canary Islands, the German police said.
  
  


• World Briefing | Europe: Italy: Census of Gypsies Raises Fears
  The government?s plans to fingerprint Gypsies living in camps in Italy, including children, drew criticism from a Catholic human rights group in Rome that warned that it would set a dangerous precedent.
  
  

NYT > Nutrition

• Fitness: 60-Plus, Ripped, and Natural Competitors
  Seniors flaunt their muscles (and Speedos) at drug-free events.


• Personal Health: Seeking Answers to Stop Another Stillbirth
  In about half the cases of stillbirth there are no answers, and couples cannot be sure this tragedy will not repeat.


• Really?: The Claim: A Fever in a Baby Is a Sign of Teething
  An old wives? tale says a feverish baby is not always a cause for concern.


• Q & A: Singing and Fitness
  Is singing exercise? Could I lose weight by vocalizing?


• Vital Signs: At Risk: Pot Belly in Midlife Is Linked to Dementia
  People with a large pot belly in midlife are at increased risk for dementia in their later years, according to a new study.


• In Deep-Dish Pizza Land, a Thinner Blue Line
  Jody P. Weis, superintendent of the Chicago police, has shocked the ranks with talk of mandatory fitness tests and maximum body-fat allowances for officers.


• Personal Best: Yes, Running Can Make You High
  That blissful mood after an intense workout is no coincidence, a study shows.


• Front Row: A Bad Reaction to a Diet
  Vogue made the proposal, but was it indecent?

NYT > Golf

• Golf Roundup: Familiarity Leads to Success at AT&T
  Steve Marino birdied three of his opening four holes, never had a par putt longer than 5 feet and finished his round with an 8-foot birdie to lead a round for only the second time in his career.
  
  


• Woods Won?t Host Event; He?ll Rest Knee Instead
  Tiger Woods will not be able to host his AT&T National event this week due to major reconstructive surgery on his left knee.
  
  


• On Par: New Course Is a Marriage of Ingenuity and Nature
  The Pound Ridge Golf Club, the first course in New York State designed by Pete and Alice Dye, is high-end, public and of championship caliber.
  
  


• A Veteran Takes a Bow as a Youngster Takes the Title
  Exit Annika Sorenstam, enter Inbee Park, the teenager from South Korea who withstood withering pressure to win the United States Open on Sunday.
  
  


• Wie Tries to Rebuild Her Game and Her Fame
  Michelle Wie has battled a wrist injury and drama in her professional relationships. She has also gone through more caddies than most pros have drivers.
  
  


• Beating the Odds in Life, and at the U.S. Open
  Stacy Lewis, a professional golfer for just 19 days, is neither surprised nor particularly nervous about leading the United States Women?s Open after three rounds.
  
  


• Golf Notebook: Winner of ?41 Masters to Join Hall of Fame
  Forty years after he died, Craig Wood has been elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame by earning the minimum 65 percent of the vote.
  
  


• Not in Lead, Sorenstam Is Still Star of Open
  Playing in her last U.S. Open, Annika Sorenstam is five shots back of the 19-year-old clubhouse leader, Angela Park.
  
  


• At Open, Some Stars Struggle on Deceptively Soft Greens
  Soggy greens resulted in multiple low scores in the first round of the United States Women?s Open.
  
  


• Sorenstam Welcomes All Aboard at the Open
  Nearly 500 fans followed Annika Sorenstam through a practice round at the United States Women?s Open on Wednesday.
  
  

NYT > Health Care Policy

• Insurer Signals Confidence in Criticized Cholesterol Drug
  United Health Group said it will recommend patients continue using Vytorin, despite cardiologists? caution that patients use the drug only if others have failed.


• Seeking Alternatives to Animal-Derived Drugs
  Concern about the possibility of animal viruses has led to a renewed search for synthetic replacements for certain crucial medicines that are still derived from animal parts.


• Reynolds Ads Say Tobacco Oversight Is Burden F.D.A. Doesn?t Need
  The tobacco giant is attacking the F.D.A. as weak and overextended amid a Congressional effort to empower the agency to regulate the tobacco industry.


• National Standards to Rank Physicians Planned
  The agreement represents a truce between doctors and health insurers in their longstanding dispute over how health plans rank physicians? efforts in taking care of patients.


• Vital Statistics: TB Declines, but the Toll Is Still ?Severe?
  The decline in the nation?s tuberculosis rate is slowing.


• Vital Signs: Regimens: Drug Samples Found to Affect Spending
  Having doctors distribute free samples of medicines may do encourage patients to spend more money on drugs.


• Insure Me, Please: The Murky Politics of Mind-Body
  Mental health insurance parity raises all sorts of tricky questions. Is an ailment a legitimate disease if you can?t test for it?


• Health Plans: Lacking Cure, a New Tack on a Muscle Disease
  Rather than concentrate only on a cure for a common form of muscular dystrophy, researchers are now intent on alleviating its effects.


• Managing Outcomes Helps a Children?s Hospital Climb in Renown
  The Cincinnati Children?s Hospital Medical Center has used its focus on rare or complex conditions to emerge as a national name in pediatric medicine, drawing patients from distant cities.


• In Bid for Better Care, Surgery With a Warranty
  A hospital group is trying a radically new method to avoid costly mistakes, charging a flat fee that includes follow-up care.

NYT > Africa

• U.S. Pushes U.N. Sanctions on Zimbabwe and Mugabe
  The U.S. proposed U.N. sanctions including an arms embargo and punitive measures against those responsible for undermining the presidential election through violence.
  
  


• A Threat Renewed: Ragtag Insurgency Gains a Lifeline From Al Qaeda
  A group of Algerian militants has been transformed from a nationalist insurgency to a potent ally of Al Qaeda.
  
  


• U.N. Aid Official Seized in Somalia
  The head of the U.N. refugee agency in the country?s capital was abducted on Saturday night, and a local peace activist was killed.
  
  


• Assassins in Zimbabwe Aim at the Grass Roots
  At least 85 people have been killed in a campaign against the opposition in a presidential runoff, civic groups said.
  
  


• South Africans Take Out Rage on Immigrants
  The violence continued to rage on Monday, as police fired rubber bullets and made arrests to try to quell the violence in and around Johannesburg.
  
  


• Famine Looms as Wars Rend Horn of Africa
  Villagers say Somalis are dying of hunger and thirst amid soaring food prices, skimpy rainfall and rising violence.
  
  


• In Zimbabwe Jail: A Reporter?s Ordeal
  A Times reporter, jailed for ?committing journalism? while reporting on the elections in Zimbabwe, writes about his ordeal.
  
  


• Opposition Rejects Call to Start Talks With Mugabe
  Zimbabwe?s opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, rejected the African Union?s call for talks with Robert Mugabe, citing continuing government-backed violence.
  
  


• Bush Asks for Help, Abroad and at Home, in Sending Aid to Africa
  President Bush called for Congress to renew his global AIDS initiative and urged other nations to live up to their promises to fight poverty and disease on the continent.
  
  


• World Briefing | Africa: Congo: Court Orders Release of Former Militia Leader
  Judges at the International Criminal Court ordered the release of Thomas Lubanga, a former Congolese militia leader, saying that he could not get a fair trial.
  
  

NYT > Hockey

• Rangers Say Goodbye to Jagr With the Signing of Naslund
  The Jaromir Jagr era ended for the Rangers on Thursday when the team decided not to wait any longer for a decision from Jagr, and signed Vancouver forward Markus Naslund.
  
  


• Avery Taking His Popular Style to Dallas
  Sean Avery, the controversial forward, signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract with the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
  
  


• Devils Keep Their Roster Filled With Familiar Names
  Two veteran Devils players decided to return Tuesday, when the N.H.L. free-agent signing period began.
  
  


• As First Step, Rangers Fortify Defense
  O n the first day of the N.H.L.?s free-agency period the Rangers moved to improve their defensive corps.
  
  


• Dollar?s Drop Alters Dynamic in N.H.L.
  When Brian Burke was preparing to become general manager of the Vancouver Canucks in the spring of 1998, many N.H.L. executives urged him to wait for a more stable opening.
  
  


• Backup Goalie Leaves Isles for Russia
  Wade Dubielewicz, the Islanders? backup goalie, has signed with Ak Bars Kazan, a top club in the Russian league K.H.L.
  
  


• Viktor Kuzkin, 67, Soviet Hockey Star, Dies
  Mr. Kuzkin, a three-time Olympic champion, played 169 times for the U.S.S.R., scoring 18 goals, and was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 2005.
  
  


• A Hockey Team Built on Showmanship Is Sidelined Indefinitely
  The Austin Ice Bats, a novelty in the city for over a decade, announced plans to shut down for the coming season after years of declining attendance.
  
  


• With N.H.L. Draft Over, the Heavy Lifting Begins
  Summertime for 29 N.H.L. general managers is about making repairs, stocking talent and telling yourself and your fans that you were not that far from competing for the Stanley Cup.
  
  


• Lightning Selects Forward With Top Pick in N.H.L. Draft
  Steven Stamkos was selected with the No. 1 pick in the N.H.L. draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.
  
  

NYT > Media & Advertising

• Google Told to Turn Over User Data of YouTube
  The order raised concerns that the online video viewing habits of tens of millions of people could be exposed.
  
  


• A Lucrative Deal for Rush Limbaugh
  In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, the talk show radio host said he would receive a $100 million signing bonus and about $38 million a year for eight years under the new contract.
  
  


• Advertising: Kozy Shack in Snack Lineup for the Mets
  Tubs of Kozy Shack rice and chocolate puddings are now being sold at Shea Stadium alongside the hot dogs and giant pretzels, and are being included in children?s meals at the ballpark.
  
  


• L.A. Times Newsroom to Shrink by 150 Jobs
  The decision to eliminate more than one-sixth of the newsroom staff and publish 15 percent fewer pages is the deepest of a series of cuts at the Tribune Company as it tries to stay afloat.
  
  


• The Times Wins 3 Loeb Awards for Reporting
  The New York Times won three Gerald Loeb Awards for reporting on subjects that ranged from the rural factories of China to the rarefied boardrooms of Wall Street.
  
  


• Publicis to Buy Kekst Public Relations Firm
  Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but people briefed on it said it was worth as much as $150 million.
  
  


• Clay Felker, Magazine Pioneer, Dies at 82
  At New York magazine, Mr. Felker was credited with inventing a widely imitated formula for glossy weeklies.
  
  


• What Do Women Want? A Developer Asks, and Listens
  Listening to female shoppers may seem like a logical thing to do, yet many developers and consultants say such input is often missing in the early stages of shopping center development.
  
  


• Blockbuster Drops Bid for Circuit City
  Blockbuster said on Tuesday that it was withdrawing its proposal to acquire Circuit City Stores.
  
  


• Advertising: The Force Lives On, as Do the Toys
  The retailer Toys ?R? Us is counting down to July 26, when it begins selling toys from the latest ?Star Wars? film, ?The Clone Wars,? an animated movie that opens in August.
  
  

NYT > Middle East

• Obama Fuels Pullout Debate With Remarks
  The changing dynamics in Iraq have posed a challenge for Barack Obama, who said Thursday that he might ?refine? his policies but later held a second news conference to clarify his first statement.
  
  


• Panel Questions State Dept. Role in Iraq Oil Deal
  Bush administration officials knew that an oil company with close ties to President Bush planned to sign an oil deal with the Kurdistan government, counter to U.S. policy.
  
  


• Iraq Hints at Delay in U.S. Security Deal
  Sticking points in the negotiations include the extent of Iraqi control over American operations and the right of American soldiers deployed here to detain suspects.
  
  


• Palestinian Kills 3 With Construction Vehicle
  A Palestinian driver in Jerusalem rammed several cars and two buses before a police officer shot him dead.
  
  


• World Briefing | Middle East: Hezbollah Leader Confirms Exchange Deal With Israel
  Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, confirmed that the group would hand over two captured Israeli soldiers in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners in Israel.
  
  


• Softer Tone From Iran Has Experts Guessing
  Two top Iranian officials sounded conciliatory notes about the prospects of breaching the impasse between the West and Tehran over the country?s nuclear ambitions.
  
  


• U.S. Agrees to Lift Immunity for Contractors in Iraq
  The concession could make private security companies, like Blackwater USA, subject to prosecution under Iraqi law.
  
  


• After Deaths, U.S. Inspects Electric Work Done in Iraq
  Gen. David H. Petraeus told Congress of the new inspections while also disclosing that at least 13 American personnel had been electrocuted in Iraq since the war began.
  
  


• Iraq to Open Oil Fields for 35 Foreign Companies; Initial No-Bid Contracts Delayed
  The contracts are aimed at helping the country to double its production, to 4.5 million barrels of oil a day over the next five years from the current 2.5 million barrels.
  
  


• RAND Releases Delayed Iraq History
  The study chronicles a wide range of factors that hampered the American effort to stabilize Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
  
  

NYT > U.S.

• Blazes in California Take a Toll on Fireworks
  Wildfires have prompted some California towns and cities to impose a temporary ban on the use of fireworks.
  
  


• Two Subplots in Guantánamo?s Long Legal Story
  The Bush administration?s effort to prosecute detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, now has two fast-moving subplots, and either one could soon write something of a final chapter.
  
  


• Copying Issue Raises Hurdle for Bush Pick
  For Michael E. O?Neill, who helped steer Supreme Court nominations through the confirmation process, there are signs his nomination to a federal district court might be difficult as well.
  
  


• Obama Fuels Pullout Debate With Remarks
  Change in Iraq has posed a challenge for Barack Obama, who said he might ?refine? his policies but later held a news conference to clarify his statement.
  
  


• Outlook Darker as Jobs Are Lost
  The unemployment rate held steady as 62,000 jobs disappeared in June, the Labor Department reported.
  
  


• 2 Supervisors Are Arrested After Sweep at Meat Plant
  Hundreds of illegal immigrants were rounded up in May at the kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa, and the two supervisors were arrested on criminal immigration charges.
  
  


• Governor of Florida Is Rebuffed on Gambling
  The Florida Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Charlie Crist overstepped his authority in a deal that let the Seminole Tribe install slot machines and offer blackjack and baccarat at its casinos.
  
  


• Report Finds Far More Viewing of Celebrities? Passport Files
  A report found that employees may have improperly peeked into the passport files of wealthy people and celebrities far more often than previously believed.
  
  


• Google Told to Turn Over User Data of YouTube
  The order raised concerns that the online video viewing habits of tens of millions of people could be exposed.
  
  


• California Fire Creeps Closer to Homes in Big Sur
  Residents of the scenic Big Sur Valley watched anxiously as authorities ordered more coastal residents to evacuate.
  
  

NYT > Baseball

• Red Sox 7, Yankees 0: The Yankees Are Silenced, and Girardi Lets Them Hear It
  It was a challenge for Manager Joe Girardi to keep his composure after the Yankees? lifeless loss to Boston, in which Jon Lester, the Red Sox? starter, was magnificent in a five-hit shutout.
  
  


• Mets 11, Cardinals 1: Mets Easily Clobber Cardinals, but Phillies Loom as True Test
  An explosive offensive performance overshadowed an excellent start by Mike Pelfrey and kept the Mets within four and a half games of the Phillies heading into their four-game series.
  
  


• Lester Quickly Settles Down and Sets Down Yanks
  Jon Lester silenced the Yankees with a complete-game five-hitter and allowed only one runner to reach as far as third base in powering the Red Sox to a 7-0 victory.
  
  


• Yankee Intern, Injured in Iraq, to Throw Out First Pitch Friday
  Tony Odierno lost his left arm when a rocket-propelled grenade smashed through his Humvee in Iraq almost four years ago.
  
  


• Baseball Delayed Tests for Half of ?04
  Major League Baseball did not test players for performance-enhancing drugs for more than half of the 2004 season, according to a letter sent by Commissioner Bud Selig to Congress.
  
  


• A Hand From a Fan That Isn?t a Problem
  Randy Dunning?s visit to Camden Yards in May was a chance to do ?one last fun thing? before reporting to Officer Candidate School. Thanks to Manny Ramirez, he?ll never forget the game.
  
  


• Yankees Notebook: Swelling in Knee Keeps Matsui Away From Drills
  The Yankees had hoped that Hideki Matsui would be able to take batting practice this weekend, but his troublesome left knee did not cooperate. An operation is possible and would likely end his season.
  
  


• Mets Notebook: With a Trip to Philadelphia, Mets Get to See Where They Stand
  The Mets and Phillies series, which begins Friday night in Philadelphia, will provide a good litmus test before the Mets close out the first half of the season.
  
  


• Jules Tygiel, Historian, Dies at 59
  Mr. Tygiel was a historian and self-confessed baseball nut whose Brooklyn upbringing inspired his highly regarded scholarship on Jackie Robinson.
  
  


• Tigers 8, Mariners 4
  SEATTLE (AP) -- Justin Verlander threw six strong innings, Michael Hollimon hit his first big league home run and the Detroit Tigers hung on to beat the Seattle Mariners 8-4 Thursday night.
  
  

NYT > Pro Basketball

• Deal Allows the Sonics to Leave Seattle for Oklahoma City
  The city of Seattle and the SuperSonics reached a last-minute settlement before a judge was to rule in their KeyArena lease dispute.
  
  


• Lawyer Seeks Testimony About Donaghy?s Cooperation
  The lawyer for Tim Donaghy, the disgraced former N.B.A. referee, wants a retired federal agent to testify in court about information Donaghy provided the government.
  
  


• Duhon, Free From Bulls, Visits the Knicks
  Chicago Bulls? Chris Duhon visited the Knicks? suburban training center, making him the early favorite to eventually succeed Stephon Marbury.
  
  


• Davis?s Move to Clippers Gives the League a Jolt
  Baron Davis shocked the Golden State Warriors on Monday by opting out of his contract. He then sent tremors through the league by agreeing to join the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
  
  


• Liberty 89, Sparks 78: Christon Scores 28 and Liberty Rallies Late
  Shameka Christon scored a career-high 28 points, and the Liberty rallied for an 89-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.
  
  


• Knicks and Nets Plan to Save for the Future
  About 150 players become free agents today. Most, if not all, will stay with their teams.
  
  


• U.S. Team Expects to Keep Kidd?s Win Streak Alive
  Jason Kidd is the only member of the United States Olympic basketball team who already has an Olympic gold medal, which he won in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
  
  


• Gallinari?s Scouting Report in a Word: Potential
  If Danilo Gallinari had an N.C.A.A. pedigree, an endorsement from Dick Vitale and a less-exotic name, he might have been greeted with roses instead of raspberries on Thursday.
  
  


• By Adding Yi, Nets Hope to Expand Their Market
  The Nets are hoping that the acquisition of Yi Jianlian will allow them to attract a new pool of fans from the sizeable Chinese communities in North Jersey and Brooklyn.
  
  


• Mayo and Love Switch Teams After Draft
  In an eight-player deal that was announced after 1 a.m. Eastern, Minnesota sent O.J. Mayo?s rights to Memphis in exchange for Mike Miller and the draft rights to forward Kevin Love.
  
  

NYT > Pro Football

• Favre Denies That He Is Considering Return
  Brett Favre dismissed an ESPN report that he is considering coming out of retirement, saying ?it?s all rumor.?
  
  


• Sports Business: Jets Explore Fee Plans That May Sit Better With Fans
  Now that the Giants have set prices for seat licenses, the Jets? ownership is deciding whether to follow suit.
  
  


• At 31, Williams Chases Lost Time
  Ricky Williams believes he has a few years left to establish a positive N.F.L. legacy before he pursues his next career: as an osteopathic doctor.
  
  


• Giants to Charge Seat License Fees for New Stadium
  The Giants will charge season-ticket holders a one-time fee ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for seats in the new stadium the team is building with the N.Y. Jets.
  
  


• Giants Sign Snee to $43.5 Million Extension
  The Giants guaranteed that their offensive line will stay together for the foreseeable future, signing guard Chris Snee on Wednesday to a six-year, $43.5 million contract extension.
  
  


• Strahan?s Sundays Will Never Be the Same on Fox
  Former Giant Michael Strahan was introduced as the newest member of Fox?s ?NFL Sunday? broadcast team.
  
  


• Football Talk Soon Turns to Race on Imus?s Show
  Don Imus waded into racially treacherous waters again on his new radio program in a brief exchange about a suspended professional football player, Adam Jones.
  
  


• Two Quarterbacks, All Business on the Field, Share Wisdom
  Peyton and Archie Manning spoke on Monday to a crowd of about 400 MasterCard employees that included everyone from a mailroom clerk to the chief executive.
  
  


• Holistic Approach to Rehab Is Working for Kevin Jones
  N.F.L. teams will soon have a chance to witness what seems a remarkable comeback from surgery to running back Kevin Jones?s anterior cruciate ligament.
  
  


• Saint Shares Lessons From on and Off Field
  Charles Grant was stabbed in the neck and charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a pregnant woman after an altercation at a nightclub in southwest Georgia.
  
  

NYT > Soccer

• Extra Time: Playing for Copa Title and Ecuadorean Pride
  The Copa Libertadores, the premier South American club championship, will be settled Wednesday night when Fluminense of Brazil hosts L.D.U. Quito of Ecuador.
  
  


• Euro 2008 | Spain 1, Germany 0: Slumping Striker Helps Spain Win European Title
  Fernando Torres scored in the 33rd minute and the Spaniards never backed down against a formidable opponent.
  
  


• Germany and Spain Not Playing Favorites
  Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso does not agree with some teammates who say Germany is the favorite in Sunday?s European Championship final.
  
  


• Euro 2008 -- Spain 3, Russia 0: Spain Dominates Russia and Advances to Final
  Spain reached the European Championship final for the first time in 24 years on Thursday with a convincing win over Russia to set up a meeting with Germany.
  
  


• Euro 2008 - Germany 3, Turkey 2: Turkey Scores Late Again, but Not Late Enough
  Philipp Lahm scored a 90th minute-winner to give Germany a thrilling 3-2 victory over Turkey on Wednesday and a place in the Euro 2008 final.
  
  


• Soccer and N.B.A. Stars Play for Kicks and a Good Cause
  Of course Baron Davis had played soccer before ? he was in seventh grade at the time. And of course he had a game plan for Wednesday night?s pickup soccer match.
  
  


• Euro 2008: Germany, Turkey and Jumbled Loyalties
  With Germany and Turkey still alive, it has been doubly festive in Berlin as many Germans have cheered on the Turks and vice versa.
  
  


• U.S. Women?s Soccer Coach Names Her Olympians
  The United States women?s national team announced the roster for the Beijing Games on Monday, including nine players from the team that won the gold medal four years ago in Athens.
  
  


• World Cup Qualifying Roundup: With Nod to Youth, U.S. Reaches Semifinals
  The United States, seeking its sixth straight World Cup berth, advanced to the regional semifinals after a 1-0 victory against Barbados on Sunday.
  
  


• Euro 2008: Spain 0, Italy 0: Spain Stops Italy in Shootout; Russia Is Next
  A penalty kick delivered by Cesc Fabregas marked a 4-2 shootout victory for Spain over Italy, the first in a major competition in 88 years.
  
  

NYT > Space

• Robot Ship Cleared to Dock With Space Station
  Managers of the International Space Station on Wednesday cleared Europe?s new Jules Verne cargo ship for its first docking with the orbiting research outpost.


• Shuttle Retirement May Bring Loss of 8,600 Jobs, NASA Says
  Hardest hit would be the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla., which could lose 6,400 of its 8,000 contract workers by 2011.


• G. David Low, 52, Astronaut and Aerospace Executive, Dies
  Mr. Low flew three space shuttle missions and later became an executive in the space industry.


• Space Shuttle Completes 16-Day Mission, and Lands
  The space shuttle Endeavour?s mission was the longest flight to the International Space Station since construction of the station began.


• Star?s Dust May Hold Clue to New Planet
  Observations of a star 470 light years away see, for the first time in high resolution, what may be a planet forming.


• Company Plans Vehicle for Trips to Cusp of Space
  Xcor Aerospace?s co-founder said the first version would be flying by 2010 and reach an altitude of 38 miles.


• Observatory: Salt Deposits on Mars Appear to Be Like Those Seen in Earth?s Deserts
  Researchers have found evidence of chloride-bearing materials ? in other words, salts ? in the Martian southern highlands.


• Shuttle Undocks From Station
  The space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station parted ways on Monday evening after an emotional farewell ceremony.


• The Lede: NASA Elated by Orbital Putty
  When astronauts tried out the sticky stuff NASA developed to repair chips and gouges in the shuttle?s thermal skin, it seemed to work fine.


• Tests in Space on Repairing Shuttle Tiles
  For the first time in space, astronauts used a tool they call a ?goo gun? for test repairs on tiles and panels that protect the space shuttle from the heat of re-entry.

NYT > Technology

• Google Told to Turn Over User Data of YouTube
  The order raised concerns that the online video viewing habits of tens of millions of people could be exposed.
  
  


• Bits: What Is Facebook Worth? (Part 37)
  A document in the settled Facebook ConnectU litigation reveals that Facebook?s common shares are worth a quarter of the value of the stock Microsoft purchased when it invested in the social network.
  
  


• Bits: Justice Looks Further at Google-Yahoo Deal
  The Justice Department?s antitrust division has begun issuing subpoenas as it probes further into whether a planned Google-Yahoo partnership in search advertising is anticompetitive.
  
  


• Nvidia Reports Problem With Laptop Chips
  Nvidia will take a charge against second-quarter earnings to cover the expected cost of repairing and replacing the products, which include graphics processing units and media and communications processors.
  
  


• Business Briefing | Acquisitions: Vodafone Acquires Majority Stake of Ghana Telecom
  The Vodafone Group said it had agreed to acquire a 70 percent stake in Ghana Telecom, the African country?s third-largest mobile phone operator, for $900 million.
  
  


• Apple to .Mac Subscribers: Sync Bookmarks by Sunday
  The warning came as part of Apple?s transition from .Mac to the new MobileMe online service, which was announced at last month?s Worldwide Developers Conference.
  
  


• Bits: A Sucker Is Converted Every Minute
  Those ads for the free digital TV signal converter box? Beware.
  
  


• Obama Voters Protest His Switch on Telecom Immunity
  Thousands of Barack Obama?s backers are using the online organizing tools his campaign created to protest his recent support for expanding government surveillance powers.