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KRIOPIGI, Greece – Greek researchers said Wednesday they had discovered a well-preserved skull of 5 million-year-old primate. The remains of the Mesopithecus Pentelicus — a monkey-like animal, a little more than 3 feet long — were found in the northern Halkidiki peninsula, outside the city of Thessaloniki. “It’s an important …

AUSTIN, Texas – Independent candidate for governor Carole Keeton Strayhorn sued the Texas secretary of state Wednesday in her attempt to have the nickname “Grandma” listed along with her full name on the Nov. 7 ballot. Strayhorn warned earlier this week that the lawsuit was coming after Secretary of State …

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Richard Hatch has been sent to a federal prison in Oklahoma as he serves a 51-month sentence for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he won on the debut season of “Survivor.” Hatch, 45, of Newport, arrived last week at the Federal Transfer Center in …

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Foxy Brown reluctantly appeared in Municipal Court on Tuesday as a former associate dropped two charges against the rapper, including making terroristic threats. Brown’s accuser, Rasheeda Ellis, dropped the complaints in return for both sides agreeing not to have contact with each other and not to …

WASHINGTON – President Bush’s recent series of speeches on the War on Terror and America’s military campaign in Iraq have reignited the debate over whether they are separate wars or one and the same. Bush, who wrapped up his speaking campaign with an address to the nation on the fifth …

SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Wednesday’s session are Red Hat Inc., Merck & Co., and McCormick & Co. Actuant Corp. (ATU) is expected to report earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 78 cents, according to analysts polled by …

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Residents of Bermuda installed storm shutters and hauled their yachts onto beaches in preparation for Tropical Storm Florence, which intensified Saturday and was expected to become a hurricane as it approaches the North Atlantic island. Florence, which could become a hurricane as it moves over the open …

WASHINGTON – Retail sales in August posted the weakest showing in two months as worried consumers tightened their spending habits. The Commerce Department reported that the nation’s retailers saw a tiny 0.2 percent increase last month following a much bigger 1.4 percent rise in July. It was the weakest performance …

ATLANTA – The Home Depot Inc., the nation’s largest home improvement store chain, says it is hiring more than 1,000 new employees across the country as part of its latest effort to improve its stores. The Atlanta-based company said in a hiring advisory it issued Monday that it is seeking …

LONG BEACH, Calif. – More than three dozen men have been arrested in a sting operation that targeted adults who use Internet chat rooms to try to have sex with minors, police announced Sunday. The 38 men, ranging in age from 22 to 50, were caught during the three-day undercover …