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Senior English and Russian referees have been cut from the World Cup roster, after their controversial handling of previous matches. Graham Poll, who issued three yellow cards to one player in a match, and Valentin Ivanov, who worked the Portugal-Netherlands second-round match, were omitted.

Investment banker Frank Quattrone, once a power in California's Silicon Valley, avoids a third trial on obstruction and witness tampering charges with the acceptance by a New York judge of an agreement between Quattrone and prosecutors.

The U.S. Congress passes a $70 billion tax-cut package that would extend lower capital gains rates for investors. President Bush says he will gladly sign the bill into law. John Ydstie talks about the tax package with Len Burman of the Tax Policy Center.

Iran's supreme leader says his country does "not need" to hold talks with the U.S. over Iran's nuclear program. But state TV also reports that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran is ready to hold such talks if others recognize Iran's right to nuclear energy.

A draft law being reviewed by China's legislature would impose fines on the Chinese media if they report on "sudden events" without official approval from local governments. Wall Street Journal reporter Geoffrey Fowler says those "sudden events" could include things such as mining disasters, health scares and riots.

Congress is demanding answers from the Bush administration about published allegations that the National Security Agency is secretly collecting the phone records of millions of Americans. Lawmakers and privacy advocates say they're still not being told the full story about the domestic activities of the NSA.

The nation's largest Spanish-language media company has been sold. A consortium of investors has agreed to pay about $13 billion to acquire the company, which reaches into the homes of about 98 percent of Spanish-speaking households in the United States.

The past week has brought big changes to CIA headquarters. Former CIA officials tell NPR that there's a growing sense of optimism for the future. In particular, they generally like the choice of Gen. Michael Hayden to lead the spy organization.

Confronted with illegal border crossing in Arizona, the Maricopa County Sherriff's office has turned to a traditional Western solution: the posse. Wednesday night, sheriff's deputies and members of the department's 300-member reserve force were sent to patrol the desert and round up illegal immigrants.

British guitarist and vocalist Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers talks about the band's music. The other members are his sister Michele, and Sean and Angela Gannon (also siblings). In sound, they've been compared to early Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas.