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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28099-2000Feb19.shtml"><b>Bushfires: </b>Melbourne sizzles, bushfires flare across the state</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28084-2000Feb19.shtml">Firebombers called in for South East blaze</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27959-2000Feb19.shtml">Youth arrested after grass fire</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28146-2000Feb19.shtml">Body found in Nambucca Forest</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28133-2000Feb19.shtml">Qld Beattie supports youth boot camp</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28132-2000Feb19.shtml">Woman hospitalised after snake bite</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28095-2000Feb19.shtml">Qld Pilot killed in ultralight crash</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28043-2000Feb19.shtml">A baby remains critical in hospital after being left in car</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28006-2000Feb19.shtml">No cancellations of elective surgery</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27954-2000Feb19.shtml"><p>Tasmania to blame over possible trade reprisals: Truss</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27952-2000Feb19.shtml">One arrest after car pursuit</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27942-2000Feb19.shtml">Amnesty shocked by PM's stance on mandatory laws</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27936-2000Feb19.shtml">Car ploughs into group sitting on garden wall</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27907-2000Feb19.shtml">Speed a big factor in five road deaths</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27905-2000Feb19.shtml">Salmon decision could risk quarantine say Democrats</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27895-2000Feb19.shtml">Three men rob city bank</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27894-2000Feb19.shtml">Floods cut rail and roads</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27858-2000Feb19.shtml">Air NZ denies massive job cuts</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27844-2000Feb19.shtml">More hedges burnt in Melbourne's leafy suburbs</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27827-2000Feb19.shtml">Fire guts school building</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27822-2000Feb19.shtml">Nine injured in car accident</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28101-2000Feb19.shtml">Rann welcomes Labor pledge to roll back GST</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28047-2000Feb19.shtml">Qld Premier enhances flexibility on trees</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27999-2000Feb19.shtml">Liberal leaders condemn Labor plan to roll back GST</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27958-2000Feb19.shtml">Tax office boosts jobs in ACT at states expense, says Oppn</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27896-2000Feb19.shtml">Union decline poses test for Beazley: Reith</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/18/A26304-2000Feb18.shtml">Bollywood actresses cleared obscenity</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28134-2000Feb19.shtml">Illinois priest arrested in Internet sex case</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28098-2000Feb19.shtml">Twelve bodies found in Indonesia's strife-torn Aceh</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28068-2000Feb19.shtml">Trade ministers seek better deal for poor nations</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28064-2000Feb19.shtml">Pop star assaults pilot in mid-air rampage</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28045-2000Feb19.shtml">Couple who found nearly $US300,000 can't have it back</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28026-2000Feb19.shtml">FBI sets spy trap for immigration official</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28022-2000Feb19.shtml">Reformist left scents victory in Iranian elections</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A28004-2000Feb19.shtml">UN environmental team says cyanide levels decreasing</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27984-2000Feb19.shtml">Ford to pay $US3.8 million in discrimination settlement</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27972-2000Feb19.shtml">Pop star assaults pilot in mid-air rampage</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27955-2000Feb19.shtml">White House declares victory in war against Y2K bug</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27925-2000Feb19.shtml">Mirror sacks two financial writers in share scandal</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27864-2000Feb19.shtml">NASA hopes for even better 3-D world map</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27847-2000Feb19.shtml">Fiery crash injures drivers and fans at Daytona</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27808-2000Feb19.shtml">Settlers on Mars 'no later than 2050'</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/19/A27800-2000Feb19.shtml">US secret agents work at Microsoft: French intelligence</A></B>
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<B><A HREF="/breaking/0002/18/A25976-2000Feb18.shtml">EU environment boss demands answers on cyanide</A></B>
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<FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#333333">US secret agents work at Microsoft: French intelligence</FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#990000"></FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#990000">Source: AFP</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#333333">|</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="gray">Published: Saturday February 19, 7:44 AM</FONT>
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<p>PARIS, Feb 18 - A French intelligence report today accused US secret agents of working with computer giant Microsoft to develop software allowing Washington to spy on communications around the world.</p>
<p> The report, drawn up by the Strategic Affairs Delegation (DAS), the intelligence arm of the French Defence Ministry, was quoted in today's edition of the news-letter Le Monde du Renseignement (Intelligence World).</p>
<p> Written by a senior officer at the DAS, the report claims agents from the National Security Agency (NSA) helped install secret programmes on Microsoft software, currently in use in 90 per cent of computers.</p>
<p> According to the report there was a 'strong suspicion' of a lack of security fed by insistent rumours about the existence of spy programs on Microsoft, and by the presence of NSA personnel in Bill Gates' development teams.</p>
<p> The NSA protects communications for the US government, and also intercepts electronic messages for the Defence Department and other US intelligence agencies, the newsletter said.</p>
<p> According to the report, 'it would seem that the creation of Microsoft was largely supported, not least financially, by the NSA, and that IBM was made to accept the (Microsoft) MS-DOS operating system by the same administration.'</p>
<p> The report claimed the Pentagon was Microsoft's biggest client in the world.</p>
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