CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian government warning about a possible 'terrorist threat' was prompted by fears that home-grown extremists were moving closer to attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, local media reported on Thursday.

AP - Pakistani security agencies have arrested two al-Qaida suspects and are investigating whether one is a Syrian believed to be a key figure in Osama bin Laden's terror network in Europe, two intelligence officials and a senior government official said Thursday.

AP - Kobe Bryant welcomed coach Phil Jackson back to the Lakers in style Wednesday night, sinking a 23-foot jumper with 0.6 seconds left in overtime to lift Los Angeles to a 99-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Reuters - Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide, Lewis Libby, was expected to plead not guilty on Thursday to charges stemming from the CIA leak probe, raising the specter of a trial that could keep the spotlight on the administration's case for war in Iraq.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda in Iraq said on Thursday it had decided to kill two Moroccan embassy employees it kidnapped last month, according to an Internet statement.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China confirmed on Thursday that the next round of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis will begin on Wednesday, November 9, as Pyongyang said that success in the discussions depended on Washington's stance.

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush will make a formal visit to China from November 19-21, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday, amid simmering U.S. concern over China's growing economic and military clout.

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff is making his first court appearance since his indictment in the CIA leak investigation, a case in which Bush administration officials including Cheney could be summoned to testify.

AP - A showdown over free trade loomed as leaders from across the Americas headed to Argentina on Thursday to end Latin America's chronic poverty, with Washington promoting liberalized trade and opponents fearful that it will allow corporations to dominate the poor.

AP - A three-day holiday began for Sunni Arabs in Iraq on Thursday, ending a month of fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and unusual signs of celebration emerged in war-torn cities.

AP - A seven-hour funeral celebrating the life of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was not only a day of remembrance for the 4,000 mourners who gathered, but also a call to action.

AP - Pakistani agents killed an al-Qaida suspect in a shootout and are investigating whether another man arrested in the same raid is a Syrian believed to be a key figure in Osama bin Laden's terror network in Europe, the government and intelligence officials said Thursday.

AP - The NBA kicked off the season's first full night of games with some familiar faces in old places. Phil Jackson was reunited with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and Ron Artest was on the court again in a Pacers uniform.

Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's newly appointed Police Commission has overruled Police Chief William J. Bratton and concluded that a detective with the Special Investigation Section acted improperly in shooting an unarmed burglary suspect last year.

Los Angeles Times - Seventeen people were injured — one seriously — in two collisions between cars and Orange Line buses Wednesday, heightening concerns about the safety of the new transitway designed to speed trips across the San Fernando Valley.

Los Angeles Times - WASHINGTON — With Iraqi insurgents building ever-more powerful homemade bombs, the Pentagon is finalizing plans to put a high-level general in charge of a new task force that will try to harness the expertise of the CIA, FBI, businesses and academics to combat the guerrillas' most lethal weapon.

Los Angeles Times - California voters narrowly favor an initiative on Tuesday's ballot to bar abortions for minors unless parents are notified, but are leaning against two prescription-drug discount measures, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll.

Los Angeles Times - Margoth Enriquez looks at the clock. It's 6:03 p.m. — past time to go home.

AP - The nation's response to a flu pandemic could not succeed without a strong effort by state and local governments because the battle might have to be fought on "5,000 fronts," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt says.

AP - Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest car maker, said Thursday its third-quarter net profit tripled from last year because of increased sales and cost-cutting that has its German labor force working more hours for less pay.

AP - A British resident of Hong Kong was convicted of disorderly conduct and causing a public nuisance for dressing as a horse and running on a popular race track last year to urge full democracy in the Chinese territory.

Reuters - Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide, Lewis Libby, was expected to plead not guilty on Thursday to charges stemming from the CIA leak probe, raising the specter of a trial that could keep the spotlight on the administration's case for war in Iraq.

Reuters - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on Thursday for access to all foreign terrorism suspects held by the United States after a report of a covert CIA prison system for al Qaeda captives.

Reuters - Rioters shot at police and fire crews in the worst night in a week of violence in poor Paris suburbs, as France's conservative government struggled to respond to the unrest.

Reuters - Three Indonesian children are suspected to be the latest victims of bird flu, which the Asian Development Bank said on Thursday could trigger a global recession if a pandemic breaks out.

AP - A group of centrist senators who halted a previous filibuster fight is making plans for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, but at least two of the group's Republicans say their decision is already made: no filibuster.

AP - A government advisory panel is considering whether to allow the use of the first HIV test a person can take entirely at home, alone.

AP - Radio City Music Hall musicians went on strike on Wednesday, however the union is saying its members should report to work for the Thursday morning "Christmas Spectacular" show.

Reuters - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on Thursday for access to all foreign terrorism suspects held by the United States after a report of a covert CIA prison system for al Qaeda captives.

Reuters - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said a suicide bomber was plotting to kill him at a soccer match, and accused political rivals of heightening the risk of terrorist attacks by questioning his integrity.

AP - Merck & Co. won a major victory in the battle over its Vioxx painkiller Thursday when a New Jersey state jury found that the drugmaker properly warned consumers about the risks of the medication. The finding means Merck won't be held liable for the 2001 heart attack suffered by a man taking Vioxx.

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff pleaded not guilty Thursday in the CIA leak scandal, marking the start of what could be a long road to a trial in which Cheney and other top Bush administration officials could be summoned to testify.

AP - A group of centrists interested in averting Senate gridlock over President Bush's judgeship nominees caucused Thursday on prospects for Supreme Court hopeful Samuel Alito.

AP - A showdown devoid of holiday cheer loomed Thursday at Radio City Music Hall, where management said its annual "Christmas Spectacular" would go forward with canned Christmas tunes amid a bitter labor dispute with its musicians.

AP - Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss one game and possibly two after arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday.

Reuters - Vice President Dick Cheney's former aide, Lewis Libby, pleaded innocent on Thursday to charges stemming from the CIA leak probe, setting the stage for a politically damaging trial that could put a spotlight on the White House's use of prewar intelligence on Iraq.

Reuters - In a major victory for Merck & Co Inc., a jury on Thursday decided the drugmaker provided adequate warning to doctors about health risks associated with its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx and did not commit consumer fraud in marketing the drug.

Reuters - Explosions rocked the disputed Shebaa Farms border area where Hizbollah guerrillas and Israeli troops often clash on Thursday, but Israeli forces said they had carried out only routine firing.

Reuters - In small steps and without fanfare, the U.S. Army is adapting its training to "the war of the flea," the type of hit-and-run insurgency that is gripping Iraq, where more than 2,000 American military personnel have been killed.

AP - Merck & Co. won a major victory in the battle over its Vioxx painkiller Thursday when a New Jersey state jury found that the drugmaker properly warned consumers about the risks of the medication. The finding means Merck won't be held liable for the 2001 heart attack suffered by a man taking Vioxx.

AP - Two days after U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay won a fight to get a new judge in his case, prosecutors on Thursday succeeded in ousting the Republican jurist responsible for selecting the new judge.

AP - European Union officials said Thursday they would investigate a report that the CIA set up secret jails in Eastern Europe to interrogate top al-Qaida suspects. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch in New York said it has evidence indicating the CIA transported suspected terrorists captured in Afghanistan to Poland and Romania.

AP - America Online Inc. expanded its offerings to digital music consumers with the acquisition of the MusicNow subscription service from Circuit City Stores Inc., AOL said Thursday.

Reuters - Vice President Dick Cheney's former aide, Lewis Libby, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges in the CIA leak probe, and his lawyer promised a fight to clear his name in a trial that could put a spotlight on how the Bush administration made its case for the Iraq war.

Reuters - A bird flu pandemic risks triggering a global recession, the Asian Development Bank said on Thursday, as Indonesia treated three young children suspected of being the latest victims of the virus.

RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - Al Qaeda in Iraq said on Thursday it shot down a U.S. helicopter in Ramadi on Wednesday, killing the two Marine crewmen, and the U.S. military said it was investigating reports it was brought down by a missile.

AP - Merck & Co. won a major victory in the battle over its Vioxx painkiller Thursday when a New Jersey state jury found that the drugmaker properly warned consumers about the risks of the medication. The finding means Merck won't be held liable for the 2001 heart attack suffered by a man taking Vioxx.

AP - The European Union and the continent's top human rights group said Thursday they will investigate allegations the CIA set up secret jails in eastern Europe and elsewhere to interrogate terror suspects, and the Red Cross demanded access to any prisoners.

USATODAY.com - It was a simple solution that could have prevented one of the worst disasters in the nation's history: metal gates at the mouths of New Orleans' canals that closed automatically to block hurricane storm surges on Lake Pontchartrain.

AP - Disappointed musicians clutched their instruments outside Radio City Music Hall as thousands of ticketholders streamed past Thursday for the annual "Christmas Spectacular," where recorded holiday music replaced the usual live orchestra in a bitter labor dispute.

Reuters - A bipartisan group of 14 senators who averted an earlier showdown over President George W. Bush's judicial nominees said on Thursday it was too early to know if they would permit a Democratic filibuster against Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

AP - The European Union and the continent's top human rights group said Thursday they will investigate allegations the CIA set up secret jails in eastern Europe and elsewhere to interrogate terror suspects, and the Red Cross demanded access to any prisoners.

AP - Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, emboldened by thousands of anti-American protesters, is getting a rare chance to stand up to his adversary, George Bush, with promises to keep the president from reviving talks on a free trade area stretching from Alaska to Argentina.

AP - President Bush's job approval has fallen to the lowest level of his presidency amid worries over the Iraq war, a fumbled Supreme Court nomination, the indictment of one White House aide and uncertainty about another.

AP - Tom Donahue, 26 years old, learned two years ago he had the virus that causes AIDS. He told government medical advisers Thursday he had learned from a family doctor in State College, Pa., that he had tested positive for HIV. But he worries that too many people are afraid of going to clinics to get tested because others may find out.

Reuters - The United States has sought to justify the detention of thousands of foreign terror suspects in a report to a U.N. panel as questions mount over possible secret CIA prisons for al Qaeda captives.

Reuters - Nearly two million dead. Schools and public transit closed for days or even weeks. Hospitals overwhelmed.

Reuters - The Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Thursday it will begin hearings on January 9 on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, with an eye on holding a full Senate vote on January 20 on President George W. Bush's pick for the court.

AP - Well-toned hips and a trim waist — not just the pounds you carry — appear to be one of the best protections against heart attacks, according to a study of thousands of people in different countries.

AP - Before arriving at a TV studio Thursday for an interview to promote his memoir, Mike Wallace had a feeling that hundreds of people who had sat across from him with the cameras rolling would find familiar.

AP - Bart Bryant is starting to believe he can compete with the best. If his victory at the Memorial wasn't enough to convince him, the course-record 62 he shot Thursday at East Lake should do the trick.

Reuters - The United States has sought to justify the detention of thousands of foreign terror suspects in a report to a UN panel as questions mount over possible secret CIA prisons for al Qaeda captives.

Reuters - Brushing aside White House requests for a vote on Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito before Christmas, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday scheduled hearings and a vote in January.

Reuters - Vice President Dick Cheney's former aide, Lewis Libby, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges in the CIA leak probe, and his lawyer promised to fight it out in a public trial that could put a spotlight on how the White House made its case for the Iraq war.

Reuters - The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved around $36 billion in net spending cuts over five years in a first step toward slowing the explosive growth of popular programs that help the poor and the elderly as well as students, farmers and others.

AP - Italian vocalist Laura Pausini won the best female pop vocal album award Thursday at a revamped Latin Grammys being broadcast in Spanish for the first time and showcasing a broad cross-section of music, including pop, salsa, reggaeton and rock.

AP - Brett Favre says he would be reluctant to return to Green Bay next season if Mike Sherman isn't still coaching the Packers.

Reuters - China reported an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in its northeast province of Liaoning on Friday, the fourth outbreak in the country in a month.

Reuters - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday brushed aside White House requests for an early hearing on Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito and scheduled hearings and a vote in January.

AP - A week of riots in poor neighborhoods outside Paris gained dangerous new momentum Thursday, with youths shooting at police and firefighters and attacking trains and symbols of the French state.

AP - China and Vietnam each confirmed new bird flu outbreaks which killed thousands of birds, despite increased efforts to fight the disease. The Asian Development Bank warned that a global flu pandemic could kill up to 3 million people in Asia and plunge the world into recession.

AP - Italian vocalist Laura Pausini, Spanish alternative singer Bebe and Colombian rocker Juanes won awards Thursday at a revamped Latin Grammys being broadcast in Spanish for the first time.

Reuters - A 24-year-old Vietnamese woman with a fever and respiratory problems who comes from a province with bird flu outbreaks in poultry is being tested for the virus, an official and state media said on Friday.