AP - A suicide car bomber killed 21 people in northern Iraq on Tuesday after insurgents lured police to the scene by shooting an officer, officials said. A mortar shell fired at a U.S. ceremony sent the U.S. ambassador and the top American commander scurrying for cover.

The Christian Science Monitor - In Telesur's first month of live broadcasting, the fledgling pan-Latin American television network - founded by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and majority owned by Venezuela - is seeking to demonstrate its professionalism and impartiality.

AP - The American Music Awards spread things around Tuesday, with country star Tim McGraw, alternative rockers Green Day, soul stars Destiny's Child and hip-hop chart toppers Black Eyed Peas each winning two awards.

AP - The rest of college basketball has all season to try and match this one. Adam Morrison set a tournament record with 43 points and No. 8 Gonzaga beat No. 12 Michigan State 109-106 in triple overtime Tuesday night in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Reuters - The United States may not need the number of troops it has in Iraq "all that much longer," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said amid reports the Pentagon may pull back three combat brigades.

Reuters - A U.S. soldier and an Afghan interpreter were killed when a roadside bomb hit their armored vehicle in Afghanistan in the latest spate of violence involving Taliban guerrillas.

AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that conditions for reducing the number of US troops deployed in Iraq could be in place "fairly soon."

AFP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel was to arrive in Paris early Wednesday at the start of her first foreign trip as leader of Europe's biggest economy, before heading on to Brussels then London.

AFP - Britain was bracing for round-the-clock drinking in pubs, bars and clubs as the clock ticked down on the traditional 11:00 pm pub closing time.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Practicing homosexuals should be barred from entering the Roman Catholic priesthood, the Vatican says, taking a strict line on the place of gays in the clergy, an issue that has divided the faithful worldwide.

AP - A suicide car bomber killed 22 people in northern Iraq on Tuesday after insurgents lured police to the scene by shooting an officer, officials said. A mortar shell fired at a U.S. ceremony sent the U.S. ambassador and the top American commander scurrying for cover.

AP - Three years after the Bush administration labeled U.S. citizen Jose Padilla an enemy combatant and denied him normal access to the courts, he's facing criminal charges that he trained as a terrorist in preparation to fight a jihad.

AP - A member of the jury that convicted an American Muslim student of plotting with al-Qaida to assassinate President Bush said she was struck by the man's videotaped confession, in which he laughed and pantomimed the use of an assault rifle.

Reuters - Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms killed a 70-year-old Sunni Arab man and three of his sons overnight in Baghdad, relatives said on Wednesday.

AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indicated that conditions for a gradual pullout of US troops from violence-torn Iraq could become ripe "fairly soon," but warned that a decision about their withdrawal will not be made unilaterally.

AFP - US President George W. Bush was informed 10 days after the September 11, 2001 attacks that US intelligence had no proof of links between Iraq and that act of terror, The National Journal reported.

AP - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader on Wednesday and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law on the outskirts of Baghdad, his brother and an interior ministry official said.

AP - Israel's president and parliament speaker agreed Wednesday to hold general elections March 28, a top parliament official said.

AP - Toyota Motor Corp. is quickening its quest to unseat ailing rival General Motors Corp. as the world's biggest automaker with reported plans to start manufacturing up to 100,000 Toyota vehicles at a Subaru factory in Indiana.

AP - Before the Maui Invitational began, organizers boasted that they had the best field ever for an in-season college basketball tournament. Now, they also have one of the best regular-season games in NCAA history.

Reuters - Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms shot dead a 70-year-old Sunni Arab tribal leader and three of his sons as they slept in their home, relatives said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Iran expects its nuclear talks with the European Union, which broke down in August, to resume after this week's board meeting of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Wednesday.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A new Vatican document on homosexuality in the Catholic priesthood touched off a storm of criticism on Wednesday from those who say the Church is missing the point and using gays as scapegoats for its sex scandals.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has welcomed the resumption of military relations with the United States while human rights groups expressed concern and said monitoring of the armed forces would need to be tightened.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli President Moshe Katsav signed an order on Wednesday to call an early national election for March 28 and dissolve parliament.

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine prosecutors on Wednesday gave lawyers for six U.S. Marines until November 29 to answer a rape complaint filed by a Filipino woman, a case testing the strength of relations with the United States.

AP - Millions of Americans are hitting the road, heading to airports and taking to train stations today to get home in time for Thanksgiving turkey on what's traditionally the biggest travel day of the year.

AP - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader on Wednesday and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law on the outskirts of Baghdad, his brother and an interior ministry official said.

AP - Austria's equivalent of the FBI said Tuesday that it is investigating a flurry of bogus e-mails sent in its name to people in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

AP - A decision on Terrell Owens' grievance hearing against the Philadelphia Eagles is expected sometime today.

AP - Millions of Americans were hitting the road, heading to airports and taking to train stations Wednesday to get home in time for Thanksgiving turkey on what's traditionally the busiest travel day of the year.

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States will probably not need to maintain its current troop levels in Iraq "very much longer," though she declined to provide a precise timetable for reduction in U.S. forces.

AP - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader Wednesday and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law, according to his brother and an Interior Ministry official.

AP - Europe's top human rights watchdog stepped up its probe into alleged secret CIA detention centers Wednesday, while more EU governments were investigating possible CIA flights across their countries.

AP - The number of new people signing up for jobless benefits last week rose sharply, suggesting that the labor market is still trying to gain traction after being knocked by a trio of Gulf Coast hurricanes.

AP - Sen. John Kerry's public profile and prosecutorial past didn't spare him from performing that most mundane of civic responsibilities — jury duty.

AP - The New York Mets reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday to acquire Carlos Delgado and $7 million from the Florida Marlins for first baseman Mike Jacobs and pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, a baseball official familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal was not final.

Reuters - Iran expects its nuclear talks with the European Union, which broke down in August, to resume after this week's board meeting of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Al Qaeda in Iraq said reports that U.S. forces had killed its leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi were a lie, according to an Internet statement posted on Wednesday.

Reuters - Hizbollah guerrillas clashed with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon after they entered to rescue a paraglider pilot who had drifted across the border on Wednesday, Hizbollah and Israeli sources said.

Reuters - Defense lawyers in Saddam Hussein's trial have ended a boycott and will be present for the next court session after security concerns were resolved, a U.S. official close to the court said on Wednesday.

AFP - French President Jacques Chirac said that a "truly strong" Franco-German partnership was essential for Europe, during a press conference with new German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has warned media organizations they are breaking the law if they publish details of a leaked document said to show U.S. President George W. Bush wanted to bomb Arabic television station Al Jazeera.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday that a 35-year-old woman farmer had died of bird flu, its second confirmed fatality from the virus.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms shot dead an aging Sunni tribal leader and three of his sons in their beds on Wednesday, relatives said, in the latest attack to highlight Iraq's deep sectarian rifts ahead of a December poll.

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's support for U.S. policies in the Middle East is fuelling Islamist militant attacks such as the triple suicide blasts which killed 60 people earlier this month, a think-tank said on Wednesday.

MAIS EL-JABAL, Lebanon (Reuters) - Israeli troops exchanged fire with Hizbollah guerrillas across the Lebanese border on Wednesday, to provide cover for an Israeli paraglider pilot who drifted into Lebanon by accident.

AP - Americans gassed up their cars and toted luggage and families to airports Wednesday, coping with crowds, traffic tie-ups and snow in the dash to get home in time for Thanksgiving turkey.

AP - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader Wednesday and killed him, his three sons and son-in-law, according to his brother and an Interior Ministry official.

USATODAY.com - The CIA has launched a crash program to clear a backlog of job applicants and hire recruits who can speak Arabic, Korean and other languages critical to national security priorities. Today, security issues that once took 18 months to overcome are being handled in a matter of weeks.

AP - The number of new people signing up for jobless benefits last week rose sharply, suggesting that the labor market is still trying to gain traction after being knocked by a trio of Gulf Coast hurricanes.

AP - "Desperate Housewives" star James Denton will host the 2006 Miss America pageant in Las Vegas, show organizers announced Wednesday.

AFP - A chemical plant explosion has severely polluted one of China's biggest rivers, causing water supplies to be cut for millions of people and sparking pollution fears in neighbouring Russia.

AFP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel took her bow on the international stage in Paris where she and President Jacques Chirac underscored the Franco-German alliance at the heart of the European Union.

AFP - A Chilean judge ordered the arrest of former dictator Augusto Pinochet for fraud and other alleged crimes related to millions of dollars in secret overseas bank accounts.

AFP - Iran's parliament rejected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's third nominee for the crucial post of oil minister.

AP - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms burst into the home of a Sunni Arab sheik Wednesday, killing him, three of his sons and a son-in-law in what police believe may have been aimed at discouraging Sunnis from participating in next month's election.

AP - A dozen war protesters were arrested Wednesday for setting up camp near President Bush's ranch in defiance of new local bans on roadside camping and parking.

AP - An arbitrator has upheld the Philadelphia Eagles' four-game suspension of Terrell Owens, and the team has the right to deactivate him.

Reuters - China said on Wednesday that a woman farmer had died of bird flu, its second confirmed fatality from the virus that is spreading across Asia.

Reuters - A leading human rights watchdog on Wednesday gave European governments three months to reveal anything they know about illegal jailing of terrorist suspects or secret flights carrying them across the continent.

AFP - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has won Liberia's presidential vote, becoming Africa's first elected woman head of state and embarking on a six-year mission to lift the war-torn country towards prosperity and reconciliation.

AFP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel took her bow as leader on the international stage, underscoring the strength of the Franco-German alliance with President Jacques Chirac and calling for better relations with the United States.

AFP - Sri Lanka's new president set up a 25-member cabinet which excluded hard-line allies from the Marxist and Buddhist monks, immediately sparking a resignation by a dissident minister.

AFP - A record-breaking Dubai Air Show saw an estimated 23 billion dollars worth of deals announced, cementing US manufacturer Boeing's edge this year over its European arch-rival Airbus.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon plans to shrink the U.S. troop presence in Iraq, currently 155,000, to about 138,000 after the December 15 Iraqi elections and is considering dropping the number to about 100,000 next summer if conditions allow, defense officials said on Wednesday.

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - A dozen Iraq war protesters were arrested on Wednesday as they tested a new ban on camping and parking on roads near President George W. Bush's Texas ranch where he is spending the Thanksgiving holiday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has warned media organizations they are breaking the law if they publish details of a leaked document said to show U.S. President George W. Bush wanted to bomb Arabic television station Al Jazeera.

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States will probably not need to maintain its current troop levels in Iraq "very much longer," though she declined to provide a precise timetable for reduction in U.S. forces.

AP - Falling energy prices have economists believing improvement is on the way for hiring, which has been mired in a hurricane-related lethargy for the last few months.

AFP - The UN nuclear watchdog is expected to forgo hauling Iran before the UN Security Council as the United States and Europe want to give Russia time to press Tehran to compromise on its atomic program.

AP - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms burst into the home of a Sunni Arab sheik Wednesday, killing him, three of his sons and a son-in-law in an attack police said may have been aimed at discouraging members of the minority from participating in next month's election.

AP - Millions of Americans hit the road or took to the sky Wednesday in the annual dash to someone else's house for Thanksgiving turkey, despite the prospect of traffic jams, snowy highways and crowded airports and train stations.

AP - Jose Padilla was recruited into an Islamic terrorist support cell that sought money and fighters for violent struggles abroad, the government says in its indictment. However, over nine years the group raised less than $100,000 and recruited just a handful of people, including Padilla, according to federal prosecutors.

AP - Better-than-expected consumer confidence numbers and a drop in oil prices sent stocks higher Wednesday, extending Wall Street's November rally in light pre-holiday trading.

AP - Terrell Owens was shut down completely: his grievance, his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, his season.

Reuters - Gay rights activists and liberal Catholics girded on Wednesday for a long battle over the Vatican's tougher stance on homosexuality, predicting the Church would lose thousands of followers in the United States.

AFP - Liberia's new president and the first woman freely elected to such a post in Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, said she wanted to make women around the world proud.

AP - The Bush administration and military leaders are sounding optimistic notes about scaling back U.S. troops in Iraq next year, as public opposition to the war and congressional demands for withdrawal get louder.

AP - Doctors are reporting the first advance in three decades in treating kidney complications from lupus, a life-threatening disease that primarily affects young women.

AP - Carlos Delgado is headed to the Mets, 10 months after he spurned New York to sign with the Florida Marlins.

Reuters - Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would outlaw gay marriage in Massachusetts said on Wednesday they had more than double the number of signatures needed to put the issue to voters.

AFP - A Chilean judge ordered the arrest of former dictator Augusto Pinochet over millions of dollars kept in secret overseas bank accounts.

AFP - A top US official acknowledged mounting EU pressure for Washington to come clean about reports of secret CIA prisons in eastern Europe while stressing his country's right to protect itself against terrorists.

AP - A top Islamic Jihad militant surrendered to Israeli soldiers early Thursday, witnesses said, after a daylong siege during which army bulldozers knocked down the four-story house where he was hiding.

AP - A commuter train slammed into several vehicles caught in a traffic jam on a busy road Wednesday evening, starting a chain reaction that damaged more than a dozen cars and injured at least 13 people, authorities said.

The Christian Science Monitor - In a move that could bode well for Americans' gas tanks, the oil industry is quickening its pace of investing in more refining capacity.

AP - After months of rumors, denials and salacious magazine covers, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey are officially calling it quits.

Reuters - Federal jurors on Wednesday convicted a 25-year-old Pakistani of supporting an al Qaeda plot to attack the United States, despite the man's claim that he falsely confessed under the pressure of three days of interrogation by the FBI.