AP - For those who don't want to sit around all day on Thanksgiving devouring stuffing and turkey, there are plenty of alternatives for shoppers to get a heads up on their Christmas shopping.

Reuters - The World Health Organization will send a mission to an eastern Chinese province that has reported two human deaths from the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Reuters - Israeli troops arrested a leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group in the West Bank on Thursday, who surrendered after a day-long siege of a building where he was hiding, Palestinian security sources said.

AFP - An 80-kilometer-long (48-mile) slick of heavily-contaminated water surged down a river into one of China's biggest cities, leaving four million people without public water services.

AFP - Drinkers celebrated the relaxed new pub licensing hours on the stroke of midnight (0000 GMT) as a controversial law allowing 24-hour drinking in England and Wales kicked in.

AP - A suicide car bomb detonated in the center of a town south of Baghdad on Thursday killing 20 and wounding 35, an Iraqi army officer said.

Reuters - At least two police officers were killed in a blast that ripped through a district police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, police said.

Reuters - A car bomb targeted at a U.S. convoy killed at least seven people in the town of Mahmoudiya south of Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source said.

Reuters - An Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank surrendered on Thursday to Israeli troops who mounted a day-long siege of his hideout, the Israeli army said.

AFP - An 80-kilometer-long (48-mile) slick of highly toxic benzene flowed along the icy Songhua river into one of China's biggest cities, contaminating water supplies for up to four million people.

AFP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel made her debut as a 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 - China moved to ease growing fears over bird flu after the nation's second confirmed human fatality, with media reporting a human vaccine awaiting clinical tests would be sold at rock-bottom prices.

AFP - Members of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Kadima party were to meet as officials prepared to register the new centrist movement ahead of snap polls in March.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb blew up outside a hospital where Iraqi police were gathered in a town south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 31 people and wounding more than 20 others, doctors, police and witnesses said.

LONDON (Reuters) - One woman lost twins after being hit in the stomach by the father of her unborn babies, another sleeps in a locked bedroom to protect herself from the partner who has threatened to shoot her.

VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog's governing board has reached a 'broad consensus' that Iran should not be allowed to pursue nuclear enrichment, which would enable it to develop atom bombs, an EU diplomat said on Thursday.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Two Afghan policemen were killed on Thursday when a bomb exploded in a car inside a police headquarters in an eastern district, an officer said.

AP - A suicide car bomb detonated outside a hospital in the center of a town south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 30 people including four police guards, three women and two children, a doctor said. The bomber was targeting U.S. military vehicles parked nearby, an Iraqi army officer said.

AFP - Thirty people were killed and 27 wounded, including four US soldiers, when a car bomb exploded outside a hospital in a notorious area known as the "triangle of death."

AP - Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is scheduled to kick-off this morning, but questions still remain about whether strong winds will ground the procession's signature giant balloons.

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.

Reuters - The U.N. nuclear watchdog's governing board has reached a "broad consensus" that Iran should not be allowed to pursue nuclear enrichment, which would enable it to develop atom bombs, an EU diplomat said on Thursday.

AP - Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, who turned mid-level music careers into Hollywood superstardom by celebrating their marriage in an MTV reality show and television specials, are calling it quits after months of persistent breakup rumors.

AP - The Pistons and Spurs keep on winning. And for the first time this season, the Atlanta Hawks got to feel like champions, too. The Hawks became the last NBA team to win a game, outlasting the Boston Celtics 120-117 on Wednesday night as Al Harrington scored 34 points.

Reuters - A car bomb blew up outside a hospital south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 31 people and wounding two dozen as militants stepped up their campaign of violence ahead of elections next month.

Reuters - The World Health Organization will send a mission to an eastern Chinese province that has reported two human deaths from the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new party chose the name "Kadima," or "forward," on Thursday as a pack of high-profile candidates geared up for a leadership race in the fractured Likud party he left behind.

AFP - Global frozen food giant McCain Foods has temporarily shut down its operations in northeast China's city of Harbin due to the poisoned water supplies, workers said.

MAHMOUDIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber attacked a hospital south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 34 people and wounding dozens more as militants stepped up their campaign of violence ahead of elections next month.

VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog's governors broadly agree it is better to explore a Russian compromise over Iran's nuclear activities than to report Tehran to the Security Council, Western board members said on Thursday.

GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - One in six women worldwide suffers domestic violence -- some battered during pregnancy -- yet many remain silent about the assaults, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new party chose the name 'Kadima,' or 'forward,' on Thursday as a pack of high-profile candidates geared up for a leadership race in the fractured Likud party he left behind.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Anti-Defamation League demanded an apology from pop star Michael Jackson after a report he referred to Jews as 'leeches' in a telephone message to a former business adviser.

AP - The Thanksgiving Day Parade has begun and the giant balloons will fly. There was some question that the winds would pose a safety problem with the balloons. But city officials, meeting with police and Macy's representatives who are hosting the parade decided just before eight this morning that the winds were within safe speeds to fly the balloons.

AP - A suicide car bomber targeting U.S. troops handing out toys to children at a hospital in central Iraq killed 30 people Thursday, including four police guards, three women and two children, officials said.

AP - Stepladders and mom's shoulders provided viewing perches to children of all ages Thursday as balloons floated and marching bands tooted at the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Reuters - Syria said on Thursday an agreement on a legal framework for cooperation with a U.N. inquiry would open the way for the quizzing of six Syrian security officials in the killing of a former Lebanese premier.

AP - America's Thanksgiving holiday is known for massive feasts that produce bloated bellies. But one group of serious eaters took it a step farther — engaging in a pre-Thanksgiving turkey-eating contest that challenged all to shove as much bird into their mouths as they could manage in 12 minutes.

AP - The Detroit Lions play host to the first NFL game of the day against the Atlanta Falcons.

Reuters - The European Commission will seek answers from Washington on reports the CIA ran secret detention centers in Europe, the bloc's Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said on Thursday.

Reuters - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said his government will go ahead with the purchase of Spanish military aircraft and naval vessels even as he accused the U.S. government of pressuring Madrid to halt the transaction.

AFP - European Union farm ministers agreed to a sweeping reform of their sugar sector after three days of marathon talks, the EU's British presidency said.

AP - A giant balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade snagged a street light near Times Square and caused part of it to fall into the crowd, injuring two people, according to police and eyewitness accounts.

AP - The European Union accused Iran on Thursday of having documents that serve no other purpose than showing how to produce nuclear warheads. It and the United States warned of U.N. Security Council action, even while Iran suggested it was considering a compromise meant to reduce tensions.

AP - National Transportation Safety Board investigators interviewed emergency workers, hoping to learn why a commuter train slammed into vehicles at a backed-up intersection, injuring 16 people, officials said Thursday.

AP - Nervous at the start but encouraged by a couple of late birdies, Michelle Wie was five strokes off the lead in a men's tournament Thursday and optimistic about making the cut.

Reuters - Saddam Hussein's defense lawyers said on Thursday they had ended their boycott of the former Iraqi leader's trial and would go to court on Monday for the next session, despite continuing fears for their safety.

AFP - The European Union has agreed to give Iran more time to negotiate on its nuclear program in a move that postpones taking Tehran to the UN Security Council for violating non-proliferation safeguards.

AFP - Jordan's King Abdullah II asked his security chief to form a new government to promote reforms in the latest change at the top after the deadly hotel bombings that shook the desert kingdom.

AFP - British Prime Minister Tony Blair prepared to host Germany's new chancellor Angela Merkel for talks, hoping to find in her an ally for his vision of how a reformed Europe should look.

AFP - EU farm ministers agreed to a "radical" reform of their sugar sector after a sweetened set of proposals broke a deadlock which had consumed three days of haggling.

AP - A suicide car bomber targeting U.S. troops handing out toys to children at a hospital in central Iraq killed 30 people Thursday, including four police guards, three women and two children, officials said.

AP - China's government defended its handling of a chemical plant explosion that sent a 50-mile-long toxic slick of river water coursing through a major city Thursday, saying local officials were warned of the chemical threat and no one was sickened.

Reuters - Two spectators, an 11-year-old girl and a 26-year old woman, were injured on Thursday when a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade hit a lamp post in Times Square, police spokesman Sgt. Steven Rodriguez said.

Reuters - A drive to get millions of Mexican immigrants in the United States to vote in the 2006 presidential election has fallen flat so far, with just 2,213 registered to vote, electoral officials said on Thursday.

AFP - The UN nuclear watchdog put off taking Iran to the UN Security Council to give time for new Russian diplomacy but the United States warned that referral would happen soon if Tehran did not meet its non-proliferation obligations.

AFP - King Abdullah II named his security chief as prime minister to launch "all-out war" on Islamist militants while bringing in reforms, two weeks after the deadly hotel bombings that rocked Jordan.

AFP - Germany's new chancellor Angela Merkel defended in London the "strong relationship" between Berlin and Paris but said it should not be at the expense of isolating Britain.

AP - Cpl. Brian Zwart set out his turkey, stuffing, corn and mashed potatoes on a makeshift picnic table — the hood of a Humvee — before going out to patrol the Syrian border Thursday to watch for foreign militants sneaking in to join Iraq's insurgency.

AP - "Let's do it." With those last words, convicted killer Gary Gilmore ushered in the modern era of capital punishment in the United States, an age of busy death chambers that will likely see its 1,000th execution in the coming days.

AP - China's government defended its handling of a chemical plant explosion that sent a 50-mile-long toxic slick of river water coursing through a major city Thursday and blamed the disaster on a subsidiary of a state-owned oil company.

AP - After looking for love on the Internet and failing to find it, frustrated lonely hearts are heading to court, accusing online dating sites of engaging in deceptive practices.

AP - Christopher Knight, aka Peter Brady of "The Brady Bunch," and Adrianne Curry are planning a wedding — and reality TV cameras will be there.

AP - Michael Vick's arm, Alge Crumpler's hands and Warrick Dunn's legs were too much for the Detroit Lions. Vick threw two touchdown passes to Crumpler and Dunn ran for 116 yards to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 27-7 victory over Detroit on Thursday.

Reuters - The Spanish government, responding to allegations that CIA planes used a Spanish airport as a base to transport Islamic terrorism suspects, said on Thursday it was convinced U.S. aircraft had broken no law.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda in Iraq posted an Internet video on Thursday showing three suicide bombers which the group said had carried out attacks last month that killed at least 15 people at a fortified hotel compound in Baghdad.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Fallen press baron Conrad Black lashed out at his accusers on Thursday and predicted he would be completely vindicated of U.S. criminal fraud charges.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Gay U.S. Anglican bishop Gene Robinson said on Thursday a Vatican document barring practicing gay men from becoming Roman Catholic priests showed a profound misunderstanding of homosexuality.

AP - A suicide bomber blew up his car outside a hospital south of Baghdad on Thursday while U.S. troops handed out candy and food to children, killing 30 people and wounding about 40, including four Americans.

AP - The European Union accused Iran on Thursday of having documents that show how to make nuclear warheads and joined the United States in warning Tehran it faced referral to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

AP - A CIA plane allegedly carrying suspected terrorist captives flew through Austria's airspace in 2003, the air force said Wednesday as the country joined a flurry of investigations stretching from Scandinavia to Spain.

AP - Maybe all Ron Dayne needed was a chance. Filling in for injured Tatum Bell, Dayne rumbled 55 yards on the second play of overtime and Jason Elam followed with a 24-yard field goal to give the Denver Broncos a 24-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday in a game that lived up to its billing.

AP - A suicide bomber blew up his car outside a hospital south of Baghdad on Thursday while U.S. troops handed out candy and food to children, killing 30 people and wounding about 40, including four Americans.

AP - Former FEMA Director Michael Brown, heavily criticized for his agency's slow response to Hurricane Katrina, is starting a disaster preparedness consulting firm to help clients avoid the sort of errors that cost him his job.

AP - A giant balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade snagged a street light and knocked part of it off, injuring a woman in a wheelchair and her 11-year-old sister.

AP - The fallen soldier's mother whose August vigil near President Bush's ranch reinvigorated the anti-war movement returned to Texas to resume her protest Thursday as the president celebrated Thanksgiving a few miles away.

AP - China on Thursday announced the spread of bird flu to a far western region, while Indonesia reported its first outbreak of the virus in the tsunami-ravaged Aceh province where hundreds of chickens have died from the disease.

AFP - Urgent action is needed to tackle domestic violence against women, which is widespread, deep-rooted and largely hidden in a wide range of societies, a study by the UN health agency said.