WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Valerie Plame, the former covert CIA agent whose cover was blown after her husband accused the White House of manipulating prewar intelligence, will testify before a congressional committee next week, the committee chairman said on Thursday.

AP - Two Bluffton University baseball players were laid to rest Thursday, nearly a week after their bus plunged from a highway overpass in Atlanta as the team traveled to a tournament.

AP - A teenager who shot his ex-girlfriend outside her school before killing himself had struggled with anger and depression and recently had stopped taking his medication, his mother said.

AP - Georgia is poised to introduce two literature classes on the Bible in public schools next year, a move some critics say would make the state the first to take an explicit stance endorsing — and funding — biblical teachings.

Reuters - Valerie Plame, the former covert CIA agent whose cover was blown after her husband accused the White House of manipulating prewar intelligence, will testify before a congressional committee next week, the committee chairman said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI improperly obtained credit reports and other information on individuals through errors in using its power to investigate terrorism or espionage suspects, the Washington Post reported, citing a U.S. Justice Department audit.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Japanese soldiers fought in World War Two, was reluctant to start a war with China in 1937 and had believed in stopping it earlier, media reported on Friday, citing a diary by his former chamberlain.

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - The main front left exit of an Indonesian plane that crashed this week failed to open after landing, preventing some of the passengers from escaping, a leading crash investigator said on Friday.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Major powers are considering proposals for sanctions on Iran's nuclear ambitions that include penalties against Tehran's Revolutionary Guards as well as the Tehran's state-owned Bank Sepah.

NORFOLK ISLAND, Australia (Reuters) - The first murder trial on Norfolk Island in 150 years ended on Friday with a jury finding a New Zealand chef guilty of killing a woman he had run over and then stabbed repeatedly.

AP - The FBI underreported its use of the USA Patriot Act to force businesses to turn over customer information in suspected terrorism cases, according to a Justice Department audit.

Reuters - The FBI improperly obtained credit reports and other information on individuals through errors in using its power to investigate terrorism or espionage suspects, the Washington Post reported, citing a U.S. Justice Department audit.

Reuters - Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Japanese soldiers fought in World War Two, was reluctant to start a war with China in 1937 and had believed in stopping it earlier, media reported on Friday, citing a diary by his former chamberlain.

Reuters - The main front left exit of an Indonesian plane that crashed this week failed to open after landing, preventing some of the passengers from escaping, a leading crash investigator said on Friday.

Reuters - Major powers are considering proposals for sanctions on Iran's nuclear ambitions that include penalties against Tehran's Revolutionary Guards as well as the Tehran's state-owned Bank Sepah.

Reuters - The first murder trial on Norfolk Island in 150 years ended on Friday with a jury finding a New Zealand chef guilty of killing a woman he had run over and then stabbed repeatedly.

AFP - US President George W. Bush arrived in Brazil Thursday at the start of a Latin America tour to promote democracy and free trade, amid protests in the region and a rival trip by his archfoe Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

AFP - A concrete wall in Nicosia symbolising the decades-old Cyprus conflict was demolished by Greek Cypriots early Friday to make way for a crossing point in the heart of the world's last divided capital.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Police fired tear gas and clubbed demonstrators in Brazil's largest city on Thursday as thousands protested against a visit by President Bush aimed at winning friends in Latin America.

BELFAST (Reuters) - Britain urged Northern Ireland's politicians on Friday to agree to share power after the main Protestant and Catholic parties strengthened their hold in an election viewed as a test of support for joint government.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are expected to meet on Sunday, officials said on Friday.

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - The main front left exit of an Indonesian plane that crashed this week failed to open after landing, preventing some of the passengers from escaping, a leading crash investigator said on Friday.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Five Europeans and eight locals kidnapped in remote north Ethiopia are 'unharmed and safe' in the hands of Afar separatist rebels holding them over the border in Eritrea, an Afar community leader said on Friday.

AP - President Bush sees the new agreement with Brazil on ethanol as a way to boost alternative fuels production in the Americas and get more cars running on something other than gasoline.

AP - President Bush's troop buildup in Baghdad apparently will be bigger and more costly — and perhaps last longer — than it seemed when he unveiled the plan in January as the centerpiece of a new Iraq strategy.

AP - European Union leaders reached a broad agreement on an ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gases and switch to renewable energy sources as part of the fight against global warming.

AP - Consumer confidence was knocked off a 2 1/2 year high in March as a recent swoon in worldwide stock markets made people feel less secure about the economy's prospects and their own financial fortunes.

Reuters - Police fired tear gas and clubbed demonstrators in Brazil's largest city on Thursday as thousands protested against a visit by President Bush aimed at winning friends in Latin America.

Reuters - Britain urged Northern Ireland's politicians on Friday to agree to share power after the main Protestant and Catholic parties strengthened their hold in an election viewed as a test of support for joint government.

Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are expected to meet on Sunday, officials said on Friday.

AFP - US President George W. Bush arrived in Brazil Thursday amid protests at his visit that turned violent at the start of his five-nation Latin America tour.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President George W. Bush opens a diplomatic foray in Latin America on Friday facing a wall of public skepticism and a competing tour by his anti-U.S. nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

BELFAST (Reuters) - Britain and Ireland urged Northern Ireland's politicians on Friday to agree to a power sharing government after the province's main Protestant and Catholic parties dominated assembly elections this week.

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots razed to the ground a wall symbolizing Cyprus's decades-old division running through the heart of the capital Nicosia and challenged Turkey to respond by withdrawing its troops from the area.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders clinched agreement on Friday on a bold long-term strategy for energy policy and climate change aimed at leading the world in the fight against global warming, diplomats said.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Deep distrust is challenging progress toward ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program, China's envoy to six-party disarmament talks said on Friday, following discussions with North Korea on a nascent deal.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, responding to reports a group of European hostages were in the hands of Eritrean separatist rebels, said she had received signals the group was 'okay'.

AP - In Los Angeles, fourth-ranked UCLA was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 tournament by California. Ayinde Ubaka scored eight of his career-high 29 points in overtime for the Golden Bears, who are a mere 16-16 after springing the surprise.

Reuters - President George W. Bush opens a diplomatic foray in Latin America on Friday facing a wall of public skepticism and a competing tour by his anti-U.S. nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Reuters - Britain and Ireland urged Northern Ireland's politicians on Friday to agree to a power sharing government after the province's main Protestant and Catholic parties dominated assembly elections this week.

Reuters - Greek Cypriots razed to the ground a wall symbolizing Cyprus's decades-old division running through the heart of the capital Nicosia and challenged Turkey to respond by withdrawing its troops from the area.

Reuters - European Union leaders agreed a full package of binding measures on Friday to build a common energy policy and fight climate change, challenging the world to follow suit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

Reuters - Deep distrust is challenging progress toward ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program, China's envoy to six-party disarmament talks said on Friday, following discussions with North Korea on a nascent deal.

AFP - European Union leaders were poised on Friday to endorse deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions while leaving each member country a degree of flexibility in how to achieve that goal.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq prepared on Friday for a crucial regional meeting that will be a rare opportunity for officials from Washington and Tehran to sit at the same table at a time of tension over Iran's nuclear plans.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Voters are lining up behind Rudolph Giuliani, who became 'America's mayor' on Sept 11, 2001. But many New Yorkers remember the mayor before that day with less affection.

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots razed to the ground a wall symbolizing Cyprus's decades-old division running through the heart of the capital Nicosia and challenged Turkey to respond by withdrawing its troops from the area.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders agreed a full package of binding measures on Friday to build a common energy policy and fight climate change, challenging the world to follow suit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

AP - The nation's unemployment rate dipped to 4.5 percent in February even as big losses of construction and factory jobs restrained overall payroll growth. Wages grew briskly.

AP - A college baseball player pulled from the wreckage of a bus crash that killed several of his teammates died of his injuries Friday, raising the death toll to seven, a hospital spokeswoman said.

AP - It's best not to get between a predator and its prey — especially when they're in the passenger seat of your golf cart.

Reuters - Iraq prepared on Friday for a crucial regional meeting that will be a rare opportunity for officials from Washington and Tehran to sit at the same table at a time of tension over Iran's nuclear plans.

Reuters - Voters are lining up behind Rudolph Giuliani, who became 'America's mayor' on Sept 11, 2001. But many New Yorkers remember the mayor before that day with less affection.

Reuters - Greek Cypriots razed to the ground a wall symbolizing Cyprus's decades-old division running through the heart of the capital Nicosia and challenged Turkey to respond by withdrawing its troops from the area.

AFP - European Union leaders clinched a landmark climate change accord on Friday that set a binding target for renewable energies to make up 20 percent of overall EU energy consumption by 2020.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President George W. Bush opened a diplomatic drive on Friday to win the hearts and minds of skeptical Latin Americans and counter an anti-U.S. challenge led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's ruling Shi'ite leaders on Friday urged neighboring and Western powers to join forces to prevent their country from sliding into all-out civil war that could spread across the region.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Valerie Plame, the former covert CIA agent whose cover was blown after her husband accused the White House of manipulating prewar intelligence, will testify before a congressional committee next week, the committee chairman said on Thursday.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders resolved on Friday to slash greenhouse gas emissions and switch to renewable fuels, challenging the world to follow its lead in fighting climate change.

AP - The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States, a Justice Department audit concluded Friday.

AP - At a mega fuel depot for tanker trucks, President Bush heralded a new ethanol agreement with Brazil Friday as way to boost alternative fuels production across the Americas.

AP - Lance Mackey was the first to reach the halfway point in the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, putting him on course to join his father and his brother as Iditarod champions. But surprise contender Zack Steer, who finished 14th in 2000, beat Mackey out of the checkpoint by several hours as he took a mandatory 24-hour rest.

Reuters - President George W. Bush opened a diplomatic drive on Friday to win the hearts and minds of skeptical Latin Americans and counter an anti-U.S. challenge led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Reuters - Iraq's ruling Shi'ite leaders on Friday urged neighboring and Western powers to join forces to prevent their country from sliding into all-out civil war that could spread across the region.

Reuters - Valerie Plame, the former covert CIA agent whose cover was blown after her husband accused the White House of manipulating prewar intelligence, will testify before a congressional committee next week, the committee chairman said on Thursday.

AFP - European Union leaders clinched a landmark climate change accord on Friday cbut postponed the thorny task of setting mandatory renewable energy goals for each member country to meet.

AFP - Brazil and the United States, the world's largest producers of ethanol, on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in promoting the alternative fuel.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Bush and his left-wing nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez embarked on dueling tours of Latin America on Friday as they stepped up competition for the region's hearts and minds.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI abused its power by illegally or improperly obtaining telephone, financial and other secret records in investigations of terrorism or espionage suspects, the U.S. Justice Department's inspector general said on Friday.

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots earned international praise on Friday for tearing down an emblem of the island's division but Turkey appeared in no rush to respond to calls to remove its troops from the area.

AP - Iraq's prime minister ventured into Baghdad's streets and chatted with Iraqis at police checkpoints Friday to showcase security ahead of an international conference aimed at stabilizing the country with help from its neighbors.

AP - Next up for Salma Hayek is a wedding — and a baby carriage.

AP - New York Islanders forward Chris Simon was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Friday for his stick-swinging hit to the face of Rangers center Ryan Hollweg.

Reuters - President Bush and his left-wing nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez embarked on dueling tours of Latin America on Friday as they stepped up competition for the region's hearts and minds.

Reuters - The FBI abused its power by illegally or improperly obtaining telephone, financial and other secret records in investigations of terrorism or espionage suspects, the U.S. Justice Department's inspector general said on Friday.

Reuters - Greek Cypriots earned international praise on Friday for tearing down an emblem of the island's division but Turkey appeared in no rush to respond to calls to remove its troops from the area.

KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's ruling Shi'ite leaders on Friday urged neighboring and Western powers to join forces to prevent their country from sliding into all-out civil war that could spread across the region.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Voters are lining up behind Rudolph Giuliani, who became 'America's mayor' on Sept 11, 2001. But many New Yorkers remember the mayor before that day with less affection.

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Iraqi trial judge who sentenced former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to death has asked for asylum in Britain, Al Jazeera television said on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. commander for northern Iraq has asked for more troops to clamp down on insurgent attacks and sectarian violence in the volatile province of Diyala, he said on Friday.

BELFAST (Reuters) - Protestant cleric Ian Paisley's pro-British party strengthened its hold on Northern Ireland's assembly, final election results showed on Friday, and Britain stepped up pressure on him and Catholic rivals to share power.

AP - The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States, a Justice Department audit concluded Friday.

AP - President Bush on Friday denied charges that the United States under his leadership has ignored Latin America's poverty and problems.

AP - A federal appeals court overturned the District of Columbia's long-standing handgun ban Friday, rejecting the city's argument that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applied only to militias.

AP - The unemployment rate dipped to 4.5 percent and workers got fatter paychecks in February, even as bad winter weather sent a bit of a chill through U.S. job growth.

Reuters - Iraq's ruling Shi'ite leaders on Friday urged neighboring and Western powers to join forces to prevent their country from sliding into all-out civil war that could spread across the region.

Reuters - Voters are lining up behind Rudolph Giuliani, who became 'America's mayor' on Sept 11, 2001. But many New Yorkers remember the mayor before that day with less affection.

Reuters - The U.S. commander for northern Iraq has asked for more troops to clamp down on insurgent attacks and sectarian violence in the volatile province of Diyala, he said on Friday.

Reuters - Protestant cleric Ian Paisley's pro-British party strengthened its hold on Northern Ireland's assembly, final election results showed on Friday, and Britain stepped up pressure on him and Catholic rivals to share power.

AFP - Vast crowds of black-clad Shiite devotees thronged shrines in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala on Friday, defying a spate of vicious sectarian attacks aimed at marring an annual holiday.

AFP - US President George W. Bush Friday started a tour of Latin America against the backdrop of violent protests and a planned "anti-imperialist" rally headlined by his Venezuelan arch-foe Hugo Chavez.

KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's ruling Shi'ite leaders on Friday urged neighboring states and Western powers to join forces to help prevent an all-out civil war that could spread across the oil-rich region.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Bush and his left-wing nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez squared off on dueling tours of Latin America on Friday as they vied for the region's hearts and minds.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Some sports fans may now know as much about global warming as they know about women's swimwear: Sports Illustrated this week tells readers how a warming world is going to change the state of play.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Politicians failed to tap the youth vote even after record turnout in the 2004 U.S. presidential election and will need the Internet to draw this block, a Harvard University survey showed on Friday.

AP - The leader of the al-Qaida-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq was captured Friday in a raid west of Baghdad — his identity revealed by a fellow insurgent detained with him, an Iraqi military spokesman said.

AP - Taunted by leftist President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, President Bush on Friday rejected accusations of U.S. neglect in Latin America. Bush celebrated an alternative-fuels pact with Brazil as proof.

AP - Federal authorities on Friday raided a construction company accused of hiring illegal immigrants, detaining eight undocumented workers and arresting several other employees. Scores of agents fanned out in Douglas, along the Mexico border, and in Sierra Vista, about 50 miles northwest, in the raid on Sun Dry Wall & Stucco Inc.'s offices, a foreman's home, the home of a suspected counterfeiter and eight work sites.

AP - The school district that runs the nation's largest merit pay program gave oversized bonuses to nearly 100 teachers and is asking them to give it back. The president of Houston's largest teachers' union is telling members not to return the overpayments, which range from $62.50 to $2,790.

AP - Greg Oden took a half to get acclimated. Once he settled in, he became the force on offense that No. 1 Ohio State needed for its 15th straight victory. 'This is my first go-around in these type of tournaments, so I just feed off the guys that have been there before,' the Buckeyes' prize freshman said Friday when his second-half play powered a 72-62 win over Michigan in the Big Ten quarterfinals.

Reuters - Iraq's ruling Shi'ite leaders on Friday urged neighboring states and Western powers to join forces to help prevent an all-out civil war that could spread across the oil-rich region.

Reuters - President Bush and his left-wing nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez squared off on dueling tours of Latin America on Friday as they vied for the region's hearts and minds.

Reuters - The Iraqi trial judge who sentenced former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to death has asked for asylum in Britain, Al Jazeera television said on Friday.

Reuters - Some sports fans may now know as much about global warming as they know about women's swimwear: Sports Illustrated this week tells readers how a warming world is going to change the state of play.

Reuters - Politicians failed to tap the youth vote even after record turnout in the 2004 U.S. presidential election and will need the Internet to draw this block, a Harvard University survey showed on Friday.

AFP - US President George W. Bush on Friday denied turning his back on Latin America, where demonstrations and violent protests rocked the start of his goodwill tour.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. officials will sit down with their Iranian and Syrian counterparts on Saturday at a conference in Baghdad aimed at stopping sectarian fighting in Iraq before the conflict spreads throughout the oil-rich region.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles hospital confirmed on Friday that two U.S. women who became ill during a trip to their native Russia, prompting investigations by both countries, were suffering from thallium poisoning.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Bush and his left-wing nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez squared off on dueling tours of Latin America on Friday as they vied for the region's hearts and minds.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday struck down a 30-year-old Washington, D.C., law that bans handguns in homes, a precedent-setting ruling that dealt a setback to a city with one of America's highest crime rates.

AP - The nation's top two law enforcement officials acknowledged Friday the FBI broke the law to secretly pry out personal information about Americans. They apologized and vowed to prevent further illegal intrusions.

AP - A preliminary inspection of space shuttle Atlantis's hail-damaged fuel tank shows it can be repaired in Florida, keeping it on track for a launch as soon as late April, a NASA spokeswoman said Friday.

AP - Be careful who you trust. That's the advice from Antonella Barba, New Jersey's 'American Idol' contestant, a day after being voted off the show following two weeks of turbulence over racy photos posted on the Internet.

AP - A bout with the flu hasn't affected Barry Bonds' swing. Bonds hit his first home run of spring training, connecting in the fourth inning against Esteban Loaiza on Friday in the San Francisco Giants' 5-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Reuters - U.S. officials will sit down with their Iranian and Syrian counterparts on Saturday at a conference in Baghdad aimed at stopping sectarian fighting in Iraq before the conflict spreads throughout the oil-rich region.

Reuters - A Los Angeles hospital confirmed on Friday that two U.S. women who became ill during a trip to their native Russia, prompting investigations by both countries, were suffering from thallium poisoning.

Reuters - President Bush and his left-wing nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez squared off on dueling tours of Latin America on Friday as they vied for the region's hearts and minds.

Reuters - A U.S. appeals court on Friday struck down a 30-year-old Washington, D.C., law that bans handguns in homes, a precedent-setting ruling that dealt a setback to a city with one of America's highest crime rates.

AFP - US President George W. Bush on Friday denied neglecting Latin America, where demonstrations and violent protests rocked the start of his five-nation tour of the region.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When U.S. and Iranian officials sit down at a regional meeting in Baghdad on Saturday it will be far from the first time they have been in the same room since the United States severed ties with Iran in 1980.

AP - The nation's top two law enforcement officials acknowledged Friday the FBI broke the law to secretly pry out personal information about Americans. They apologized and vowed to prevent further illegal intrusions.

AP - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez launched another verbal assault on President Bush Friday as he led some 20,000 supporters in an anti-American rally, calling the U.S. leader a 'political cadaver' and blasting his policies as 'imperialist.'

AP - Newt Gingrich's admission of an extramarital affair as he pursued President Clinton's impeachment in the Monica Lewinsky scandal has won praise from another conservative Christian leader: the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

AP - A state assistant attorney general received a report a year ago that graphically detailed the sexual abuse of inmates at a youth prison but declined to pursue the case because of jurisdictional concerns, according to e-mails obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

AP - The mother of a 13-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly driving her son to a fight with another boy, then cheering him on as he struck his smaller opponent. Police say the mother shouted down another woman who tried to break up the fight across from Sutter Middle School on Monday. A student caught the scene on video.

Reuters - When U.S. and Iranian officials sit down at a regional meeting in Baghdad on Saturday it will be far from the first time they have been in the same room since the United States severed ties with Iran in 1980.

AFP - US President George W. Bush on Friday denied neglecting Latin America, where demonstrations and violent protests rocked the start of his five-nation tour of the region.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Energy-guzzling Americans, always on the lookout for a painless path to conservation, can celebrate this weekend when they will cut greenhouse gas emissions by simply pushing forward the hands on their clocks.

AP - Salvadorans buried the country's oldest known living person on Friday: Cruz Hernandez, who was 128 years old according to the government. Hernandez was born May 3, 1878, according to her government-issued identity card.

AP - ConAgra Foods Inc. has extended its recall of all peanut butter produced at a plant in Georgia by more than a year, back to October 2004, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

AP - Fats Domino broke into soft song as he stepped slowly through his gutted house in the city's flood-ravaged 9th Ward on Friday. Sometimes the Hall of Fame piano man murmured a line of his familiar lyrics. At other moments, he just seemed to be thinking out loud, with a tune.

Reuters - Energy-guzzling Americans, always on the lookout for a painless path to conservation, can celebrate this weekend when they will cut greenhouse gas emissions by simply pushing forward the hands on their clocks.

AFP - Envoys of the United States and its arch foes Iran and Syria are due to sit at the same table for the first time on Saturday at a peace conference in Baghdad called by Iraq's prime minister.

AFP - US President George W. Bush, promoting trade and democracy in Latin America, weathered protests even beyond the countries on his five-stop tour and jabs from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.