LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nevada Democratic Party officials said on Friday they were canceling a presidential debate co-sponsored by Fox News, following a joke chairman Roger Ailes made about Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

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 - The nation's largest firefighters union has accused Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, of committing 'egregious acts' against firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

AP - Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston, was found dead Friday in his home in southern New Hampshire. He was 55.

AP - A college basketball game lasts 40 minutes. The Florida Gators needed only 5 to put this one away. The defending national champions stunned Georgia by scoring the first 17 points and romped to a 74-57 victory over the Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals Friday night.

Reuters - Nevada Democratic Party officials said on Friday they were canceling a presidential debate co-sponsored by Fox News, following a joke chairman Roger Ailes made about Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

BEIJING (Reuters) - North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Kye-gwan warned on Saturday that if the United States failed to lift financial sanctions against it, his country would have to take 'corresponding actions' in response.

AP - Military leaders are struggling to choose Army units to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan longer or go there earlier than planned, but five years of war have made fresh troops harder to find.

AP - Ronald Reagan was divorced, had chilly relations with some of his children, and still easily won two terms as president. Rudy Giuliani has been thrice married and twice divorced, has chilly relations with his children, and wants to be elected president.

Reuters - North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Kye-gwan warned on Saturday that if the United States failed to lift financial sanctions against it, his country would have to take 'corresponding actions' in response.

AFP - Envoys from the United States and its arch foes Iran and Syria were to sit together to discuss the crisis in Iraq for the first time on Saturday at talks called by the Iraqi prime minister.

AFP - US President George W. Bush on Saturday will hold trade talks with his Uruguayan counterpart, Tebare Vazquez, as mass protests continue to dog his five-nation tour of Latin America.

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.

SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden, if he's alive, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday, and his friends in the Taliban prayed for his long life.

AP - President Bush refuses to be goaded into a war of words with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who is answering the president's five-country trek through Latin America with taunts of 'Gringo go home.'

AP - A traditional rite of spring, setting the clocks forward, comes early this year.

AP - One day after several tournament favorites fell nationwide, top teams returned to form with a few notable exceptions.

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 - Osama bin Laden, if he's alive, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday, and his friends in the Taliban prayed for his long life.

MONTEVIDEO (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.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani security forces killed three suspected Islamist militants in a clash in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Saturday, the military said.

AP - For nearly a month after she was stabbed to death, Linda Damm's body lay in the trunk of her car inside her garage while her 15-year-old daughter and friends used her debit card to 'do teenage stuff,' police say.

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 - Pakistani security forces killed three suspected Islamist militants in a clash in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Saturday, the military said.

AFP - Three mortar bombs exploded near the Iraqi foreign ministry on Saturday, causing slight damage to the building as it hosted a peace conference of 16 world and regional powers.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister urged regional rivals on Saturday to stop playing out their differences in his country, addressing a meeting at which U.S. officials sat down with adversaries from Iran and Syria.

ANCHORENA PARK, Uruguay (Reuters) - President Bush has tried to ignore Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on his Latin American tour but the effort was being put to the test as the fiery Chavez toughened his anti-American line.

JENIN, West Bank (Reuters) - Fatah gunmen shot at the convoy of a minister from the rival Hamas movement in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the first factional violence since Palestinian unity talks began a month ago.

AP - A suicide car bomb struck Baghdad's Shiite militia stronghold Saturday, killing at least 18 people as international envoys met in the Iraqi capital to talk about stabilizing the violence-shattered country.

AP - President Bush launched talks Saturday with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez focused on expanding trade with this tiny coastal nation. It was the second stop on a five-country Latin American trip shadowed by taunts from Venezuela's Hugo Chavez that Bush ignored. The leftist firebrand is answering the president's trek with jeers of 'Gringo go home.'

Reuters - Iraq's prime minister urged regional rivals on Saturday to stop playing out their differences in his country, addressing a meeting at which U.S. officials sat down with adversaries from Iran and Syria.

Reuters - President Bush has tried to ignore Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on his Latin American tour but the effort was being put to the test as the fiery Chavez toughened his anti-American line.

Reuters - Fatah gunmen shot at the convoy of a minister from the rival Hamas movement in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the first factional violence since Palestinian unity talks began a month ago.

AFP - Iraq issued an impassioned plea on Saturday for 16 regional and world powers, including neighbours Iran and Syria, to forge a common front against terrorism and to bring an end to support for violent extremists.

ANCHORENA PARK, Uruguay (Reuters) - President Bush pledged on Saturday to quickly address findings the FBI illegally or improperly obtained private records during terrorism and espionage investigations.

AP - President Bush refused Saturday to be baited into verbal battle with Venezuela's outspoken Hugo Chavez. But Bush did give his Latin American foe a gentle, if indirect, dig.

AP - Iraq's prime minister appealed Saturday for international help to sever networks aiding extremists and warned envoys from neighbors and world powers that Iraq's growing sectarian bloodshed could spill across the Middle East.

AP - An Arizona congressman said Saturday that mold-covered walls, rodent infestations and other problems uncovered recently at Walter Reed Army Medical Center reveal 'a catastrophic failure of leadership' by the Bush administration.

AP - An apartment building fire killed at least four people Saturday morning on the city's North Side, authorities said.

AP - Bank robbers, terrorists and prowlers have given ski masks a bad name for years, but a Connecticut man is wearing them around town to prove that not everyone who dons one is plotting mayhem.

AFP - Iraq made an impassioned plea on Saturday for its neighbours, including Iran and Syria, to halt their alleged support for violent extremists, as insurgent attacks slaughtered at least 35 more Iraqis.

ANCHORENA PARK, Uruguay (Reuters) - President Bush stuck to talk of trade and friendship on Saturday during a Latin American tour, ignoring provocations from ideological rival Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

ANCHORENA PARK, Uruguay (Reuters) - President Bush pledged swift action on Saturday over findings that the FBI illegally or improperly obtained private records during terrorism and espionage investigations.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The top Iranian official attending a regional conference on Iraq said on Saturday he had no one-to-one talks with U.S. officials but he did call for a withdrawal of U.S. forces and rejected charges of interference.

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she was confident world powers would agree on further steps to take against Iran, which has repeatedly defied international calls to suspend its nuclear fuel programme.

AP - U.S. and Iranian envoys exchanged direct talks Saturday on efforts to end Iraq's violence and bolster its government, opening limited but potentially significant contacts that could ease their nearly 28-year diplomatic freeze.

AP - More than five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the government cannot show how the $5 billion given to public health departments has better prepared the country for a bioterrorism attack or flu pandemic.

Reuters - President Bush stuck to talk of trade and friendship on Saturday during a Latin American tour, ignoring provocations from ideological rival Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Reuters - President Bush pledged swift action on Saturday over findings that the FBI illegally or improperly obtained private records during terrorism and espionage investigations.

Reuters - The top Iranian official attending a regional conference on Iraq said on Saturday he had no one-to-one talks with U.S. officials but he did call for a withdrawal of U.S. forces and rejected charges of interference.

AFP - Battling for the hearts and minds of Latin America, US President George W. Bush on Saturday pointedly ignored protests and taunts by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez that have marked his tour of the region.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, addressing a meeting at which U.S. officials sat down with adversaries from Iran and Syria, urged Iraq's regional rivals on Saturday to stop supporting insurgents in the country.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. and Iranian envoys spoke to each other directly at a regional meeting in Baghdad on Saturday but their exchanges dealt only with problems in Iraq and not with nuclear diplomacy.

MADRID (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Madrid on Saturday to vent their rage at what they say is the Spanish government's 'surrender' to Basque separatist guerrilla group ETA.

MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - It will cost about $3 billion to send extra U.S. troops to Iraq in support of the 21,500 already being deployed under President George W. Bush's reworked war strategy, the White House said on Saturday.

AP - A woman posing as a medical worker kidnapped a three-day-old infant from a hospital early Saturday, police said.

AP - Though laws in every state say government records and meetings must be open to all, reality often falls far short: Laws are sporadically enforced, penalties for failure to comply are mild and violators almost always walk away with nothing more than a reprimand, an Associated Press survey of all 50 states has found.

AP - James Brown's body was placed in a crypt Saturday at the Beech Island home of one of the soul singer's daughters, a spokeswoman for the Rev. Al Sharpton said.

AP - The fifth-ranked Memphis Tigers rolled into the NCAA tournament in style. Chris Douglas-Roberts and Antonio Anderson each scored 17 points and the Tigers extended the nation's longest winning streak to 22 straight, beating Houston 71-59 on Saturday to wrap up their second straight Conference USA tournament championship.

Reuters - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, addressing a meeting at which U.S. officials sat down with adversaries from Iran and Syria, urged Iraq's regional rivals on Saturday to stop supporting insurgents in the country.

Reuters - U.S. and Iranian envoys spoke to each other directly at a regional meeting in Baghdad on Saturday but their exchanges dealt only with problems in Iraq and not with nuclear diplomacy.

Reuters - Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Madrid on Saturday to vent their rage at what they say is the Spanish government's 'surrender' to Basque separatist guerrilla group ETA.

Reuters - It will cost about $3 billion to send extra U.S. troops to Iraq in support of the 21,500 already being deployed under President George W. Bush's reworked war strategy, the White House said on Saturday.

MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has approved adding 4,400 more U.S. troops to a force buildup already ordered to try to bring security to Iraq, the White House said on Saturday.

GAZA (Reuters) - A Palestinian unity government will be announced in the next few days and will seek a vote of confidence from parliament next Saturday, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Islamist group Hamas said on Saturday.

AP - Followers of Osama bin Laden flooded Islamic Web sites with pledges of allegiance, videos and pictures Saturday to mark the al-Qaida leader's 50th birthday, reflecting his importance as a militant symbol even though he has not shown his face for years.

AP - Greg Oden put together a highlight package for NBA scouts and helped No. 1 Ohio State move to the finals of the Big Ten tournament and a step closer to a top seed in the NCAA tournament. Oden had 17 points, a tournament-record 19 rebounds and four blocks Saturday and the Buckeyes (29-3) pulled away late from scrappy Purdue for a 63-52 victory.

Reuters - President George W. Bush has approved adding 4,400 more U.S. troops to a force buildup already ordered to try to bring security to Iraq, the White House said on Saturday.

AFP - The United States challenged Iran directly over its activities in Iraq, and Tehran rejected the accusations in the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years Saturday, US ambassador to Baghdad Zalmay Khalilzad said.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, addressing a meeting at which U.S. officials sat down with adversaries from Iran and Syria, urged Iraq's regional rivals on Saturday to stop supporting insurgents in the country.

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac is expected to confirm on Sunday he will not seek reelection, bringing the curtain down on more than 40 years of frontline politics.

VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief leaves for North Korea on Sunday to broker a return of inspectors to the secretive Stalinist state under a precarious six-party pact to dismantle its atomic bomb program.

AP - The first direct, high-level contact in years among U.S., Iranian and Syrian representatives included 'frank and sometimes jovial exchanges,' Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, said Saturday.

AP - President Bush claimed progress on trade with Uruguay's president on Saturday, courting another leftist leader on his Latin American tour. 'We care about the human condition,' Bush said, trying to co-opt the populism of one influential leftist rival he won't meet: Venezuela's firebrand, Hugo Chavez.

AP - Though laws in every state say government records and meetings must be open to all, reality often falls far short: Laws are sporadically enforced, penalties for failure to comply are mild and violators almost always walk away with nothing more than a reprimand, an Associated Press survey of all 50 states has found.

AP - Followers of Osama bin Laden flooded Islamic Web sites with pledges of allegiance, videos and pictures Saturday to mark the al-Qaida leader's 50th birthday, reflecting his importance as a militant symbol even though he has not shown his face for years.

AP - Samuel Alito liked being on this bench, too.

AP - A movie production company was forced to begin its first day of shooting Saturday without Busta Rhymes after the NYPD raised security concerns.

AP - Alando Tucker showed why he is the Big Ten's player of the year, setting the school's career scoring record and finishing with 21 points to lead No. 3 Wisconsin past Illinois 53-41 in the semifinals of the conference tournament Saturday.

Reuters - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, addressing a meeting at which U.S. officials sat down with adversaries from Iran and Syria, urged Iraq's regional rivals on Saturday to stop supporting insurgents in the country.

Reuters - French President Jacques Chirac is expected to confirm on Sunday he will not seek reelection, bringing the curtain down on more than 40 years of frontline politics.

Reuters - The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief leaves for North Korea on Sunday to broker a return of inspectors to the secretive Stalinist state under a precarious six-party pact to dismantle its atomic bomb program.

Reuters - A Palestinian unity government will be announced in the next few days and will seek a vote of confidence from parliament next Saturday, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Islamist group Hamas said on Saturday.

AFP - Iraq begged its neighbours Saturday to cut off cross-border shipments of cash and weapons to extremist groups, at a Baghdad conference where the United States and Iran held rare direct talks.

AFP - Battling for the hearts and minds of Latin America, US President George W. Bush Saturday pointedly ignored protests and taunts by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez that have marked his tour of the region.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Fighting erupted in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday and a Hamas gunman was killed, the first fatality in such clashes since the Islamist movement agreed with its Fatah rivals to form a unity government a month ago.

AP - President Bush asked Congress on Saturday for $3.2 billion to pay for 8,200 more U.S. troops needed in Afghanistan and Iraq on top of the 21,500-troop buildup he announced in January.

AP - A woman posing as a medical worker kidnapped a 3-day-old girl from a hospital early Saturday, police said.

AP - In their first direct talks since the Iraq war began, U.S. and Iranian envoys traded harsh words and blamed each other for the country's crisis Saturday at a one-day international conference that some hoped would help end their 27-year diplomatic freeze.

AP - Though laws in every state say government records and meetings must be open to all, reality often falls far short: Laws are sporadically enforced, penalties for failure to comply are mild and violators almost always walk away with nothing more than a reprimand, an Associated Press survey of all 50 states has found.

AP - The harmful effects of global warming on daily life are already showing up, and within a couple of decades hundreds of millions of people won't have enough water, top scientists will say next month at a meeting in Belgium.

AP - With aging, it's become a routine faithfully endured by the Guffords. Each day starts with a blood sugar check and a shot of insulin. Then a couple of pills, maybe mashed into a bowl of tuna and canned carrots. Mixed with dry chow.

Reuters - Fighting erupted in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday and a Hamas gunman was killed, the first fatality in such clashes since the Islamist movement agreed with its Fatah rivals to form a unity government a month ago.

AFP - UN atomic agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei heads Sunday towards North Korea to discuss how to implement a landmark agreement on dismantling the communist state's nuclear weapons programme.

AP - President Bush asked Congress on Saturday for $3.2 billion to pay for 8,200 more U.S. troops needed in Afghanistan and Iraq on top of the 21,500-troop buildup he announced in January.

AP - A woman posing as a medical worker kidnapped a 3-day-old girl from a hospital early Saturday, police said.

AP - John Legend and Gnarls Barkley took early honors Saturday at the 21st Anniversary Soul Train Music Awards.

AP - John Thompson was barking calls at his Georgetown players, a dominant big man was leading the way and, just like the old days, the Hoyas were on top of the Big East. Roy Hibbert scored 14 of his 18 points in the ninth-ranked Hoyas' big first half and Georgetown cruised past No. 13 Pittsburgh 65-42 to win the Big East tournament Saturday night.