BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Climate experts neared agreement on Friday on the bleakest U.N. warning yet about the impacts of global warming, but some participants said parts were getting watered down from a harder-hitting draft.

AP - China has denied responsibility for several pet deaths in the United States which U.S. authorities blame on a batch of chemically contaminated wheat gluten from China, state media reported.

AP - A suicide car bomber hit a police checkpoint in Afghanistan's capital Friday, killing four people, including a policeman who tried to stop him, police and witnesses said.

AP - Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian is making another bid for Chrysler, adding a new contender to the list of those vying to own the troubled automaker.

AP - Take Hugh Hefner out of the running.

Reuters - Climate experts neared agreement on Friday on the bleakest U.N. warning yet about the impacts of global warming, but some participants said parts were getting watered down from a harder-hitting draft.

AP - An FBI agent was killed as agents closed in on three suspected bank robbers, and may have been shot accidentally by a fellow agent, the agency said.

AP - Consumer confidence sank to a six-month low as higher gasoline prices, a housing slump and stock market turbulence made people fret more about the economy.

AFP - The United States on Thursday welcomed Iran's release of 15 British captives but warned Tehran of possible new sanctions if the Islamic republic does not freeze sensitive nuclear work.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Top climate experts warned on Friday that global warming will cause faster and wider damage than previously forecast, ranging from hunger in Africa and Asia to extinctions and rising ocean levels.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has suspended boarding operations in the Gulf and is reviewing all procedures after the seizure by Iran of 15 sailors and marines, navy chief Jonathon Band said on Friday.

RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - A truck bomb exploded in the volatile Iraqi city of Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 15 people and releasing chlorine gas into the air, police and security sources said.

AP - The Basra police commander on Friday said the roadside bomb used in an attack that killed four British soldiers had not been used in southern Iraq before, and his description of the deadly weapon indicated it was a feared Iranian-designed explosively formed projectile.

AP - An international global warming conference approved a report on climate change Friday, chairman Rajendra Pachauri said, after a contentious marathon session that saw angry exchanges between diplomats and scientists who drafted the report.

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney repeated his assertions of al-Qaida links to Saddam Hussein's Iraq on Thursday as the Defense Department released a report citing more evidence that the prewar government did not cooperate with the terrorist group.

AP - Consumer confidence sank to a six-month low as higher gasoline prices, a housing slump and stock market turbulence made people fret more about the economy.

AP - Augusta National is called the 'cathedral of golf,' and it sure sounded like one Thursday. Gone were those roars that resonate along Amen Corner, as much a part of the Masters as the blazing colors of spring and the red numbers under par on the leaderboard. Then again, there were not a lot of birdies to cheer. This was a day the Masters went mute.

Reuters - Top climate experts warned on Friday that global warming will cause faster and wider damage than previously forecast, ranging from hunger in Africa and Asia to extinctions and rising ocean levels.

Reuters - Fifteen British military personnel freed by Iran after a two-week stand-off were reunited with their families on Thursday as attention turned to how the incident could impact on nuclear diplomacy.

Reuters - A truck bomb exploded in the volatile Iraqi city of Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 15 people and releasing chlorine gas into the air, police and security sources said.

AFP - The United States Thursday shrugged off Iran's release of 15 captured British sailors and warned it faced tougher sanctions if it does not bow to UN demands to halt its uranium enrichment operations.

AFP - A suicide bomber slammed his car into a police checkpoint on Friday in the restive western city of Ramadi, killing at least 20 people and wounding another 30, police said.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Top climate experts issued their bleakest forecasts yet about global warming on Friday, ranging from hunger in Africa to a thaw of Himalayan glaciers in a study that may add pressure on governments to act.

PARIS (Reuters) - The French are rediscovering a passion for politics. In the countdown to this year's presidential poll, millions watch political television shows, rallies resemble rock concerts, candidates' biographies dominate bestseller lists, magazines are flying off the shelves and blogs are buzzing.

AP - The Basra police commander on Friday said the roadside bomb used in an attack that killed four British soldiers had not been used in southern Iraq before, and his description of the deadly weapon indicated it was a feared Iranian-designed explosively formed projectile.

AP - The 15 British sailors and marines captured and held in Iran said in a joint statement that they got through the ordeal 'by staying together as a team.' But they have been criticized by some since their release for their so-called confessions and apologies broadcast on Iranian TV.

AP - An international global warming conference approved a report Friday warning of dire threats to the Earth and to mankind — from increased hunger to the extinction of species — unless the world adapts to climate change and halts its progress.

AP - China is investigating U.S. claims that a Chinese company exported contaminated wheat gluten implicated in pet deaths in the United States, a Chinese official said Friday, the first time the government has weighed in on the issue.

AFP - Up to 30 percent of animal and plant species will be vulnerable to extinction if global temperatures rise by 1.5-2.5 C (2.7 F to 4.5 F), UN climate experts said in a key report on Friday.

AFP - Iran exerted "pyschological pressure" on 15 British naval personnel it held for 13 days, a top British officer said Friday as he defended their actions and a military inquiry started into the capture of the group.

DIWANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi and U.S. forces clashed with Shi'ite militia loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as they launched a major operation at dawn on Friday to return the volatile city of Diwaniya to government control.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Climate experts issued their starkest warning yet about the impact of global warming, ranging from hunger in Africa to a fast thaw in the Himalayas, in a report on Friday that increased pressure on governments to act.

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese company at the centre of a contamination scare that has led to a recall of pet foods in North America and Europe said on Friday it had never exported wheat gluten to the United States.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has suspended boarding operations in the Gulf and is reviewing rules of engagement in the area's waters after Iran seized 15 British sailors and marines, Navy Chief Jonathon Band said on Friday.

AP - State police captured a third bank robbery suspect Friday connected to the deadly shooting of an FBI agent who had been tracking the men.

AP - A suicide bomber driving a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas crashed into a police checkpoint in western Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 27 people and wounding dozens, police in the Anbar provincial capital said.

AP - A Greek cruise ship that struck a volcanic reef and forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists sank on Friday, 15 hours after it began taking on water off the coast of a Mediterranean island. A Frenchman and his daughter were missing, officials said.

AP - All sides were quick to say there were no deals involved in the release of 15 British sailors and marines from Iranian custody.

AP - Consumer confidence sank to a six-month low as higher gasoline prices, a housing slump and stock market turbulence made people fret more about the economy.

AP - Kentucky's restless fortnight is over. The new leader of Big Blue Nation has a heart as big as Texas, and he'll need it to help restore some of the luster to college basketball's all-time winningest program.

Reuters - Iraqi and U.S. forces clashed with Shi'ite militia loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as they launched a major operation at dawn on Friday to return the volatile city of Diwaniya to government control.

Reuters - Climate experts issued their starkest warning yet about the impact of global warming, ranging from hunger in Africa to a fast thaw in the Himalayas, in a report on Friday that increased pressure on governments to act.

Reuters - A Chinese company at the centre of a contamination scare that has led to a recall of pet foods in North America and Europe said on Friday it had never exported wheat gluten to the United States.

Reuters - Britain has suspended boarding operations in the Gulf and is reviewing rules of engagement in the area's waters after Iran seized 15 British sailors and marines, Navy Chief Jonathon Band said on Friday.

AFP - Climate change is set to inflict damage in every continent, hitting poor countries hardest and threatening nearly a third of the world's species with extinction, UN experts warned Friday.

CHIVENOR (Reuters) - The 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran in the Gulf last month said on Friday they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and warned that they faced up to seven years in jail.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Climate experts issued their starkest warning yet about the impact of global warming, ranging from hunger in Africa to a fast thaw in the Himalayas, in a report on Friday that increased pressure on governments to act.

AP - The British sailors and marines held captive for nearly two weeks in Iran were blindfolded, bound and faced constant psychological pressure, a Royal Navy lieutenant said Friday.

AP - A Greek cruise ship that struck a volcanic reef and forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists sank on Friday, 15 hours after it began taking on water off the coast of a Mediterranean island. Navy divers searched around the sunken wreckage for a Frenchman and his daughter — the only two passengers still missing.

AP - The world faces increased hunger and water shortages in the poorest countries, massive floods and avalanches in Asia, and species extinction unless nations adapt to climate change and halt its progress, according to a report approved Friday by an international conference on global warming.

AP - Utility crews worked to restore power Friday to tens of thousands of northern New Englanders after a spring snowfall dumped more than a foot of snow around the region.

AP - A judge issued an injunction Friday that effectively bars Internet phone carrier Vonage from signing up new customers as punishment for infringing on patents held by Verizon. Vonage planned an immediate appeal.

AP - Kentucky's restless two weeks are over. The Wildcats have a new coach in Billy Gillispie, who will try to restore some of the luster to college basketball's winningest school.

Reuters - The 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran in the Gulf last month said on Friday they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and warned that they faced up to seven years in jail.

Reuters - Climate experts issued their starkest warning yet about the impact of global warming, ranging from hunger in Africa to a fast thaw in the Himalayas, in a report on Friday that increased pressure on governments to act.

AFP - The 15 British sailors freed by Iran told Friday how they were subjected to intense "psychological pressure" and threatened with prison during their two weeks in captivity.

DIWANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi and U.S. forces clashed with Shi'ite militia loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday in a dawn operation aimed at returning the volatile city of Diwaniya to government control.

AP - British sailors and marines held for nearly two weeks in Iran were blindfolded, bound and threatened with prison if they did not say they had strayed into Iranian waters, a Royal Navy lieutenant who was among the capitives said Friday.

AP - A judge issued an injunction Friday that would bar Internet phone carrier Vonage from signing up new customers as punishment for infringing on patents held by Verizon Communications Inc.

AP - Looking for low numbers at the Masters? Check the thermometer. The second round got underway Friday with temperatures finally moving into the 40s and a brisk north breeze whistling through the Georgia pines.

Reuters - Iraqi and U.S. forces clashed with Shi'ite militia loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday in a dawn operation aimed at returning the volatile city of Diwaniya to government control.

CHIVENOR (Reuters) - The 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran in the Gulf last month said on Friday they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and warned that they faced up to seven years in jail.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has identified some 14,000 National Guard soldiers who may go to Iraq as part of planning for deployments stretching as far as 2010, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday.

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek rescuers searched for two French tourists missing after the evacuation of a cruise ship which ran aground off the Aegean island of Santorini before sinking on Friday.

CUTUD, Philippines (Reuters) - More than a dozen Filipinos were nailed to crosses and scores more whipped their backs into a bloody pulp on Friday in a gory ritual to mark the death of Jesus Christ.

AP - Five convicted sex offenders are living under a noisy highway bridge with the state's grudging approval because an ordinance intended to keep predators away from children made it nearly impossible for them to find housing.

AP - Same-sex couples who want to exchange vows in front of Cinderella's Castle now have the chance.

AP - Tori Spelling, who recently gave birth to her first child, says she began reconciling with her mother, Candy, in the last weeks of her pregnancy.

AP - Even with low temperatures leading to high scores at the Masters, Tiger Woods was getting into dangerous territory Friday.

Reuters - The 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran in the Gulf last month said on Friday they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and warned that they faced up to seven years in jail.

Reuters - Three New Jersey men face attempted bank robbery charges after a failed heist that left an FBI agent shot and killed, possibly by another agent, authorities said on Friday.

Reuters - The Pentagon has identified some 14,000 National Guard soldiers who may go to Iraq as part of planning for deployments stretching as far as 2010, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday.

Reuters - Greek rescuers searched for two French tourists missing after the evacuation of a cruise ship which ran aground off the Aegean island of Santorini before sinking on Friday.

Reuters - More than a dozen Filipinos were nailed to crosses and scores more whipped their backs into a bloody pulp on Friday in a gory ritual to mark the death of Jesus Christ.

AFP - Long skeptical about climate change and its causes, the US administration on Friday finally acknowledged the "global challenge" facing the planet and called for international solutions.

AFP - The 15 British naval personnel held by Iran told Friday how they were stripped, blindfolded and handcuffed as part of "psychological" intimidation during their detention.

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Benedict led a procession around the ancient ruins of the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday and listened to meditations including one lamenting the abuse and marginalisation of women across the world.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has found a way to transfer frozen funds to North Korea and U.S. negotiator Chris Hill will leave for the region on Sunday to refocus attention on denuclearization, the State Department said on Friday.

AP - British sailors and marines freed by Iran said Friday they were blindfolded, isolated in cold stone cells and tricked into fearing execution while being coerced into falsely saying they had entered Iranian waters.

AP - A suspected al-Qaida in Iraq suicide bomber smashed a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas into a police checkpoint in Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 27 people — the ninth such attack since the group's first known use of a chemical weapon in January.

AP - Navy divers searched the sunken wreckage of a cruise ship on Friday for the bodies of a Frenchman and his daughter who disappeared after the vessel foundered on a volcanic reef — the only two people missing despite what passengers described as a chaotic evacuation in the Aegean Sea.

AP - The top aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly quit on Friday, almost two weeks after telling Congress she would not testify about her role in the firings of federal prosecutors.

AP - Five convicted sex offenders are living under a noisy highway bridge with the state's grudging approval because an ordinance intended to keep predators away from children made it nearly impossible for them to find housing.

AP - As the world gets hotter by degrees, millions of poor people will suffer from hunger, thirst, floods and disease unless drastic action is taken, scientists and diplomats warned Friday in their bleakest report ever on global warming.

AP - Some in agony, others in ecstasy, Christians around the world marked Good Friday with prayer, processions and pleas for peace.

AP - For every overcooked approach shot, every tee ball that landed in the pine straw, every drop in the drink at Rae's Creek, Tiger Woods would come up with another shot to remind everyone why he can never be counted out.

Reuters - Pope Benedict led a procession around the ancient ruins of the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday and listened to meditations including one lamenting the abuse and marginalisation of women across the world.

Reuters - The United States has found a way to transfer frozen funds to North Korea and U.S. negotiator Chris Hill will leave for the region on Sunday to refocus attention on denuclearization, the State Department said on Friday.

CHIVENOR (Reuters) - The 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran in the Gulf last month said on Friday they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and warned that they faced up to seven years in jail.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly resigned on Friday in another twist in the controversy surrounding the Justice Department's firing of eight U.S. prosecutors.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank board is probing whether the promotion of a female staffer involved with President Paul Wolfowitz possibly violated staff rules, according to a note to bank employees on Friday.

AP - A suspected al-Qaida in Iraq suicide bomber smashed a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas into a police checkpoint in Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 27 people — the ninth such attack since the group's first known use of a chemical weapon in January.

AP - A top aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly quit Friday, almost two weeks after telling Congress she would not testify about her role in the firings of federal prosecutors.

Reuters - The 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran in the Gulf last month said on Friday they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and warned that they faced up to seven years in jail.

Reuters - An aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly resigned on Friday in another twist in the controversy surrounding the Justice Department's firing of eight U.S. prosecutors.

AFP - Pope Benedict XVI led a torchlit procession at Rome's Colosseum on Good Friday, the most sombre day of the Christian calendar commemorating Christ's crucifixion, as tens of thousands of pilgrims looked on.

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran called on Britain on Saturday to respond to the release of 15 military personnel with goodwill, signalling it would welcome this over Iranians held by U.S. forces in Iraq and its nuclear program.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - T.J. Rodgers, chief executive of Cypress Semiconductor Corp., had a simple solution to the hassles of getting visas for foreign engineers he needed to run his $1 billion business.

AP - President Hamid Karzai acknowledged for the first time Friday he has met with Taliban militants in attempts to bring peace to Afghanistan, which is struggling to quell a rising insurgency.

AP - Tiger Woods played one shot left-handed and put two balls in the water at Amen Corner. Phil Mickelson spent most of the day scrambling out of the woods. So much for that two-man show at the Masters.

Reuters - Iran called on Britain on Saturday to respond to the release of 15 military personnel with goodwill, signalling it would welcome this over Iranians held by U.S. forces in Iraq and its nuclear program.

Reuters - T.J. Rodgers, chief executive of Cypress Semiconductor Corp., had a simple solution to the hassles of getting visas for foreign engineers he needed to run his $1 billion business.

AFP - Iran used the only woman among 15 captured British naval personnel as a "propaganda tool," keeping her isolated and telling her she was the only one being held, the group said Friday.

EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - A United States judge said on Friday Cuban exile and former CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles should be freed on bail until his trial on immigration fraud charges, but he remained behind bars at the request of federal prosecutors.

DIWANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi and U.S. forces clashed with Shi'ite militia loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday in a dawn operation aimed at returning the volatile city of Diwaniya to government control.

AP - British sailors and marines freed by Iran said Friday they were blindfolded, isolated in cold stone cells and tricked into fearing execution while being coerced into falsely saying they had entered Iranian waters.

AP - A suspected al-Qaida in Iraq suicide bomber smashed a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas into a police checkpoint in Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 27 people — the ninth such attack since the group's first known use of a chemical weapon in January.

AP - Navy divers searched the sunken wreckage of a cruise ship on Friday for the bodies of a Frenchman and his daughter who disappeared after the vessel foundered on a volcanic reef — the only two people missing despite what passengers described as a chaotic evacuation in the Aegean Sea.

AP - A top hurricane forecaster called Al Gore 'a gross alarmist' Friday for making an Oscar-winning documentary about global warming.

Reuters - Iraqi and U.S. forces clashed with Shi'ite militia loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday in a dawn operation aimed at returning the volatile city of Diwaniya to government control.

AFP - London should respond to Tehran freeing 15 British captives with a goodwill gesture of its own, Iran's ambassador to Britain said in an interview published Saturday.

AFP - US foreign policy and the US role in the Mideast have become prizes in a tug-of-war between a White House passionate about clinging to its authority, and a hostile congressional majority already focused on the 2008 US presidential race.