TOKYO (Reuters) - China, the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, will take part in negotiations on a framework for limiting global warming after 2012, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun said on Saturday.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A 29-year-old Indonesian man from Central Java province has died of bird flu, a health ministry official said on Saturday, taking the human death toll from the virus in the country to 74.

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.

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 - When movies shifted from videocassettes to DVD, retailers simply cleared the tapes off the shelves to make room for discs. That's not so easy now that movies appear poised to follow music onto the Internet.

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.

Reuters - China, the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, will take part in negotiations on a framework for limiting global warming after 2012, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun said on Saturday.

Reuters - A 29-year-old Indonesian man from Central Java province has died of bird flu, a health ministry official said on Saturday, taking the human death toll from the virus in the country to 74.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The death toll from a truck bomb attack on a police checkpoint in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi on Friday was 12, the U.S. military said on Saturday.

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.

AP - China published new rules governing human organ transplants in its latest effort to clean up a business critics say has little regard for medical ethics.

Reuters - The death toll from a truck bomb attack on a police checkpoint in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi on Friday was 12, the U.S. military said on Saturday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Three men are due in court on Saturday charged in connection with the July 7, 2005, suicide bomb attacks that killed 52 commuters on London's transport system.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli helicopters fired into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing one Palestinian militant, in what local residents said was the fiercest exchange between Israeli forces and militants since a November truce.

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - Software mogul Charles Simonyi is due to blast off aboard a Russian spaceship on Saturday watched by his friend, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.

AP - U.S. warplanes attacked suspected militiamen wielding shoulder-fired rockets Saturday in the second day of fierce fighting between U.S. and Iraqi forces and Shiite gunmen south of Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi officials and witnesses said.

AP - More than 1,000 NATO and Afghan troops clashed with Taliban and took over control of a district center in southern Afghanistan long held by the militants, officials and witnesses said Saturday.

AP - Organizers expect several thousand people at an immigrant rights rally on Saturday, saying many illegal immigrants are angry about a White House plan that would grant them work visas but require them to return home and pay hefty fines to become legal U.S. residents.

AP - A high school club that promotes tolerance of gays must be allowed to meet while a lawsuit is pending, a federal judge ruled.

AP - The radio station that produces Don Imus' talk show pledged to keep tabs on its content after he apologized for calling the players on Rutgers University women's basketball team 'nappy headed hos.'

Reuters - Three men are due in court on Saturday charged in connection with the July 7, 2005, suicide bomb attacks that killed 52 commuters on London's transport system.

Reuters - Israeli helicopters fired into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing one Palestinian militant, in what local residents said was the fiercest exchange between Israeli forces and militants since a November truce.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has still not received a reply to a request to visit five Iranians held by U.S. forces in Iraq, an Iranian official in Baghdad was quoted on Saturday as saying by Iran's ISNA news agency.

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek rescue boats on Saturday scoured the waters around the Aegean island of Santorini for two French tourists missing after the evacuation of a cruise ship which ran aground.

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - U.S. software mogul Charles Simonyi is due to blast off aboard a Russian spaceship on Saturday watched by his friend, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.

AP - Fifteen British sailors and marines freed from captivity in Tehran began two weeks' leave with their families Saturday, as the Iranian ambassador to London urged Britain to help Iran mend relations with the international community.

AP - Organizers expect several thousand people at an immigrant rights rally on Saturday, saying many illegal immigrants are angry about a White House plan that would grant them work visas but require them to return home and pay hefty fines to become legal U.S. residents.

AP - A high school club that promotes tolerance of gays must be allowed to meet while a lawsuit is pending, a federal judge ruled.

AP - Russian engineers made last-minute preparations for the Saturday launch of a Soyuz capsule bound for the international space station with two cosmonauts and U.S. billionaire Charles Simonyi aboard.

Reuters - Iran has still not received a reply to a request to visit five Iranians held by U.S. forces in Iraq, an Iranian official in Baghdad was quoted on Saturday as saying by Iran's ISNA news agency.

Reuters - Greek rescue boats on Saturday scoured the waters around the Aegean island of Santorini for two French tourists missing after the evacuation of a cruise ship which ran aground.

AFP - Pirates have released a UN-chartered cargo ship and an Indian vessel they captured in the unpatrolled waters off the coast of Somalia, a maritime official said Saturday.

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.

LONDON (Reuters) - Three men appeared in court on Saturday charged with conspiring with the suicide bombers who killed 52 commuters in attacks on London's transport system on July 7, 2005.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli helicopters fired into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing one Palestinian militant, in what local residents said was the fiercest exchange between Israeli forces and militants since a November truce.

AP - The captain and five officers of a cruise ship that sank off an Aegean Sea island were charged Saturday with negligence, state television reported.

AP - Suspected Taliban militants ambushed Afghan workers of an American de-mining company in southwestern Afghanistan on Saturday, leaving seven people dead and four wounded, an official said.

AP - Russian engineers made last-minute preparations for the Saturday launch of a Soyuz capsule bound for the international space station with the American billionaire who developed Microsoft Word and two cosmonauts aboard.

Reuters - U.S. forces launched an air strike in Diwaniya on Saturday as U.S. and Iraqi troops fought for a second day to overcome Shi'ite militias and bring the city back under government control.

Reuters - Three men appeared in court on Saturday charged with conspiring with the suicide bombers who killed 52 commuters in attacks on London's transport system on July 7, 2005.

Reuters - Israeli helicopters fired into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing one Palestinian militant, in what local residents said was the fiercest exchange between Israeli forces and militants since a November truce.

AFP - British newspapers on Saturday praised the conduct in captivity of 15 British sailors freed by Iran, but Tehran called on London to respond to the release with a goodwill gesture of its own.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has still not received a reply to a request to visit five Iranians held by U.S. forces in Iraq, an official at Iran's Baghdad embassy was quoted as saying on Saturday by Iran's ISNA news agency.

AP - U.S. warplanes attacked suspected militiamen wielding shoulder-fired rockets Saturday in the second day of fierce fighting against Shiite gunmen south of Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi officials and witnesses said.

AP - An Iranian diplomat freed two months after being abducted in Iraq accused the CIA of torturing him during his detention, state television reported Saturday. The United States immediately denied any involvement in the Iranian's disappearance or release.

AP - President Bush criticized Democrats on Saturday for going on vacation without first giving him what he wants: a war spending bill free of orders to pull troops home.

AP - The radio station that produces Don Imus' talk show pledged to keep tabs on its content after he apologized for calling the players on Rutgers University women's basketball team 'nappy headed hos.'

Reuters - Iran has still not received a reply to a request to visit five Iranians held by U.S. forces in Iraq, an official at Iran's Baghdad embassy was quoted as saying on Saturday by Iran's ISNA news agency.

AFP - Fifteen British sailors and marines detained by Iran for 13 days were praised Saturday for their conduct in captivity, but Tehran called on London to respond to the release with a goodwill gesture of its own.

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.

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - U.S. software mogul Charles Simonyi is due to blast off aboard a Russian spaceship on Saturday watched by his friend, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.

AP - The captain of a cruise ship that sank in the Aegean Sea was charged Saturday with negligence, a government official said.

AP - This springtime stroll through the pines is turning into something much more taxing. Yes, someone is going to have a nice green jacket when this week ends. But it's hard to imagine anyone saying they got the best of Augusta National.

AFP - The highest-level US official to visit Somalia since 1994 had talks with the government Saturday as insurgents dug in against Ethiopian forces in the capital and reconciliation talks were put off.

ATHENS (Reuters) - A Greek prosecutor on Saturday charged the captain and five other crew of a cruise ship which ran aground near the Aegean island of Santorini, as the search continued for two French passengers missing since the shipwreck.

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - U.S. software mogul Charles Simonyi and two Russian cosmonauts blasted into orbit on Saturday aboard a Russian spaceship watched by Simonyi's friend, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol reiterated on Saturday that the United Nations should only play a logistical role supporting African Union troops in Darfur.

AP - National Guard Staff Sgt. Gabe Robinson knows he will be married only a matter of months before he's likely to redeploy to Iraq, but considers himself lucky he's been home since 2004.

AP - Two distinctly different groups, data-driven scientists and nuanced offend-no-one diplomats, collided and then converged this past week. At stake: a report on the future of the planet and the changes it faces with global warming.

AP - A Russian rocket carrying the American billionaire who helped develop Microsoft Word blasted off late Saturday from the Baikonur cosmodrome en route to the international space station.

Reuters - A Greek prosecutor on Saturday charged the captain and five other crew of a cruise ship which ran aground near the Aegean island of Santorini, as the search continued for two French passengers missing since the shipwreck.

Reuters - U.S. software mogul Charles Simonyi and two Russian cosmonauts blasted into orbit on Saturday aboard a Russian spaceship watched by Simonyi's friend, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.

Reuters - Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol reiterated on Saturday that the United Nations should only play a logistical role supporting African Union troops in Darfur.

AFP - An advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied on Saturday that 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran had been mistreated, saying they had made such claims under pressure from their superiors.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli helicopters fired into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing a Palestinian militant, in what residents said was the fiercest exchange between Israeli forces and militants since a November truce.

AP - U.S. warplanes blasted a militia team firing rocket-propelled grenades Saturday, the second day of heavy fighting in a major offensive to drive Shiite Mahdi Army militiamen out of Diwaniyah, a farm-belt city south of Baghdad.

AP - It may be two weeks into spring, but it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

AP - A Russian rocket carrying the American billionaire who helped develop Microsoft Word roared into the night skies over Kazakhstan Saturday, sending Charles Simonyi and two cosmonauts soaring into orbit on a two-day journey to the international space station.

AP - Unimpressed by his on-air apology or corporate promises of a tighter leash, angry critics of nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus called Saturday for his dismissal over his racially charged comments about the mostly black Rutgers women's basketball team.

AP - Tiger Woods bundled up and started moving up the leaderboard at the Masters on Saturday, joining Stuart Appleby among the few who were succeeding in the cold and wind at Augusta National.

Reuters - Israeli helicopters fired into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing a Palestinian militant, in what residents said was the fiercest exchange between Israeli forces and militants since a November truce.

AFP - Palestinian prisoners and an Israeli soldier seized last June could be swapped soon if Israel cooperates on a list of names of detainees handed over to it for release from its jails, the spokesman for the Palestinian prime minister said on Saturday.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp.'s chairman and chief executive took in more than $400 million in compensation last year, the company said in a filing, one of the biggest single-year payouts in U.S. corporate history.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict led the world's Roman Catholics into the second Easter of his pontificate on Saturday night, telling them not to fear evil or even death.

BAIDOA, Somalia (Reuters) - The top U.S. diplomat for Africa met with officials of Somalia's interim government on Saturday to urge them to open up the political process to all Somalis who eschew violence and extremism and clear the way for a reconciliation conference in Mogadishu.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp.'s chairman and chief executive took in more than $400 million in compensation last year, the company said in a filing, one of the biggest single-year payouts in U.S. corporate history.

AP - U.S. warplanes blasted a militia team firing rocket-propelled grenades Saturday, the second day of heavy fighting in a major offensive to drive Shiite Mahdi Army militiamen out of Diwaniyah, a farm-belt city south of Baghdad.

AP - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a visiting group of U.S. lawmakers to relay to Syria that Israel had no intention of attacking it, according to one of the participants on the trip, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.

AP - Iran refused to allow the Iraqi prime minister to fly across its airspace as he was traveling to Tokyo, members of the delegation traveling with Nouri al-Maliki told The Associated Press early Sunday.

AP - National Guard Staff Sgt. Gabe Robinson knows he will be married only a matter of months before he's likely to redeploy to Iraq, but considers himself lucky he's been home since 2004.

AP - What looked like an inevitable march to a fifth green jacket took a nasty and familiar detour for Tiger Woods at the Masters on Saturday. For the second time in three days, Woods finished his round bogey-bogey to tarnish a good day and leave the course on a downer.

Reuters - Pope Benedict led the world's Roman Catholics into the second Easter of his pontificate on Saturday night, telling them not to fear evil or even death.

Reuters - The top U.S. diplomat for Africa met with officials of Somalia's interim government on Saturday to urge them to open up the political process to all Somalis who eschew violence and extremism and clear the way for a reconciliation conference in Mogadishu.

AFP - Israel launched an air strike against suspected Gaza militants on Saturday, killing one and wounding two, as it made good on threats to get tough over persistent rocket fire from the territory.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - A shock bogey-bogey finish was not enough to derail Tiger Woods's bid for a fifth Masters title on Saturday, as golfers and spectators shivered their way through a wild day at Augusta National on which just one player broke par.

AP - The captain of a cruise ship that sank off an Aegean Sea island, sending more than 1,500 passengers and crew onto rescue boats, was charged Saturday with causing a shipwreck through negligence.

AP - U.S. warplanes blasted a militia team firing rocket-propelled grenades Saturday, the second day of heavy fighting in a major offensive to drive Shiite Mahdi Army militiamen out of Diwaniyah, a farm-belt city south of Baghdad.

AP - A 2-year-old Indiana boy who contracted a rare and life-threatening infection from his soldier father's smallpox vaccination is recovering, a hospital spokesman said.

AP - Unimpressed by his on-air apology or corporate promises of a tighter leash, angry critics of nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus called Saturday for his dismissal over his racially charged comments about the mostly black Rutgers women's basketball team.

AP - After 3,272 miles of exhaustion, sunburn, delirium and piranhas, a 52-year-old Slovenian successfully completed a swim down the Amazon River Saturday that could set a world record for distance — something he's already done three times before.

AP - Tiger Woods is in the final group at the Masters, courtesy of the toughest Saturday at Augusta National in more than 50 years and a series of collapses after he left the course with one of his own.

Reuters - A shock bogey-bogey finish was not enough to derail Tiger Woods's bid for a fifth Masters title on Saturday, as golfers and spectators shivered their way through a wild day at Augusta National on which just one player broke par.

AP - Iran refused to allow the Iraqi prime minister to fly across its airspace as he was traveling to Tokyo, members of the delegation traveling with Nouri al-Maliki told The Associated Press early Sunday.

AP - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson left Saturday with a delegation of past and present U.S. officials for North Korea, where he hopes to reclaim the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War.

AP - Thousands of people marched through downtown on Saturday, demanding a way for the country's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to become citizens and condemning President Bush's latest proposal.

AP - Pope Benedict XVI baptized eight people during a candlelit Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica early Sunday, opening the most important event of the Christian Church calendar.

AP - A Russian rocket carrying the American billionaire who helped develop Microsoft Word roared into the night skies over Kazakhstan Saturday, sending Charles Simonyi and two cosmonauts soaring into orbit on a two-day journey to the international space station.

AP - Unimpressed by his on-air apology or corporate promises of a tighter leash, angry critics of nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus called Saturday for his dismissal over his racially charged comments about the mostly black Rutgers women's basketball team.