WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a move likely to irritate Tehran, the government has decided not to release five Iranians captured in Iraq, a newspaper reported on Friday.

AP - Iraq's parliament met in an extraordinary session of 'defiance' Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, and declared it would not bow to terrorism. A bouquet of red roses and a white lily sat in the place of Mohammed Awad, the lawmaker killed in the parliament dining hall suicide bombing claimed by al-Qaida.

AP - Iraqi civilian deaths have fallen in Baghdad in the two months since the Feb. 14 start of the U.S.-led offensive, according to an Associated Press tally.

AP - The U.S. envoy to North Korea's nuclear talks said Saturday that a two-month-old disarmament plan lacks 'momentum' as North Korea failed to meet a deadline for shutting down its main nuclear reactor and processing facility.

AP - For one night, it seemed like old times for the San Francisco Giants with Barry Bonds hitting multiple home runs and Russ Ortiz going deep into a game to win.

Reuters - In a move likely to irritate Tehran, the government has decided not to release five Iranians captured in Iraq, a newspaper reported on Friday.

AFP - The deadline for North Korea to shut down its Yongbyon atomic reactor and invite UN inspectors arrived Saturday, as the communist state promised to honour a commitment to scrap its nuclear programme.

AFP - A public Canadian television network reported late Friday that it had obtained a video of two French nationals taken hostage in Afghanistan, in which they say they fear for their lives.

AP - A car bomb exploded Saturday in a bus station in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, and at least 30 people were killed or wounded, police said.

AP - North Korea failed to meet a Saturday deadline for shutting down its main nuclear reactor, and the top U.S. nuclear negotiator said the delay was draining momentum from a disarmament plan for the North.

AP - A U.S. Peace Corps volunteer has been missing for nearly a week in a mountainous region of the northern Philippines, the American Embassy said Saturday.

AP - The frantic ritual of racing to the post office to get tax returns postmarked just in time to satisfy the Internal Revenue Service is giving way to the online age.

AP - Shoddy patient care and bureaucratic delays at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and throughout the veterans health care system are the targets of a commission appointed by President Bush.

AP - Divorce has its price — and no celeb, it appears, knows that better than Michael Jordan. The basketball superstar's split last December from his wife of 17 years, Juanita, is No. 1 on Forbes.com's list of 'The 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces.'

KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed up to 50 people and wounded more than 70 at a crowded bus station in the Iraqi holy city of Kerbala on Saturday, police said.

AP - A car bomb blasted through a busy bus station near one of Iraq's holiest shrines Saturday and killed at least 56 people, police and hospital officials said.

AP - The deadline for North Korea to shut down it main nuclear reactor passed Saturday with no action taken by the communist country, leaving the top U.S. nuclear negotiator to surmise that the momentum had escaped disarmament talks.

AP - Gov. Jon S. Corzine remained heavily sedated and on a ventilator early Saturday, but doctors said he continued to recuperate from serious injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway this week.

AP - Jane Stillwater is an unlikely war correspondent. She's 64, a self-described Berkeley 'flower child, 40 years later' and broke. So how did this mother of four grown children end up in Baghdad, churning out commentary ranging from shock at Thursday's bombing of the Iraqi parliament cafeteria, to the weirdness of touring Saddam Hussein's bathroom?

AP - Barry Bonds and Carlos Lee put on quite a show in Pennsylvania. Bonds hit his 736th and 737th career homers before being lifted in the fourth inning of the San Francisco Giants' 8-5 win in Pittsburgh. That wasn't even the best performance of the night in the Keystone State as Lee clubbed three homers in the Astros' 9-6 win at Philadelphia.

AFP - A suicide bomber Saturday blew himself up at the gate of a police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least eight policemen and some civilians.

CASABLANCA, Morocco (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers killed themselves in an attack on U.S. diplomatic offices in Morocco's commercial hub Casablanca on Saturday, the scene of three suicide blasts four days ago, witnesses said.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian riot police detained dozens of opposition activists, including chess champion Garry Kasparov, in Moscow on Saturday as they frustrated attempts to hold a banned protest against President Vladimir Putin's rule.

ROME (Reuters) - Animal rights activists in Italy have asked Pope Benedict to stop wearing fur in a sign of respect for the 'sacredness of all living species'.

Reuters - Two suicide bombers killed themselves in an attack on U.S. diplomatic offices in Morocco's commercial hub Casablanca on Saturday, the scene of three suicide blasts four days ago, witnesses said.

Reuters - Russian riot police detained dozens of opposition activists, including chess champion Garry Kasparov, in Moscow on Saturday as they frustrated attempts to hold a banned protest against President Vladimir Putin's rule.

Reuters - Animal rights activists in Italy have asked Pope Benedict to stop wearing fur in a sign of respect for the "sacredness of all living species."

AFP - The North Korean capital went into party mode Saturday to celebrate its founder's birthday with a deadline set to slip for the communist state to shut down its atomic reactor under a landmark accord.

AFP - Russian riot police detained as many as 200 demonstrators Saturday, including opposition leader and former chess champion Gary Kasparov, in a crackdown on a banned protest in central Moscow.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained at least 170 people, including chess champion Garry Kasparov, on Saturday as they snuffed out an attempt by opponents of President Vladimir Putin to protest near the Kremlin.

ATHENS (Reuters) - A submarine robot retrieved the data recorder of a cruise ship which sank off the port of the Greek island of Santorini last week, an official said on Saturday.

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Police increased security in Algiers after the U.S. embassy issued a warning saying attackers may be planning to strike the Algerian capital on Saturday, three days after twin suicide bombs killed 33 people there.

AP - A car bomb blasted through a busy bus station near one of Iraq's holiest shrines Saturday, killing at least 37 people, police and hospital officials said.

AP - North Korea missed a Saturday deadline for shutting down its main nuclear reactor, and a key U.S. negotiator said the country must keep the disarmament program from foundering.

Reuters - Russian police detained at least 170 people, including chess champion Garry Kasparov, on Saturday as they snuffed out an attempt by opponents of President Vladimir Putin to protest near the Kremlin.

Reuters - A submarine robot retrieved the data recorder of a cruise ship which sank off the port of the Greek island of Santorini last week, an official said on Saturday.

AFP - Two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a US cultural centre in Casablanca on Saturday, just days after similar attacks in the Moroccan port city.

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - British forces killed eight gunmen laying landmines in the volatile southern Iraqi city of Basra, close to where four British soldiers were blown up earlier this month, the military said on Saturday.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. is seeking to break a deadlock over a tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri -- which triggered the country's worst political crisis in decades.

ROME (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush will pay his first visit to Pope Benedict in June, the Vatican said on Saturday.

AP - A severe weather system blamed for two deaths plowed eastward Saturday, rattling the Gulf states with strong thunderstorms as the Northeast prepared for possible coastal flooding.

AP - Gov. Jon S. Corzine underwent surgery Saturday on his left leg, which was broken in an SUV crash that left him with such serious injuries that he required a ventilator.

AP - President Bush said Saturday that a Democratic plan to set an end date for the war gives 'our enemies the victory they desperately want.'

Reuters - British forces killed eight gunmen laying landmines in the volatile southern Iraqi city of Basra, close to where four British soldiers were blown up earlier this month, the military said on Saturday.

Reuters - The U.N. is seeking to break a deadlock over a tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri -- which triggered the country's worst political crisis in decades.

Reuters - U.S. President George W. Bush will pay his first visit to Pope Benedict in June, the Vatican said on Saturday.

AFP - Two suicide bombers targeted US interests in the Moroccan city of Casablanca on Saturday, and police said they had arrested the ringleader of a key militant cell.

AP - The latest missed deadline in the tortuous years of negotiations aimed at getting North Korea to stop making nuclear weapons is not expected to derail the process, but it is a sign of the lingering mistrust between Washington and the communist nation.

AP - Surgery on Gov. Jon S. Corzine's injured leg was successful Saturday, while a state official said the driver blamed for the wreck that critically injured the governor had been found but would not be charged.

AP - Injured soldiers returning home for medical treatment face an unacceptable maze of paperwork and bureaucracy, leaders of a presidential commission on veterans' health care said Saturday.

AP - Global finance officials hoped to make progress Saturday on remaking the International Monetary Fund so countries with emerging economies gain a greater role.

AFP - Two brothers blew themselves up near the US consulate in Casablanca on Saturday, while Moroccan police said they had arrested the ringleaders behind earlier blasts in the city.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea must immediately invite back international nuclear inspectors and begin shutting down its Soviet-era Yongbyon nuclear reactor to get promised energy aid, the U.S. State Department said on Saturday.

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Three Central American governments have banned a man claiming to be the Antichrist from entering their countries, outraged by his inflammatory preaching against the Catholic Church and organized religion.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained several hundred people, including chess champion Garry Kasparov, on Saturday as they snuffed out an attempt by opponents of President Vladimir Putin to protest near the Kremlin.

AP - A severe weather system blamed for five deaths plowed eastward out of the Plains on Saturday, leaving snow piled more than a foot deep and rattling the Gulf states with violent thunderstorms.

AP - Democrats know they might lose this month's showdown with President Bush on legislation to pull troops out of Iraq. But with 2008 elections in mind, majority Democrats says it is only a matter of time before they will get their way.

AP - The International Monetary Fund must do a better job monitoring countries' currency policies, the Bush administration said Saturday, a demand reflecting U.S. frustration with China's slow pace of financial reform.

AP - Emerson Spartz remembers the good old days. It was Fall 1999, Spartz was 12 and he decided to create a little Web site about a hot new series of fantasy books.

AP - Representatives from Chicago gave the city's final pitch for being a candidate to host the 2016 Summer Games, then waited Saturday while their Los Angeles counterparts had a turn before the U.S. Olympic Committee was to vote.

Reuters - North Korea must immediately invite back international nuclear inspectors and begin shutting down its Soviet-era Yongbyon nuclear reactor to get promised energy aid, the U.S. State Department said on Saturday.

Reuters - Three Central American governments have banned a man claiming to be the Antichrist from entering their countries, outraged by his inflammatory preaching against the Catholic Church and organized religion.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fate of World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz overshadowed meetings of global finance chiefs on Saturday, as Britain said his actions had damaged the bank and critics stepped up calls for him to quit.

LONDON (Reuters) - Prince William has broken up with his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton after a romance conducted under the full glare of the media spotlight.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States said it was willing to give North Korea a few more days to meet its commitments after North Korea appeared to miss a deadline on Saturday to shut down a nuclear reactor.

ROME (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush will pay his first visit to Pope Benedict in June, the Vatican said on Saturday.

AP - Hundreds of demonstrators defied authorities Saturday by trying to stage an anti-government rally banned from a landmark downtown square, setting off sporadic clashes with police across Moscow and bringing a wave of arrests.

AP - Insurgents exploded a car bomb Saturday near one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines in Karbala, killing at least 37 people and wounding more than 150 in another bloody assault during a surge of violence outside Baghdad during the capital's security crackdown. At least 16 children were among the dead, officials said.

AP - A severe weather system blamed for five deaths plowed eastward out of the Plains on Saturday, leaving snow piled more than a foot deep and rattling the Gulf states with violent thunderstorms.

AP - Surgery on Gov. Jon S. Corzine's injured leg was successful Saturday, while state police said the driver blamed for the wreck that critically injured the governor had been found but would not be charged.

AP - Chicago beat Los Angeles on Saturday in a U.S. Olympic Committee vote to pick a candidate for the 2016 Summer Games. Chicago, which has never held an Olympics, now will try to persuade the International Olympic Committee that it deserves to be the host, joining a group of bidders expected to include Madrid, Prague, Rome, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

AP - John McCain entered the second quarter of the year with half the cash in the bank that his two main Republican rivals for the presidency reported, a significant challenge for a candidate who is trying to put some luster back to his campaign.

AP - The latest missed deadline in the tortuous years of negotiations aimed at getting North Korea to stop making nuclear weapons is not expected to derail the process, but it is a sign of the lingering mistrust between Washington and the communist nation.

Reuters - The fate of World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz overshadowed meetings of global finance chiefs on Saturday, as Britain said his actions had damaged the bank and critics stepped up calls for him to quit.

Reuters - Prince William has broken up with his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton after a romance conducted under the full glare of the media spotlight.

Reuters - The United States said it was willing to give North Korea a few more days to meet its commitments after North Korea appeared to miss a deadline on Saturday to shut down a nuclear reactor.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chicago was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee on Saturday to be the U.S. candidate to host the 2016 Summer Games.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States is willing to give North Korea a few more days to meet its commitments after Pyongyang appeared to miss a deadline on Saturday to shut down a nuclear reactor, a senior U.S. official said.

CAMDEN, New Jersey (Reuters) - A vehicle suspected of triggering the crash in which New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was critically injured has been located, New Jersey state police said on Saturday.

AP - Riot police beat and detained protesters as thousands defied an official ban and attempted to stage a rally Saturday against President Vladimir Putin's government, which opponents accuse of rolling back freedoms Russians have enjoyed since the end of Soviet communism.

AP - A U.S. Marine unit broke international humanitarian law by using excessive force during a shooting spree last month that left 12 people dead, an Afghan human rights group said in a report Saturday.

AP - A German army instructor ordered a soldier to envision himself in New York City facing hostile blacks while firing his machine gun, a video that aired Saturday on national television showed.

Reuters - Chicago was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee on Saturday to be the U.S. candidate to host the 2016 Summer Games.

Reuters - Prince William has broken up with his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton after a romance conducted under the full glare of the media spotlight.

Reuters - The United States is willing to give North Korea a few more days to meet its commitments after Pyongyang appeared to miss a deadline on Saturday to shut down a nuclear reactor, a senior U.S. official said.

Reuters - A vehicle suspected of triggering the crash in which New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was critically injured has been located, New Jersey state police said on Saturday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Nine Republican White House hopefuls auditioned for party faithful in Iowa on Saturday, nine months before the state kicks off the 2008 presidential nominating contest.

AP - Riot police beat and detained protesters as thousands defied an official ban and attempted to stage a rally Saturday against President Vladimir Putin's government, which opponents accuse of rolling back freedoms Russians have enjoyed since the end of Soviet communism.

AP - The Northeast braced for a hard-blowing nor'easter Saturday that could bring severe coastal flooding, power outages and more than a foot of snow in some places.

AP - Now Chicago takes on the rest of the world. The Windy City's bid to hold a Summer Games for the first time moved to the international stage Saturday when the U.S. Olympic Committee capped a yearlong search for an American candidate for 2016 by picking Chicago over two-time host Los Angeles.

AP - A U.S. Marine unit broke international humanitarian law by using excessive force during a shooting spree last month that left 12 people dead, an Afghan human rights group said in a report Saturday.

AP - Legendary crooner Don Ho, who entertained tourists for decades wearing raspberry-tinted sunglasses and singing the catchy signature tune 'Tiny Bubbles,' has died. He was 76.

AP - A car bomb exploded Saturday near one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines in Karbala, killing at least 37 people and wounding more than 150. At least 16 children were among the dead in the latest horrific assault away from the American-led security crackdown in Baghdad.

AP - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that her failed 1993 health care plan showed her that perception counts as much as reality when it comes to advocating openness in government.

AP - A German army instructor ordered a soldier to envision himself in New York City facing hostile blacks while firing his machine gun, a video that aired Saturday on national television showed.

Reuters - Nine Republican White House hopefuls auditioned for party faithful in Iowa on Saturday, nine months before the state kicks off the 2008 presidential nominating contest.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States urged North Korea on Sunday to invite back international inspectors and begin shutting down a nuclear reactor, but the top U.S. negotiator repeated that Washington would give Pyongyang a few more days.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European countries on Saturday piled pressure on World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz over a scandal involving a promotion for his girlfriend, with Britain saying it had damaged the bank and Germany questioning whether he still had the credibility to lead the institution.

AP - Riot police beat and detained protesters as thousands defied an official ban and attempted to stage a rally Saturday against President Vladimir Putin's government, which opponents accuse of rolling back freedoms Russians have enjoyed since the end of Soviet communism.

AP - Now Chicago takes on the rest of the world. The Windy City's bid to hold a Summer Games for the first time moved to the international stage Saturday when the U.S. Olympic Committee capped a yearlong search for an American candidate for 2016 by picking Chicago over two-time host Los Angeles.

AP - A U.S. Marine unit broke international humanitarian law by using excessive force during a shooting spree last month that left 12 people dead, an Afghan human rights group said in a report Saturday.

AP - A car bomb exploded Saturday near one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines in Karbala, killing at least 37 people and wounding more than 150. At least 16 children were among the dead in the latest horrific assault away from the American-led security crackdown in Baghdad.

AP - A 1999 metallic gray Volkswagen Golf believed to once belong to the pope went up for sale on eBay, but the auction ended Saturday without a winner.

Reuters - The United States urged North Korea on Sunday to invite back international inspectors and begin shutting down a nuclear reactor, but the top U.S. negotiator repeated that Washington would give Pyongyang a few more days.

Reuters - European countries on Saturday piled pressure on World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz over a scandal involving a promotion for his girlfriend, with Britain saying it had damaged the bank and Germany questioning whether he still had the credibility to lead the institution.