AP - A jury convicted a 17-year-old boy Wednesday of raping a photographer and helping his uncle, whose previous brushes with the law brought attention to the case, kill her and burn her body.

AP - AOL expanded to India on Thursday with its first portal targeting Asia's growing online population.

AP - The Dallas Mavericks finally discovered that beating the Golden State Warriors isn't as hard as they had made it look. And it's even easier when Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson lose their cool. Jason Terry scored 28 points, Dirk Nowitzki had 23 and Josh Howard led a 15-2 run in the third quarter that sent the Mavericks to a 112-99 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Wednesday night, evening their first-round series.

AFP - US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meet Thursday and Friday for talks on North Korea and Tokyo's increasingly assertive global role -- and maybe bond over baseball.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will strike U.S. interests around the world and Israel if attacked over its disputed nuclear program, a senior official was quoted on Thursday by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

AP - President Bush next week is expected to receive, and swiftly reject, legislation ordering U.S. troops to begin coming home from Iraq this fall. The veto could fall on the fourth anniversary of the president's Iraq 'victory' speech.

AP - A suicide car bomb attack on an Iraqi army checkpoint Thursday in northern Iraq killed at least seven people and wounded 18, police said.

AP - The Virginia Tech gunman started his day of mayhem lurking outside a dormitory before 7 a.m. Moments later, he sneaked inside and shot his first two victims with two lethal rounds from a 9 mm pistol.

AP - AOL expanded to India on Thursday with its first portal targeting Asia's growing online population.

Reuters - Iran will strike U.S. interests around the world and Israel if attacked over its disputed nuclear program, a senior official was quoted on Thursday by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The former commander of a major U.S. military detention centre in Baghdad has been detained and is under investigation for 'aiding the enemy', a U.S. military spokeswoman said on Thursday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian armed factions renewed their commitment to a Gaza Strip truce on Thursday but said rocket salvoes from the territory could resume if Israel did not halt military operations in the occupied West Bank.

OSLO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed as nonsense the concerns of some Russian officials that a planned U.S. missile shield in eastern Europe could pose a strategic threat to Moscow.

SEOUL (Reuters) - Increased activity at North Korea's nuclear reactor suggests Pyongyang is preparing for a visit by U.N. atomic inspectors to the site under a deal that calls for its closure, a South Korean committee said on Thursday.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will strike U.S. interests around the world and Israel if attacked over its disputed nuclear program, a senior official was quoted on Thursday by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Senior Russian officials gather in the Kremlin on Thursday to hear a keynote speech by President Vladimir Putin, which could give some clues to his plans for his last year in power and possibly beyond it.

LONDON (Reuters) - Hugh Grant has been arrested and questioned by police after a photographer accused the actor of attacking him with a tub of baked beans.

AP - A suicide car bomb attack on an Iraqi army checkpoint in northern Iraq killed at least nine soldiers Thursday, police said.

AP - The bulk of Americans and a slim majority in Mexico want Osama bin Laden executed if caught, but most people in seven other countries would rather he spend life or many years in prison, an AP-Ipsos poll says.

AP - Stephen Hawking has been imprisoned by his body for many years. But for a few seconds on Thursday, the celebrated physicist and author will float free, unrestricted by his paralyzed muscles and his wheelchair as he floats weightless on a zero gravity flight.

Reuters - The former commander of a major U.S. military detention centre in Baghdad has been detained and is under investigation for "aiding the enemy," a U.S. military spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Reuters - Iran will strike U.S. interests around the world and Israel if attacked over its disputed nuclear program, a senior official was quoted on Thursday by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

Reuters - Palestinian armed factions renewed their commitment to a Gaza Strip truce on Thursday but said rocket salvoes from the territory could resume if Israel did not halt military operations in the occupied West Bank.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed as nonsense the concerns of some Russian officials that a planned U.S. missile shield in eastern Europe could pose a strategic threat to Moscow.

Reuters - Increased activity at North Korea's nuclear reactor suggests Pyongyang is preparing for a visit by U.N. atomic inspectors to the site under a deal that calls for its closure, a South Korean committee said on Thursday.

AFP - US President George W. Bush is to host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Thursday for talks on pariah state North Korea, Tokyo's ever bolder global role and maybe even the leaders' shared love of baseball.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The former commander of a major U.S. military detention centre in Baghdad has been detained and charged with 'aiding the enemy', the U.S. military said on Thursday.

OSLO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed as nonsense on Thursday concerns in Moscow that a planned U.S. missile shield in eastern Europe could pose a strategic threat to Russia.

INSIDE LONGYEARBYEN GLACIER, Norway (Reuters) - A Norwegian glacier has shrunk on an island 1,000 km (600 miles) from the North Pole, a usually frozen fjord is ice-free and snow bunting birds have migrated back early in possible signs of global warming.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea could decide by Friday whether to allow the first shipment of U.S. beef into the country since 2003, a beef importer said on Thursday, while a U.S. Senator said a rejection could scuttle a trade deal.

PARIS (Reuters) - Left-wing allies criticized French presidential candidate Segolene Royal on Thursday for wooing centrist voters ahead of the second round vote on May 6 pitting her against right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed nine Iraqi soldiers and wounded 15 people at an army checkpoint on Thursday in a violent district north of Baghdad which the U.S. military described as a new battleground.

AP - The Senate is expected to pass a bill today that would order the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin this fall. Last night, the House voted 218-208 to pass the $124.2 billion supplemental spending containing the provision.

AP - A senior U.S. officer has been charged with nine offenses, including aiding the enemy and fraternizing with the daughter of a detainee while he commanded a military police detachment at an American detention facility near Baghdad, the military said Thursday.

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday she has already answered the questions she has been subpoenaed to answer before a congressional committee and suggested she is not inclined to comply with the order.

AP - A federal prisoner who was temporarily released last year to try to donate a kidney to his son but instead fled the country was arrested in Mexico with his girlfriend, authorities said.

Reuters - The former commander of a major U.S. military detention centre in Baghdad has been detained and charged with "aiding the enemy," the U.S. military said on Thursday.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed as nonsense on Thursday concerns in Moscow that a planned U.S. missile shield in eastern Europe could pose a strategic threat to Russia.

Reuters - A Norwegian glacier has shrunk on an island 1,000 km (600 miles) from the North Pole, a usually frozen fjord is ice-free and snow bunting birds have migrated back early in possible signs of global warming.

Reuters - South Korea could decide by Friday whether to allow the first shipment of U.S. beef into the country since 2003, a beef importer said on Thursday, while a U.S. Senator said a rejection could scuttle a trade deal.

AFP - President Vladimir Putin launched a stinging attack Thursday on foreign interference in Russian affairs and threatened to withdraw from a landmark arms limitation treaty, in his final state of the nation speech.

OSLO (Reuters) - A row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe escalated on Thursday when President Vladimir Putin declared a moratorium on a key European arms treaty.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A top officer at a key U.S. military detention centre in Iraq has been charged with 'aiding the enemy' and having improper relationships including one with the daughter of a detainee, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Front-runners Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama go face to face along with six other Democratic presidential contenders on Thursday at the opening debate of the fast-starting 2008 campaign.

GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican senator and presidential candidate John McCain, in a break with President George W. Bush, said on Thursday Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

AP - President Vladimir Putin charged Thursday that foreigners seeking to thwart Russia's resurgence are increasingly interfering in its affairs.

AP - A suicide car bomb attack on an Iraqi army checkpoint in northern Iraq killed 10 soldiers Thursday, police said, and the U.S. military announced that a senior U.S. officer has been charged with nine offenses, including aiding the enemy.

AP - Stocks pointed toward a higher opening Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrials poised to rise further above the 13,000 mark after another batch of strong profit reports from companies including Apple Inc. and 3M Corp.

AP - A court issued arrest warrants for Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on Thursday, saying their kiss at a public function 'transgressed all limits of vulgarity,' media reports said.

AP - Organizers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics said Thursday the torch relay will pass through Taiwan in a compromise over a highly symbolic event that the political rivals had bickered over.

Reuters - A row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe escalated on Thursday when President Vladimir Putin declared a moratorium on a key European arms treaty.

Reuters - A top officer at a key U.S. military detention centre in Iraq has been charged with "aiding the enemy" and having improper relationships including one with the daughter of a detainee, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

Reuters - Front-runners Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama go face to face along with six other Democratic presidential contenders on Thursday at the opening debate of the fast-starting 2008 campaign.

Reuters - Republican senator and presidential candidate John McCain, in a break with President George W. Bush, said on Thursday Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The officer in charge of a key U.S. military detention camp in Iraq has been charged with 'aiding the enemy' and having improper relationships, including one with a detainee's daughter, the military said on Thursday.

OSLO (Reuters) - A row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe escalated on Thursday when President Vladimir Putin declared a moratorium on a key European arms control treaty.

PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential contender Segolene Royal will hold a TV debate with defeated centrist candidate Francois Bayrou, her aides said on Thursday, in a bold bid to broaden her alliance ahead of a run-off vote on May 6.

AP - Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said Thursday that conditions in Iraq may get harder before they get easier and will require 'an enormous commitment' over time by the United States.

AP - Eight Democratic presidential candidates will take part in a 90-minute debate tonight at South Carolina State University.

AP - A senior U.S. officer has been charged with nine offenses, including aiding the enemy and fraternizing with the daughter of a detainee while he commanded a military police detachment at the American detention facility where Saddam Hussein had been held, the military said Thursday.

AP - Stocks traded flat Thursday as strong profit reports from names like Apple Inc. and 3M Corp. failed to galvanize Wall Street a day after the Dow Jones industrials crossed the 13,000 mark.

AP - A court issued arrest warrants for Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on Thursday, saying their kiss at a public function 'transgressed all limits of vulgarity,' media reports said.

Reuters - The officer in charge of a key U.S. military detention camp in Iraq has been charged with "aiding the enemy" and having improper relationships, including one with a detainee's daughter, the military said on Thursday.

Reuters - A row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe escalated on Thursday when President Vladimir Putin declared a moratorium on a key European arms control treaty.

AFP - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday threatened Russian withdrawal from a landmark Cold War-era arms treaty in a heightening of tensions over a planned US missile defence system in Europe.

AFP - US lawmakers moved towards a showdown with President George W. Bush on Thursday after the House of Representatives approved a war funding bill that requires pulling US troops out of Iraq beginning in October.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday joined the House of Representatives in approving legislation that would withdraw combat troops from Iraq over the next 11 months -- a plan certain to provoke a veto by President George W. Bush.

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (Reuters) - Led by front-runners Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, eight Democratic presidential contenders square off on Thursday in the opening debate of the fast-starting 2008 campaign.

OSLO (Reuters) - A row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe escalated on Thursday when President Vladimir Putin declared a moratorium on a key European arms control treaty.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Calling Sheryl Crow 'a high profile proponent of the destruction of innocent lives,' the Roman Catholic archbishop of St. Louis resigned as head of a children's medical charity that featured the singer for a benefit concert.

AP - A defiant Democratic-controlled Senate passed legislation Thursday that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1, propelling Congress toward a historic veto showdown with President Bush on the war.

AP - An eight-story apartment building collapsed in Istanbul on Thursday, and rescuers pulled an injured girl from the debris, officials said.

AP - Stocks traded flat Thursday as strong profit reports from names like Apple Inc. and 3M Corp. failed to galvanize Wall Street a day after the Dow Jones industrials crossed the 13,000 mark.

AP - Rapper-actress Eve was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence after she crashed a Maserati in Hollywood early Thursday.

AP - Organizers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics announced Thursday what will be the longest torch relay in the history of the games, tracing a route that covers five continents and makes politically sensitive stops in Taiwan and Tibet.

Reuters - A row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe escalated on Thursday when President Vladimir Putin declared a moratorium on a key European arms control treaty.

Reuters - Led by front-runners Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, eight Democratic presidential contenders square off on Thursday in the opening debate of the fast-starting 2008 campaign.

Reuters - Calling Sheryl Crow "a high profile proponent of the destruction of innocent lives," the Roman Catholic archbishop of St. Louis resigned as head of a children's medical charity that featured the singer for a benefit concert.

AFP - The US military charged a senior officer on Thursday with aiding the enemy and fraternising with the daughter of an inmate in a US-run prison camp, in the latest scandal to hit the military in Iraq.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In an unprecedented slap at President George W. Bush's war policy, the U.S. Congress on Thursday approved legislation that links withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq to paying for the war, ensuring a veto.

CONCORD, New Hampshire (Reuters) - New Hampshire lawmakers authorized same-sex civil unions on Thursday, in a bill that will complete the transformation of New England into a unique U.S. region where gay and lesbian couples have degrees of legal rights.

GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican Sen. John McCain is finding out what a difference seven years makes in his new race for the presidency.

PARIS (Reuters) - France's Canal+ station on Thursday pulled the plug on a TV debate between Socialist presidential contender Segolene Royal and defeated centrist Francois Bayrou, citing election equal airtime rules.

AP - An Iraqi government spokesman criticized the U.S. Senate vote to begin withdrawing U.S. troops by Oct. 1.

AP - Rising tensions between the United States and Russia cast a shadow over a meeting of NATO's top diplomats Thursday with the former Cold War foes trading barbs over missile defense and military deployments in Europe.

AP - Scientists have found clusters of new gene variants that raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes — and how the researchers did it is as important as what they found.

AP - Two police officers pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter in the shooting death of a 92-year-old woman during a botched drug raid last fall. A third officer still faces charges in the woman's death.

AP - Organizers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics announced Thursday what will be the longest torch relay in the history of the games, tracing a route that covers five continents and makes politically sensitive stops in Taiwan and Tibet.

Reuters - In an unprecedented slap at President George W. Bush's war policy, the U.S. Congress on Thursday approved legislation that links withdrawal of combat troops to paying for the war, ensuring a certain veto.

Reuters - New Hampshire lawmakers authorized same-sex civil unions on Thursday, in a bill that will complete the transformation of New England into a unique U.S. region where gay and lesbian couples have degrees of legal rights.

Reuters - Republican Sen. John McCain is finding out what a difference seven years makes in his new race for the presidency.

AFP - Ignoring President George W. Bush's veto threat, the US Congress Thursday set a timeline to withdraw US troops from Iraq, with the top Democrat saying it sets "a new course, away from a civil war with no end in sight."

AFP - President Vladimir Putin launched a stinging attack Thursday against foreign interference in Russia and threatened to withdraw from a key defence treaty in response to a planned US anti-missile system in central Europe.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Influential U.S. senators vowed on Thursday to restore to foreign terrorism suspects the right to challenge their imprisonment, saying Congress made an historic blunder by stripping them of that right last year.

OSLO (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin froze Moscow's commitments under a European arms control pact on Thursday, escalating a row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The most thorough probe to date of the genetic underpinnings of the most common form of diabetes has identified a new batch of genes that increases risk for a disease affecting 200 million people globally.

AP - Gov. Jon S. Corzine, speaking publicly for the first time since he was seriously injured in an automobile accident two weeks ago, said Thursday that feels blessed to be alive.

AP - David Huckabee, a son of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, was arrested at an Arkansas airport Thursday after a federal X-ray technician detected a loaded Glock pistol in his carry-on luggage.

AP - Rosie O'Donnell announced her departure from 'The View' nearly one year after Star Jones Reynolds was fired as co-host of the ABC show. Reynolds was an original co-host, starting in 1997. She left the show on bad terms last June. Told her contract wasn't going to be renewed, she beat 'The View' creator Barbara Walters to the punch in announcing her departure. That angered Walters, and Reynolds wasn't allowed on the air again.

AP - Wall Street paused Thursday, with stocks little changed as strong profit reports from names like Apple Inc. and 3M Corp. failed to galvanize the market a day after the Dow Jones industrials crossed 13,000. Still, a modest advance in the Dow gave the blue chips another record close.

AP - No paint, no ink, no ketchup. Nothing but Curt Schilling's blood was seeping through his socks in the 2004 postseason, current and former Red Sox said Thursday after a rumor resurfaced that the pitcher milked his injury for drama while helping Boston end its 86-year title drought.

Reuters - In an unprecedented slap at President George W. Bush's war policy, the U.S. Congress on Thursday approved legislation that links withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq to paying for the war, ensuring a veto.

Reuters - Influential U.S. senators vowed on Thursday to restore to foreign terrorism suspects the right to challenge their imprisonment, saying Congress made an historic blunder by stripping them of that right last year.

Reuters - President Vladimir Putin froze Moscow's commitments under a European arms control pact on Thursday, escalating a row between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans to build a missile shield in eastern Europe.

Reuters - The most thorough probe to date of the genetic underpinnings of the most common form of diabetes has identified a new batch of genes that increases risk for a disease affecting 200 million people globally.

AFP - President Vladimir Putin froze a key defence treaty Thursday in response to a planned US anti-missile system in Europe, and launched a stinging attack against foreign "interference" in Russia.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In an unprecedented slap at President George W. Bush's war policy, the U.S. Congress on Thursday approved legislation that links withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq to paying for the war, ensuring a veto.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of about 50 World Bank officials at the forefront of the bank's anti-corruption fight on Thursday expressed deep concern with the crisis surrounding bank chief Paul Wolfowitz.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Tightening security on the U.S.-Mexican border has sharply cut arrests of illegal immigrants but scores are still dying as they attempt the perilous crossing through deserts and raging rivers.

AP - Democratic presidential candidates criticized President Bush over the Iraq war Thursday night in the first debate of their campaign, and urged him to reconsider his threat to veto legislation to begin withdrawing U.S. troops.

AP - In a bold wartime challenge to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled Congress cleared legislation Thursday to begin withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later. The White House dismissed the legislation as 'dead before arrival.'

AP - The U.S. military commander in Iraq says the war effort may well get harder before it gets easier and American casualties are likely to continue to climb.

AP - Gov. Jon S. Corzine, speaking publicly for the first time since he was seriously injured in an automobile crash two weeks ago, said Thursday that he feels blessed.

AP - Free of his wheelchair and tethered only to heart rate and blood pressure monitors, astrophysicist Stephen Hawking on Thursday fulfilled a dream of floating weightless on a zero-gravity jet, a step he hopes leads to further space adventures.

AP - Jack Valenti, the former White House aide and film industry lobbyist who instituted the modern movie ratings system and guided Hollywood from the censorship era to the digital age, died Thursday. He was 85.

AP - When 95-year-old Nola Ochs graduates next month, she will be the world's oldest college graduate. The record Ochs will break, according to Guinness World Records, belongs to Mozelle Richardson, who at age 90 in 2004 received a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma.

AP - Microsoft Corp.'s fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 65 percent, buoyed by sales of its new versions of Windows and Office and by upgrade coupons for the operating system issued over the holidays.

Reuters - In an unprecedented slap at President George W. Bush's war policy, the U.S. Congress on Thursday approved legislation that links withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq to paying for the war, ensuring a veto.

Reuters - A group of about 50 World Bank officials at the forefront of the bank's anti-corruption fight on Thursday expressed deep concern with the crisis surrounding bank chief Paul Wolfowitz.

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (Reuters) - The eight Democratic White House contenders agreed on Thursday on the need to quickly pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and provide universal health care to Americans, but differed on the details during a largely polite first debate.

AP - Democratic presidential hopefuls flashed their anti-war credentials Thursday night, heaping criticism on President Bush's Iraq policy in the first debate of the 2008 campaign.

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney told Brigham Young University graduates on Thursday to savor second chances and be prepared for the unexpected throughout life in a commencement address that stirred up protests in one of the nation's most Republican states.

AP - Hundreds of residents were told to leave their homes Thursday as one wildfire rekindled and destroyed at least four houses and another threatened to jump a highway, authorities said.

Reuters - The eight Democratic White House contenders agreed on Thursday on the need to quickly pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and provide universal health care to Americans, but differed on the details during a largely polite first debate.

AFP - Eight Democratic presidential hopefuls slammed President George W. Bush's policy in Iraq during a debate Thursday, and jockeyed for position on who can best end the unpopular war.

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (Reuters) - The eight Democratic White House contenders agreed on Thursday on the need to quickly pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and offer universal health care to Americans, but differed on the details in a largely polite first debate.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Bank officials at the forefront of the bank's anti-corruption fight on Thursday voiced deep concern over the impact to their work from the crisis surrounding bank chief Paul Wolfowitz.

AP - The Justice Department released a list of internal documents Thursday focusing on lawmakers' concerns and media questions about the firings of eight federal prosecutors, but the department resisted congressional demands for copies of the memos.

AP - The chief architect of Sony Corp.'s flagship PlayStation game console will retire in June as the company struggles to retain dominance in the video game industry and revive its flagging reputation as an electronics and entertainment pioneer.

AP - Even on a night when the Detroit Pistons didn't play their best, they were good enough to beat the Orlando Magic — again. Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points, Chauncey Billups added 21 and the Pistons defeated Orlando 93-77 Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Reuters - The eight Democratic White House contenders agreed on Thursday on the need to quickly pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and offer universal health care to Americans, but differed on the details in a largely polite first debate.

Reuters - World Bank officials at the forefront of the bank's anti-corruption fight on Thursday voiced deep concern over the impact to their work from the crisis surrounding bank chief Paul Wolfowitz.