WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama's lead over Republican rival John McCain dipped slightly to 5 points with three days left in the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Saturday.

AP - Thousands of revelers dressed as everything from goblins to pizza slices turned out Friday for Greenwich Village's Halloween parade, reveling in a tradition equal parts spookiness and spoof.

AP - As if there weren't enough expectations for North Carolina this season, they just got bigger. Not only are the Tar Heels No. 1 in The Associated Press' preseason Top 25, they are the first unanimous No. 1 since the preseason poll began in 1981-82.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama's lead over Republican rival John McCain dipped slightly to 5 points with three days left in the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Saturday.

AP - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama looked to pick up three red states on the final Saturday of the campaign, while Republican John McCain defended GOP turf before breaking to appear on 'Saturday Night Live.'

AP - The unpopular President Bush is staying off the campaign trail in the race to succeed him.

AP - When the Boston Tea Party's presidential candidate Charles Jay went to register to vote in Florida this summer the clerk at the elections office wasn't sure what to do.

AP - A loyal Democrat, Kenny Powers never shared Sarah Palin's conservative politics. But the United Way organizer confesses a fondness for the governor who paired a folksy charm with scorn for Alaska's Republican old guard.

AP - Thousands of weary refugees packed the streets behind rebel lines Saturday in eastern Congo, struggling toward their homes as a fragile cease-fire between the army and rebels held and diplomats tried to find a political solution to the crisis.

AP - The high expectations for the Trail Blazers this season were tempered somewhat when Greg Oden was injured in Portland's 20-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener.

AP - On the afternoon of Oct. 15, a body piercer named Michael Mineo was approached by a group of police officers who thought he was smoking marijuana. Mineo fled into a subway station, argued with the officers, and was issued a ticket for disorderly conduct.

LONDON (Reuters) - Two powerhouse emerging market countries felt the sting of the global financial crisis on Saturday as India unexpectedly cut its main short-term lending rate again and China said it was now feeling a slowdown.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - It wasn't quite a Halloween nightmare on Obama street, but journalists on Friday drew a rare flash of anger from the normally unflappable Democratic presidential nominee.

AP - That smiling guy walking down the street? Odds are he's a Barack Obama backer. The grouchy looking one? Don't ask, and don't necessarily count on him to vote next week, either.

Reuters - Two powerhouse emerging market countries felt the sting of the global financial crisis on Saturday as India unexpectedly cut its main short-term lending rate again and China said it was now feeling a slowdown.

Reuters - It wasn't quite a Halloween nightmare on Obama street, but journalists on Friday drew a rare flash of anger from the normally unflappable Democratic presidential nominee.

AFP - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican rival John McCain enter the final weekend of their epic race for the White House, scrambling across several states in a last dash for votes.

AP - Iraq has earmarked some $15 billion — nearly 25 percent of its 2009 draft budget — to help rebuild the country's crumbling infrastructure, energy and oil facilities, the finance minister said Saturday.

AP - Barack Obama's aunt, a Kenyan woman who has been quietly living in public housing in Boston, is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago, The Associated Press has learned.

AP - With just days to go before the election, gossip, hearsay, innuendo and smears are flying through the Internet as gadflies and rumormongers hope to sway voters before they head to the polls.

NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia (Reuters) - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama battled on Saturday in states that voted Republican in 2004 in the final, frenetic weekend of a long and grinding U.S. presidential election campaign.

AP - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Saturday he didn't know his aunt was living in the United States illegally and believes that laws covering the situation should be followed.

AP - Lula Cooper expects the tears to flow if Barack Obama becomes the first black president. But she's not breaking out the tissues just yet.

AP - Twice during the night, the broker had climbed out from the covers and returned to the television, trying to get a read on what investors were thinking in Tokyo and Hong Kong and to see what the futures market foretold about the trading day ahead.

AP - John McCain, struggling to hold onto Republican states, asked supporters Saturday to help him keep Virginia from tipping to Barack Obama. The Democrat was moving from west to east in his own final push to Election Day.

AP - The European Union could send troops to Congo if a fragile cease-fire between rebel fighters and the army fails, the U.K. minister for African affairs said Saturday as rebels forced tens of thousands of people from makeshift refugee camps in the insurgent-held zone.

AP - Northern Texas has been getting more rare earth tremors, one day after several minor earthquakes made Halloween memorable for some people in the area.

Reuters - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama battled on Saturday in states that voted Republican in 2004 in the final, frenetic weekend of a long and grinding U.S. presidential election campaign.

AFP - The French and British foreign ministers held crisis talks with President Joseph Kabila on Saturday, in a diplomatic push to halt a rebel advance and looming humanitarian disaster in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama knows nothing about the status of a Kenyan relative reported to be living in the United States illegally but believes 'all appropriate laws should be followed,' his campaign said on Saturday.

AP - A 12-year-old boy was shot to death through a front door while trick-or-treating with his family, shocking residents of a South Carolina neighborhood where most people know each other well.

AP - Camp Justice, erected six months ago for the first U.S. war-crimes trials in a half-century, already feels like a ghost town.

AP - Of all the things convicted murderer Robert Knowles has been called during his 13 years behind bars, recycler hasn't been one of them.

AP - It's time to fall back.

Reuters - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama knows nothing about the status of a Kenyan relative reported to be living in the United States illegally but believes 'all appropriate laws should be followed,' his campaign said on Saturday.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Two Asian powerhouse economies felt the sting of the global financial crisis on Saturday as India cut its main short-term lending rate and China said it was bracing for a slowdown.

PERKASIE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama sought to energize voter turnout on Saturday in the final, frenetic weekend of a long and grinding U.S. presidential election campaign.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq expects a reply from the United States within days to its proposal for changes to a pact requiring U.S. troops to leave by the end of 2011, Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Saturday.

CHIMORE, Bolivia (Reuters) - Bolivia's leftist President Evo Morales accused U.S. anti-drug agents of spying on Saturday, and barred them from fighting cocaine traffickers in the Andean country until further notice.

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Cuban-Americans have voted Republican for years. But the party could lose its grip on the heartland of exile opposition to Fidel Castro on Tuesday, signaling possible change in U.S. policy toward Cuba.

GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - Indian police detained six people on Saturday after a little-known Islamist group claimed responsibility for bombings that killed 77 people in the troubled state of Assam.

TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico's drug wars are fueling a boom in the funeral industry near the U.S. border as undertakers capitalize on soaring murder rates and gruesome killings.

AP - Counting down to Election Day, Barack Obama appears within reach of becoming the nation's first black president as the epic campaign draws to a close against a backdrop of economic crisis and lingering war. John McCain, the battle-scarred warrior, holds out hope for a Truman-beats-Dewey-style upset.

AP - Warmed by the cheers of thousands, John McCain and Barack Obama plunged through the final weekend of their marathon race for the White House, the Republican digging for an upset while his confident-sounding rival told supporters, 'We can change this country.'

AP - Police in South Carolina say a 12-year-old trick-or-treater was killed when a convicted felon fearing a robbery fired nearly 30 rounds with an assault rifle from inside a house.

AP - Of all the things convicted murderer Robert Knowles has been called during his 13 years behind bars, recycler hasn't been one of them.

AP - The eye patches will be out Saturday night in honor of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach.

Reuters - Two Asian powerhouse economies felt the sting of the global financial crisis on Saturday as India cut its main short-term lending rate and China said it was bracing for a slowdown.

Reuters - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama sought to energize voter turnout on Saturday in the final, frenetic weekend of a long and grinding U.S. presidential election campaign.

Reuters - Iraq expects a reply from the United States within days to its proposal for changes to a pact requiring U.S. troops to leave by the end of 2011, Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Saturday.

Reuters - Bolivia's leftist President Evo Morales accused U.S. anti-drug agents of spying on Saturday, and barred them from fighting cocaine traffickers in the Andean country until further notice.

Reuters - Florida's Cuban-Americans have voted Republican for years. But the party could lose its grip on the heartland of exile opposition to Fidel Castro on Tuesday, signaling possible change in U.S. policy toward Cuba.

Reuters - Indian police detained six people on Saturday after a little-known Islamist group claimed responsibility for bombings that killed 77 people in the troubled state of Assam.

AFP - Ministers from Europe and the United States urged the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to act decisively to halt the growing humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo.

AFP - Democrat Barack Obama promised a 'new politics for a new time' and said he had a 'righteous wind' at his back as he basked in hefty poll leads just three days before Tuesday's historic election.

PERKASIE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama sought to energize voter turnout on Saturday in the final, frenetic weekend of a long and grinding U.S. presidential election campaign.

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama knows nothing about the status of a Kenyan relative reported to be living in the United States illegally but believes 'all appropriate laws should be followed,' his campaign said on Saturday.

AP - In crises past, Chrysler has somehow managed to stamp out a blockbuster hit vehicle to pull itself away from the cliff's edge.

AP - Sarah Palin has unwittingly taken a prank call from a Canadian comedian posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy and told him she may make a good president in eight years.

AP - Dennis Johnson returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter, and Arkansas snapped No. 19 Tulsa's unbeaten run with a 30-23 victory Saturday.

Reuters - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama sought to energize voter turnout on Saturday in the final, frenetic weekend of a long and grinding U.S. presidential election campaign.

Reuters - Mexico's drug wars are fueling a boom in the funeral industry near the U.S. border as undertakers capitalize on soaring murder rates and gruesome killings.

Reuters - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama knows nothing about the status of a Kenyan relative reported to be living in the United States illegally but believes 'all appropriate laws should be followed,' his campaign said on Saturday.

AFP - Western diplomats rushed Saturday to prevent a humanitarian disaster in conflict-torn eastern DR Congo, holding crisis talks with the presidents of the DRC and neighbouring Rwanda.

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for billions of dollars in extra funding for the International Monetary Fund on Sunday, after India cut its main short-term lending rate and China braced for slowdown.

TORONTO (Reuters) - U.S. vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin fell prey to a Canadian prankster on Saturday when he called her impersonating French President Nicolas Sarkozy and got her to accept an invitation to hunt baby seals.

AP - Marcus Sims fumbled into the end zone to end No. 16 Florida State's comeback hopes in the final minute, and Georgia Tech held on to beat the Seminoles 31-28 on Saturday.

Reuters - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for billions of dollars in extra funding for the International Monetary Fund on Sunday, after India cut its main short-term lending rate and China braced for slowdown.

Reuters - U.S. vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin fell prey to a Canadian prankster on Saturday when he called her impersonating French President Nicolas Sarkozy and got her to accept an invitation to hunt baby seals.

AP - John Daly, the British-born producer of 13 Oscar-winning movies including 'Platoon' and 'The Last Emperor' who helped launch the careers of many A-list directors and actors, has died. He was 71.

AFP - Thousands of civilians displaced by conflict languished on the roads of east Congo Sunday as Western powers pressured Congolese and Rwandan leaders to prevent 'another Rwanda' tragedy.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's official media said on Sunday its leader Kim Jong-il, thought to have suffered a stroke in August, attended a soccer match and released photographs showing him smiling and looking healthy.

AP - Machinists union members ratified a new contract with The Boeing Co. on Saturday, ending an eight-week strike that cut the airplane maker's profits and stalled jetliner deliveries.

AP - Warmed by the cheers of thousands, John McCain and Barack Obama plunged through the final weekend of their marathon race for the White House, the Republican digging for an upset while his confident-sounding rival told supporters, 'We can change this country.'

AP - By the time Jeffrey Frankel got to bed it was past midnight, but sleep did not come easy. Twice during the night, the broker had climbed out from the covers and returned to the television, trying to get a read on what investors were thinking in Tokyo and Hong Kong and to see what the futures market foretold about the trading day ahead.

AP - Republican John McCain poked fun at his presidential campaign's financial shortcomings and his reputation as a political maverick in an appearance on NBC's 'Saturday Night Live.'

AP - It's time to fall back. Standard time returns at 2 a.m. Sunday, so set your clocks back an hour before going to sleep Saturday night.

AP - Texas Tech can call itself No. 1 in the Lone Star state — and maybe best in all the land.

Reuters - North Korea's official media said on Sunday its leader Kim Jong-il, thought to have suffered a stroke in August, attended a soccer match and released photographs showing him smiling and looking healthy.