<><> Sometimes even St. Bernards need rescuing (AP) March 8, 2009 at 10:23 am AP - There was a rescue involving a St. Bernard in Billings, Mont., but this time it was the humans who saved the day. <><> Pope to visit Holy Land in May (AP) March 8, 2009 at 10:08 am AP - Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday he would visit the Holy Land from May 8-15 in the first papal trip to the area since 2000. <><> US says 12,000 US troops to leave Iraq by Sept. (AP) March 8, 2009 at 9:34 am AP - The U.S. military announced Sunday that 12,000 American and 4,000 British troops will leave Iraq by September — hours after a suicide bomber struck police and recruits lined up at the entrance of Baghdad's main academy, killing 32 people. <><> U.S. to cut Iraq troop force by 12,000 (Reuters) March 8, 2009 at 9:20 am Reuters - The United States will reduce the number of troops in Iraq by around 12,000 in the next six months, the U.S. military said on Sunday, a step in President Barack Obama's plan to end combat operations in August 2010. <><> 2 British soldiers killed in N. Ireland gun ambush (AP) March 8, 2009 at 8:54 am AP - Suspected IRA dissidents opened fire on British troops and pizza delivery men outside a Northern Ireland army base, killing two soldiers and wounding four other people. Police said Sunday the attackers fired on their victims again as they lay wounded on the ground. <><> British PM condemns N.Ireland killings (AFP) March 8, 2009 at 8:52 am AFP - British forces went on alert in Northern Ireland on Sunday after two soldiers were killed in a barracks attack, but British Prime Minister Gordon Brown vowed the deaths would not drag the province back into sectarian strife. <><> Karzai welcomes Obama call to reach out to Taliban (AP) March 8, 2009 at 8:24 am AP - President Hamid Karzai on Sunday welcomed President Barack Obama's call to identify moderate elements of the Taliban and encourage them to reconcile with the Afghan government. <><> Iraq suicide cyclist kills 28 in Baghdad (AFP) March 8, 2009 at 8:21 am AFP - A suicide bomber on a bicycle blew himself up killing at least 28 people and wounding 58 more outside a police academy in the Iraqi capital on Sunday in the bloodiest attack in weeks, officials said. <><> Madoff investors prepare for court confrontation (AP) March 8, 2009 at 8:06 am AP - Bernard Madoff has yet to face the many investors he is accused of ripping off in a jaw-dropping Ponzi scheme that amounted to one of the biggest financial frauds in history. <><> Tsvangirai leaves Zimbabwe for rest, treatment (AP) March 8, 2009 at 8:05 am AP - Zimbabwe's prime minister has left the country for medical treatment after he was injured in a car crash that killed his wife, state media reported Sunday. A party official said Morgan Tsvangirai was in Botswana. <><> Obama nominates 3 to key Treasury Department posts (AP) March 8, 2009 at 8:03 am AP - President Barack Obama has chosen three people to join the senior ranks of the Treasury Department, where a slow pace of hiring has put the agency on the defensive. <><> Millionaire leaves estate to Calif. university (AP) March 8, 2009 at 7:37 am AP - Bruce Lindsay left behind a tip officials at Vanguard University won't soon forget. <><> Afghan leader Karzai backs Obama's call on Taliban (Reuters) March 8, 2009 at 5:49 am Reuters - With violence in Afghanistan at its highest since the Taliban was ousted, Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday welcomed U.S. counterpart Barack Obama's openness to adapting tactics used to deal with moderate elements in Iraq. <><> Clinton rolls out foreign policy approach in trip (Reuters) March 8, 2009 at 5:37 am Reuters - Six weeks into the job, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is starting to roll out the Obama administration's approach to the most prickly foreign policy challenges from Arab-Israeli peace to Russia. <><> Pakistan frees 12 Taliban militants in Swat valley (Reuters) March 8, 2009 at 3:07 am Reuters - Pakistani authorities have released 12 Taliban militants in a bid to consolidate a pact struck last month with Islamists in the troubled northwestern Swat valley, a senior government official said Sunday. <><> Don't forget to set clock ahead by an hour (AP) March 7, 2009 at 9:55 pm AP - Time to set the clock forward by an hour. Also, you can heat up the grill and break out the badminton set: Daylight-saving time is returning to shift an hour of light to the evenings. <><> Who got AIG's bailout billions? (Reuters) March 7, 2009 at 9:52 pm Reuters - Where, oh where, did AIG's bailout billions go? That question may reverberate even louder through the halls of government in the week ahead now that a partial list of beneficiaries has been published. <><> Two British military personnel killed in Northern Ireland (Reuters) March 7, 2009 at 9:51 pm Reuters - Gunmen struck at a British army base in one of Northern Ireland's worst attacks for years on Saturday, killing two military personnel and seriously wounding four people, police said. <><> T.O. takes his show and shuffles off to Buffalo (AP) March 7, 2009 at 9:39 pm AP - Terrell Owens needed only two days to find another place to play. The Buffalo Bills decided to take a chance on the talented but high-maintenance receiver, signing Owens to a $6.5 million, one-year deal Saturday. <><> Former USF football player lost at sea is mourned (AP) March 7, 2009 at 9:37 pm AP - A week after two NFL players and two of their friends sailed into the Gulf of Mexico on a fishing trip that turned disastrous, family, friends and the lone survivor paid tribute to one of the missing men. <><> Palestinian PM resigns, paves way for unity talks (AP) March 7, 2009 at 9:17 pm AP - The Western-backed Palestinian prime minister submitted his resignation Saturday, improving the odds of a possible unity government of Fatah moderates and Hamas militants, followed by new Palestinian elections. <><> Obama: Time of crisis can be 'great opportunity' (AP) March 7, 2009 at 9:16 pm AP - Trying to buck up a dispirited nation, President Barack Obama on Saturday promised that prosperous days will return and cast these bleak times as nothing less than a "great opportunity." Packing some heft with his hope, he defended his fast-moving and expensive agenda. <><> Palestinian PM resigns but Abbas asks him to continue (Reuters) March 7, 2009 at 8:36 pm Reuters - Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Saturday he intended to resign by the end of March in a move that could help unity talks between the rival Fatah and Hamas factions. <><> When economy bottoms out, how will we know? (AP) March 7, 2009 at 8:35 pm AP - When will this wretched economy bottom out? The recession is already in its 15th month, making it longer than all but two downturns since World War II. For now, everything seems to be getting worse: The Dow is in free fall, jobs are vanishing every day, and one in eight American homeowners is in foreclosure or behind on payments. <><> Mourners pay tribute to radio legend Paul Harvey (AP) March 7, 2009 at 8:25 pm AP - The son of radio legend Paul Harvey used his father's words for the eulogy Saturday at a public funeral service in Chicago, the city from which he launched his national news and commentary show. <><> Source: Mullen offers Mexico update to Obama (AP) March 7, 2009 at 8:13 pm AP - President Barack Obama was briefed Saturday by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen about the drug wars in Mexico and wanted to know how the United States can help. <><> Ex-Calif. bookkeeper accused of embezzling $10M (AP) March 7, 2009 at 7:28 pm AP - A former bookkeeper embezzled $9.9 million, forcing her company to make layoffs as she bought 400 pairs of shoes that she kept in a room-sized closet decorated with a crystal chandelier and a plasma television, authorities claim. <><> Madoff investors prepare for court confrontation (AP) March 7, 2009 at 6:36 pm AP - Bernard Madoff has yet to face the many investors he is accused of ripping off in a jaw-dropping Ponzi scheme that amounted to one of the biggest financial frauds in history. <><> Obama mulls reaching out to moderate Taliban: report (Reuters) March 7, 2009 at 5:11 pm Reuters - President Barack Obama is open to the idea of reaching out to moderate elements of the Taliban, The New York Times reported on Saturday. <><> U.S. officials find "common ground" in Syria (Reuters) March 7, 2009 at 3:22 pm Reuters - The United States wants to see "forward momentum" on peace talks between Syria and Israel and believes Syria could help Middle East stability, a U.S. official said after high-level talks in DamadDamascusscus on Saturday. <><> Bernanke: Fed will use all tools at its disposal (Reuters) March 7, 2009 at 3:17 pm Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Saturday the U.S. central bank would use all of its tools to stabilize financial markets and pull the economy out of recession. <><> 'The Color Purple' author traveling to Gaza (AP) March 7, 2009 at 3:05 pm AP - Pulitzer-prize winning author Alice Walker, who wrote "The Color Purple," is traveling to Gaza along with other female activists to highlight the devastation of the Israeli offensive on Gaza's residents. <><> Sweden wins doubles, leads Israel 2-1 in Davis Cup (AP) March 7, 2009 at 2:50 pm AP - While demonstrators clashed with police outside the near-empty stadium, Sweden won the doubles match Saturday to take a 2-1 lead against Israel in the Davis Cup series. <><> T-ball pioneer made game a huge hit over 50 years (AP) March 7, 2009 at 2:37 pm AP - Jerry Sacharski crafted his first batting tee from metal piping, some pieces of rubber and part of a garden hose. Half a century later he still was coaching T-ball, a game that introduced baseball to millions of kids from backyards to the White House lawn. <><> Zimbabwe PM flown to Botswana after crash (AFP) March 7, 2009 at 2:19 pm AFP - Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was flown to neighbouring Botswana for medical tests on Saturday after being seriously injured in a car crash that killed his wife, his party said. <><> When economy bottoms out, how will we know? (AP) March 7, 2009 at 2:04 pm AP - When will this wretched economy bottom out? The recession is already in its 15th month, making it longer than all but two downturns since World War II. For now, everything seems to be getting worse: The Dow is in free fall, jobs are vanishing every day, and one in eight American homeowners is in foreclosure or behind on payments. <><> Obama: Endure, find opportunity in time of crisis (AP) March 7, 2009 at 1:43 pm AP - Overseeing a dispirited nation, President Barack Obama on Saturday sought to assure people that bleak times will give way to better days, calling the mounting economic crisis a time to discover America's next "great opportunity." <><> Discord likely over ratifying women's rights pact (AP) March 7, 2009 at 1:32 pm AP - A global women's rights treaty completed 30 years ago has a better-than-ever chance for U.S. Senate ratification this year, yet the hunt for the needed 67 favorable votes is likely to incur the wrath of activists on both the left and right. <><> Georgia inmate arrested trying to get back in jail (AP) March 7, 2009 at 1:29 pm AP - Authorities say they arrested an escaped jail inmate trying to sneak back into the lockup with cigarettes allegedly stolen from a nearby store. <><> Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai leaves hospital after crash (AP) March 7, 2009 at 1:13 pm AP - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai left the hospital bandaged and mourning his wife Saturday after a car crash that his supporters blamed partly on insufficient security provided by President Robert Mugabe.