Reuters - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Friday talks with the United States on a long-term security pact were at a stalemate because of U.S. demands that encroached on Iraq's sovereignty.

Reuters - Irish voters rejected a treaty on Friday to overhaul the European Union's unwieldy institutions, putting the entire bloc's reform plan in peril and humiliating Ireland's political leaders.

Reuters - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican John McCain failed to agree on Friday on holding a series of face-to-face town hall meetings and each side blamed the other for an inability to reach an accord.

Reuters - Officials in Iowa's capital city urged residents threatened by the rising Des Moines River to evacuate on Friday, calling the situation "extremely dangerous."

AP - Journeyman Kevin Streelman's stay atop the U.S.

AP - The jury in the R. Kelly child pornography case has reached a verdict after less than a day of deliberations. Judge Vincent Gaughan is scheduled to read the verdict Friday afternoon.

AP - Two people were shot and killed Friday morning during an apparent robbery at a soda bottling plant.

AP - President Bush said Friday that just as the United States helped Europe rebuild after World War II, the two powers must now stand with newborn democracies like Afghanistan and Iraq and reach out to people yearning for liberty, especially in the Middle East.

AP - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared Friday that talks with the U.S. on a new security agreement were deadlocked, as Sunni and Shiite preachers spoke out against the deal that would enable American troops to remain in Iraq after year's end.

AP - A metal clip fell from Discovery's brakes on Friday but NASA said it won't delay the space shuttle's scheduled landing on Saturday.

AP - Democrat Barack Obama said Friday he would apply the Social Security payroll tax to annual incomes above $250,000, which would affect the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans.

AP - The inflation rate shot up in May at the fastest pace in six months, pushed higher by soaring costs for gasoline and other types of energy.

AP - Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of a downtown hospital Friday after residents of more than 3,000 homes fled for higher ground. A railroad bridge collapsed, and 400 city blocks were under water.

AFP - China and Taiwan signed historic agreements on Friday that from next month will see thousands more people travel every day between the two traditional rivals.