AP - Gay couples from across the country are one step closer to a Massachusetts wedding.

AP - The military surge into Iraq that began more than 18 months ago has ended. But 150,000 U.S. troops remain, as many as 15,000 more than before the buildup began.

AP - U.S. and Afghan troops have abandoned a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan where militants killed nine American soldiers this week, officials said Wednesday.

AP - A top U.S. diplomat heading to Geneva has no plans to meet separately with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, but the mere presence of the Bush administration official at talks between the Iranian negotiator and representatives of other world powers will be a sharp break with past administration policy.

AP - Lebanese guerrillas on Wednesday handed over two black coffins believed to contain the bodies of Israeli soldiers whose capture started a war, as a prisoner exchange with Israel got under way.

AFP - The UN was pulling non-essential staff from Darfur as protesters rallied behind Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir on Tuesday over allegations he masterminded a campaign of genocide in the region.

AFP - A string of suicide attacks against Iraqi security forces killed at least 37 people on Tuesday, including 28 when two suicide bombers blew themselves up among a crowd of army recruits, security officials said.

Reuters - Republican presidential hopeful John McCain sharply criticized the flagging U.S. war effort in Afghanistan on Tuesday and vowed to turn it around if elected, starting with sending more U.S. troops.

Reuters - U.S. Border Patrol agent Reynaldo Zuniga was arrested last month lugging a bag of cocaine up from the Rio Grande, one of a growing number of law enforcement officers accused of taking bribes from drug gangs.

Reuters - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Tuesday a "single-minded" focus on Iraq was distracting the United States from other threats, and he promised to end the war and shift resources to fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Reuters - President George W. Bush on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have cut Medicare reimbursements to insurers and blocked a scheduled pay cut for doctors who treat patients under the government's health program for the elderly.

Reuters - General Motors Corp on Tuesday announced a plan to cut costs by $10 billion, suspend its common stock dividend and sell up to $4 billion in assets in a bid to shore up cash and survive a deep industry slump.

Reuters - A weakening housing market, strained banking system and rising oil prices threaten the U.S. economy, and restoring financial market stability is a top priority, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday.