AFP - US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "time horizon" for US troop withdrawals as part of a long-term security pact, the White House said Friday.

AFP - Nelson Mandela, the icon of the anti-apartheid movement and South Africa's first black president, marked his 90th birthday on Friday with an appeal on behalf of his Rainbow Nation's poor.

Reuters - World powers should heed the worries of African and Arab states in responding to genocide charges against Sudan's president, China's envoy on Darfur said, warning that the court steps could imperil peace efforts.

Reuters - From banana imports to rules for protecting the product names, officials and diplomats were working on Friday on a range of issues ahead of next week's make-or-break ministerial trade negotiations.

Reuters - The NATO-led international force in Afghanistan rejected on Friday reports from Afghan officials that it killed more than 50 civilians in air strikes the previous day in the west of the country.

Reuters - Israel accused six Arabs on Friday of trying to set up an al Qaeda cell in Israel and said one of them had proposed attacking helicopters used during a visit by President George W. Bush.

Reuters - Iran said on Friday it did not expect an attack from Israel or the United States triggered by the long-running dispute over its nuclear program.

Reuters - President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed that a security deal under negotiation should set a "time horizon" for reducing U.S. forces in Iraq, the White House said on Friday.

AP - Greg Norman turned back the clock. So did David Duval. And K.J. Choi found himself in a familiar position — playing in the final group of the British Open heading to the weekend.

AP - Amsterdam's Artis zoo says a baby red panda adopted by a zookeeper's cat after being rejected by its mother has died.

AP - Salma Hayek has called off her engagement to businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, her representative said Friday.

AP - Wall Street was mixed Friday as disappointing earnings from technology companies like Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. offset upbeat results from Citigroup Inc.

AP - SYDNEY, Australia — Pope Benedict XVI told representatives of Islam and other faiths that they must unite to combat religion's role in "sinister and indiscriminate" violence.

AP - Nelson Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday Friday by urging the wealthy to share their prosperity with the less fortunate and by saying he wished he had been able to spend more time with his family during the anti-apartheid struggle.