AFP - Central banks in Asia followed in the steps of the United States and Europe Thursday, cutting key interest rates in a bid to bring calm to panicked global markets and limiting massive losses.

Reuters - A federal appeals court on Wednesday temporarily blocked the release of 17 Chinese Muslims held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Reuters - The United States will appeal to NATO allies on Thursday to send more troops to fight Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, despite the prospect of spending cuts because of the global financial crisis.

Reuters - Many stock markets rose strongly on Thursday and winners during the recent turmoil, such as the yen and gold, slipped as at least temporary calm returned to markets a day after coordinated global interest rate cuts.

Reuters - White House hopeful John McCain pitched a $300 billion plan to help struggling homeowners on Wednesday as he tried to erode an advantage held by Democratic rival Barack Obama on economic issues.

Reuters - North Korea has deployed more than 10 missiles on its west coast for what appears to be an imminent launch, a South Korean newspaper said on Thursday, two days after the North fired two short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea.

Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Wednesday a recently approved financial bailout bill gives him wide authority to inject capital into the banking system and would not rule out having Treasury take an ownership position in banks if necessary.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama has built a 4-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the race for the White House, aided by growing support from women and independent voters, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Thursday.

Reuters - The United States signaled it could consider buying into debt-laden banks to help get funds flowing through the financial system again after the IMF warned the world was on the brink of recession.

AP - Daisuke Matsuzaka will be on the mound for the Red Sox when the AL championship series begins Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.

AP - Hugh Hefner is down a girlfriend. Hefner and Holly Madison, one of E!'s "The Girls Next Door," are no longer dating. Hefner said he's been "down in the dumps" about the split.

AP - Most years the big questions preceding the Nobel Prize in literature are, will it be a man or woman, poet or novelist?

AP - A customer opened fire in a crowded shopping mall Wednesday afternoon, killing a clothing store employee before he was shot and wounded by police officers, authorities said. Witnesses said the gunfire sent people "stampeding" for cover.

AP - Barack Obama spent $3.3 million in TV advertising on Monday. At that rate the Democrat will spend more than $90 million on ads through Election Day — more than all the money Republican rival John McCain has to spend on his entire fall campaign.