AFP - The United States on Saturday struck North Korea from a terrorism blacklist after saying Pyongyang agreed to steps to verify its nuclear disarmament and pledged to resume disabling its atomic plants.

AFP - US President George W. Bush said Saturday the world's richest economies were united on a "serious global response" to the financial meltdown, as the eurozone countries prepared for a crisis summit.

Reuters - Scientists have sequenced the genome of the giant panda, an achievement which may aid efforts to protect the endangered species, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

Reuters - Connecticut's highest court on Friday unexpectedly struck down a ban on gay and lesbian marriage, making the New England state the third in the nation to allow full-fledged marriage for same-sex couples.

Reuters - General Motors has had talks with smaller rival Chrysler LLC about a merger that would combine the No. 1 and No. 3 American automakers at a time when both are struggling to cut costs and shore up cash, according to a source briefed on the matter.

Reuters - The United States on Saturday removed North Korea from its terrorism blacklist in a bid to revive faltering denuclearization talks in the final months of the Bush administration.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama praised his rival John McCain for trying to tone down the vitriol of the U.S. presidential race but pressed ahead on Saturday with an effort to cast the Republican as out of touch on the economy.

Reuters - The IMF warned on Saturday that the global financial system was on the brink of meltdown, while France and Germany pushed ahead with a pan-European crisis response to try to prevent the worst global downturn in decades.

AP - Daisuke Matsuzaka's brilliant escape act bewildered Tampa Bay and put the Boston Red Sox on top in the AL championship series.

AP - Lisa Marie Presley is a mom again. A publicist says the 40-year-old singer gave birth Tuesday to twin girls, whose names were not released. One baby weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces and the other came in at 5 pounds and 2 ounces.

AP - The text message from the elephant flashed across Richard Lesowapir's screen: Kimani was heading for neighboring farms.

AP - When Indonesia's health minister stopped sending bird flu viruses to a research laboratory in the U.S. for fear Washington could use them to make biological weapons, Defense Secretary Robert Gates laughed and called it "the nuttiest thing" he'd ever heard.

AP - The camera closes in on Sarah Palin speaking to young missionaries, vowing from the pulpit to do her part to implement God's will from the governor's office.

AP - Two Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected U.S. missile strike has killed three people near a market close to the Afghan border.