AFP - England fast bowler Steve Harmison is to play in the one-day cricket series against South Africa, which starts on Friday, reversing a decision of two years ago not to participate in the one-day international format.

AP - The jetliner that crashed in Madrid abandoned a first takeoff attempt because of an air gauge that showed overheating, but experts said it was unlikely the gauge was a factor in the accident that killed 153 people.

AP - The U.S.-led coalition said Thursday it had killed more than 30 insurgents in a battle in eastern Afghanistan, fighters an Afghan governor said were responsible for an attack that killed 10 French troops this week. Officials announced the deaths of six NATO soldiers in two attacks.

AP - Russian forces dug trenches and built fortifications in key areas of Georgia Thursday, but also rolled columns of tanks north toward home, picking and choosing how their nation would comply with the terms of a peace accord.

AP - Two Taliban suicide bombers blew themselves up at the gates to a huge weapons factory near Pakistan's capital Thursday, killing at least 59 people and wounding 70 in one of the country's worst terrorist attacks.

AP - Iraq and the U.S. have reached preliminary agreement to withdraw American forces from Iraqi cities by next June, six years into the increasingly unpopular war, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Thursday after meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

AP - An Australian environmental official says an abandoned baby whale that has been attempting to suckle boats in the waters off north Sydney will be euthanized.

AFP - Pakistan's coalition government appeared close to collapse Thursday after former premier Nawaz Sharif threatened to quit if judges sacked by ousted president Pervez Musharraf are not restored.

AP - President Robert Mugabe's government says he will open parliament next week despite the opposition's saying the step would undermine power-sharing talks.

AP - A group of nations that export nuclear material was meeting Thursday to discuss whether to grant India access to nuclear fuel and technology, a decision crucial to finalizing a landmark U.S.-India deal lifting a ban on such sales.

AP - One of the Pakistani government's main coalition partners threatened Thursday to quit unless judges fired by former President Pervez Musharraf are quickly reinstated — dashing hopes that Musharraf's departure would end the nation's turmoil.