Bush set to relax rules protecting species
Animals in danger of becoming extinct could lose the protection of government experts who make sure that dams and other projects don't pose a threat, under a regulation the Bush administration is set to put in place.

Governors pledge fight on global warming
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his counterparts in 12 states and regional leaders from four other countries signed a declaration Wednesday pledging to work together to combat global warming.

Pirates free two ships after ransoms paid

Somali pirates released two hijacked ships after ransoms were paid, U.S. military officials said Thursday.

Ex-Gitmo detainee to taste freedom
Australian police said Thursday they will stop restricting the movements and communications of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.

Pakistan summons U.S. envoy
Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador Thursday to protest a suspected U.S. missile strike deep inside its territory as militants threatened revenge attacks unless the cross-border raids stop.

U.S. shifts its approach in Iraq

With violence down sharply this year, the U.S. military is broadening its efforts to reconcile Sunnis and Shiites.

U.S. jobless claims jump to 16-year high
New claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to a 16-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, providing more evidence of a rapidly weakening job market.

Bush to sign legislation to extend jobless aid
Because of the tight job market, the White House says President George W. Bush would sign legislation pending in Congress to further extend unemployment benefits.

Over 1,000 melamine babies still in hospitals
Over a thousand Chinese infants are still in hospital receiving treatment for kidney damage caused by tainted milk, China's Health Ministry said on Thursday, more than two months after the scandal broke.

U.S.: Raid kills militant blamed in GI death

An al-Qaida in Iraq leader blamed in the 2004 abduction and murder of an Army reservist and other deadly attacks was killed in an American raid in Baghdad, the U.S. military said Thursday.