Berlusconi's US relationship becomes less special
Reuters - 1 hour ago By Phil Stewart. ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, long proud of having friends in high places, has seen the limitations of his rapport with Washington after a public falling-out over the killing of an Italian agent in Iraq.

Iraq Cabinet Sworn in; Oil, Defense Posts Still Open (Update1)
Bloomberg - 51 minutes ago May 3 (Bloomberg) -- Iraq's new government was formally sworn in today even as officials failed to name candidates for the still unfilled oil and defense ministries. ``I swear to God the Almighty to do my

Rival aims for MCI assets
Financial Times - 30 minutes ago By Paul Taylor in New York. Qwest Communications, the US telecommunications group that abandoned a three-month takeover battle for MCI this week, will press regulators to scrutinise industry mergers closely

Iran determined to pursue nuclear enrichment
Reuters - 48 minutes ago By Louis Charbonneau. UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran vowed on Tuesday to press ahead with nuclear activities that could be used to develop weapons and accused the United States and Israel of threatening international peace with their own atomic arsenals.

Fed Expected to Raise Interest Rates
Los Angeles Times (subscription) - 1 hour ago By Jesus Sanchez, Times Staff Writer. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to nudge interest rates higher today and possibly drop hints about the pace of future rate hikes in the wake of slowing economic growth and rising prices.

Laura Bush: First Lady Of Comedy
Bayou Buzz - 3 hours ago First Lady Laura Bush brought down the house at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington DC this weekend. She kidded her husband about his early bedtime and said she watched “Desperate Housewives”.

China chills hope of talks with Chen
International Herald Tribune - 4 hours ago BEIJING China capped its jubilant reception of the chairman of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party, Lien Chan, with praise for him on Tuesday and an offer of two rare giant pandas as gifts to Taiwan as he prepared to return to Taipei.

Not-Guilty Plea Entered for BTK Suspect
ABC News - 38 minutes ago Dennis Rader, charged with 10 counts of murder in the BTK serial killings that terrorized Wichita since the 1970s, is led from Sedgwick County court in Wichita, Kan., Tuesday, May 3, 2005, after his arraignment.

Iraq, Afghan wars reportedly strain US fighting ability
CNN - 39 minutes ago WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has issued a report to Congress that said the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan could hamstring the US ability to fight other wars, a senior military official told CNN. The chairman, Gen.

Jilted Groom: I Still Want Her
CBS News - 3 hours ago (CBS/AP) The man whose jittery bride-to-be skipped town days before her lavish wedding and claimed she had been abducted says that his fiancée wants the "whole world to know she's very, very sorry.". John