Qwest Withdraws Bid After MCI Accepts Verizon Offer
New York Times - 49 minutes ago A fierce takeover battle ended yesterday when Qwest Communications said it would no longer pursue buying MCI Inc., leaving the once-bankrupt long distance carrier to be acquired by Verizon Communications.

Stand up. Tongue update. Time travelers.
Houston Chronicle - 4 hours ago By KYRIE O'CONNOR. 1. I was, I confess, slightly disconcerted by Laura Bush's stand-up act at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night. Now, I'm thrilled she'd have the gumption to take on that

Kofi Annan opens UN conference on non-proliferation treaty
WXXA - 1 hour ago UNITED NATIONS (AP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says countries without nuclear weapons shouldn't try to get them and the US and Russia must cut their arsenals. Annan opened a UN conference to review

Rice: US Can Deter North Korean Nuclear Ambitions
Voice of America - 2 hours ago By Meredith Buel. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a tough statement aimed at North Korea, says the United States has significant deterrent capability to thwart Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. Secretary

US searches for crew of two missing jets
CNN - 2 hours ago BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A search is under way for the crews of two Marine F/A-18 fighter jets that were lost Monday while flying in support of the war in Iraq, the US military said. "There was no indication

Italy: 'stress,inexperience' played role in killing of Italian
WXXA - 1 hour ago ROME (AP) - An Italian press report says investigators believe "stress" and "inexperience" among US soldiers played a role in the shooting death of an Italian agent in Baghdad. At the same time, the ANSA news

Morgan board backs Purcell
Guardian Unlimited - 53 minutes ago The board of Morgan Stanley has again given its backing to embattled chairman and chief executive Philip Purcell, but detailed a series of governance changes aimed at easing criticism of the Wall Street firm.

Jilted groom says he still wants to marry his runaway bride
KLTV - 1 hour ago DULUTH, Ga. The Georgia-to-New Mexico route of a runaway bride apparently included Texas. The jilted groom -- John Mason -- today said he still wants to marry fiancee Jennifer Wilbanks. Mason says Wilbanks

Hostage 'realised dangers' of post-war Iraq
ABC Online - 1 hour ago A journalist who met Australian man Douglas Wood, who has been taken hostage in Iraq, says Mr Wood was a well-liked man who, like many others, was taking advantage of the business opportunities in post-war Iraq.

Israeli minister quits over Gaza pull-out
Scotsman - 39 minutes ago AN ISRAELI cabinet minister resigned yesterday in protest at the controversial plan by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to withdraw Jewish settlements from Gaza. Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident