Ringling Bros. battles to keep elephants

"AP - With their colorful headgear and repertoire of tricks, they're top-billed stars of The Greatest Show on Earth."

UK police search for chemical bomb

"Reuters - British anti-terrorist officers searched a house and two workplaces on Saturday for evidence of a possible chemical bomb plot as two suspects detained by police denied any links with terrorism."

Angry New Orleanians start public housing cleanup

"Reuters - Angry New Orleans public-housing residents on Saturday took charge of the recovery and cleanup of homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina and vandals, blaming the government for failing to act."

Lead suspect surrenders in Indiana

"Reuters - The leading suspect in the brutal slayings of seven members of one family in their Indianapolis home turned himself in on Saturday after what police described as the city's worst mass killing in at least two decades."

California jury awards $61M for harassment

"AP - A jury awarded $61 million to two FedEx Ground drivers of Lebanese descent who claimed a manager harassed them with racial slurs for two years."

Chavez gets new Russian rifles

"Reuters - Venezuela received a shipment of 30,000 new Russian rifles on Saturday, weeks after Washington restricted U.S. arms sales to Caracas over concerns about President Hugo Chavez's ties to Cuba and Iran."

2 inmates escape from D.C. jail on bus

"AP - Two inmates, including one charged with murder, broke through an office window at the District of Columbia Jail on Saturday and escaped aboard a city shuttle bus, police said."

Hell, Mich., heats up for 6-6-6 party

"AP - They're planning a hot time in Hell on Tuesday. The day bears the date of 6-6-06, or abbreviated as 666 — a number that carries hellish significance. And there's not a snowball's chance in Hell that the day will go unnoticed in the unincorporated hamlet 60 miles...

Haditha lawyer criticizes U.S. payments

"AP - A lawyer who had several relatives among 24 Iraqis allegedly slain by U.S. Marines last fall and is representing kin of other victims complained in a videotape Saturday that American compensation paid to the families was inadequate."

Wrong move by US would affect oil flows: Iran

"Reuters - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the world's fourth largest oil exporter, said on Sunday that if the United States makes a "wrong move" toward Iran, energy flows in the region would be endangered."

Cops: Couple ordered hit on grandkids (Associated Press)

"Cops: Couple ordered hit on grandkids  —  Wanted to stop testimony at son's rape trial, police say  —  TAVARES, Florida (AP) — A couple tried to hire a hit man to kill their three grandchildren and daughter-in-law to stop them from...

White House Opens Door To Dissenters (Peter Baker/Washington Post)

"White House Opens Door To Dissenters  —  Aversion to Criticism Appears to Be Fading  —  When retired Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey criticized the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war three years ago, he was lambasted as an armchair general...

Bush Re-Enters Gay Marriage Fight (Peter Baker/Washington Post)

"Bush Re-Enters Gay Marriage Fight  —  Two Speeches Set Pressing Senate To Vote for a Ban  —  President Bush plans to wade back into the emotional debate over same-sex marriage for the first time in his second term beginning today with a pair...

Troops cleared in Iraqi deaths in Ishaqi (Will Dunham/Reuters)

"Troops cleared in Iraqi deaths in Ishaqi  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. military probe has exonerated U.S. troops in the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the town of Ishaqi in March, finding American forces followed standard procedures and committed no...

GIs at Ishaqi Cleared; Haditha Probe Open (Associated Press)

"GIs at Ishaqi Cleared; Haditha Probe Open  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A military investigation into allegations that U.S. troops intentionally killed Iraqi civilians in a March raid in a village north of Baghdad has cleared the troops of misconduct, two defense...