National and International News - Saturday Mar. 10, 2007

BAGHDAD (AP) - The prime minister of Iraq wants international help in cutting off support for extremists responsible for violence in the country. Nouri al-Maliki warns the bloodshed could spill across the Middle East. He spoke at an international conference on Iraq being held today in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A U-S military commander in Iraq says there's "no question" that he needs more troops. But military officials say scheduling troop deployments has proven a daunting task because of the current buildup. The top American general in Iraq says that buildup could continue well beyond summer. He's not the man they thought he was. Iraqi officials said yesterday that they had captured terror mastermind Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. But today they're saying the man is actually another top al-Qaida official. Authorities say the man captured identified himself as al-Baghdadi.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) - President Bush isn't taking the bait. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has been leading protests against Bush's journey through Latin America. But
Bush says his trip is about spreading U-S goodwill. He's in Uruguay this morning.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Roberto Gonzales has ordered further investigation into the F-B-I's illegal use of the Patriot Act to obtain personal information. The director of the F-B-I says he's accountable for mistakes that were made, but has no plans to step down.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A Florida woman is in critical condition after her ex-boyfriend shot her inside the store where she worked. Police say the gunman tried to shoot himself but his gun misfired. He's under arrest and police in Pompano Beach are looking for another man who was with him.

ATLANTA (AP) - Friends and family members have gathered for the memorial service for one of the Ohio college baseball players killed in a bus crash in Atlanta last week. Another player who was injured in the accident died Friday, pushing the total number killed to seven.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The District of Columbia's long-standing ban on handguns has been overturned by a federal appeals court. The court rejected the argument that the constitutional right to bear arms only applies to militias. Mayor Adrian Fenty indicates the city will appeal.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The former owner of a Washington escort service who threatened to sell the phone numbers from her client list has pleaded not guilty to racketeering. She's also filed a lawsuit seeking damages from a former employee who she says engaged in illegal sexual activity.

MEKELE, Ethiopia (AP) - Ethiopian government officials say they've been in contact with kidnappers of five European tourists. The foreign minister says the captives are safe, and is appealing for the abductors to return them. Four are believed to be British. One's French.

MUNSTER, Ind. (AP) - Authorities say a private plane that crashed onto a busy street in the Chicago suburb of Munster, Indiana, last night apparently didn't hit any buildings, cars or people. Both people on the twin-engine plane were killed, but there are no reported injuries on the ground.

NEW YORK (AP) - New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has stepped forward to help pay for the funerals of the victims of a house fire just blocks from Yankee stadium. A service for the eight children and a mother is being planned for Monday. Burial sites are in New Jersey, and Mali, the native country of the woman and three of the children.

WASHINGTON (AP) - It's not only time to spring forward into daylight-saving time, but also a good time to change the batteries in things like smoke detectors and emergency radios. This year the time switch is coming early and will continue longer - until November Fourth.