Germany
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Angela Merkel launched into the final day of the German election campaign, championing rival visions for the future of Europe's biggest economy.
Afghanistan
Organizers of Afghanistan's first parliamentary polls for more than 30 years told voters they could make history in Sunday's polls, and said militants would not disrupt the vote despite a string of attacks.
New Zealand
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark's ruling Labour Party held a wafer-thin lead over the main opposition National Party with almost all votes counted from the country's general election.
US
Although swathes of New Orleans are still uninhabitable and bodies are still being retrieved, businessmen are being allowed back into some districts as part of a plan to restart economic activity in a community crippled by Hurricane Katrina.
Mideast
Palestinian forces fired warning shots and pushed back stone-throwing crowds on the southern Gaza Strip's Egyptian border, attempting to reimpose order after a week of illegal crossings by thousands of people.
UN
The tense standoff between Iran and Western powers over Tehran's nuclear program will take center stage at the UN summit as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveils new proposals seeking to defuse the crisis.
North Korea
Delegates to six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program extended their discussions into Sunday, but Japan's chief negotiator said the chances for an agreement were slim.
Sri Lanka
The political leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels has called for immediate talks with Sri Lanka's government to save a shaky ceasefire.
Iraq
The US administration has accused Syria of supporting insurgents after a string of attacks against majority Shiites left 200 dead in Iraq this week, one of the bloodiest periods since the 2003 US-led invasion.
Lebanon
One person was killed and 28 wounded in a bombing in a Christian section of Beirut late Friday, the latest in a string of blasts to hit the Lebanese capital this year, police said.
