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One of five British hostages captured in Iraq last year has committed suicide, the kidnappers said in a videotape obtained by The Sunday Times. A written statement displayed on the videotape says the hostage died May 25, four days before the first anniversary of his abduction, the London-based newspaper said.

Sen. Barack Obama made his first visit to Afghanistan today before he embarks on his tour of the Middle East and Europe aimed at bolstering his foreign policy credentials.

Iran hopes that Saturday's talks in Switzerland on its nuclear program will lead to a "positive outcome," the state-run news agency quoted Iran's foreign minister as saying.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was quoted in a German magazine as saying that he backs a proposal by Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. troops within 16 months. Al-Maliki's office later said his remarks were "not conveyed accurately."

Winds in a tropical depression that formed late Friday near the Carolina coast were approaching tropical storm strength Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Zimbabwe's troubled central bank introduced new $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy.

Iraq's largest Sunni Arab bloc rejoined the Cabinet today after a year-long boycott. The United States and Iraq have cited the inclusion of Sunni Arabs in Iraq's political lifeblood as a major factor in restoring political stability and improving the atmosphere for national unity.

Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday offered his strongest public statement yet on sex abuse against minors by Roman Catholic priests, apologizing to victims and calling the abuse "evil."

Former Republican Sen. Phil Gramm said today he is stepping down as co-chairman of Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign amid criticism for saying that "we have sort of become a nation of whiners." Gramm said his comments have become a distraction and that he would "join the growing number of rank-and-file McCain supporters."

Cpl. Gunnar Zwilling suspected his days were numbered last week, while he and his band of brothers in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team prepared for a mission near Wanat, Afghanistan. "It's gonna be a bloodbath," he told his father, Kurt Zwilling, on the phone, in what would be their last conversation.

On the eve of one of her top diplomats meeting with an Iranian official, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States is sticking to its policy that Iran must suspend its nuclear program before negotiations can proceed.

Britney Spears has agreed to allow ex-husband Kevin Federline to retain legal custody of their two children in return for gradually increased visitation, sources close to the troubled pop star told CNN on Friday.

Israeli authorities have arrested six Arabs suspected of trying to build an al Qaeda-linked cell -- including one person who allegedly asked about targeting President Bush's helicopter.

The charter boat was found drifting at sea -- empty, its four crew members missing. Nearby, authorities found two men in a dinghy. Now one of those men, Kirby Archer, will plead guilty to murder in order to avoid the death penalty, a relative of one of the victims tells CNN. The victims' bodies were never found.

The House is likely next week to take up a Bush administration proposal to empower the Treasury to back up embattled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Explosives used to destroy land mines have disappeared from a site near Lyon, France, the French Interior Ministry said Friday.

The federal takeover of IndyMac Bank last week left many Americans wondering whether their bank was safe. It put a spotlight on a relatively obscure list published quarterly by the FDIC called the "problem list."

Lightning has killed and injured more than a dozen people in Russia in the past two weeks, officials say, blaming widespread use of electronic gadgets such as cell phones for an increase in deadly strikes.

Christine, 27, says she was lured to Russia by her uncle to attend school. Instead, he sent her to a brothel and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave. "I was really scared about that," she said. CNN went undercover on Moscow's streets and found a thriving sex slave trade. "Take your pick from any of the girls," the female organizer says at one location.

As "The Dark Knight's" crusading District Attorney Harvey Dent vigorously tries to combat Gotham City's crime spree, he quotes the old saying: "The night is always darkest before the dawn."

"The Dark Knight" opened early today to huge crowds, rave reviews and a box-office record for midnight premieres. I-Reporters are sharing their thoughts on the film and its late star, Heath Ledger. The movie is "a haunting experiment into the human psyche," writes one I-Reporter.

Starbucks Corp. released a list Thursday of the 616 company-owned stores it will shutter by the first half of 2009.

"It's the magic of dogs."

Individual U.S. investors aren't happy with the current bear market, but they're not panicking, and most are sticking with their investment strategies, according to a sampling of financial planners across the country.

G.I. Joe slowly invaded Jeff Patton's cubicle in Salt Lake City, Utah. First it was action figures, then lunch boxes, then comics from a collection that had overflowed from the senior inventory control coordinator's home.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama heads overseas next week for a whistlestop series of meetings with Middle Eastern and European leaders but with an eye firmly on the U.S. presidential race back home.

Colombian military intelligence apparently set up a Web site for a fake humanitarian group as part of a ruse to dupe leftist rebels into giving up 15 hostages this month.

Sujit Bhattacharya that knew he felt sluggish and had trouble putting on his socks and shoes. One day, when he tried on a pair of size 30 shorts, his wife pointed out that they fit only under his belly.