AP - Two suicide bombers killed 43 people in near-simultaneous blasts Friday, the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week and a clear sign that militants have the power to strike targets despite months of army offensives and U.S. missile strikes.
Reuters - San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Janet Yellen is a leading contender to be nominated by President Barack Obama as vice chair of the central bank, a senior administration official said on Friday.
AP - President Barack Obama delayed next week's Asian trip on Friday to seize on suddenly improved prospects for his sweeping health care legislation, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi forecast final passage of the overhaul in days.
AP - Lawyers and city officials expressed confidence Friday that they can get ground zero responders to agree to a settlement that would pay up to $657 million to workers who developed health problems after toiling in the ruins of the World Trade Center.
AP - Apple is accepting pre-orders for the iPad, its new touch-screen gadget for reading books, watching video and surfing the Web.
AP - A coroner's official says authorities have recovered four prescription drug bottles bearing the name of actor Corey Haim but found nothing illegal while investigating his death.
Reuters - Israeli forces sealed off the West Bank and massed riot squads around Jerusalem's Old City and Arab neighborhoods during Muslim weekly prayers on Friday, facing down Palestinian anger over Jewish settlement expansion.
AP - Retail sales posted a surprising increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from racking up purchases. The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.
AP - The Iraqi prime minister's bloc said Friday it has started laying the groundwork to form a coalition government, signaling growing confidence after preliminary election results showed it winning in at least three provinces in the southern Shiite heartland.
