Kissinger urges regional engagement in Afghanistan (AP)

AP - Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger says Afghanistan's neighbors need to be involved in order to find a long-term solution for the conflict there.

Brazilian architect Niemeyer given Spanish award (AP)

AP - Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer has received one of Spain's top awards for the arts.

Lions upset Tendulkar's Mumbai in opener (AFP)

AFP - The Champions League Twenty20 tournament got off to a thrilling and surprise start Friday with local outfit Highveld Lions of South Africa defeating star-studded Mumbai Indians by nine runs.

China postpones Japan talks in protest at boat incident (AFP)

AFP - Beijing on Friday postponed planned talks with Tokyo in protest at the seizure of a Chinese trawler which collided with two Japanese coast guard vessels, as the row over the incident showed no signs of abating.

FTSE cites "human rights" concerns at DuPont and UPS (Reuters)

Reuters - Major U.S. corporations DuPont Co and United Parcel Service Inc were among eight companies removed from a social investment index series because of concerns about human rights, climate change and similar matters, the UK index provider FTSE Group said.

Oil price surges after Midwest pipeline shuts down (AP)

AP - Oil prices surged Friday after a pipeline that delivered oil to Midwest refineries was shut down, raising questions about how long the supply may be disrupted.

US, Iraq sign deal to settle Saddam-era claims (AP)

AP - Iraq has agreed to pay $400 million to Americans who say they were abused by Saddam Hussein's regime, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Friday.

Wall Street gains as economic outlook brightens (Reuters)

Reuters - The Dow and S&P 500 were on track on Friday to close the week with a seventh gain in the last eight sessions, a period that has seen investors worst fears about the economy start to dissipate.

Where to Buy a Home for Less Than $800 a Month (U.S. News & World Report)

U.S. News & World Report - While the nation's real estate crash has been a nightmare for homeowners, it has created some outstanding opportunities for would-be buyers. Home prices in 20 major cities dropped 33 percent from the summer of 2006 to the spring of 2009--and in certain markets, the plunge was even steeper. At the same time, the federal government's efforts to revive the housing market have helped drive financing costs to record lows. Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates fell to an average of 4.32 percent for the week ending September 2. That's the lowest level in nearly 40 years of record-keeping. ...

New GM CEO's pay package worth $9 million (AP)

AP - New General Motors Co. CEO Daniel Akerson will get the same $9 million pay package as the man he replaced, Ed Whitacre.

The E.U. Tries to Stop France's Crackdown on Gypsies (Time.com)

Time.com - After weeks of watching from the sidelines, the European Union has finally condemned France's mass expulsion of Roma migrants. But does France care?

Foreign Businesses Say China's Regulations Shut Them Out (Time.com)

Time.com - Foreign businesses in China are voicing growing frustration about the country's heavily regulated market -- a bureaucratic maze many say is designed deliberately to hamstring non-Chinese players to the advantage of their local competitors

New GM CEO to receive $1.7 million cash salary (Reuters)

Reuters - General Motors Co's new chief executive, Dan Akerson, will receive a $1.7 million cash salary as well as stock grants, the U.S. government-owned automaker said on Friday.

Google's Android to be world No. 2 in 2010: report (Reuters)

Reuters - Google Inc's Android software will become the world's second most popular operating system for cell phones this year, leapfrogging rival offerings from Microsoft Corp, Research in Motion and Apple Inc, according to a new report.

Genzyme begins round of layoffs: reports (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. biotech company Genzyme Corp began laying off an unspecified number of employees on Friday but said the move was unrelated to Sanofi-Aventis SA's efforts to take over the company, local media reported.

Cyrus the Great artifact to be displayed in Iran (AP)

AP - A Babylonian artifact sometimes described as the world's first human rights charter is to go on display in Iran after the government threatened to cut ties with the British Museum if it did not loan the object.

Castro says he was misinterpreted on Cuban economy (AP)

AP - Fidel Castro says his comments about Cuba's communist economic model were misinterpreted by a visiting American journalist.

Bell Canada parent to buy CTV for C$1.3 billion (Reuters)

Reuters - BCE Inc, Canada's largest telecom, will pay C$1.3 billion ($1.26 billion) for full ownership of the country's biggest private broadcaster, betting on explosive growth in video over the Internet and wireless devices.

Some see Turkey's secularism at stake in Sept. 12 referendum (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - Turks are preparing to vote on a package of far-reaching constitutional changes Sunday, in what has turned into a referendum on the countryâs Islamic-leaning ruling party.

Spanish miners in Day 9 of underground protest (AP)

AP - Far, far away from a Chilean mine where 33 trapped men struggle to cope as they await rescue, 50 Spanish miners are also deep in the earth's bowels — but by their own choice.

Earnings schedule for week of 9/13/2010 (AP)

AP - Major companies tentatively scheduled to report quarterly earnings next week:

Japan missing more than 230K listed centenarians (AP)

AP - More than 230,000 Japanese citizens listed in government records as at least 100 years old can't be found and may have died long ago, according to a government survey released Friday.

Treasury's Barr to testify on Fannie and Freddie (Reuters)

Reuters - Michael Barr, assistant treasury secretary for financial institutions, and Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency will testify on Capitol Hill next week on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac .

Greece pledges to overhaul loss-making state rail (AP)

AP - The Greek government pledged Friday to radically overhaul loss-making state rail company OSE, as official data showed efforts to cut the country's bloated budget deficit remained on track, if slightly asthmatic.

(AP)

AP - Obama defends his health care overhaul law even though costs are inching up.

Obama picks new top economist (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama on Friday named Austan Goolsbee, an economics professor currently working in his administration, to chair the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA).

Cholera stalks West Africa as rains spread disease (AP)

AP - Patients jammed rudimentary clinics and health workers in surgical masks sprayed anti-bacterial solution on muddy paths as the government struggled to contain a cholera epidemic that has killed nearly 800 Nigerians in two months.

Nokia brings in Microsoft exec to replace CEO (Reuters)

Reuters - Nokia has hired Stephen Elop, a Canadian Microsoft executive with Silicon Valley credentials, to replace its embattled chief executive and renew its drive to compete with Apple.

Admissions Q&A: Brigham Young (BusinessWeek)

BusinessWeek - Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management (Marriott Full-Time MBA Profile) offers students more than a rigorous business education. Students at the school, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are required to abide by a strict honor code, based on the tenets of the Mormon religion. The code includes rules against academic dishonesty and requires students to "live a chaste and virtuous life." It also prohibits drugs, alcohol, and coffee -- even at home. ...

Australian 'kingmaking' MP declines ministerial post (AFP)

AFP - An independent Australian politician whose support was crucial to keeping Prime Minister Julia Gillard in power Friday knocked back an offer to become a minister in her minority government.

Quran burning canceled after Pentagon calls pastor (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Under tremendous pressure from U.S. officials all the way up to President Barack Obama, a Florida pastor on Thursday called off a Quran burning that he'd scheduled for Saturday, the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which had drawn international condemnation and posed a potential threat to national security.

Shoe seller DSW's operator says 2Q profit jumps (AP)

AP - Retail Ventures Inc., which operates the DSW shoe store chain, posted a 67 percent jump in second-quarter net income as a key revenue figure improved.

Wall Street Journal launching book review section (AP)

AP - The Wall Street Journal is set to launch a weekly book review section this month, even as newspapers across the country cut back on book coverage.

Banging a Drum for the MDG Summit (OneWorld.net)

OneWorld.net - NEW YORK, Sep 7 (IRIN) - Activists are pulling out all the stops ahead of a development summit at UN headquarters on 20-22 September. Pro-aid and anti-poverty lobbyists are trying everything from giant letters to banging pans to raise awareness of the high-level event.