AFP - Talks between French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and trade unions ended in deadlock after Villepin refused to withdraw his contested youth jobs contract.

Reuters - French telecoms equipment provider Alcatel is in talks with its smaller U.S. rival Lucent Technologies to create a combine with sales of 21 billion euros ($25.33 billion), the companies said late on Thursday.

AP - Joakim Noah is the face of Florida's postseason success — a wiry, bushy-haired, bundle of energy who epitomizes the Gators' frenetic style with his active, all-over-the-court play.

AP - Fashion waits for no one — unless they're celebrities like Jack Nicholson. Wearing his signature shades and a grin, the 68-year-old actor arrived an hour late for daughter Jennifer's packed show at Culver City's Smashbox Studios. When he took his seat on the front row, the show began.

Three Christian aid workers -- a Briton and two Canadians -- held hostage in Iraq for almost four months have been freed in a multinational military operation in Baghdad, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today. Freed were Briton Norman Kember and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden. Their American colleague, Tom Fox, was found dead March 9 in western Baghdad.

Three Christian aid workers -- a Briton and two Canadians -- held hostage in Iraq for almost four months have been freed in a multinational military operation in Baghdad involving British special forces, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today. Freed were Briton Norman Kember and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden. Their American colleague, Tom Fox, was found dead March 9 in western Baghdad.

Three Christian aid workers -- a Briton and two Canadians -- held hostage in Iraq for almost four months have been freed in a multinational military operation in Baghdad involving British special forces, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today. Freed were Briton Norman Kember, 74, and Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32. Relatives and friends who had prayed for the men's release greeted the news with joy.

Three Christian aid workers -- a Briton and two Canadians -- held hostage in Iraq for almost four months have been freed. Briton Norman Kember, 74, and Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, were freed in a multinational military operation in Baghdad involving British special forces, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today. Relatives and friends who had prayed for the men's release greeted the news with joy.

AP - A Briton and two Canadians held hostage in Iraq for almost four months have been freed, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Thursday.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is to make an "important announcement" in Downing Street, the BBC is told.

AP - For Spoon frontman Britt Daniel, rock 'n' roll is serious business.

Reuters - Home decor retailer Kirkland's Inc. on Wednesday said Chairman Robert Alderson would remain chief executive having been appointed to the post on an interim basis after CEO Jack Lewis was fired last month.

AFP - Bobby Charlton has urged world football governing body FIFA to tackle the problem of players hounding referees.

AP - State lawmaker Bob Keenan said Tuesday that he will challenge U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns — who has been dogged by questions about ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff — in the GOP primary in June.

AFP - The European Union Commission took a firm line towards France in a row over a merger of two key companies which critics claim is a thinly veiled bid to stop the sale abroad of a major asset.

Charles Clarke says "serious questions" over Jack Dromey's capacity as Labour treasurer are raised by the loans row.

AP - At this rate, Candice Wiggins will rewrite the record book at Stanford. Might bring a title or two back to The Farm, as well.

AP - Courtney Paris was practically unstoppable again, finishing with 30 points and 15 rebounds to lift Oklahoma to an 86-70 victory Monday night over Brigham Young in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

AP - South by Southwest, the year's biggest music festival, celebrated its 20th anniversary with about 1,400 acts jammed into four raucous nights.

AP - At the annual South by Southwest music festival, hundreds of bands often seamlessly mix in with the young, hip crowd. One of those bands, the obsessively melodic British trio Field Music, would easily go unnoticed if they weren't having their photo taken. A curious onlooker asks, "Which band are you guys?"