Quran burning stirs outrage in Muslim world (AP)

AP - Hundreds of angry Afghans burned an American flag and chanted "Death to the Christians" on Thursday to protest plans by a small American church to torch copies of the Muslim holy book on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Fearless honey badger escapes from Prague zoo (AP)

AP - Prague zoo says one of its fearless honey badgers is on the run.

Murder rate falls sharply in South Africa (AFP)

AFP - Violent crime is declining in South Africa, with murders falling 8.6 percent to under 17,000, police said Thursday in a report claiming progress in one of the world's most dangerous countries.

Tourist crowds threaten Vatican's Sistine Chapel (AP)

AP - The Vatican Museums chief has warned that dust and polluting agents brought into the Sistine Chapel by thousands of tourists every day risk one day endangering the chapel's masterpieces by Michelangelo.

4 Iraqis escape from US custody in Baghdad prison (AP)

AP - Four prisoners with links to al-Qaida have escaped from the U.S.-controlled part of a maximum-security prison in Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Thursday.

Wall Street boosted by jobs and trade data (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks rose at the open on Thursday after better-than-expected jobless benefits figures and data that showed the trade deficit narrowed more than forecast painted a rosier picture for economic growth.

Car bomb, gunmen attack Mogadishu airport: 7 dead (AP)

AP - A suicide car bomber and gunmen attacked the front gate to Mogadishu's seaside airport on Thursday, triggering an explosion and gunbattle, officials said. At least seven people were killed, including six security forces.

Study: Flamboyant male dancing attracts women best (AP)

AP - John Travolta was onto something. Women are most attracted to male dancers who have big, flamboyant moves similar to the actor's trademark style, British scientists say in a new study.

A Fashion Week model's secret: Sensible shoes (Time.com)

Time.com - On the eve of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the hottest event on New YorkCity's couture calendar, TIME takes a look inside the grueling auditionprocess for hundreds of high-fashion hopefuls

China makes major breakthrough in quantum teleportation (Time.com)

Time.com - While China has been showing off its new hardware, a potentially more important military advancement has gone largely unnoticed -- a major breakthrough in quantum teleportation

Suicide attack in Russia kills 17, wounds over 130 (AP)

AP - A suicide car bomber hit the central market of a major city in Russia's North Caucasus on Thursday, killing at least 17 and wounding more than 130 people in one of the worst attacks in the volatile region in years, officials said.

Jobless claims add hope to labor outlook (Reuters)

Reuters - New claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week to a two-month low, while the trade deficit narrowed sharply in July, hopeful signs for the stuttering economic recovery.

McDonald's August sales beat year-ago (Reuters)

Reuters - McDonald's Corp reported higher global sales at restaurants open at least 13 months in August, helped by sales of smoothies, frappes and other cold drinks in the United States.

Dynasty speculation on North Korea's founding day (AP)

AP - North Korea celebrated its 62nd anniversary Thursday with odes to supreme leader Kim Jong Il and pilgrimages to his late father's statue amid hints that a political meeting believed aimed at promoting his son as successor is imminent.

Web Impostors May Face Prison in California (BusinessWeek)

BusinessWeek - California Web impostors beware: You may soon be breaking the law, even if you aren't one of the perpetrators targeted by the state's "e-personation" bill.

Obama firm against tax cuts for rich (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama stood firm on Thursday in opposition to a Republican push to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the rich but stopped short of threatening to veto such a measure if passed by Congress.

Toys R Us to double U.S. store print for holiday season (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. retailer Toys R Us, which has filed for an initial public offering, said it plans to open about 600 temporary stores in malls and shopping centers nationwide, doubling the number of store locations for the holiday season.

British MPs to grill BP CEO Hayward (Reuters)

Reuters - British Members of Parliament (MPs) will next week grill outgoing BP Plc Chief Executive Tony Hayward, as part of an investigation into risks around deepwater drilling in the North Sea.

Bank of England keeps rates at record low (AP)

AP - The Bank of England says it is holding interest rates steady at a record low of 0.5 percent for the 18th consecutive month amid growing fears about a double-dip recession.

Struggling Spain OKs labor market reforms (AP)

AP - Spain gave final approval Thursday to labor market reforms designed to shake up a listless economy and help slash a bloated deficit that has prompted European-wide worries of another Greek-style debt crisis.

Fidel latest to say Cuba's communism doesn't work (AP)

AP - Cuba's communist economic model has come in for criticism from an unlikely source: Fidel Castro.

UK watchdog fines Goldman Sachs $27 million (Reuters)

Reuters - Britain's financial watchdog slapped a 17.5 million pounds ($27 million) fine on Goldman Sachs on Thursday for inadequate disclosure of a U.S. probe into the Wall Street powerhouse.

Australian regulators reject NAB bid for AXA Asia Pacific (AFP)

AFP - Australian regulators rejected National Australia Bank's 12.2 billion US dollar bid for financial firm AXA Asia Pacific on competition concerns Thursday, in a move welcomed by rival suitor AMP.

India car sales hit all-time high in August (AP)

AP - Car sales in India surged to a record for a second straight month in August on strong demand before the holiday season, despite rising prices and supply constraints.

Bank of Korea keeps interest rate near record low (AP)

AP - South Korea's central bank left its key interest rate near a record low Thursday for a second straight month as the risk of slowing global growth outweighed a buoyant outlook for the local economy.

Detroit gets rare assist from suburbs for fires (AP)

AP - As exhausted Detroit firefighters battled wind-fed blazes burning wild in some neighborhoods and threatening to char much of the city, a half-dozen departments from surrounding communities brought in sorely needed — and gladly accepted — help.

Economists cut U.S. growth forecast again (Reuters)

Reuters - Projected U.S. economic growth for the rest of this year and next was revised down for a third month in a row by a panel of about 50 economists.

FDIC's Bair warns of government "exposure" in mortgages (Reuters)

Reuters - A key U.S. banking regulator raised concern on Wednesday about the risk of "exposure" the government is taking on in the mortgage market and urged more stringent standards for underwriting mortgages.

Clinton: Florida church's planned Koran burning doesn't reflect U.S. (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — With concerns growing about hostile or even violent international reaction to a Florida pastor's plans to burn the Koran on Saturday, the Obama administration is stepping up its efforts to mitigate the damage.

Spartech posts fiscal 3Q loss, misses expectations (AP)

AP - Plastic sheet and packaging maker Spartech Corp. reported a net loss for its fiscal third quarter on Wednesday and said that despite higher revenue, the overall market recover is slower than expected.

Germany considers scrapping the draft (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - The young man playing with kids at the Main Krokodile preschool here isn't your typical caregiver. He's among the tens of thousands of Germans who fulfill their military service by working with children, the elderly, or the disabled. The head of the school, Berndt NiedergesÃ¤ss, is all for it: "The children love dealing with men," he says.

Conservatives see poll lead evaporate (Reuters)

Reuters - The Conservative government has seen its lead over the main opposition Liberals evaporate in public opinion polls following recent controversies and the two parties are now running neck and neck, though an election is not seen in the near term.

Wall Street up as fears for European economy ease (AFP)

AFP - US stocks were slightly up on Wednesday after news of a successful Portuguese debt auction eased the previous day's concerns about the European economy.

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.