Bush in Japan...Mid East violence...Dad bit in pit spit

TOYAKO, Japan (AP) President Bush is celebrating his 62nd birthday in Japan today, getting ready for the start of the G-Eight summit tomorrow. Global Warming and high oil prices are among the issues the world leaders plan to address.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Worn out firefighters are being helped by better weather around Santa Barbara, California, this weekend.

Thousands of homes are still threatened by raging wildfires.

BAGHDAD (AP) Six people are dead after a car bomb blew up in northern Baghdad today. Another 14 people, including three police officers, have been injured.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Afghanistan's president has ordered an investigation after a provincial governor said 15 civilians were killed by a U.S. airstrike Friday. But the U.S. and Afghanistan's own Defense Ministry say it was up to 20 militants who were killed or wounded in the assault.

EAU CLAIRE, Mich. (AP) Brian "Young Gun" Krause has out-spit his father to claim his seventh title at the International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship in Michigan. He spit a pit 56 feet, seven-and-a-half inches. That's six-and-a-half inches farther than the best effort of his dad, the defending champion.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 07-06-08 0656CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list