NEW YORK – NBC Universal said Monday it will buy iVillage Inc., which runs several Web sites aimed at women, for about $600 million. NBC Universal, which is 80 percent-owned by General Electric Co. (GE) and 20 percent-owned by Vivendi Universal, agreed to pay $8.50 in cash per common share …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A homicide car bomber killed 40 and wounded 30 Monday at an Iraqi army recruiting office outside a military base near Tal Afar, as top Iraqi politicians blamed the United States for a weekend raid that Shiites said killed 22 worshipers in a mosque. The U.S. military …

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s first woman prime minister takes office Thursday, pledging to tackle a crime rate that has made the Caribbean island one of the most dangerous places in the world. Portia Simpson Miller, a longtime parliament member who represented some of Jamaica’s poorest neighborhoods, faces high expectations for …

NEW YORK – Wall Street ended a strong week on a solid note Friday, as investors ignored slumping consumer sentiment and were instead cheered by word that Microsoft plans to expand share buybacks. The Dow Jones industrials, Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 all ended the week on five-session winning streaks. …

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Artillery fire hit three schools being used as shelters from fighting raging Thursday between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels, killing 18 people in a northeastern town, the military said. A military spokesman, Maj. Upali Rajapakse, blamed the rebels for the artillery attacks on the schools …

WASHINGTON – The government’s anti-drug ad campaign has not been proven to deter children from using drugs, and lawmakers should consider reducing funding for the $1.2 billion program, congressional auditors said Friday. The Government Accountability Office based its recommendation on its review of an independent evaluation of the media campaign …

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge ordered Barry Bonds’ personal trainer to testify Thursday before a grand jury investigating whether the baseball star lied about using steroids. Greg Anderson has been ordered to appear before the grand jury at 2:30 PDT this afternoon — when he’ll have another tough decision …

JACKSON, Mich. – Republican Rep. Joe Schwarz is backed by President Bush, Arizona Sen. John McCain and the National Rifle Association. In most years that would be more than enough to recapture the nomination in this rural Michigan district where the Republican Party blossomed. But this year may be different. …

BERLIN – A few hundred supporters of Germany’s far right marched in an eastern city Saturday, marking the anniversary this week of the death of Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess. Some 350 people marched in the eastern city of Jena, police estimated, while a larger crowd of about 1,800 turned …

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s hard-line president on Tuesday challenged the authority of the U.N. Security Council, two days before the council’s deadline demanding Tehran stop uranium enrichment. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said no one can prevent Iran from pursuing a peaceful nuclear program. Ahmadinejad also proposed having a televised debate with …