France`s ruling party`s presidential candidate, Minister of Interior Nicolas Sarkozy, faced scandal, after it was reported that he ordered the police take DNA samples in order to promote the investigation into the theft of one of his son`s moped.

Looks like the "healthy eating" trend has caught up with the young crowd. Say goodbye to French fries and ice cream, and hello to carrots and celery sticks!

A letter being circulated in the Iranian press this week, dating from the late 1980s, which noted that in order to win the Iran-Iraq War the Islamic Republic of Iran would have to employ ?lasers and nuclear weapons?, has caused a firestorm of controversy as European powers possibly begin to get the impression that nothing short of U.N. Security Council action will persuade Teheran to give up its pursuit of nuclear technology and uranium enrichment.

The Memorial service for crocodile hunter Steve Irwin is set to take place Wednesday morning at the Australia Zoo`s Crocoseum and tickets for the public service were gone in no time, 15 minutes to be exact.

Out on the West Coast, communities in California have reported temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Redding, California, about 160 miles north of Sacramento, the capital, reached 110 degrees; Grand Junction, Colorado, hit 101 degrees.

As the world watched Israel retaliate for the ?acts of war? committed by Hezbollah, a party that both sits in the Lebanese parliament, in the Lebanese Cabinet, and maintains its own private army and ?state within a state?, financial observers all around the world have been watching closely market indices for signs of any imminent financial catastrophe.

About 450 residents from the Philippines` restive Mount Bulusan were evacuated as the volcano spewed ash and gravel after an explosion on Sunday, fearing signs of increased activity. Authorities estimate more than 20,000 people face a possible evacuation in case of a major eruption.

A plane in Naples, Italy, was found to have ammunition on it an Italian news agency has reported sparking fears among passengers.

After a magnitude 8.0 earthquake shook the South Pacific nation of Tonga on May 3, and the U.S. Geological Survey said later that tsunami warnings were issued for Fiji and New Zealand. The geological center stressed that "it is not known that a tsunami was generated" by the quake, adding that, "This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation."

Marilyn Monroe is listed in the National Archives, exhibited at the Smithsonian and Presidential Libraries, and for decades, subject of contemporary art, the Marilyn Monroe mystique is timeless.

A fire burning on parched grasslands in northeast New Mexico forced the evacuation of a small farming and ranching community. The fire was sparked by a downed power line and burned about 10,000 acres. Sometimes, such fires are caused by lightning strikes.

A decree by Egyptan President Hosni Mubarak that effectively postpones local elections by extending the terms of thousands of political allies of the president for two years drew an angry response this week from the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt`s largest opposition group.

Preservationists and city officials are debating a plan to cull homes throughout New Orleans deemed damaged beyond repair after Hurricane Katrina. A lawsuit forced the city to halt demolition plans and agree to notify homeowners if their homes were included, something the city first said it did not need to do if a home was a public risk.

A pastor near Seattle, Washington, the home of Microsoft, is threatening a boycott of the software giant along with Hewlett-Packard and other business that support a gay civil rights bill. Gay activists protested the company`s decision to pull its backing of the measure, prompting a turnaround in its previous official stance.

So far in this young season, Pau Gasol has been very impressive around the basket and from the perimeter. Gasol has bulked up over the summer, which has had an effect on his game. It allows him to be a lot more aggressive in the post. People tend to forget that he is 7-1, which makes him a legitimate center in the league.

Recent victory, combined with Phoenix`s loss to the Sacramento Monarchs, left the Seattle Sparks and the Mercury in a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the WNBA`s Western Conference.

Transnet Wireless Corporation announces a deal with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that will provide Transnet Wireless Internet systems to park locations throughout the state.

SEATTLE -- Perhaps Nikki Teasley should play sick more often.