AFP - ST ANDREWS, Scotland (AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on the G20 here on Saturday to consider a tax on global financial transactions but the proposal looked doomed amid US opposition.

The Canadian Press - MIAMI - Tropical storm warnings were issued Saturday for parts of Mexico and Cuba as Ida rapidly gained strength over Caribbean waters, and the storm could start affecting the U.S. Gulf Coast by Tuesday.

The Canadian Press - WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama made a last-minute personal appeal to Democrats to pass landmark health care legislation Saturday as the House opened debate on a bill to expand coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

AFP - FORT HOOD, Texas (AFP) - Investigators on Saturday worked to uncover the motives of a Muslim army doctor suspected of killing 13 people and wounding 30 others in a shooting rampage at a US military base.

AFP - TEHRAN (AFP) - Iranian police arrested 109 people during opposition protests on the sidelines of an official rally marking three decades since the seizure of the US embassy, Tehran's police chief said on Saturday.

AFP - TEHRAN (AFP) - AFP confirmed on Saturday the release of its Tehran reporter Farhad Pouladi, who had been arrested earlier in the week, saying he had returned to his home.

The Canadian Press - ORLANDO, Fla. - The engineer accused of fatally shooting one employee and wounding five others at the firm where he once worked is "very mentally ill" and crumbled under the stress of his divorce, bankruptcy and unemployment, his attorney said Saturday.

The Canadian Press - JELAWAR, Afghanistan - There's a breed of Canadian troops who are in a league of their own - adrenaline junkies who feed off the energy they get from embracing the world's most perilous jobs.

The Canadian Press - BERMEO, Spain - Spain said Saturday it is working to free 33 crew members of a fishing vessel held by Somali pirates as thousands of friends and relatives rallied for their release.

The Canadian Press - FORT HOOD, Texas - The Army psychiatrist suspected of going on a deadly shooting rampage at the Fort Hood military post recently asked for advice on what he should tell fellow soldiers concerned about fighting Muslims in Iraq or Afghanistan, a local Muslim leader said Saturday.

The Canadian Press - Finance officials from rich and developing countries pledged Saturday to maintain emergency support for their economies until recovery is assured and committed themselves to urgent action on tackling climate change.

AFP - COPENHAGEN (AFP) - The Danish government said Saturday it was trying to make contact with a Danish journalism student arrested three days ago in Tehran.

AFP - COLOMBO (AFP) - A top French envoy on Saturday asked Sri Lanka to end its state of emergency and probe war crimes ahead of a key European Union ruling on trade concessions to the troubled island.

AFP - RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia began vaccinating its population against swine flu on Saturday, with priority going to government employees working on the annual hajj pilgrimage that takes place later this month.

Reuters - TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras' ousted president and de facto leader gave signs they would try again on Saturday to form a unity government to guide the country out of a four-month crisis after the process collapsed a day earlier.

Reuters - ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The African Union (AU) said on Saturday it would not re-admit Madagascar until a newly agreed power-sharing government was in place and fresh elections in the pipeline.

AFP - AL-KHUBAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) - Saudi forces battled Yemeni rebels for a fifth straight day on Saturday as medics said seven Saudis and an unknown number of rebels had been killed.

AFP - CAIRO (AFP) - Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao sought to reassure the world's Muslims about his country's goodwill towards them in Cairo on Saturday, at a time when Beijing is criticised for the treatment of its own Muslim minority.

The Canadian Press - ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani soldiers killed 12 militants in gunbattles over the past day, officials said Saturday, as government forces pressed on with their offensive in the mountainous Taliban sanctuary of South Waziristan.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Iran's former crown prince backed a campaign of "civil disobedience and non-violence" Saturday to oust the government in Tehran and urged Western support, but warned against any armed intervention.

AFP - ST ANDREWS (AFP) - G20 countries committed to work towards an "ambitious outcome" at next month's vital UN climate change conference after meeting on Saturday, but fell short of agreeing a figure on climate funding.

Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - As Germany prepares to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a new study shows that some 1.3 trillion euros ($1.9 trillion) have been transferred from the west to rebuild the east, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

AFP - TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has decided to reject proposals from major powers for the supply of nuclear fuel, a leading member of parliament said on Saturday, in a serious setback for UN-brokered efforts to allay Western concerns about its atomic ambitions.

The Canadian Press - KABUL, Afghanistan - NATO and Afghan authorities were investigating Saturday whether an airstrike during the intensive search for two missing U.S. paratroopers mistakenly killed eight Afghans and wounded more than 20 Afghan and American forces.

AFP - ST ANDREWS, Scotland (AFP) - The G20 is committed to an "ambitious outcome" at December's UN climate change summit in Copenhagen, it said in a communique after talks Saturday, but did not agree a figure for climate finance.

The Canadian Press - A Palestinian uncle of the Fort Hood shooting suspect said Saturday that his nephew loved America and wanted to serve his country, but his work as a military psychiatrist drove him to tears.

Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri will announce a new national unity government to include Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah in the next few days, politicians said on Saturday.

AFP - NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga Saturday criticised a walkout by African states during climate talks in Barcelona as "grandstanding," and said it did not help developing countries' case.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - The parents of two French students brutally killed in London are demanding compensation from the British government for mistakes that could have prevented the murders, their lawyer said on Saturday.

AFP - JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - TP Mazembe of Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Heartland of Nigeria 1-0 in Lubumbashi Saturday to win the African Champions League on away goals after losing first leg 2-1 last weekend.

Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan urged Myanmar Saturday to release detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before next year's election, adding it was ready to provide more aid if democratization in the country advanced.

AFP - NAIROBI (AFP) - Top war crimes prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said on Saturday he has a strong case against the masterminds behind last year's post-election violence in Kenya.