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RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - Suspected Sunni Muslim militants killed four state-backed Sunni fighters in Iraq on Saturday, security sources said, apparently viewing them as collaborators with the Shi'ite-led government of a nation plagued by sectarian hatred. Sunni-Shi'ite tensions in Iraq have been amplified by the conflict between mostly Sunni rebels and President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite-dominated forces in neighbouring Syria. ...

By Ed Osmond LONDON (Reuters) - Tim Southee claimed three late wickets as New Zealand reduced England to 180 for six on a dramatic third day of the first test at Lord's on Saturday. A patient third-wicket partnership of 123 between Joe Root and Jonathan Trott looked to have put England in control of the match but the touring side grabbed four wickets for 12 runs in the final session to give themselves a scent of victory. England, who bowled New Zealand out for 207 in their first innings, lead by 205 runs with two days remaining. ...

By David Jones NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - A U.S. Airways flight made an emergency landing on its belly at Newark Liberty International Airport early on Saturday after the plane's landing gear failed to deploy, but no one was injured, airline and government officials said. Piedmont Airlines flight 4560, operating for US Airways from Philadelphia with 34 passengers and three crew members, landed safely at 1 a.m., and passengers were evacuated on the tarmac and transported to the terminal, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said in an email. ...

By Karolos Grohmann BERLIN (Reuters) - Champions Bayern Munich needed some Franck Ribery magic to end the Bundesliga season with a dramatic 4-3 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach as they prepare to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final next week. Fielding a full-strength team, Bayern, who set a string of league records, including most points (91) and fewest goals conceded (18) in 34 league games, went behind as Martin Stranzl and Mike Hanke scored twice within five minutes before Javi Martinez pulled one back on seven minutes. ...

ROME (Reuters) - Thousands of people protested in Rome on Saturday against austerity policies and high unemployment, urging new Prime Minister Enrico Letta to focus on creating jobs to help pull the country out of recession. "We hope that this government will finally start listening to us because we are losing our patience," said Enzo Bernardis, who joined the sea of protesters waving red flags and calling for more workers' rights and better contracts. ...

By Charlie Dunmore BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Critics ridiculed European Union bureaucrats on Saturday for taking time off fighting the euro zone's debt crisis to impose strict new rules on how restaurants serve olive oil. From January 1, 2014, eateries will be banned from serving oil to diners in small glass jugs or dipping bowls, and forced instead to use pre-sealed, non-refillable bottles that must be disposed of when empty. The European Commission said the move is designed to improve hygiene and reassure consumers the olive oil in restaurants has not been diluted with an inferior product. ...

By Eric Salliot ROME (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal beat Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych 6-2 6-4 to reach the Italian Open final on Saturday with a dominant performance that he described as emotional after his long injury absence. Nadal, who returned to action in February after seven months out with a knee problem, will have the chance to win his sixth title since his comeback when he faces either Roger Federer or Benoit Paire in Sunday's final. ...

KAVARNA, Bulgaria (Reuters) - Britain's Graeme McDowell and South African Branden Grace set up a mouth-watering showdown in the semi-finals of the World Match Play Championship by winning on Saturday. World number eight McDowell, the highest-ranked player in the field, avenged his defeat in last year's final by easing past holder Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium 2 & 1. Colsaerts was already trailing when his drive at the 10th hole found a hazard after flying over an on-course toilet. ...

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired three short-range missiles from its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, prompting Western powers to urge Pyongyang to exercise restraint. Launches by the North of short-range missiles are not uncommon but, after recent warnings from the communist state of impending nuclear war, such actions raise concerns about the region's security. "North Korea fired short-range guided missiles twice in the morning and once in the afternoon off its east coast," an official at the South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman's office said by telephone. ...

PARIS (Reuters) - More than 8,000 French households' tax bills topped 100 percent of their income last year, the business newspaper Les Echos reported on Saturday, citing Finance Ministry data. The newspaper said that the exceptionally high level of taxation was due to a one-off levy last year on 2011 incomes for households with assets of more than 1.3 million euros. ...

By Adam Jourdan SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Olympic 100 metres champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce eased to victory on a damp evening at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on Saturday while world champion Carmelita Jeter was stretchered off the track after finishing third. As low clouds settled around the stadium for the evening meet, the Jamaican sprinter pulled away from her American rival to clock 10.93 seconds, the fastest time of the year. "I just came out to execute a good race, and I think I did that," Fraser-Pryce told reporters. "I'm just looking forward to the rest of the season. ...

By Gennady Fyodorov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Wrestling has introduced drastic changes designed to keep the ancient sport in the Olympic programme, the newly-elected president of the world governing body (FILA) said on Saturday. More categories for women, eliminating draws and cutting down the number of competitors are just some of the initiatives being introduced as wrestling battles to salvage its Olympic status after the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s executive board made a surprise recommendation to drop it from the 2020 Games programme. ...

By Eric Salliot Rome (Reuters) - Serena Williams crushed Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 6-3 6-0 to book her place in the Italian Open final and extend her winning streak to 23 matches on Saturday. World number one Williams, who is chasing a fourth consecutive tour title, will face Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's final after the third seed beat last year's French Open finalist Sara Errani 6-0 7-5. Williams's unbeaten run has included title successes in Miami, Charleston and Madrid and she is chasing a first Rome title since 2002, the year she won her only French Open. "I love the clay. ...

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Holding the opposition's "disruptionary tactics" responsible for not allowing passage of the food security and land acquisition bills in parliament's budget session, the Congress Saturday expressed its willingness for a special session if the other parties were agreed.

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) A Delhi-based couple were arrested from Kolkata for duping several banks by forging documents, police said Saturday.

Kozhikode, May 18 (IANS) Kerala and Himachal Pradesh Saturday announced they will strengthen implementation of their rural development projects by sharing information about feasible models and best practices.

Kolkata, May 18 (IANS) Rejecting the bail plea of Saradha Group promoter Sudipta Sen and one of his close aides, a West Bengal court Saturday sent them to judicial custody till May 31. Before entering the court, Sen said he was happy over the government probe.

Lucknow, May 18 (IANS) Khalid Mujahid, an accused in the serial blasts at Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad in 2007, died of 'heat stroke' Saturday when he was being taken back to the Lucknow prison after a hearing at a Faizabad court, police said. A probe has been ordered.

Bangalore, May 18 (IANS) Rain gods played spoilsport for thousands of fans late Saturday with a heavy shower delaying the Pepsi IPL-6 T20 tournament's last league tie between hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chinnaswamy stadium here.

Kolkata, May 18 (IANS) The West Bengal State Election Commission Saturday wrote to the state government seeking a change in the schedule for the panchayat polls and the bunching of districts in each phase.

Kolkata, May 18 (IANS) Bringing out an assessment report of West Bengal's Trinamool Congress government, two days before it completes two years in office, the Congress Saturday alleged that the regime was moving in a negative direction and was clueless about the course it wanted the state's economy to take.

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Three Rajasthan Royal players, S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan, arrested for alleged spot fixing in IPL cricket matches, were Saturday questioned in each others' presence by Delhi Police, an official said.

Chennai, May 18 (IANS) A drunk truck-driver who lured away and raped a five-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore town has been arrested, police said Saturday.

Mumbai/New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Intensifying the probe into the IPL spot fixing scam, Mumbai police Saturday seized mobiles, iPhones and laptops of cricketer S. Sreesanth and his bookie relative, while Delhi Police quizzed the three arrested players jointly and a BCCI investigator joined the proceedings.

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) The Tihar Jail here registered a record turnover of Rs.32.17 crore in 2012-13 against a turnover of Rs.12.20 crore during the previous year.

Kolkata, May 18 (IANS) State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Pratip Chaudhuri Saturday said the central bank's request to banks not to aggressively sell gold products may not lead to a reduction in consumption and greater steps are required to check the demand for the precious metal.