AFP
U.S. National - AFP

US President George W. Bush(C), First Lady Laura Bush(R) and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan walk together after touring Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tenesse.(AFP/Tim Sloan)

Koizumi bids farewell to Bush after five years of solid friendship

Fri Jun 30, 6:30 PM ET

MEMPHIS, United States (AFP) - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sang and danced his way around Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion to end his diplomatic duet with his closest foreign ally, US President George W. Bush.

  • The space shuttle Discovery sits on launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's chief expressed confidence that Discovery will lift off on Saturday without a major glitch despite concerns over safety conveyed by his own staff.(AFP/Karen Bleier)
    NASA chief says Discovery clear for Saturday launch Fri Jun 30, 7:07 PM ET

    CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) - NASA's chief expressed confidence that Discovery will lift off on Saturday without a major glitch despite concerns over safety conveyed by his own staff.

  • The Disney-MGM Studios theme park reopened a roller coaster a day after a boy, 12, died on the ride, which had no technical faults, the company said.(Disney)
    Disney reopens Florida ride after boy, 12, died Fri Jun 30, 4:18 PM ET

    MIAMI (AFP) - The Disney-MGM Studios theme park reopened a roller coaster a day after a boy, 12, died on the ride, which had no technical faults, the company said.

  • Bernard Kerik, pictured here in 2004, use to be New York's top cop, and nearly became US Homeland Security chief. Kerik pleaded guilty to accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts while in office.(AFP/File/Brendan Smialowski)
    Ex New York police chief pleads guilty to taking gifts 2 hours, 49 minutes ago

    NEW YORK, June 30, 2006 (AFP) - New York's former top cop, who nearly became US Homeland Security chief, pleaded guilty to accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts while in office.

  • Egyptian couple in California plead guilty to slavery charges Fri Jun 30, 7:45 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) - An Egyptian couple living in southern California have pleaded guilty to slavery charges involving a now-16 year old girl they forcibly kept working in their home for two years, according to US attorneys Friday.

  • Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian pictured here in December 2003 in Wilmington, Delaware. Top General Motors executives held emergency consultations Friday to discuss a surprise bid that seeks a possible alliance between GM and French automaker Renault and its Japanse partner Nissan.(AFP/Getty Images/File/William Thomas Cain)
    Proposal for GM alliance with Renault/Nissan gains traction Fri Jun 30, 7:09 PM ET

    DETROIT, United States (AFP) - Top General Motors executives held emergency consultations to discuss a surprise bid that seeks a possible alliance between GM and French automaker Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan.

  • The Boeing logo on a builing at the Boeing plant in Huntington Beach, California. Boeing Co. finalized an agreement to pay 615 million dollars to end three years of US investigations into high-profile contracting scandals at the aerospace giant, officials said.(AFP/File/Robyn Beck)
    Boeing closes deal to pay 615 million dollars to end probes Fri Jun 30, 4:50 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Boeing Co. finalized an agreement to pay 615 million dollars to end three years of US investigations into high-profile contracting scandals at the aerospace giant, officials said.

  • Britain's Anthony Davidson drives his Honda during the first free practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in preparation for the 02 July 2006 US Grand Prix. Davidson completed a double success by topping the timesheets in the second free practice session for the United States Grand Prix.(AFP/Jeff Haynes)
    Davidson tops second US practice Fri Jun 30, 4:19 PM ET

    INDIANAPOLIS, United States (AFP) - Britian's Anthony Davidson completed a double success by topping the timesheets in the second free practice session for the United States Grand Prix.

  • Andy Roddick, seen here on 29 June 2006, believes fellow American Andre Agassi can defy the years and beat French Open champion Rafael Nadal when they clash in the Wimbledon third round on Saturday.(AFP/File/Carl de Souza)
    Roddick backs Agassi against Nadal Fri Jun 30, 1:36 PM ET

    LONDON (AFP) - Andy Roddick believes fellow American Andre Agassi can defy the years and beat French Open champion Rafael Nadal when they clash in the Wimbledon third round on Saturday.

  • Superman Returns" star Brandon Routh unveils the new Superman wax figure at Madame Toussauds New York June 27, 2006 in New York City. Superman Returns, which premiered officially on Wednesday, after limited screenings on Tuesday, earned 18 million dollars as well as the honor of 11th-top all-time opening, behind Lord of the Rings, with 18.2 million dollars.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Evan Agostini)
    'Superman' flies high in US, Asia-Pacific: report Fri Jun 30, 5:50 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) - It's a bird! It's a plane! It's "Superman Returns" earning sky-high receipts at box offices across the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.

  • The sun sets behind the Commisions building where hearings were held at Guantanamo Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2004. The US Supreme Court's rejection of military tribunals to try terror suspects has highlighted the deep divide over security versus civil rights since the September 11, 2001 attacks.(AFP/Pool/File/Mark Wilson)
    September 11 exposes divide between 'war on terror' and rights Thu Jun 29, 2:43 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Supreme Court's rejection of military tribunals to try terror suspects has highlighted the deep divide here over security versus civil rights since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

  • The US space shuttle Discovery sits on a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. NASA hopes the weather will clear for Saturday's Discovery shuttle liftoff, a mission the space agency is going ahead with despite persistent doubts about safety three years after the Columbia tragedy(AFP/Bruce Weaver)
    Bad weather threatens to delay controversial Discovery launch Thu Jun 29, 7:10 PM ET

    CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) - NASA officials kept a close eye on a storm threatening to delay Discovery's controversial launch set for Saturday, only the second flight since the Columbia tragedy.

  • California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, pictured May 2006, campaigning for re-election, was to meet with gay Republicans despite the risk of offending party conservatives.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Justin Sullivan)
    California's Schwarzenegger to meet gay Republicans Thu Jun 29, 6:49 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, campaigning for re-election, was to meet with gay Republicans despite the risk of offending party conservatives.

  • Comcast Cable trucks sit flooded in the parking lot along the Schuylkill River 28 June, 2006 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Water levels began to recede across the northeastern United States following devastating floods that killed at least 11 people and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes.(AFP/Getty Images/William Thomas Cain)
    Waters recede after floods kill 11 in northeast US Thu Jun 29, 10:04 AM ET

    NEW YORK (AFP) - Water levels began to recede across the northeastern United States following devastating floods that killed at least 11 people and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes.

  • A car enters the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. A 12-year-old boy died after riding a roller coaster at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida, company officials said in a statement.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Matt Stroshane)
    Boy dies after riding Disney roller coaster Thu Jun 29, 5:43 PM ET

    MIAMI (AFP) - A 12-year-old boy died after riding a roller coaster at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida, company officials said in a statement.

  • Logo of US Apple computer group. Apple Computer said it uncovered "irregularities" on its awarding of stock option grants, including to chief executive Steve Jobs, and had informed federal investigators.(AFP/File/Joel Saget)
    Apple to probe stock option grants for irregularities Thu Jun 29, 6:14 PM ET

    SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Apple Computer said it uncovered "irregularities" on its awarding of stock option grants, including to chief executive Steve Jobs, and had informed federal investigators.

  • US Federal Reserve in Washington, DC. The US Federal Reserve hiked its base rate a quarter-point to 5.25 percent and rewrote its policy statement in a way interpreted by some as signaling a likely end to a two-year cycle of increases.(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)
    Fed lifts rate to 5.25 percent, gives markets hope for pause Thu Jun 29, 5:15 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Federal Reserve hiked its base rate a quarter-point to 5.25 percent and rewrote its policy statement in a way seen by markets as signaling an end soon to a two-year cycle of increases.

  • Freddy Sanchez, pictured 24 June 2006, put an end to Pittsburgh's misery with a walk-off home run that saw the Pirates end a 13-game losing streak.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Robert Laberge)
    Sanchez homer sees Pirates end skid Thu Jun 29, 7:40 PM ET

    PITTSBURGH, United States (AFP) - Freddy Sanchez put an end to Pittsburgh's misery with a walk-off home run that saw the Pirates end a 13-game losing streak.

  • Defending World Champion Fernando Alonso, seen here talking to reporters in Indianapolis, has backed Formula One to bounce back from last year's United States Grand Prix sham by putting on a public spectacle this weekend.(AFP/Stan Honda)
    Alonso backs F1 to repair US damage Fri Jun 30, 5:24 AM ET

    INDIANAPOLIS, United States (AFP) - Defending World Champion Fernando Alonso has backed Formula One to bounce back from last year's United States Grand Prix sham by putting on a public spectacle this weekend.

  • US President George W. Bush (2nd-L) and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi stand during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. Koizumi knew immediately what he wanted to hear first on the jukebox he received from Bush: Elvis Presley.(AFP/Nicholas Kamm)
    Bush gives Koizumi Elvis-heavy jukebox Thu Jun 29, 10:10 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi knew immediately what he wanted to hear first on the jukebox he received from US President George W. Bush: Elvis Presley.

  • Discovery launch is crucial to space station's completion: NASA chief Fri Jun 30, 6:06 PM ET

    CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) - NASA chief Michael Griffin said that Discovery's weekend launch was a crucial step toward finishing construction of the International Space Station (ISS) before sending humans to Mars.

  • The graffiti-covered walls of the 5 Pointz Building in Long Island City, Queens, New York, February 2006. The building which houses artists from all over the world is covered in graffiti that anyone can paint anywhere on the property as long as they get a permit. Graffiti, the subject of a decades-long war between "taggers" and city authorities, is to get its own exhibition in New York.(AFP/File/Tim Clary)
    Grafitti strikes back in New York art exhibit Fri Jun 30, 5:51 PM ET

    NEW YORK (AFP) - Graffiti, the subject of a decades-long war between "taggers" and city authorities, is to get its own exhibition in New York.

  • US President George W. Bush(C), First Lady Laura Bush(R) and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan walk together after touring Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tenesse.(AFP/Tim Sloan)
    Bush, Koizumi wrap up 'Love Me Tender' summit Fri Jun 30, 5:32 PM ET

    MEMPHIS, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi wrapped up their "Love Me Tender" farewell summit with a pilgrimage to Elvis Presley's Graceland estate.

  • A US judge overturned racketeering murder convictions against two retired New York detectives, while acknowledging that both men were clearly guilty as charged.(AFP/Illustration)
    Mafia cops' murder convictions thrown out on technicality Fri Jun 30, 4:30 PM ET

    NEW YORK (AFP) - A US judge overturned racketeering murder convictions against two retired New York detectives, while acknowledging that both men were clearly guilty as charged.

  • Davidson tops opening US practice Fri Jun 30, 3:37 PM ET

    INDIANAPOLIS, United States (AFP) - Britain's Anthony Davidson topped the opening free practice session for the United States Grand Prix after Michael Schumacher buried his car in the gravel.

  • The Christian missionary group XXXChurch making the rounds at US adult entertainment conventions hands out Bibles with "Jesus loves porn stars" stamped on their covers(AFP/Illustration)
    Sex church preaches how 'Jesus loves porn stars' Fri Jun 30, 2:38 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A Christian missionary group making the rounds at US adult entertainment conventions hands out Bibles with "Jesus loves porn stars" stamped on their covers.

  • In this undated photo from Capture Imaging(CI), staff and volunteer excavators work on Tar Pit 91, the only active urban excavation site in the world at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits in LA. The bone-digging season began Thursday in Los Angeles for paleontologists sifting through the world's only active Ice Age excavation site in a major metropolitan area.(AFP/CI/HO/Ryan Miller)
    Scientists dig up Ice Age bones in mid Los Angeles Fri Jun 30, 2:32 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The bone-digging season began Thursday in Los Angeles for paleontologists sifting through the world's only active Ice Age excavation site in a major metropolitan area.

  • Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian pictured here in December 2003 in Wilmington, Delaware. Top General Motors executives held emergency consultations Friday to discuss a surprise bid that seeks a possible alliance between GM and French automaker Renault and its Japanse partner Nissan.(AFP/Getty Images/File/William Thomas Cain)
    Kerkorian urges GM alliance with Renault/Nissan Fri Jun 30, 1:41 PM ET

    DETROIT, United States (AFP) - Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who made waves by taking a major stake last year in General Motors, is urging the struggling US auto giant to forge an alliance with France's Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan.

  • The Clinton China rests on a table during a press preview of the dining room for the State Dinner in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the White House in Washington, DC. US President George W. Bush and Koizumi dined on a four-course feast featuring Texas Kobe beef.(AFP/Jim Watson)
    Bush, Koizumi to feast on crab and Texas Kobe beef Fri Jun 30, 1:33 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi were to dine on a four-course feast featuring Texas Kobe beef -- a frequent staple of their meals together.