AP - A pair of suicide bombers targeting army vehicles detonated explosives within seconds of each other Friday, killing at least 43 people in this eastern city and wounding about 100, police said. It was the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week, indicating Islamist militants are stepping up violence after a period of relative calm.

AP - The Iraqi prime minister's bloc said Friday it has started laying the groundwork to form a coalition government, signaling growing confidence after preliminary election results showed it winning in at least three provinces in the southern Shiite heartland.

AP - Retail sales posted a surprising increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from storming the malls. The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.

AP - LONDON AP) — European and U.S. stock markets rose Friday after better than expected figures on both sides of the Atlantic helped ease concerns about the pace of economic recovery.

AP - Tiger Woods intends to remain out of golf at least until the Masters, two people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press.