Loyalist paramilitaries are behind some of the violence seen in the past day in Northern Ireland, police said Saturday, as authorities appealed for calm ahead of more protests planned in Belfast.

South-Africa-Mandela-Hospital

South Africa's former leader Nelson Mandela has been admitted to a hospital in Pretoria for tests, but there is "no cause for alarm," President Jacob Zuma said Saturday.

Syria-Civil-War

Syrian rebels across the country are moving toward a unified command, the latest step in a consolidation by the opposition as it seeks to garner stronger international support.

Syria-Britain-Chemical-Weapons

Britain's foreign secretary cited evidence that the Syrian regime could use its stockpile of chemical weapons against rebels battling government forces.

Italy-Berlusconi

Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday he would run again as his country's leader, signaling a return to the limelight for the nation's most flamboyant politician.

Sudan-Iran-Ships

Two Iranian navy warships arrived Saturday morning in Port Sudan, in the second such visit to Sudan within two months, eyewitnesses and officials said.

U.S.A.

SPORT-Heisman

History could be made Saturday if voters for Heisman Trophy, give the award to Johnny Manziel, the Texas A&M freshman quarterback that goes by the moniker "Johnny Football." No freshman has ever won the Heisman, college football's most prestigious award.

US-Court-Marriage

The Supreme Court will tackle the contentious issue of same-sex marriage, agreeing to hear two constitutional challenges to state and federal laws dealing with the recognition of gay and lesbian couples to legally wed. In a one-page order on Friday, the court took on what will be one of the most important issues in its history. The decision to review the matter came just weeks after voters approved same-sex marriage in three states.

US-Same-Sex-DOMA

When President Barack Obama formally ended "don't ask, don't tell" in July 2011, ending a 17-year ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military, Tracey Cooper-Harris felt liberated about her future as a veteran. As a sergeant in the U.S. Army, she received more than two dozen medals and commendations during her 12 years of service, which included tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Arizona-Powerball-Lottery-Winner

The second Powerball ticket holder in last month's record jackpot has come forward to claim winnings worth nearly $200 million before taxes, the Arizona Lottery said Friday. The winner, who has not been identified, is in his 30s, is married and lives in Fountain Hills, northeast of Phoenix, said Karen Bach, director of budget, communications and products at the Arizona Lottery. He and his wife relocated about a year ago from Pennsylvania and had played Powerball in Arizona only twice.

ENT-PSY-Apology-irpt

Is this the end of "Gangnam Style" mania? Korean pop star PSY -- who rose to fame through his YouTube record-breaking video "Gangnam Style" -- apologized Friday for anti-American lyrics he rapped back in 2004. That performance resurfaced on CNN's iReport and then circulated widely online. It included lyrics calling for the death of American troops serving in Iraq, not long after news of the brutal slaying of a South Korean hostage in Iraq -- an incident which sparked anti-American sentiment in South Korea.

ENT-Notorious-BIG-Autopsy

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office released the autopsy report on Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, on Friday, 15 years after the rapper was shot to death.

US-Secret-Service-Lost-Tapes