CHICAGO (AP) _ Sen. Joe Biden has emerged as the clear favorite among Democrats to be Barack Obama’s running mate for his understanding of foreign policy in grave global times and his fighting spirit against the rival Republican ticket. Obama is keeping his decision quiet, but his staff in Chicago and party activists who await a decision are buzzing about Biden in large part because he can address two of Obama’s biggest weaknesses _ his lack of experience, especially on world affairs, and his reluctance to go on the attack. The speculation among Democrats is less of an indicator of whether Biden will ultimately be Obama’s pick, and more of a recognition of the challenges their candidate faces at this pivotal moment in the race.

BAGHDAD (AP) _ Iraqi and U.S. negotiators have completed a draft security agreement that would see American troops leave Iraqi cities as soon as June 30, Iraqi and American officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. In Washington, a senior military official said the deal is acceptable to the U.S. side, subject to formal approval by President Bush. It also requires final acceptance by Iraqi leaders, and some members of Iraq’s Cabinet oppose some provisions.

MADRID, Spain (AP) _ A jetliner heading to the popular Canary Islands vacation resort crashed during takeoff Wednesday, turning a wooded area off the end of a runway into a hellish scene of charred bodies and smoldering wreckage. Some 153 were believed dead _ Spain’s worst air disaster in nearly 25 years. Only 19 people survived the midafternoon crash of the Spanair MD-82 at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport, and some were in critical condition, said Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez, whose department oversees civil aviation in Spain.

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) _ Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress and a strong critic of the Iraq war, died Wednesday after having a brain hemorrhage, a Cleveland Clinic official said. Tubbs Jones, 58, died at 6:12 p.m. after suffering a brain hemorrhage caused by an aneurysm that burst and left her with limited brain function, spokeswoman Eileen Sheil said

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Republican presidential candidate John McCain chided his Democratic rival on Wednesday for getting “a little testy” as Barack Obama sharpened his tone amid a tightening White House race. “I honor his service. I don’t honor his policies. I don’t honor his politics,” Obama said, taking on his GOP opponent with renewed vigor while some Democrats fret that their candidate has not been aggressive enough.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) _ The United States and Poland signed a deal Wednesday to place a U.S. missile defense base just 115 miles from Russia _ a move followed swiftly by a new warning from Moscow of a possible military response. For many Poles _ whose country has been a staunch U.S. ally _ the accord represented what they believed would be a guarantee of safety for themselves in the face of a newly assertive Russia.

BEIJING (AP) _ Arms churning high, face twisted in pain as he sprinted toward the finish line, Usain Bolt kept glancing at the clock. The win in the Olympic 200 meters was a given, his second gold medal of the Beijing Games assured. This was now about a world record. About racing against history. Showing just what he can do when he goes all out start to finish, Bolt forged the greatest race ever run Wednesday night under the hazy lights at the Bird’s Nest, heaving his chest toward the finish line _ not simply to beat someone for the gold, but to become a part of track’s glorious, and sometimes troubled, lore.

MIAMI (AP) _ Matt Damon’s wife Luciana gave birth to a baby girl Wednesday, his spokeswoman said. The baby’s name is Gia Zavala Damon, spokeswoman Jennifer Allen told The Associated Press, adding: “Everyone is great and she is a healthy, beautiful baby girl.” She wouldn’t give any further details.

ATLANTA (AP) _ An expensive vaccine aimed at preventing cervical cancer makes sense for young teens when it comes to cost-effectiveness, but not for women in their 20s, contends a new report. The vaccine against the HPV virus was licensed in 2006 for use in girls and women ages 9 to 26. Health officials recommend it for girls at age 11 or 12, and some doctors offer it to women in their 20s in “catch-up” vaccination campaigns.

RENO, Nev. (AP) _ You’ve heard of man bites dog. What about, dog saves cats? A two-year-old dog that had been turned over to the Nevada Humane Society’s shelter in Reno is being credited with rescuing six abandoned kittens. Shelter Director Diane Blankenburg said it happened Monday while the two-year-old Boxer/Pit Bull mix named Angel was on a walk with a pair of volunteers, Frank Gomez and his 9-year-old stepson, Joel Fontes.