KABUL (AP) — The head of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission says he'll have to confer with lawyers to decide whether a presidential runoff can be held next week after challenger Abdullah Abdullah announced he wouldn't participate. The announcement effectively hands victory to incumbent President Hamid Karzai, but will likely raise questions about the government's legitimacy.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's hard-line President says Tehran sits in a position of power as it negotiates with the West over its nuclear program. A government Web site has quoted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying, Iran is "standing powerfully," while its enemies are "like a mosquito." The West is trying to talk Iran into shipping its uranium abroad for further enrichment.

BAGHDAD (AP) — At least seven people are dead after separate bombings in Iraq. Police say a booby trapped bicycle exploded at a popular fruit and vegetable market in southern Iraq, killing five people and wounding 37 more. In Ramadi, police say two people, including a policeman, were killed and four wounded when two car bombs exploded minutes apart.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is throwing his political weight behind New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election bid. Obama is scheduled to appear at a pair of rallies ahead of Tuesday's elections.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Coast Guard says it doesn't want to prematurely suspend its search for the nine onboard a Coast Guard plane and a Marine Corps helicopter that collided. Crews are scouring the Pacific off Southern California's coast even as hope fades that any survivors will be found.