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From The Associated Press

Mugabe reportedly makes deal with faction

HARARE, Zimbabwe—Party officials close to Zimbabwe’s power-sharing talks say President Robert Mugabe has agreed to a power-sharing plan with a breakaway opposition faction.

They say Arthur Mutambara, who heads a splinter group of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, has agreed to a power-sharing accord with Zimbabwe’s president. No further details are available.

Report: Iraq contracts have cost billions

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Military contracts in the Iraq theater have cost taxpayers at least $85 billion, and when it comes to providing security, they might not be any cheaper than using military personnel, according to a report released Tuesday.

The Congressional Budget Office report comes on the heels of increased scrutiny of contractors in the last year, some of whom have been investigated in connection with shooting deaths of Iraqis and the accidental electrocutions of U.S. troops.

The United States has relied more heavily on contractors in Iraq than in any other war to provide services ranging from food service to guarding diplomats. About 20 percent of funding for operations in Iraq has gone to contractors, the report said.

The study does not include monetary figures for 2008, so the total paid to contractors for work in the Iraq theater since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 is probably much higher.

John Lennon’s killer denied parole again

ALBANY, N.Y.—John Lennon’s killer was denied parole for a fifth time Tuesday by a board that said he remains a threat to the public.

Mark David Chapman will remain in New York’s Attica Correctional Facility for at least two more years for gunning down the former Beatle nearly three decades ago on a Manhattan sidewalk.

Chapman, 53, has been in prison for 27 years since pleading guilty to the murder, which he has said he committed to gain attention. He became eligible for parole in 2000 after serving 20 years of a maximum life sentence.