Hey there, I’m Virginia Cha at the CNN center in Atlanta. Here’s a look at what’s happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

A meeting of the minds on Iraq. President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki exchanged thoughts today in a videoconference. According to a joint statement, they agreed on common goals for the country, including accelerating the pace of training for Iraqi security forces and Iraq eventually assuming command of its own forces.

Meanwhile, new violence today in Baghdad left an Iraqi soldier dead and more than 40 people wounded. Plus, 25 more bodies were found dumped across the city. Police say they were killed in a way that indicates they were victims of sectarian violence.

NATO is promising Afghan President Hamid Karzai a full investigation into recent civilian deaths. Some 70 Afghan civilians were killed as NATO troops battled insurgents earlier this week. Military commanders accused the Taliban of using civilians as human shields.

In Nepal, a crowded passenger bus careered off a cliff, killing at least 42 people. More 40 others were injured. Police say the bus was extremely overloaded carrying more than 100 passengers, some riding on the roof.

A top New York City official says the search for remains at Ground Zero could take more than a year. Workers have found more than 200 bones inside an abandoned manhole since this new search began more than a week ago.

And the scratching of a lottery ticket certainly took some of the sting out of being laid off from work for one Metro Atlanta man. An employee at Hapeville, Georgia plant, the Ford Motor plant, stopped by a convenient store for some gas, bought five dollars instant game lottery ticket, scratched it, and won $225,000. He says he is going into early retirement and will invest some of his winnings. The plant where he had worked is one of several Ford plants slated for closing.

You are now up to date. For more on these stories and other news of the day, CNN is the place to turn online, on TV or on your wireless device. Thanks for watching.