BAGHDAD, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was executed in Iraq Saturday morning, broadcast reports said.

The U.S.-run Arab-language service al Hura and the Arab-language TV service Al Arabiya both reported the execution, CNN said.

The former dictator and two co-defendants had been expected to be put to death before 6 a.m. Saturday local time.

"All the paperwork is in order," an Iraqi official told the Times of London.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Friday there will be "no reviews or delays in the execution of the criminal Saddam."

Lead defense attorney Khalil al-Dulaimi said Friday the U.S. military had asked him to arrange for Saddam's personal belongings to be picked up.

Saddam was allowed a visit with two of his half-brothers and gave them his will.

Saddam's guilty verdict for the 1982 massacre of 148 Shiite men in Dujail was upheld by an appeals court Tuesday, which ordered that the execution take place within 30 days.

The Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha begins Saturday at sunrise in the Sunni tradition, which means Saddam's execution would be postponed until Thursday if it does not take place by dawn.

AT&T wins OK for $85B BellSouth deal

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- AT&T Inc. Friday won U.S. approval to complete an $85 billion takeover of BellSouth Corp. after it made a series of consumer-friendly concessions.

The Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved the deal, the largest ever in U.S. telecommunications history, saying "significant public interest benefits are likely to result from this transaction."

The merger creates a $220 billion company that will serve more than 70 million local phone customers in 22 states, as well as 10 million broadband users, The Wall Street Journal reported.

AT&T's concessions included an agreement to offer high-speed DSL Internet service to residential customers for $19.95 a month and cap prices on high-volume data lines used by business customers.

It also agreed to observe numerous "network neutrality" principles so it would treat all Internet content equally -- and not give priority to providers such as Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) at the expense of others.

AT&T will also take over cell phone operator Cingular Wireless, which has been a joint AT&T-BellSouth venture. AT&T has said it would phase out the Cingular brand next year and replace it with the AT&T name.

Same-sex partner benefit ban blocked

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed a bill aimed at blocking employee benefits for same-sex partners of state workers.

Palin, who has been in office less than a month, rejected the bill despite the fact that she disagrees with a recent state Supreme Court measure ordering benefits for same-sex partners, the Anchorage Daily News reported Friday.

Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, sponsored the bill and would support a program wherein a state employee could designate benefits to one additional person by paying extra to have that person added to his or her benefits. Coghill told the newspaper that he was disappointed by Palin's veto, but understood the constitutional dilemma she faced.

An advisory vote, scheduled to take place on April 3, will guide legislators on whether a constitutional amendment denying benefits to same-sex couples. The bill calling for the vote was signed by Palin on Dec. 20. The vote is non-binding, the newspaper reported.

Nigerian population tops 140 million

ABUJA, Nigeria, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Nigeria's population topped 140 million in the first census of the troubled West African nation in 15 years.

The new tally represents a 63 percent population increase since 1991, the National Population Commission reported.

Government officials have expressed fears that the results could trigger unrest in a country along racial and religious lines, the BBC reported.

The census was highly anticipated in the oil-rich, though populace-poor country, as states with greater populations are allocated more state funding.