Events Calendar
Most Read Stories
Fourth of July Events; fireworks, neighborhood parades
Five years after attack, woman finds her way
Promises look promising for Browns
Ex-NFL quarterback McNair killed in Tennessee
DiLullo's closes doors after 63 years
Akron police arrest murder suspect within an hour
Blogs:
Pets:
Summit teams up with Rescue Waggin' to save dogs
The Heldenfiles:
Songs for an American Day
Patrick McManamon:
Touching on the Browns, Cavs
Akron Zips:
Opponent outlook: Northern Illinois
Browns Bulletin:
Single-game ticket sales begin July 11
Tribe Matters:
Laffey making it tough on self
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth test showed marijuana
Kent State Sports:
Men's Basketball Scheduling update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Updated: Free Agency: Another Gone - Apparently
All Da King's Men:
The Obligatory Palin Post
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Wow….Sarah Palin Resigns Governorship
Akron Law Café:
Abraham Lincoln and the Fourth of July
Varsity Letters:
Highland senior receives honor
See Jane Style:
Picnic Wear
Car Chase:
Where do We Go from Here?
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Happy 4th of July!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Linda asks-where is the Ohio Chautauqua?
Sound Check:
Rundgren fans rejoice!: Second night of AWATS at The Civic added
HRLite House:
Morscruethal Behaviors or Just Lip Service?
Akron Gamer:
Hot link: Best of Nintendo at E3
International News
North Korea fires back, launches missiles
U.N. resolutions defied in show of firepower condemned by many
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea launched seven ballistic missiles Saturday into waters off its east coast in a show of military firepower that defied U.N. resolutions and drew global expressions of condemnation and concern.
World news - July 5
Exiled Honduran president to return today
Opposition leaders say they will arrest him if he sets foot in country
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS: Ousted President Manuel Zelaya said Saturday that he would return to Honduras to try to retake office after last week's military-backed coup, despite warnings of a potentially bloody confrontation and the interim government's vow to arrest him and put him on trial.
Defeated Mousavi is accused of being U.S. agent
Iranian hard-liner calls for head of opposition to be tried for treason
TEHRAN, IRAN: A top aide to Iran's all-powerful leader has accused the country's main opposition leader of being an American agent who should be tried for treason, increasing the pressure on reformists disputing the outcome of last month's presidential election.
Crowds congregate to see baby panda
Thai zoo gives public a look at six-week-old cub
Associated Press
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND: Thousands of visitors flocked Saturday to a zoo in northern Thailand for the first public viewing of a baby panda, which has been featured on Thai front pages almost every day since her birth six weeks ago.
Biden spends holiday with son, other troops in Iraq
BAGHDAD: Vice President Joe Biden spent the Fourth of July with his son and other American troops in Iraq while an Iraqi government spokesman publicly rejected the American's offer to help with national reconciliation, saying it's an internal affair.
U.S. Marines move deeper into Taliban strongholds
American missiles kill 17, injure 30 in Pakistan militant training center
Associated Press
NAWA, AFGHANISTAN: U.S. Marines pushed deeper into Taliban areas of southern Afghanistan on Friday, seeking to cut insurgent supply lines and win over local elders on the second day of the biggest U.S. military operation here since the American-led invasion of 2001.
World news - July 4
More ethnic violence could turn U.S. away
In visit to Baghdad, Biden warns Iraqi officials of danger of losing American help
From Beacon Journal wire services
BAGHDAD: Vice President Joe Biden told Iraqi leaders on Friday that he and President Barack Obama were committed to helping them resolve their political differences, but he warned that the United States would be unlikely to remain engaged in Iraq if the country reverts to sectarian violence, U.S. officials said.
Air safety video bares watching
New Zealand's national airline has cabin crew wearing nothing but body paint
Associated Press
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand's national airline has adopted a cheeky way to encourage passengers to watch its in-flight safety video: The cabin crew's uniforms are nothing but body paint.
Honduras rejects return of president
OAS diplomat meets with Supreme Court, but it stands behind military coup last Sunday
Associated Press
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS: Honduras' Supreme Court rebuffed a personal appeal from the Americas' top international diplomat Friday, refusing to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya before a deadline today.
Russia OKs more U.S. shipments
Deal will give the military a new route for getting weapons to Afghanistan
MOSCOW: Russia said Friday it will allow the United States to ship weapons across its territory to Afghanistan, a long-sought move that bolsters U.S. military operations but potentially gives the Kremlin leverage over critical American supplies.
Embassy staffers face trial, says Iranian cleric
Britain protests arrests as president's backers claim foreign meddling
A powerful cleric said Friday that Iran will put British Embassy staffers on trial for fomenting postelection turmoil, a step that would probably increase Iran's isolation and alienate Western nations that have been trying to keep options open with Tehran, despite its crackdown on protesters.
Marine killed as assault begins in Afghanistan
U.S. wants to root out militants, help stabilize government before Aug. 20 election
Associated Press
NAWA, AFGHANISTAN: U.S. Marines suffered their first casualties of a massive new military campaign Thursday as they engaged in sporadic gunbattles along 55 miles of Taliban-controlled heartland in southern Afghanistan.
World news - July 3
Biden makes stop in Iraq to meet leaders, soldiers
Withdrawal of forces, need to narrow differences likely to be his main subjects
Associated Press
BAGHDAD: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq on Thursday to visit U.S. soldiers, just two days after all American combat troops withdrew from Baghdad and Iraq's other cities and towns.
World news - July 2
Teen clings to jetliner wreckage 13 hours
Relatives don't tell girl that mother likely dead
MORONI, COMOROS: The lone survivor of a Yemeni jetliner crash, who clung to wreckage for 13 hours before being rescued, lay in a hospital bed with a broken collarbone Wednesday, asking for little — except for a chance to see her mother.
Military launches Afghan operation
Thousands of Marines target villages in south controlled by Taliban
Associated Press
KABUL: Thousands of U.S. Marines and hundreds of Afghan troops moved into Taliban-infested villages of southern Afghanistan with armor and helicopters today in the first major operation under President Barack Obama's strategy to stabilize the country.
World news - July 1
Iraqis celebrate U.S. pullback; bombing kills 33
Thousands of Iraqi troops, police man Baghdad checkpoints. Violence hits Kirkuk
BAGHDAD: Not a single American soldier was in sight. Gone, too, were the American helicopters whose buzz has for years defined Baghdad's background track.
World leaders condemn coup in Honduras
At least 15 injured in protest at national palace. Obama hopes matter can be solved peacefully
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS: Police and soldiers clashed with thousands of protesters outside Honduras' national palace Monday, leaving at least 15 people injured, as world leaders from Barack Obama to Hugo Chavez demanded the return of a president ousted in a military coup.
Iran says recount validates election
Government rejects allegations of fraud after a partial review
Iran's election oversight body on Monday declared the hotly disputed presidential vote to be valid after a partial recount, rejecting opposition allegations of fraud and further silencing calls for a new vote.
Fireworks light Baghdad as Iraqis take over cities
Handover of urban security fills many citizens with pride but also trepidation
BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces assumed formal control of Baghdad and other cities today after American troops handed over security in urban areas in a defining step toward ending the U.S. combat role in Iraq.
World news - June 30
Security transfer to begin in Iraq
U.S. troops prepare to leave cities Tuesday despite violence
BAGHDAD: Death squads roamed the streets, slaughtering members of the rival Muslim sect. Bombs rocked Baghdad daily — until thousands of U.S. troops poured in two years ago, establishing neighborhood bases and taking control of the Iraqi capital and other cities.
World news - June 29
New protests in Iran met by riot police
British Embassy staff detained as standoff with West worsens
Several thousand protesters — some chanting ''Where is my vote?'' — clashed with riot police in Tehran on Sunday as Iran detained local employees of the British Embassy, escalating the regime's standoff with the West and earning it a stinging rebuke from the European Union.
Honduran president ousted
Leader exiled to Costa Rica by military; congressional head takes power
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS: President Manuel Zelaya was asleep when the sound of gunshots and shouting abruptly roused him from his bed before dawn Sunday.
Somali pirates get ransom, release Belgian ship and crew
BRUSSELS: Somali pirates have released the crew of a Belgian ship seized 10 weeks ago after a ransom was paid, the Belgian government said today.
U.S. musicians support Iranian protesters on YouTube
CAIRO: They wouldn't be allowed to perform in Iran, but singers Joan Baez and Jon Bon Jovi are showing their support for the protesters there.
Military ousts Honduran president
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: Soldiers seized the national palace and flew President Manuel Zelaya into exile today, hours before a disputed constitutional referendum. Zelaya, a leftist ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said he was the victim of a coup.
World news - June 28
U.S. criticism angers Iranian leader
Response will be 'crushing' if verbal attacks continue, Ahmadinejad says
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Saturday to make the United States regret its criticism of Iran's postelection crackdown and said the ''mask has been removed'' from the Obama administration's efforts to improve relations.
World news - June 27
Obama condemns violence in Iran
War of words escalates as president responds to demand for apology
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's criticism of Iran escalated Friday into an unusually personal war of words. To Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's demand he apologize for meddling, Obama shot back that the regime should ''think carefully'' about answers owed to the protesters it has arrested, bludgeoned and killed.
Iranian cleric urging harsh penalties
Hard-liner says leaders of protests should be executed for dissent
A senior cleric on Friday urged that Iran's protest leaders to be punished ''without mercy'' and said some should face execution — harsh calls that signal a nasty turn in the regime's crackdown on demonstrators two weeks after its disputed election.
Increased violence has Iraqis fearing civil strife
With U.S. dropping back Tuesday, many worry about new sectarian attacks
BAGHDAD: A bomb placed in a motorbike exploded at an outdoor market in Baghdad on Friday, killing about a dozen people and wounding scores. It marked the third straight day of violence in the capital before the Tuesday deadline for U.S. combat troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities.
Diverse Iraqi security force will take lead on defense
American-trained group must fight rumors as well as al-Qaida, insurgents as U.S. pulls back
BAGHDAD: As Iraqi security services prepare to take back their towns from the Americans on Tuesday, the sharpest arrow in their quiver is an elite, American-trained force with a reputation that leads many Iraqis to call it ''the dirty brigade.''
World news - June 26
Opposition leader says he won't stop challenges in Iran
Protesters quiet Thursday; Ahmadinejad upset by U.S.
Iran's embattled opposition leader vowed Thursday that he wouldn't back down from challenging what he called a rigged presidential election, despite the regime's increasing attempts to isolate him, telling the hard-liners: ''I won't leave the picture.''
Senators say health bill pared down to $1 trillion
Committee chief doesn't offer details of how costs reduced in insurance overhaul
WASHINGTON: Senators working to give President Barack Obama a comprehensive health-care overhaul said Thursday they had figured out how to pare back the complex legislation to keep costs from crashing through a $1 trillion, 10-year ceiling.
Somali Islamists cut off hands, feet of thieves
NAIROBI, KENYA: In a brazen show of power in Somalia's capital, Islamist rebels punished four men convicted of stealing cell phones and other items by cutting off a hand and a foot each before hundreds of onlookers who gathered for the bloody spectacle.
Escort denies being paid to scandalize Italy's prime minister
ROME: The high-end prostitute at the center of Premier Silvio Berlusconi's starlet scandal has dismissed the premier's claims that he doesn't know her, saying they spent the night together and shared an ''intimate'' breakfast the next morning.
Pakistan urges U.S. to end drone attacks
ISLAMABAD: President Barack Obama's national security adviser reiterated the United States' strong support for Pakistan in its battle with Taliban militants during talks with senior Pakistani leaders today.
Israel reduces control of 4 West Bank towns
JERUSALEM: Bowing to pressure from Washington, Israel granted U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces greater autonomy in four major West Bank cities, Israeli and Palestinian defense officials said today.
Iran reform leader says he's being pressured to drop challenge
Editor's note: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.
North Korea vows to enlarge its atomic arsenal
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea vowed today to enlarge its atomic arsenal and warned of a ''fire shower of nuclear retaliation'' in the event of a U.S. attack, as the regime marked the 1950 outbreak of the Korean War.
World news - June 25
Bombing kills 69 in Baghdad market
Latest blast wounds at least 100 as deadline for U.S. pullback approaches
Associated Press
BAGHDAD: A bomb ripped through a crowded market in Baghdad's main Shiite district on Wednesday, killing at least 69 people and wounding more than 100 less than a week before a deadline for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq's urban areas.
Italy's prime minister denies sex scandal
Berlusconi says he has nothing to be sorry about. Prosecutors examine photographs from prostitute
ROME: Silvio Berlusconi has survived corruption allegations, a playboy reputation and his wife's wrath to become Italy's longest-serving prime minister. Now come allegations from a high-priced prostitute that she spent the night at his residence and can prove it.
More clashes in Iran reported
Police, militia outnumber protesters in Tehran's squares. Presidential candidate defiant
Riot police in Iran's capital fired tear gas and bullets in the air Wednesday in clashes with protesters who converged on a square near the parliament building in defiance of government orders to halt demonstrations demanding a new presidential election, witnesses said.
Bomb strikes Shiite market in Baghdad, killing 56
BAGHDAD: Iraqi officials have raised the casualty toll in a bombing in Baghdad's main Shiite district of Sadr City to at least 56 killed and more than 100 wounded.
U.N. reports decline in cultivation of some drugs
WASHINGTON: In its annual report on world drug use, the United Nations concludes that global markets for cocaine, opiates and marijuana are holding steady or in decline.
Ancient well, and body, found in Cyprus
NICOSIA, CYPRUS: Archaeologists have discovered a water well in Cyprus that was built as long as 10,500 years ago, and the skeleton of a young woman at the bottom of it, an official said today.
4 sentenced to die for U.S. diplomat killing in Sudan
KHARTOUM, SUDAN: A Sudanese court convicted five people today in the slaying of an American diplomat last year and sentenced four of them to death.
Obama to meet the pope while in Italy for G-8 summit
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI and President Barack Obama will meet on July 10, a much-anticipated Vatican audience with a president under attack by some American bishops for his support of abortion rights.
North Korea threatens U.S.; world anticipates missile
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea threatened today to wipe the United States off the map as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles in the coming days.
Bus plunge into gorge kills 25 in northern India
JAMMU, INDIA: A passenger bus plunged into a gorge in northern India early today day, killing at least 25 people.
Supreme leader says Iran won't cede on election
CAIRO: Iran's supreme leader said today that the government would not give in to pressure over the disputed presidential election, effectively closing the door to compromise with the opposition.
World news - June 24
Girl recovering from chemical burns
Afghani child treated at U.S. military base, will always bear scars
BAGRAM AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN: The American military doctors watched in horror as the oxygen mask on the young Afghan girl's face started to melt.
U.S. monitoring North Korean ship
Craft may have weapons, must stop for fuel; will test new U.N. sanctions
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: An American destroyer tailed a North Korean ship Tuesday as it sailed along China's coast, U.S. officials said, amid concerns the vessel is carrying illicit arms destined for Myanmar.
Carson's sidekick achieved perfection in his role
McMahon knew when to laugh at jokes, how to nurture conversation
The camera doesn't always make room for the sidekick. A good sidekick works the fringes. A wide frame from years ago showed Johnny Carson on the far right, enthroned at his desk, working a domain of sorts. Immediately to his right was Frank Sinatra, wearing a bad rug and a too-small tux, spread out like a sea lion sunning on a rock. To Sinatra's right was Don Rickles, who did his best to include the fourth man in the conversation. But only Ed McMahon's knee, sometimes his hand, are visible on the far left of the screen. His rolling boulder guffaw tumbled through from time to time.
Australians convicted in daughter's starving death
EAST MAITLAND, AUSTRALIA: The parents of an autistic 7-year-old girl who weighed barely 20 pounds were convicted today of starving their daughter to death.
Iran stiffens stance against protesters
CAIRO: Iran's rulers stiffened their stance against protesters today, firmly rejecting demands to annul the election over fraud allegations, and setting up a special court for detained demonstrators, and keeping troops in riot gear on the streets to break up any gatherings.
Intact ancient tomb uncovered in Bethlehem
BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK: Workers renovating a house in the traditional town of Jesus' birth accidentally discovered an untouched ancient tomb containing clay pots, plates, beads and the bones of two humans, a Palestinian antiquities official said today.
American shot dead in Mauritania
NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA: Police say an American man has been shot dead as he left his car in the capital of the West African nation of Mauritania.
U.S., Kyrgyzstan reach deal on air base use
BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN: The United States has agreed to more than triple the rent it pays to continue use of an air base in Kyrgyzstan crucial to operations in Afghanistan, under a deal approved today by a Kyrgyz parliamentary committee.
World news - June 23
Iranian riot police use tear gas on protesters
Government threatens 'revolutionary confrontation' if defiance persists
Associated Press
Riot police cracked down anew on demonstrators in Iran's capital of Tehran on Monday hours after the feared Revolutionary Guard threatened to crush any further post-election protests. A witness described an ''air of sadness'' marked by people wailing prayers into the night.
French police arrest 25 in 2008 jewel heist
PARIS: French police have arrested 25 suspects in a $118 million heist of jewels last year on one of Paris' most fashionable streets and have recovered some of the loot.
Polish city ravaged by Nazis to cut Hitler's tree
WARSAW, POLAND: The towering tree is believed to have been Adolf Hitler's gift to the occupied town of Jaslo — planted to the sound of a Nazi band during World War II.
Spanish bar helps people let off steam
MADRID: A watering hole in Spain is serving up free beer and tapas to recession-weary customers who insult its bartenders as a way to let off steam.
Suicide bomber wounds Russian provincial president
NAZRAN, RUSSIA: A suicide car bomber attacked a convoy carrying the president of the troubled Russian province of Ingushetia today, critically wounding him and killing two bodyguards — the latest in a string of assassination attempts that have roiled the North Caucasus.
Somalia president declares state of emergency
MOGADISHU, SOMALIA: Somalia's president declared a state of emergency today as his fragile, U.N.-backed government struggles to quash a deadly Islamic insurgency.
U.S., Russia to discuss nuclear arms reduction pact
GENEVA: The United States and Russia will hold two days of talks in Geneva this week on replacing the expiring Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatens protesters
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran's most powerful security force threatened today to crush any further opposition protests over the disputed presidential election, warning demonstrators to prepare for a ''revolutionary confrontation'' if they take to the streets again. It was the sternest warning yet from the elite Revolutionary Guard.
World news - June 22
Attack has 'al-Qaida fingerprints'
Iraq bombing that kills scores appears aimed at destabilizing nation
BAGHDAD: Police and rescue crews sifted through the rubble of a mosque and dozens of flattened mud-brick homes on Sunday looking for survivors of the worst attack in Iraq this year — a truck bombing blamed on al-Qaida that killed 72 people.
Afghan firefight shows challenge for U.S. troops
Battle between newly arrived Marines, Taliban seen as just a taste of bloody summer to come
NOW ZAD, AFGHANISTAN: Missiles, machine guns and strafing runs from fighter jets destroyed much of a Taliban compound, but the insurgents had a final surprise for a pair of U.S. Marines who pushed into the smoldering building just before nightfall.
North Korean vessel trailed
U.S. military believes cargo ship has missiles bound for Myanmar
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: A U.S. Navy destroyer is tailing a North Korean ship suspected of carrying illicit weapons toward Myanmar in what could be the first test of new U.N. sanctions against the North over its recent nuclear test, a leading TV network said Sunday.
Iranian leaders in public dispute
Government arrests relatives of former President Rafsanjani
TEHRAN, IRAN: A backstage struggle among Iran's ruling clerics burst into the open Sunday when the government said it had arrested the daughter and other relatives of an ayatollah who is one of the country's most powerful men.
World news - June 21
Truck bombing kills 63 and wounds 170 in Iraq
Blast near Kirkuk deadliest in two months. U.S. already withdrawing combat troops
BAGHDAD: A truck bomb exploded as worshippers left a Shiite mosque in northern Iraq on Saturday, killing at least 63 people and wounding 170 in the deadliest bombing in nearly two months.
Iranian protesters defy government warnings
Anti-Ahmadinejad rallies continue Saturday, as reports of more violence, deaths reach West
TEHRAN, IRAN: Thousands of protesters defied Iran's highest authority Saturday and marched on waiting security forces that fought back with batons, tear gas and water cannons as the crisis over disputed elections lurched into volatile new ground.
Abducted reporters escape Taliban
New York Times' Rohde, Afghan colleague, driver taken seven months ago
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
World news - June 20
Pakistanis bomb Taliban camps
Rebel training facilities are hit ahead of launch of full-scale offensive
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Pakistani jet fighters flattened at least three suspected Taliban training facilities in the volatile South Waziristan tribal region Friday, killing or wounding several insurgents, two senior intelligence officials said.
World hunger reaches 1 billion, U.N. says
Agencies fear increase is posing serious risks for peace and security
ROME: More than a billion people — a sixth of the world's population — are now hungry, a historic high caused largely by the global economic crisis and stubbornly high food prices, a U.N. agency said Friday.
Swiss police find body of U.S. boy at waterfall
BERN, SWITZERLAND: Swiss authorities said today they have found the body of a 12-year-old American boy who apparently fell into a torrential waterfall during an outing last month.
Google to step up anti-porn efforts in China
BEIJING: Google Inc. said today that it would step up efforts to stop pornography reaching users in China after a mainland watchdog found the search engine turned up a large number of links to obscene and vulgar sites.
Parents of U.S. and Italian suspects testify in Italy murder case
PERUGIA, ITALY: The mother of an American student accused of killing her British roommate in Italy said today that her daughter and the victim ''got along great'' and that her daughter never considered leaving Italy after the slaying.
Swine flu sends cruise ship home early to Aruba
ORANJESTAD, ARUBA: A cruise ship hit by a swine flu outbreak arrived back at home port to the buzz of helicopters and a swarm of masked medical workers today as health authorities tried to prevent the illness from spreading.
Police arrest robbery suspects seen following victim on Google Street View
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: Dutch police say they have arrested twin brothers on suspicion of robbery after their alleged victim spotted a picture of them following him on Google's Street View map application.
Air France crash families to get $24,000
PARIS: Air France said today it would give about $24,000 as an advance to the families of the victims of the crash of Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
U.S. joins U.N. rights body, urges cooperative spirit
GENEVA: The United States joined the U.N. Human Rights Council today, a body widely criticized for failing to confront abuses around the world and for acting primarily to condemn Israel, one of Washington's closest allies.
Iran's top leader warns of protest crackdown
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran's supreme leader said today that the country's disputed presidential vote had not been rigged, sternly warning protesters of a crackdown if they continue massive demonstrations demanding a new election.
World hunger reaches the 1 billion people mark
ROME: One in six people in the world — or more than 1 billion — is now hungry, a historic high due largely to the global economic crisis and stubbornly high food prices, a U.N. agency said today.
Somber rally in Iran sends strong message
Hundreds of thousands mourn those killed in clashes after disputed presidential election. Opposition grows
TEHRAN, IRAN: Hundreds of thousands of protesters dressed in black and green flooded the streets of Tehran on Thursday in a somber, candlelit show of defiance and mourning for those killed in clashes after Iran's disputed presidential election.
World news - June 19
U.S. boosts Hawaii defense to counter Norh Korea threat
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: The United States has deployed anti-missile defenses around Hawaii amid reports that North Korea may fire its most advanced ballistic missile toward the U.S. islands early next month, adding to already high tensions in the region.
Number of kills in Canadian seal hunt drops
TORONTO: The global recession, plummeting pelt prices and the prospect of a European ban on seal products dramatically lowered the number of seals killed in this year's hunt, Canadian officials said Thursday.
Suspected U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan kill 8
ISLAMABAD: Suspected U.S. missiles pounded militant hideouts today in the tribal belt near Afghanistan where Pakistani troops are building up for a major offensive against the country's top Taliban leader.
Russia says West slighted Soviets in D-Day ceremonies
MOSCOW: Russia today accused Western leaders of slighting the Soviet role in the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in their remarks this month commemorating the D-Day landings in Normandy.
Israel accuses IAEA chief of bias on Syria
VIENNA: Israel accused the head of the U.N. atomic agency of political bias in its probe of Syria today, provoking a bitter response by the agency chief.
Analysts say North Korea's chemical arms as grave as nukes
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea's massive stockpile of chemical weapons is as threatening as its nuclear program, analysts said today, highlighting an aspect of the secretive regime's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction that is rarely talked about.
Russia-U.S. talks on nuclear arms 'constructive'
MOSCOW: Russia says talks with the United States on nuclear arms reductions have been constructive, but suggests a summit next month may not bring a new deal.
Militants kill at least 21 Algerian police
ALGIERS, ALGERIA: Al-Qaida-linked militants ambushed a convoy of Algerian police escorting Chinese construction workers near a highway building site, killing at least 21 officers and wounding several others, a local official and Algerian newspapers said today.
Woman gets 81/2 years jail for sex-games slaying
GENEVA: A Swiss court sentenced a woman to eight and a half years in prison today for murdering one of France's richest men by shooting him while he was dressed in a latex suit and tied up in a chair during sex games.
Explosion kills politician in Albania
TIRANA, ALBANIA: An explosive device killed a conservative politician as he drove through northern Albania today, 10 days ahead of the country's parliamentary election, police said.
Gorilla wields knife but not for warfare
CALGARY, ALBERTA: It may look like gorilla warfare, but officials say the knife-wielding primate photographed by visitors to the Calgary Zoo had no violent intent.
Tens of thousands of opposition leader's supporters rally in Iran
TEHRAN, IRAN: Tens of thousands of black-clad protesters filled the streets of Tehran again today, joining opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to mourn demonstrators killed in clashes over Iran's disputed election.
Somali security minister killed in explosion
Witness Mohamed Nur said a small car headed toward the gate of the Medina Hotel in Belet Weyne, then drove into vehicles leaving the hotel and exploded.
Iran accuses U.S. of role in election crisis
Authorities arrest protesters, expand media clampdown
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran directly accused the United States of meddling in the deepening crisis over a disputed presidential election and broadened its media clampdown Wednesday to include blogs and news Web sites. But protesters took to the streets in growing defiance of the country's Islamic rulers.
World news - June 18
Report urges better training for U.S. troops in Afghanistan
Reducing civilian deaths seen as crucial to winning support for military operations against insurgents
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: A report on deadly airstrikes in Afghanistan calls for better training for air and ground forces to reduce civilian casualties that have undermined the counterinsurgency campaign, the Associated Press has learned.
Mexican officials find almost 1 ton of cocaine in frozen shark carcasses
MEXICO CITY: Mexico says it found nearly one ton of cocaine hidden inside frozen shark carcasses. Prosecutors says hundreds of packages stuffed in the bellies of dozens of dead sharks seized in the Gulf port of Progreso contained 1,965 pounds of cocaine.
Drugmaker to donate pandemic flu vaccine to WHO
TRENTON, N.J.: French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis plans to donate millions of doses of swine flu vaccine to the World Health Organization for use in poor countries, Chief Executive Christopher Viehbacher said today.
Woman found guilty in sex-games slaying
GENEVA: A woman was convicted today of murdering one of France's richest men by shooting him while he was dressed in a latex suit and tied up in a chair during a sex game.
Iran accuses U.S. of interference in election feud
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran has accused the United States of ''intolerable'' meddling in its internal affairs, alleging for the first time that Washington has fueled a bitter post-election dispute.
French officials say 400 pieces of Air France debris found
LE BOURGET, FRANCE: Search teams have recovered more than 400 pieces of debris from Air France Flight 447 but investigators still do not know why the plane crashed into the Atlantic, the French accident chief said today.
North Korea warns U.S. of 'thousand-fold' military action
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea warned today of a ''thousand-fold'' military retaliation against the U.S. and its allies if provoked, the latest threat in a drumbeat of rhetoric in defense of its rogue nuclear program.
Obama promises N. Korea will face penalties
South Korean president affirms alliance with U.S. during White House visit
WASHINGTON: Declaring North Korea a ''grave threat'' to the world, President Barack Obama on Tuesday pledged the U.S. and its allies will aggressively enforce fresh international penalties against the nuclear-armed nation and stop rewarding its leaders for repeated provocations.
World news - June 17
1IRAQ
Soldiers killed
The U.S. military says an American soldier has been killed by a roadside bomb southeast of Baghdad. A military statement says the Multi-National Division-South soldier was killed in an explosion Tuesday near Samawah, about 230 miles southeast of Baghdad. A statement also says a Multi-National Division-North soldier died Tuesday as a result of a noncombat incident in northern Ninevah province. The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Police face charges
Iran restricts media as protests continue
Rival demonstrations fill Tehran streets. Supreme ruler warns people to unite behind country's Islamic system
TEHRAN, IRAN: Thousands of Iranians swarmed the streets of Tehran on Tuesday in rival demonstrations over the country's disputed presidential election, pushing a deep crisis into its fourth day despite a government attempt to placate the opposition by recounting a limited number of ballots.
Syria plays down uranium find by U.N. nuclear agency
VIENNA: Syria's nuclear chief is suggesting the U.N. nuclear agency's discovery of new uranium traces in the country do not harden allegations that Damascus has a hidden nuclear program.
Russia, China, others urge diverse monetary system
YEKATERINBURG, RUSSIA: Brazil, Russia, India and China today called for a more diversified international monetary system, but wrapped up their first full-fledged summit by avoiding any explicit criticism of the world's dominant currency, the U.S. dollar.
Britain plans universal access to high-speed Internet
LONDON: Britain's government pledged today to provide universal access to broadband Internet connections as part of a plan to spur the country's technology sector and boost the economy.
Pakistan prepares offensive on Taliban stronghold
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's army launched airstrikes and ferried in tanks and artillery as it confirmed today that it was preparing a major offensive against insurgents in al-Qaida and the Taliban's safest haven along the Afghan border.
Limited recount possible in Iran's disputed vote
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran's Islamic leadership is prepared to conduct a limited recount of disputed presidential elections, a spokesman said today, as thousands of people took to the streets to show support for the regime and authorities cracked down on independent media.
China says unpopular filtering software optional
BEIJING: China appeared to cave in to public pressure today by announcing that computer users are not required to install Internet-filtering software — though it will still come with all PCs sold on the mainland.
U.N. expert says rights situation in Sudan 'critical'
GENEVA: The human rights situation in Sudan is ''critical,'' an independent U.N. expert said today, accusing the nation's government of cracking down on its critics and shielding those responsible for gross violations such as rape, torture and murder.
Iran bars foreign media from reporting on streets
CAIRO: Iranian authorities are restricting all journalists working for foreign media from firsthand reporting on the streets.
Report: 2 American journalists illegally crossed into North Korea
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Two American journalists sentenced in Pyongyang last week to 12 years' hard labor were detained in North Korean territory after crossing into the country illegally, state-run media said today, providing the first details about the circumstances of their arrest.
World news - June 16
Iranians march against government
Hundreds of thousands protest election results in largest uprising since the 1979 revolution
TEHRAN, IRAN: Hundreds of thousands of people marched in silence through central Tehran Monday to protest Iran's disputed presidential election in an extraordinary show of defiance from a broad cross section of society, even as the nation's supreme leader called for a formal review of results he had endorsed two days earlier.
3 women found dead in Yemen
Some suspect al-Qaida in kidnapping, murder
Associated Press
SAN'A, YEMEN: Shepherds found the mutilated bodies on Monday of two German nurses and a South Korean teacher. The women were kidnapped while picnicking in an area of Yemen known as a hideout for al-Qaida.
U.S. general takes command in Afghanistan
McChrystal says troops must protect civilians in war against militants
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a former top special operations commander, took charge of nearly 90,000 U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan on Monday, telling them they must protect Afghan civilians from all kinds of violence.
Air France switches to new plane speed sensors
PARIS: Air France has replaced the air speed sensors on its entire fleet of Airbus A330 and A340 long-haul aircraft, a pilots' union official said today. The company had been under pressure from pilots who feared the devices could be linked to the crash of Flight 447.
Foreign hostages killed in Yemen
SAN'A, YEMEN: At least three kidnapped foreigners have been killed in a remote Yemeni province, and security officials in the capital today reported another six were also dead. The slayings took place in a region where al-Qaida militants have a strong presence.
French hospital says multitransplant patient dies
The man, whose name has not been made public, died June 8 after suffering a heart attack during followup surgery to the April 4 transplant.
Report says Chinese sub, U.S. sonar collision accidental
BEIJING: A state-run newspaper said today that a Chinese submarine's reported collision last week with an underwater sonar apparatus towed by a U.S. destroyer in the South China Sea was likely an accident.
Top commander says U.S. to stick to Iraq withdrawal date
BAGHDAD: The top U.S. commander in Iraq said today that he remains ''absolutely committed'' to pulling back all combat troops from urban areas by the end of the month, as provided for in a U.S.-Iraqi security agreement.
Nuclear agency head critical of North Korea, Iran, Syria
VIENNA: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency today told North Korea to end its course of nuclear confrontation. He also urged Iran to agree to Washington's offer of direct dialogue and called on Syria to cooperate with his agency's investigation.
Iranian president dismissive of protests
Election mayhem continues; regime shuts down pro-reform Web sites
TEHRAN, IRAN: After dark Sunday, cries of ''Death to the dictator!'' and ''Allahu Akbar!'' — God is great — echoed out from rooftops across Tehran.
World news - June 15
Netanyahu endorses Palestinian statehood
But Israeli prime minister attaches conditions for independence, including demilitarized government and recognition of Jewish state
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed a Palestinian state beside Israel for the first time on Sunday, reversing himself under U.S. pressure but attaching conditions such as having no army that the Palestinians swiftly rejected.
Warming can't slow glacier
Argentina's Perito Moreno is the exception to global weather conditions
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier is one of only a few ice fields worldwide that have withstood rising global temperatures.
South Korean president to confer with Obama
North Korea makes new threat of nuclear war against any country that tries to stop its ships
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: South Korea's president ordered his top security officials Sunday to deal ''resolutely and squarely'' with new North Korean warnings of a nuclear war on the eve of his U.S. visit. In Washington, Vice President Joe Biden said ''God only knows'' what North Korea wants from the latest showdown.
First lady, daughters get rare palace tour
LONDON: First came the hug, then a guided tour of Buckingham Palace. On a visit to London last week, first lady Michelle Obama got permission from Queen Elizabeth II for a guided tour of the palace with her daughters, Sasha and Malia.
Iraqis fear army isn't prepared to go solo
Nation bracing for joy, terror after U.S. leaves
MOSUL, IRAQ: The Iraqi army colonel glowered at his newest captain. Looking small and lost in his oversized new uniform, the captain conceded that he was an untrained civilian who'd been sent to Iraq's most violent city by one of the political parties in Baghdad that's vying for control of the country's security forces.
North Korea's nuclear tests setting stage for succession
Experts believe Kim Jong Il is trying to secure regime's stability before naming son next leader
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: The widening scope of North Korea's defiance — a rocket launch, a nuclear blast and signs of more long-range and atomic tests to come — suggests there's more to it than the usual brinkmanship.
World news - June 14
Disappointment, resignation in Iran
'Another four years of dictatorship,' voter says, even as others are relieved
TEHRAN, IRAN: It is impossible to know for sure how much the ostensible re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad represents the preference of an essentially conservative Iranian public and how much, as opposition voters passionately believe, it is the imposed verdict of a fundamentally authoritarian regime.
Iranian president re-elected
Opposition supporters riot, call election a sham; police respond violently
TEHRAN, IRAN: The streets of Iran's capital erupted in the most intense protests in a decade Saturday, with riot police using batons and tear gas against opposition demonstrators who claimed that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had stolen the presidential election.
Iraqi leaders rally after assassination
Government says evidence so far points to al-Qaida in Sunni lawmaker's death
Associated Press
BAGHDAD: The government Saturday blamed al-Qaida in Iraq for killing a prominent Sunni lawmaker as leaders across the sectarian divide rallied together, deploring the murder and pledging to prevent a new wave of the religious violence that once plunged the country to the brink of civil war.
U.N. slaps N. Korea with new, tougher sanctions
Arms embargo, searches of ships in retaliation for nuclear program
UNITED NATIONS: The U.N. Security Council imposed punishing new sanctions on North Korea Friday, toughening an arms embargo and authorizing ship searches on the high seas in an attempt to thwart the reclusive nation's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
World news - June 13
Rival parties claim win in Iran election
Interior ministry says current leader is in lead but pro-reform opponent is warning of fraud
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran's interior ministry said today that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took a commanding lead with nearly 70 percent of all votes counted, but his pro-reform rival countered that he was the clear victor and warned of possible fraud in the election.
FDA flags the psychiatric risks of asthma medications
Suicidal behavior, anxiety seen in a few patients
Associated Press
WASHINGTON: New labels on popular asthma drugs like Merck's Singulair must highlight language about suicidal behavior, depression and anxiety seen in a small number of patients, federal regulators said Friday.
Iran presidential challenger's office attacked
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iranians packed polling stations from boutique-lined streets in north Tehran to conservative bastions in the countryside today with a choice that's left the nation divided and on edge: keeping hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power or electing a reformist who favors greater freedoms and improved ties with the United States.
U.N. imposes tough new sanctions on North Korea
UNITED NATIONS: The U.N. Security Council today punished North Korea for its second nuclear test, imposing tough new sanctions, expanding an arms embargo and authorizing ship searches on the high seas.
Senior Sunni lawmaker killed outside mosque in Iraq
BAGHDAD: A senior Sunni lawmaker was killed after delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in a former insurgent stronghold in western Baghdad, raising fears that violence could escalate ahead of Iraq's national elections next year.
Drugmakers rush to produce a swine flu vaccine
LONDON: With swine flu now an official pandemic, the race is on among drugmakers to produce a vaccine.
American takes stand in Italy murder trial
PERUGIA, ITALY: An American student accused of murdering her British roommate took the witness stand for the first time today, telling the court she was beaten by police and confused when she was questioned in the days after the killing.
Suicide bombers strike Pakistan mosque, seminary
LAHORE, PAKISTAN: Suicide bombers attacked a mosque and a religious school within minutes today in two Pakistani cities, leaving one of the country's most prominent anti-Taliban clerics dead in what authorities called a targeted killing.
World news - June 12
Officials formally declare swine flu pandemic
Production of vaccine to rise for 1st global flu epidemic in 41 years
GENEVA: Swine flu is now formally a pandemic, a declaration by U.N. health officials that will speed vaccine production and spur government spending to combat the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.
Airstrike misses target, Afghan officials report
Warlord said to have survived attack. Pentagon investigating claims that 10 civilians killed instead
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: U.S. airstrikes in western Afghanistan missed their target of a militant commander and instead killed 12 other militants and 10 civilians, provincial officials said Thursday.
Public opinion in Pakistan shifts against Taliban
Video of woman being flogged by bearded man seen as turning point in offensive against militants
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: The footage was chilling — a woman crying out in pain, held face-down on the ground, as a man with a long beard flogged her in front of a crowd.
CIA says Bin Laden still believed to be in Pakistan
WASHINGTON: CIA Director Leon Panetta says he believes Osama bin Laden is still in Pakistan. The spy agency hopes to close in on the al-Qaida leader as Pakistan's military cracks down on the tribal area where he is thought to be hiding.
Swine flu may have been spreading as early as August
NEW YORK: As early as last August, the swine flu virus may have been spreading among people — long before it was first recognized in April, scientists reported today.
Iran reportedly denies U.N. nuclear agency camera request
VIENNA: Iran has rebuffed a bid from the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency to beef up its monitoring ability at an important atomic site as it tries to keep track of the country's rapidly growing uranium enrichment capabilities, diplomats said today.
British nursery worker charged with sexual assault
LONDON: A female nursery worker has appeared in a British court to face charges of sexually assaulting and disseminating indecent images of children.
Airline got replacement sensors days before crash
PARIS: Air France received replacement airspeed sensors for its Airbus 330s three days before the fatal crash of Flight 447, but the airline's chief executive said today that he was not convinced faulty monitors were the cause.
American to take the stand in Italy murder trial
ROME: An American accused in the 2007 killing of a British student in Italy is expected to defend herself from charges of murder and sexual assault when she takes the stand Friday.
Anne Frank museum to display her actual diaries
AMSTERDAM: The Anne Frank House museum says it will permanently exhibit her diaries and other writings as part of activities commemorating the 80th anniversary of her birth on June 12, 1929.
WHO: Swine flu pandemic has begun, first in 41 years
GENEVA: The World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic today — the first global flu epidemic in 41 years — as infections in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere climbed to nearly 30,000 cases.
Plane makes emergency landing in Guam
SYDNEY: An Airbus 330 carrying 203 people made an emergency landing in Guam today after an electrical problem sparked a small fire in the cockpit, airline officials said. It's the same type of plane that crashed last week in the Atlantic.
Gadhafi attacks U.S. in speech in Italy
ROME: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi today urged the world to understand what motivates terrorists, and likened the 1986 U.S. strikes on Libya to Osama bin Laden's terror attacks.
96-year-old grad student in Taiwan: All-nighters work
TAIPEI, TAIWAN: A 96-year-old Taiwanese man who will receive his master's degree in philosophy this weekend said he was able to compete with younger students by pulling all-nighters before exams.
WHO likely to declare flu pandemic today
GENEVA: The World Health Organization held an emergency swine flu meeting today and was likely to declare the first flu pandemic in 41 years as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.
Car bombing kills dozens in Iraq
Explosion hits market in peaceful region. Angry villagers swarm authorities
Associated Press
BAGHDAD: A car bomb blew up Wednesday in a packed outdoor food market in one of the most peaceful areas of Iraq's Shiite south, killing about 30 people and wounding dozens more.
N. Korean group scrutinized
Powerful Room 39 raises funds to sustain authoritarian regime
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Room 39 is one of the most secret organizations in arguably the world's most secretive state. Its mission: Obtain foreign currency for the regime of North Korea's authoritarian leader Kim Jong Il.
World news - June 11
Pakistan appeals for support against Taliban
Government minister says public won't bow to 'cowardly acts of terrorists'
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Pakistani officials moved swiftly Wednesday to use the suicide bombing of a luxury hotel in their campaign to build public support for military offensives against the Taliban, saying the country is at war.
Putin says Russia might abandon nukes if others do
MOSCOW: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said today that Russia is willing to abandon nuclear weapons, if the United States and all other countries that have them do the same.
Russia agrees to take nuclear waste from Serbia
BELGRADE, SERBIA: Russia agreed today to take 3 metric tons of spent fuel from a closed Serbian nuclear reactor to ensure the radioactive waste does not end up in terrorist hands, officials said.
Trial begins in sex-games slaying of French banker
GENEVA: A woman charged with the murder of one of France's richest men during sex games begged his family's forgiveness today at the start of her trial in Switzerland.
Iraq says 5 U.S. contractors to be released
BAGHDAD: Five detained U.S. contractors will be freed after a week in Iraqi custody due to insufficient evidence against them, the Iraqi government said today.
Russia presses claim to Arctic energy riches
MOSCOW: Russia will rebuild its Soviet-era network of polar stations and use its icebreaker fleet to help support its claim to the vast resources of the Arctic, the man who led a mission to plant a Russian flag on the Arctic seabed said today.
Diplomats: Key nations agree on North Korea sanctions
UNITED NATIONS: Western powers joined with North Korea's key allies today on a proposal that would impose tough new sanctions against the reclusive communist nation for its second nuclear test, paving the way for quick approval by the U.N. Security Council.
U.S. kills militant said to be linked to Iranian military force
KABUL: The U.S. military today said an airstrike in western Afghanistan killed a militant commander with reported links to Iran's elite military Quds Force. An Afghan official said fighting elsewhere killed 30 Taliban.
U.S. military: 4 more swine flu cases in Germany
BERLIN: The U.S. military says it has confirmed four more cases of swine flu among troops in Germany, for a total of six.
Airbus makes emergency landing in Canary Islands
MADRID: An Airbus A320 experienced engine trouble shortly after taking off today from the Canary Islands and was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing, Spain's national airport authority AENA said. A passenger reported an engine fire.
Russia doesn't want to go below 1,500 warheads
MOSCOW: A top Russian general said today that a new U.S.-Russian arms control deal mustn't cut the number of nuclear warheads below 1,500 each, news reports said.
Submarine at air crash scene to search for black boxes
RECIFE, BRAZIL: A French nuclear submarine reached the crash zone of Air France Flight 447 today to join the search for the plane's black boxes, which may be the key to determining what brought the Airbus down in the sea off Brazil with 228 people on board.
New Orleans mayor out of quarantine in China
Nagin spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett said today the mayor was on a plane headed for Australia. Nagin, his wife, and a bodyguard had been quarantined since Sunday after a passenger on their flight from New Jersey showed flu-like symptoms.
Car bomb in Iraq's south kills 29
BAGHDAD: A rare car bomb ripped through a market in southern Iraq's Shiite heartland today as shoppers were buying meat and vegetables, killing at least 29 people and wounding dozens, officials said.
Woman mistakenly junks $1 million mattress
JERUSALEM: An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress with $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites, Israeli media reported today.
World news - June 10
Iraqi militant linked to U.S. deaths released
Officials seek freedom for hostages in return
BAGHDAD: The surprise release of a Shiite militant linked to the killing of five U.S. soldiers in Iraq is part of a high-stakes gambit that could result in freedom for five British hostages and a political role for a major Shiite extremist group with reputed ties to Iran.
WHO may declareswine flu pandemic
WHO may declare
swine flu pandemic
The World Health Organization said Tuesday a spike in swine flu cases in Australia may push it to finally announce the first flu pandemic in 41 years. It also expressed concern about an unusual rise in severe illness from the disease in Canada.
Swiss court rules against American in sheik case
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND: An American has lost his court battle in Switzerland with a member of the ruling United Arab Emirates' family who whipped him in the face with a belt in a Geneva hotel bar.
Picasso book of sketches stolen from Paris museum
PARIS: A red notebook of 33 pencil drawings by Pablo Picasso has been stolen from a specially locked glass case in the Paris museum that bears the painter's name, authorities said today.
Human trafficking organization busted in Europe
ROME: Police rounded up suspects in eight European countries today as they cracked down on a human trafficking organization that had smuggled thousands of Iraqi Kurds into Europe aboard trucks, sometimes stuffing them into cages or hiding them in vending machines, authorities said.
Baltic Sea divers find wreck of Soviet submarine
STOCKHOLM: A group of Baltic Sea divers say they have found the wreck of a Soviet submarine that sank with a crew of 50 during World War II.
North Korea steps up rhetoric amid nuclear crisis
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea said today it would use nuclear weapons in a ''merciless offensive'' if provoked — its latest rhetoric apparently aimed at deterring any international punishment for its recent atomic test blast.
Acid thrown in Hong Kong, 24 injured
HONG KONG: An unidentified assailant hurled acid in a busy Hong Kong shopping district, injuring 24 pedestrians including a 4-year old girl, police said today. It was the third in a series of acid attacks that have hurt some 100 people.
Russia expands ban on U.S. imports of meats
MOSCOW: Russian regulators are expanding bans on pork and other meat imports to more U.S. states, citing swine flu fears.
U.S. envoy begins Mideast peace push
JERUSALEM: U.S. envoy George Mitchell began a new swing through the Mideast today with a call for a rapid resumption of peace talks, as the White House tried to push Israel to halt settlement construction in the West Bank.
U.S. frees Iraqi accused in 5 soldier deaths
BAGHDAD: The U.S. military has released a Shiite militant accused of being involved in the 2007 killing of five American soldiers, officials said today.
5 more Americans test positive for swine flu in Egypt
CAIRO: Another four students and a faculty member at the American University in Cairo have contracted swine flu, said Egypt's health minister, bringing the total number of those infected at the school to seven.
Pakistani army backs up citizens fighting Taliban
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military has dispatched helicopter gunships to the volatile northwest in support of thousands of angry tribesmen who have laid siege to a group of Taliban fighters, police said today.
N. Korea options weighed by U.S.
Envoy could be sent to negotiate for release of jailed journalists
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: The sentencing of two American journalists to 12 years' hard labor in North Korea on Monday sets the stage for possible negotiations with the reclusive nation for their release — perhaps involving an envoy from the United States.
U.S. Marines fanning out across Afghanistan's south
About 10,000 sent there in past 6 weeks to counter growing insurgency
Associated Press
CAMP LEATHERNECK, AFGHANISTAN: Teams of builders worked through dust storms Monday to expand a base for a brigade of U.S. Marines fanning out across southern Afghanistan to change the course of a war claiming American lives faster than ever before.
World news - June 9
Evacuation of 60 elephants begins in Malawi
JOHANNESBURG: Efforts are under way to end a deadly battle between farmers and elephants in a rural area of Malawi.
Cuba rejects offer to rejoin OAS
HAVANA: Cuba is formally rejecting an offer to rejoin the Organization of American States, echoing the sentiments of Fidel Castro who has long maintained his island has no use for the group.
Dog plays fetch with live grenade
BERLIN: A dog playing fetch in Germany found and delivered to its owner a U.S. hand grenade from World War II.
Global arms spending rises despite economic woes
STOCKHOLM: World governments spent a record $1.46 trillion on upgrading their armed forces last year despite the economic downturn, with China climbing to second place behind top military spender the United States, a Swedish research group said today.
Pro-Western bloc beats Hezbollah in Lebanon vote
BEIRUT: Lebanon's Western-backed coalition defeated Hezbollah and its allies, according to official results today that dealt a stunning setback to the Iranian-backed militants and set the stage for renewed political deadlock in the volatile nation.
Gabon president dies in Spanish hospital at 73
LIBREVILLE, GABON: Gabon President Omar Bongo, the world's longest-serving president whose 42-year rule was a throwback to an era when Africa was ruled by ''Big Men,'' has died of cardiac arrest in a Spanish hospital. He was 73.
Air France tail found; U.S. helps hunt black boxes
RECIFE, BRAZIL: Brazilian searchers found a large tail section from an Air France jet today, one of the biggest pieces yet recovered from wreckage that could help narrow the search for Flight 447's black boxes. A U.S. Navy team is bringing in high-tech underwater listening devices to detect pings from the data and voice recorders.
4 Palestinians with explosives-laden horses killed
GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP: Gaza militants with explosives-laden horses approached the Israeli border early today, igniting a battle that left four gunmen dead, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
2 U.S. students reported with swine flu in Egypt
CAIRO: A foreign students' dormitory for the American University in Cairo has been put under quarantine for seven days today after two U.S. students were diagnosed with swine flu, health and university officials said.
Police fire on protesters in Indian Kashmir
NEW DELHI: Security forces opened fire on protesters in Indian Kashmir today, wounding at least seven people, including two critically, in the worst clash since unrest broke out last week over the deaths of two young women.
7,000 U.S. Marines patrolling southern Afghan desert
CAMP LEATHERNECK, AFGHANISTAN: Some 7,000 of the new U.S. troops ordered to Afghanistan are fanning out across the dangerous south on a mission to defeat the Taliban insurgency and to change the course of a war claiming American lives at a record pace.
Richardson sees talks on journalists in North Korea
WASHINGTON: Former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson today called the detention and sentencing of two young women journalists in North Korea part of ''a high-stakes poker game.''
China quarantines New Orleans mayor, wife over flu
NEW ORLEANS: Chinese authorities have quarantined New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and his wife in a Shanghai hotel after a passenger on their flight exhibited symptoms suspected to be swine flu.
Body of second U.S. climber found in China
BEIJING: Rescuers struggling through high winds and blizzards recovered the body of a second American climber today after an avalanche buried a team of three U.S. mountaineers in southwestern China last week, an official said.
4 Palestinian fighters killed in Gaza border clash
GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP: Israeli troops killed four Palestinian gunmen early today in a flare-up of violence along the tense frontier between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza, a Palestinian official said.
Analysis: Serious times call for serious president overseas
Policy experts praising Obama's demeanor with foreign leaders
PARIS: Speaking before crowds, President Barack Obama has displayed a gift for bonding personally with his listeners. One on one with foreign leaders, it seems to be all business all the time.
World news - June 8
Shootout kills 16 gunmen, two soldiers in Acapulco
Tourists in Mexico flee four-hour battle that includes grenades
ACAPULCO, MEXICO: It was a shootout straight from Hollywood in the former playground of its biggest stars: Masked and heavily armed Mexican soldiers battled outlaws holed up in a hillside mansion in a four-hour shootout that had tourists cowering in hotels nearby.
Political future uncertain for British prime minister
Brown's Labour Party expects terrible results in EU, local elections
LONDON: Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown heads into a key showdown today with rebel lawmakers after projections that his governing Labour Party has produced its worst-ever results in European Union parliament and local elections.
N. Korea sentences journalists from U.S.
Two women receive 12 years in labor prison after being convicted
Associated Press
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea's top court has convicted two U.S. journalists, and sentenced them to 12 years in labor prison, the country's state news agency reported today.
N. Korea sentences two U.S. journalists
Conservatives score wins in EU parliament voting
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Conservatives scored victories in some of Europe's largest economies Sunday as voters punished left-leaning parties in European parliament elections in France, Germany and other nations.
Mexican day care deaths stir anger at safety rules
HERMOSILLO, MEXICO: As the day care swiftly filled with smoke, caretakers, neighbors and parents fought to evacuate 142 children — many of them babies and toddlers — through a single working exit until rescue crews arrived.
Day-care fire kills dozens
Mexican officials say center met all state-mandated safety requirements
HERMOSILLO, MEXICO: Sobbing relatives waited outside a morgue Saturday to claim the bodies of 38 children killed in a day-care fire in northern Mexico despite desperate attempts to evacuate babies and toddlers through the building's only working exit. One father crashed his pickup truck through the wall to rescue his child.
Dalai Lama, China vie to choose his successor
Selection will have political as well as cultural implications
DHARAMSALA, INDIA: For centuries, the selection of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama has been steeped in the mysticism of a bygone world.
World news - June 7
Searchers find two bodies near Air France crash site
RECIFE, Brazil: Searchers found two bodies and a briefcase containing a ticket for Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean close to where the jetliner is believed to have crashed, a Brazil military official said today.
World news - June 6
AIDS child grows up to be determined advocate for ill
Missouri teen who was purposely infected by his father graduates today
ST. CHARLES, MO.: Brryan Jackson has been left out of birthday party invitations and asked not to use water fountains. His daily routine at one point included 23 pills, three IV medications and two injections. But the toughest part of growing up with AIDS for him may be knowing how he got it.
Presidential candidate shot dead in Guinea-Bissau
BISSAU, GUINEA-BISSAU: Armed men wearing military uniforms burst into the home of a candidate in Guinea-Bissau's upcoming presidential election and shot him to death, officials and family said today.
American jailed in wife's Australia vacation death
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA: An American man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for the manslaughter of his wife, who drowned during their honeymoon scuba diving trip in Australia. Her body was found on the ocean floor.
Obama calls for new effort for 2-state solution
WEIMAR, GERMANY: President Barack Obama toured a World War II concentration camp today after prodding the international community to redouble efforts toward separate Israeli and Palestinian states in hopes of resolving a conflict fueled by the Jewish nation's post-Holocaust creation.
U.S. military reports 2 U.S. troop deaths in Iraq
BAGHDAD: The U.S. military today reported two American troop deaths in Iraq, including a soldier who was killed in a grenade attack north of Baghdad.
North Korea silent about U.S. journalists' trial
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea announced that two U.S. journalists were about to go on trial — then came the mysterious silence.
Canada refuses U.S. Guantanamo request
TORONTO: Canada has refused a request from the Obama administration to take men cleared for release from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay.
Chinese police swarm Beijing plaza
20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown commemorated in Hong Kong but not mainland
BEIJING: In Tiananmen Square, police were ready to pounce at the first sign of protest. In Hong Kong, a sea of candles flickered in the hands of tens of thousands who vented their grief and anger.
World news - June 5
Jet-crash experts suspect sensors
Devices may have failed aboard Air France flight
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO: Investigators trying to determine why Air France Flight 447 broke apart in a violent storm over the Atlantic are looking at the possibility that speed sensors — or an external instrument key to collecting speed data — failed in unusual weather, two aviation industry officials said Thursday.
Text of Obama's speech to Muslims
Text of President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University, as provided by CQ Transcriptions. Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, al-Azhar has, had stood as a beacon of Islamic learning. And for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress.
Mammoth skeleton unearthed in Serbia
BELGRADE, SERBIA: A well-preserved skeleton of a mammoth that is believed to be about one million years old has been unearthed in eastern Serbia, archaeologists said today.
Diplomat says U.S. won't make same mistake with North Korea
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: The U.S. warned today that North Korea's bad behavior will no longer be rewarded following its recent nuclear test, and tensions flared further as a North Korean patrol boat intruded into South Korean-claimed waters, officials said.
Submarine that explored Titanic to aid Flight 447 search
PARIS: A mini-submarine and a remote-controlled robot that explored the undersea wreckage of the Titanic are being sent to help find the flight recorders of Air France Flight 447.
Tiananmen 20th anniversary brings new repression
BEIJING: China aggressively deterred dissent in the capital on today's 20th anniversary of the crackdown on democracy activists in Tiananmen Square. But tens of thousands turned out for a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong to mourn the hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators killed.
Palestinian police, Hamas clash in West Bank
QALQILIYA, WEST BANK: Palestinian police killed two Hamas militants today after the men opened fire at security forces who had surrounded their underground hideout, officials said.
Obama calls for new beginning between U.S., Muslims
CAIRO: Quoting from the Quran for emphasis, President Barack Obama called for a ''new beginning between the United States and Muslims'' today and said together, they could confront violent extremism across the globe and advance the timeless search for peace in the Middle East.
3 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan bomb attack
KABUL: Insurgents killed three U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan today in a bomb and small-arms attack on their vehicle, the military said.
Air France says no hope of survivors in Atlantic
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, BRAZIL: Air France has told families of passengers on Flight 447 that the jetliner broke apart and they must abandon hope that anyone survived, a grief counselor said today as military aircraft tried to narrow their search for the remains of the plane.
World news - June 4
Swiss astronomer claims discovery of 2 asteroids
FALERA, SWITZERLAND: A Swiss amateur astronomer claimed today that he has discovered two new asteroids among the hundreds of thousands between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Australia's oldest man, WWI vet, dies at 110
SYDNEY: John ''Jack'' Ross, Australia's oldest man and the last remaining Australian to serve in World War I, died today, Veterans' Affairs Minister Alan Griffin said. He was 110.
Laos sentences pregnant Briton to life for drugs
VIENTIANE, LAOS: A court in Laos found a pregnant British woman guilty of trafficking heroin and sentenced her to life in prison today, a court official said.
Official says Israel doesn't intend to bomb Iran
MOSCOW: Israel does not intend to bomb Iran, Israel's foreign minister said today in the most explicit comments on the matter to date by a top minister of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
U.S. official says bombing errors in Afghanistan likely to blame in May civilian deaths
WASHINGTON: The U.S. military's failure to follow tightened rules for aerial strikes likely caused civilian deaths in a May 4 American bombing in western Afghanistan, a defense official said today.
Bin Laden threatens Americans in new tape
CAIRO: Osama bin Laden has threatened Americans in a new audio tape, saying President Barack Obama inflamed hatred toward the U.S. by ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in Swat Valley and block Islamic law in the area.
WHO says swine flu cases worldwide near 20,000
GENEVA: The World Health Organization says the number of swine flu cases worldwide has reached 19,273 after the United States reported over 1,000 new infections.
China bars reporters from Tiananmen Square; blocks blogs
BEIJING: Foreign journalists were barred from Beijing's Tiananmen Square today as an Internet clampdown that blocked Twitter expanded to include more blogs on the eve of the 20th anniversary of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Expert says Air France black boxes may never be found
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, BRAZIL: Military planes and ships struggled through high seas and heavy winds today as they searched for the bobbing wreckage of an Air France jet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, while an investigator said the plane's black boxes may never be found.
U.S. warns North Korea nuke test put it on wrong path
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: A senior American diplomat warned North Korea today that its nuclear test, barrage of short-range missiles and preparations for a long-range missile launch have put it on the wrong path. He urged the communist regime to return to disarmament talks.
World news - June 3
D-Day Memorial near closing in financial ruin
Known for its realistic portrayal, its biggest boosters, vets, are dying off
BEDFORD, VA.: On the eve of the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the foundation that runs the National D-Day Memorial is on the brink of financial ruin.
Brazilian pilots find debris of Air France Flight 447
No bodies, no sign of life. 228 dead after plane vanishes in thunderstorm
Associated Press
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, BRAZIL: An airplane seat, a fuel slick and pieces of white debris scattered over three miles of open ocean marked the site Tuesday where Air France Flight 447 plunged to its doom, Brazil's defense minister said.
U.S. death toll rises in Afghanistan
Fatalities up 66 percent in first five months of year over same period in '08
Associated Press
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: U.S. deaths in Afghanistan have risen to 65 so far this year, up from 36 over the first five months of 2008 — though U.S. and coalition troops have also killed hundreds more militants, an Associated Press tally shows.
China shuts Twitter in fear of protests
Twentieth anniversary of Tiananmen Square brings big clampdown
Associated Press
BEIJING: Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on Tiananmen Square this week, Chinese authorities have rounded up dissidents and shipped them out of town. Now, they've even shut down Twitter.
Displaced military eagerly awaiting housing
Deadline approaching for troop withdrawal from Iraq's major cities
CAMP CARVER, IRAQ: The U.S. military is expanding some rural bases and building others to house thousands of troops displaced by a June deadline to withdraw from Iraq's major cities.
'Spiderman' arrested for scaling Sydney skyscraper
SYDNEY: A French skyscraper climber nicknamed ''Spiderman'' was arrested today after scaling a 41-story building in downtown Sydney with his bare hands, stopping traffic on the busy street below.
British couple gets 2 months in jail for Dubai affair
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: A British couple was convicted of adultery in Dubai and given two months in jail today, several months after a separate British couple was sentenced to prison for having sex on a beach in this glitzy Gulf sheikdom.
Woman survives attempt at suicide by train
JERUSALEM: An Israeli woman laid herself on the tracks just before a train roared through a crossing in an apparent suicide attempt. But seconds after the train passed, she got up and walked away almost unhurt.
North Korea prepares missiles; South beefs up defenses
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea prepared to test-fire missiles at launch pads on both of its coasts, reports and experts said today, as South Korea beefed up its naval defenses.
Obama says Iran's energy concerns legitimate
LONDON: President Barack Obama suggested that Iran may have some right to nuclear energy — provided it proves by the end of the year that its aspirations are peaceful.
61 illegal miners found dead in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG: At least 61 prospectors have been found dead in an abandoned gold mine, police said today, but the tragedy was unlikely to deter others from seeking riches in South Africa's hazardous network of tunnels and shafts.
U.S. says roadside bomb kills American soldier in Iraq
BAGHDAD: The U.S. military says an American soldier has died in a roadside bombing in Baghdad. A statement says the Multi-National Division — Baghdad soldier died today of wounds suffered in the blast near a patrol in an eastern section of the Iraqi capital.
U.S. inviting Iranian diplomats to July 4 parties
SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS: In a new overture to Iran, the Obama administration has authorized U.S. embassies around the world to invite Iranian officials to Independence Day parties they host on or around July 4th.
Heavy clouds hamper search for Air France jet
RIO DE JANEIRO: Stormy seas and heavy clouds hampered the search today for wreckage of Air France Flight 447, which disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean with 228 people aboard. French investigators said a series of extraordinary events likely brought the airliner down.
Searchers scour remote Atlantic for missing jet
Little hope is held for 228 aboard Air France flight en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro during storm
RIO DE JANEIRO: The search could not be more daunting — military jets and boats looking for an Air France plane with 228 people aboard that flew beyond the reach of radar and went missing somewhere in the middle of the vast Atlantic Ocean.
North Korea plans missile test
Rocket is designed to reach U.S. territory. Son of Kim Jong Il is chosen as next leader
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea appears to be preparing to test an advanced missile designed to reach the United States, a U.S. official said Monday, ratcheting up tensions after its second nuclear blast. And media reports say the North Korean leader's youngest son has been picked to be the next leader.
Pakistani army rescues captives
Dozens of students set free after being kidnapped in roadside ambush
ISLAMABAD: Troops stationed at a checkpoint today rescued dozens of students, teachers and staff from a boys school who had been taken captive by militants in the northwest, the Pakistani military said.
World news - June 2
Netanyahu refuses to freeze settlements
Israeli official ignores U.S. demand; squatters attack Palestinian van
HAVAT GILAD, WEST BANK: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected President Barack Obama's demand for a freeze on West Bank Jewish settlement construction, but his government's move to dismantle some squatter camps set off a rampage by Jewish settlers against Palestinians.
Judge: Guantanamo Bay legal documents must be public
WASHINGTON: A federal judge ordered the United States today to publicly reveal unclassified versions of its allegations and evidence justifying the continued imprisonment of more than 100 detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay.
4 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan
KABUL: The U.S. military says four American troops have died in two separate roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan.
Germany says 3 U.S. soldiers die in highway crash
BERLIN: The U.S. Army says three soldiers have died and two were injured in an accident on a German autobahn.
Israeli leader rejects U.S. calls for settlement freeze as 'unreasonable'
HAVAT GILAD, WEST BANK: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today rejected President Barack Obama's demand for a freeze on West Bank Jewish settlement construction, but his government's move to dismantle some squatter camps set off a rampage by Jewish settlers against Palestinians.
U.S. military tweets from Afghanistan
KABUL: The U.S. military in Afghanistan is launching a Facebook page, a YouTube site and feeds on Twitter as part of a new communications effort to reach readers who get their information on the Internet rather than in newspapers, officials said today.
U.S. military tweets from Afghanistan
KABUL: The U.S. military in Afghanistan is launching a Facebook page, a YouTube site and feeds on Twitter as part of a new communications effort to reach readers who get their information on the Internet rather than in newspapers, officials said today.
Police say group of 400 abducted in Pakistan
MIRAN SHAH, PAKISTAN: Suspected militants armed with rockets, grenades and automatic weapons abducted some 400 students, staff and relatives driving away from a boy's school in a troubled tribal region in northwest Pakistan today, police and a witness said.
Reports: North Korea prepares long-range missile launch
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea has transported its most advanced missile, believed to be capable of reaching Alaska, to a site where it could be ready for launch in a week or two, news reports said today.
World news - June 1
N. Korea to place Americans on trial
Fate of U.S. reporters could provide opening for diplomatic moves
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: As global powers debate how to punish North Korea for its nuclear defiance, two American journalists seized nearly three months ago face a trial this week in Pyongyang on charges that could land them in one of the country's notorious labor camps.
Geithner wants closer economic ties with China
Big reforms needed in U.S. and Beijing for world stability
BEIJING: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said today that the global recession seemed to be losing force but that it will be critical for the United States and China to institute major economic reforms to put the world on a more sustained footing.
Iraq cities wait to see U.S. troop reductions
General says military still weighing number for June 30 deadline
BAGHDAD: Thirty days before the deadline to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Iraq's urban areas, it is still unknown how many troops will remain in cities as commanders determine their new roles, a U.S. general said Sunday.
Starving Pakistanis emerge from rubble in Swat Valley
Military official says battle against Taliban could subside in days
MINGORA, PAKISTAN: People trapped at home for weeks emerged in search of food at barren shops, corpses lay exposed in the Swat Valley's main city Sunday, and a Pakistani official suggested the army offensive against the Taliban in the region could end in days.
Bomb kills sports journalist in Iraq
BAGHDAD: An Iraqi sports broadcaster was killed and two other journalists were wounded today by a bomb attached to his car in northern Iraq, while two more journalists were wounded in a similar blast in Baghdad, officials said.
Clinton like a brother, Bush says
Few disagreements, criticisms as Democrat, Republican take stage together for first time
TORONTO: Former President George W. Bush called ex-President Bill Clinton ''his brother'' and the two rarely disagreed in their first appearance together on stage.
Arabs hope Obama deals with Israel
Muslim world anxious to hear if president offers Palestinian peace plan in speech
CAIRO, EGYPT: When President Barack Obama steps to the podium Thursday in Cairo to propose a new American partnership with the Muslim world, Arabs across the region will be waiting to hear what he has to say about Israel — as much as what he has to say about Islam.
World news - May 31
Attacks kill 56 in Afghanistan
30 militants, 9 soldiers among dead. Governor injured in bombing
Associated Press
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: A battle in a militant-controlled region of western Afghanistan left 30 insurgents and nine Afghan soldiers dead, while a roadside bomb in the country's north wounded an Afghan governor, officials said Saturday.
Iraqi faces corruption charges
Former trade official accused of nepotism as authorities crack down
Associated Press
BAGHDAD: Iraq's former trade minister was arrested Saturday in a burgeoning corruption scandal after his plane was ordered back to Baghdad while en route to the United Arab Emirates, officials said.
Pakistani army retakes largest Swat Valley town
Military offensive considered crucial; some Taliban fighters flee, reports say
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: The Taliban have fled the Pakistani army's advance on the main town in the Swat Valley, delivering the military a strategic prize in its offensive against militants in the country's northwest, commanders said Saturday.
North Korea vows retaliation
U.S. says nation might launch more long-range missiles; air is tested near site
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea on Friday vowed to retaliate if punitive U.N. sanctions are imposed for its latest nuclear test, and U.S. officials said there are new signs Pyongyang may be planning more long-range missile launches.
S. Koreans mourn
Crowd angry at government
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Anger mixed with sorrow as hundreds of thousands of South Koreans — mothers pushing strollers, businessmen and long-haired artists — flooded into the streets Friday to mourn the death of an ex-president who some say was driven to suicide by political rivals.
World news - May 30
Serbian priest charged in drug rehab beating
BELGRADE, SERBIA: Police filed torture charges today against a Serbian Orthodox priest who allegedly beat a drug rehab patient with a shovel.
Space station crew finally at full staff of 6
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.: The international space station just had a population boom. A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three new space station residents docked at the orbiting complex today. With three astronauts there to greet them, the space station now has a full staff of six for the first time in its 10-year history.
Spanish official targets alleged Nazi guards in U.S.
MADRID: A Spanish prosecutor called today for international arrest warrants for three alleged former Nazi death camp guards living in the United States, saying evidence shows they acted as accessories to genocide.
U.S.: 35 militants killed, 13 wounded in Afghanistan
KABUL: U.S.-led coalition forces killed 35 militants and wounded 13 others during a clash in southern Afghanistan, where insurgents killed eight truck drivers ferrying supplies for foreign troops, officials said today.
Iran blames U.S., Israel for deadly mosque bombing
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran blamed the U.S. and Israel today for a bombing in a Shiite mosque in southeast Iran that killed 25 people, saying the countries were trying to stoke sectarian tension with the Sunni Muslim minority.
U.S. official in France diagnosed with swine flu
PARIS: A U.S. official in Normandy to prepare President Barack Obama's upcoming visit has been diagnosed with swine flu and is being treated in a hospital, French authorities said today.
U.S. soldier killed in northern Iraq, military says
BAGHDAD: The U.S. military says an American soldier has been killed in a grenade attack in northern Iraq.
North Korea test-fires missile, slams U.N. Security Council
YEONPYEONG, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea warned today it would act in ''self-defense'' if provoked by the U.N. Security Council, which is considering tough sanctions over the communist country's nuclear test, and followed the threat with the test launch of another short-range missile.
Think tank says climate change causes 300,000 deaths a year
LONDON: A think tank led by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says that around 300,000 people die each year from disasters related to climate change.
500,000 homeless after South Asia cyclone
CALCUTTA, INDIA: Hundreds of thousands of people flooded out of their homes by deadly Cyclone Aila crowded government shelters in eastern India and Bangladesh today, and officials said the risk of disease outbreaks was growing.
World news - May 29
U.S.-led coalition attacks insurgents
At least six of 34 dead blew up suicide vests in Afghanistan battle
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: U.S.-led coalition troops attacked a suspected training camp for foreign fighters in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, and an Afghan official said 34 militants were killed, including 22 Arabs and Pakistanis. Among the dead were six who blew up their suicide vests during the battle, the U.S. coalition said.
Israel will continue building settlements
Government refuses U.S. demand to halt growth in West Bank
JERUSALEM: Israel rejected on Thursday a U.S. demand to freeze all construction in West Bank Jewish settlements to encourage peace talks, deepening a dispute with the Obama administration that has the hard-line Israeli government increasingly on edge.
U.S., South Korea go on high alert
North Korea arming border after testing missiles, ending truce
Associated Press
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: The United States and South Korea put their military forces on high alert Thursday after North Korea renounced the truce keeping the peace between the two Koreas since 1953.
Update: 7.1 earthquake topples homes, kills 4 in Honduras
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS: A powerful earthquake toppled more than two dozen homes in Honduras and Belize early today, killing at least four people and injuring 40 as terrified residents spilled from their homes across much of Central America.
Bus plows into hikers on Bulgarian hill, kills 16
SOFIA, BULGARIA: A bus careered down a Bulgarian mountainside and plowed through hikers heading to a hilltop religious festival today, killing 16 people and injuring 15, authorities said.
3 cruise ship crew members catch swine flu off Australia
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA: A cruise ship with 2,000 passengers aboard has had its voyage cut short and will head to an Australian port for medical help after three crew members were diagnosed today with swine flu, a health official said. It was the second time that people have contracted swine flu on the ship.
Australian belatedly wins $10 million lottery
PERTH, AUSTRALIA: An Australian student worried about her parents' money problems rifled through a pile of her lottery tickets today and discovered that she had won $10 million 10 months ago, a state lottery agency said.
Maryland school group quarantined in China
SILVER SPRING, MD.: Students and teachers from a private school in the Washington suburbs have been quarantined in China for possible exposure to swine flu, instead of seeing the sights.
Iran says it boosts uranium enrichment capability
TEHRAN, IRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran has boosted its capacity to enrich uranium, another sign of anti-Western defiance by the leader seeking re-election in a vote next month.
Israel rebuffs U.S. call for total settlement freeze
JERUSALEM: Israel defied a surprisingly blunt U.S. demand that it freeze all building in West Bank Jewish settlements, saying today it will press ahead with construction.
U.S. says 29 insurgents killed in eastern Afghanistan
KABUL: U.S. coalition troops attacked a suspected foreign fighter camp in eastern Afghanistan today, killing at least 29 insurgents in an intense firefight, the military said, while a NATO soldier died after a roadside bomb attack in the south.
South Korea, U.S. troops on alert after North's threats
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: South Korean and U.S. troops raised their alert today to the highest level since 2006 after North Korea renounced its truce with the allied forces and threatened to strike any ships trying to intercept its vessels.
7.1 earthquake topples homes in Honduras, Belize
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS: A strong earthquake killed at least one man early Thursday as it collapsed homes in Honduras and Belize and sent people running into the streets in their pajamas as far away as Guatemala City.
N. Korea threatens strikes on U.S., S. Korean ships
Plan to inspect vessels rankles regime. Clinton warns of consequences
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea threatened military strikes on U.S. and South Korean ships and renounced a 1953 truce halting Korean War fighting in an escalation of tensions after Pyongyang's nuclear test on Monday.
Cyclone toll climbs in India, Bangladesh
Nearly 200 found dead, thousands lose homes as storm floods villages
Associated Press
CALCUTTA, INDIA: Heavy rains caused deadly mudslides and slowed rescue efforts Wednesday after Cyclone Aila pounded eastern India and Bangladesh, killing at least 191 people.
Catholic orders pleading poverty in abuse cases
Irish government demands accounting of assets so 14,000 victimized as children can be compensated
DUBLIN: The Catholic orders responsible for abusing Ireland's poorest children say they're struggling to come up with money to help their victims. Yet investigations into their net worth paint a different picture — that of nuns and brothers with billions' worth of carefully sheltered assets worldwide.
World news - May 28
Neglected Russian girl, 5, found mimicking cats, dogs
MOSCOW: A 5-year-old Russian girl found in a filthy apartment imitating the cats and dogs she was shut up with has been placed in state custody as authorities consider neglect charges against her father and other relatives.
White tiger mauls keeper in front of tourists
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND: A rare white tiger mauled its keeper to death in front of horrified tourists at a New Zealand wildlife park today, then was killed after it refused to release the body.
Roadside bomb kills U.S. soldier in Baghdad
BAGHDAD: A roadside bomb killed a U.S. soldier today in Baghdad, making May the deadliest month for the American military since September.
Cyclone Aila toll up to 191 in India, Bangladesh
CALCUTTA, INDIA: Heavy rains caused deadly mudslides and slowed rescue efforts today after Cyclone Aila pounded eastern India and Bangladesh, killing at least 191 people.
North Korea threatens to attack U.S., South Korean warships
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea threatened military action today against U.S. and South Korean warships plying the waters near the Koreas' disputed maritime border, raising the specter of a naval clash just days after the regime's underground nuclear test.
Russian capsule blasts off for space station
BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN: A Russian space capsule blasted off today on a landmark mission that will double the crew of the international space station.
Corpse found in London freezer after 20 years
LONDON: London police discovered a woman's corpse in a home freezer 20 years after death and were questioning her 83-year-old daughter, Britain's Press Association reported.
Official says car bombing kills 30 in Pakistan
LAHORE, PAKISTAN: Gunmen detonated a car bomb today near police and intelligence agency offices that collapsed one building and sheared the walls off others in one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan this year. About 30 people were killed and at least 250 wounded.
World news - May 27
Suicide bomber kills 3 U.S. soldiers, 3 civilians
Cyclist warned to leave moments before blast. Attacks up 25 percent
PUL-E-SAYAD, AFGHANISTAN: Shortly before he rammed his vehicle into an American military convoy, the young bearded suicide bomber waved at Sayed Najibullah to move away. As Najibullah sped off, a huge explosion ripped through a U.S. armored vehicle, killing three Americans and three Afghan civilians.
N. Korea tests more missiles
Reported restart of power plant comes as U.N. discusses sanctions for Monday's nuclear blast
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: North Korea has restarted its weapons-grade nuclear power plant and fired its sixth short-range missile in a growing standoff with world powers.
Pakistani party leader wins right to hold office
Supreme Court ruling overturns election ban on ex-prime minister
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top court on Tuesday lifted a ban on popular opposition leader Nawaz Sharif contesting elections, paving the way for his return to parliament and removing the first major barrier to him becoming prime minister for a third time.
U.S. hopes China, Russia can sway defiant N. Korea
Obama administration has measured reaction to latest nuclear test
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration has tough words for North Korea, but it's looking to China and Russia to do the heavy lifting to punish Pyongyang for its latest nuclear test.
World news - May 26
Taliban urges Pakistanis to return to Swat Valley
Military dismisses gesture as way for militants to blend in with civilians
ISLAMABAD: The Taliban on Monday urged civilians to return to the Swat Valley's main city, promising they would not attack security forces battling for control out of concern for the safety of trapped residents.
Extreme weather battering Brazilian regions
Floods plague Amazon. Drought parches south. Global warming cited
SAO PAULO: Across the Amazon basin, river dwellers are adding new floors to their stilt houses, trying to stay above rising floodwaters that have killed 48 people and left 405,000 homeless.
World news - May 25
British military may let women fight in battles
Study will determine whether to lift ban on female combat
LONDON: Britain's female soldiers could soon battle enemy forces in face-to-face combat if a ban on women serving in the most dangerous warfare roles is lifted.
Pakistani troops secure roads
Military reports success over Taliban at 'bloody intersection' in Swat Valley
ISLAMABAD: The Taliban left so many mutilated bodies at the crossing — some hanging from trees with threatening notes — that Pakistanis in the Swat Valley's main town took to calling it ''bloody intersection.''
Indonesians fear attacks by Komodo dragons
With their prey disappearing, giant lizards resort to sinking teeth in humans
KOMODO ISLAND, INDONESIA: Komodo dragons have sharklike teeth and poisonous venom that can kill a person within hours of a bite. Yet villagers who have lived for generations alongside the world's largest lizard were not afraid — until the dragons started to attack.
Rebuilding Afghanistan will be drain
Lax oversight and costly projects similar to U.S. problems in Iraq
WASHINGTON: The job of rebuilding Afghanistan is shaping up as an ominous sequel to the massive, mistake-riddled U.S. effort to get Iraq back on its feet.
11 die in stampede at Moroccan concert
RABAT, Morocco: Thousands of spectators stampeded out of a concert today in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, collapsing a fence and killing 11 people.
Iran blocks access to Facebook
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran has blocked access to Facebook, prompting government critics today to condemn the move as an attempt to muzzle the opposition ahead of next month's presidential election.
Royal chauffeur suspended over security lapse
LONDON: A royal chauffeur was suspended today over allegations that he gave undercover reporters a tour of Queen Elizabeth II's luxury limousines and other sensitive areas of her Buckingham Palace home in exchange for money.
Strong quake hits Macedonia near Greek border
SKOPJE, Macedonia: A strong earthquake struck southern Macedonia near the Greek border today, damaging dozens of homes. However, there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Pope prays for peace at WWII battle site
CASSINO, Italy: Pope Benedict XVI paid homage today to the victims of World War II, visiting a Polish military cemetery at the site of a decisive battle in southern Italy and praying that peace may prevail over war today.
Green Zone killing heightens security fears in Iraq
American found bound, blindfolded and stabbed multiple times in heart of Baghdad, say reports
BAGHDAD: An American was found dead in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, the U.S. military said Saturday, the apparent victim of an unprecedented slaying that occurred at a time when blast walls are coming down and Iraqi forces are assuming greater control.
Congress: 'Not in my backyard'
Democrats and Republicans criticize president for not having a clear plan for moving prisoners from Guantanamo
WASHINGTON: If there was one thing both presidential candidates agreed on last fall, it was the need to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
1SOMALIA Shelling in capital
1SOMALIA
Shelling in capital
Heavy shelling and gunfire in Mogadishu killed three people and wounded about 30 Saturday in a battle between government and rebel forces for Somalia's capital, witnesses said. It was the second day of an offensive by the U.N.-backed government trying to regain neighborhoods won by Islamic insurgents in recent weeks.
Fighting in Somali capital city heating up
15 dead, more than 150 injured in and around Mogadishu as rebels, government forces clash
MOGADISHU, SOMALIA: Hundreds of Somali government troops attacked insurgent-held positions north and south of the capital Friday and the heart of the city was heavily shelled, witnesses said. One said a busload of fleeing civilians was hit.
World news - May 23
Afghanistan militants migrating into Pakistan
U.S. military says trend reverses past practice
BAGRAM AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN: The top U.S. general in eastern Afghanistan said Friday he is seeing ''some very interesting movement'' of insurgents across the border into Pakistan this spring, possibly to join Taliban militants battling government troops.
Former president of South Korea dies mountain climbing
News report says a suicide note was found, but cause of death is pending
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has died, a police official said Saturday, presumably after a fall while mountain climbing. A news report said a suicide note was found.
Ronald Reagan statue being built in central London
LONDON: Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan is being honored with a statue in central London. Westminster City Council says it has changed the usual rules to allow the memorial to be erected outside the current U.S. embassy in downtown London.
Bill Clinton's sax sold at auction for AIDS research
CAP D'ANTIBES, FRANCE: Bill Clinton's saxophone and Robert Pattinson's lips have helped a star-studded charity event raise money to fight AIDS.
Russia, EU spar over energy supplies at summit
MOSCOW: Russia and the European Union failed to agree today on measures to prevent another cutoff of gas supplies to Europe.
Japan says North Korea warns ships away from missile base
TOKYO: North Korea has warned ships to steer clear of waters off a coastal city near a missile launch base, Japan's coast guard said today, suggesting Pyongyang may be preparing for a short-range missile test.
Canadian warship helps U.S. vessel evade pirates
NAIROBI, KENYA: The Canadian Navy said today that one of its warships helped a U.S.-flagged container vessel evade pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Accidental millionaires escape with $2.3 million
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND: A businessman and his girlfriend, whose bank accidentally handed them a $6.1 million credit line, have managed to flee the country with more than a third of the cash, the bank said today.
Hezbollah says Biden visit interferes in election
BEIRUT: Vice President Joe Biden reinforced U.S. support for Lebanon's government today ahead of key parliamentary elections that could see the pro-Western faction ousted by Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies.
World news - May 22
Pakistan allies aid refugees fleeing fighting against Taliban
About 1.9 million people leave region. U.N. creates schools at refugee camps
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Donations to help refugees fleeing Pakistan's latest offensive against the Taliban surpassed $200 million Thursday, as the country's allies sought to ease a crisis that risks eroding public support for military action against the militants.
Troops seize drugs, kill 34 militants
Three-day operation in southern Afghanistan nets tons of narcotics
Associated Press
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: American and Afghan forces seized 16.5 tons of drugs and killed 34 militants during a three-day operation against a key insurgent stronghold in southern Afghanistan, a U.S. military statement said Thursday.
Blast kills three U.S. soldiers in Baghdad
Two dozen Iraqis also die when bombers strike in capital, northern city of Kirkuk
BAGHDAD: Bombers struck in Baghdad and a northern city Thursday, killing three American soldiers and nearly two dozen Iraqis in a new spasm of violence that has taken at least 66 lives in two days.
