Rice in India: Pakistan must show 'resolve and urgency'

S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Pakistan must show "resolve and urgency" as she called Wednesday for international cooperation in the investigation into the Mumbai attacks. Rice arrived in New Delhi as part of a US effort to ease tensions in the region after a three-day terrorist attack killed 171 people in India's financial capital.

Nations sign cluster-bomb ban, US and Russia refuse

Nations began signing a treaty banning cluster bombs Wednesday in a move that supporters hope will shame the U.S., Russia and China and other non-signers into abandoning weapons blamed for maiming and killing civilians.

Thai gov't falls after court bans PM; airport seizures to end

Thailand's prime minister resigned on Tuesday after weeks of protests that paralyzed his government and closed the capital's airports. Cargo flights resumed and protesters promised to lift their siege by Wednesday.

Thailand: Protesters move to besieged airports

In a switch of tactics, the People's Alliance for Democracy told its members occupying the prime minister's office compound for the last three months to leave and join compatriots at the airports, which they seized last week in their push to oust the government. Following the call, the number swelled to about 6,000 people at the two airports.

6th Chabad House victim was meant to make aliya this week

The sixth victim of the terrorist attack on Mumbai's Chabad House has been identified as Mexican citizen Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich, 50, according to Jewish Agency spokesperson Michael Jankelowitz.

'Five Chabad House hostages appear to have been killed'

An Indian official was quoted by Sky News as saying the operation was still ongoing, but in its final stages. Two gunmen were also killed in the operation against Islamic terrorists that had holed themselves up inside the building, Sky News quoted Indian National Security Guards chief J.K. Dutt as saying.

'10-15 Israelis held in Chabad House and Mumbai hotel'

Indian commandos and police were evacuating civilians and cordoning off the area apparently in preparation to storm the Chabad House in Mumbai, India, where a rabbi, his wife and several other Israelis were being held hostage, according to IBN, an Indian news agency.

Iran: More than 5,000 centrifuges are now up and running

Iran now has more than 5,000 centrifuges operating at its uranium enrichment plant, Iran's nuclear chief announced Wednesday, in the Persian country's latest defiance of UN demands that Teheran halt the controversial program.

Two Israelis sentenced to death in Thailand for drug dealing

Alon Mahluf, 37, and Vladimir Agronik, 34, were arrested a year ago in a drug bust on Bangkok's Kao San Road, a destination popular with Israeli tourists. They were charged and later convicted of possessing some 23,000 ecstasy pills which Thai police said were destined for Italy and the US.

US: Administration change gives Iran new chance for talks

The chief US delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday that the change in administrations in Washington would be a good opportunity for Iran to enter new negotiations to end its uranium enrichment program.

Obama names Geithner new treasury secretary

President-elect Barack Obama turned his focus to the teetering US economy, as he outlined a plan to create 2.5 million jobs and transition officials said he would name on Monday a respected Federal Reserve official to the post of treasury secretary.

Bush signs jobless benefits extension

With no end in sight to economic bad news, President George W. Bush on Friday ensured that millions of laid-off workers will keep getting their unemployment checks as the year-end holidays approach.

'Iran already has enough nuclear material for one atomic weapon'

Iran has produced approximately enough nuclear material to assemble an atomic weapon, according to several nuclear experts quoted in the New York Times Thursday. The experts, who were analyzing data from the latest UN atomic watchdog's report on the Iranian nuclear program.

Al Qaida No. 2: Obama guilty of betraying Muslim roots in backing Israel

Al Qaeda's second-in-command urged Muslims to continue attacks on "criminal" America and slammed U.S. president-elect Barack Obama for vowing to back Israel during his campaign.

Clergy invited to Auschwitz to mark 70 years since WWII.

The invitation was extended by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the former secretary and close confidant of Pope John Paul II, on the opening night of the 21st annual international, inter-religious meeting of the Italian Catholic Community of St. Egidio, organized in Cyprus this year.

New fighting in Congo despite rebel pledges

Congo's army has engaged in heavy fighting with with rebels their leader's pledge to back a cease-fire, the United Nations and witnesses said Monday. The two sides fought in the small town of Rwindi, about 125 kilometers (75 miles) north of the eastern provincial capital of Goma, The Associated Press reported.

Thousands evacuate as fires destroy California homes

A wind-blasted wildfire tore through Los Angeles' northern foothills early Saturday, sending thousands of residents fleeing in the dark, forcing a hospital to evacuate and destroying an untold number of homes.

Obama's entry shuffles the congressional seats

As US President George W. Bush prepares to yield the seat of power behind his Oval Office desk to President-Elect Barack Obama, the impending move has already set off a round of musical chairs in Congress.

US rejects scrapping missile defense plans

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a televised interview with French journalists broadcast Thursday that Moscow was willing to reconsider deploying Iskander missiles in its westernmost region of Kaliningrad if Washington did not place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a missile-tracking radar in the Czech Republic.

Kremlin reportedly rejects US missile defense offer

official source said Russia could not accept a new set of proposals last week put forth by US President George W. Bush's administration last week to assuage Kremlin concerns over plans to base parts of a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.  

World marks end of 'war to end all wars'

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, Britain's Prince Charles, German parliament Speaker Peter Muller and Australia's Governor General Quentin Bryce held a joint remembrance ceremony at Fort Douaumont, where more than 300,000 men were slaughtered over 300 days during the Battle of Verdun.

Delayed executions of Bali bombers fueled sympathy

Indonesia helped fuel sympathy for the 2002 Bali bombers by repeatedly postponing their executions and allowing them to rally supporters from behind bars, experts said Monday, after hard-liners welcomed home their bodies with calls for revenge.

U.S, EU officials meet with Arab representatives on Iran

The official said foreign ministers from several Arab countries met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner at the Red Sea resort of Sharm e-Sheikh.

Barack Obama elected 44th president

Barack Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois, shattered more than 200 years of history Tuesday night by winning election as the first African-American president of the United States.

Obama seems close to historic victory, McCain undaunted

Democrat Barack Obama appeared close to victory in his historic bid to become the first black US president Tuesday, while an undaunted Republican John McCain battled to win an upset as voting began in the epic struggle for the White House.

Obama, McCain battle in campaign's final day

Aiming for a last-minute upset, Republican John McCain embarked on a grueling odyssey through seven swing states Monday while Democrat Barack Obama was headed toward three longtime GOP bastions that have become Democratic-leaning battlegrounds in the historic presidential contest.

Death toll in northeastern India blasts rises to 76

The level of sophistication in the bombings that killed at least 76 people in northeastern India indicate that local militants had help from other terrorist groups to carry out the attacks, officials said Friday.

Report: Iran trying new nuclear experiments

Iran has recently tested ways of recovering highly enriched uranium from waste reactor fuel in a covert bid to expand its nuclear program, according to an intelligence assessment made available to The Associated Press.

Wave of coordinated bombings kills 61 in India

A series of coordinated blasts tore through India's volatile northeast on Thursday, killing at least 61 people, wounding more than 300 and setting police on a frantic search for any unexploded bombs, officials said.

'Great destruction,' 150 dead in Pakistan quake

With some roads blocked by landslides, officials said army helicopters were ferrying hundreds of troops and medical teams to villages in the quake zone and had set up a field hospital in Quetta, the Baluchistan provincial capital, 50 miles from the epicenter.

Plot to Kill Obama Uncovered, Feds Say

Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday.

Poll: Israel votes McCain in US elections

Survey finds 46% of Israelis would vote for Republican nominee if given chance to elect US president; Democrat Barack Obama receives 34% of votes. Almost half of those polled believe McCain would better impact Jewish state

North, South Korea to hold military talks Monday

Ties between the two countries, which are still technically at war, have soured since South Korea's pro-US conservative president, Lee Myung-bak, took office in February with a pledge to get tough with North Korea.

Sikh MP joins British parliamentary group against anti-Semitism and hate crime

A former cabinet minister and Sikh MP has been drafted into the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Anti-Semitism. Parmjit Dhanda, formerly community cohesion minister, agreed this week to join the parliamentary group to continue his hard work in combating anti-Semitism.

Palestinian challenges UK's policy on arms exports to Israel

Through the Birmingham-based group, Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), and Al-Haq, a Ramallah-based human rights organization, Saleh Hasan, a Palestinian who lives in Bethlehem, will challenge the British government's decision to grant export licenses for selling weapons to Israel.

9 Afghan soldiers die in 'mistaken identity' airstrike

A US-led coalition airstrike hit an Afghan army checkpoint early Wednesday, killing nine soldiers and wounding three, Afghan officials said. The strike hit a fixed checkpoint in the Sayed Kheil area of eastern Khost province, said Arsallah Jamal, the province's governor.

Austrians praise deceased Nazi admirer Haider

"He was a remarkable person" and one should "pay tribute to him," was how Social Democratic Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer described right-wing extremist politician Joerg Haider at Haider's funeral ceremony in Klagenfurt, Austria on Saturday.

Israel expects U.S.-Iran talks under Obama

Israel expects the U.S. to initiate direct talks with Tehran if Senator Barack Obama is elected president, in which case a critical Israeli interest would be to condition any talks between the West and Iran on halting uranium enrichment, according to a senior government source.

Bush: Measures to help economy will take time

President Bush gave a pep talk on the U.S. economy Friday morning, giving the nation a more detailed explanation of what the government is doing to battle the worst financial crisis in more than a half-century.

McCain goes on the attack in final debate

Republican Sen. John McCain launched a heavy assault on Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s judgment and experience Wednesday night, making a last-ditch effort in the final presidential debate to change the course of a campaign moving decidedly in his opponent’s favor.

Canada's Conservative Party wins re-election

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the first major world leader to face voters since the global financial meltdown, led his Conservative Party to victory in Tuesday's election but fell short of a majority in Parliament.

Europe puts $2.3 trillion on line for banks

European governments overcame their differences to put $2.3 trillion on the line Monday in guarantees and other emergency measures to save the banking system in their most unified response yet to the global financial crisis.

World markets soar after government aid plans

A rally late Friday on Wall Street, overnight gains in Asia and coordinated attempts by European and U.S. authorities to prop up the banking system brought a measure of relief to markets after investor panic sent world equities markets spiraling downward last week.

Crisis squeezes NY property market

Property developers and financiers - including Israeli companies that have invested heavily in everything from trophy office buildings to Brooklyn residential renovations - are being whiplashed by the spreading credit crisis, which has brought New York's real estate market to a screeching halt.

'Black Friday' as World Markets Plunge

Wall Street appeared headed to a sharply lower open Friday, extending a global sell-off on concerns that even low interest rates won't help end the worsening credit crisis. Dow Jones industrials futures plunged 282 points ahead of the opening bell in New York.

Obama threatens dire consequences if Iran doesn't change ways

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama told an audience at the second U.S. presidential debate on Tuesday that he would deliver a tough and direct message to Iran that if they did not change their behavior there would be dire consequences.

China says US arms sale to Taiwan harms ties

A planned multibillion dollar U.S. arms sale to Taiwan threatens China's national security and has cast a pall over military relations between Beijing and Washington, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Earthquake kills at least 72 in Kyrgyzstan

The 6.6-magnitude quake near the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan hit the remote village of Nura hard, bringing down dozens of buildings and injuring more than 100 people in addition to the confirmed deaths, Emergency Situations Minister Kamchybek Tashiyev said.

Report: North Korean leader appears in public

North Korea's state news agency reported a public appearance by reclusive leader Kim Jong Il for the first time in nearly two months, an absence that prompted speculation he was seriously ill. Kim watched a university football game, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday. It did not say anything about his health condition or when he made the appearance.

Chinese snoop on Skype, but are they alone?

A Canadian researcher has discovered that a Chinese version of eBay Inc.'s Skype communications software snoops on text chats that contain certain keywords, including "democracy."

US envoy extends Korean stay for nuclear talks

U.S. diplomat Christopher Hill went to North Korea on Wednesday to meet with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye Gwan, at the reclusive nation's invitation, U.S. officials said. He stayed the night, and the two sides were holding more talks Thursday, officials said.

US tightens vigil on arms ship hijacked by pirates

U.S. warships and helicopters on Monday surrounded a hijacked cargo ship loaded with Sudan-bound tanks and other arms to keep the weapons from falling "into the wrong hands," an American Navy spokesman said.

The end of Austrian-Israeli relations?

Sunday's Austrian election could mean a break in diplomatic relations between IsraelAustria if extreme right-wing parties enter a coalition government. Heinz-Christian Strache, who leads the Freedom Party, took part in paramilitary activities with neo-Nazis in the late 1980s and has been known to use the Nazi salute.

German police seize terrorist suspects on plane

German police boarded a plane at Cologne-Bonn Airport and arrested two terrorist suspects Friday just before the plane took off for Amsterdam. Police said they decided to act after finding a suicide note that claimed the men wanted to die in a terror attack.

Protests as U.S. ship docks at new Japan home

Slogan-shouting protesters lined the harbor and flag-waving supporters crowded the dock as the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrived at its new home port just south of Tokyo on Thursday.

N. Korea bars inspectors from nuclear reactor

North Korea barred U.N. nuclear inspectors from its main nuclear reactor on Wednesday and within a week plans to reactivate the plant that once provided the plutonium for its atomic test explosion, the chief U.N. nuclear inspector said.

Official: Finnish gunman was quizzed by cops

A student killed 9 people after opening fire during an exam at a college in Finland on Tuesday. Police said the gunman was wounded after shooting himself. The country's interior minister said the school gunman was questioned by police on Monday about YouTube videos showing him firing a weapon but was later released.

Nearly 53,000 Chinese children sick from milk

The number of children in China sickened by dairy products tainted with the banned industrial chemical melamine has jumped to 53,000, the government said Sunday as it vowed to crack down on those responsible for one of China's worst food safety scandals.

Death toll from Pakistan hotel blast reaches 53

Rescuers pulled more bodies from the shell of the truck-bombed Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital on Sunday, pushing the death toll from one of the country's worst-ever terrorist strikes to 53, including the Czech ambassador.

Stocks surge on bank-rescue proposal

Wall Street opened with a huge rally Friday after the U.S. government said it is creating a plan to rescue the nation’s troubled banks from their souring debts. The Dow surged more than 350 points.

More arrests in China's tainted milk scandal

Police arrested 12 more people Thursday as China expanded a crackdown in a scandal involving tainted milk powder as a fourth death was announced and more than 6,200 other babies were sick from the powder.

Clinton cancels spot at Jewish groups' anti-Iran rally over Palin invite

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has canceled an appearance at a New York rally next week after organizers blindsided her by inviting Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, aides to the senator said Tuesday.

World markets tumble after Wall Street turmoil

Financial stocks across Europe took a pounding for the second day running as the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers and credit downgrades of American International Group Inc., the world’s largest insurer, stoked investor fears of wider financial and economic damage.

Houston battered, thousands in shelters after Ike

With glass from shattered skyscrapers littering the streets, the nation's fourth largest city didn't open for business as usual Monday, and thousands of people faced long stays in crowded shelters because their homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ike.

Jewish family of 4 among dead in Russia plane crash

A Hevra Kasdisha representative left Moscow with Russia's Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar on Sunday to the site of a plane crash which left 88 people dead, including a Jewish family of four. The parents and their two children were residents of Perm, where the aircraft went down.

Death toll from China landslide tops 150

A landslide that unleashed a three-story wave of mud and iron ore waste at an illegal mining operation has killed at least 151 people and authorities fear the death toll could climb by hundreds more, state media said Thursday.

Nation marks 7th anniversary of terror attacks

The nation paused Thursday to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a heartfelt ceremony at ground zero and other solemn remembrances around the country. Relatives of victims killed at the World Trade Center gathered at ground zero in lower Manhattan for readings from dignitaries and a recitation of the names of the dead.

Atom smasher fired up in 'God particle' hunt

Scientists applauded as one of the most ambitious experiments ever conceived began today. The Large Hadron Collider -- designed to simulate conditions of the Big Bang -- was switched on this morning. Skeptics claim the experiment could create a black hole capable of swallowing the Earth.

Fears grow of terrorist with ‘an American face’

“Al-Qaida is identifying, training and positioning operatives for attacks in the West, likely including in the United States. These operatives include North American and European citizens and legal residents with passports that allow them to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa.”

Venezuela to host Russia navy exercise

Several Russian ships and 1,000 soldiers will take part in joint naval maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea later this year, exercises likely to increase diplomatic tensions with Washington, a pro-government newspaper reported on Saturday.

Hanna bears down on Southeast as Ike weakens

In Wilmington, N.C. tropical storm watches or warnings were extended to areas just south of New York City on Friday as states along the Atlantic braced for Tropical Storm Hanna. And forecasters said Hanna could still become a hurricane before its expected arrival on U.S. shores after roaring past the edge of the Bahamas on Thursday.

Sarkozy warns Iran it risks Israeli strike on nuke program

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Iran on Thursday it was taking a dangerous gamble in seeking to develop atomic weapons because one day Israel could strike to foil its nuclear aspirations.

Huge ice sheet breaks loose in Canadian arctic

A chunk of ice shelf nearly the size of Manhattan has broken away from Ellesmere Island in Canada's northern Arctic, another dramatic indication of how warmer temperatures are changing the polar frontier, scientists said Wednesday.

Hurricane Gustav largely spares New Orleans

A still-largely deserted New Orleans prepared to take stock of damage from Hurricane Gustav on Tuesday after rebuilt levees appeared to hold off a repeat of the flooding caused by Katrina three years ago.

North Korea begins reassembling nuclear facility

North Korea has begun reassembling its Yongbyon reactor that can make material for atomic bombs in violation of U.S. conditions for improved diplomatic relations, media reported. It cited sources in Beijing close to six-party nuclear talks on North Korean, which involve Japan, South Korea, Russia and China, as well as North Korea and the U.S.

Bush heads to Texas as Gustav menaces

As Hurricane Gustav threatens the Gulf Coast, President Bush is out to show the nation that his government has learned the haunting lessons of Katrina and is ready to act. That includes a rapid response by Bush himself, who will be planted near the danger zone even before the storm hits home.

New Orleans orders mandatory evacuation

Residents were ordered to flee an only partially rebuilt New Orleans Sunday as another monster storm bore down on Louisiana nearly three years to the day after Hurricane Katrina wiped out entire swaths of the city.

Gustav threatens Caymans after Jamaica

Deadly Tropical Storm Gustav drenched Jamaica and menaced the Cayman Islands on Friday, setting off alarm from Cuba to New Orleans. Gustav ripped off roofs, downed power lines and pounded rain into Jamaica, triggering landslides and flooding but no reported deaths. At least 67 people died earlier in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Jamaica issues alert as Gustav changes path

Jamaica's government issued issued a hurricane warning Thursday after Tropical Storm Gustav unexpectedly jogged to the south and appeared likely to pass near the southern coast of the Caribbean island.

Deadly Gustav may reach Category 3 strength

Eight people died in a landslide in the Dominican Republic, authorities in that country said on Wednesday, raising Tropical Storm Gustav's death toll to 11. As of 2 a.m. ET Wednesday, Gustav's maximum sustained winds had decreased to 60 mph with higher gusts.

Spain mourns

Three days of mourning have begun for the 153 people who died when a jetliner crashed after takeoff in the nation's worst air disaster in nearly 25 years. Fourteen bodies have been identified. The jetliner that crashed in Madrid experienced overheating in an air intake valve before a first attempt at takeoff.

U.S., Iraq close to deal on pullout by end of 2011

Iraq and the U.S. pushed close to a deal Thursday setting a course for American combat troops to pull out of Iraqi cities by next June on the way to broader withdrawal from the long and costly war by 2011. Subject to final approval by the top Iraqi leadership, the exit date for U.S. troops would be December 2011.

68 die, 22 survive airliner crash in Kyrgyzstan

A passenger jet carrying 90 people, including a Kyrgyz high school sports team, crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday near the Kyrgyz capital, killing 65, government officials said. The Boeing 737 was headed to Iran when it crashed near Bishkek's Manas International Airport, said government spokeswoman Roza Daudova.

Clinton to take stage, then step aside for Obama

For a moment, the spotlight will be back on Sen. Hillary Clinton as she takes the stage Tuesday for her last solo "hoorah" of the 2008 presidential election. Even though she's not Tuesday's keynote speaker, all the attention will be on her as she steps into a role that's a far cry from her original convention dreams. "Tuesday night is Hillary night,".

Top Russian general names Israel as Georgian arms supplier

Russian Deputy Chief of General Staff Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn accused Israel in a Moscow press conference on Tuesday of arming the Georgian military with mines, explosive charges, special explosives for clearing minefields and eight kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Tropical Storm Fay moves in on Florida Keys

Some Key West stores were shuttered Monday while others stubbornly remained open as rain and wind gusts from Tropical Storm Fay began to lash at south Florida after the storm killed at least eight people in the Caribbean. 

Visitors evacuate Florida Keys as Fay nears Cuba

Visitors of the Florida Keys began evacuating early Sunday as Tropical Storm Fay prompted forecasters to issue a hurricane watch for the area. Fay could be near hurricane strength when it reaches central Cuba on Sunday night, according to the 8 a.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Russia: 'Forget' Georgian territorial integrity

Russia's foreign minister declared that the world "can forget about" Georgia's territorial integrity on Thursday and Georgian and Russian troops faced off at a checkpoint outside the key city of Gori, calling an already shaky cease-fire into question.

Russian convoy heads into Georgia, violating truce

A Russian military convoy thrust deep into Georgia on Wednesday and Georgian officials said Russian troops bombed and looted the crossroads city of Gori, violating a freshly brokered truce intended to end the conflict.

Georgia president signs cease-fire with Russia

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday he signed a cease-fire agreement with Russia that protects the former Soviet republic's interests despite concessions to Moscow. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she had been assured that Russian President will sign an identical document.

Georgia says attacks continue despite pledge

Death toll said to reach 2,000 as Russia's president announces halt in action TBILISI, Georgia - Russian forces are continuing their offensive despite an order from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to halt the attacks, Georgia officials said Tuesday. Russian officials denied Georgia's claims.

Renewed Russian blitz sparks fears of second Georgian front

Russia rejects latest Georgia truce bid, as fighting in breakway territory continues for fourth day.  

Georgian breakaway city in ruins

Tskhinvali, the capital of the separatist Georgian province South Ossetia, lay in smoldering ruins Sunday after three days of fighting between Georgian troops and Russian forces

Beijing begins Olympics with massive show

Opening Ceremony features about 15,000 performers, 29,000 fireworksBEIJING - Once-reclusive China commandeered the world stage Friday, celebrating its first-time role as Olympic host with a stunning display of pageantry and pyrotechnics to open a Summer Games unrivaled for its mix of problems and promise.

Hiroshima mayor urges nuclear ban

Hiroshima's mayor urged the next U.S. president to support a proposed ban on nuclear weapons.

Dutch survivor of K2 avalanche describes ordeal

Blinded by the glare off the snow and ice, attempting a perilous descent down K2 to save his life, the Dutch mountaineer came upon three Korean climbers.

Amid Beijing's boom, a Jewish community blooms

The world's Jews have been coming to take part in the rapid transformation and surging economic development of its most populous country.

'Rioters' Kill 16 in Attack on China Border Station

BEIJING — Two men rammed a truck into a clutch of jogging policemen and tossed explosives, killing 16 officers Monday in an attack in a restive province of western China just days before the Beijing Olympics, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese plea for politics-free Games

A week before the start of the Beijing Olympics, Chinese President Hu Jintao said Friday that the caliber of athletic competition and enhanced friendship among nations, not political disputes, will determine whether the games are a success.

Bush Meets 5 Dissidents From China Before Games

WASHINGTON — President Bush held private talks with five prominent Chinese dissidents on Tuesday, and urged China’s foreign minister to relax restrictions on human rights, as part of an intensifying White House effort to put pressure on Beijing before Mr. Bush travels there in a little over a week for the summer Olympic Games.

China says breaks up terrorist cell ahead of Olympics

Shanghai police report raids on international terror group planning attack on upcoming football preliminary match. In other Olympic news – Iraq confirmed banned from participating in Games.

Obama meets with Afghan president

U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday - a leader the Democratic senator has criticized for not doing enough to rebuild the war-torn nation.Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday that United States needs to focus on Afghanistan in its battle against terrorism.

Man arrested after spraying graffiti on Berlin's Holocaust memorial.

Israel to free Lebanese prisoners in swap

JERUSALEM - Israeli prison authorities moved four Lebanese captives to a new facility on Monday, placing them with a convicted Lebanese killer in preparation for a swap with the Hezbollah guerrilla group later this week.