 British PM goes to Iraq
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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown greets Iraqi soldiers on July 19 in Basra during a surprise visit to the Middle East. Brown held talks Saturday with Iraqi leaders less than a week after the announcement of expected British troop cuts in southern Iraq.
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Bomb blast in Indian Kashmir kills 7 soldiers, wounds 20
SRINAGAR, India, 7:15 a.m. July 19 (AP)
A bomb exploded near an army convoy in Indian Kashmir on Saturday, killing at least seven soldiers and wounding 20 others, a police official said.
The bomb was apparently buried along a highway north of Srinagar, the main city in Indian Kashmir, and exploded as the army convoy passed nearby, senior police official Botlaguduru Srinivas said.
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GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba, 4:07 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Final preparations under way for 1st war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay: A jury of military officers is traveling to Guantanamo Bay this weekend as part of final preparations for the first U.S. war crimes trial since World War II.
KANTARALAK, Thailand, 5:32 a.m. July 19 (REUTERS)
More troops sent in Thai-Cambodia temple dispute: Thailand and Cambodia sent troops and heavy guns on Saturday to their disputed border, where hundreds of soldiers faced off for a fifth day over an ancient Hindu temple.
SEOUL, South Korea, 5:03 a.m. July 19 (AP)
Unification Church founder hurt in crash: A fire official says the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, is among 14 people who were injured in a helicopter crash in South Korea.
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, 4:58 a.m. July 19 (REUTERS)
Ten Kurdish rebels killed in clashes in SE Turkey: Ten members of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were killed in clashes with Turkish military forces in southeastern Turkey late on Friday, security sources said on Saturday.
JERUSALEM, 4:10 a.m. July 19 (AP)
Israel didn't know of cluster bomb use: A former Israeli defense official says the Israeli military used cluster bombs for two weeks during the 2006 Lebanon war without telling the Israeli government.
BEIJING, 3:36 a.m. July 19 (REUTERS)
Beijing opens new subway lines for Olympics: Beijing opened two new subway lines on Saturday, delayed from a planned late-June start but just in time to carry passengers banned from their cars as the capital tries to clean up its skies before next month's Olympics.
VIENNA, Austria, 3:28 a.m. July 19 (AP)
Austria: Prosecutor orders new tests to determine if Nazi suspect can be extradited to Croatia: Austrian authorities have ordered a new round of medical and psychiatric tests to determine whether a suspected Nazi is healthy enough to be extradited to Croatia to stand trial for alleged atrocities.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 1:59 a.m. July 19 (AP)
Pakistani rescuers spot Italian mountain climbers: A tour operator says Pakistani rescuers have spotted two Italian mountaineers on one of the world's deadliest peaks. A third Italian climber with them is believed to have died after a fall.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, 12:34 a.m. July 19 (AP)
Sri Lanka's military says 19 Tamil Tiger rebels killed in northern clashes: Sri Lankan government forces killed 19 Tamil Tiger rebels in fresh fighting along the front lines of the island nation's civil war, the military said Saturday.
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, 4:53 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Jamaican police arrest singer Bounty Killer on profanity charges at Sumfest: Jamaican police have charged singer Bounty Killer with using profanity while performing at the island's renowned Reggae Sumfest.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, 4:17 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Hundreds of dead penguins wash ashore on Brazil's tropical beaches: Hundreds of baby penguins swept from the icy shores of Antarctica and Patagonia are washing up dead on Rio de Janeiro's tropical beaches, rescuers and penguin experts said Friday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 4:15 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Afghans free journalist who took execution pics: An Afghan journalist who contributes to The Associated Press was freed Friday after his pictures and video footage of two women brazenly executed by the Taliban led intelligence officials to hold him for questioning for two days.
QUNU, South Africa, 3:27 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Nelson Mandela responds to reporters' questions: Highlights from Nelson Mandela's interview Friday with reporters at his 90th birthday celebration:
UNITED NATIONS, 3:23 p.m. July 18 (AP)
South African reported to be new U.N. rights chief: The United Nations chief told rights advocates Friday that his choice to be the next U.N. human rights commissioner is a South African judge who was the first black woman to serve on her country's High Court, the director of Human Rights Watch said.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, 3:21 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Brazil police raid leaves 8 dead in Rio de Janeiro slum: Brazilian police say at least eight alleged drug traffickers were killed during a raid in a Rio de Janeiro shantytown.
ZHUKOVKA, Russia, 2:37 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Head of breakaway Georgian region Abkhazia rejects international settlement proposal: Russia's foreign minister on Friday called for an internationally developed “road map” to resolve the hot tensions over separatist Abkhazia, but raised serious objections to a plan devised by major countries.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 2:21 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Dutch court voids language test for some migrants: A Dutch court punched a hole in toughened immigration restrictions, ruling an illiterate Moroccan woman cannot be required to pass a Dutch language test to join her husband in the Netherlands.
PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia, 1:17 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Cambodia: Near shootout in dispute on Thai border: A Cambodian general said Friday that his troops and Thai soldiers engaged in a tense armed confrontation when Cambodian monks sought to celebrate Buddhist lent near a temple in a disputed border area.
CAIRO, Egypt, 1:15 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Arab League to discuss genocide charges facing Sudan's president in effort to resolve crisis: Arab foreign ministers are expected to discuss a proposal Saturday calling on Sudan's president to hand over two Darfur war crimes suspects to an international tribunal in an effort to fend off the longtime leader's own prosecution on genocide charges, Arab diplomats said.
ROME, 1:12 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Italy's Berlusconi claims garbage crisis in Naples has been solved, but trash remains: Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi claimed Friday that the garbage crisis plaguing Naples has been resolved, even though tons of trash remain uncollected.
GENEVA, 1:03 p.m. July 18 (AP)
WTO publishes trade ruling against China: The World Trade Organization made public its first official condemnation of Chinese commercial practices on Friday, releasing a February ruling that sided with the United States, the European Union and Canada in a dispute over car parts.
MADRID, Spain, 12:55 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Saudis praised for calling interfaith conference: Saudi Arabia won praise Friday for taking a leading role in an interfaith conference, with participants saying it was another sign the conservative Muslim kingdom is opening up.
PARIS, 12:49 p.m. July 18 (AP)
Repeated incidents raise questions about French nuclear safety: First, an overflowing tub at a French nuclear plant spilled uranium into the groundwater. Then a burst pipe leaked uranium at another nuclear site, raising an alert on Friday.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 8:39 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Baby red panda adopted and nursed by zookeeper's house cat dies in Amsterdam: Amsterdam's Artis zoo says a baby red panda adopted by a zookeeper's cat after being rejected by its mother has died.
GENEVA, 8:31 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Iran does not expect Israeli or U.S. attack: Iran said on Friday it did not expect an attack from Israel or the United States triggered by the long-running dispute over its nuclear programme.
MOSCOW, 8:25 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Russian presdent enacts law on Arctic oil work: President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday signed a law enabling the Kremlin to handpick companies to develop the vast oil reserves believed to be located in the Russian Arctic.
SYDNEY, Australia, 8:25 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Pope indicates Australia may get its first saint: Australians may finally be about to get their first saint. During a visit to a chapel devoted to Mary MacKillop, who is celebrated for her work caring for children in rural towns across the country during the last century, nuns said Pope Benedict XVI indicated a final judgment on the humanitarian's canonization was close.
MUNICH, Germany, 8:20 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Former German officer charged with murder in World War II killing of 14 Italian civilians: An 89-year-old former Nazi officer was charged with murder on Friday in the killing of 14 civilians in Italy during World War II, German officials said.
HAVANA, 8:19 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Cuba farmers to get more land in latest reform: Cuban President Raul Castro, looking to increase food production in his socialist country, has granted farmers and agricultural cooperatives the right to work more land, according to a decree published Friday.
BEIJING, 8:09 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Airlines say China to halt flights during Olympic opener: Remain calm, don't fight back and try to send a text message to the police. That's how Chinese police have advised people to respond if captured by terrorists during next month's Olympic Games, the official Xinhua News Agency said Friday.
BEIJING, 8:08 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Group: Chinese Internet dissident formally arrested for allegedly possessing state secrets: A Chinese dissident who wrote politically sensitive articles including some criticizing the government's handling of a devastating earthquake was formally arrested Friday on charges of allegedly possessing state secrets, a human rights group said.
OTTAWA, 8:06 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Canada's Ontario joins U.S. carbon initiative: The province of Ontario, Canada's industrial heartland, will join the Western Climate Initiative, a planned U.S.-based regional carbon credit trading pact, the province's premier, Dalton McGuinty, said Friday.
TUNIS, Tunisia, 7:53 a.m. July 18 (AP)
2 officials, 3 other men sentenced to prison in Tunisia on terror-related charges: Two government officials have been convicted and sentenced to prison in connection with an alleged plot to carry out terror attacks and overthrow the Tunisian government, according to their lawyer and court documents.
LONDON, 7:40 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
WFP seeks urgent navy escorts for Somalia food aid: The United Nations said on Friday food shipments to Somalia were grinding to a halt as few vessels were willing to hazard the country's pirate-infested waters, and it called on governments to provide naval escorts.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 7:30 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Bosnia: Experts exhume 66 bodies of Srebrenica victims from eastern Bosnian mass grave: Forensic experts say they have exhumed 66 Srebrenica massacre victims from a mass grave in eastern Bosnia.
OSLO, Norway, 7:23 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Mideast envoy Blair urges Israelis, Palestinians to use cease-fire to reach peace agreement: Mideast envoy Tony Blair is urging the Israelis and Palestinians to use the cease-fire that took effect June 19 as an opportunity to try to reach a peace agreement.
DHAKA, Bangladesh, 7:15 a.m. July 18 (AP)
2 Bangladeshi guards killed, 1 Indian soldier seriously wounded in border clash: A border clash Friday left two Bangladeshi troops dead and one Indian soldier seriously wounded, military officials said.
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba, 7:04 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Salim Hamdan, ex-bin Laden driver, a small figure for major Guantanamo role: Salim Hamdan is a small player with a big role. A former driver for Osama bin Laden, he is about to become the first Guantanamo prisoner to be tried for war crimes in a major test of the U.S. system for prosecuting alleged terrorists.
LONDON, 7:02 a.m. July 18 (AP)
British pupils face delay in getting exam results after problems with U.S.-based marking firm: The British government has ordered an inquiry into the actions of a U.S. company hired to mark more than a million pupils' exam papers, after schools complained of missed deadlines, shoddy work and inconsistent grading.
SUVA, Fiji, 6:36 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Report: Fiji coup leader rules out elections to return to democracy by March 2009: Fiji's military ruler postponed elections promised for March 2009 to return the island to democracy after ousting the government in a bloodless coup 20 months ago, a news report said Friday.
LONDON, 6:18 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Unnecessary flights killing the poor says Tutu: Businessmen who take flights rather than use video conferencing are adding to global warming that is condemning millions of the world's poorest people to death, according to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
MOSCOW, 6:14 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Last tsar leads Stalin in poll on greatest Russian: Ninety years after Bolshevik revolutionaries shot dead the last tsar, Russians are fighting over who to lionise: Tsar Nicholas II or Josef Stalin.
BRUSSELS, Belgium, 6:01 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Citing crime, spending irregularities, the EU weighs closing the money tap for Bulgaria: The European Commission could freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance for Bulgaria next week because of its spending irregularities, corruption, organized crime and slow moving judicial reforms, officials said Friday.
LAGOS, Nigeria, 5:38 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Nigerian military says sabotage by youths caused Eni oil pipeline explosion: An explosion that destroyed an Eni SpA oil pipeline in Nigeria's restive southern oil region was caused by aggrieved youths from a nearby community, a military official said Friday.
ERFURT, Germany, 5:33 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
East feels deserted by Merkel as German vote looms: Voters in Germany's former communist states feel deserted by Angela Merkel, the first chancellor from the east, and could punish her conservative party in federal and state elections next year.
SRINAGAR, India, 5:32 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Police: Rebel grenade attack leaves 35 wounded in India's portion of Kashmir: Suspected Muslim rebels threw a grenade at a crowded bus terminal in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Friday, wounding 35 people, including seven children, police said.
SYDNEY, Australia, 5:07 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Pope urges all faiths to unite against indiscriminate violence in the name of religion: Pope Benedict XVI on Friday urged religious leaders of all kinds to unite against those who use faith to divide communities – an apparent reference to terrorism in the name of religion.
JOHANNESBURG, 4:33 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Food played role in Mandela's apartheid struggle: Food featured prominently in Nelson Mandela's struggle against apartheid, from using cooking pots to smuggle messages during his 27-year imprisonment to his first dinner of chicken curry as a free man.
BRUSSELS, Belgium, 4:05 a.m. July 18 (AP)
EU proposes $1.6 billion fund to help ease global food crisis: The European Union on Friday proposed a $1.6 billion two-year emergency fund to help poor countries cope with the global food crisis.
PARIS, 4:03 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Uranium-bearing liquid leaks at French nuclear site, operator says no damage outside the plant: Uranium-bearing liquid has leaked from a broken underground pipe at a nuclear site in southeastern France, the national nuclear safety authority said Friday. It was the second leak discovered at a French site this month.
BRASILIA, 4:00 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Doha trade deal a milestone for emerging Brazil: Among the 30-plus ministers who will sit down at a meeting in Geneva next week to try to advance global trade talks, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim is in a particular bind.
JERUSALEM, 3:56 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Israel arrests 6 men over al-Qaeda links: Israeli investigators have arrested six men suspected of trying to set up an al-Qaeda-linked terror network, including one who wanted to shoot down President Bush's helicopter, the Shin Bet security service said Friday.
BEIJING, 3:32 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
China says post-quake health situation still grim: The health situation in parts of China hit by the massive earthquake in May remains grim though there have been no epidemics, the government said on Friday.
SINGAPORE, 3:22 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Australian TV journalist charged in Singapore for alleged drug possession: An Australian television journalist was charged Friday with drug trafficking and possession in Singapore and faces up to 20 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane, court documents and his employer said.
TAIPEI, Taiwan, 3:00 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Storm-fed flash floods and landslides kill 7, leave 6 missing in southern Taiwan: Tropical storm Kalmaegi lashed southern Taiwan with torrential rains Friday, triggering flash floods and landslides. Rampaging waters killed at least seven people and washed six others away.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, 2:26 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Bali blast victim's dad rejects bombers' execution: The father of an Australian killed in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings asked Indonesia not to execute three militants convicted in the blasts, saying Friday “no good, only harm” would come from their deaths.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, 12:34 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Sri Lankan military: New fighting kills 20 rebels, 5 soldiers: A wave of battles along the front lines of the civil war in northern Sri Lanka killed 20 ethnic Tamil rebels and five soldiers, the military said Friday.
SEOUL, South Korea, 12:26 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Official: SKorea mulls halting other NKorea tours: South Korea is considering halting the country's remaining tour program to North Korea following the shooting death of a tourist in the North, an official said Friday.
MANILA, Philippines, 12:19 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Survey shows Arroyo most unpopular Philippine president since 1986: Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's public support rating plunged last month to a record low, making her the country's most unpopular president since democracy was restored in 1986, a survey showed Friday.
GLASGOW, Scotland, 12:03 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
Labor loyalists may save UK's Brown in crunch vote: Scottish pensioner Frances O'Grady will vote for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labor Party in an election next week to choose a new member of the British parliament – although she is not sure why.
WASHINGTON, 12:44 p.m. July 17 (AP)
U.S. changes tack on Iran, giving diplomacy a chance: The Bush administration is changing course on Iran in its final months. The hope is that engagement can jolt a stagnant effort to resolve concerns about Tehran's disputed nuclear program where war drums could not.
