World News

15 civilians and 2 soldiers die in gunbattle in Somali capital

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Police and witnesses say at least 17 people have been killed in a gunbattle in the Somali capital. Mogadishu residents say Friday's two-hour clash erupted when insurgents attac...

Iraqis burn Bush effigy at square where Saddam statue was toppled in 2003 CP Defence, International, Politics

BAGHDAD - Followers of a Shiite cleric Friday stomped on and burned an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush in the same central Baghdad square where Iraqis beat a toppled statue of Saddam Hussein w...

Shipper calls for military force to battle pirates off Somalia

SINGAPORE - The world's militaries must work together to battle pirates off the Somali coast or ships will have to be diverted and the cost of moving goods will skyrocket, one of the world's largest o...

Kenyan foreign minister says Somali pirates are making $150 million a year

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenya's foreign minister says Somali pirates have collected more than $150 million US in ransoms over the past year. Moses Wetangula is calling on ship owners not to pay ransom whe...

Prominent monk, comedian handed lengthy prison terms in Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar - Courts in military-ruled Myanmar have handed long prison sentences to a prominent monk and a popular comedian active in the country's pro-democracy movement. Khin Htay Kywe, the l...

China blasts Dalai Lama as exiles meet, rules out autonomy for Tibet

BEIJING - China launched a new verbal attack on the Dalai Lama's drive for Tibetan autonomy Friday, vowing not to compromise with leaders of the Tibetan exile community meeting to debate the future of...

Iranian cleric accuses IAEA chief of 'two-sided' stance on nuclear program

TEHRAN, Iran - A leading Iranian cleric has accused the chief of the United Nations nuclear agency of delivering ambiguous remarks about the country's nuclear program. Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsa...

Bush calls stricken Attorney General Michael Mukasey at hospital

WASHINGTON - The White House says President George W. Bush has called stricken Attorney General Michael Mukasey to see how he was feeling after his collapse during a speech last night. Press secret...

3 civilians die in suicide bomb attack in southern Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A suicide bomber drove his car into the gate of an army base in southern Afghanistan on Friday and detonated his explosives, killing three civilians, a provincial official said...

Lower house of Russian parliament extends presidential term to 6 years from 4

MOSCOW - The lower house of Russia's parliament has given final approval to a bill extending the presidential term from four to six years. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proposed the bill in a m...