Powerful earthquake hits Japan, dozens injured
A powerful earthquake struck off the northern Japanese coast early Thursday, injuring at least 91 people, triggering landslides and cutting power to thousands of people, officials said.
Sudan's president pays defiant visit to Darfur
Sudan's president made a defiant visit to Darfur just a week after being charged with genocide in the war-ravaged region, vowing not to be intimidated by the indictment and then breaking into a tribal dance on a parched field to the delight of cheering supporters.
UN to take up Thai-Cambodian border dispute
With some 4,000 troops massed along the Thai-Cambodian border, United Nations Security Council members say they will try to keep a standoff from escalating into war.
Mexico grounds 2 airlines on back bills
Mexico's transportation secretary says it has grounded two airlines for lacking proof they paid for fly rights in the country's air space.
Venezuela denies report of Russian base
Venezuela's government denied on Wednesday that President Hugo Chavez invited Russia to open a military base in his country, disputing a report by Russia's Interfax saying that Russian troops were welcome in the South American nation.
Hurricane Dolly hammers northern Mexico
Hurricane Dolly toppled trees and sent billboards flying in the Mexican city of Matamoros on Wednesday, and authorities south of the U.S. border warned of possible flooding.
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,124
As of Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at least 4,124 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
Bin Laden driver denied al-Qaida links
U.S. military prosecutors on Wednesday played an interrogation video that shows a driver for Osama bin Laden denying any connection to al-Qaida but also fretting that he is "finished."
Ukraine Jews want graves building halted
A Jewish group asked the Ukrainian government on Wednesday to stop construction on the site of a grave containing the remains of an estimated 26,000 victims of the Holocaust.
Venezuela, Belarus sign oil deal
Venezuela signed over three more oil fields to a joint venture with Belarus on Wednesday, with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declaring that the two nations were strongly united in their resistance to "U.S. imperialism" and Washington's "lackeys."
Woman charged with bludgeoning toddlers to death
A German woman was charged Wednesday with bludgeoning two toddlers to death with a hammer and seriously injuring their mother in a rampage in Sweden spurred by jealousy over an ex-boyfriend.
Karadzic's secret life enthralls his fellow Serbs
Radovan Karadzic sent word he plans to defend himself against U.N. genocide charges, but his fellow Serbs were more enthralled with details that emerged Wednesday about his secret life: a mistress, a bogus family in the U.S., and regular visits to the Madhouse bar and its photo of his beardless days as wartime leader of Bosnian Serbs.
Drug smugglers get record sentences in Ireland
A trio of English cocaine smugglers who were caught after putting the wrong fuel into their boat received the longest drug-related prison sentences in Irish history Wednesday.
DNA tests find stolen baby in Guatemala
DNA tests for the first time have confirmed that a baby was stolen from her mother and adopted for profit in Guatemala.
Beijing to set up special Olympic protest zones
China will allow a modicum of dissent at the Olympics, setting up special protest zones far from the main sports venues, in a shift that supporters and detractors said Wednesday is meant to safely channel criticism and avoid disrupting the games.
100 employees at French nuke site contaminated
The French electric company EDF says that 100 employees have been "slightly contaminated" by a leak at a reactor site in southern France.
Correction: Argentine Farm Crisis story
In a July 16 story before the Senate vote on President Cristina Fernandez's grain-export taxes, The Associated Press incorrectly reported the first name of a political analyst. His name is Ricardo Rouvier, not Roberto.
Pakistan warns of new nuclear arms race with India
Pakistan has warned a deal leading to increased Indian access to nuclear fuel could accelerate the atomic arms race between the rivals, according to a letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Iraqi presidential council rejects elections law
Iraq's presidential council on Wednesday rejected a draft provincial elections law and sent it back to parliament for reworking - a major blow to U.S. hopes that the vote can be held this year.
Iran praises US participation in nuclear talks
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the United States' participation in the latest round of nuclear talks is a step toward recognizing Tehran's right to acquire nuclear technology.
Why dope? Riders don't fear tests, rewards beckon
Cycling's image is in tatters, and authorities inside and outside the sport are being tougher than ever on doping. Yet it hasn't stopped the drug cheaters at the Tour de France.
Beijing Olympics broadcasting center evacuated
Hundreds were evacuated Wednesday from the massive building that will house broadcasting facilities for the Beijing Olympics, fearing there was a gas leak after people smelled a strong odor. But authorities later said it was a false alarm and the smell came from paint fumes in the ventilation system.
Correction: Guantanamo tribunal story
In a July 22 story about the war crimes tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, The Associated Press, based on a statement by the prosecutor, erroneously described witness Ali Soufan as an FBI agent. Soufan is a former FBI agent.
Video prompts Canadian soul-searching
Video footage of a young Canadian detainee being interrogated at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay has sparked a fierce debate among Canadians who worry whether the case is hurting their country's image.
Karadzic's capture signals big shift for Serbia
Just a few months ago, thugs outraged at Kosovo's independence set part of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on fire, and ultranationalists prepared to seize power.
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