News
Japan and China keen to avoid 1998 Jiang visit rerun
Ten years after a disastrous visit to Japan by China's top leader dominated by their bitter wartime past, Beijing and Tokyo are keen to avoid a rerun that would risk damage to the deep economic ties between the Asian rivals.
Cruise ship runs aground off Latvian coast
A cruise ship with 984 people on board ran aground off the coast of Latvia on Sunday, the coast guard said.
U.S. rocket strike in Baghdad wounds 20
The U.S. military fired rockets at a target near a major hospital in eastern Baghdad on Saturday, wounding 20 people and damaging several ambulances, the head of the hospital said.
Johnson pledges to fight crime
Boris Johnson, fresh from being elected London's first Conservative mayor, pledged on Saturday to tackle crime and teenage delinquency as he prepared to replace Labour's Ken Livingstone in City Hall.
Plane with 4 Britons lost in Brazil
A small plane carrying six people, including four British businessmen, has disappeared along Brazil's northeastern coast, a Brazilian airline said on Saturday.
McCanns convinced Madeleine alive
The parents of Madeleine McCann remain convinced their daughter is still alive after she went missing from a sleepy Portuguese holiday resort a year ago, they said on Saturday.
Royal fiancée renounces Catholic faith
The fiancée of a member of the Royal Family has renounced her Catholic faith, which effectively allows her future husband to stay in line to the throne.
Christian party loses 'censorship' case against BBC
The Christian Choice Party has lost a case against the BBC in which it accused the broadcasting company of censoring its message concerning Muslims.
America's oldest Ecumenical Council of Churches installs new head
The Rev. A.R. Bernard, founding senior pastor of Christian Cultural Center, was officiated as the new president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, USA Thursday night, during an installation service where speakers called for the revival of the Church.
Muslim Rebels Expel Over 1,000 Christians from Village
Muslim rebels drove off more than 1,000 Christians from a southern Philippine farming village and took over their land, the guerillas and a mayor said Friday.
Mugabe to contest Zimbabwe run-off
Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe accepted that the opposition's Morgan Tsvangirai won more votes in the presidential election and will contest a run-off in a political battle that has raised fears of bloodshed.
China condemns Dalai Lama ahead of planned talks
Beijing lambasted the Dalai Lama as a criminal on Saturday as representatives of the exiled Buddhist leader headed for a meeting in southern China on the most serious unrest in Tibet for nearly two decades.
Abbas sends forces to north West Bank in security push
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's security forces began deploying to the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Saturday for a law-and-order campaign meant to show the government is laying the ground for statehood.
U.S. reportedly weighs thousands more troops for Afghan war
The Pentagon is considering sending up to 7,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year to make up for a shortfall in contributions from NATO allies, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
Southeast Asia to cooperate over food security
Southeast Asia nations meeting in Bali have agreed to cooperate over the rice market, Malaysia's trade minister said on Saturday, as rocketing prices shock a region where the grain is a core part of most meals.
Chavez best hope for Colombia's Betancourt
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is the best hope for successfully negotiating the release of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and other hostages held by leftist Colombian guerrillas, her husband said on Friday.