News

Peace still words on paper for east Congo civilians

Three months after a peace accord in east Congo, armed groups are still killing and raping civilians, and fighting between the army and Rwandan rebels who did not sign the ceasefire has displaced thousands more refugees.

China train crash kills 66

Two passenger trains collided in eastern China on Monday, killing at least 66 people and injuring hundreds as carriages derailed and toppled into a ditch, state media said.

North Korea fetes torch with mass rally

The Olympic torch was paraded through the streets of Pyongyang to flag-waving masses on Monday with North Korea promising its main benefactor China an "astonishing" show certain to be free of protest.

California wildfire forces 1,000 people to evacuate

A wildfire that began along a popular hiking trail forced 1,000 people to evacuate their homes in the hills northeast of Los Angeles on Sunday, officials said.

U.S. army says kills 22 fighters in Baghdad attack

The U.S. military said on Monday it had killed 22 fighters who attacked an Iraqi checkpoint in northeastern Baghdad.

Pope appeals for peace in Somalia, Darfur, Burundi

Pope Benedict on Sunday appealed to the world not to forget the "tragic" conflicts in Somalia, Darfur and Burundi and called on authorities to "honour their commitments" to bring an end to the violence.

Rich get richer in Britain despite credit crunch

Britain's rich are getting richer despite the global credit crunch and are now worth more than 400 billion pounds.

London key as Brown's Labour faces elections test

Gordon Brown faces his first major electoral test as prime minister this week, battered by negative opinion polls, industrial unrest and simmering rebellion within his Labour Party.

Baghdad Green Zone blasted under cover of storm

Militants bombarded Baghdad's Green Zone with rockets on Sunday, taking advantage of the cover of a blinding dust storm to launch one of the heaviest strikes in weeks on the fortified compound.

Torch faces S.Korea protests and festivities in North

Protests and scuffles greeted the Olympic flame as it began a two-day journey on the divided Korean peninsula on Sunday along a route guarded by thousands of riot policeman wielding shields and truncheons.

Karzai escapes assassination bid

Afghan President Hamid Karzai escaped unhurt on Sunday from an assassination attempt by Taliban fighters who fired guns and rockets at an official celebration near the presidential palace in Kabul.

Human warming hobbles ancient climate cycle-study

Before humans began burning fossil fuels, there was an eons-long balance between carbon dioxide emissions and Earth's ability to absorb them, but now the planet can't keep up, scientists said on Sunday.

Virus outbreak in Chinese city kills 19 children

A virus outbreak in an eastern Chinese city has killed 19 children and left hundreds ill, spreading panic among residents, state media reported on Sunday nearly two months after the outbreak started.

Abbas downbeat on prospects for Mideast peace

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas came away disappointed from talks in Washington on Israeli-Palestinian peace and is pessimistic about prospects for a deal this year, aides said on Sunday.

Pregnancy, stoner comedies a hit at box office

A pair of new comedies aimed at distinctly different audiences took the top two spots at the weekend box office in North America, with Tina Fey's "Baby Mama" leading the charge.

Obama says won't debate Clinton before Indiana vote

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Sunday he would not hold another debate with rival Hillary Clinton until after the May 6 nominating contests in North Carolina and Indiana.