Bomb attacks kill more than 65 in Baghdad
Meanwhile, the largest Sunni political bloc in Parliament followed through on a threat to walk out of the coalition cabinet that is trying to unify the country.
- Democrats delay Iraq votes in Congress

Obama says he favors U.S. strikes on Al Qaeda in Pakistan if warranted
In his second major foreign policy address, the Democratic presidential candidate says that the United States should shift its focus from the war in Iraq to a fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

UN force for Darfur takes shape
Africans would contribute the majority of the 26,000 troops in the mission, which is to be in place by year-end.
- UN backs Brown's call for action on Darfur

Ripple effects from U.S. mortgage crisis hit Pacific Rim markets
Despite a massive sell-off in Asia, losses were more modest in Europe and on Wall Street.

Bodies of 4 kidnapped Afghan judges found
The bodies of four Afghan judges kidnapped 10 days ago were found Wednesday in Ghazni Province, south of Kabul, where 21 South Korean hostages are being held by the Taliban.

Mugabe's decree on prices puts Zimbabwe economy in a tailspin
Essentials like bread, sugar and cornmeal, staples of every Zimbabwean's diet, have vanished.

Train, p***s and automobiles: A right mess for British transport
Britons are in a foul mood about air and other essential branches of the transportation system: rail, the roads and the Tube.

Chinese rescuers pull out miners who were trapped for more than 3 days
Onlookers burst into applause as 69 coal miners who were trapped in a flooded shaft for more than three days were pulled out Wednesday, in a rare rescue from the world's deadliest mines.

Gazprom to reduce gas supplies to Belarus unless bill is paid
The Russian energy giant, claiming that Belarus hasn't paid an outstanding gas bill of $456 million, said it would trim gas supplies to to the former Soviet state starting Friday.

Recalling torture in a Libya jail
In the yard of the Bulgarian presidential residence, in the foothills of Vitosha Mountain, Ashraf al-Hazouz took two hours to recount his years of captivity in Libya, torture and his need to air his grievance. Hazouz is one of seven medical workers arrested in 1999 on charges of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV.

British Airways and Korean Air Lines fined by regulators for price-fixing
U.S. officials said the two also were involved in a conspiracy with Lufthansa to fix charges for international cargo shipments.

Gulf culture emerges as new voice of Arab world
The cultural rise of the Gulf is analogous to that of the U.S. South in recent decades, as country singers and Southern cooking have become part of broader pop culture. Much like the Southern drawl, the Gulf accent has fast entered the mainstream.

French town rebuilds frigate of U.S. revolutionary war hero
The Hermione carried the Marquis de Lafayette to Boston in 1780. A painstakingly created replica may be launched in 2011.

Hybrids better for the environment than for your wallet
Despite being cleaner-running and more efficient, hybrids don't make sense financially, even after several years of ownership.