French foreign minister makes surprise trip to Baghdad
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is the highest-level French official to visit Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
- Warrant seeks Saddam Hussein's wife and daughter

British mosques teach civics to combat extremism
One curriculum in Bradford, a racially and religiously tense English town, teaches basic citizenship issues in order to reach vulnerable students.

Warnings were missed in U.S loan meltdown
Where Bernanke came from and how he formed his beliefs may explain his thinking early when markets began to tumble.

Clinton sees risks in rapid Iraq pullout
Senator Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, indicated that a withdrawal might take up to 20 months, adding, "This is not going to be easy or safe."

Peru sends army into quake area; toll at 540
Faced with looting by armed gangs, the Peruvian authorities have sent in soldiers to impose order.

New U.S. law may permit broader spying on citizens
The Bush administration might now be authorized to conduct spy operations that go well beyond wiretapping, Democratic congressional officials and other experts say.

Thai voters endorse new constitution, polls show
With the apparent success of the referendum pushed by the leaders of the coup last September, Thailand eases its way toward the end of nearly a year of military rule and into the messy politics of a democratic election.

Obituary: Michael Deaver, 69, Reagan confidant behind classic photo ops
Michael Deaver, who arranged some of Ronald Reagan's most memorable photographic backdrops for public consumption and privately gave the president blunt, sometimes contrarian advice, died Saturday at his home in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 69.

Mines in China that trapped 181 workers being pumped of water
Upset relatives demand answers as ordeal stretches to more than 48 hours after the Wen River burst a dike, flooding two mines southeast of Beijing.

Israel bars illegal asylum seekers from Darfur
Israel announced Sunday that it would no longer allow asylum seekers from Darfur who sneak across its border from Egypt to stay.

Letter from Washington: The right candidate, but the wrong time?
Senator Christopher Dodd has been experience and respect, but his bid for the presidency is a long shot at best, writes Albert R. Hunt

The rise of the modern roundabout
The modern roundabout's success in reducing congestion and accidents makes them not only remarkably efficient at managing traffic, but also unsung design stars.

Murals lend drama to a California prison
Six epic murals painted in the 1950s by a young inmate at San Quentin State Prison speak of their times with an almost cinematic grandeur, but are unknown to the outside world and face an uncertain fate if the prison is shut down.