South African miners strike to improve safety
South Africa's crucial mining sector was hit Tuesday by the biggest strike in two decades as tens of thousands of workers stayed home to protest poor safety conditions.

British teacher Gibbons 'very sorry' she had to leave Sudan over teddy bear
Gillian Gibbons said upon arriving in London from Sudan after she that she was "just an ordinary middle-aged primary school teacher" and said she could never have anticipated the international incident triggered by her letting her pupils name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Bush says Iran report is a 'warning signal'
President George W. Bush said Tuesday that a new intelligence finding that Iran halted its nuclear weapons work in 2003 had not lessened his concerns about Iran, and that the report did not provide grounds for reassurance.
- Israel parts with U.S. on Iran assessment
- News Analysis: New intelligence report transforms U.S. debate over Iran
- Question marks galore about Iran's nuclear program

EU talking tougher about weak dollar
But it is unclear whether the latest chorus of complaints from France, Germany and Italy heralds an actual shift in European policy.

A call to Putin puts Sarkozy at odds with his EU allies
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has telephoned President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his victory in the Russian parliamentary elections.

For Rudd, hard part comes after Kyoto
In his first act as prime minister, Kevin Rudd signed on to the climate change agreement, but the feel-good factor may fade once the country has to make some tough decisions, particularly about its use, and export, of coal.

Kidnappers demand that Britain leave Iraq
Kidnappers who seized five Britons last May demanded that British forces be pulled from Iraq, in a video broadcast Tuesday that showed a haggard man sitting under a sign reading "The Islamic Shiite Resistance in Iraq."

Vulnerable Democrats fear drag of a Clinton ticket
Democratic lawmakers in some Republican-leaning districts think having Hillary Clinton as the presidential nominee might do them more harm than good.

Hubble telescope to get one more refurbishment
In a final service call on the Hubble telescope, spacewalking astronauts will repair or replace key components, allowing it to function through 2013.

Letter from the Middle East: Between matrimony and something else
With unemployment high and wages low, many young Muslims can't afford a wedding. But "pleasure" marriage is always an option.

Oil tensions for natives in Alaska
The traditions of the Inupiat, natives of the arid north coast of Alaska, are coming into conflict with one of the modern world's urgent priorities: finding more oil.

Unhappy? Self-critical? Maybe you're just a perfectionist
Several recent studies stand as a warning against taking the platitudes of achievement too seriously.