U.S. National News

Middle East News

• Saudi Arabia could help in Hariri case AP - 11 minutes ago

  UNITED NATIONS - Lebanon's pro-Syrian parliament speaker has asked Saudi Arabia to host a meeting to resolve a dispute over an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, the U.N. chief said Thursday.

• Sen. Pelosi visits Saudi Arabia AP - 26 minutes ago

  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Saudi Arabia's unelected advisory council Thursday, the closest thing in the kingdom to a legislature, where she tried out her counterpart's chair — a privilege no Saudi woman can have because women cannot become legislators.

• British sailors, marines home from Iran AP - 1 hour, 24 minutes ago

  ROYAL MARINE BASE CHIVENOR, England - A Royal Navy crew broke into applause after landing on British soil Thursday, basking in relief shared by a nation after their release from 13 days of captivity in Iran. The British Broadcasting Corp., meanwhile, reported that one of the British naval crew held in Iran was kept in solitary confinement.

• Analysis: Hope for more Iran compromises AP - 1 hour, 49 minutes ago

  Iran's abrupt release of 15 British sailors and marines is raising hopes the country might compromise on other disputes, most notably its nuclear program.

• Ambush kills 4 British troops in Iraq AP - 2 hours, 2 minutes ago

  BAGHDAD - Four British soldiers were killed Thursday in an ambush in southern Iraq, and Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tehran's support for Iraqi militants could lead Britain "to reflect on our relationship with Iran."

Europe News

• British navy crew arrives home from Iran AP - 9 minutes ago

  ROYAL MARINE BASE CHIVENOR, England - Fifteen Royal Navy sailors and marines held captive by Iran returned home Thursday to a nation relieved at their freedom but outraged that they were used for propaganda by Tehran.

• Over 70 injured as Paris train hits buffer AFP - 1 hour, 2 minutes ago

  PARIS (AFP) - More than 70 people were injured on Thursday, with broken noses, cracked ribs and sprains, when a train carrying hundreds of rush-hour commuters smacked into the rail buffer of a Paris station.

• Airbus neck and neck with Boeing on first quarter orders AFP - 1 hour, 18 minutes ago

  PARIS (AFP) - Airbus received a total of 134 orders in the first quarter of 2007, putting it neck and neck with US arch-rival Boeing, after having been knocked off its perch by the US company last year, according to a newsletter published on Thursday.

• Three charged over London 2005 suicide bombings AFP - 1 hour, 21 minutes ago

  LONDON (AFP) - British prosecutors charged three suspects Thursday over the July 7, 2005 suicide bombings in London which killed 52 commuters, the first indictments since the horrific attacks.

• UEFA opens investigation into Rome crowd trouble AFP - 1 hour, 26 minutes ago

  GENEVA (AFP) - European football's governing body, UEFA, has launched an investigation into the crowd violence which marred the Champions League quarter final between AS Roma and Manchester United on Wednesday.

Latin America

• Ecuador court ratifies lawmakers' ouster AP - Thu Apr 5, 1:05 AM ET

  QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuador's constitutional court late Wednesday upheld a decision by the country's electoral tribunal to fire more than half of the politically unstable nation's legislature.

• Guyana: Kerik's security job delayed AP - Wed Apr 4, 10:18 PM ET

  GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik has apparently postponed plans to work as a security consultant for two Caribbean countries because of unresolved legal troubles, Guyana's interior minister said Wednesday.

• Mexican driver faces homicide charge AP - Wed Apr 4, 9:50 PM ET

  MONTERREY, Mexico - The driver of a tractor-trailer that lost its brakes and killed nine people has been charged with homicide after testing positive for drugs, authorities said Wednesday.

• Argentine teachers clash with police AP - Wed Apr 4, 9:48 PM ET

  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentina's main teachers' union called for a one-day national strike next week after protesting colleagues seeking higher pay clashed with riot police in two provinces Wednesday.

• Chilean students clash with police AP - Wed Apr 4, 8:58 PM ET

  SANTIAGO, Chile - Police on Wednesday used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesting students in the Chilean capital of Santiago, and detained nearly 100 people.

Africa News

• ECOWAS to deploy largest observer team yet for Nigerian poll AFP - 29 minutes ago

  ABUJA (AFP) - West African bloc ECOWAS will deploy its largest observer mission yet during Nigeria's April 14 and 21 general election, an official statement by the body said Thursday.

• Rice deputy set to visit Sudan, Libya over Darfur Reuters - 51 minutes ago

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department's No. 2 official will visit Sudan and Libya next week to discuss the crisis in Darfur as Washington threatens tough new measures against Khartoum, the State Department said on Thursday.

• US deputy secretary of state to visit Africa over Darfur crisis AFP - 1 hour, 46 minutes ago

  WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Darfur on a visit to Sudan, Chad, Libya and Mauritania next week, US officials said Thursday.

• Creeping dunes threaten African nation AP - 1 hour, 54 minutes ago

  CHINGUETTI, Mauritania - On nights when the wind hisses across the dunes, the old man sits on his straw mat, draws a blanket around his shoulders and counts his dwindling money.

• AU demands inquiry into Darfur peacekeeper deaths Reuters - Thu Apr 5, 1:27 PM ET

  ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The African Union (AU) condemned on Thursday the killing of five Senegalese peacekeepers in Darfur and criticized Sudan for imposing restrictions on the overstretched peacekeeping operation.

Asia News

• US busts Asian network seeking arms for Tamil Tigers AFP - 13 minutes ago

  WASHINGTON (AFP) - US authorities said Thursday they had busted an arms-trafficking gang, arresting six Asians who had been trying to smuggle weapons from the United States to Tamil Tiger rebels.

• Talk of Bhutto return in Pakistan AP - 18 minutes ago

  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Under growing pressure to restore democracy, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf appears to be trying to reach a deal with the exiled former premier who heads Pakistan's largest political party.

• Singapore man accused in shipping scheme AP - 24 minutes ago

  WASHINGTON - A Singapore businessman was held without bond Thursday after a federal prosecutor called him "the ringleader" in shipping closely guarded U.S. computer technology to India for use in missiles and other weapon systems.

• Tainted pet food could be sold in China AP - 1 hour, 41 minutes ago

  BEIJING - A Chinese company accused of selling chemical-tainted wheat gluten linked to the pet food deaths of cats and dogs in the U.S. said Thursday that most of its sales are domestic, raising the possibility that people or animals in China might have been exposed to the chemical.

• Singapore ministers set for million-dollar pay hike Reuters - 1 hour, 47 minutes ago

  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The salary of the prime minister of Singapore is more than three times that of U.S. President George Bush and about four times that of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But that is not enough.

Canada

• Conservatives increase poll lead Reuters - Thu Apr 5, 1:24 PM ET

  OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Conservatives have boosted their lead over the official opposition Liberals but do not have enough support to guarantee a majority of seats in Parliament, according to a poll released on Thursday.

• Canada to remove mistake-ridden WWI exhibit Reuters - 57 minutes ago

  OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will remove the French-language exhibit at a major military memorial after a reporter discovered it was riddled with grammatical errors, Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said on Thursday.

• Canadian woman sues over false cancer diagnosis Reuters - 45 minutes ago

  OTTAWA (Reuters) - A Canadian woman who went through six months of chemotherapy after falsely being told she had cancer is suing the doctor who made the wrong diagnosis, CBC television said on Thursday.

• Canada refuses foreign tobacco appeal on lawsuit Reuters - Thu Apr 5, 11:23 AM ET

  OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Supreme Court of Canada slammed the door shut on Thursday on foreign tobacco companies' efforts to be excluded from the province of British Columbia's suit to recover billions of dollars in costs for treating smoking diseases.

• Menu Foods expands pet food recall Reuters - 1 hour, 3 minutes ago

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Menu Foods has expanded its recall of dog and cat foods to include products with an earlier production date and 20 more varieties, the company said on Thursday.

Australia/Antarctica News

• Australian army officer charged over rocket-launcher sales AFP - Thu Apr 5, 10:20 AM ET

  SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian police Thursday charged two men, including an army captain, with stealing military rocket launchers, some of which ended up in the hands of a suspected terrorist, officers said.

• Australian officer arrested over rocket-launcher sales AFP - Thu Apr 5, 3:16 AM ET

  SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian police Thursday arrested three men including an army captain suspected of stealing military rocket launchers, some of which ended up in the hands of a suspected terrorist, officers said.

• Troubled East Timor to vote for new president AFP - Thu Apr 5, 3:07 AM ET

  DILI (AFP) - A low-key former resistance fighter and a high-profile Nobel laureate are strong contenders for the presidency in East Timor, where voters will cast ballots Monday in a poll shadowed by violence.

• Gusmao warns of violence in Timor vote AFP - Wed Apr 4, 12:03 PM ET

  DILI, East Timor (AFP) - East Timor President Xanana Gusmao warned Wednesday of violence during next Monday's election to choose his successor.

• Hicks may be able to speak to media AP - Wed Apr 4, 1:31 AM ET

  CANBERRA, Australia - A gag order preventing an Australian who was held for five years at Guantanamo Bay from talking to the media for a year likely could not be enforced once he returns to Australia, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said.

• Cruise ship off Greek island evacuated AP - Thu Apr 5, 1:05 PM ET

  ATHENS, Greece - A listing cruise ship carrying nearly 1,600 people was evacuated safely Thursday after it struck rocks and began taking on water off the Greek island of Santorini, authorities said.

• Eritrea bans female circumcision Reuters - Thu Apr 5, 11:10 AM ET

  ASMARA (Reuters) - Eritrea has banned female circumcision, a life-threatening tradition that aid groups say afflicts some 90 percent of the country's women.

• British sailors, marines home from Iran AP - 1 hour, 24 minutes ago

  ROYAL MARINE BASE CHIVENOR, England - A Royal Navy crew broke into applause after landing on British soil Thursday, basking in relief shared by a nation after their release from 13 days of captivity in Iran. The British Broadcasting Corp., meanwhile, reported that one of the British naval crew held in Iran was kept in solitary confinement.

• US House speaker gets tour of all-male Saudi council AFP - Thu Apr 5, 10:15 AM ET

  RIYADH (AFP) - US House speaker Nancy Pelosi sat in the speaker's chair on Thursday on a visit to conservative Saudi Arabia's all-male advisory council and said her talks with King Abdullah centered on his Middle East peace plan.

• Ukraine's leaders trade threats, crisis deepens Reuters - Thu Apr 5, 12:41 PM ET

  KIEV (Reuters) - A power struggle between Ukraine's president and prime minister deepened on Thursday with both men refusing to back down over a new election and threatening each other with prosecution.

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