Syria refuses further UN inspections
GEORGE JAHN  
A senior Syrian official has all but ruled out new visits by UN inspectors probing allegations that his country had a covert program with potential to make nuclear weapons.

Cheney's prosecutor rages against judge
CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN  
A county prosecutor who brought indictments this week against U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and others pounded his fist and shouted at the judge today during a routine hearing.

Teen commits suicide to Web audience
A South Florida college student killed himself by overdosing on drugs in front of a live online audience as some computer users egged him on, some debated his method, and others tried to talk him out of it.

Pirates reportedly rake in $150M a year
Joseph Mwihia  
Somali pirates have collected more than $150 million US in ransoms over the past year, Kenya's foreign affairs minister said today, calling on ship owners not to pay when their vessels are hijacked.

China blasts Dalai Lama as exiles meet
China launched a new verbal attack on the Dalai Lama's drive for Tibetan autonomy today, vowing not to compromise with leaders of the Tibetan exile community meeting to debate the future of their movement.

19,000 kids died in May quake, China admits
More than 19,000 students died in a massive earthquake that struck Sichuan province in May, China acknowledged Friday for the first time.

UN to boost Congo force
Todd Pitman  
The UN Security Council unanimously agreed yesterday to send 3,100 more peacekeeping troops to Congo, while rebels said they remained committed to a pullback from the front lines despite an army attack.

U.S. bailout flounders, Big Three criticized
DAVID M. HERSZENHORN  
Democratic congressional leaders yesterday said the executives of America's foundering automakers had failed miserably in persuading Congress or the public that $25 billion in aid from the government would be ...

Colombian protests reveal class rift
Dan Keane  
Police tear-gassed protesters yesterday as a crackdown on illegal investment schemes exposed class divisions in Colombian society.

Captors suspect Canadian `a spy'
Mohsin Abbas  
Taliban militants, suspected of abducting a Canadian freelance journalist in northern Pakistan last week, are holding her because they think she is a spy, according to officials in the region.

Black's bid for leniency will likely be opposed
Colin Perkel  
The former district attorney who put Conrad Black behind bars for cheating shareholders said yesterday prosecutors are highly likely to oppose the disgraced media mogul's request to U.S. President George ...

ikea recalls Window blinds
About 670,000 IKEA window blinds were recalled in the United States yesterday after a baby was strangled.

Space station turns 10, still growing
Marcia Dunn  
NASA couldn't have staged it any better: 10 people in orbit for yesterday's 10th anniversary of the world's most elaborate and expensive housing project, the International Space Station.

The world is waiting for Obama
Richard Gwyn  
Before it turns into history, it's worth taking a look back at last weekend's meeting on the economic crisis held in Washington by the G20 countries.

Mudslide buries houses in the Philippines
Officials in the southern Philippines say a mudslide triggered by days of heavy rain has buried houses, killing at least five people including children and leaving several others missing.

Intelligence report predicts 2025
PAMELA HESS  
Global warming could be a boon to Russia, a European country could be overrun by organized crime and the U.S. dollar – and the United States itself– could further decline in importance during the next ...