Russian investigators have defended their treatment of a lawyer whose death in a Moscow prison last week has prompted deep concern and criticism. Read More

The African Union's Somalia envoy said Wednesday donors have released only 30 percent of funds they pledged months ago toward bolstering Somalia's security, frustrating efforts to turnaround the lawless country. Read More

Somali officials say two foreign journalists kidnapped last year have been freed. Read More

Somali officials say two foreign journalists kidnapped last year have been freed. Read More

Israel agreed to a 10-month halt in construction in its West Bank settlements on Wednesday, drawing an immediate rejection from Palestinians because the freeze did not include east Jerusalem. Read More

On the eve of the first anniversary of the deadly terror attacks that paralyzed Mumbai for 60 terrifying hours, groups around the city held vigils, calling for police reform and painting murals to remember the 166 killed. Read More

When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met in Washington this week with President Barack Obama, the White House lavished attention on the unassuming, bookish Indian leader. There was a state dinner. There were movie stars. There was a chandelier-filled tent packed with powerful Americans chatting up powerful Indians. There was talk that the two nations had forged "one of the defining relationships" of the century. Read More

One of Africa's most brutal rebel movements relies on a vast, international network of supporters in at least 25 countries including in the United States and Europe, a United Nations report said. Read More

The Taliban's reclusive leader ruled out talks with President Hamid Karzai and called on Afghans on Wednesday to break off relations with his "stooge" administration. Read More

Pakistan charged seven men in last year's Mumbai attacks on Wednesday, its first indictment in a case being monitored by India and the United States to see if Islamabad makes good on promises to bring those responsible to justice. Read More

A global network of aid agencies on Wednesday called on governments to do more to reduce the impact natural disasters caused by climate change will have on poor countries. Read More

The prison chief being tried for running a torture center for the Khmer Rouge was only following orders and did nothing that scores of colleagues didn't also do, his lawyer said Wednesday, seeking to rebut popular calls for his client to receive the maximum possible punishment. Read More

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Germany's foreign minister urged Iran Wednesday to shift from nuclear confrontation to cooperation, with the German official warning Tehran only had limited time to avoid possible new U.N. sanctions. Read More

The ruined theater under the Acropolis where the works of Euripides and other classical playwrights were first performed some 2,500 years ago will undergo partial restoration over the next six years, Greek officials said Wednesday . Read More

Iran and Libya, not Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime, were Britain's main security concerns before the invasion of Iraq, Foreign Office officials testified Wednesday at an inquiry probing Britain's role in the war. Read More

Islamic religious authorities have begun tightening their grip on Iranian public schools, a report said Wednesday, as hard-liners expand an ideological "soft war" against Western influence. Read More

When Iran holds state-run ceremonies this week for an important Islamic feast day, there will be one very noticeable change: former President Hashemi Rafsanjani will not be leading the prayers. Read More

A wedding was called off because international troops killed the groom. A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a police patrol. An old woman was beaten by the Taliban after she tried to stop them from taking her son. Read More

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday that several NATO nations will jointly offer 5,000 more troops for Afghanistan, as London and Washington push allies to take on a greater share of the war burden. Read More

What does it mean to be French? Read More