Newly enshrined among the world's great peacemakers, President Barack Obama offered a striking defense of war. Eleven months into his presidency, a fresh Obama doctrine. Evil must be vigorously opposed, he declared as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday. At the same time, he made an impassioned case for building a "just and lasting peace." Read More

World powers trying to end a standoff over Iran's nuclear program are weighing whether to meet next week to discuss tougher measures, a European Union official said Thursday as Russia reiterated its reluctance to agree to new sanctions. Read More

Honduras' coup-installed government says ousted leader Manuel Zelaya is free to leave the country, but there's a catch: Zelaya can't go as president, and he says he won't go as anything else. Read More

Argentina, a nation that prides itself on having more cattle than people, may soon be forced to import beef to keep its meat-loving citizens happy at the dinner table. Read More

Five young American Muslims arrested in Pakistan met with representatives of an al-Qaida-linked group and asked for training but were turned down because they lacked references from trusted militants, a Pakistani law enforcement official said Thursday. Read More

President Barack Obama's envoy to North Korea said Thursday that his trip to Pyongyang yielded a common understanding on the need to restart nuclear disarmament talks _ but no clear time frame on when the regime might return to the negotiations. Read More

Can a Barcelona truck driver be expected to speak like a Buenos Aires banker? Can rules be imposed on a language spoken by 400 million people stretching from Madrid to Manila? Read More

The gunman sentenced to 27 years for killing U.S. nun and Amazon rain forest activist Dorothy Stang has waived his right to a new trial, a prosecutor said Thursday. Read More

The failure of a new Russian intercontinental ballistic missile during testing was the cause of spectacular spiraling blue lights in the skies over northern Norway, analysts said Thursday. Read More

Iraq announced plans Thursday to move members of an Iranian opposition group to a former desert detention camp in a sharp escalation of pressure on a faction that poses complications for both Baghdad and Washington. Read More

Kurdish rebels on Thursday claimed responsibility for the ambush killing of seven Turkish soldiers, a Kurdish news agency said. The attack caused outrage and was seen as a blow to the government's efforts to reconcile with minority Kurds. Read More

Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday there are growing signs of religious freedom in Cuba and that there is an opportunity for reconciliation between the communist nation and the United States. Read More

Austria's parliament passed legislation Thursday allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, a move hailed by proponents as a historic win for gay rights in the country. Read More

The family of a man held at Guantanamo Bay for his alleged involvement in an attack on a Kenyan hotel and an attempt to bring down an airliner is suing the Kenyan government for $30 million in damages, claiming wrongful detainment and torture. Read More

A suicide bomber who killed 24 people last week at a university graduation ceremony in Somalia's capital was a Danish citizen of Somali descent, a top Somali government official told The Associated Press Thursday. Read More

Egypt has been digging trenches and installing metal sheets underground along its border with Gaza in an apparent attempt to curb smuggling into the Palestinian territory through tunnels, Gaza border guards and area residents said Thursday. Read More

Government-armed former militiamen wanted for murder and banditry took more than 70 villagers and children hostage Thursday from a southern Philippines village, demanding charges be dropped against them before they would free the captives. Read More

President Barack Obama said Thursday that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, set to start in 19 months, will be gradual and U.S. aid to that nation will last for years. Read More

President Barack Obama's decision to break with tradition and not follow the lead of past Nobel Peace Prize winners bewildered some Norwegians. Others thought he was being impolite. Read More

The prestigious Nobel Prizes are awarded annually on Dec. 10 in twin ceremonies in Stockholm and Oslo. Here is a look at this year's winners and their work: Read More