U.S. special envoy Richard C. Holbrooke acknowledged Thursday that the war in Afghanistan in unpopular, given "the legacy of Iraq and Vietnam," but he predicted that NATO allies will soon contribute more forces to join the 30,000 additional U.S. troops being deployed there. Read More

Italian officials unveiled new discoveries Thursday in an ancient Roman luxury complex filled with priceless mosaics, elegant porticos and thermal baths. Read More

A float plane crashed off Canada's Pacific coast, killing six people, including a Vancouver doctor and her six month-old baby, as well as two American residents. Two people on board survived. Read More

In an electric four-hour solo performance on live television, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he will think about whether to reclaim the presidency _ one of the strongest signals yet that he may run again for Russia's top office in 2012. Read More

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday he's willing to talk with the Taliban chief in a bid to bring peace to the country if the move would have the backing of the United States and other international partners. Read More

India will significantly slow the growth of its climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions over the next decade as its economy keeps expanding, an official said Thursday ahead of world climate change talks. Read More

A male suicide bomber dressed as a woman attacked a university graduation ceremony Thursday in a small part of the capital still under government control, killing up to 19 people, including three Cabinet ministers and three journalists. Read More

Iraqi officials say a suicide bomber has killed at least five people in Saddam Hussein's hometown, including the chief of riot police. Read More

Afghanistan's president says he's willing to talk with the Taliban chief in a bid to bring peace to the country. Read More

A blast at a gas station in a Damascus suburb killed three people Thursday, gutting the back of an empty bus and blowing out nearby windows, officials said. Read More

Defiant West Bank settler leaders rejected a personal plea from the prime minister Thursday to respect a government-ordered construction freeze in their communities, vowing to keep confronting security forces sent to enforce the edict. Read More

The Dutch navy captured 13 pirates off the coast of Oman after they attacked a merchant ship, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. Read More

A Chinese court sentenced five more people to death Thursday for killing a police officer with a brick, kicking bystanders to death and other crimes committed during ethnic riots that rocked the western region of Xinjiang in July. Read More

Key allied pledges to the NATO-led international force in Afghanistan, in addition to the deployment of 30,000 U.S. reinforcements announced by President Barack Obama. Read More

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan worked to sell the new American strategy for the country to Afghan parliamentarians Thursday, promising that international troops will not start leaving until national security forces are ready to take over. Read More

A group of Nepalese ministers reached the Mount Everest region Thursday for a Cabinet meeting being billed as the highest ever _ a stunt meant to highlight the threat global warming poses to Himalayan glaciers. Read More

An appeals court in Greece has cleared three suspected members of a far-left terrorist group that was blamed for more than 30 attacks on American targets, citing insufficient evidence. Read More

Somali Information Minister: Blast caused by suicide bomber disguised in women's clothing. Read More

Pakistan's prime minister Thursday signaled his country's cautious response to President Barack Obama's new policy for Pakistan and Afghanistan by declining to endorse the U.S.-led troop surge. Read More

The newly elected chemical weapons chief says he will pursue the last seven holdouts _ including Israel, Egypt and Syria _ to get them to sign a disarmament treaty and submit weapons stockpiles for inspection. Read More