Palestinian election officials on Thursday recommended calling off January's presidential election, a step that could result in embattled President Mahmoud Abbas staying in office indefinitely. Read More

A Jewish-American extremist charged Thursday with shooting to death two Palestinians and trying to kill others with explosive devices and poison said he had no regrets and was sure God approved of his actions. Read More

Two Swiss businessmen arrested in Libya amid a spat with Switzerland involving leader Moammar Gadhafi's son, are to go on trial on accusations of tax evasion and violating residency laws, a Foreign Ministry official said Thursday. Read More

A struggle over how to manage South Africa's state-owned power company has opened debates on racism in the boardroom and political meddling in a country where politics and race remain a volatile mix. Read More

An Iranian opposition leader said Thursday that the country is making sweeping changes to its security apparatus in an effort to consolidate the power of the elite Revolutionary Guard. Read More

Diplomats say Iran built its recently revealed uranium enrichment facility in fits and starts, with construction beginning seven years ago. Read More

A police official says 15 people _ 13 of them women _ were killed when a gold mine caved in on them in western Ghana. Read More

Diplomats say Iran began building its recently revealed enrichment facility seven years ago. Read More

Italy's top security official said Thursday that authorities have smashed an international terror cell with the arrest in Italy and elsewhere in Europe of 17 Algerians who were raising money to finance terrorism. Read More

President Barack Obama has left Washington on his first major trip to Asia, where a surging China and newly assertive Japan are threatening to upend America's longtime role as keeper of the peace and trader-in-chief. Read More

Denmark sent invitations Thursday to 191 world leaders to attend next month's U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen, officials said. Read More

Thousands of mourners lit candles, sang hymns and prayed in East Timor on Thursday, honoring the victims of a massacre of pro-independence demonstrators by Indonesian troops 18 years ago. Read More

Tens of thousands of well-wishers lined the streets of Tokyo on Thursday for a parade on the 20th anniversary of the coronation of Emperor Akihito, who urged Japanese not to forget the lessons of World War II. Read More

Significant progress has been made in removing land mines around the world, but the hidden devices killed more than 1,260 people last year, the International Campaign to Ban Land mines said Thursday. Read More

Bosnian Serb war criminal Biljana Plavsic said Thursday the success of Bosnia's Serb Republic helped her survive her years in jail, but she does not plan to return to politics. Read More

Sri Lanka's top general, who led the battle to crush the Tamil Tiger rebels and ended the island's 30-year civil war, resigned from his post Thursday but declined to discuss his future plans. Read More

Three men of Pakistani origin denied any wrongdoing Thursday as they went on trial over an alleged plot to stage suicide attacks in Barcelona on orders from the Pakistan Taliban. Read More

Italy's parliament was considering a controversial bill Thursday that would limit the length of trials, with critics saying it was drafted to help Premier Silvio Berlusconi with his legal problems. Read More

Gunmen killed a Pakistani working at the Iranian Consulate in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday, adding to security fears in the country as it presses an offensive against the Taliban along the nearby Afghan border. Read More

A Norwegian freelance journalist kidnapped a week ago in eastern Afghanistan was released Thursday along with his Afghan interpreter, the Foreign Ministry said. Read More