2 Western journalists killed as Syria shells Homs
BEIRUT -- A French photojournalist and a prominent American war correspondent working for a British newspaper were killed Wednesday as Syrian forces intensely shelled the opposition stronghold of Homs. President Bashar Assad's regime also escalated attacks on rebel bases elsewhere, with helicopter gunships strafing areas in the northwest, activists said.
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Italy: Divers find 4 more bodies in ship wreckage
ROME -- Italian authorities say divers searching the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship have spotted four more bodies in a submerged section of a passenger deck.
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7 killed in Afghan protests over Quran burning
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Interior Ministry on Wednesday said seven people were killed in clashes between Afghan security forces and protesters demonstrating against the burning of Muslim holy books at a NATO military base.
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Pope marks Ash Wednesday
ROME -- Pope Benedict XVI has led a solemn service to mark the start of the Lenten season of penitence, including the placement of ashes on the forehead of faithful.
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Egyptian court to rule in Mubarak trial on June 2
CAIRO -- An Egyptian judge has set June 2 as the date for the verdict and sentencing in the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak.
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Argentine train slams into station, killing 49
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, killing 49 people and injuring hundreds of morning commuters in Argentina's worst train accident in decades.
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Greek lawmakers rush to clear promised austerity
ATHENS, Greece -- Greece scrambled Wednesday to push through a batch of emergency laws that will further cut incomes and state spending, a day after securing a new bailout and debt relief deal designed to stave off bankruptcy.
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US, NKorea to hold first post-Kim Jong Il talks
BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. and North Korea reopen nuclear talks Thursday that will provide a glimpse into where Pyongyang's opaque government is heading after Kim Jong Il's death and test its readiness to dismantle nuclear programs for much-needed aid.
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Rising powers: China, Turkey sign deals
ISTANBUL -- On matters of trade and ambition, Turkey and China are kindred spirits. A visit to Turkey this week by China's vice president symbolized the growth of an alliance between two rising powers with booming economies -- but they differ sharply over how to end the bloodshed in Syria.
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UK court rejects Occupy London eviction challenge
LONDON -- Occupy London protesters braced for eviction Wednesday after a court ruled that local authorities can remove their four-month-old camp from outside St. Paul's Cathedral.
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UN nuke agency reports failed Iran talks
VIENNA -- The U.N. nuclear agency acknowledged renewed failure Wednesday after a trip to probe suspicions of covert Iranian nuclear weapons work, in a statement issued just hours after an Iranian general warned of a pre-emptive strike against any foe threatening the country.
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Australia's foreign minister resigns amid dispute
CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia's foreign minister resigned Wednesday amid an ongoing leadership squabble, saying he could not continue in his role without the support of Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
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Witness: Explosions heard in north Nigeria city
KANO, Nigeria -- Multiple explosions rocked Nigeria's second-largest city, witnesses said Wednesday, just over a month after a radical Islamist sect claimed an attack there that left at least 185 people dead.
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Inmates start fire inside Mexico prison
MONTERREY, Mexico -- Inmates set fire to mattresses and trash Tuesday after officials announced that three prisoners would be moved from the prison where 44 gangs members were massacred this week to a maximum security jail in western Mexico.
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Jamaica gang feuds driving rise in murder rate
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Jamaica is developing a new policy to battle crime as gang violence drives the homicide rate higher, the country's top security official said Tuesday.
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Company sues Apple over iPad name in Shanghai
SHANGHAI -- A Chinese company fighting Apple Inc. over its use of the iPad trademark in China took its complaints to a Shanghai court Wednesday, though it says it is willing to talk about a settlement.
