Mexico's brightest leave time capsule
AP Photo
Mexico's president replaced a 1791 time capsule discovered atop Mexico City's cathedral with a new one containing messages from golf star Lorena Ochoa, novelist Carlos Fuentes and a boy genius.
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US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 476
As of Friday, July 18, 2008, at least 476 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures July 12 at 10 a.m. EDT.
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,124
As of Friday, July 18, 2008, at least 4,124 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
Pope apologizes for clergy sexual abuse
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Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday said he was "deeply sorry' for the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy in Australia, describing the offenses as evil and a grave betrayal of trust.
Bush agrees to time 'horizon' on Iraq troop cuts
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President Bush and Iraq's prime minister have agreed to set a "general time horizon" for bringing more U.S. troops home from the war, a dramatic shift from the administration's once-ironclad unwillingness to talk about any kind of deadline or timetable.
Haiti's Voodoo pilgrims pray for future
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Every year, Haitians crowd into the basin of a sacred waterfall to relax and pray for a better future. This time, they asked for relief from soaring food prices and rampant unemployment.
Iraq crackdown focuses on arms smuggling from Iran
AP Photo
With al-Qaida falling away, U.S. forces in Iraq are turning their attention to another front: the Iranian border. They aim to crack down on weapon smuggling from Iran by tightening the frontier with Iraq's neighbor to the east, a U.S. commander told The Associated Press on Friday.
Afghans free journalist who took execution pics
An Afghan journalist who contributes to The Associated Press was freed Friday after his pictures and video footage of two women brazenly executed by the Taliban led intelligence officials to hold him for questioning for two days.
Military prepares for war crimes trial at Gitmo
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A jury of military officers is traveling to Guantanamo Bay this weekend as part of final preparations for the first U.S. war crimes trial since World War II.
Nelson Mandela responds to reporters' questions
Highlights from Nelson Mandela's interview Friday with reporters at his 90th birthday celebration:
Brazilian police say 8 die in raid at Shantytown
Brazilian police say at least eight alleged drug traffickers were killed during a raid in a Rio de Janeiro shantytown.
South African reported to be new UN rights chief
The United Nations chief told rights advocates Friday that his choice to be the next U.N. human rights commissioner is a South African judge who was the first black woman to serve on her country's High Court, the director of Human Rights Watch said.
2 French aid workers kidnapped in Afghanistan
Two French humanitarian workers were kidnapped at gunpoint Friday in Afghanistan and spirited out of the house they were sleeping in, the aid group Action Against Hunger and the French Foreign Ministry said.
Dutch court voids language test for some migrants
A Dutch court punched a hole in toughened immigration restrictions, ruling an illiterate Moroccan woman cannot be required to pass a Dutch language test to join her husband in the Netherlands.
Mandela beams at grandchildren's 'Happy Birthday'
AP Photo
Nelson Mandela sat beaming in a yellow armchair, his legs propped up on a large stool and covered with a pale yellow blanket. Ten grandchildren crowded around to serenade him with "Happy Birthday" and then smothered him with hugs and kisses.
Mexico to honor Sen. Kennedy on immigrant rights
The Mexican government is honoring U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy for his defense of immigrant rights. Mexico announced Friday it will award Kennedy the Aguila Azteca, the highest honor the government can bestow on foreign dignitaries.
Iraqi opinions on Obama's planned visit
Some comments from around Iraq on Sen. Barack Obama's expected visit:
Baghdad family's woes far from Obama spotlight
There is a Baghdad that Sen. Barack Obama probably won't see.
Arab League to discuss charges facing Sudan's prez
Arab foreign ministers are expected to discuss a proposal Saturday calling on Sudan's president to hand over two Darfur war crimes suspects to an international tribunal in an effort to fend off the longtime leader's own prosecution on genocide charges, Arab diplomats said.
Cambodia: Near shootout in dispute on Thai border
AP
A Cambodian general said Friday that his troops and Thai soldiers engaged in a tense armed confrontation when Cambodian monks sought to celebrate Buddhist lent near a temple in a disputed border area.
Saudis praised for calling interfaith conference
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Saudi Arabia won praise Friday for taking a leading role in an interfaith conference, with participants saying it was another sign the conservative Muslim kingdom is opening up.
Spanish court agrees to review Nazi guard lawsuit
Spain's National Court agreed Friday to review evidence in a lawsuit filed against four alleged former Nazi concentration camp guards.
Rome begins Gypsy census without fingerprints
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City officials and Italian Red Cross workers began a census of Rome's Gypsy population but said Friday that they will not participate in a national push to fingerprint all Gypsies unless they encounter someone suspected of a crime.
2 French aid workers kidnapped in Afghanistan
French aid group Action Against Hunger says two of its workers have been kidnapped in Afghanistan and are believed to still be alive.
Senior US envoy joins Iran nuclear talks
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A senior U.S. envoy will sit eye-to-eye for the first time Saturday with a top Iranian nuclear negotiator, a sharp reversal in U.S. policy that aims to entice Tehran into ending activities that could be used to make atomic weapons.
Experts offer advice on quake rebuilding
Two months after an earthquake ravaged much of Sichuan province, workers are diligently salvaging bricks to restore a 6th century Taoist temple damaged in the disaster.
Economies slow as inflation catches up with Europe
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It took a few months. But the economic woes touched off by soaring oil prices and the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States are finally engulfing Europe.
Some examples of inflation's impact on Europeans
Some examples of Europeans' pain from rising energy and food costs:
Argentina's president drops export tax hike
President Cristina Fernandez canceled a widely protested farm export tax hike on Friday following months of protest and a stunning rejection by the Senate.
Argentina's president drops export tax hike
President Cristina Fernandez canceled a widely protested farm export tax hike on Friday following months of protest and a stunning rejection by the Senate.
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