Nepal's leaders attempt agreement before deadline

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

Police fired tear gas and beat protesters with batons Sunday outside Nepal's Constituent Assembly, where political leaders were meeting in a last-minute attempt to agree on a new constitution before the assembly's midnight expiration.

Egypt candidates file appeals, cite fraud in vote

By HAMZA HENDAWI

Three top candidates in Egypt's presidential race have filed appeals to the election commission, alleging violations in the first round vote that they say could change the outcome.

Watching dissidents is a booming business in China

By CHARLES HUTZLER

Every workday at 7:20 a.m., colleagues pick up Yao Lifa from his second-floor apartment and drive him to the elementary school where he taught for years.

Guinea-Bissau rambles on, despite coup

By KRISTA LARSON

Campaign banners from an election that was violently interrupted still hang in the main thoroughfare of this steamy capital, a reminder that a stable government is far from the country's grasp.

Iran: No reason to halt 20 percent enrichment

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

Iran's nuclear chief said Sunday there are no reasons at the moment for his country to halt production of uranium enriched to 20 percent, a key demand of world powers.

NATO disputes report of casualties in airstrike

By RAHIM FAIEZ

The U.S.-led coalition on Sunday disputed reports that eight civilians, including children, were killed in a NATO airstrike in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan.

Syria denies responsibility for attack killing 90

By ALBERT AJI and BASSEM MROUE

The Syrian government denied Sunday its troops were behind an attack on a string of villages that left more than 90 people dead, blaming the killings on "hundreds of heavily-armed gunmen" who also attacked soldiers in the area.

Bahrain court sentences 8 in coup plot trial

By REEM KHALIFA

A Bahrain court sentenced eight people to prison terms of up to 15 years Sunday after they were accused of plotting with suspected Iranian agents to topple the Gulf kingdom's ruling system, a defense lawyer said.

Christian Jordanian woman sues her Muslim employer

By JAMAL HALABY

A Christian Jordanian woman said Sunday she is suing her Gulf Arab employer for arbitrary dismissal after she refused a new dress code forcing her to cover her head.

China arrests man suspected of killing 11 people

Authorities have arrested a man in southwestern China accused of killing 11 people and dismembering, burning and burying their bodies to destroy the evidence.

Veteran politician is new Taiwan opposition leader

Veteran politician Su Tseng-chang has been elected chairman of Taiwan's main opposition party.

Syrian government denies it was behind attack that killed 90, blames anti-government gunmen.

Iran's Ahmadinejad urges unity against 'evil'

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the country's newly-elected parliament on Sunday to stand with him against "evil ones" who he says have encircled the nation.

China ex-official accused in rape of over 10 girls

Authorities have detained a former official in a central Chinese city for allegedly raping more than 10 girls.

Saudi Crown Prince heads abroad for medical tests

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef has left the country for a trip that includes medical tests.

Indian PM visits Myanmar amid energy quest

By NIRMALA GEORGE

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh departed Sunday on a three-day visit to Myanmar that underscores India's quest for energy supplies and concerns about China's strong influence in the Southeast Asian country.

Hunger returns to Africa, stalking 1M children

By KRISTA LARSON

It's 10 a.m., and the 2-year-old is still waiting for breakfast. Aliou Seyni Diallo collapses to his knees in tears and plops his forehead down on the dirt outside his family's hut.

Blind China activist's brother returns to village

By GILLIAN WONG and DIDI TANG

A rights lawyer says the brother of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has returned to his closely guarded village in eastern China.

Singapore's ruling party loses by-election

By ALEX KENNEDY

Voters dealt Singapore's ruling People's Action Party its third electoral setback in a year, allowing the opposition to hold onto a Parliament seat in a by-election Saturday.

Rebel groups merge in Mali, agree on Islamic state

By BABA AHMED and MARTIN VOGL

The two rebel groups that seized control of the northern half of Mali announced Saturday that they have agreed to fuse their movements and work together to create an independent Islamic state on the territory they occupy, a signatory to the a…

2 rebel groups merge in Mali, agree on Islamic state, independence

Egypt's top candidates try to broaden support

By MAGGIE MICHAEL

The two surviving candidates in Egypt's presidential election appealed Saturday for support from voters who rejected them as polarizing extremists in the first round even as they faced a new challenge from the third runner-up who contested th…

Palestinian shot, wounded in settler attack

By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH

Palestinians say dozens of Israeli settlers set Palestinian-owned fields on fire in an attack that left a farmer wounded by a gunshot.

Pakistan: US missile attack kills 4 in northwest

By RASOOL DAWAR

An American drone fired two missiles at a bakery in northwest Pakistan Saturday, killing four suspected militants, officials said, as the U.S. pushed ahead with its drone campaign despite Pakistani demands to stop. This was the third such str…

In Cairo's City of the Dead, election brings hope

By KHALIL HAMRA

As Egyptians took part in the country's first free presidential election, residents of one of Cairo's poorest quarters expressed hope that a new leader would help them with a simple request _ finding a new home.

Carter says minor violations in Egypt's vote

SARAH EL DEEB

Former President Jimmy Carter said Saturday that monitors noted violations during Egypt's presidential elections but that the vote was generally acceptable and the irregularities won't impact the final results.

Havana sees US invasion at key art festival

By PETER ORSI

Ruben Alpizar never met the American collector who fell in love with his painting of a plummeting Icarus against a starry background, hanging on the wall of a Spanish colonial-era fortress across the bay from Havana. Nor did he get a name or …

Hardline Islamists seed terror in Tunisian town

By Bouazza Ben Bouazza

Hundreds of hardline Islamists terrorized a Tunisian town on Saturday, attacking a police station and stores selling alcohol.

Iraqi president calls for dialogue to solve crisis

By BUSHRA JUHI

Iraq's president on Saturday urged the nation's bickering factions to resolve the bitter political dispute that has gripped the government for nearly six months, warning that the crisis threatens to split the country.

Ivory Coast ex-combatants flee Ghana refugee camp

An official says that more than 170 Ivory Coast ex-combatants being held in a refugee camp in Ghana's west have escaped.

Myanmar power protests put new reforms to the test

By GRANT PECK

Protests in Myanmar over persistent power shortages have provided a test of how the country's elected but military-backed government will respond to rising expectations sparked by the past year's democratic reforms.

Yemen: 27 al-Qaida militants killed in south

By AHMED AL-HAJ

Yemeni military officials say fighting in two southern flashpoint towns has left 27 al-Qaida fighters and seven soldiers dead, and a top commander says the army is pushing the militants out of the area.

History behind sobs in South African courtroom

By DONNA BRYSON

A lifetime ago, a young black South African student was on trial with 21 other suspects accused by the white racist government of treason, terrorism and working for the African National Congress.

State radio: 13 die in Zimbabwe bus crash

State radio says 13 people died and six were seriously injured in Zimbabwe when a crowded minibus burst a tire and slammed into a tree.

2 British men drown while rafting in south India

A police official says two British men have drowned after their raft overturned and capsized in a river in southern India.

Militants post appeal of kidnapped Saudi diplomat

By MAAMOUN YOUSSEF

Militants have posted online a video in which a man identifying himself as a Saudi diplomat kidnapped by al-Qaida in Yemen appeals to Saudi Arabia's rulers to respond to his captors' demands and save his life.

Chinese driver on trial over toddler left to die

State media in China say a trial has begun for a man accused of driving a minivan that ran over a toddler on a busy street. The case sparked outrage after the little girl was ignored as she lay dying on the road.

Pakistan officials say missiles from U.S. drone kill three suspected militants.

Official: Death toll could reach 100 in Mali clash

By BRAHIMA OUEDRAOGO

A government official says the death toll from a clash near Burkina Faso's border with Mali could be as high as 100.

Climber, 73, finally felt old at summit of Everest

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

The oldest woman to climb Mount Everest said she finally felt she had gotten old when she scaled the world's highest peak last weekend.

Greek euro exit would be a recipe for hardship

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS

As Greece creaks under its untenable debt and a shrinking economy, the possibility that it could stop using the euro is becoming increasingly likely. The effects of such a move would be as quick as they would be brutal for ordinary Greeks, wh…

Ex-Senegalese president denies he stole cars, art

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI

The ex-president of Senegal won praise from around the world earlier this year when he gracefully conceded defeat, even picking up the phone to congratulate his longtime rival, a move that momentarily erased the memories of a violent election…

Profiles of Egypt's presidential candidates

By The Associated Press

Profiles of Egypt's two presidential candidates who will take part in next month's runoff:

5 surprises in Egypt's presidential election

By The Associated Press

Egyptians went to the polls earlier this week to elect a new president after longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year. With a majority of ballots counted, here is a look at a handful of notable, if not surprising, developments:

VOA correspondent reported detained in Ethiopia

Voice of America says it is investigating reports that a correspondent in Ethiopia's capital has been detained by authorities.

Israeli archaeologists find rare ancient jewelry

By DANIELA BERRETTA

Israeli archaeologists have discovered a rare trove of 3,000-year-old jewelry, including a ring and earrings, hidden in a ceramic jug near the ancient city of Megiddo, where the New Testament predicts the final battle of Armageddon.

Greek euro exit would be a recipe for hardship

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS

As Greece creaks under its untenable debt and a shrinking economy, the possibility that it could stop using the euro is becoming increasingly likely. The effects of such a move would be as quick as they would be brutal for ordinary Greeks, wh…

US clampdown on visas for teachers upsets China

By DIDI TANG

A U.S. clampdown on visas for instructors at China's flagship cultural program overseas has incensed Beijing, with state media pouncing on it as an attempt by Washington to frustrate Chinese global ambitions.

Investors plan soccer stadium for Haiti shantytown

By TRENTON DANIEL

A local sports hero, a New York real estate developer and a well-known architect are teaming up to build a soccer stadium in Haiti's notorious Cite Soleil, hoping to revive the seaside shantytown known throughout the hemisphere for its extrem…