MiamiHerald.com: World Wires

Afghanistan: Suicide bomb kills anti-Taliban elder

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:31 EDT

Police say a suicide bomber on foot has killed an anti-Taliban village elder and at least three other people in a busy marketplace in central Afghanistan.

Malawi finds buyer for presidential jet

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:55 EDT

Malawi's cost-cutting president is selling her predecessor's jet.

Pope issues first appeal for Chinese Catholics

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:46 EDT

Pope Francis has issued his first appeal directed at Catholics in China, long the source of concern for his predecessor Benedict XVI.

Russian drunk driver who killed orphans sentenced

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:45 EDT

A Russian drunk driver who sparked a nationwide debate after killing seven, including five orphan children, in a road accident last year has been sentenced to prison.

African Union celebrates 50th year

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:41 EDT

African nations this week mark the 50th year since the founding of a continentwide organization that spearheaded efforts to liberate Africa from colonial masters. Now leaders want to map out the next 50 years of political and economic integration.

Vienna official: Looted Nazi goods returned

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:21 EDT

An official for the city of Vienna says the Austrian capital has handed over nearly 6,000 valuable objects looted by the Nazis to their rightful owners or their heirs since it started taking inventory of them 14 years ago.

Zimbabwe's president signs new constitution

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:55 EDT

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday signed into law a new constitution and vowed to hold peaceful and clean elections later this year.

Ukrainian journalists disrupt government session

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:55 EDT

Ukrainian reporters on Wednesday disrupted a government session chaired by the prime minister, suggesting his family members could be the next victims of official inaction after police in Kiev stood by while pro-government activists attacked two journalists covering an opposition protest.

Ethiopian corruption watchdog arrests 51 suspects

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:46 EDT

Ethiopian authorities have carried out another wave of arrests that brings the number of people detained on suspicions of corruption to more than 50.

South Sudan warns it may shut down oil flow again

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:46 EDT

South Sudan is warning that it may stop exporting oil through Sudan's pipelines again.

Czech president settles dispute over gay rights

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:41 EDT

The Czech president says he will no longer block a university professorship for a gay rights activist who had been critical of him.

Iraqi premier orders army shake-up after attacks

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:13 EDT

Iraq's prime minister has ordered a shake-up of his military command after a weeklong spike of militant attacks that has killed nearly 300 people, by far the highest toll since the U.S. withdrew its forces in late 2011, an official said Wednesday.

EU bid to label Hezbollah wing terror group

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:13 EDT

The European Union is reassessing whether to declare the Lebanese party Hezbollah's military wing a terrorist organization, a move it has long shied from despite pressure from the United States, officials said Wednesday.

Trial for captain in deadly shipwreck in Italy

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00 EDT

An Italian judge has ordered the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship to stand trial for manslaughter in the vessel's shipwreck off the coast of Tuscany, which killed 32 people.

IMF calls on Britain to do more for growth

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:41 EDT

The International Monetary Fund has called on Britain to do more to support the economic recovery, urging the government Wednesday to speed up investment in infrastructure and come up with a plan to privatize its bailed out banks.

Mortar lands in Congo as UN chief arrives

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:35 EDT

A mortar round exploded in Goma, a city in eastern Congo which has been in the crosshairs of this country's latest rebellion, officials said Wednesday, as the United Nations secretary-general arrived in Congo's capital for a two-day visit expected to take him to Goma.

Vatican releases 1st report of financial watchdog

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:20 EDT

The Vatican took another step Wednesday to show greater financial transparency by publishing the first annual report from its financial watchdog agency and announcing new regulations to fight money laundering and terror financing.

Riots in Stockholm spread to more suburbs

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:20 EDT

Groups of youth have smashed shop windows, set cars ablaze and burnt down a cultural center as the riots that started in one Stockholm suburb after a fatal police shooting spread to other low-income areas of the Swedish capital.

Mais non! French universities may teach in English

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:11 EDT

In France, there's a brewing debate over whether to speak anglais in universite.

UK, Denmark eye visas for Afghan interpreters

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:11 EDT

Britain and Denmark proposed Wednesday to give hundreds of Afghan interpreters who worked alongside their troops the right to settle in the U.K. and Denmark in recognition of the risks they face if they stay in their war-battered homeland.