Pakistani man fights police over 40-foot whale shark

Qasim Khan waged the unlikeliest of battles with Pakistani authorities Thursday over the right to charge hundreds of curious visitors 20 rupees (22 cents) each to see a roughly 40-foot whale shark he bought from a fisherman. Khan is in the business of buying fish, …

Heather Mills says McCartney calls were hacked

Heather Mills, the former model who was once married to Paul McCartney, testified forcefully Thursday that there was no doubt her phone had been hacked by a U.K. journalist. Speaking before a judge-led inquiry into British media ethics, Mills said dozens of messages between her …

Palestinian prisoner on 55th day of hunger strike

In a high-stakes gamble, an imprisoned member of a Palestinian militant group has waged a hunger strike for almost two months, trying to draw attention to Israel’s military justice system and its treatment of detainees who can be held without charge for lengthy periods. Khader …

Sarkozy refuses to shutter aging nuclear plant

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is refusing to shut down an aging nuclear plant that has become a symbol of growing resistance to nuclear energy in France. The future of nuclear energy in the country has become a campaign issue as the presidential election approaches this …

50 Cent visits famine victims in Somalia, Kenya

Rapper 50 Cent is teaming up with the World Food Program to see firsthand the effects of hunger in Somalia and Kenya. The rap star flew to Dolo, Somalia on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of women and children have fled there over the last year …

Pakistan holds border talks after deadly US attack

ISLAMABAD — The Pakistani army held talks with NATO and Afghan forces on Wednesday in an effort to improve coordination along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a sign of thawing relations after American airstrikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year.

Pakistan was outraged by the attack …

Greek party leaders begin crucial debt talks

ATHENS, Greece — After three days of delays, Greek coalition leaders began crucial debt talks Wednesday with the prime minister to review a draft deal on steep cutbacks demanded by creditors in return for a (euro) 130 billion ($170 billion) bailout.

A meeting of eurozone …

Maldives police posts seized by ex-leader’s supporters

MALE, Maldives — Supporters of the Maldives former president rioted through the streets of the capital and seized some remote police stations Wednesday to demand his reinstatement, as the country’s new leader appealed for an end to the political turmoil roiling this Indian Ocean island …

Rupert Murdoch’s firm settles 9 phone hacking lawsuits

Nine more phone hacking lawsuits against Rupert Murdoch’s News International have been settled, including a case brought by comedian Steve Coogan, his lawyer told Britain’s High Court on Wednesday. That brings to more than 60 the number of claims that Murdoch’s UK newspaper company has …

Russian scientists reach lake under Antarctica

After more than two decades of drilling in Antarctica, Russian scientists have reached the surface of a gigantic freshwater lake hidden under miles of ice for some 20 million years — a lake that may hold life from the distant past and clues to the …

Death toll rises to 21 after boat capsizes near Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The death toll has risen to 21 from the weekend capsizing of a boat overloaded with migrants near the Dominican Republic.

The fire chief in the Dominican city of Sabana del Mar says more than 30 more people remain …

Iran’s parliament summons Ahmadinejad

Iran’s parliament on Tuesday decided to summon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for questioning over a long list of accusations, including that he mismanaged the nation’s economy. The summons was the first of its kind for an Iranian president since 1979. It follows a petition by a …

Last Briton to serve in WWI dies at 110

LONDON — Florence Green never saw the front line. She spent the war serving food, not dodging bullets. But Mrs. Green, who died Saturday in eastern England at 110, was the last known surviving veteran of World War I. She died Saturday in eastern England, …

Queen celebrates 60 years on throne

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II marked 60 years on the throne Monday with a message thanking all those who have supported her over her reign and reaffirming her dedication to serving the British people.

Tributes from British officials poured in to honor the 85-year-old monarch …

Obama’s grandma injured after car rolls in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya — President Barack Obama’s 91-year-old step-grandmother suffered bruises and shock after a car she was traveling in rolled over, a relative and a hospital official said Monday.

The relative said Sarah Obama was traveling to her home in the village of Kogelo, in …