UK gov't challenged over handling of Lawson case
LONDON (AP) -- A British lawmaker has questioned the way police treated Nigella Lawson's husband after he admitted assaulting the celebrity chef in a restaurant.... 6/20/2013 7:55 AM

Uganda gives protection to students fleeing Rwanda
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- Sixteen Rwandan students who fled to Uganda over alleged recruitment into a Congolese rebel group are now under police protection at a secret location, a Ugandan government official said Thursday.... 6/20/2013 7:54 AM

In northern Iraqi city, al-Qaida gathers strength
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Al-Qaida's Iraq arm is gathering strength in the restive northern city of Mosul, ramping up its fundraising through gangland-style shakedowns and feeding off anti-government anger as it increasingly carries out attacks with impunity, according to residents and officials.... 6/20/2013 7:50 AM

India floods strand thousands; more than 100 dead
LUCKNOW, India (AP) -- Days after floods killed more than 100 people - possibly many more - rescuers used helicopters and climbed through mountain paths to reach nearly 4,000 people trapped by landslides in a narrow valley near a Hindu shrine in the northern Himalayas, officials said Thursday.... 6/20/2013 7:49 AM

Italy hospital: Gandolfini died of cardiac arrest
ROME (AP) -- Organizers of the Taormina Film Festival scrambled Thursday to put together a last-minute tribute to U.S. actor James Gandolfini, after he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while in Italy to attend the festival's closing ceremony and receive an honor from the Sicilian resort city.... 6/20/2013 7:42 AM

World Bank watchful as Fed signals tighter policy
BERLIN (AP) -- The head of the World Bank is pledging to ensure that financing for developing countries doesn't suffer when central banks in rich nations wind down monetary stimulus programs and raise interest rates.... 6/20/2013 7:26 AM

Israeli PM: EU should join US push on peace talks
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's prime minister says the European Union should join U.S. attempts to restart stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks... 6/20/2013 7:22 AM

South Sudan ministers face corruption probe
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) -- The president of South Sudan has suspended two of his ministers and ordered an investigation into corruption allegations against them.... 6/20/2013 7:09 AM

Norway opens Arctic border area to oil drilling
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Norway's Parliament has opened up a new area on the fringe of the Arctic Ocean to offshore oil drilling despite protests from opponents who fear catastrophic oil spills in the remote and icy region.... 6/20/2013 7:01 AM

Stampede over Beckham injures 7 in Shanghai
BEIJING (AP) -- Fans eager to see soccer superstar David Beckham stormed a police cordon Thursday in a stampede at a Shanghai university that injured seven people including five security personnel.... 6/20/2013 6:56 AM

AP EXCLUSIVE: Taliban offer to free US soldier
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- The Afghan Taliban are ready to free a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay as a conciliatory gesture, a senior spokesman for the group said Thursday.... 6/20/2013 6:54 AM

ICC to probe abuse allegations against ex-staffer
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- The International Criminal Court has ordered an independent inquiry into allegations that a former staff member in Congo sexually assaulted four people in the court's victims and witness protection program.... 6/20/2013 6:50 AM

Dubai sets sights on Quran-themed park
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Dubai has added a new item to its top ambitions such as building the world's largest Ferris wheel and bidding for an Angry Birds theme park - a site honoring the Quran.... 6/20/2013 6:48 AM

AP Exclusive: Facebook broke Indonesia terror case
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Sefa Riano didn't try to hide his plans or his beliefs. A Facebook page that police traced to him is plastered with photos of bearded men in camouflage uniforms holding rifles and banners hailing "The Spirit of Jihad."... 6/20/2013 6:40 AM

China astronauts float water blob in kids' lecture
BEIJING (AP) -- Astronauts struck floating martial arts poses, twirled gyroscopes and manipulated wobbling globes of water during a lecture Thursday from China's orbiting space station that's part of efforts to popularize the space program among young people.... 6/20/2013 6:23 AM

Kyrgyzstan votes to end US lease of airbase
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) -- Kyrgyzstan has voted to end the United States' lease on an airbase key to supplying military operations in nearby Afghanistan.... 6/20/2013 6:21 AM

Trial of Kenya's president to start in November
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- The International Criminal Court has pushed back the start of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta's crimes against humanity trial until Nov. 12.... 6/20/2013 6:16 AM

12 Indonesian soldiers on trial over prison attack
YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- A group of 12 soldiers from Indonesia's elite special forces went before a military court Thursday for allegedly storming a prison on the main Java island and killing four detainees to avenge the murder of a fellow soldier.... 6/20/2013 6:04 AM

SKorean nuclear operator raided in cable probe
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea's sole nuclear power plant operator said Thursday that investigators raided its offices, a sign that a probe into faulty nuclear plant cables is widening.... 6/20/2013 6:00 AM

France threatens Google with privacy fines
PARIS (AP) -- France is giving Google three months to be more upfront about the data it collects from users - or be fined.... 6/20/2013 5:45 AM