World News

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - President Bush failed to win the help he sought from Saudi Arabia to relieve skyrocketing American gas prices Friday, a setback for the former Texas oilman who took office predicting he would jawbone oil-producing nations to help the U.S.

LONDON - The British military acknowledged Friday that one of its planes carrying more than 60 people in Iraq was damaged by insurgent fire — more than a year after it said there was no immediate indication of hostile action.

KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaitis vote Saturday for a new parliament that must work with the royal family-controlled Cabinet, whose recent resignation triggered a period of political stagnation in this oil-rich U.S. ally.

As of Friday, May 16, 2008, at least 4,079 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

JERUSALEM - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Israel Friday to mark the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding.

BEIJING - Chinese state news agency says that German tourist has been rescued after being buried for 114 hours in earthquake rubble.

LONDON (AFP) - Portsmouth play Cardiff for the FA Cup on Saturday in their first major Wembley final for 69 years. For Harry Redknapp, their 61-year-old manager, the wait has been almost as long.

LONDON - The British military acknowledged Friday that one of its planes carrying more than 60 people in Iraq was damaged by insurgent fire — more than a year after it said there was no immediate indication of hostile action.

LONDON (AFP) - A Nigerian-Swedish woman who smuggled a baby from Nigeria to Britain in order to qualify for free housing was jailed for 26 months on Friday.

LIMA, Peru - European and Latin American leaders sought to unite against poverty, global warming and high food prices on Friday, but their summit was clouded by an ongoing feud between Colombia and Venezuela.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A military judge wants to hear from the Supreme Court before starting the first war crimes tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

LIMA, Peru - European and Latin American leaders sought to unite against poverty, global warming and high food prices on Friday, but their summit was clouded by an ongoing feud between Colombia and Venezuela.

FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique - A jury in Martinique has found a man guilty of murder after he set his ex-girlfriend on fire in front of town hall three years ago.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Exit polls show President Leonel Fernandez could win a third term on Friday and capture enough votes to avoid a run-off.

CARACAS, Venezuela - A Venezuelan opposition leader is demanding that President Hugo Chavez explain accusations of close ties between his government and Colombian rebels.

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was to return home on Saturday bidding to deliver a knockout blow to weakened President Robert Mugabe in a run-off election scheduled for June 27.

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai restarts his campaign to oust Robert Mugabe at home on Saturday after seeking support abroad in his risky standoff with the president.

NEW YORK - One man describes a harrowing dash through a minefield, his pregnant wife in tow, as they raced to escape from the very rebels who were supposed to be protecting them.

KHARTOUM, Sudan - In a May 11 story about Sudan severing ties with Chad, The Associated Press, relying on a state television report, erroneously reported the dollar value of a reward offered by the government for Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim.

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Seven weeks after the presidential election, Zimbabwe finally set a runoff date Friday, saying longtime President Robert Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai will face off in a June 27 ballot that the opposition fears will be skewed by thuggery and fraud.

YINGXIU, China - A powerful aftershock knocked out roads and communications in some of the most quake-ravaged parts of central China on Friday, as emergency crews rescued 163 people who had survived up to 100 improbable hours trapped in the ruins.

JAKARTA (AFP) - Indonesia's shock defeat to South Korea in the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup was met Saturday by disbelief.

MIANYANG, China, May 17, 2008 (AFP) - With survivors still emerging from the rubble Saturday nearly 115 hours after disaster struck, rescue teams waged an increasingly desperate battle to find victims of China's earthquake which has claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.

BEIJING - Chinese state news agency says that German tourist has been rescued after being buried for 114 hours in earthquake rubble.

JUYUAN, China (AFP) - Local residents have a simple answer for why the four-storey Juyuan Middle School collapsed during the China quake -- killing hundreds of children -- while nearby buildings remained standing.

OTTAWA (Reuters) - A Canadian Lutheran church was proceeding on Friday with plans to ordain a gay pastor who is married to another man, despite warnings it would be violating church teachings and would be disciplined.

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian courts must treat juvenile killers more leniently than adults unless the government can show compelling reasons to give them adult sentences, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Friday.

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian Auto Workers union members at three General Motors of Canada locations have voted in favor of a new three-year labor agreement with the company, the union said late on Friday.

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada said on Friday it was scrapping a nuclear reactor project designed to produce medical radioisotopes, a move that means half the world's supply will be made by a 50-year-old reactor that was temporarily shut down for safety reasons last year.

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - A key regulatory report for the C$16.2 billion ($16.2 billion) Canadian Arctic gas pipeline is being delayed by several months, likely pushing the start-up date for the stalled development back again.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Hundreds of kangaroos will be culled at a former naval site near the Australian capital after the defence department said plans to relocate the animals fell through.

MELBOURNE (AFP) - Protesting pensioners brought traffic to a stand still in Australia's second largest city on Friday when some stripped to demand more money from the government.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia is considering taking Iran's president to the International Court of Justice for inciting violence against Israel, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Wednesday.

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's new government won praise from the United Nations and human rights groups Wednesday for offering refugees permanent sanctuary rather than temporary visas.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Shares in mining giant BHP Billiton hit an all time high on the Australian stock exchange Wednesday on talk that a Chinese entity was seeking a stake in the group.

CANOVANAS, Puerto Rico - For thoroughbred racehorses in Puerto Rico, success can be a matter of life and death. Many losers don't make it off the racetrack grounds alive.

WUFU, China - After their daughter was born, Bi Kaiwei and his wife, Meilin, decided to adhere to China's one-child policy and its slogan, "Have fewer kids, live better lives."

YINGXIU, China - A powerful aftershock knocked out roads and communications in some of the most quake-ravaged parts of central China on Friday, as emergency crews rescued 163 people who had survived up to 100 improbable hours trapped in the ruins.

LIMA (AFP) - EU and Latin American leaders vowed to do more to further trade between their regions and tackle global warming and poverty as they wrapped up a summit late Friday in the Peruvian capital Lima.

YANGON, Myanmar - The official death toll nearly doubled to 78,000 from Myanmar's killer cyclone as heavy rains on Friday lashed much of the area stricken two weeks ago, further hampering relief efforts.