The United Nations in Sudan says a U.N. military observer and a monitor from Sudan's army have been shot and wounded in the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei.

Australia's top Roman Catholic cleric has denied trying to cover up a sexual abuse case involving clergy, attempting Tuesday to fight off an embarrassing scandal just days before Pope Benedict XVI arrives for a visit.

Two men were convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to prison Tuesday for a brutal attack on a German retiree that sparked a political furor over crime committed by young immigrants.

Switzerland will hold a nationwide referendum on whether to ban the construction of minarets where Muslims traditionally issue the call to prayer, officials said Tuesday.

A former assistant coroner in Augusta, Ga. has pleaded guilty to stealing gift cards from a woman who committed suicide.

A massive cargo ship is smoldering in Miami after it caught fire over the weekend.

A Japanese woman brewed up an unusual escape plan to free herself and her 6-month-old daughter from a suspected armed robber: a cup of tea and a chat.

She charmed the queen of England, captivated Israel, impressed President Bush and won over the hardest sell of all - the French.

A government official says unknown assailants fired on a vehicle carrying tribal police forces in Pakistan's northwest, killing four and wounding seven.

EU officials want European schoolchildren to swap their French fries for fruit. The European Union is aiming to spend $140 million a year to provide free fruit and vegetables to schools across the continent to tackle child obesity, officials said Tuesday.

Neglectful landlords, trail bikers, wet weather, ill-thought development, even rabbits have contributed to endangering one out of 12 historic sites in England, a government report said Tuesday.

Anti-terrorism investigators in Paris are probing threats against a leading French cable TV channel over pornographic films it airs that can be viewed in North Africa, a judicial official said Tuesday.

A former Army medic made famous by a photograph that showed him carrying an injured Iraqi boy during the first week of the war in March 2003 has died of an apparent overdose, police said.

Now that's what I call Mac OSX 14 Google appears to know something we don?t about Apple?s roadmap for its Mac operating system.?

Say banks should pay for fraud Peers are calling for a reversal of rules that stop UK victims reporting cybercrimes directly to the police. The House of Lords science committee is also encouraging the government to introduce a data breach notification law.?

Blame for O2 pre-order chaos laid at Apple's door O2 has blamed Apple for the "disappointing and frustrating experience" many would-be iPhone 3G owners had to put up with when the carrier began taking advance orders for the handset this week.?

Trade Commission Staff sides with Samsung The US International Trade Commission investigation into alleged patent infringements by Samsung started badly for InterDigital when the Commission staff revealed they don't feel that an import bar is appropriate.?

Ex-HP exec takes charge The Gnome Foundation yesterday announced that it has hired former Hewlett-Packard industry analyst Stormy Peters as its new executive director.?