Eric Linton

South African President Jacob Zuma has declared a week of national mourning for the striking miners killed in violence at a platinum mine Thursday, as the mine operator delivered an ultimatum for the strikers' return to work.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange prepared to speak out Sunday on the standoff between Britain and Ecuador over his future by speaking from a balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, his refuge from arrest.

Shares firmed Friday as German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced support for the European Central Bank's efforts to contain the euro zone's debt crisis, soothing investor nerves and prompting them to scale back safety bids.

Ecuador said Thursday night the Union of South American Nations has called an emergency meeting to discuss British threats to seize WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from inside its embassy in London.

The White House is "dusting off old plans" for a potential release of oil reserves to dampen rising gasoline prices and prevent high energy costs from undermining the success of Iran sanctions, a source with knowledge of the situation said.

Asian shares steadied Thursday as investors took to the sidelines, waiting for more clues over the timing and extent of any further stimulus to tackle the euro zone's debt crisis and support global growth.

The man who reportedly shot and wounded a security guard at the headquarters of a conservative Christian lobbying group Wednesday voiced opposition to the organization's work before opening fire, a law enforcement official said.

Britian is threatening to enter the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to arrest Julian Assange, Ecuador's foreign minister said Wednesday.

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson and businessman and political novice Eric Hovde were locked in a tight race for the Republican Senate nomination in Wisconsin primary Tuesday night.

Wrestling executive Linda McMahon easily defeated former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays in Connecticut's Republican Senate primary Tuesday, early returns showed. Rep. Chris Murphy won the Democratic nomination to oppose her for the seat of retiring independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

Asian shares steadied Wednesday as strong U.S. retail sales and data showing Germany and France avoiding a contraction last quarter bolstered investors' risk appetite, with weak euro zone growth sustaining hopes for more stimulus.

Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., said Tuesday he would resign immediately, a move he told a local newspaper was due to family concerns.

Ecuador denied a report Tuesday that it had granted amnesty to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and the foreign minister said only he and President Rafael Correa could make the decision.

A man killed two people, including an officer who was serving him an eviction notice at a College Station home near Texas A&M University, on Monday before police fatally shot him in a gun battle.

Syria's rebels were jubilant Tuesday morning, claiming to have shot down a jet and captured its pilot, an apparent victory against the overwhelmingly superior firepower of President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Asian shares steadied Tuesday with investors staying sidelined ahead of more figures from Europe and the United States later in the day, after recent data showed the euro zone's debt woes were eroding business activity globally.

Standard Chartered Plc said Monday it was in talks with New York's banking regulator to try to settle allegations it hid transactions with Iran.

Mitt Romney received no immediate boost by naming Paul Ryan as his running mate, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday.

Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono easily defeated former Rep. Ed Case in Hawaii's Democratic Senate primary Saturday and will face Republican former Gov. Linda Lingle in the general election.

The toll from the two earthquakes that struck northwestern Iran Saturday stands at 250 to 300 people dead and more than 2,000 injured, Iranian state television said Sunday.

Two strong earthquakes struck northwest Iran Saturday, killing 87 people, injuring hundreds and scaring thousands into fleeing their homes as aftershocks continued to hit the area, state media said.

Three more U.S. Marines have been shot dead by an Afghan worker on a base in southern Afghanistan, in a deadly 24 hours for U.S. forces during which six American soldiers were killed in rogue attacks.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney introduced Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate Saturday.

Dwight Howard is going to the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-team deal, ESPN reported Thursday night, citing multiple NBA sources.

Libya's newly elected national assembly named former opposition leader Mohammed el-Megarif interim president early Friday.

The Justice Department will not prosecute Goldman Sachs or its employees in a financial fraud probe, officials announce Thursday.

China announced Thursday morning that its inflation cooled for a fourth straight month in July.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp posted a quarterly loss on Wednesday after taking $2.85 billion of non-cash restructuring and impairment charges that overshadowed growth at its cable networks, the company's only major bright spot.

Armed men opened fire on a security checkpoint early Wednesday in al-Arish, Egypt, on the Sinai peninsula, state media said, three days after 16 border guards were shot dead in an attack on Sunday blamed partly on Palestinian militants.