Eric Linton

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos will run unopposed for the leadership of the Socialists, party officials said Sunday, as the political focus shifts towards a parliamentary election now that Athens has secured a bond swap deal.

Lawyers for the family of a man killed in a U.S. drone attack in Pakistan said they would begin legal action against Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday, accusing him of complicity in strikes they say broke international laws.

A U.S. Army sergeant killed at least 16 civilians, nine of them children, in southern Aghanistan before dawn Sunday in the latest outrage to threaten U.S.-Afghan relations, Afghan and American officials said.

Tokyo stocks jumped to a seven-month high Friday as Asian shares rose on signs Greece is a step nearer to averting a default, although momentum may be checked by caution ahead of U.S. data that is expected to confirm a labor market recovery.

A senior Chinese politician, whose prospects for the top leadership are under a cloud, appeared before the media Friday to dispel rumors that a scandal involving a one-time ally had forced him out.

Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, said Thursday evening he would urge President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to stop fighting and seek a political solution, drawing angry rebukes from dissidents.

House Speaker John Boehner, signaling a lack of Republican support for a stalled $260 billion transportation bill, said Thursday he was ready to pursue a less ambitious version under consideration by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Israel has asked the United States for advanced bunker-buster bombs and refueling planes that could improve its ability to attack Iran's underground nuclear sites, an Israeli official said Thursday.

Google Inc has been pressuring applications and mobile game developers to use its costlier in-house payment service, Google Wallet, as the Internet search giant tries to emulate the financial success of Apple Inc's iOS platform.

A Republican bid to fast-track the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline was defeated by Senate Democrats on Thursday in a vote to amend the chamber's highway funding bill.

Newt Gingrich is banking his remaining hopes on next week's Alabama and Mississippi primaries and his future will be in doubt if he loses there, his campaign spokesman acknowledged Wednesday.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a law Wednesday requiring women seeking abortions to have an ultrasound -- but not a more invasive vaginal probe.

A senior member of the unit Rupert Murdoch created to clean up reporting practices at his British newspapers has consulted a private firm about improving the security system at his home, his spokesman said Wednesday night.

Iran may be cleaning up a suspected nuclear-weapons development site to fool U.N. inspectors, Western officials briefed on satellite intelligence said Wednesday.

Asian shares fell for the third day in a row Wednesday as investors grew more risk averse, with renewed uncertainty over Greece's bailout and mounting worries about slowing global economies overshadowing support provided by ample liquidity.

Gold regained some ground Wednesday as jewellers in Asia snapped up the metal after prices dropped 2 percent in the previous session, but investors were cautious because of lingering fears about a possible Greek default.

Asian shares fell for a third day in a row Wednesday as investors grew more risk-averse, with renewed uncertainty over Greece's bailout and mounting worries about slowing global economies overshadowing support provided by ample liquidity.

Senate Republicans' push for a vote to authorize the $7 billion Keystone XL oil pipeline project gained momentum Tuesday after Democrats failed to end debate on a major transportation bill.

Two senior journalists working for Rupert Murdoch's News International have apparently attempted suicide as pressure mounts at the scandal-plagued publishing empire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured President Barack Obama during their White House talk on Monday that Israel has not made any decision on attacking Iran's nuclear sites, sources close to the talks said, but he gave no sign of backing away from possible military action.

Japan's Nikkei share average is expected to test 9,800 for a fourth straight session on Monday as yen weakness against the dollar is likely to boost risk appetite, although some market players say technical indicators point to a correction.

Rep. Ron Paul expressed doubt Sunday that Rush Limbaugh was sincere when he apologized for calling a law student a slut over her support for President Barack Obama's new policy on insurance coverage of contraceptives.

Two British journalists working for Iran's Press TV who were detained late last month in Libya are suspected of being spies, the head of the militia holding them said Sunday.

United Airlines battled service problems, including flight delays, faulty kiosks and jammed phone lines, this weekend as it worked through technical glitches during its combination of the United and Continental Airlines reservation systems.

The International Committee of the Red Cross delivered emergency aid to areas near the battered Baba Amro district of Homs Sunday, but, for the third day running, the Syrian goverment kept it out of the former rebel bastion amid reports of bloody reprisals by Assad regime forces.

Vladimir Putin, now prime minister, claimed a resounding victory with 64 percent of the vote in Russia's presidential election Sunday. He'll return to a third term as president, but opponents, citing alleged evidence of fraud, denounced the vote as illegitimate and vowed to continue their protests.

The Red Cross delivered emergency aid to areas around the battered Baba Amro district of the Syrian city of Homs on Sunday, but was blocked for a third day from entering the former rebel bastion amid reports of bloody reprisals by state forces.

Mitt Romney closed in on Rick Santorum in Ohio and picked up a crucial endorsement in Virginia on Sunday as he grows in strength ahead of Super Tuesday, the biggest day yet in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez confirmed this weekend that he had suffered a recurrence of cancer, saying he would need radiotherapy treatment after the removal of another tumor even though there was no evidence of metastasis.