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Fragile European power network exposed in massive blackout

BERLIN -- A German electric company said Sunday a high-voltage transmission line it shut down over a river to let a ship pass could have caused the chain-reaction power outages that left about 10 million people in the dark across Europe. The blackouts Saturday night briefly halted trains in Germany and trapped dozens of people in elevators in France and Italy. Austria, Belgium and Spain were also affected, though supplies to most regions were quickly restored. No injuries were reported.

Iraqi tribunal sentences Saddam to hang for killings

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Saddam Hussein was convicted Sunday and sentenced to hang for crimes against humanity in the 1982 killings of 148 people in a single Shiite town. The ousted leader, trembling and defiant, shouted "God is great!" as the judge handed down the verdict.

Influential Christian reverend apologizes after being dismissed amid sex, drug allegations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Less than 24 hours after he was fired from the pulpit of the evangelical megachurch he founded, the Rev. Ted Haggard confessed to his followers Sunday that he was guilty of sexual immorality.

Bush back on campaign trail; Kerry in limbo

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush headed west to stump for Republican candidates Thursday after reaffirming his confidence that the GOP will maintain control of both the Senate and House in next week's elections. "I don't believe it's over until everybody votes," Bush said Wednesday in an Oval Office interview. "And I believe that people are concerned about the amount of taxes they pay, and I know many people are concerned about whether or not this country is secure against attack."

Iran tests longer range missles in new maneuvers

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran test-fired dozens of missiles in military maneuvers Thursday that it said were aimed at putting a stop to the role of world powers in the Persian Gulf region. The show of strength came as Iran remains locked in dispute with the West over its nuclear program, which Washington says is geared toward producing atomic weapons but Tehran says is only for generating electricity. The maneuvers came three days after U.S.-led warships finished naval exercises in the Gulf that Iran branded as "adventurist."

Gunmen murder Baghdad U. dean of economics

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Gunmen killed the Shiite dean of Baghdad University's school of administration and economics on Thursday -- the 155th Iraqi academic murdered in sectarian violence and revenge attacks since the 2003 U.S. invasion. In another attack against majority Shiites, a motorcycle bomb struck a crowded market in Sadr City, killing seven people and wounding 45, police said, just two days after the U.S. lifted a military blockade of the Baghdad district on the orders of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Israelis kill 8 Palestinians in Gaza, hold off large-scale Gaza offensive

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli troops seized a northern Gaza town Wednesday in one of the largest strikes against Palestinian rocket squads in months, imposing a curfew, deploying snipers on rooftops and patrolling streets in tanks. Eight Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed.

N. Korea wants financial access

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said Wednesday it was returning to nuclear disarmament talks to get access to its frozen overseas bank accounts, a vital source of hard currency.

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PM orders lifting of U.S.-Iraqi checkpoints

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday ordered the lifting of joint U.S.-Iraqi military checkpoints around the Shiite militant stronghold of Sadr City and other parts of Baghdad -- another apparent move to assert his authority with the Americans and appeal to his Shiite support base.

North Korea agrees to 6-party nuclear talks

BEIJING -- The U.S. and Chinese governments announced Tuesday that North Korea agreed to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, a surprise diplomatic breakthrough that comes only three weeks after the communist regime conducted its first known atomic test.

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Blast kills 33 in Shiite slum, while U.S. monthly death toll in Iraq tops 100

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A bomb tore through food stalls and kiosks in a sprawling Shiite slum Monday, killing at least 33 people, while the U.S. military's death toll for the month of October reached 101.

Democrats claim momentum, Republicans hope to mobilize base as Nov. 7 vote nears

WASHINGTON -- Republicans on Sunday said a major voter turnout effort would help them stay in power after the Nov. 7 elections, while Democrats claimed momentum as they seek to tap into voter unhappiness over Iraq.

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Police report fewer arrests at calmer U. Wisconsin Halloween party

MADISON, Wis. -- The crowd was a lot smaller but so were the problems at an annual Halloween party that ended without violence or the use of pepper spray as it had in recent years.

GOP, Democratic leaders spar over whether Rumsfeld should resign

WASHINGTON -- On Sunday, the No. 2 leader in the House said Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld is "the best thing that's happened to the Pentagon in 25 years," sparking a debate with Democrats who said the comments show why the GOP should be voted out of power.

Nigerian plane crashes with 104 aboard, including Muslim leader

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A Nigerian airliner carrying 104 people, including the man regarded as a spiritual leader of Nigeria's Sunni Muslims, crashed in a storm Sunday after taking off from the airport in Abuja. Most of those on board were feared dead, but at least six people survived.

Bush signs bill authorizing fence along U.S.-Mexico border

WASHINGTON -- President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to give Republican candidates a pre-election platform for asserting they're tough on illegal immigration. "Unfortunately the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and therefore illegal immigration has been on the rise," Bush said at a signing ceremony. "We have a responsibility to enforce our laws," he said. "We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility serious." He called the fence bill "an important step in our nation's efforts to secure our borders."

Man alleges sexual abuse by same priest who fondled Foley as a boy

MIAMI -- Another former altar boy says he was sexually abused in the 1970s by the same retired Catholic priest who acknowledged fondling former Rep. Mark Foley when Foley was a teenager, the man's attorney said Wednesday.