World

Catholic authorities in Germany announced two major abuse investigations Wednesday - one into the renowned choir once led by Pope Benedict XVI's brother and another into what everyone, including the pope, knew about the sexual and physical abuse of students.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was keeping up the pressure on Iran on Wednesday, consulting with the United States' closest and most influential ally in the Persian Gulf about how to respond to Iran's disputed nuclear program.

Egypt's top cleric, Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, known for promoting the government agenda against female genital mutilation and the face veil, died of a heart attack Wednesday during a visit to Saudi Arabia. He was 81.

The Dalai Lama blasted Chinese authorities Wednesday, accusing them of trying to "annihilate Buddhism" in Tibet as he commemorated a failed uprising against China's rule over the region.

Libya has accepted an apology from senior U.S. State Department official for a joking remark he made about Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's call for holy war, against Switzerland.

A British newspaper interview that quotes Nelson Mandela's ex-wife bitterly criticizing the 92-year-old anti-apartheid icon as having "let us down" prompted outrage Wednesday in South Africa.

Looking in the mirror used to make Yiliam Gonzalez sick to her stomach.

Brazil's president said his hand-picked candidate to succeed him in October's election would help do away with machismo by becoming the first female president of Latin America's largest and most influential nation.

What role Pakistan plays in any peace effort aimed at the Taliban is likely to rank high on the agenda during Afghan President Hamid Karzai's two-day visit to Islamabad that started Wednesday.

Sudan's upcoming elections must be as transparent as possible to prepare for a referendum on independence for the oil-rich south in 2011, but many obstacles remain, including continued conflict in Darfur, a U.S. official said Wednesday.