AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew into Baghdad on Thursday for discussions with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other top Iraqi officials, hoping to iron out remaining differences in a U.S.-Iraq security deal that envisions the withdrawal of American troops.
AP - Russian forces blocked the only land entrance to Georgia's main port city on Thursday, a day before Russia promised to complete a troop pullout from its ex-Soviet neighbor.
AP - Spain began three days of mourning Thursday for the 153 people who died when a jetliner crashed shortly after takeoff in the nation's worst air disaster in nearly 25 years.
AP - U.S.-led coalition troops battled a group of militants in eastern Afghanistan, killing over 30 insurgents, while three NATO soldiers were killed in a roadside blast elsewhere, officials said Thursday.
AP - One of the Pakistani government's main coalition partners threatened Thursday to quit unless judges fired by former President Pervez Musharraf are quickly reinstated dashing hopes that Musharraf's departure would end the nation's turmoil.
AFP - Britain's David Davies took the Olympic silver medal for the men's 10 kilometres open water marathon swim on Thursday.
AP - President Robert Mugabe's government says he will open parliament next week despite the opposition's saying the step would undermine power-sharing talks.
AP - A Muslim rebel organization rejected demands by the Philippine government Thursday for the surrender of two renegade commanders blamed for attacks that killed dozens of people, setting the stage for a possible escalation in fighting.
AP - An Australian environmental official says an abandoned baby whale that has been attempting to suckle boats in the waters off north Sydney will be euthanized.
AP - U.S.-led coalition troops battled a group of militants in eastern Afghanistan, killing over 30 insurgents, while three NATO soldiers were killed in a roadside blast elsewhere, officials said Thursday.