European union hits on Iran

European Union nations and the continent's biggest human rights organization slammed Iran on Wednesday for its plan to stone a woman convicted of adultery, while Iran's ambassador to the Vatican said there is "hope" the punishment could be eased upon review by Iranian authorities.

The plight of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, has cast a harsh light on Iran's version of Islamic justice and caused a global outcry. Iran says it has put the stoning on hold for now but has also indicated Ashtiani could be hanged for her conviction of playing a role in her husband's 2005 murder.

In an interview broadcast on Italian state TV Wednesday, Tehran's envoy to the Holy See gave the strongest indication yet that Iran may set aside the death penalty — or at least the stoning — in Ashtiani's case.

He was asked what response he could give to the many appeals from around the world to stop the stoning, including concern from the...

Wildfire in Colorado most destructive this year

Wildfire burning in the canyons and steep mountainsides near Boulder became one of the most destructive blazes in Colorado history Wednesday as authorities determined it had destroyed at least 136 homes in just three days.

Authorities provided the dire assessment as firefighters encountered a tangle of rattlesnakes, downed power lines and combustible propane tanks and struggled to get an upper hand on the inferno.

The Boulder County sheriff's office said Wednesday that 136 homes have been destroyed — a toll likely to rise as the blaze rages on and firefighters get a clearer picture of the damage.

About 3,500 people have been evacuated from about 1,000 homes stemming from a fire that broke out in a parched area near of Boulder on Monday. Four people remain missing as some residents have stayed behind and risked their lives to try to save their homes.

No deaths or injuries have been reported at this point, and the cause of the fire was...

Japan and China argument grows after maritime dispute

Japan was Wednesday holding the captain of a Chinese fishing trawler that collided with two Japanese patrol ships near a disputed island chain, sparking a bitter row between Beijing and Tokyo.

Both Asian giants have lodged protests with each other's ambassadors over the tense incident Tuesday in the East China Sea, which saw two minor collisions and a high-seas chase but caused no reported injuries.

The disputed string of five small islands—known as Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyu in China, and Diaoyutai in Taiwan—lies between Japan's far-southern Okinawa island and Taiwan in an area believed to hold seabed oil deposits.

Controlled by Tokyo, but also long claimed by Beijing and Taipei, the uninhabited islands have often sparked regional tensions.

"We arrested the 41-year-old captain early Wednesday at sea on suspicion of interference with officers on duty," said a Japan Coast Guard spokesman, mentioning a charge that carries a...

500 systematic rapes noted in E. Congo

United Nations reported Tuesday that more than 500 systematic rapes were committed by armed combatants in eastern Congo since late July — more than double the number previously reported -- and accepted partial responsibility for not protecting citizens.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Atul Khare told the UN Security Council that at least 267 more rapes occurred in another area of the country's east, in addition to 242 rapes earlier reported in and around Luvungi, a village of about 2,200 people located about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from a U.N. peacekeepers' camp.

"While the primary responsibility for protection of civilians lies with the state, its national army and police force," said Khare, "clearly, we have also failed. Our actions were not adequate, resulting in unacceptable brutalization of the population of the villages in the area. We must do better."

The UN peacekeeping force in Congo, called MONUSCO,...

UN atomic agency warned about Iran's move to bar inspectors

UN atomic agency expressed alarm Monday about Iran's decision to bar some of its inspectors, suggesting that its efforts to monitor the country's nuclear program were suffering as a result.

The unusually blunt International Atomic Energy Agency warning was voiced in a restricted report on Iran made available to The Associated Press that otherwise contained few surprises.

It followed Iran's recent decision to strip two experienced inspectors of the right to monitor its nuclear activities after the two reported what they said were undeclared nuclear experiments.


The Islamic Republic says the reporting by the two was inaccurate, but the IAEA stands by the findings. And the 11-page IAEA document issued Monday devoted a special section to the complaint, reflecting the importance attached to it by IAEA chief Yukiya Amano.


AP

Indonesian volcano erupts again

Indonesian volcano shot black ash three miles (5,000 meters) into the air early Tuesday --its most powerful eruption since springing back to life after four centuries of dormancy.

The force of Mount Sinabung's explosion could be felt five miles (eight kilometers) away.

"This one was really terrifying," said Anissa Siregar, 30, as she and her two sleepy children arrived by truck at an emergency shelter near the base, adding that the whole mountain shook violently for at least three minutes. "It just keeps getting worse."

The volcano in North Sumatra province erupted last week for the first time since 1600, catching many scientists off guard. With more than 129 active volcanoes to watch, local vulcanologists had failed to monitor it for rising magma, slight uplifts in land and other signs of seismic activity.

There are fears that current activity could foreshadow a much more destructive explosion in the next few...

Oil prices linger at $75 in Asia

Oil prices lingered near $75 a barrel Friday in Asia, largely holding onto a big gain the day before as investors put a positive spin on US economic reports and Asian stock markets rose.

Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 30 cents at $74.72 a barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.11 to settle at $75.02 on Thursday.

The Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week, but are still above levels in a healthy economy.


AP

25 gunmen dead in Mexico

A shootout between soldiers and suspected drug cartel members in northeastern Mexico left 25 purported gunmen dead Thursday, the military said.

A reconnaissance flight over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state spotted several gunmen in front of a property, according to a statement from Mexico's Defense Department.

When troops on the ground moved in, gunmen opened fire, starting a gunbattle that killed 25 suspected cartel members, according to the military. The statement said two soldiers were injured but none were killed.

Earlier, a military spokesman had said the shootout happened when troops on patrol in the town of General Trevino, in neighboring Nuevo Leon state, came under fire from a ranch allegedly controlled by the Zetas drug gang.

AP

Oil platform explodes in Louisiana

Oil platform exploded and burned off the Louisiana coast Thursday, the second such disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in less than five months. This time, the Coast Guard said there was no leak, and no one was killed.

The Coast Guard initially reported that an oil sheen a mile long and 100 feet wide had begun to spread from the site of the blast, about 200 miles west of the source of BP's massive spill. But hours later, Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau said crews were unable to find any spill.

The company that owns the platform, Houston-based Mariner Energy, did not know what caused the explosion.



AP

Discovery Channel gunman killed

Man who railed against the Discovery Channel's environmental programming for years burst into the company's headquarters with at least one explosive device strapped to his body Wednesday and took three people hostage at gunpoint before police shot him to death, officials said.

The hostages — two Discovery Communications employees and a security officer — were unhurt after the hourslong standoff. Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger said tactical officers moved in after officers monitoring Lee on building security cameras saw him pull out his handgun and point it at one of the hostages.

An explosive device on the gunman's body detonated when police shot him, Manger said. Police were trying to determine whether two boxes and two backpacks the gunman also contained explosives.

Manger said police spent several hours negotiating with the armed man after he entered the suburban Washington building about 1 p.m. None of the 1,900 people who work...