World News
Businessman, police battle over whale shark
KARACHI, Pakistan — Qasim Khan waged the unlikeliest of battles with Pakistani authorities Thursday over the right to charge hundreds of curious visitors the equivalent of 22 cents each to see a roughly 40-foot whale shark he bought from a fisherman.
Khan is in the business of buying fish, albeit usually much smaller ones, and jumped at the chance on Tuesday to pay about $2,200 for the 20-ton behemoth, which was discovered dead in the Arabian Sea off the southern Pakistani city of Karachi. READ
Somalia's al-Shabab joins al-Qaida
NAIROBI, Kenya — The Somali militant group al-Shabab has formally joined al-Qaida, according to a video translation released Thursday of a message from al-Qaida’s leader. READ
Greek deal on cuts appears to not yet fulfil bailout conditions: German finance minister
ATHENS — Not long after Greece made the politically unpopular decision to slash government spending to ease its debt crisis, Germany’s finance minister questioned whether the deal goes far enough to earn approval of a crucial C130 billion bailout. READ
U.S. Marines posed with flag bearing Nazi symbol in Afghanistan
SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed Thursday that a sniper team in Afghanistan posed for a photograph in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS. READ
Spanish judge convicted of exceeding authority in corruption probe
MADRID, Spain — The Spanish superstar judge who won global fame for aggressively taking on international human rights cases was convicted Thursday of overstepping his jurisdiction in a domestic corruption probe and barred from the bench for 11 years, completing a spectacular fall from grace for one of Spain’s most prominent people. READ
Santorum seeks to capitalize on wins
Rick Santorum’s stunning victories in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado are marking his best performance in the rollicking contest for the Republican presidential nomination — and Mitt Romney’s worst. The losses by the better-funded and organized Romney were stinging reminders of his inability to appeal to the growing conservative movement at the base of the party. READ
Supporters of the Maldives former president riot, seize police stations
MALE, Maldives — Supporters of the Maldives former president rioted through the streets of the capital and seized some remote police stations Wednesday to demand his reinstatement, as the country’s new leader appealed for an end to the political turmoil roiling this Indian Ocean island nation READ
Murdoch’s News Intl settles most phone hacking lawsuits but Charlotte Church case loom
LONDON — Rupert Murdoch’s News International has settled nearly all the cases against the company in the first wave of lawsuits for phone hacking by its journalists, with a new round of apologies and payouts announced Wednesday in a London court. READ
Mystery surrounds fate of crusading Chinese police chief amid rumours of political scandal
BEIJING — The former top cop of a major Chinese city has dropped from sight amid unconfirmed reports he is seeking U.S. asylum following a quarrel with one of China’s most powerful local politicians. READ
Police, anti-government demonstrators clash in Senegal
DAKAR, Senegal — Clashes erupted between Senegalese security forces and anti-government demonstrators in the regional capital of Thies, where the country’s aging president was planning to hold a campai READ
Balkan nations suspend shipping on freezing Danube River
SOFIA, Bulgaria — At least four Balkan nations suspended shipping on the Danube River because of severe frost and the vast amount of ice blocking the heavily travelled waterway. READ
EU threatens new sanctions on Syria
BEIRUT — The European Union will impose harsher sanctions on Syria, a senior EU official said Wednesday, as Russia tried to broker talks between the vice-president and the opposition to calm violence. Activists reported at least 50 killed in the regime’s siege of the restive city of Homs. READ
Greek parties mull harsh new cuts in crucial debt talks
ATHENS — After three days of delays, Greek coalition leaders were locked in crucial debt talks Wednesday with the prime minister to review a draft deal on steep cutbacks demanded by creditors in return for a C130 billion ($170 billion) bailout. READ
Santorum hopes to capitalize on primary hat trick
WASHINGTON — Rick Santorum was flying high on Wednesday, buoyed by his trio of triumphs in the Midwest over front-runner Mitt Romney and insisting he’s the sought-after social conservative who can halt the former Massachusetts governor’s march to the Republican presidential nomination. READ
Last known veteran of First World War dies at 110
LONDON — Florence Green never saw the front line. Her war was spent serving food, not dodging bullets. But Green, who has died aged 110, was the last known surviving veteran of World War I. She was serving with the Women’s Royal Air Force as a waitress at an air base in eastern England when the guns fell silent on Nov. 11, 1918. READ
Greece, Bulgaria battle flooding as Europe struggles with extreme weather
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Swollen rivers in Bulgaria and Greece burst their banks Tuesday, leaving dozens of homes underwater, as Bulgarian officials declared a day of mourning for eight people confirmed killed after a dam collapse nearly washed away their village. READ
Bloodshed intensifies in Syria; Russian foreign minister pushes reforms
BEIRUT — Days after blocking a U.S.-backed peace plan at the U.N., senior Russian officials pushed for reforms Tuesday during an emergency meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, promoting a settlement to end the uprising without removing him from power. READ
California’s ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional: court
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court on Tuesday declared California’s same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, putting the bitterly contested, voter-approved law on track for a likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. READ
Santorum poised to give Romney a black eye in trio of state nominating contests
WASHINGTON — Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum may be nudging Newt Gingrich out of the way as the favoured candidate of far-right conservatives as he makes big moves in a trio of Midwestern states, seriously challenging front-runner Mitt Romney in advance of their Tuesday nominating contests. READ
China vows to continue crackdown on unrest in Tibetan areas, blames overseas groups
BEIJING — China on Tuesday vowed to crack down on unrest in Tibetan areas and accused overseas activist groups and the Dalai Lama of fomenting the recent violence. READ
