Ancient Shipwrecks A Wonder Of The 'Baltic Triangle'[ Mar 13, 2010 00:00 ]

A dozen ancient shipwrecks have been discovered in the Baltic Sea, just east of Sweden. The well-preserved ships are hundreds of years old. The oldest wreck may date back 800 years.

Pope Under Fire For Handling Of Sex Abuse Claims[ Mar 12, 2010 19:13 ]

His former archdiocese acknowledged it transferred a suspected pedophile priest while Benedict XVI was in charge, but said he did not know about the transfer. Criticism is also mounting over a 2001 Vatican directive he wrote instructing bishops to keep abuse cases secret.

Clinton Rebukes Israel For Housing Announcement[ Mar 12, 2010 15:32 ]

The State Department said the secretary of state called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express frustration about a plan to build 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem. Tuesday's announcement cast a pall over a visit to Israel by Vice President Joe Biden and has endangered indirect peace talks with the Palestinians.

Obama Delays Asia Trip To Push Health Care[ Mar 12, 2010 15:00 ]

The White House announced Friday that President Obama and his family travel won't travel to Guam, Indonesia and Australia as planned next week. Instead, the president will travel alone, beginning Sunday on an abbreviated trip. The reason: health care.

Muslim Women Debate Gender Segregation In Mosques[ Mar 12, 2010 12:00 ]

Recently a group of Muslim women in Washington, D.C. sought to protest what they considered to be an injustice — being confined to a separate prayer space from their male counterparts. The issue of gender segregation is one that many Muslims are talking about and to get some perspective host Michel Martin speaks with Asra Nomani who participated in the protests and wrote about them for The Daily Beast, and Asha Abdi, a student studying sociology at San Jose State University in California.

Israel Seals Off West Bank After Clashes[ Mar 12, 2010 07:24 ]

The action prevents Palestinians from entering Israel because of fears of unrest following recent protests. The closure began at midnight Thursday and will end at midnight Saturday.

Dozens Killed As Twin Bombings Hit Lahore, Pakistan[ Mar 12, 2010 04:58 ]

A pair of suicide bombers targeting army vehicles detonated explosives within seconds of each other Friday, killing at least 43 people in the eastern city of Lahore and wounding about 100, police said. It was the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week, indicating Islamist militants are stepping up violence after a period of relative calm.

Do Big Quakes Increase Global Seismic Activity?[ Mar 12, 2010 04:00 ]

There have been three deadly earthquakes already this year — in Haiti, Chile and Turkey — and a fourth that caused damage in Taiwan. Is this a coincidence? Seismologists can't answer that question directly, but they say there's a growing realization that big earthquakes can trigger other earthquakes many thousands of miles away.

Suicide Explosions Strike Lahore, Pakistan[ Mar 12, 2010 04:00 ]

Suicide bombers targeted the Pakistani military in Lahore Friday. It was the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week, indicating Islamist militants are stepping up violence after a period of relative calm.

Iran Dogs Gates Throughout Overseas Trip[ Mar 12, 2010 04:00 ]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is wrapping up a week-long tour through Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. A common thread ran through talks in all the capital cities he visited: Iran. U.S. allies are raising concerns ranging from Tehran's meddling in Afghanistan to its nuclear ambitions.

Culture Of Corruption Creeps Into Italian Life[ Mar 12, 2010 00:00 ]

Ahead of regional elections later this month, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing coalition is facing a storm of accusations over alleged corruption. Beyond politics, many Italians report a "feeling of decay" amid a culture of fraud. An estimated one-third of Italians evade their taxes.

Battle Over Ivory, Tuna Expected At Wildlife Meeting[ Mar 12, 2010 00:00 ]

Wildlife experts convene next week in the city of Doha in Qatar to consider how to control the trade in rare animals and plants. Trade in elephant ivory continues to be a contentious issue. And this year sees a brand new effort to move offshore and protect some of the ocean's most charismatic and sought-after species.

New Jersey Man Held In Yemen After Al-Qaida Sweep[ Mar 11, 2010 21:35 ]

Sharif Mobley was arrested in a roundup of suspected al-Qaida members and was being treated at a hospital in San'a when he got into a shootout with guards during an escape attempt, killing one and wounding another, an official said. Acquaintances said the former nuclear plant worker had strong religious views and had become increasingly radical.

World's Rich List Reflects Shifting Global Wealth[ Mar 11, 2010 15:37 ]

The richest man in the world is no longer American. Forbes magazine's world's richest list has Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim on top. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffet occupy the second and third spots, respectively. Indian billionaires round off the top 5. Luisa Kroll, co-editor of the list, discusses the changing face of the world's richest people.

Karzai Extends Olive Branch To Pakistan[ Mar 11, 2010 15:00 ]

Afghan President Hamid Karzai met Thursday with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad, offering fresh signs of a rapprochement in the often-stormy relationship between the two countries. At a news conference, he pleased his hosts by saying Pakistan should have a role in any negotiations for peace in Afghanistan.