Australia declared a disaster situation Saturday along the country's eastern coast ahead of the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Ului.

The Roman Catholic Church's crisis over sex abuse charges has gone global, with allegations spreading through half a dozen countries on two continents. Opinions: GOV'T MUST STEP IN l CRITICISM UNFAIR l

Officials in Argentina's Mendoza province have authorized chemical castration for rapists after a significant increase in sexual assaults last year.

Five presumed drug gang members and one soldier were killed in shootouts Thursday and Friday after criminals blocked thoroughfares in two northern Mexico states to prevent military reinforcements from arriving, authorities said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's coalition has edged ahead in Iraq's parliamentary elections, according to partial results from election officials.

A video clip which shows an office worker opening a Kit Kat chocolate bar and finding an orangutan's finger has been re-posted on video-sharing Web site YouTube, a day after it was removed at the request of food giant Nestlé.

Israel refuses to reverse its decision to build new homes in largely Arab East Jerusalem, but it is offering measures to kick-start the peace process, Middle East envoy Tony Blair told CNN on Friday.

Amnesty International is calling on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to stop the execution of a Lebanese man sentenced to death for "sorcery."

British Airways and the union representing its cabin crews planned to resume talks early Friday aimed at avoiding two consecutive weekend strikes.

The U.S. Treasury put a bank and a television station -- both from Gaza -- on its terrorist-financing list, saying they were controlled by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement.

President Barack Obama is postponing a trip to Indonesia and Australia to remain in Washington for the expected House vote on the health care bill, a spokesman said.

On Tijuana's Avenue de la Revolucion, street vendor and sidewalk philosopher Juan Ramon Rocha leaned on his coin and jewelry cart and waited.

As a boy in Ireland, Francis Markey dreamed of becoming a priest and serving parishioners all over the world. His dream of ordination came true, but his relationship with parishioners has become the object of international scrutiny.

One week before top-level U.S.-Pakistani talks in Washington on security and aid, one of Pakistan's leading development experts said it's vital to tackle poverty in her country to fight terrorism.

The path that brought U.S. citizen David Coleman Headley to the point of pleading guilty to involvement in two international terrorism plots is complicated and twisted.

A Chicago, Illinois, man charged in two international terror plots pleaded guilty Thursday to a dozen counts against him, and now will not face a trial.

John Kelly was 14 years old when, he says, he lost his faith in God.

Hundreds of pro-government demonstrators in Havana, Cuba, chanted "this street belongs to Fidel" as they surrounded a slow-moving march of human rights protesters Thursday.

A police investigation continued Thursday into a Catholic abuse scandal in Brazil, which erupted last week when a network aired a video that it said showed a priest having sex with a 19-year-old altar boy.

Mourners paid respect Thursday to victims of a government crackdown in Iran following last year's disputed presidential elections, as security forces kept a close watch.