On May 4, 2007, a monster tornado tore through this rural town, killing 11 people and leaving little more than empty slabs and stacks of debris. Greensburg, 109 miles west of Wichita in south-central Kansas, faced the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch. Like most residents, Greensburg City Administrator Steve Hewitt lost his home and everything he owned. But Hewitt believes the tornado had a silver lining, for it made this town of some 1,400 people regroup and reinvent itself. ...

Doctors Without Borders has embarked on a massive vaccination campaign in three African countries to combat an outbreak of meningitis that has killed hundreds of people, the organization said Wednesday.

Six car bombings in four hours killed 48 people and wounded 81 in various Baghdad neighborhoods Wednesday, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry. In a separate incident, five people were killed and three wounded by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad, a ministry official said. Most of the deaths came when three car bombs parked at separate but nearby marketplaces exploded in quick succession in the eastern Baghdad Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, killing at least 45 people and injuring at ...

A videotape of a heinous torture session is delaying the ratification of a civil nuclear deal between the United Arab Emirates and the United States, senior U.S. officials familiar with the case said. In the tape, an Afghan grain dealer is seen being tortured by a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi, one of the UAE's seven emirates. The senior U.S. officials said the administration has held off on the ratification process because it believes sensitivities over the ...

At least 74 elementary, junior high and high schools have closed across the country because of confirmed or probable cases of swine flu, the Department of Education said Wednesday. Another 30 schools have closed as a precautionary measure because of the H1N1 virus, Department of Education spokesman Massie Ritsch said. The closures -- of both public and private schools across eight states -- affect about 56,000 students out of the estimated 55 million students attending the nation's 100,000 kindergarten-through-12th grade ...

More than two years ago, a junior senator with presidential aspirations stood on the steps of Illinois' Old State Capitol in Springfield and warned of politicians who fail to live up to expectations. (CNN) -- More than two years ago, a junior senator with presidential aspirations stood on the steps of Illinois' Old State Capitol in Springfield and warned of politicians who fail to live up to expectations. "Too many times, after the election is over, and the confetti ...

President Obama said Wednesday that a recent uptick in violence in Iraq won't affect his plan for a phased military withdrawal. "Civilian deaths, incidents of bombings ... remain very low relative to what was going on last year," Obama said during a prime time news conference on his 100th day in office. "The political system is holding and functioning in Iraq." Obama said more details need to be nailed down before U.S. troops leave Iraq -- including how oil ...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi marked President Barack Obama's 100th day in office with some unsolicited advice for Republican voters, telling them to "take back" their party. The California Democrat offered her own analysis of the political environment for her political opponents, asserting Republicans across the country are more willing to work with Democrats than their leaders on Capitol Hill. "Yes, there is -- shall we say -- a 'radical right-wing' element with whom they identify. But by and large, I ...

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suffered a stinging defeat in Parliament Wednesday, losing a vote over the right of Ghurkha veterans to settle in the United Kingdom. It was the first time Brown has lost a vote in parliament since he became prime minister in 2007. Some members of his own Labour party voted against him on the measure, introduced by the opposition Liberal Democrats. The vote was 267 to 246 on a motion to give all Gurkha soldiers equal ...

Four generals held without charges since 2005 in connection with the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri were freed Wednesday on orders from the U.N. tribunal investigating the killing. The four -- Jamil Sayyed, Ali Hajj, Raymond Azar and Mustafa Hamdan -- had been arrested after a coalition led by Hariri's son Saad swept to power in the wake of the assassination. They were met by well-wishers upon their release, with opposition lawmakers greeting Azar, Hajj and Sayyed. ...