Just last month, Western donors gathered in Brussels to pledge money to the new Somali government of Sheik Sharif Ahmed, in the hope that he could restore order and put an end to the offshore piracy that has plagued shipping off his country's coastline. But renewed fighting in and around Mogadishu has raised fears that Somalia's 15th government in 18 years is about to fail. Sharif was named President only in January, and it was hoped that as ...

Militants continue to use a material not designed for use as a weapon against people to strike international forces in Afghanistan, the U.S.-coalition said Tuesday. White phosphorus, a smoke-producing agent commonly used to hide military operations, can cause severe burns. Groups such as the Human Rights Watch and other watchdogs oppose its use in civilian areas. The coalition's assertions come on the heels of criticism of international military activities that affect civilians in Afghanistan and claims that coalition forces have ...

The number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases worldwide surpassed 10,000, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Commonly known as swine flu, the outbreak has sickened 10,176 people and caused at least 80 deaths, mostly in Mexico, the organization said. The actual number of people affected may be higher, as it takes time for national governments to confirm cases and report them to the global body. In the United States, at least 5,469 cases of swine flu have been ...

An Indonesian military transport plane crashed into a residential area in east Java early Wednesday, killing at least three people, military and civilian officials said. The death toll was expected to rise -- with the Air Force reporting that 112 people were thought to have been on the plane when it crashed about 6:30 a.m. The plane destroyed four homes and killed two people who lived in at least one of the homes, said Suwardi, the village leader ...

Japan's GDP fell 4 percent last quarter, the fastest pace on record, the government said on Wednesday. The January-March quarter for Japan was 15.4 percent lower than the same time period last year, according to figures released by the Cabinet Office. Exports fell 26 percent on quarter, while imports were down 15 percent. The GDP slide in the world's second-largest economy is the greatest drop among the world's leading economies. By comparison, GDP in the United States fell 6.1 percent ...

Russian and U.S officials are meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Moscow to discuss a replacement pact for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I, which is expiring in December. "The key thing is that our two countries seem to have decided that we do want to pursue very intensive negotiations between now and December 2009 to try to achieve a new treaty to replace START when it goes out of force December 5," said Rose Gottemoeller, the U.S. assistant secretary of ...

A Minnesota judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for the mother of Daniel Hauser, a 13-year-old boy who is refusing treatment for his cancer, after neither she nor the boy showed up for a court appearance. "It is imperative that Daniel receive the attention of an oncologist as soon as possible," wrote Brown County District Judge John R. Rodenberg in an order to "apprehend and detain." "His best interests require it," Rodenberg wrote. The judge had scheduled the hearing to ...

One of three Afghan civilians wounded when U.S. contractors shot at them in an incident in early May died of his wounds Sunday, according to U.S. military officials in Afghanistan.

Among the many mysteries that befuddle autism researchers: why the disorder affects boys four times more often than girls. But in new findings reported online today by the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers say they have found a genetic clue that may help explain the disparity. The newly discovered autism-risk gene, identified by authors as CACNA1G, is more common in boys than in girls , and the authors suggest it plays a role in boys' increased risk of the ...

Elton John may be famous for smash hits such as "Tiny Dancer" and scores for films such as "The Lion King," but he's also made a name for himself in HIV/AIDS activism. The singer-songwriter established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the United States and the United Kingdom to support HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination associated with the disease, and care and support services for people living with the condition. The foundation has raised more ...