LARNACA, Cyprus – The U.N. humanitarian chief accused Hezbollah on Monday of “cowardly blending” among Lebanese civilians and causing the deaths of hundreds during two weeks of cross-border violence with Israel. The militant group has built bunkers and tunnels near the Israeli border to shelter weapons and fighters, and its …

NEW ORLEANS – National Guard troops and state police will patrol the city through December, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Saturday at a summit of law enforcement officials and crime experts called to address a spate of killings marring the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. “Crime has no role in recovery,” Blanco …

MOSCOW – The lower house of Russian parliament has rejected a lawmaker’s proposal to book Madonna a seat on a Russian flight to the international space station, news agencies reported Wednesday, a day after the singer’s controversial concert in Moscow. Click Here for the Madonna Celebrity Center State Duma member …

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Archbishop Desmond Tutu says South Africa has failed to sustain the idealism that ended apartheid and its people seem to have lost their sense of right and wrong. Delivering the Steve Biko Memorial Lecture at the University of Cape Town on Tuesday night, the Nobel …

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran Monday hailed a visit by U.N Secretary General Kofi Annan as positive and accused the United States of sabotaging efforts to resolve its nuclear dispute with the West. Annan’s two-day visit came after Iran ignored the U.N. Security Council‘s Thursday deadline for Tehran to halt uranium …

NEW YORK – The chairman of British online gambling company Sportingbet PLC, who was arrested last week after New York customs officials discovered his name on a Louisiana warrant charging him with illegal online gambling, resigned on Thursday, the company said. “Further to its recent announcements regarding Mr. Peter Dicks, …

WASHINGTON – The Senate will consider a bill calling for erecting 700 miles of fencing on the U.S-Mexican border, a proposal that has been approved twice by the House. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., used a legislative maneuver to get the bill to the floor as early as Wednesday, …

LONDON – Sean Combs is Diddy no more — at least in Britain. The musician and entertainment mogul has agreed to drop the Diddy name as part of an out-of court legal settlement with London-based music producer Richard “Diddy” Dearlove, the law firm representing Dearlove said Monday. Solicitors Jens Hills …

NEW YORK – Katie Couric began her first night as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” on Tuesday by standing in front of a video board displaying a fast-moving rundown of stories ranging from the Taliban to Suri Cruise. “Hi, everyone,” she said. “I’m very happy to be with you …

BOSTON – The “Freshman 15” is more like 5 to 7, but it is followed by the “Sophomore 2 or 3,” say researchers who led two of the largest and longest studies ever done of weight gain among college students. The research also showed that males piled on significantly more …