Bin Laden tape urges U.S. To embrace Islam

Six years after orchestrating the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history, Osama bin Laden resurfaced yesterday in a videotape in which he brags about altering the course of U.S. history and warns that the only way to end the war in Iraq is for Americans to convert to Islam.The 25-minute message marked the first time [...]

Anger over fires may tilt Greek election

Antonopoulou, 76, cries as she leans on a wall in the gutted remains of her home in the village of Platanos, next to Ancient Olympia in southwestern Greece on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007. Antonopoulou lost 15 of her 20 goat and her house in a massive blaze that swept through the area, forcing the [...]

Publicist: Bo Diddley had heart attack

Bo Diddley, 78, listens as he is honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts at a ceremony on Feb. 16, 2007, in Jackson, Miss. The 78-year-old singer-guitarist was hospitalized in stable condition after suffering a heart attack, his publicist said Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007.

Explosion derails Russian train

An explosion derailed a Russian train travelling between Moscow and St Petersburg on Monday, injuring dozens of passengers, officials said.
Russian Railways said in a statement the blast was caused by “outside action”, suggesting it may not have been a technical fault. No other details were given.
Interfax news agency quoted law enforcement sources as saying a [...]

Johnson hails smoking ban

Health Secretary Alan Johnson hails England’s smoking ban as a major step forward for public health.
He said the ban on smoking in enclosed public places, which came into force on Sunday, would improve the health of hundreds of thousands of people.
But there have been isolated signs of opposition to the smoking clampdown.
The landlord [...]

Summit focuses on African unity

The African Union summit opens in Ghana, focusing this year on the idea of a pan-African government.
Libya’s Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is championing the idea, but many African leaders do not support his initiative.
Some leaders fear the issue will push the crises in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Darfur off the agenda.
Ghana’s President John Kufuor [...]

Boris Yeltsin dies

Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin died today in the Central Clinical Hospital as a result of a deteriorating cardio-vascular problem.
Boris Yeltsin, who clambered on to a tank to bury the Soviet Union, then led Russia falteringly through its first years of independence, died on Monday aged 76.
World leaders showered Yeltsin with tributes for bringing freedom and democracy [...]