Pirates free two ships after ransoms paid

Somali pirates released two hijacked ships after ransoms were paid, U.S. military officials said Thursday.

U.N. approves 3,100 more troops for Congo

The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed Thursday to send 3,100 more peacekeeping troops to conflict-wracked Congo.

Ex-Gitmo detainee to taste freedom
Australian police said Thursday they will stop restricting the movements and communications of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.

Piracy threat hikes insurance premiums
Piracy on the high seas used to be a simple affair: Climb on board, take the valuables, and go.

Defense contractor charged in Afghan murder
A defense contractor who provided personal security to Afghan and Iraqi leaders has been charged with killing an Afghan civilian.

Judge orders release of 5 terror suspects

A federal judge has ordered the release of five Algerian terror suspects who have been held without charges almost seven years at Guantanamo Bay.

Cover-up alleged in missionary plane downing
A classified CIA report on the 2001 shoot down of a small plane carrying American missionaries by the Peruvian air force suggests that U.S. officials may have misled Congress.

Teen thrown under train over love letter
A teenage Indian boy was thrashed, paraded through the streets with his head shaved and then thrown under a train for daring to write a love letter to a girl from a different caste, police said Thursday.

Pakistan summons U.S. envoy
Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador Thursday to protest a suspected U.S. missile strike deep inside its territory as militants threatened revenge attacks unless the cross-border raids stop.

In Congo, refugees struggle to survive

His home was looted by wild government soldiers still pillaging this empty hilltop town. His fields are at the mercy of armed militias. And somewhere in the countryside, a rebel army is digging in.