A slave trade symbol to join U.S. and Cuba
 Days from now, a stately black schooner will sail through a narrow channel into Havana's protected harbor, its two masts bearing the rarest of sights — the U.S. Stars and Stripes, with the Cuban flag fluttering nearby.
British boy kidnapped in Pakistan returns to UK
A 5-year-old British boy who was kidnapped and held in Pakistan for two weeks has arrived safely back in Britain, and preliminary charges have been filed in Spain against three people allegedly involved in the crime.
Poland convicts 3 men in theft of Auschwitz sign
A Polish court convicted three men Thursday of the theft of the notorious "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Sets You Free) sign from the Auschwitz memorial site in December.
Chicago terror suspect pleads guilty
 A Chicago man admits in court that he scouted out the Indian city of Mumbai before a 2008 terror attack that left 166 dead and helped plan an attack a Danish newspaper that never took place.
Myanmar deports jailed American
Army-ruled Myanmar deports a Burmese-American activist on Thursday after sentencing him last month to three years in prison for forgery and immigration offenses.
Remains of Italian teen believed found in church
The case of an Italian teenager who disappeared in 1993 has returned to the spotlight after decomposed remains believed to be hers were discovered in the church where she was last seen, police said Thursday.
U.N. calls for Afghans to take charge of future
The U.N. peacekeeping chief says it's time for the international community to take "concrete steps" to allow Afghans to take charge of their future.
U.N. nixes ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna
 U.S.-backed proposal to ban the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna prized in sushi was rejected by a U.N. wildlife meeting, as nations feared doing so would devastate fishing economies.
Darfur aid worker freed after 147-day kidnap ordeal
Sudanese forces freed a Red Cross aid worker from kidnappers who had held him in Darfur for 147 days, a security chief said on Thursday.
Marines try to buy good will in Marjah
 Since U.S., Afghan and NATO forces wrested Marjah from the Taliban, they've been going to extraordinary lengths to cultivate townspeople who had lived under insurgent control for years.
Woman convicted of killing 6 newborns
 A court in Normandy on Thursday convicts a 38-year-old woman of killing six of her newborn babies — a deed she acknowledged — and sentenced her to 15 years in prison.
U.K. delays rules on terror suspects
New British guidelines on handling terrorism suspects held overseas have been delayed over a dispute about how to deal with information from detainees who may be at risk of torture by allies.
Clinton, Russia spar over Iran nuclear plant
 On a visit to Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticizes Russia's plans to start up a nuclear power station in Iran, prompting a defense from a Russian official.
Ex-Scotland Yard detective jailed in drug plot
A former Scotland Yard drug squad detective was jailed Thursday for his role in a botched attempt to smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cocaine into Ireland.
U.S. and Russian spacefliers touch down safely
 A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying a U.S. astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut from the International Space Station landed safely in Kazakhstan.
Greece ups stakes in quest for EU help
 Greece raised the stakes on Thursday in its quest for EU help to tackle its debt crisis, saying it cannot achieve promised deficit cuts if its borrowing costs remain so high and may have to call in the IMF.
Retired general links gays in army to genocide
A retired U.S. general says Dutch troops failed to defend against the 1995 genocide in the Bosnian war because the army was weakened by openly gay soldiers.
Spill threatens Estonia capital's water
A cargo plane made an emergency landing Thursday on the frozen surface of a lake outside Estonia's capital, spilling 1.5 tons of fuel that risked polluting the city's main source of drinking water, authorities said.
First deadly rocket in year hits Israel
 Palestinian militants fired a rocket into Israel from Gaza, killing a Thai farm worker, while the European Union's foreign affairs chief was visiting the Hamas-controlled enclave.
Netanyahu, Clinton talk after settlement crisis
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed "confidence-building steps" with Palestinians in a telephone call with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after a dispute over settlements.
Chaos marks Iraq election vote tally
 Iraq's postelection count has fueled allegations of fraud. Questions about the vote's validity could undermine U.S. ambitions to set a standard for democracy in the Middle East.
Sudan and Darfur rebel group sign cease-fire
Sudan's government and a collection of Darfur rebel groups signed a cease-fire Thursday — the second such deal in less than a month with a key rebel faction — opening the way for political negotiations ahead of a full peace agreement.
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