World News

ROME (AP) — Bill Gates has told U.N. food agencies that world agriculture systems are outdated and inefficient, especially for the small farmers in poor countries they are aiming to help. Gates brought his campaign to fight poverty and hunger in Africa and Asia to a forum Thursday of the U...

A report released Tuesday indicates radiation from Japan's nuclear power plant disaster has been detected 400 miles away from the island nation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is apologizing for the burning of Muslim holy books in a pile of garbage at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan. Press secretary Jay Carney says it's a "deeply unfortunate incident" and doesn't reflect the respect the U...

TOKYO (AP) — Japan says its trade deficit ballooned to a record high 1.48 trillion yen ($18.7 billion) in January, the biggest in the three decades that such data became available. The numbers released Monday by the Ministry of Finance highlight this nation's surging import of fuel after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster sent a nuclear plant into meltdown...

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he's concerned about reported clashes between security forces and demonstrators in Bahrain in recent days. U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said Wednesday that Ban is calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, and for Bahraini officials to respect their international human rights obligations...

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are climbing after Iran said it will cut off crude exports to Europe in retaliation for a planned embargo later this year. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1 to $101.74 per barrel in New York. Brent crude rose $1...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force says it will cut the service by nearly 10,000 active, National Guard and Reserve airmen next year, as part of a broad move to downsize and shift capabilities around the country to be better prepared for wars of the future...

NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average has closed at its highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis. The Dow jumped 157 points Friday to close at 12,862. That's the highest since May 2008. The Nasdaq composite index closed at its highest level since December 2000...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel is backing sweeping new penalties on Iran with lawmakers arguing the economic pressure will undercut Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The Banking Committee approved the legislation Thursday by voice vote in a rare instance of bipartisanship...

LONDON (AP) — Unemployment across the 17 countries that use the euro ended 2011 at a record high of one person in every 10, official figures showed Tuesday, a day after EU leaders acknowledged they would have to boost economic growth with the same urgency that they had shown in combating their nations' debts...