BRUSSELS (AP) ― European finance ministers early Thursday failed to reach a deal that would force banks to build up higher capital cushions against financial shocks amid disagreements over the powers of national regulators. The 27-country European Union is in the process of writing an international agreement on capital defenses for banks into European law. The so-called Basel III deal was negotiated by the world’s largest economies in the hope of avoiding a repeat of the financial meltdown broug

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The Philippines said Wednesday it has asked the United States to supply its armed forces with patrol boats and aircraft as well as radar systems amid an escalating territorial dispute with China.Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the hardware would help his country achieve a “minimum credible defense,” a phrase he used in unprecedented talks with senior U.S. officials in Washington earlier this week.“We need to know what’s going on around us. That’s maritime

BEIRUT (AP) ― Hamas has been holding secret political talks with five European Union member states in recent months, a senior official in the Islamic militant group told the Associated Press on Wednesday.If confirmed, such talks would be a sign that the isolation of the Gaza-based Palestinian movement is easing in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings that have brought Islamists to power in parts of the Middle East.The EU and the U.S consider Hamas a terror group and refuse to deal with it unles

JERUSALEM (AFP) ― Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition has tabled a motion to dissolve parliament and call an early general election on Sept. 4, coalition chairman Zeev Elkin said late on Wednesday.“I submitted the draft this morning,” he told Israeli public radio.“The consensus of most of the coalition parties and part of the opposition is that the election will take place on Sept. 4,” Elkin said. “That is the agreed date...a final decision will be taken on Sunday.”Netanyau on S

LONDON (AFP) ― British military commanders said they were training to deal with a “9/11-type attack” as they launched a major exercise Wednesday to test their readiness for the 2012 London Olympics.As jet fighters took to the sky with nine weeks to go to the opening ceremony, the Olympic Park was getting its biggest try-out as the final wave of sporting test events got under way.Four Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets flew into the British capital to herald the start of Exercise Olympic

PARIS (AP) ― French President Nicolas Sarkozy failed to deliver a knockout blow against leftist front-runner Francois Hollande in their only head-to-head debate in France’s presidential campaign, the last major hurdle just four days before Sunday’s election finale.Hollande ― an understated man whom many expected to wither under Sarkozy’s sharp attacks ― stood his ground, surprising some observers and even himself. But Wednesday’s much-awaited TV debate produced no outright winner, and appears un

Officials say a soldier has fatally shot himself while standing guard at the front gate of Taiwan's presidential office building in downtown Taipei.he Defense Ministry said the 22-year-old soldier, surnamed Kao, shot himself in the chest before dawn Thursday. It said fellow guards witnessed the incident but were not able to intervene.Officials said President Ma Ying-jeou was not at the office buil

Police in Washington state said they are searching for an attempted shoplifter who pulled a samurai sword on a security guard who attempted to stop him.Longview police said the suspect, described as a white man wearing a black hat, a black leather jacket and jeans, was approached by a security guard who suspected him of shoplifting at the Fred Meyer store around 12:30 p.m. Monday and the man brand