Libya declared an immediate cease-fire and promised to stop military operations Friday in a bid to fend off international military intervention after the U.N. authorized a no-fly zone and ``all necessary measures'' to prevent the regime from striking its own people. The announcement by Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa followed a fierce attack by Gadhafi's forces against Misrata, the last rebel-held

Japan PM says country will 'overcome tragedy'      OSAKA, Japan, (AFP) - Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Friday said "we will overcome this tragedy and recover" from the earthquake and tsunami and pledged that "we will once more rebuild Japan." He also said his government would take "firm control" of the crisis at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan sp

Helicopters drop water; operators race to restore power supply to cooling systemFuel rod cooling pool nearly empty, plant owner saysU.S. officials say No. 4 reactor also in troubleZAO, Japan (AP) ― Military helicopters dumped loads of seawater onto Japan’s stricken nuclear complex Thursday, turning to combat-style tactics while trying to cool overheated uranium fuel that may be on the verge of spe

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) ― They risk explosions, fire and an invisible enemy ― radiation that could kill quickly or decades later ― as they race to avert disaster inside a dark, overheated nuclear plant.The 180 emergency workers at Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi complex are emerging as public heroes in the wake of a disaster spawned by an earthquake and a tsunami.Dubbed by some as modern-day samu

Sunni leaders desperate to hold on to power, Shiites calling for end to dynastyMANAMA, Bahrain (AP) ― Soldiers and riot police in Bahrain overran a protesters’ camp, imposed a 12-hour curfew and choked off movement nationwide Wednesday. Witnesses described helicopters firing on homes in a hunt for Shiites and attacking doctors treating the wounded, while the government called the demonstrators “ou

TOKYO (AP) _ Australia, Britain and Germany advised their citizens in Japan to consider leaving Tokyo and earthquake-affected areas, joining a growing number of governments and businesses telling their people it may be safer elsewhere.The advisories came as the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in the northeast deepened in the wake of last week's earthquake and ensuing tsunami.Aus

NEW YORK (AP) _ Four New York Times journalists covering the fighting in Libya were reported missing Wednesday, and the newspaper held out hope that they were alive and in the custody of the Libyan government.Editors last heard from the journalists on Tuesday as they were covering the retreat of rebels from the town of Ajdabiya, and Libyan officials told the newspaper they were trying to locate th