BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iran has invited the Iraqi and Syrian presidents to Tehran for a weekend summit with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to hash out ways to cooperate in curbing the runaway violence that has taken Iraq to the verge of civil war and threatens to spread through the region, four key …

Taliban militants released unharmed a group of Pakistani schoolboys Thursday that were abducted on suspicion of spying for anti-militant security forces, Reuters reported. Pakistan police said approximately 12 children, aged 8 to 11, had been kidnapped outside their Swat valley school on Tuesday. Police had been negotiating with their captors …

LAWTON, Okla. – A 28-year-old man who attempted to pay for his bar tab with gum wrappers was arrested after a scuffle with a police officer, authorities said. A bartender told police the man was playing pool with an open bottle of beer Tuesday night and spilled some of it …

WARSAW, Poland – Researchers said Thursday they have identified the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton and hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer’s books. The findings could put an end to centuries of speculation about the exact resting spot of Copernicus, a priest and …

CANBERRA, Australia – Dozens of Sydney brothels are passing off sex acts as therapeutic massages and illegally billing health insurers for the services, a newspaper and an official said Monday. Health funds uncovered the fraud after investigating a Chinese-language newspaper advertisement offering to provide “young attractive masseuse with a health …

The lawyer for the grandparents of a missing Florida toddler quit the job Thursday, saying only the little girl’s imprisoned mother knows the truth about what happened. Mark NeJame indicated in a statement that he was off the case because of disagreements with George and Cindy Anthony. Their daughter Casey …

NEW YORK – A wealthy arms dealer has gone on trial in New York City on charges he tried to sell millions of dollars in weaponry to Colombian rebels so they could attack Americans. Monzer al-Kassar was arrested last year in Madrid. A federal sting used cooperators posing as members …

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s parliament speaker has ended the debate on the proposed Iraq-U.S. security agreement and set Wednesday for a vote on the deal that will allow U.S. troops to stay in Iraq for three more years. Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani says the vote can be held earlier if the legislature’s …

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Three people face federal charges for allegedly conspiring to take two young girls to an Indiana hotel room for a sex “party,” then taking pictures as the children were molested. Tabitha D. Robinson, 32, of Midlothian allegedly took a 3-year-old girl to a Best Western …

KUT, Iraq – The U.S. military on Wednesday handed over security responsibilities for the southern province of Wasit to Iraqi authorities in a move that signals the growing capabilities of the country’s fledgling security forces. Wasit province is the 13th of Iraq’s 18 provinces to return to full government control. …