World

Navy ships of the two Koreas exchanged fire Tuesday along their disputed western sea border, South Korean military officers said.

Gunmen in camouflage stormed a plywood factory and abducted three workers Tuesday, a day after suspected Muslim militants beheaded a kidnapped schoolteacher on a nearby southern Philippine island, officials said.

Thailand's fugitive ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived Tuesday in Cambodia following his appointment as economic adviser to the government, fueling tensions between the neighboring countries.

Oil prices drifted below $79 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as a storm threatening oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico weakened and investors eyed a volatile dollar.

The U.S. State Department issued a statement late Monday decrying attacks on three Cuban bloggers, including one who has gained international attention for her searing observations about life on the communist island.

Increased droughts, floods and storms will hit China's Yangtze River Basin over the next few decades, the result of rising temperatures globally, according to a report released Tuesday.

Japan said Tuesday it plans to provide up to $5 billion in new Afghanistan aid over the next 5 years as the country's naval refueling mission in the region draws to a close.

The Mexican government has declared parts of the Gulf coast state of Tabasco disaster zones due to flooding from days of heavy rains, freeing up federal relief funds for the area.

A Brazilian woman whose short, pink dress caused a near riot at a private college led to her expulsion and transformed her into an Internet sensation now has permission to return to class.

Iran accused three detained Americans of spying Monday, signaling Tehran intends to put them on trial. It drew a sharp U.S. response that the charges are baseless because the hikers strayed across the border from Iraq.