Iran's supreme leader is attempting to extinguish an annual event celebrating the last days of winter and the Persian calendar year, and the government is strengthening its security presence in the days leading up to a major holiday, Iranian media reported.

The U.S. special envoy for Middle East peace has delayed a visit to the region as the United States awaits a response to its demand that Israel reverse a decision on construction in disputed territory in East Jerusalem, according to sources.

A coal mine fire in central China has killed 25 people, state-run media cited local government as saying.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame hit back Monday at human rights activists who say he's behaving like an autocrat and fueling a bloody civil war in Rwanda's neighbor, Congo.

A trendy California sushi restaurant charged by federal authorities with serving whale meet offered an apology Monday, saying it "ignored its responsibilities" to endangered species.

Authorities believe pregnant woman and two others connected with a U.S. consulate who were murdered were targeted by assassins, a Mexico mayor has said.

The unregulated nature of the Web has aided a proliferation of cyber-hate, according to a report the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Tolerance released Monday.

Romel Joseph calls it his second life.

Catholic Church officials never prosecuted more than half the roughly 3,000 priests accused of sexual impropriety in the past decade, a top Vatican official has revealed.

Anti-government protesters threatened Monday to begin collecting hundreds of liters of blood to toss on official buildings as they step up their efforts to bring down Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's administration.