Armed police cordon off the Albertville Realschule school in Winnenden, southern Germany. A masked teenager in black combat gear went on a bloody rampage at his old school in Germany Wednesday, slaying at least 16 people before dying in a shootout with police, officials said. (AFP/DDP/Michael Latz)WORLD NEWS BRIEFS
MIDDLE EAST
Tariq Aziz, Saddam-era official, gets 15-year term.
Report: Shoe hurled at Ahmadinejad in Iranian city.
Mini-summit aims to smooth Arab differences.
Egyptian army cadets storm Cairo police station.
Turkey indicts 56 with coup plot.
Iranian Presidential race heats up as third reformist candidate joins.
ASIA
Protests, political turmoil grip Pakistan. 100s arrested. Nawaz Sharif fears assassination as party begins protest.
Thousands of Chinese athletes caught lying about their age.
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran join in drug crackdown.
China's exports plunge again, but car sales rise.
Pentagon monitoring North Korean test preparations.
AFRICA
Sudan: Obama - Growing crisis in Darfur is not acceptable.
931 dead in West African meningitis outbreak: UNICEF.
Somali cabinet backs Sharia plan.
Riot follows anti-police protest by Kenyan youth.
EUROPE
Sarkozy: France should rejoin key NATO command.
Catholics, Protestants in Northern Ireland denounce attacks.
France puts a cork in alcohol sales to youth.
After attacks, Europe hurries to tighten gun laws.
AMERICAS
U.S. Congress eases some Cuba sanctions.
Army desertions hurting Mexico's war on drugs.
In Mexico's seething drug wars, new alarm about violence moving north.
TERRORISM
Terrorist watch list hits 1 million.
Italy: Islamists are the main terrorist threat, says report.
Accused 9/11 suspects declare themselves 'Terrorists to the Bone'.
ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL CRISIS
U.S. Congress at work: '$1 billion an hour'
Madoff faces life in prison for vast swindle.
U.S. banks may pay dearly for government aid.
‘Difficult’ Americans hamper G20 efforts to secure a global deal. More news here.
IMF predicts a global recession.