Indonesian police say terror mastermind Noordin Top killed in overnight raid

SOLO, Indonesia — Noordin Muhammed Top, a militant mastermind who eluded capture for seven years and terrorized Indonesia with a string of deadly al-Qaida-funded bombings, was killed during a raid Thursday, the Indonesian police chief said.

Former leader of Australia’s ruling party, known as ‘Bomber Beazley’ named ambassador to US

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia appointed a former leader of the ruling Labor Party on Thursday as its next ambassador to the United States.

Stocks open higher on growth in industrial production, upbeat comments from Bernanke

NEW YORK — Stocks are higher in early trading as investors build further momentum amid fresh signs the global economy is recovering.

Purr-fect ending: Australian cat that strayed 2,400 miles is reunited with owner after 3 years

HOBART, Australia — A cat named Clyde was reunited with his owner on Wednesday after a mysterious three-year odyssey in which the long-haired Himalayan strayed 2,400 miles into the Australian Outback.

World markets power ahead as better US economic data boost optimism; dollar remains weak

HONG KONG — World stock markets rose Wednesday, lifted by better news about the U.S. economy and comments from the Federal Reserve’s chairman that the recession was likely over.

4th Guantanamo Bay detainee agrees to move to Palau, and US says more may accept offer

KOROR, Palau — A fourth Chinese Muslim detainee held at Guantanamo Bay has agreed to be relocated to the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, officials said Tuesday.

Chevron announces Gorgon gas field will go ahead off northwest Australia

CANBERRA, Australia — Energy giant Chevron announced on Monday that the Gorgon gas field, one of the world’s largest, will be developed off northwest Australia with export contracts already signed with China, India, Japan and South Korea.

CAT scans show extinct eagle in New Zealand may have eaten humans, researchers say

BANGKOK — Sophisticated computer scans of fossils have helped solve a mystery over the nature of a giant, ancient raptor known as the Haast’s eagle which became extinct about 500 years ago, researchers said Friday.

First batch of Uighur detainees at Guantanamo agree to go to Palau

KOROR, Palau — Three Chinese Muslims detained at Guantanamo Bay have formally accepted an offer to take up new lives in the Pacific island nation of Palau and could be moved there as early as next month, lawyers say.

Chevron Australia signs natural gas deals worth $60 billion with South Korea, Japan

SYDNEY — Energy giant Chevron signed deals worth 70 billion Australian dollars ($60 billion) to supply liquefied natural gas to Japan and South Korea, Australia’s prime minister said Thursday.

Australian police launch war crimes probe into 1975 killing of 5 journalists in East Timor

SYDNEY — Australia has launched a war crimes investigation into the 1975 killing of five Australian-based journalists during an attack by Indonesian forces in East Timor.

Australian jobless rate steady as unemployed abandon job search, shrinking labor force

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s jobless rate remained steady at 5.8 percent for a third month in August despite a continuing shift from full-time to part-time employment due to the near-stagnant economy, figures showed Thursday.

US Mint list of new national park quarters, in order the coins will be produced

The U.S. Mint announced Wednesday that it will produce a series of quarters highlighting America’s national parks, one per state and territory, beginning next year. The coins will be minted based on the dates the parks or historic sites were established and start with Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park, founded in 1832.

Australia may remove gender criteria for military jobs, allowing female combat roles

ADELAIDE, Australia — Australia may allow female soldiers to serve in front-line combat roles under proposed equal-opportunity guidelines that stoked debate Wednesday on whether women can meet the physical demands.

Asian markets drift lower as exporters fall while oil, gold gains boost commodity stocks

BANGKOK — Asian markets drifted lower Wednesday as dollar weakness hit exporters while commodity stocks gained on a jump in oil and gold prices. European shares were lower.

New America’s Cup-class yacht racing circuit to start in November and feature 10 teams

PARIS — A new world circuit of America’s Cup-class yacht racing will start in November, making stops in New Zealand and Italy and featuring 10 teams.

No sign of road trouble as Samoan drivers switch from right to left

APIA, Samoa — Samoans passed a major driving test Monday when the tiny South Pacific country became the first in decades to switch its traffic from one side of the road to the other — with no accidents reported.

World stocks rise as investors feed on G-20 stimulus pledge; Hong Kong gains 2.1 percent

BANGKOK — World markets rose Tuesday as investors fed on a pledge by the world’s 20 biggest economies to underwrite the global recovery with stimulus efforts.

Asian stocks rise as investors feed on G-20 stimulus pledge; Nikkei up 0.3 percent

BANGKOK — Asian markets rose Tuesday as investors fed on a pledge by the world’s 20 biggest economies to underwrite the global recovery with massive stimulus efforts.

Amnesty International: Fiji regime using arrests, censorship, intimidation to rule by fear

SYDNEY — Fiji’s military regime is using beatings, arbitrary arrests, censorship and intimidation to rule the South Pacific country by fear, Amnesty International alleged Tuesday.

Noise barrage and smiling drivers as Samoa switches driving to other side

APIA, Samoa — Car horns and sirens sounded, church bells rang out and roads were crowded with vehicles and smiling drivers as Samoa became the first country in decades to officially switch from right-side to left-side driving.

AP IMPACT: Independent East Timor flooded with aid, yet most are worse off a decade later

DILI, East Timor — A decade after tiny East Timor broke from Indonesia and prompted one of the most expensive U.N.-led nation-building projects in history, there is little to show for the billions spent.

Samoa bans alcohol sales, locals pray for calm as drivers switch to other side

APIA, Samoa — Residents prayed for calm as Samoa prepared Monday to become the first country in nearly 40 years to switch driving from one side of the road to the other.

US nuclear tests in Pacific lead to migration tensions, costly health obligations for Hawaii

HONOLULU — Pius Henry fears his adopted government will kill him, that the United States won’t live up to a health care obligation to people from Pacific islands where it tested nuclear bombs.

INSIDE WASHINGTON: Hawaii lawmaker has unusual, expensive jobs plan 3,800 miles away

WASHINGTON — A veteran House member from Hawaii has found a way to help his state’s struggling construction industry — and boost his campaign for governor. The catch? It would cost taxpayers an extra $10 billion.

INSIDE WASHINGTON: Hawaii lawmaker with long reach tries to shape a project 3,800 miles away

WASHINGTON — Thousands of miles from his Hawaii congressional district, Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie has discovered a lifeline for his state’s struggling construction industry — and a potential boost in his campaign for governor.

Asian markets gain cautiously ahead of US jobs report; Hang Seng gains 0.4 percent

CANBERRA, Australia — Most Asian markets rose in cautious trading Friday as investors looked ahead to a key U.S. jobs report for clues about the outlook for the world’s largest economy — an important export market for Asia.

American Samoa gets own US quarter

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — U.S. Mint Deputy Director Andy Brunhart was in Pago Pago for the launch of the American Samoa quarter.

US not expecting major change in defense relationship with Japan as new party takes power

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The United States’ top military officer in the Pacific said Wednesday he doesn’t expect major changes to his country’s defense relationship with Japan despite the election of a new government that has vowed to reevaluate its ties with Washington.

Judge sentences 8th member of Australian terror cell to 5 years in prison

MELBOURNE, Australia — The last of eight men convicted of being part of a terrorist cell that planned to kill hundreds of people with a bombing in Australia’s second largest city was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison.