Mexico cautiously begins reopening schools amid massive disinfection campaign

SAN MIGUEL TOPILEJO, Mexico — As if marshaling for war, Mexico’s government mobilized thousands of education officials and parents across the country to swiftly disinfect schools and monitor millions of returning students for signs of swine flu.

Astronauts returning to Hubble one last time, will attempt most daring overhaul yet

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The

Lalu, Paswan skip cabinet meeting, stay with UPA

NEW DELHI - Three key constituents of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) skipped a cabinet meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called here Friday evening, but said they were still part of the coalition.

Poverty, not religious differences, fueling Muslim tensions with the West, report claims

LONDON — Joblessness and poverty are a more potent source of tension between Muslims and wider European and U.S. society than religious differences, one of the first major studies of Muslim integration since the Sept. 11 terror attacks claimed on Thursday.

Wesleyan victim had complained of harassment; police say suspect may be targeting school, Jews

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Anxious students at Wesleyan University huddled in their dorms Thursday, and city’s only synagogue was shut down, as authorities said a man wanted in the bookstore shooting death of a Wesleyan student had threatened the woman before, and may now be targeting the school and Jews.

Italian police say American art student, 24, confessed to killing an Italian man

ROME — An Italian police investigator said Friday that a visiting American art student has confessed to killing a man in Florence.

10 big banks need $75 billion in new capital; test results raise tentative hopes for economy

WASHINGTON — The government’s long-awaited “stress-test” results have found that 10 of the nation’s 19 largest banks need a total of about $75 billion in new capital to withstand losses if the recession worsened. The Federal Reserve’s findings, released Thursday, show the financial system, like the overall economy, is healing but not yet healed.

Dunga praises Ronaldo but won’t confirm return to Brazil team

SAO PAULO - Brazil coach Carlos Dunga praised the recent form of the veteran striker Ronaldo, but refused to say whether the forward would return to the national team.

Dunga praises Ronaldo but won’t confirm return to Brazil team

SAO PAULO - Brazil coach Carlos Dunga praised the recent form of the veteran striker Ronaldo, but refused to say whether the forward would return to the national team.

Delhi’s first time voters excited to cast their ballot

NEW DELHI - Shrugging their ‘me-no-care’ attitude, Delhi’s first time voters were an excited lot Thursday as they made it to the nearest polling booths to cast their vote.

‘One-millionth word to be added to English language in June’

LONDON - Linguistic experts have revealed that the one-millionth word will be added to the English language next month.

2 killed when small plane crashes into empty plane on ground at Florida airport

LANTANA, Fla. — Authorities say two people are dead after a single-engine plane crashed into an unoccupied aircraft on the ground at a south Florida airport.

Pakistan pounds Taliban; militant reinforcements leave mountain hideouts for Swat Valley

MINGORA, Pakistan — Helicopter gunships and mortar teams pounded militant strongholds Wednesday, killing dozens outside emerald mines, the military said, as Taliban reinforcements poured down from their mountain hide-outs and seized homes and government buildings.

Bank of America shares rise in premarket trading amid reports it needs $34 billion in capital

NEW YORK — Bank of America Corp. stock rose Wednesday as investors appeared comforted by reports that the bank has the means to cover a potential $34 billion shortfall in capital.

Michelle Obama thrilled to visit Sesame Street

WASHINGTON - US First Lady Michelle Obama’s was thrilled to visit “Sesame Street” on her first visit to New York since Barack Obama took over as US President.

Blair: Obama administration, negotiators to unveil new Mideast peace strategy in 5-6 weeks

JERUSALEM — The Obama administration and international negotiators are drafting a new strategy for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and expect to unveil it within six weeks, international Mideast envoy Tony Blair said.

US to press Pakistan, Afghanistan on Taliban

WASHINGTON - When President Barack Obama meets both Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai here today, he will stress that both are facing the same enemy and need to overcome their mistrust to ensure that joint efforts against the Taliban are not hampered.

Rebels say hundreds of civilians killed and wounded daily in Sri Lanka; 9 have died of hunger

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The Tamil Tiger rebels said intense fighting in Sri Lanka’s war zone was killing and wounding hundreds of civilians a day and asked Wednesday for the U.N. to push for urgent food shipments to avert a hunger crisis.

Quarantined Mexicans flying back home as country begins to emerge from swine flu lockdown

MEXICO CITY — Dozens of Mexican nationals who were quarantined at hospitals and hotels in China despite showing no symptoms of swine flu arrived home early Wednesday on a government-chartered jet.

Public and political scrutiny weakened bank stress tests, critics say

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in February that putting the nation’s biggest banks through “stress tests” was vital to getting the financial system back on solid ground.

Speed-enforcement vans return to Arizona highways for first time after van operator’s slaying

PHOENIX — Speed-enforcement vans have returned to Arizona highways for the first time since a van operator was shot to death inside his vehicle last month.

Regulators say failed NJ bank had ‘deficient management,’ poor lending policies

TRENTON, N.J. — A small bank in northern New Jersey has been shut down by state banking regulators, and an industry advocate says he cannot rule out future failures.

Afghan official sees 30 bodies, including women, children, killed in airstrike

KABUL — An Afghan official says villagers in southern Afghanistan brought approximately 30 mutilated bodies to a provincial capital to show that women and children had been killed by coalition airstrikes.

Rahul praises JD-U and TDP, angers Lalu-Paswan

NEW DELHI - With a splintered verdict looming ahead, the Congress Tuesday opened the door to multiple choices after the Lok Sabha elections with Rahul Gandhi reaching out to not just the estranged Left but also rivals TDP and JD-U only to be summarily rebuffed by all.

Spanish prime minister believes Madrid has ‘reasonable hope’ of landing 2016 Olympics

MADRID — Spain’s prime minister believes Madrid has “reasonable hope” of landing the 2016 Olympics.

Obama’s education secretary seeks input on No Child Left Behind

WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Arne Duncan is a man on a mission: to hear what teachers, students and parents in at least 15 states think about No Child Left Behind, the controversial education law championed by former President George W. Bush.

Police official says suicide car bomber kills 4 security forces in volatile northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR — A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle carrying paramilitary forces in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least four troops and wounding several people, including schoolchildren, police said.

Several Muslim groups say FBI overstepping bounds; others say the relationship is working well

NEWARK, N.J. — A coalition of Muslim groups is calling for Muslims to stop fully cooperating with the FBI.

CPI (M) urges Nepal to find a democratic solution

KOLKATA - The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged Nepal to find a democratic solution of the current political turmoil.

Police arrest 2 for alleged sabotoge of Indian mogul’s chopper; corporate rivalry ruled out

MUMBAI, India — Two janitors were arrested in the attempted sabotage of the helicopter of an Indian billionaire, a senior police official said Monday, describing the tampering as part of an internal dispute at the company that maintained the aircraft.