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Iraq

U.S. vice-president visits troops

BAGHDAD - U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq on Thursday to visit U.S. soldiers, just two days after all American combat troops withdrew from Baghdad and all of Iraq's cities and towns. During his visit, Biden will meet with Iraqi leaders, including President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. A White House statement said Biden will reiterate the U.S. commitment to carry out President Barack Obama's plan to withdraw combat forces. He also will press Iraqi leaders to make more progress toward political reconciliation. It was his first trip to Iraq as vice-president.

Honduras

OAS head warns of sanctions

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - A top diplomat said Thursday he is heading to Honduras to demand the return of the president toppled at gunpoint - a mission he said is likely to meet rejection, bringing diplomatic and economic punishment for the impoverished Central American nation. The head of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza, said he plans to travel to Honduras on Friday to insist on the restoration of President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup Sunday.

Submerged car

Autopsy results could take weeks

KINGSTON, Ont. - Investigators are baffled by how a car left the roadway and ended up underwater and hope that autopsies, scheduled for Thursday in Ottawa, will shed some light, said Kingston police Const. Michael Menor. The victims have not been identified by police. The bodies of the three sisters, aged 13, 17 and 19, were found along with a 50-year-old woman, described only as a relative, inside a vehicle that was submerged in the northernmost lock at Kingston Mills, northeast of Kingston.

Swine flu

Doctors nix idea of 'flu parties'

TORONTO - As a reason for a party, this one is getting a big thumbs down from public health officials. Rumours have emerged in Britain and elsewhere about people mixing with friends who have the new H1N1 virus and parents throwing "swine flu parties" so their children will get infected. Their apparent reason is a belief that it's better to get H1N1 now while it causes mostly mild illness than in the fall when the virus might become more deadly, says the British

Medical Association, warning against such disease-swapping get-togethers.

Ignatieff

Tories' attacks divide Canadians

WINNIPEG - Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is accusing the Tories of dividing Canadians through personal attacks. Ignatieff was in Winnipeg as he continued an election-style tour of the West. Speaking to a friendly Liberal crowd, Ignatieff said the Conservatives are undermining what makes Canada great by attacking his patriotism. Ignatieff says Tory ads which attack the fact that he lived outside Canada for many years insult everyone who was born outside of Canada or works in another country. He says recent Tory flyers using comments he wrote about Ukrainians 15 years ago say more about the Conservatives than they do about him.

Niger

Political crisis concerns UN chief

UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is "deeply concerned" about the political crisis in Niger, where President Mamadou Tandja has dissolved parliament and the highest court in an effort to remain in power. The secretary-general said in a statement that Niger's crisis "threatens to destabilize" the uranium-rich African nation and undermines recent democratic progress.

Croatia

Parliament accepts PM's resignation

ZAGREB, Croatia - Croatian lawmakers accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader Thursday, but were left without any explanation of his unexpected move. Sanader, who won his second mandate 19 months ago, resigned on Wednesday.