KABUL - Eight US soldiers died in attacks in southern Afghanistan while 14 civilians and three security forces were killed elsewhere in the country, officials said Wednesday.

PM, Maoist states agree on unified commands to fight insurgents (Roundup)

NEW DELHI - A unified command, an extensive Rs.1,750 crore infrastructure package and helicopter support were amongst the measures agreed upon to counter Maoists at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with Maoist affected states here Wednesday.

Pakistan has to act on Headley confessions, says India

ISLAMABAD - A day before his talks here, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said Wednesday that India expected Pakistan to act on confessions by terror suspect David Coleman Headley over the Mumbai terror attack.

Top Indian official accuses Pakistan spy agency of executing Mumbai attacks on eve of talks

Former CEO of German lender IKB convicted of misleading markets over subprime risk

BERLIN — The former chief executive of Germany’s IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG was convicted Wednesday of misleading investors over the extent of the lender’s exposure to the looming financial crisis in 2007.

New Delhi not supporting anti-Maoist operations: Nitish Kumar

NEW DELHI - Stressing that Maoists were “part of our society” and could not be defeated with “enforced action alone”, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday slammed the central government for what he said was the lack of support for the state’s anti-Maoist operations.

Iraq: US hands over 55 detained members of Saddam’s former regime, including ex-FM Tariq Aziz

Outdoor poster blending nudity, Mickey Mouse and swastika causes a stir in Poland

Coroner says no evidence Egyptian spy suspect who fell to death in London was murdered

German police search 13 Credit Suisse branches in tax evasion investigation

States asked to revisit anti-Maoist strategy (Evening Lead)

NEW DELHI - The four states worst-affected by the Maoists - Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal - were Wednesday asked to revisit their operational strategy and create a unified command with a retired major general as its member.

German man extradited from Turkey in connection with terrorist plot

ISI activity in northeast under scanner

AGARTALA - Acting on tip-off from a central intelligence agency, police in Assam and Tripura are probing the activities of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the northeast, officials said here Wednesday.

Flock of 18 Canada geese found beaten, shot to death near retention pond in NJ

Suspect in Chandra Levy slaying to be released from jail briefly for handwriting tests

Widow of slain Fla. hotel heir seeks bail before facing federal charges in New York

LeT commander killed in Jammu and Kashmir

JAMMU - A district commander of the Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT) was killed Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar forest area, police said.

Maoists are part of our society: Nitish Kumar

NEW DELHI - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday struck a discordant note on the government’s anti-Maoist policy, saying the leftist rebels were “part of our society” and that the problem should be tackled with sustained development and not with an “enforced action alone”.

Iran says nuclear scientist who showed up in Washington now on his way home

TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian scientist was on his way home to Tehran on Wednesday from the United States, ending what appeared to be a defection gone wrong that could snarl U.S. efforts to gather intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program.

German authorities search 13 Credit Suisse branches in tax evasion investigation

Aimee L. Sword Jailed For Incestuous Sex

Suspected Maoists kill one in Bengal

KOLKATA - Suspected Maoists shot dead a middle-aged man in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, police said Wednesday.

Leadership vacuum, demoralized staff trouble agency charged with fighting corruption at UN

Integrated approach needed to fight Maoists: Raman Singh

NEW DELHI - Maoist-affected states needed an “integrated action plan” to fight left wing rebels, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said here Wednesday.

Deaf inmate seeking exoneration in Texas says print matching sex offender proves his innocence

Blagojevich prosecutors roll through case in 5 weeks, don’t call some potential key figures

President Barack Obama hosts a press conference

4 police officers could face death penalty in deadly post-Katrina New Orleans shootings

Cops could face death in post-Katrina shootings

Attorneys for couple accused of plotting to extort John Stamos attack actor’s character

Defense attacks actor Stamos at extortion trial

Ex-officer faces sentencing after video of NYC clash with cycling activist is posted online

Ex-officer faces sentencing in NYC bicycle clash

Maoists have been killing over 500 civilians every year: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has been killing over 500 civilians every year since 2004 after labelling many of them “police informers”, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Wednesday.

Set up unified command in four Maoist hit states: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday said that Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal should coordinate their anti-Maoist operations and form a Unified Command with a retired major general of the Indian Army as its member.

Suicide attack near security checkpoint kills Afghan policeman in Kandahar

Suicide attack kills Afghan policeman in Kandahar

Terror suspect arrested in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD - Terror suspect Viqar Ahmed, who is suspected to have links with Pakistan-based terror groups and is allegedly involved in three incidents of firing on policemen, was arrested by Hyderabad Police here Wednesday.

Charles Sobhraj Case Verdict Comes Today

PM meets chief minister of Maoist affected states

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday met the chief ministers of Maoist affected states to review government policy and discuss strategy to counter one of the greatest internal security threats to India.

Major killed in Jammu and Kashmir, gunfight still on

JAMMU - An Indian Army major was killed and a colonel injured in a fierce gunfight between security forces and a group of terrorists in Mendhar forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. The exchange of fire that started Tuesday night was continuing Wednesday, an official said.