A UN envoy announced Sunday that Syria will withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon by the end of April, before Lebanese parliamentary elections in May. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara told the UN's Terje Roed-Larsen that "all Syrian troops, military assets and the intelligence apparatus will have been withdrawn fully and completely latest by April [...]

Iraq's transitional National Assembly took an important step forward Sunday, naming a Sunni Arab, Hajim al-Hassani, as parliament speaker . The selection ends days of shouting, bickering, and accusations. Two deputies were also chosen–Kurdish politician Aref Tayfour, and Shia politician Hussein al-Shahrastani. With Assembly leaders now selected, the body can now name Iraq's new president [...]

The body of Terri Schiavo was cremated Saturday amidst continued disputes between her husband Michael and her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. Michael Schiavo wanted the body cremated and the ashes buried at the family plot in Pennsylvania; the Schindlers wanted her body buried in Florida so they could visit her grave. A court order [...]

Updating a Saturday report on JURIST's Paper Chase, US military officials Sunday raised the casualty total from Saturday's late-night attack on the infamous Abu Ghraib prison to 56, including 44 Americans and 12 detainees. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility . At least 40 insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades against the facility and exploded two car bombs [...]

Former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell Saturday joined the Democratic party chorus opposing Republican threats to ban Senate filibusters of judicial nominees. Delivering the Democrats' Saturday radio address, Mitchell chided Republicans for seeking to overturn a 200-year old Senate practice in the face of Senate approval of some 95% of Bush judicial appointees. The [...]

Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominci Gregis , Pope John Paul II, given February 26, 1996 . Excerpt: The Shepherd of the Lord's whole flock is the Bishop of the Church of Rome, where the Blessed Apostle Peter, by sovereign disposition of divine Providence, offered to Christ the supreme witness of martyrdom by the shedding of his [...]

Pope John Paul II has died, according to Vatican sources. He was 84. An announcement has just been made in Italian and English on Vatican Radio, monitored over the Internet from Pittsburgh. Vatican Radio's 105 Live FM service has posted a memorial page in black. John Paul's health had been deteriorating gradually for years due [...]

AP is reporting that a co-ordinated insurgent attack on the notorious Abu Ghraib prison {JURIST news archive] in Baghdad has resulted in 18 US casualties. 5:25 PM ET – An updated AP story has increased the US casualty count to 20.

A US military judge ruled Friday that Army sergeant Hasan Akbar is competent to stand trial for a grenade attack that killed two Army officers in Kuwait in 2003 . Sgt. Akbar faces multiple charges of premeditated murder and attempting premeditated murder under Article 118 and Article 80 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. [...]

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai Saturday rejected the official results of national parliamentary elections held Thursday. The official tally gave President Robert Mugabe's ruling party 74 seats, while Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change , is said to have won 40 seats. The results came amid allegations of widespread fraud designed to ensure Mugabe's [...]