Michele Montas

The huge earthquake that hit impoverished Haiti also dealt a crippling blow to the local UN mission, which lost dozens of staff, including apparently its civilian head, UN officials said.

Denmark invites 191 world leaders to attend UN climate summit. Denmark's premier sent invitations Thursday asking 191 world leaders to attend next month's U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen, saying their presence was "pivotal" to its success.

Congolese military accused of killing hundreds of civilians, Human Rights Watch says. A top human rights group is accusing the Congolese military of killing more than 500 civilians in eastern Congo and says the U.N. peacekeeping force in the area did nothing to stop the soldiers from decapitating men and raping young girls.

Afghan intel chief says they had warnings that UN attack in Kabul was in the works; 8 arrested. Authorities have arrested eight people, including one in Saudi Arabia, in connection with this week's deadly attack on a guest house used by United Nations employees, the Afghan intelligence chief said Saturday. He said those arrested claimed the assailants came from Pakistan's Swat Valley.

The United Nations demanded to know Friday why it took an hour for Afghan police and NATO troops to respond to a Taliban attack on a guest house filled with U.N. staff in Kabul.

UN says Afghan police, NATO forces were slow in responding to Kabul attack. The United Nations demanded to know Friday why it took an hour for Afghan police and NATO troops to respond to a Taliban attack on a guest house filled with U.N. staff in Kabul.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has launched an international inquiry headed by an Algerian diplomat to look into a bloody crackdown on protesters in Guinea last month, the United Nations said on Friday.

Haitian lawmakers ousted the government of Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis Friday, potentially damaging efforts to lure international investors back to the impoverished Caribbean nation.

President Rene Preval designated Haiti's planning minister as the next prime minister Friday, moving swiftly to fill the vacuum left by the overnight sacking of the previous government.

Ousted President Manuel Zelaya looked set to be reinstated, pending approval from Congress, as rival sides in Honduras finalized a deal Friday to end months of political paralysis.

Ousted President Manuel Zelaya looked set to be reinstated, pending approval from Congress, as rival sides in Honduras finalized a deal to end months of political paralysis.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq renewed calls on Monday for a U.N. inquiry into the support given by foreign countries to insurgents after twin suicide blasts against government buildings in Baghdad killed more than 150 people.

AP source: Karzai expected to accept he fell short in voting but unclear whether he OKs runoff. U.S. officials expect Afghan President Hamid Karzai to concede on Tuesday that he fell short of the 50 percent vote share in August's election that he needed to win outright, but it was unclear Monday whether that would lead quickly to a runoff election with his nearest challenger, a U.S. government official said.

UN chief to establish international commission to investigate Guinea killings. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is establishing an international commission to investigate the attack on unarmed protesters in Guinea last month that left dozens dead and many injured, the U.N. said.

UN chief to establish international commission to investigate Guinea killings. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is establishing an international commission to investigate the attack on unarmed protesters in Guinea last month that left dozens dead and many injured, the U.N. said.

Guinea's military junta came under growing international pressure Friday over a deadly crackdown as the United Nations announced it would launch a probe into killings and rapes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would not allow its citizens to be tried for alleged war crimes over the Gaza war and that adopting a damning UN report on the offensive endangered the stalled peace process.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would not allow its citizens to be tried for alleged war crimes over the Gaza war and that adopting a damning UN report on the offensive endangered the stalled peace process.

UN police in Haiti guard site where plane crashed, killing all 11 peacekeepers on board. Crews battling rough, remote terrain hope to remove the bodies of 11 military personnel Saturday, a day after their U.N. surveillance plane slammed into a mountain in Haiti, killing everyone on board.

CUBA: Big changes: State-media says ration book obsolete; islanders may have to do without it