BAGHDAD - U.S. and Iraqi forces discovered a bloodstained torture chamber loaded with ammunition during a raid Sunday in Baghdad, a report said. If the ammunition had detonated prematurely, the number of civilian causalities would have been "horrific," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said. Coalition forces destroyed the building in a "controlled explosion" hours after killing as many as 10 insurgents who were linked to the Shiite stronghold in the Sadr City district, CNN reported. The ... [full story]

LISBON, Portugal - A British toddler kidnapped while her family was on vacation in Portugal is believed to be alive and police have a suspect, it was reported Sunday. Police in the coastal town of Praia da Luz believe that three-year-old Madeleine McCann is being held near the resort from where she taken Thursday night, Britain's Mail on Sunday reported. Police implied there may be a sexual motive in the girl's disappearance. "Kidnapping is not ... [full story]

KHIMKI, Russia - Nearly 1,000 people turned out Sunday to watch the reburial of the remains of several World War II pilots in the Russian city of Khimki. The ceremony at the city's Novoluzhinskoye cemetery featured both the Russian Federation and the Air Force's flags and the fallen heroes were remembered with a triple gun salvo from a Moscow Military District regiment, Itar-Tass reported. The soldiers' bodies were relocated after widening of Leningradskoye highway was ... [full story]

KYOTO, Japan - The Japanese government Sunday said it has donated $100 million to the Asian Development Bank as part of its efforts to fight global warming. Japanese Finance Minister Koji Omi said the funds will be used both to fight global warming and to increase the Asia-Pacific region's investment climate, the Kyodo news agency reported. "Japan will establish two funds in cooperation with the ADB... I expect this initiative will help ensure sustainable economic ... [full story]

BAGHDAD - The last of the 28,500 troops in President George W. Bush's plan to improve security are due to arrive soon in Iraq. The 3rd Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Ft. Stewart, Ga., will be headquartered at Camp Victory near the Baghdad international airport, said Maj. Gen. James Simmons, deputy commander of multinational forces. The arrival of the brigade, which includes 152 attack and transport helicopters, will complete the buildup of troops ... [full story]

JERUSALEM - Israeli security forces abused nearly all of the 73 Palestinian prisoners interviewed by a human rights group, it was alleged Sunday. The Israeli Justice Ministry immediately denounced B'Tselem's report as distorted, saying the Shin Bet security forces follow the rules of interrogation established in 1999 by Israel's High Court of Justice. "The report is full of mistakes, unfounded claims and inaccuracies," a justice official told YNet News. Prisoners interviewed between July 2005 and ... [full story]

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian leaders reportedly blame the international community for increased tension between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas. Palestinian leaders said the crisis is being fueled by the international community's rejection of the Palestinian "unity government," the Jerusalem Post reported Sunday. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas met late Saturday to discuss the crisis between the two parties, the Post said. "The situation could deteriorate into ... [full story]

PHILADELPHIA - Nearly an entire Philadelphia city block was destroyed early Sunday morning after a house fire whipped by gusty winds spread through the neighborhood. Four homes on the 5800 block of Cedar Avenue were heavily damaged and nine others suffered some damage before firefighters contained the blaze, WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, reported. Residents said the fire spread quickly and limited their escape routes. At least 24 people were left homeless. "When we woke up, the fire ... [full story]

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph W. Giuliani says the U.S. Army needs to increase its ranks by at least 70,000 soldiers. Speaking Saturday to the graduating class at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., Giuliani also called for the creation of a special military force to handle post-combat operations, the New York Times reported Sunday. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, said the Army should grow from its current 512,000 soldiers to at ... [full story]

NEW YORK - Several New York Police Department officers have drawn criticism for posting questionable videos and pictures on their personal Web pages. An Internal Affairs investigation was under way into photographs including some indicating police brutality on officers' personal Facebook and MySpace Web pages, the New York Daily News said Sunday. Among those officers being investigated is Nick Jacobs, who posted a video of an alleged instance of police brutality on his MySpace page, ... [full story]