GAZA -- A Palestinian suicide bomber apparently was the only casualty when an explosives-laden truck detonated Thursday on the Gaza-Israel border, officials said.Islamic Jihad and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the latest attack on Gaza border crossings in recent weeks, The New York Times reported. Islamic Jihad said the truck carried hundreds of pounds of explosives.An Israeli military spokeswoman said two other militants in the truck escaped before the explosion.Israeli air force ... [full story]

YANGON, Myanmar -- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Thursday complained to military leaders in cyclone-hit Myanmar that foreign relief workers have been kept out.Ban, who arrived Thursday in the former capital Yangon, met with Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein and later traveled to the Irrawaddy Delta, the area worst hit by the May 2 Cyclone Nargis, the Kyodo news agency reported, quoting Ban's spokeswoman.A U.N. official told Kyodo Ban voiced frustration to the prime minister ... [full story]

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Spreading xenophobic violence in South Africa prompted President Thabo Mbeki to deploy military personnel to the streets in several cities.The decision was announced after police reported instances of violence in the Durban, South Africa, suburb of Umbilo, The Independent reported Thursday. A South African government official said the violence claimed at least 40 lives and displaced 28,000 people, CNN reported. Police said they've arrested about 400 people for crimes including murder, ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., apparently eyeing a running mate for his presidential run, has invited three hopefuls for a weekend session, GOP sources say.The New York Times reported McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, had asked Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and a onetime rival for the Republican nomination, to join him at his ranch in Sedona, Ariz., for a Memorial Day ... [full story]

NASHVILLE -- A Los Angeles man suspected to be the head of a major drug operation was convicted in Nashville of several charges, including nine killings, officials say.Jamal Shakir, who belongs to the Rollin' 90s Crips gang, was convicted of obstructing justice, money laundering and nine killings taking place from 1994 to 1997, The Tennessean, a newspaper in Nashville, reported Wednesday.At least three people were killed, allegedly to stop them from going along with police, ... [full story]

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's newly installed President Ma Ying-jeou says he wants to restart bilateral talks with China on the basis of the "1992 consensus."Ma, elected in March on a campaign to improve ties with China which claims the island nation as part of its territory, said he has no plan to visit China, Taipei Times reported. He, however, welcomed Nationalist Party Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung's visit to the mainland next week.In the "1992 consensus" both ... [full story]

NORFOLK, Va. -- Experts said they are preparing to take a 3-week-old eaglet from its nest at Virginia's Norfolk Botanical Garden so it can be checked for avian pox.The small bird attracted attention when a growth on its beak began enlarging, the (Newport News, Va.) Daily Press reported Wednesday. Avian pox can be fatal to immature birds.The eaglet is to be taken from its nest this week so a Virginia Department of Game and Inland ... [full story]

TBILISI, Georgia -- The president of Georgia declared victory for his party in the country's parliamentary elections, despite claims of vote-rigging by the opposition.Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said he was told his United National Movement captured two-thirds of the seats in Parliament, Euronews.net reported Wednesday.Exit polls predicted 63 percent of the vote would be for the president's party and a partial count apparently reflected the prediction, the news service said. Opposition candidates drew less than ... [full story]

UNIONTOWN, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania judge asked an attorney to investigate e-mail messages that may prove a suspect didn't put together a Web site containing threats to blacks.Judge Steve Leskinen approved lawyer Simon B. John's request for the prosecution to ask MySpace.com to provide documents of messages between Kevin Andrew Burd and an unnamed person, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Wednesday.It is reported Burd, 21, is accused of issuing terroristic threats, identity theft, recklessly endangering another ... [full story]

SAN FRANCISCO -- A U.S. appeals court in San Francisco ruled a U.S. Air Force major dismissed for being gay can pursue her legal battle against the military.While letting the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy stand, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said the government may "intrude upon the personal and private lives of homosexuals" only to "advance an important governmental interest," such as improving morale or maintaining troop readiness, CNN reported Thursday. The ... [full story]