Brazil
BRASILIA — Opposition lawmakers Monday called for a congressional investigation into allegations that an aide to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva had solicited illegal campaign contributions, the first major scandal to hit his administration.
Canada
TORONTO — Prime Minister Paul Martin sought on Monday to control political damage caused by a financial scandal being blamed on his Liberal Party and repeated a pledge that he would resign if investigations showed he had known about the diversion of $76 million in public funding.
Chile
SANTIAGO — A Chilean spy who swore that a U.S. intelligence officer was present during the 1973 interrogation and disappearance of American citizen after a U.S.-backed coup in Chile now says he made up the story.
Czech Republic
HORNI BENESOV — American presidential politics don't normally cause much of a stir in this far-flung corner of the Czech Republic. But revelations that John Kerry's grandfather was born here have mesmerized the mountain town. Suddenly, Horni Benesov's 2,400 people can't get enough of Kerry or his Czech ancestor, an ethnic German Jew who fled rising anti-Semitism for America's shores at the turn of the last century.
France
PARIS — President Jacques Chirac on Monday said France will always staunchly defend Israel's right to exist but that the Jewish state must make greater diplomatic efforts if it wants to live in peace with its Arab neighbors.
Germany
BERLIN — Travelers at Frankfurt airport, continental Europe's busiest, can now enter Germany with a three-second scan of their eyes, providing they sign up for a test project for iris recognition technology.
Guyana
GEORGETOWN — Guyana's prime minister has called for an independent commission to investigate allegations that the government ran a hit squad blamed for more than 40 killings in the past year.
Indonesia
JAKARTA — An earthquake shook Indonesia's Sumatra island, killing two people, injuring six others and damaging a number of homes, officials said Tuesday.
Ireland
DUBLIN — A four-hour strike by union workers interrupted bus and train services across Ireland on Monday stranding thousands of commuters, while doctors refused to perform non-emergency operations in a separate protest.
Italy
A new form of mad cow disease has been found in Italy, according to a study released Monday, and scientists believe that it may be the cause of some cases of human brain-wasting disease.
Kuwait
KUWAIT CITY — Parliament decided Monday to investigate charges that a Kuwaiti supplier to a subsidiary of Halliburton charged too much for fuel deliveries to Iraq after the U.S.-led war toppled Saddam Hussein.
Lebanon
BEIRUT — Terry Waite, a Briton who was held hostage in Lebanon for nearly five years, returned Monday to the Lebanese capital for the first time since his release more than 12 years ago.
Peru
LIMA — Peru's president swore in seven politically independent ministers to his 16-member Cabinet on Monday in what opponents called a "last chance" to save his administration.
Russia
MOSCOW — The core owners of embattled Russian oil giant Yukos have told Russian authorities that they would cede their controlling stake to the government if jailed ex-CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky were freed and the charges against him dropped.
Serbia
After weeks of political deadlock, Serbia on Monday appeared on the verge of forming a new government, but the composition of the minority coalition, and the members' shared opposition to the international war crimes tribunal, may sour already difficult relations with the West.