EL FASHER, Sudan – Sudan’s president threatened to kick out more aid groups and expel diplomats and peacekeepers on Sunday during his first trip to the beleaguered Darfur region after an international court indicted him on war crimes. Sudan has already expelled 13 of the largest aid groups operating in …

CHICAGO – A Chicago man accused of planning an armed attack on a Danish newspaper was charged Monday with conducting surveillance on potential targets in the Indian city of Mumbai before terrorist attacks there in 2008 that killed 166 people. LIVESHOTS: American Charged in Mumbai Terror Attacks David Coleman Headley …

TUPELO, Mississippi – The Rev. Don Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association, has been hospitalized in critical condition at a Mississippi hospital for treatment of meningitis. AFA President Tim Wildmon said his 71-year-old father was diagnosed with the disease over the weekend. On Monday, Wildmon said his father’s condition …

PARIS – French legislators have approved a divisive bill that allows more stores to stay open — and more people to work — on Sundays. The law was adopted Wednesday by a vote of 282 to 238 in France’s lower house of parliament. One of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s key reform …

POCATELLO, Idaho – An eastern Idaho judge who lost patience with the disruptive behavior of a defendant ordered court officials to tape the man’s mouth shut with duct tape during a court hearing. The unusual move was ordered by 6th District Judge Peter D. McDermott during a probation violation hearing …

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – William Parente was a successful Manhattan lawyer who apparently had a side business lending money at high interest rates — deals that may have cost his investors as much as $20 million. The revelations about his financial dealings came not long after the 59-year-old tax lawyer …

WACO, Texas – President Bush, seeking smooth relations with U.S. neighbors despite dustups over immigration, trade and defense, announced on Wednesday a pact with Canada and Mexico to broaden cooperation on security and economic issues. “We had a good discussion about prosperity and security. It turns out the two go …

PARIS – French lawmakers effectively abolished the country’s 35-hour workweek Tuesday by allowing employers to increase working hours — and pay — as the country struggles with high unemployment and stagnating living standards. In a final vote, the National Assembly (search) approved a government-backed bill permitting employers to negotiate deals …

CHICAGO – AutoZone Inc. (AZO) Chief Executive Steve Odland (search) has resigned to lead Office Depot Inc. (ODP), and same-store sales at the auto parts retailer have been disappointing at the start of its latest quarter, the company said on Monday as its shares fell 10 percent. AutoZone, whose shares …

NEW YORK – Billionaire fugitive financer Marc Rich (search) has declared to congressional investigators probing the Oil-for-Food scandal that he had a limited role in the program and knew nothing about Saddam Hussein’s bribery schemes. But Rich, who currently lives in Switzerland, recently confirmed what his own company would not …