TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (search) prayed Monday at a Tokyo shrine honoring the country’s war dead, defying critics who say the visits glorify militarism and triggering angry protests from China and South Korea. The visit was Koizumi’s fifth to the Yasukuni Shrine (search) since becoming prime minister …

NAIROBI, Kenya – Amina Harun, a 45-year-old farmer, used to traipse around for hours looking for a working pay phone on which to call the markets and find the best prices for her fruit. Then cell phones changed her life. “We can easily link up with customers, brokers and the …

CHICAGO – Business activity in the U.S. Midwest expanded faster than expected in October, with new orders surging and hiring picking up as well, a report showed Monday. The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago (search) business barometer rose to 62.9, its highest since July, from 60.5 in September. Economists had …

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jeanne Pyle hopes she may finally find out what happened to her brother, who has been missing since his military plane crashed during World War II (search). She believes there’s a chance that the well-preserved remains of an airman found this month in a Sierra Nevada (search) …

PROVINCETOWN, Mass. – A 74-year-old sailor said being rescued by the Coast Guard (search) was “the most fantastic feeling” after he rode out a powerful nor’easter on board a 33-foot sailboat. Vincent Gillings (search), who has been sailing for 50 years, told WBZ-TV (search) that he was knocked overboard during …

WASHINGTON – The Senate faces a confrontation with the House over a $440 billion military spending bill that, despite White House opposition, would impose restrictions on the treatment of terrorism suspects (search). Delivering a rare wartime slap at Pentagon authority and President Bush, the GOP-controlled Senate voted 90-9 on Wednesday …

WASHINGTON – President Bush (search) vowed Thursday to avoid the “background noise” of criminal investigations and other Republican political problems to focus on the nation’s needs. “The American people expect me to do my job, and I’m going to,” the president said. With his political stock falling and several allies …

MADRID, Spain – A judge has issued an international arrest warrant for three U.S. soldiers whose tank fired on a Baghdad hotel during the Iraq war, killing a Spanish journalist and one other, a court official said Wednesday. Judge Santiago Pedraz (search) issued the warrant for Sgt. Shawn Gibson, Capt. …

See you weeknights in the No Spin Zone at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET! Tonight “The O’Reilly Factor” is on… New Yorkers are on high alert and coping with a major security scare as the New York City Police Department and FBI investigate a “credible” tip that operatives are …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraq (search) has issued arrest warrants against the defense minister and 27 other officials from the U.S.-backed government of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi (search) over the alleged disappearance or misappropriation of $1 billion in military procurement funds, officials said Monday. Those accused include four other ministers …