• Taiwan Starts Earthquake Clean-Up

  Maintenance crews began clearing the rubble from a southern Taiwanese town Wednesday, hours after a powerful earthquake struck the area, killing two and triggering a regional tsunami alert.

• Taiwan Quake Disrupts Phone, Internet

  Telephone lines and Internet service went dead across much of Asia on Wednesday after two powerful earthquakes damaged undersea cables.

• Powerful Quake Strikes off Taiwan

  A powerful earthquake struck off southwestern Taiwan on Tuesday, triggering a tsunami warning on the second anniversary of the waves that killed more than 200,000 in southern Asia.

• Bombings Kill at Least 36 in Iraq

  At least 36 Iraqis died Tuesday in bombings, officials said, including a coordinated strike that killed 25 in western Baghdad. Separately, the U.S. military announced the deaths of six American soldie

• Pope Appeals for World's Children

  Pope Benedict XVI's Christmas Midnight Mass homily focused on abused children around the world.In celebrating Jesus' birth, he said people should think about children.