Australian key lawmaker backs Labor to govern (AP) AP – Prime Minister Julia Gillard edged closer to retaining power in Australia on Thursday when an independent lawmaker said he would support her center-left Labor Party to form Australia’s first minority government in almost seven decades. See full article at Yahoo! News

US forces still in fight at end of combat mission (AP) AP – Even as President Barack Obama was announcing the end of combat in Iraq, American soldiers were sealing off a northern village early Wednesday as their Iraqi partners raided houses and arrested dozens of suspected insurgents. See full article at Yahoo! News

Pakistan militants kill 35 despite floods (AP) AP – The triple bombing of a religious procession in Pakistan adds to the strains on a government already struggling with devastating floods and shows that Islamist militants are back in business despite the natural disaster. See full article at Yahoo! News

Kabul Bank braces for run on deposits after doubts (AP) AP – Managers of Afghanistan’s largest bank braced for a run on deposits Thursday, a day after nervous customers showed up in droves to take out their money following the resignation of two top executives allegations of mismanagement and unorthodox lending practices. See full article [...]

Facebook page leads search for loved ones in Haiti (AP) AP – The desperate quest to find loved ones started just minutes after the earthquake, as cell phones rang unanswered from beneath the rubble of Haiti’s best hotel. See full article at Yahoo! News