For Tasmanian Devils, Hope Against a Wily Cancer. A deadly cancer has preyed on the Tasmanian devil, causing it to be listed as endangered, and scientists have begun an experimental inoculation program.

Obama Speaks With Karzai. The conversation was the first officially reported direct contact between the men since the election more than two weeks ago.

Bangladesh Delays Vote. The army-backed caretaker government of Bangladesh on Sunday postponed national elections by 11 days to assuage the concerns of one of the country’s two main political parties.

Clash Leaves Civilian Dead in Afghanistan. A joint patrol of American and Afghan security forces killed a civilian and two armed insurgents, the American military said.

World Briefing | Asia: Pakistan: Military Kills 15 Militants in Tribal Region. Government forces battling Islamist insurgents in the tribal areas along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan killed 15 militants, the army said.

Motive in Japanese Stabbings: A Dead Dog. The Japanese police say the motive in last week’s stabbing deaths of a former health ministry official and his wife appeared to be anger over a long-dead dog.

China Irritated with ‘Slanderous’ U.N. Report on Rights. The report, issued Friday by the United Nations Committee Against Torture, alleges that China conducts systemic torture of political and criminal detainees.

North Korea Threatens to Snip Ties With South. North Korea said it would ban South Korean tourists from Kaesong and “selectively expel” South Koreans working in a joint industrial complex there.

Ibrahim Nasir, 82, Maldives President, Is Dead. Mr. Nasir led the Maldives’ movement for independence from the British and became the nation’s first president.

Thai Protesters Shut Down Airport. Antigovernment protesters besieged Thailand’s main international airport, startling tourists, halting flights and escalating months of political tensions into a full-blown national crisis.

Monetary Fund Approves $7.6 Billion Loan to Pakistan. The loan was initially resisted by the Pakistani government, which sought funds on more generous terms from bilateral donors.

10 Arrested for Afghan Acid Attack. The police in Kandahar have arrested 10 Taliban militants they said were involved in the attack earlier this month on a group of Afghan schoolgirls.

Australian Legislators Back Gay Rights. Australian lawmakers have approved legislation giving homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexuals but have ruled out legalizing same-sex marriages.

A Global Downturn Puts the Brakes on China’s Industry. The global downturn is reaching deep into the heart of the country’s once-rapid industrial transformation.

Mistake Cited in Sinking of Boat by India. A harrowing account suggests that the sinking of a Thai fishing trawler in the Gulf of Aden was a case of mistaken identity.

Afghan Leader, Showing Impatience With War, Demands Timetable From NATO. President Hamid Karzai bluntly rebuked NATO for its faltering campaign against the Taliban and Al Qaeda and demanded a timetable for the seven-year war to end.

Effort Made to Save Man China Convicted of Spying. His family and the U.S. try to save a Chinese man, Wo Weihan, from execution for spying.

Police Officers’ Killer, Hero to Some Chinese, Is Executed. A 28-year-old man convicted of killing six police officers was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday morning, according to state media.

China, in Dispute Over Dalai Lama, Delays European Talks. China has postponed an annual summit with the European Union, angered by a new visit to several European countries by the Dalai Lama.

Suicide Bomber Kills Four in Kabul. A suicide car bomber plowed his Toyota into rush-hour traffic in Kabul, killing at least four civilians and wounding up to 17 , authorities said.

Brooklyn Rabbi and Wife Caught in Attacks. A New York rabbi and his wife, who moved to India to manage a synagogue, were among those taken hostage.

Mumbai’s Longest Night, With an Abyss of Terror. The attacks in Mumbai quickly turned some joyous occasions into a night of terror.

Sophisticated Attacks, but by Whom?. India’s prime minister said the attacks probably had “external linkages,” but others suggested the attackers were Indian Muslims, with a domestic agenda.

News Analysis: India’s Suspicion of Pakistan Clouds U.S. Strategy. The attacks seem likely to hamper America’s project of promoting reconciliation between India and Pakistan.

On Religion: Between Israel and India, a Link Based on Culture and, Now, Terrorism. Beyond being targets of Islamic terrorism, the softer tissue of human experience — culture, religion, values — binds Indians and Jews.

Chinese Execute 2 Convicted of Spying. Despite pleas for clemency from the Bush administration and European officials, a biomedical researcher convicted of espionage by a Chinese court was executed Friday.

Toll of Foreign Deaths Begins to Emerge. Among the Americans killed in Mumbai were a father and daughter from Virginia, who were visiting India as part of a spiritual pilgrimage.

Violence Clouds India’s Economic Future. The terrorist siege is likely to threaten India’s already murky economic future and thwart plans to transform Mumbai into a regional financial center, economists said.

Jewish Center Is Stormed, and 6 Hostages Die. Israeli officials and Lubavitch elders confirmed that six hostages died inside the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish center in Mumbai, including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg of Brooklyn and his wife, Rivka.

U.S. Intelligence Focuses on Pakistani Group. U.S. officials were finding evidence that Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant group, was responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

Crisis May Shift India’s Political Landscape. Many expect the two-day siege of Mumbai to figure centrally in the coming national elections, with candidates making national security a priority.

Counting the Hours in Room 2324. Exhausted survivors of the siege of the Oberoi Hotel told of how they barricaded themselves in a room during their ordeal.

Armed Teams Sowed Chaos With Precision. The attacks seemed to be coordinated meticulously, suggesting a high level of training and preparation.

V. P. Singh, a Leader of India Who Defended Poor, Dies at 77. Mr. Singh was a former prime minister of India who was considered the father of coalition politics there and who stirred controversy by championing the rights of the country’s poorest citizens.

Sri Lankan Floods Uproot Thousands. Floods caused by days of heavy rain killed at least seven people, left four soldiers missing and displaced more than 88,000 in northern Sri Lanka, officials said Saturday.

U.S. Deportee Brings Street Dance to Street Boys of Cambodia. A former gang member deported from the United States teaches Cambodian street children break dancing, and lessons in life.

Thai Security Forces Clash With Protesters at Airport. Protesters at Bangkok’s two commercial airports clashed with security forces, raising tensions in the four-day standoff.

Dubai Provides Iranian Artists a Bridge to the World. At art auctions in Dubai over the past two years, Iranian artists have found an eager market for their work.

Attacks Imperil Delicate U.S. Role Between Rivals. American officials may have trouble preventing an Indian military response against Pakistan.

Pakistanis Deny Any Role in Attacks. The Pakistani government insisted Saturday that it had not been involved and pledged to take action against Pakistani-based militants if they were found to be implicated.

Citizen Journalists Provided Glimpses of Mumbai Attacks. The attacks in India served as another case study in how technology is transforming people into potential reporters, adding a new dimension to the news media.

The Special Sting of Personal Terrorism. Some Indians see the siege of Mumbai as their 9/11: A moment that separates past attacks from those to come.

Blast Prompts Thai Protesters to Seek Police Patrols. Protesters pleaded for police protection after an explosion injured about 50 demonstrators, four of them seriously.

Cabinet Minister Resigns in Wake of India Attacks. The top domestic security official resigned in disgrace on Sunday for the failure to thwart or quickly contain the horrific terrorist attacks in Mumbai last week.

Analysts Say It Will Be Difficult to Shield Luxury Hotels From Terrorist Attacks. Experts say little can be done to stop trained gunmen from attacking hotels, the new magnets for terrorists.

Chabad Movement Vows to Continue Work of Couple Killed in Attack. Young couples from around the world have stepped forward, offering to move to Mumbai and run Chabad Houses, after two emissaries were killed.

Suicide Blast in Kabul Kills 2 Civilians. A suicide bomber detonated his payload of explosives on in clogged traffic, killing two people and wounding three.

China’s President Cites Threat of Global Slowdown. President Hu Jintao warned that China could lose its competitive edge as trade growth slows amid the global financial crisis.

Global Update: Thousands Die Needlessly Because Junta Spends Too Little on AIDS, Group Says. Doctors Without Borders is allowed to work in only some parts of the Myanmar said it is overwhelmed and is having to turn new patients away.

New Delhi Journal: Urban Cowboys Struggle With India’s Sacred Strays. “Cow catchers” spend their days roping cattle on the streets of India’s capital as part of a long and frustrating battle to rid it of stray cows.

An Artist in Exile Tests India’s Democratic Ideals. A controversial artist’s case illustrates how freedom of expression has frequently come under fire in India.

Rescuing Cultures of India, From A to Z. An academy in the agrarian countryside tries to preserve a culture by steeping a new generation of villagers in their own quickly disappearing traditions.

Chinese Release Increased Numbers in Tainted Milk Scandal. New figures for the number of children affected by tainted dairy products showed that as many as six babies may have died and more than 300,000 were sickened.

Treasury’s Lead Role in China in Flux. Secretary Henry M. Paulson has spearheaded American policy toward Beijing since 2006, which raises the question of who will pick up the baton upon his departure.

Military Inquires Into Possible Detainee Abuse in Afghanistan. A military investigative hearing continued for a second day into allegations that two American soldiers abused a detainee in Afghanistan, military officials said.

Military Analysis: Afghan Strategy Poses Stiff Challenge for Obama. Experts caution that a troop increase in Afghanistan is unlikely to lead to the sort of turnaround seen in Iraq.

For Heroes of Mumbai, Terror Was a Call to Action. Ordinary citizens displayed extraordinary grace during one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in India’s history.

A Solemn Israel Buries Dead From Mumbai Attack. A somber Israel on Tuesday buried six victims of last week’s terrorist attack on the Jewish outreach center in Mumbai, including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah.

India Says All Mumbai Attackers Came by Ship. The Indian police offered the most specific evidence to date of a Pakistani link to the attacks.

Thai Protesters to End Airport Blockades. Antigovernment protesters declared an end to their blockade of Bangkok’s airports after a court disbanded the ruling party.