World & nation in 60 seconds The world The nation.(News)

Chechen leader claims blast:

MOSCOW -- A website affiliated with Chechen rebels released a video in which insurgent leader Doku Umarov claims responsibility for last month's deadly suicide bombing at Russia's largest airport and threatens more bloodshed if Russia does not leave the region.The website says it received the video Monday.

Risk of 'denial of justice'?

LONDON -- The lawyer for Julian Assange argued Monday the embattled WikiLeaks founder will face a secret trial that violates international standards of fairness if sent to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations. Geoffrey Robertson told an extradition hearing that Assange would not get a fair trial.

Lockerbie report criticizes UK:

LONDON -- Britain's previous government did "all it could" to help Libya win the release of the only man convicted of the Pan Am bombing in Scotland in 1988, though it insisted the decision was made entirely by Scottish officials, Sir Gus O'Donnell, Britain's head of civil service said Monday.

Report: 297 killed in Egypt:

CAIRO -- At least 297 people have been killed since Egypt's anti-government uprising began two weeks ago, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said Monday. The count is based on hospital visit that included interviews with doctors and morgue inspections, said the group's Cairo researcher.

Tunisia calls reserve troops:

TUNIS, Tunisia -- Tunisia's Defense Ministry called up retired troops as the country struggles to contain unrest that has persisted even after the ouster of the dictatorial regime. Soldiers retired in the past five years, as well as youths who recently carried out their military service, were to report starting Sunday.

2 U.S. teens killed in Mexico:

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico -- Three teenage boys were shot to death in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, at least two of them U.S. citizens, authorities said Monday.The boys were killed at 4:22 p.m. Saturday while looking at cars in a dealership in the city across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Preval to stay 3 more months:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haitian President Rene Preval will stay in office for three more months as his country chooses a successor in a delayed election, his chief of staff said Monday.Chief of Staff Fritz Longchamp confirmed Preval's exit date of May 14 following uncertainty about the leader's plans.

More confident consumers:

WASHINGTON -- Americans are putting more money on their credit cards after more than two years of cutting back, a sign of confidence in the economy. The first increase in credit card use in 27 months helped lift consumer borrowing 3 percent in December, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.41 trillion.

U.S. to review Sudan terror:

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. said Monday it would recognize an independent Southern Sudan and review its designation of Sudan's government in Khartoum as a state sponsor of terrorism after that nation accepted the south's vote to secede. Southern Sudan likely will become the world's newest country in July.

Wind projects fast-tracked:

NORFOLK, Va. -- The federal government could issue leases for four new East Coast wind farms by year's end as part of a streamlined approval process designed to quickly identify the nation's most promising areas for offshore wind energy, the U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday.

Toyota investigation results: WASHINGTON -- The government today plans to release the findings of its investigation into reports of sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles. The Transportation Department and NASA have been studying the safety issues that led Toyota to recall more than 11 million vehicles since the fall of 2009.

AOL buys Huffington Post:

AOL, once the king of dial-up Internet access, stepped up its efforts in news and online advertising with a $315 million deal to buy news hub Huffington Post. The acquisition announced Monday is among the most aggressive yet engineered by AOL CEO Tim Armstrong in an effort to reshape a fallen Internet icon.

Jobless aid help for states?

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is proposing short-term relief to states saddled with unemployment insurance debt, coupled with a delayed increase in the income level used to tax employers for the aid to the jobless.The administration plans to include the proposal in its budget plan next week.

FDIC seeks delay in bonuses:

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators have proposed making top executives at large financial firms wait at least three years to be paid half of their annual bonuses, a move designed to cut down on risky financial transactions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. voted Monday to advance the rule.

Court urged to permit bison kill:

BILLINGS, Mont. -- The Interior Department on Monday asked a federal judge not to intervene in the slaughter of potentially hundreds of wild bison captured in recent weeks after migrating out of Yellowstone National Park.An estimated 382 bison are held in corrals along the Yellowstone's northern border after leaving the snowed-in park to find food at lower elevations.