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Maiden Flight For Airbus

Vicky Hunter - | Story: 8869
  • The world's largest passenger plane has made its maiden flight in an aviation milestone that Europe's jetliner maker hopes will give it a boost in its battle with American rival Boeing. The Airbus A380 "superjumbo" touched down in the southern French city of Toulouse at 2:22 p.m. (1222 GMT) Wednesday after a flight of nearly four hours. Full story
  • Iraq's transitional National Assembly suffered a difficult setback Wednesday when gunmen shot and killed a lawmaker on her doorstep -- the first assembly member assassinated since the assembly was voted into power on January 30. Lamee'a Abd Khidawi, a member of outgoing interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's legislative bloc, was shot to death when she answered the door to her house, Baghdad emergency police said. No one has yet claimed responsibility. Full story
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a Mideast peace conference in Moscow in the autumn, and he and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak also ended their landmark meeting by urging the United Nations to play a larger role in Iraq. The Russian president, leader of one of the four powers backing the "road map" plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, said Wednesday he would discuss the peace conference proposal with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during his visit to Israel, which was to begin late Wednesday. Full story
  • The new government of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati won a confidence vote Wednesday in parliament, clearing the way for elections to be held in May, government officials said. The office of the interior minister announced that elections would begin May 29 -- the first since Syrian troops and intelligence personnel left the country after a nearly 30-year presence. Full story
  • Pope Benedict XVI has held the first general audience of his new pontificate, pledging to work for reconciliation and peace. He also referred to Europe's Christian roots in what is expected to be a major theme of his papacy. Full story
  • In a week that has seen Japan's worst train accident in 40 years, another incident has further marred the country's normally trouble-free rail system. A minivan collided with a commuter train in Yokohama early Wednesday, seriously injuring the driver of the vehicle, police said. Full story
  • The insurgency in Iraq is "about where it was a year ago," in terms of attacks, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said but he said American and Iraqi troops are gaining ground in the two-year-old conflict. Gen. Richard Myers told reporters Tuesday that the number of insurgent attacks has run between 50 and 60 a day in the past week, up from a recent average of about 40 a day. Full story
  • British opposition leader Michael Howard has been defending his personal attacks on Prime Minister Tony Blair, in which he has accused him of lying over the war in Iraq. The Conservative Party leader said Wednesday he still believed it was right to overthrow Saddam Hussein, but accused the prime minister of misrepresenting intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Full story
  • Japanese rescuers pulled more bodies from the twisted wreckage of a commuter train on Wednesday, as hopes faded that they'd find anyone else alive. Officials said the death toll from the country's worst rail disaster in four decades climbed to at least 94 on Wednesday. Full story

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