BANGKOK, Thailand - Embattled Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej called the political crisis in Thailand a shameful embarrassment for the country but vowed not to resign or dissolve Parliament, saying Thursday it was his job to protect democracy.

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suffered another blow Thursday when a key rival for power in his political party suggested the embattled leader should be replaced because of a widening corruption investigation.

PRISTINA, Kosovo - Armed assailants trying to break into the home of Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci exchanged fire with guards, but the leader was away and his family was not hurt, police said Saturday.

BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister vowed Thursday to fight "until the end" against Shiite militias in Basra despite protests by tens of thousands of followers of a radical cleric in Baghdad and deadly clashes across the capital and the oil-rich south.

TOKYO - Parliament elected Yasuo Fukuda to be Japan's prime minister Tuesday, thrusting the moderate political insider into the job of taking on a resurgent opposition and rebuilding the scandal-scarred ruling party.

TOKYO - Nationalist Shinzo Abe, a proponent of a tight alliance with the United States and a more assertive military, won election as Japan's new prime minister Tuesday, scoring comfortable majorities in both houses.

BANGKOK, Thailand - The leaders of Thailand's military coup have chosen a former army commander and close adviser to the powerful king as interim prime minister, the auditor general said Thursday night.

WASHINGTON - President Bush retains confidence in Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki despite the failure of the Shiite politician's signature effort to improve security in Iraq's bloody capital, the White House said as Bush prepared to host the new leader.

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Wednesday he will resign in September, throwing his country into political turmoil and raising doubts about progress for U.S.-backed Mideast peace efforts.

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thailand's prime minister acknowledged that his administration cannot control spiraling anti-government protests and urged Parliament to find a political solution during an emergency session Sunday.

MOSCOW - Vladimir Putin was named prime minister of Russia Thursday after a fervent speech full of ambitious plans that overshadowed his low-key successor and suggested that he will keep a strong hand in ruling the country.

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin told a congress of Russia's dominant party Monday that he would agree to become prime minister if Dmitry Medvedev is elected as his successor - and said he would not seek to make the premiership more powerful.

LONDON - Former Treasury chief Gordon Brown became British prime minister Wednesday, promising "a new government with new priorities," after Tony Blair resigned to end a decade in power.

TORONTO - Prime Minister Paul Martin kicked off Canada's election campaign Tuesday with a slim lead in opinion polls after his minority government was toppled in a no-confidence vote in Parliament.