TIGER Woods' apology made one of his mistresses want to bare her claws, the New York Post reported Saturday.

A SUSPECTED asylum seeker boat with 10 passengers aboard has been intercepted near the Ashmore Islands of northwestern Australia.

Conservatives wrap up a three-day meeting Saturday that has featured speeches by Republican leaders, training sessions for local political activists and a renewed purpose to stand firm behind their principles heading into the midterm elections.

The official news agency says Moroccan King Mohammed VI has ordered experts to check the safety of all the country's historic mosques after a centuries-old minaret collapsed, killing 41 people.

More than 20 people were injured when a United Airlines flight from Washington to Tokyo hit turbulence on Saturday, an airport police official said.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said the second largest party in his coalition was quitting the government over irreconcilable differences on whether to extend the military mission in Afghanistan.

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd and Japan's foreign minister have had a "frank discussion'' on whaling after Mr Rudd signalled his readiness to take legal action on the issue.

THE NSW government has ordered an inquiry into the NSW Fire Brigades after allegations emerged that senior officers attempted to cover claims of sexual abuse.

The funeral of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died at the Winter Olympics, is taking place in his home town.

AMSTERDAM  —  The Dutch coalition government collapsed Saturday over irreconcilable differences on whether to extend the Netherlands' military mission in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende announced that the second largest party in his three-party alliance is quitting, in a breakdown of trust in what had always been an uneasy partnership. Balkenende made no mention of elections as he spoke to reporters after a 16-hour Cabinet meeting in The Hague that ended close to dawn. However, the resignation of the Labor Party would leave his government with an unworkable majority, and political analysts said early...