ZURICH (AP) — Brazil has dropped to a historic low of No. 22 in the FIFA rankings a year out from hosting the World Cup, and the United States rises one place to No. 28.

BEIJING (AP) — Police in Ghana have detained 124 Chinese workers suspected of illegally mining gold in the resource-rich West African country, the Chinese Embassy said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Internal Revenue Service officials can expect a grilling when they face lawmakers over the latest controversy to rock the agency: lavish spending at employee conferences.

PARIS (AP) — Trading on a number of European exchanges started about an hour late Thursday after a problem with NYSE Euronext's systems prevented customers from placing orders.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The FBI investigation of state Sen. Ron Calderon involves legislation he introduced for a Los Angeles-area water district that uses his brother as a consultant, according to two people questioned by federal agents.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets extended losses Thursday after weak U.S. indicators sparked fears of a slowdown in the world's biggest economy. Trading in many European markets, meanwhile, had yet to start as technical problems afflicted exchange owner NYSE Euronext.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators on Thursday are considering competing versions of legislation that would keep interest rates low for some college students — at least for now.

PARIS (AP) — Trading on a number of European exchanges has yet to start after a problem with NYSE Euronext's systems prevented customers from placing orders.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is taking up legislation to keep student loan rates low, at least for now.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan says that he will make his television acting debut this year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Education issues are suddenly finding the spotlight on Capitol Hill after months of relative neglect. Lawmakers from both parties — as well as President Barack Obama — are trying to gain the upper hand just as the school year is ending and, for many college students, the cost of education is about to go up.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court has decided to permit girls of any age to buy generic versions of emergency contraception without prescriptions while the federal government appeals a judge's ruling allowing the sales.

WEST, Texas (AP) — John Crowder stood on the gray concrete slab where his house once was, pointing out one spot after another. There was the garage where an overflow of guests would eat their Christmas dinner. There was the dining room where he ate meals with his wife and college-bound daughter.

NEW YORK (AP) — Don't count on Alex Rodriguez giving up his Yankees pinstripes any time soon.

By Crispian Balmer and Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A small rock lies on the desk of Dov Lipman. It was hurled at the member of parliament by a fellow ultra-Orthodox Jew and is a constant reminder of the deep divisions within Israel that Lipman says must be overcome. Lipman, who is a rabbi, was hit by the stone shortly after immigrating to Israel from the United States, eight years ago, when he stumbled into a riot over plans to dig up some ancient bones - something the protesters said was a desecration. ...

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African union AMCU threatened to down tools at platinum miner Lonmin next week if it is not recognised as the majority union, a senior official said on Thursday. "At a mass meeting yesterday, our members opted to embark on a protected industrial action but we will first seek a meeting with Lonmin management to see if we can't come into an agreement," AMCU treasurer Jimmy Gama told Reuters.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — About 450 garment workers fell ill during their shifts at a sweater factory near Bangladesh's capital, and authorities said Thursday the water supply was suspected.

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will demand Ethiopia stop building a dam on one of the main tributaries of the Nile, a senior government aide said on Wednesday, ramping up a confrontation over the project that Egypt fears will affect its main source of water. Ethiopia set off alarm bells in Cairo last week when it began diverting a stretch of the river to make way for the $4.7 billion hydroelectric plant. Countries that share the river have argued over the use of its waters for decades - and analysts have repeatedly warned that the disputes could eventually boil over into war. ...

PARIS (AP) — French unemployment continued its nearly two-year rise on Thursday, increasing to 10.8 percent in the first quarter, according to an estimate from the national statistics agency.