Kurt Waldheim (born 1918) was an Austrian diplomat and politician who served as secretary general of the United Nations from 1972 to 1982. In 1986 he was elected president of Austria despite a controversy over his role as a Nazi intelligence officer in...

Former U.N. chief Kurt Waldheim, who was barred from the United States for two decades after revelations he belonged to a German army unit that committed World War II atrocities, died Thursday. He was 88.Although it was never proved that Waldheim personally committed war crimes,...

Today is Thursday, Dec. 21, the 355th day of 2006. There are 10 days left in the year. Winter arrives at 7:22 p.m. EST.Today's Highlight in History:On Dec. 21, 1620, Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower went ashore for the first time at present-day Plymouth, Mass.On this...

Ruth GrahamMONTREAT, N.C. (AP) _ Ruth Graham, who surrendered dreams of missionary work in Tibet to marry a suitor who became the world's most renowned evangelist, has died. She was 87.Graham died Thursday at her home at Little Piney Cove, surrounded by her husband and...

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon met Friday with a scandal-stung predecessor, Kurt Waldheim, and his spokeswoman described the visit as "private and personal" while sidestepping questions about the appropriateness of the meeting.Waldheim's 1972-82 tenure as U.N. chief was darkened by allegations that he belonged to a...