STOCKHOLM — An American and two Japanese scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for finding new ways to bond carbon atoms together, methods now widely used to make medicines and in agriculture and electronics.

President Barack Obama speaks briefly on Afghanistan

British premier denies plan to take up Thatcher’s infamous policy on scrapping school milk

Britain denies plan to scrap free school milk

English schools protest nationwide tests for 11-year-olds, one-fourth skip the test entirely

Protests in England over tests for 11-year-olds

Tests show UK 11-year-olds a bit better at math, worse at reading; Schools protest tests

Tests: UK kids better at math, worse at reading

Pope grants broad powers to delegate for scandal-plagued Legionaries

Pope grants broad powers to Legionaries delegate

Syria bans full Islamic face veils at universities as similar bans spark debate in Europe

Syria bans full Islamic face veils at universities

Syria bans face veils at universities; similar bans spark debate in Europe

Syria bans face veils at universities

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria has banned the face-covering Islamic veil from the country’s universities to prevent what it sees as a threat to its secular identity, as similar moves in Europe spark cries of discrimination against Muslims.

S.Africa holds education summit before final, trying to harness attention World Cup commands

European court hears appeal by 9 governments over ruling against crucifixes in Italy’s schools

Ban on crucifixes in Italian schools is appealed

US college returns long-lost letter by philosopher Descartes to French library

Descartes letter returned to French library

High school graduation speech by veteran journalist Helen Thomas canceled over Israel remarks

German court rules school not required to provide prayer room for Muslim student

School doesn’t have to provide Muslim prayer room

Swedish university invites Muhammad artist to complete lecture disrupted by protests

Swedish university re-invites Muhammad artist

Financial crisis threatens Europe’s cherished system of social welfare benefits

Fiscal crises threaten Europe’s generous benefits

Carey Mulligan gets Cannes education with premiere of ‘Wall Street’ sequel

Mulligan gets Cannes education with ‘Wall Street’

Princeton ex-president named head of scientific group to review work of UN climate panel

Top scientists named to review UN climate panel

In a conservative Turkish city, Iranian gays find an uneasy refuge from persecution at home

Iranian homosexuals carve out a refuge in Turkey

Vatican, opposed to embryonic cell use, finances adult stem cell study by American university

Vatican will finance adult stem cell research

Vatican finances adult stem cell research led by American university

Vatican finances adult stem cell research

ROME — The Vatican says it will finance new research into the potential use of adult stem cells in the treatment of intestinal and possibly other diseases.

A 2nd garbage patch: Plastic soup resembling Pacific blight found floating in North Atlantic

A 2nd garbage patch: Plastic soup seen in Atlantic

Italy’s Franklin and Marshall apparel translates into scholarship, publicity for Pa. college

School? Fashion label? Franklin & Marshall is both

France’s Sarkozy holds hands, but not his tongue, taking US to task in NY visit

Protesters rally outside the White House

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France’s Sarkozy lays into US health care and broadcasts marital bliss on trip to NY

Italian diocese, deaf students who say they were abused by priests face off on state TV

Church, deaf students square off on Italian TV

Vatican, Italian bishops slam Rome school’s move to install condom-vending machines

Vatican criticizes condom machines in Rome school

US team to prepare, train at university near athletes’ village for 2012 London Games

US team to train at London university before games

US troops who have died while serving in Iraq and Kuwait

US troops killed in Iraq and Kuwait

Army Capt. Michael P. Cassidy

As EU seeks to appease bond market, painful cutbacks make some fear renewed recession

European Union pushes cuts for indebted countries

Prosecutors open investigations in German Catholic school abuse scandal

Legal investigations begin in German abuse scandal

Salman Rushdie visits Atlanta’s Emory University for opening of his literary archive

Salman Rushdie visits Emory for opening of archive

First lady Michelle Obama gives pep talk to essay contest winners visiting US from England

Michelle Obama gives pep talk to English students

Disarmament officials: Irish National Liberation Army has surrendered explosives, guns, ammo

Officials verify disarmament of IRA splinter group

Britain tightens student visa requirements to block those who want to work, not study

Britain to tighten student visa requirements

British anti-doping authorities to give athletes biological passports ahead of London 2012

UK Anti-Doping to issue biological passports

UK university where alleged airline attacker studied says it will investigate radicalization

UK university: We will investigate radicalization

Major nominations for British Academy film awards

Nominations for British Academy film awards

Pope, on eve of synagogue visit, says end of Nazi rule in Germany made him happy

Pope: End of Nazism made me happy

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI, on the eve of his controversy-generating visit to a Rome synagogue, said Saturday that the end of Nazi tyranny in his German homeland made him happy and allowed him to resume studies for the priesthood.

Britain’s top universities warn that they face ‘meltdown’ from government funding cuts

UK universities warn that they face ‘meltdown’

14-year-old home-schooled math prodigy offered place at Britain’s Cambridge University

UK: 14-year-old prodigy offered place at Cambridge

Dutch ex-prostitute loses compensation case against her former high school

Ex-prostitute loses claim against school

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Wednesday rejected a compensation claim by a woman who sued her former high school for allegedly failing to stop her from becoming a prostitute.