Millions of Hindus bathe in Ganges to cleanse sins

ALLAHABAD, India (AP) — Millions of devout Hindus plunged Monday into India's holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins.Monday is considered the most auspicious day of the Kumbh Mela, or Pitcher Festival, which lasts 55 days and is one of the world's largest religious gatherings.Over 110 million people are expected to take a dip at the Sangam, the place where three rivers...

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AP PHOTOS: Finding the salt of the soil of Benin

DJEGBADJI, Benin (AP) — In this village in Benin, the salt of the Earth means business.The women of Djegbadji, a village near the town of Ouidah, wake up in the morning to dig away the surface of the marshy soil near the Atlantic Ocean. They put the soil into large pots, then draw water from local wells to pour through the dirt.Small spigots at the bottom of each pot allow the water to escape after...

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Zimbabwe: Zimplats agrees to sell shares to gov't

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's largest platinum mining company says it has signed a deal to sell off its majority shareholding to the government as part of the country's black empowerment laws.South African-owned Zimplats chief Terence Goodlace said Friday the sale, worth $971 million, was "non-binding" until the end of June when the Zimbabwe government must pay $153 million for what he called...

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