Indonesia is the world's third largest democracy, behind India and the United States. But the governor of the province that's the cultural heart of that democracy is a Sultan, an un-elected monarch. This unusual arrangement has survived unchallenged for six decades - until now.

The European Central Bank has ruled out large scale bond purchases to save struggling countries from their mounting debts. But the ECB has said it will extend unlimited credit to European banks. Some observers say these low-interest bank loans could be a back door way to address the debt crisis. National banks would have a new source of cash to buy their home country's sovereign debt.

Drivers near Coventry, England, experienced unusual weather conditions Wednesday: apples falling from the sky. About 100 rained down in a few minutes. Meteorologists blamed a freak wind. There are apparently no orchards nearby.

In a low-key ceremony at the Baghdad airport, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and others marked the occasion. After nearly nine years of war and the deaths of 4,500 U.S. military personnel, almost all troops have left the country.

China has announced that it will increase duties on some U.S.-made vehicles. The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing says it will levy "anti-dumping" duties on all U.S. imports with engines larger than 2.5 liters. It's the latest volley in an ongoing tariff war with China.

As U.S. troops depart Iraq, many observers assume the country will fall into lockstep with its powerful Shiite neighbor to the east, Iran. But, at least in the short term, other countries in the region are expected to keep Iran in check, and Turkey is already playing a significant economic role.

South Sudan is one of the most underdeveloped places in the world and still has a tense relationship with its former rulers in Sudan. But the world's newest nation does have oil, and a Washington conference is Washington is looking at what can be done to help get South Sudan on its feet.